Sicop Talks Winter Ops

Knowledge transfer plays a critical role in advancing the state of the practice and conferences and expositions play an important role in knowledge transfer.  The Purdue Road School Conference and Expo have been playing a role in knowledge transfer since 1913.  Listen in as Jeremy McGuffey, Indiana DOT, tells us about the Road School and how you might become involved.Find more information about the Purdue Road School at this link https://engineering.purdue.edu/JTRP/Road_School or email Jeremy directly at JMcguffey@indot.IN.govSign up for email notifications on future episodes and other communications associated with winter maintenance and winter weather management by clicking on subscribe on the Talkin' Winter Ops website at TalkinWinterOps.comThanks for listening in and stay safe out there!

Everyday folks out there are coming up with better ways to do business.  It might be a mechanic coming up with fix to solve a problem for an operator  - to a research project that could fundamentally change the way we do snow and ice control.  The thing is, if you can’t move this new idea from a one off - or a great research concept to reality you stay stuck in the status quo.On this episode we are going to discus implementation and how some have overcome the challenges new ideas face on the road to implementation.Craig Bargfrede, Winter Operations Administrator for the Iowa DOT and Jeremy McGuffey Statewide Winter Operations Manager for the Indiana DOT will be discussing their experiences moving ideas to the field. For more information you can contact Craig at craig.bargfrede@iowadot.us or Jeremy at jmcguffey@indot.in.gov Sign up for email notifications on future episodes and other communications associated with winter maintenance and winter weather management by clicking on subscribe on the Talkin' Win

On this episode we are going to introduce you to three programs designed to introduce K-12 students to a variety of science and engineering concepts used by DOTs and highway maintenance.  AASHTO’s TRAC™ (Transportation and Civil Engineering) & RIDES (Roadways in Developing Elementary Students) outreach programs are designed for educators to use as part of their Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) classes and Front Range Community College's Senior Seminar in Public Works and Highway Maintenance offers high school seniors the opportunity to learn about highway maintenance in the class room and on the job through internships .  Julia Smith, AASHTO’s TRAC™ & RIDES Program Manager, discusses some of the modules that are part of the program and how educators can incorporate them into their curriculum. In addition to the most popular bridge building module there are modules on how salt depresses the freezing point of water, pavement friction, and environmental impacts facing DOT’s among ma

Maintenance operations adapted quickly in lots of ways we never thought we could due to the pandemic.  On this episode we’re visiting with Joe Bucci, State Highway Maintenance Operations Engineer for the Rhode Island DOT to learn about some tools they use to help keep the paperwork flowing while the snow plows are rolling.  The application they utilize to manage and coordinate over 400 vendors during winter operations has revolutionized the administration of those resources.  For more information about the Rhode Island DOTs winter maintenance program you can reach out directly to Joe Bucci at joseph.bucci@dot.ri.gov 1:27   Introduction to the Rhode Island DOT winter maintenance program4:06   Tracking and coordinating with vendors6:35    Reverse auction for winter maintenance materials9:13    Admin to manage contractors and materials14:00 Implementing the new system20:21 Using the application for state forces22:10 Communication the the vendors during winter operations25:00 Enhancements26:47 COVID changes to th

Usually, when you mention winter maintenance and road weather the mind conjures up images of those northern states where winter comes in October and hangs around till April.  but there are plenty of states across the south that have their hands full with all kinds of road weather challanges.  On this episode we’re visiting with Kevin Duby, Arizona DOT’s Statewide Road Weather Manager about his state, Arizona, where the weather challenges are as diverse as the landscape.1:04   Weather diversity of Arizona2:20   Weather challenges5:58   Equipment used in weather responses7:28   Staff utilization and training12:40 Dashboards & data for decision making17:15 Southern state challenges21:57 Extra technology - weather radar25:40 Monsoon season30:36 Social media33:00 What’s in the futureYou can visit the Arizona DOT at https://azdot.gov and for more information on Arizona DOT’s weather response programs contact Kevin Duby kduby@azdot.gov Sign up for email notifications on future episodes and other communications a

Listen in as SICOP Talks Winter Ops with Randi Feltner, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Road Weather Program Manager about crowd sourcing in Kentucky.In 2014 the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet began a program of crowd sourcing data from motorists from a variety of sources to aid in their delivery of mobility across their network especially during sever weather events.  Providing extra sets of eyes on the condition of the network gives the KYTC enhanced situational awareness and a leg up in response.  For more information on crowdsourcing in Kentucky you can contact Randi by email at mailto: Randi.Feltner@ky.govand check out the travel resources provided by the KYTC at this link https://transportation.ky.gov/sites/snowky  More information on Crowd Sourcing can be found on the National Operations Center of Excellence website https://transportationops.org/edc5NCHRP Research Report 889: Performance Measures in Snow and Ice Control Operations https://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/178901.aspxSign up for email notificati

Listen in as SICOP Talks Winter Ops with Tony Coventry of the FHWA’s Road Weather Management Program and Kyle Garrett of Synesis Partners about the Integrated Modeling for Road Condition Prediction or IMRCP.When it comes to road weather management there have been a few major advances in the way agencies manage roadway networks during weather events.  The latest under developed through a series of pilots is the Integrated Modeling for Road Condition Prediction or IMRCP.  Modeling the performance of a roadway network during a weather event marks a milestone in understanding and prediction just how it will perform provides a practical tool to support operational decision making, maintenance planning, and traveler information.Tony and Kyle describe the beginnings of the program, where its going in the future, and how it can help agencies achieve their maintenance and road network operation mission during weather events.Follow these links to learn more about IMRCP:Tony Coventry tony.coventry@dot.govKyle Garrett ky

SICOP Talks WInter Ops with Andrea Bill from the Wisconsin Traffic Operations and Safety Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin, Madison as she discusses the latest research into use of salt brine.  Wisconsin DOT has been working hard to promote the use of liquids in winter maintenance operations.  In 2021, the results of a 2-year research project into the use of salt brine was published.  Andrea Bill presented this work at the 2022 Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting and in this episode describes the work and results of this study showing very positive results for the use of salt brine. You can view the presentation  "WisDOT Salt Brine Project 2020-2021” For detailed information check out The Salt Brine Final Report Final Report If you would like to discuss this project, results, or other aspects of salt brine in Wisconsin with Andrea you can email her directly at  bill@wisc.eduOther podcast episodes on liquids:Episode 12: “Taking liquids to the max” Episode 41: “The latest word on alternate

When a snowplow is involved in a crash there can be injuries to drivers and other motorists as well as damage to the snowplow that can take it out of service.  In winter some agencies can experience up to 10% reductions in equipment and operators.  To help address this Montana DOT advanced a project through Clear Roads Pooled Fund Project to look at the causes of crashes involving snowplows and develop a training program to help operators hone their defensive driving and safe driving skills when operating snowplows.Doug McBroom, Operations Manager for the Montana DOT discusses a project funded by the Clear roads Pooled Fund Study that looked at the types of crashes impacting snowplows and suggested strategies that made their way into a training program for snowplow operators.  The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute conducted surveys and analysis of snowplow crashes and created two easy to implement training programs that are available to all DOT’s and public works  agencies.  You can check out this work t

Maintenance operations during extreme events is far more complex than salt and snowplows.  Historically we thought of the motorist as a consumer of maintenance’s efforts but in reality they are an active participant who’s actions have implications on the operations of the network.  In this episode Wilf Nixon, President of the Professional Snowfighters Association, joins the discussion of how we operate the network with the many major events that have happened so far in the winter of 2021-22 as a backdrop.Things like Traffic Incident Management (TIM), traveler information, preemptively holding traffic, and disaster exercises are all part of the discussion.  Additional listening:Episode 19: When the snow hits the fan - Emergency operations methodology  Episode 20: TSMO365 Weather or notEpisode 22: EDC5  - Weather responsive management strategiesSign up for email notifications on future episodes and other communications associated with winter maintenance and winter weather management by clicking on subscribe on

The 16th PIARC World Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress is just around the corner.  Being able to exchange knowledge and learn from winter service and road resilience professionals from around the world is a valuable takeaway from participating in this event.  The technical program offers papers from a diverse body of authors from around the world ranging from practitioners showcasing their approach to the challenges they face to academics sharing their current research into issues facing winter service and road resilience. Papers have also been considered for international prizes in several categories.  Learn about the technical program, the international prize categories, and what you can take away from attending this congress by listening in as we talk to members of the Calgary 2022 Organizing Committee about the technical program.Find out more about the 16th PIARC World Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress and the technical program through their website at this link: https://www.piarc-calg

The City of Calgary, Alberta, Canada has had to adapt to a variety of circumstances from changing weather patterns to changes in mobility needs and travel patterns brought on by the Pandemic.  These challenges are not unique as cities, counties, states, and countries who provide winter service can attest.  This heightens the relevance of the upcoming PIARC World Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress is “Adapting to a Changing World” being hosted virtually be the City of Calgary and Canada.  https://www.piarc-calgary2022.org Learn more about how Calgary is addressing these issues from Troy McLeod, Director of Roads at the City of Calgary as he describes their approach to winter service and road resilience as they adapt to these changing conditions.Find out more about the City of Calgary Roads program and specifically about their programs dealing with winter snow and ice control through their website at this link: https://www.calgary.ca/transportation/roads/roads.html Sign up for email notifications on fu

In 2022 winter maintenance professionals from around the world will be focusing their attention on Calgary, Alberta, Canada, host of the World Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress.  In this episode Chris Hewitt, Manager of Roads Maintenance at the City of Calgary, discusses winter operations at the city and the unique challenges they face in a large urban environment subjected to some unique winter weather conditions. More information about snow services in the City of Calgary including their snow plan, snow routes and parking bans, snow clearing bylaw, and other information visit their website at https://www.calgary.ca/cfod/csc/snow.html or you can contact Chris Hewitt at Chris.Hewitt@calgary.ca Sign up for email notifications on future episodes and other communications associated with winter maintenance and winter weather management by clicking on subscribe on the Talkin' Winter Ops website at TalkinWinterOps.comThanks for listening in and stay safe out there!

Back in 1969 Permanent International Association of Road Congresses or PIARC held a World Winter Maintenance Congress in Berchtesgaden, Germany.  Reuniting every 4 years in a different country, winter maintenance professionals from around the world have turned this world Congress into the grandaddy of them all.  Hosted by Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the next international gathering of winer maintenance professionals is planned for February 7-11, 2022 as a virtual event.  On this episode we’re visiting with Nadia Lappa, Project Manager for this 16th Congress to find out all about this event, what to expect, and what you can take away from this quadrennial world-wide gathering of winter maintenance and road resilience professionals.For more information about the PIARC 16th World Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress happening February 7-11, 2022 you can check out its website at https://www.piarc-calgary2022.org.Sign up for email notifications on future episodes and other communications associated with winte

You might not know that there is an International Winter Maintenance committee that mirrors SICOP.  The Permanent International Association of Road Congresses (PIARC) houses a Winter Service Technical Committee that in a lot of ways mirrors SICOP in advancing winter service. Interaction with with the international winter maintenance community through international scanning tours and participation on the PIARC Winter Service Technical Committee (TC) has jumpstarted the introduction of several winter maintenance strategies and tools like the use of liquids and RWIS.On this episode Steve Lund and Paul Pisano join Rick Nelson, all three English Speaking Secretaries on the PIARC Winter Service TC, to discuss PIARC and why our participation on this TC is important to the winter maintenance community here in the US.  Every 4-years PIARC conducts a worldwide winter maintenance conference and in 2022 the 16th World Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress: Adapting to a Changing World will be hosted by Calgary.  Re

SICOP has been busy this past year and on this episode Steve Lund, State Maintenance Engineer for the Minnesota DOT and Chair of SICOP spends some time filling us in on several activities SICOP has worked on this past year and what’s in store for the next.  He introduces the Strategic Initiatives contained in the 2021-2023 Strategic Plan recently approved by the Steering Committee and available at https://sicop.transportation.org/strategic-plan/ .  Steve makes a special announcement regarding the SICOP leadership at 32:16.Sign up for email notifications on future episodes and other communications associated with winter maintenance and winter weather management by clicking on subscribe on the Talkin' Winter Ops website at TalkinWinterOps.comThanks for listening in and stay safe out there!

For those of us in the business of winter operations there are 2 seasons, winter and getting ready for winter.  In this episode we’re visiting with Paul Brown of Road Tech and formerly the winter maintenance guru at the Mass DOT about 6 summertime  projects you should consider in order to be prepared for next winter.For more information on these 6 summertime projects for winter maintenance and other insightful tips you can contact Paul Brown at roadteck@comcast.netSign up for email notifications on future episodes and other communications associated with winter maintenance and winter weather management by clicking on subscribe on the Talkin' Winter Ops website at TalkinWinterOps.comThanks for listening in and stay safe out there!

Not all pavements are equal when it comes to winter maintenance. Different pavements and pavement designs respond differently to winter maintenance strategies.  A recent research project looked at the various performance aspects of open graded, ultra thin permeable friction course surfaces that have been used by transportation agencies for many years.  While they have lots of advantages, in the wintertime they tend to freeze more rapidly, deicing and anti-icing chemicals drain off more readily, and they tend to retain snow and ice for longer periods of time.  In this episode we’re going to look into winter maintenance operations on permeable friction courses with Michelle Akin formerly of Washington State University and Laura Fay from the Western Transportation Institute.    Check out the report  “Understanding the chemical and mechanical performance of snow and ice control agents on porous or permeable pavements” by clicking on the link https://clearroads.org/project/12-03/Sign up for email notifications on

When it comes to winter operations it’s easy to become focused on the tasks at hand but getting information to the motoring public is critical to helping them make smart decisions about travel during difficult conditions.  Thats where public affairs can be your most important partner.  In this episode we’re talking with Anne Meyer, MnDOT Public Affairs, about the role they play in getting the winter operations message out to the masses.  Anne talks about the relationship with maintenance and tools, tips, and techniques they use to get out the winter maintenance message.  Check out the MnDOT videos on the Minnesota DOT YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJkXcazb32HwAihN9CGHO_Q or for more information about winter maintenance public affairs at MnDOT you can reach out to Anne Meyer at anne.meye@state.mn.us directly.Sign up for email notifications on future episodes and other communications associated with winter maintenance and winter weather management by clicking on subscribe on the Talkin&apo

What are some key elements to improve winter resilience of roads to severe winter conditions?  In 2020 Mark Corbin, Highways Key Route Network Manager at Transport for West Midlands, received a Winston Churchill Fellowship to investigate winter resilience in several countries and bring his findings back to the UK.  During his visits to Canada, Finland, and Sweden he interviewed over 50 interviews with winter maintenance professionals zeroing in on key themes to enhance resiliency during wintertime.  While his focus was on UK roads his findings are relevant across the sector regardless of your jurisdiction or country.  You can view more information about Mark Corbin and download his Winston Churchill Fellowship Report “Improving Winter Resilience on UK Roads” at this link: https://www.wcmt.org.uk/fellows/reports/improving-winter-resilience-uk-roadsSign up for email notifications on future episodes and other communications associated with winter maintenance and winter weather management by clicking on subscribe