The tragic toll of highway and workplace fatalities both declined in 2007 -- good news for salt companies who contributed to both positive outcomes. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 6% decline in workplace deaths in 2007; overall, occupational fatalities have declined from 5,840 to 5,488; the biggest improvement coming from at-work transportation fatalities. Traffic fatalities declined 3.9% to the lowest number in 13 years. The fatality rate of 1.37 is the lowest ever recorded, according the U.S. Department of Transportation .

Salt companies, likewise, had their safest-ever year in 2007 and sold a near-record amount of live-saving highway salt .

Today's Chicago Tribune informed readers of emergency meetings being held this week among public works managers of Chicago's northern suburbs. Tara Malone and Carolyn Starks reported:

As summer nears its final stretch, many cities and towns across the northern suburbs are stuck in a very wintry, administrative snowdrift: They have no road salt, supply is tight and prices are through the roof.

A similar story appeared in today's Pittsburgh, PA Tribune-Review.

Thirty-four salt storage facilities in 7 states and 2 Canadian provinces were first-time winners in the Salt Institute's 2008 Excellence in Storage Award program. The winners were unveiled during the American Public Works Association Congress today in New Orleans. An additional 63 facilities earned "continuing excellence" designation. Visit our website for more details.

The latest Salt and Highway Deicing features a discussion on how agencies can optimize "Inventory Management and Cost Minimization." Coming out of last winter's near-record salt usage, agency storage facilities were largely empty making the article timely reading for snowfighting professionals.

The Transportation Research Board has produced a new report, Cost effective performance measures for travel time delay, variation and reliability with application and implications for winter roadway operations. NCHRP Report 618 argues that highway

system users-the traveling public, as well as commercial operators-are increasingly sensitive to delay and unreliable conditions. By measuring travel-time performance, and related system metrics based on travel time, agencies will be better able to plan and operate their systems to achieve the best result for a given level of investment. At the same time, travelers, shippers, and other users of those systems will have better information for planning their use of the system.

In winter storms, agencies meet their "customers'" concerns for delay and reliability through salting and plowing. Measuring road surface outcomes is the key to delivering on customer expectations.

Report 618 guides agencies to using cost-effective techniques to gather and process data enabling real-time management decisions which can significantly improve winter roadway safety.