Not too little - not too much…….the Summer Salt and Highway Deicing Newsletter (pdf 450.51 kB) focuses on the merits of calibration for solid material spreaders and liquid distribution systems. Fundamental concepts, types of spreaders and controllers as well as the guidelines for assuring accuracy during the calibration process are reviewed.

The 2009 Urban Mobility Report by the Texas Transportation Institute documents congestion costs exceeding $87 billion in 2007, more than $750 for every American traveler. All told, congestion wastes 2.8 billion gallons of fuel -- three weeks' worth for every traveler -- an 4.2 billion hours; equivalent to an extra one-week vacation each year. But being stuck in traffic is hardly a vacation. This year's Report tracks a quarter century of traffic patterns in 439 U.S. urban areas from 1982 through 2007.

The Report emphasizes the distinction between “average” and “important” trips as

crucial to understanding the role of the solutions described in the next few pages. Some strategies reduce congestion for all travelers and at all times on every day. Other strategies provide options that some travelers, manufacturers or freight shippers might choose for time-sensitive travel. Some solutions target congestion problems that occur every day and others address irregular events such as vehicle crashes that cause some of the longest delays and greatest frustrations.

To "vehicle crashes," we'd add "snow and ice events."

New research announced today by the Pacific Institute for Research & Evaluation examines the relative economic costs of vehicle crashes, comparing driver behaviors with roadway surface conditions. Internationally-renowned safety economist Dr. Ted R. Miller and colleague Eduard Zaloshnja determined that 52.7% of highway crashes involve roadway conditions. The crashes were responsible for 22,000 fatalities in 2008.

In terms of social costs, non-use of seatbelts is responsible for $60 billion in costs; speeding, $97 billion; and alcohol impairment, $130 billion. Road condition-related crashes cost the U.S. economy $218 billion. These costs include $20 billion in medical expense, $46 billion in productivity losses and $52 billion in property damage and other resource costs with a further $99 billion in monetized quality of life costs.

The report was commissioned by the Transportation Construction Coalition and timed as Congress weighs the Obama Administration's request last week to pass a stopgap extension of federal transportation programs until after the next election.

Although the TCC advocacy effort is focused only on safety-related roadway construction improvements, a significant opportunity is on the table with the highway authorization bill to upgrade roadway operations. Improved operations can curtail the costs incurred from weather-, incident- and work zone-related crashes -- including winter snow and ice operations.