A SAFER ROAD TO TOMORROW
January 2013 Newsletter
A Safer Road to Tomorrow
48 Grandview Road
Bow, NH 03304
Safer Roads Coalition Releases 2013 Calendar
The A Safer Road to Tomorrow Coalition
released its 2013 Calendar in November
of 2012. This year’s calendar takes a by the
numbers approach, highlighting important
facts about New Hamsphire’s infrastructure
numerically. The 2013 Calendar builds on the
theme of the 2012 Calendar, which showed
how New Hampshire uses its infrastructure.
Throughout 2013, the Coalition will show why
the infrastructure is important, and what can
happen if it is left in disrepair.
Commuting in New Hampshire
Commuting is part of daily life for most New Hampshire citizens. Transportation improvements that reduce congestion can
shorten commuting times and improve air quality. On average, New Hampshire citizens take 25.5 minutes on their daily commute
to and from work. This mirrors the national average of 25.2 minutes. However, each county’s commute time differs slightly:
Belknap: 24.4 minutes
Chesire: 21.1 minutes
Grafton: 21.6 minutes
Merrimack: 25.2 minutes
Strafford: 24.9 minutes
Source: 2012 U.S. Census
Brought to you by the Safer Roads Partners:
Carroll: 24.6 minutes
Coos: 23.0 minutes
Hillsborough: 25.9 minutes
Rockingham: 28.6 minutes
Sullivan: 23.8 minutes
Infrastructure
By The Numbers
Safer Road Partners
2013
A SAFER ROAD TO TOMORROW
All of the pictures are taken from locations around New Hampshire and depict the
current conditions of the state’s infrastructure. Maintaining the highways, rural roads,
and bridges is important to the continued economic success of New Hampshire and
the safety of its citizens. Businesses need
easily accesible delivery routes, and closed
roadways and bridges can increase delivery
times. Additionally, tourists may choose to
vacation elsewhere if they have to sit in long
traffic delays because of congestion. New
Hampshire has some of the worst rural roads
in the country, and 75% of all traffic fatalities
occur on two lane, or rural, roads.
NH Ranks #9 on the list of states
with the worst rural roads
Roadway improvements such as widening lanes
and shoulders, better road markings, and
modernizing intersections can reduce traffic
accidents. These improvements are limited
by the amount of funding available, which
has stagnated as a result of increased fuel
efficiency and delayed federal transportation
authorization legislation.
The Department of Transportation
Commissioner wrote in the January 2012 issue
of the Department’s newsletter, On The Move
that “We can no longer take for granted the
transportation system that helped make our
state and country great.” The infrastructure
provides the state with many benefits, and
without investing in the infrastructure, those
benefits will not remain.
48 Grandview Road, Bow, NH 03304
Phone: 603.225.2701 Fax: 603.226.3859
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.saferoadsnh.com
Associated General Contractors of NH
The Associated General Contractors is a
non-profit trade organization of general
contractors, subcontractors, and industry
professionals dedicated to improving
industry standards.
NH Good Roads Association
NH Good Roads Association is a nonprofit trade organization established to
encourage the development of a safe,
efficient and environmentally sound
highway transportation system.
Safety and Health Council of
Northern New England
The Council’s mission is to educate and
promote safety & health policies,
practices and procedures that prevent
and mitigate human economic losses
arising from unintended causes.
NH Association of Chiefs of Police
The Association secures a closer
relationship among commanding
officers all over the state, to encourage
a cooperative relationship among all
police officials.
NH Lodging & Restaurant Association
The Association is a non-partisan
organization to promote, protect and
educate the food service and lodging
industries and to ensure positive business
growth for our members.
There are 366 municipal
red list bridges
The calendar is available to view and
download on the A Safer Road To Tomorrow website at www.saferoadsnh.com. Previous
calendars and newsletters are also avialable to view and download on the site as well.
Business & Industry Association
The Association is NH’s leading business
trade association. It advocates for
business interests with state and federal
legislators and regulators.
A SAFER ROAD TO TOMORROW
Blueprint For Ending
Distracted Driving
The U.S. Department of Transportation
recently unveiled a new publication
targeting distracted drivers. Blueprint for
Ending Distracted Driving outlines a plan
that builds on recent actions to eliminate
disctracted driving.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray
LaHood stated of the document’s release:
“Distracted driving is an epidemic. While
we’ve made progress in the past three
years by raising awareness about this risky
behavior, the simple fact is people are
continuing to be killed and injured – and we
can put an end to it. Personal responsibility
for putting down that cell phone is a good
first step– but we need everyone to do their
part, whether it’s helping pass strong laws,
educating our youngest and most vulnerable
drivers, or starting their own campaign to
end distracted driving.”
Key points of the plan include:
- Encourages the remaining 11 states
without distracted driving laws to enact
and enforce this critical legislation
- Challenges the auto industry to
adopt new features and guidelines for
technology to reduce the potential for
distraction on devices built or brought into
vehicles
- Partners with driver education
professionals to incorprate new material
to educate novice drivers about
distracted driving
- Provides all stakeholders with actions
they can take that go beyond personal
responsibility to helping end distracted
driving nationwide
New Hampshire enacted a law last year
that imposes a $100 fine for texting while
driving. Additionally, the state Department
of Transportation, in partnership with
associated organizations, recently started
a new campaign Driving Toward Zero that
targets distracted driving as part of its
mission to reduce traffic fatalities.
To read the Blueprint for Ending Distracted
Driving, go to http://www.distraction.gov/
content/press-release/2012/06-7.html
January 2013
A SAFER ROAD TO TOMORROW
NH Slowly Decreases Structurally Deficient/Functionally Obsolete Bridges
Increasing Speed Limits on Highways
It’s no surprise that motorists speed on the roadways. It’s
also likely no surprise that the highest occurences of
speeding happen on freeways and expressways. A
recent survey by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) confirmed these speculations.
The NHTSA studied rate of speed for all types of motor
vehicles on freeways, arterials, and collector roads
across the United States during 2007 and 2009. The
Administration classified their findings into three types:
Limited Access; Major Arterial; and Minor Arterial/
Collector. In each classification, throughout both study
years, over half of the vehicles measured exceeded the
speed limit by any amount. Additionally, the number of motorists exceeding the speed limit by
greater than 5 miles per hour was near one-third. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
(IIHS) stated in their latest Status Report newsletter that drivers will typically exceed the speed
limit by an amount in which they think they won’t get a ticket- often 5 to 10 miles per hour.
As speeds increase on highways, some states are increasing the speed limits as well. In Texas,
the state is increasing the speed limit on a new toll road to 85 miles per hour. Using the data
provided by IIHS and the NHTSA, many motorists will likely be traveling around 90 miles per
hour. In New Hampshire, three bills have been proposed for the 2013 Legislative Session that
aim to increase speed limits on New Hampshire’s road ways:
- Increasing certain speed limits to 70 miles per hour
- Increasing certain speed limits to 75 miles per hour
- Increasing the speed limit on a portion of I-93 to 70 miles per hour
The higher the rate of speed becomes, the higher likelihood of fatality or serious injury in the
event of a crash. The Institute performs crash test studies using a rate of speed of 40 miles per
hour, a speed at which people will likely survive. With higher speeds, the likelihood of survival
decreases. The Institute states, “When a crash is imminent, a car traveling 65 mph has a much
better chance of getting down to a survivable speed before impact than a car traveling 85
mph.”
To see the full results of the NHTSA survey, go to www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811647.
pdf.
Safer Roads- A Resource For NH’s Infrastructure
The A Safer Road to Tomorrow’s mission is to educate the driving public about the importance
of the state’s infrastructure. Roads and bridges are what connect us to our work, friends &
family, actitivities, and much more. Ensuring that the infrastructure is in top form benefits both
businesses and citizens alike.
The coalition produces targeted reports, the recently released calendar, and this newsletter,
that highlight those benefits and what can happen if the infrastructure is left in disrepair.
As a member of New Hampshire’s driving public, it is important to understand what those
consequences could be.
In addition to publications, the Coalition also maintains a website. The website offers all of the
Coalition’s current and past publications for download, free of charge. Additionally, it provides
timely news and important facts about New Hampshire’s infrastructure.
Use the Coalition’s reports, newsletters, and website as your resources for learning more about
New Hampshire’s infrastructure. Visit the Coalition at www.saferoadsnh.com.
2
January 2013
Better Roads magazine recently released its annual Bridge Inventory for the United States. Across the nation, the sentiment is the same- bridges
are getting better, but lack of funding makes it difficult to see significant progress. New Hampshire follows this model as the number of
structurally deficient/functionally obsolete bridges only decreased 1% from 2011-2012. Furthermore, looking at the chart below, over the past
four years there has not been significant decrease in the number of bridges categorized as structurally deficient/functionally obsolete. In fact,
the percentage of bridges categorized as structurally deficient, functionally obsolete has remained nearly constant.
Transportation officials focused on the two- year Moving Ahead for
Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) bill throughout the article.
MAP-21 was recently enacted as the latest transportation reauthorization bill. It provides level funding for two years, adjusted
for inflation. Officials commented that the legislation does not
provide any funding directed specifically for bridges, meaning that
bridge projects will now have to compete with other transportation
projects for funding. Additionally, the two-year time frame restricts
the long-term planning process, and does not create certainty for
transportation departments.
3000 2500 2000 1500 Total Bridges % SD/FO 1000 New Hampshire’s Department of Transportation employee, David
Powelson was quoted in the article as saying the legislation does
provide more certainty than continuing resolutions, but that the nation
still needs a “major overhaul.”
500 0 In addition to the consistent percentage of structurally deficient/
2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 functionally obsolete bridges, the chart also shows that nearly oneNew Hampshire Bridges
third of New Hampshire bridges are categorized this way. This places
the state among the states with the highest percentage of poor bridges. Additionally, all the New England states rank among the worst bridges
in the nation. The chart below shows the percentage of all bridges (highway and city) that are structurally deficient/functionally obsolete in the
New England states. Rhode Island tops the list with nearly half of its bridges considered structurally deficient/functionally obsolete.
State
Total
Total SD/FO
Percentage
Maine
2,305
591
26%
New Hampshire
2,493
728
29%
Vermont
2,706
813
30%
Massachusetts
5,126
1,799
35%
Connecticut
4,192
1,513
36%
758
374
49%
Rhode Island
The 2012 Bridge Inventory also mirrors the trend New Hampshire
sees with its Red List Bridges. For every eighteen bridges that
are removed from the Red List, another sixteen bridges are
added. Additionally, the length of repair time has also increased.
Currently, it takes an average of eight years for a red list bridge
to be addressed, previously it only took five.
To read the full report on Better Bridges, visit the Better Roads
website at www.betterroads.com.
2nd Open Road Tolling Facility Underway
New Hampshire is continuing to stay on trend in infrastructure with its latest Open Road Tolling (ORT) facility on I-93 in Hooksett, NH. This will
be the second ORT facility in the state, with the first located on I-95 in Hampton, NH. New Hampshire was the first state in the Northeast to
embrace the ORT, which allows drivers to pass through overhead gantries at highway-speeds. This reduces the amount of congestion on major
highways such as I-95 and I-93.
The state Department of Transportation reports that annually, the Hooksett Tolls process over 25 million transactions. The Department estimates
that travel time through the plaza will be reduced by 14.4% with the completion of the project. Six conventional toll lanes are being converted
into four high-speed toll lanes, two in each direction. Conventional toll lanes will still be available for drivers without E-ZPass, although nearly
two-thirds of all toll transactions are done through E-ZPass. The toll facility has an opening date of June 2013, right on time for the peak
summer traveling season.
New Hampshire was nationally recognized for the Hampton ORT project, and with the completion of the second facility the state is
emphasizing its commitment to modernizing and improving the state’s infrastructure.
3
A SAFER ROAD TO TOMORROW
Blueprint For Ending
Distracted Driving
The U.S. Department of Transportation
recently unveiled a new publication
targeting distracted drivers. Blueprint for
Ending Distracted Driving outlines a plan
that builds on recent actions to eliminate
disctracted driving.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray
LaHood stated of the document’s release:
“Distracted driving is an epidemic. While
we’ve made progress in the past three
years by raising awareness about this risky
behavior, the simple fact is people are
continuing to be killed and injured – and we
can put an end to it. Personal responsibility
for putting down that cell phone is a good
first step– but we need everyone to do their
part, whether it’s helping pass strong laws,
educating our youngest and most vulnerable
drivers, or starting their own campaign to
end distracted driving.”
Key points of the plan include:
- Encourages the remaining 11 states
without distracted driving laws to enact
and enforce this critical legislation
- Challenges the auto industry to
adopt new features and guidelines for
technology to reduce the potential for
distraction on devices built or brought into
vehicles
- Partners with driver education
professionals to incorprate new material
to educate novice drivers about
distracted driving
- Provides all stakeholders with actions
they can take that go beyond personal
responsibility to helping end distracted
driving nationwide
New Hampshire enacted a law last year
that imposes a $100 fine for texting while
driving. Additionally, the state Department
of Transportation, in partnership with
associated organizations, recently started
a new campaign Driving Toward Zero that
targets distracted driving as part of its
mission to reduce traffic fatalities.
To read the Blueprint for Ending Distracted
Driving, go to http://www.distraction.gov/
content/press-release/2012/06-7.html
January 2013
A SAFER ROAD TO TOMORROW
NH Slowly Decreases Structurally Deficient/Functionally Obsolete Bridges
Increasing Speed Limits on Highways
It’s no surprise that motorists speed on the roadways. It’s
also likely no surprise that the highest occurences of
speeding happen on freeways and expressways. A
recent survey by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) confirmed these speculations.
The NHTSA studied rate of speed for all types of motor
vehicles on freeways, arterials, and collector roads
across the United States during 2007 and 2009. The
Administration classified their findings into three types:
Limited Access; Major Arterial; and Minor Arterial/
Collector. In each classification, throughout both study
years, over half of the vehicles measured exceeded the
speed limit by any amount. Additionally, the number of motorists exceeding the speed limit by
greater than 5 miles per hour was near one-third. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
(IIHS) stated in their latest Status Report newsletter that drivers will typically exceed the speed
limit by an amount in which they think they won’t get a ticket- often 5 to 10 miles per hour.
As speeds increase on highways, some states are increasing the speed limits as well. In Texas,
the state is increasing the speed limit on a new toll road to 85 miles per hour. Using the data
provided by IIHS and the NHTSA, many motorists will likely be traveling around 90 miles per
hour. In New Hampshire, three bills have been proposed for the 2013 Legislative Session that
aim to increase speed limits on New Hampshire’s road ways:
- Increasing certain speed limits to 70 miles per hour
- Increasing certain speed limits to 75 miles per hour
- Increasing the speed limit on a portion of I-93 to 70 miles per hour
The higher the rate of speed becomes, the higher likelihood of fatality or serious injury in the
event of a crash. The Institute performs crash test studies using a rate of speed of 40 miles per
hour, a speed at which people will likely survive. With higher speeds, the likelihood of survival
decreases. The Institute states, “When a crash is imminent, a car traveling 65 mph has a much
better chance of getting down to a survivable speed before impact than a car traveling 85
mph.”
To see the full results of the NHTSA survey, go to www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/pdf/811647.
pdf.
Safer Roads- A Resource For NH’s Infrastructure
The A Safer Road to Tomorrow’s mission is to educate the driving public about the importance
of the state’s infrastructure. Roads and bridges are what connect us to our work, friends &
family, actitivities, and much more. Ensuring that the infrastructure is in top form benefits both
businesses and citizens alike.
The coalition produces targeted reports, the recently released calendar, and this newsletter,
that highlight those benefits and what can happen if the infrastructure is left in disrepair.
As a member of New Hampshire’s driving public, it is important to understand what those
consequences could be.
In addition to publications, the Coalition also maintains a website. The website offers all of the
Coalition’s current and past publications for download, free of charge. Additionally, it provides
timely news and important facts about New Hampshire’s infrastructure.
Use the Coalition’s reports, newsletters, and website as your resources for learning more about
New Hampshire’s infrastructure. Visit the Coalition at www.saferoadsnh.com.
2
January 2013
Better Roads magazine recently released its annual Bridge Inventory for the United States. Across the nation, the sentiment is the same- bridges
are getting better, but lack of funding makes it difficult to see significant progress. New Hampshire follows this model as the number of
structurally deficient/functionally obsolete bridges only decreased 1% from 2011-2012. Furthermore, looking at the chart below, over the past
four years there has not been significant decrease in the number of bridges categorized as structurally deficient/functionally obsolete. In fact,
the percentage of bridges categorized as structurally deficient, functionally obsolete has remained nearly constant.
Transportation officials focused on the two- year Moving Ahead for
Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) bill throughout the article.
MAP-21 was recently enacted as the latest transportation reauthorization bill. It provides level funding for two years, adjusted
for inflation. Officials commented that the legislation does not
provide any funding directed specifically for bridges, meaning that
bridge projects will now have to compete with other transportation
projects for funding. Additionally, the two-year time frame restricts
the long-term planning process, and does not create certainty for
transportation departments.
3000 2500 2000 1500 Total Bridges % SD/FO 1000 New Hampshire’s Department of Transportation employee, David
Powelson was quoted in the article as saying the legislation does
provide more certainty than continuing resolutions, but that the nation
still needs a “major overhaul.”
500 0 In addition to the consistent percentage of structurally deficient/
2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 functionally obsolete bridges, the chart also shows that nearly oneNew Hampshire Bridges
third of New Hampshire bridges are categorized this way. This places
the state among the states with the highest percentage of poor bridges. Additionally, all the New England states rank among the worst bridges
in the nation. The chart below shows the percentage of all bridges (highway and city) that are structurally deficient/functionally obsolete in the
New England states. Rhode Island tops the list with nearly half of its bridges considered structurally deficient/functionally obsolete.
State
Total
Total SD/FO
Percentage
Maine
2,305
591
26%
New Hampshire
2,493
728
29%
Vermont
2,706
813
30%
Massachusetts
5,126
1,799
35%
Connecticut
4,192
1,513
36%
758
374
49%
Rhode Island
The 2012 Bridge Inventory also mirrors the trend New Hampshire
sees with its Red List Bridges. For every eighteen bridges that
are removed from the Red List, another sixteen bridges are
added. Additionally, the length of repair time has also increased.
Currently, it takes an average of eight years for a red list bridge
to be addressed, previously it only took five.
To read the full report on Better Bridges, visit the Better Roads
website at www.betterroads.com.
2nd Open Road Tolling Facility Underway
New Hampshire is continuing to stay on trend in infrastructure with its latest Open Road Tolling (ORT) facility on I-93 in Hooksett, NH. This will
be the second ORT facility in the state, with the first located on I-95 in Hampton, NH. New Hampshire was the first state in the Northeast to
embrace the ORT, which allows drivers to pass through overhead gantries at highway-speeds. This reduces the amount of congestion on major
highways such as I-95 and I-93.
The state Department of Transportation reports that annually, the Hooksett Tolls process over 25 million transactions. The Department estimates
that travel time through the plaza will be reduced by 14.4% with the completion of the project. Six conventional toll lanes are being converted
into four high-speed toll lanes, two in each direction. Conventional toll lanes will still be available for drivers without E-ZPass, although nearly
two-thirds of all toll transactions are done through E-ZPass. The toll facility has an opening date of June 2013, right on time for the peak
summer traveling season.
New Hampshire was nationally recognized for the Hampton ORT project, and with the completion of the second facility the state is
emphasizing its commitment to modernizing and improving the state’s infrastructure.
3
A SAFER ROAD TO TOMORROW
January 2013 Newsletter
A Safer Road to Tomorrow
48 Grandview Road
Bow, NH 03304
Safer Roads Coalition Releases 2013 Calendar
The A Safer Road to Tomorrow Coalition
released its 2013 Calendar in November
of 2012. This year’s calendar takes a by the
numbers approach, highlighting important
facts about New Hamsphire’s infrastructure
numerically. The 2013 Calendar builds on the
theme of the 2012 Calendar, which showed
how New Hampshire uses its infrastructure.
Throughout 2013, the Coalition will show why
the infrastructure is important, and what can
happen if it is left in disrepair.
Commuting in New Hampshire
Commuting is part of daily life for most New Hampshire citizens. Transportation improvements that reduce congestion can
shorten commuting times and improve air quality. On average, New Hampshire citizens take 25.5 minutes on their daily commute
to and from work. This mirrors the national average of 25.2 minutes. However, each county’s commute time differs slightly:
Belknap: 24.4 minutes
Chesire: 21.1 minutes
Grafton: 21.6 minutes
Merrimack: 25.2 minutes
Strafford: 24.9 minutes
Source: 2012 U.S. Census
Brought to you by the Safer Roads Partners:
Carroll: 24.6 minutes
Coos: 23.0 minutes
Hillsborough: 25.9 minutes
Rockingham: 28.6 minutes
Sullivan: 23.8 minutes
Infrastructure
By The Numbers
Safer Road Partners
2013
A SAFER ROAD TO TOMORROW
All of the pictures are taken from locations around New Hampshire and depict the
current conditions of the state’s infrastructure. Maintaining the highways, rural roads,
and bridges is important to the continued economic success of New Hampshire and
the safety of its citizens. Businesses need
easily accesible delivery routes, and closed
roadways and bridges can increase delivery
times. Additionally, tourists may choose to
vacation elsewhere if they have to sit in long
traffic delays because of congestion. New
Hampshire has some of the worst rural roads
in the country, and 75% of all traffic fatalities
occur on two lane, or rural, roads.
NH Ranks #9 on the list of states
with the worst rural roads
Roadway improvements such as widening lanes
and shoulders, better road markings, and
modernizing intersections can reduce traffic
accidents. These improvements are limited
by the amount of funding available, which
has stagnated as a result of increased fuel
efficiency and delayed federal transportation
authorization legislation.
The Department of Transportation
Commissioner wrote in the January 2012 issue
of the Department’s newsletter, On The Move
that “We can no longer take for granted the
transportation system that helped make our
state and country great.” The infrastructure
provides the state with many benefits, and
without investing in the infrastructure, those
benefits will not remain.
48 Grandview Road, Bow, NH 03304
Phone: 603.225.2701 Fax: 603.226.3859
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.saferoadsnh.com
Associated General Contractors of NH
The Associated General Contractors is a
non-profit trade organization of general
contractors, subcontractors, and industry
professionals dedicated to improving
industry standards.
NH Good Roads Association
NH Good Roads Association is a nonprofit trade organization established to
encourage the development of a safe,
efficient and environmentally sound
highway transportation system.
Safety and Health Council of
Northern New England
The Council’s mission is to educate and
promote safety & health policies,
practices and procedures that prevent
and mitigate human economic losses
arising from unintended causes.
NH Association of Chiefs of Police
The Association secures a closer
relationship among commanding
officers all over the state, to encourage
a cooperative relationship among all
police officials.
NH Lodging & Restaurant Association
The Association is a non-partisan
organization to promote, protect and
educate the food service and lodging
industries and to ensure positive business
growth for our members.
There are 366 municipal
red list bridges
The calendar is available to view and
download on the A Safer Road To Tomorrow website at www.saferoadsnh.com. Previous
calendars and newsletters are also avialable to view and download on the site as well.
Business & Industry Association
The Association is NH’s leading business
trade association. It advocates for
business interests with state and federal
legislators and regulators.