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Winter Weather Response: In-Storm Management Optimization

Winter is here. It’s only a matter of time before a winter storm hits. Unless you’re prepared, it can quickly turn into one of your worst bad days.

Transportation asset managers know how much goes into winter storm highway management. If you’re not prepared, winter weather can cause chaos for motorists and slick and snow-covered roads can lead to property damage, injuries and, at worst, fatalities.

Having an emergency response plan in place is critical for snow storm highway response. As your trusted asset management partner, PILLAR can help you be prepared with an in-storm management plan before winter weather arrives. 

Essential tasks on your winter storm emergency response plan include:

  • Set snow and ice removal priorities and have a plan to reallocate resources to optimize traffic flow. 
  • Create an emergency response vehicle plan by contracting with wreckers and tow trucks to respond to motorists in need quickly. Pre-planning and developing open lines of communication ensure that wreckers and tow trucks are ready collaborate with emergency services and offer rapid responses to accidents or stranded motorists.
  • Be ready to provide continuous monitoring, tracking the storm’s progress and adjusting response efforts accordingly. Regular assessment of road conditions will help prioritize what needs immediate attention.
  • Develop a public communication plan to provide information about road conditions, closures, and travel advisories through digital platforms including social media, websites, and local media. This should include outreach before a storm to educate the public on safe winter driving practices and recommended equipment. 
  • Collaborate with neighboring jurisdictions. Be ready to coordinate snow and ice removal with neighboring counties and municipalities to optimize road clearing, resources, and response times. 
  • Pre-treatment of roadways. Apply anti-icing solutions before the storm arrives, and for steep slope roadways in colder areas, consider additionally applying sand and grit for enhanced traction. 
  • Facilitate online NIMS training for your team. The online training course through the National Incident Management System ensures you’ll be ready when a storm hits.

Start Preparing for the Next Winter Storm

Don’t face a winter storm alone. PILLAR is ready to work beside your team to optimize snow management plans and implement efficiencies, putting the brakes on a bad winter day before it happens. Contact us today and let’s get to work on a proactive in-storm management plan.

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Don’t Slide on Slope Stabilization

As a transportation asset manager, one of your worst bad days is to receive an alert that a slope collapsed on one of your roadways. This treacherous situation can result in fatalities and/or roadway closures and require significant expenditures to repair. 

Put a plan in place to help prevent this bad day scenario from happening in the first place. Keep your slopes maintained and safe with a proactive management plan from PILLAR. In 2023, our team helped one DOT implement a slide prevention program by identifying over 15,000 square yards of slopes requiring stabilization BEFORE disaster struck — and our cutting-edge collection methods can help your agency do the same.

The Issue

Engineered slopes can become unstable over time from weather events, erosion and other factors. Stabilization counters these issues, protecting their long-term viability and preventing rockslides and other slope failures.

Slope stabilization includes a number of implemented techniques designed to remedy an unstable or inadequately stable slope. The purpose is to increase the Factor of Safety of a slope to a level that is considered adequate.

Stabilization methods vary depending on the slope, its location, and surround environment. 

The Solution

PILLAR’s proactive slope erosion mitigation planning offers thorough evaluation and remediation. Our approach includes:

Site assessment and engineering analysis. We combine the technology of Mobile LiDAR with on-the-ground manual inspection to evaluate the geological and hydrological characteristics of your slopes. Through this, our professionals can identify any potential instability triggers, such as rainfall, snowmelt, earthquakes, or human activities. Where needed, we will test the soil and rock properties for cohesion, friction and strength as well as assess the groundwater conditions. This gives you a complete and accurate picture of your slope.

Scaling. Removing loose or potentially unstable material improves the geography of a slope. Scaling is an efficient way to prevent rockslides on natural or newly created slopes and can be conducted regularly as part of routine maintenance. Scaling methods include hand or mechanical scaling or by small scale blasting, also known as trim blasting.

Structural measures. Reinforcement systems such as retaining walls, soil nails, micropiles, rock bolts and shear pins work externally to protect the slope from weather and erosion or work internally to give extra strength to the rock mass.  The PILLAR team has more than 100 years of combined experience working with and for municipalities and departments of transportation and has the expertise to ensure these measures are done in compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.

Non-structural measures. Landscaping and drainage provide additional protection to slopes. Added vegetation can improve slope stability by enhancing soil cohesion and fighting erosion. Drainage is critical to allow water to escape from rock slope, further mitigating the effects of erosion and freeze-thaw cycles that can fracture rock. Drainage can include horizontal weep drains or holes drilled into large rock faces. 

Continual monitoring and maintenance. PILLAR’s support doesn’t end with recommendations. We remain vigilant over time, continually assessing your slopes for any signs of deterioration or instability.

Emergency response and public awareness. We ensure that slope stabilization work includes the proper signage needed to raise awareness to the traveling public about stabilization efforts and potential hazards. In the unfortunate event of an unexpected slop failure or natural disasters, PILLAR will be beside you to develop an emergency response plan.

Eradicate Unstable Slopes Today

Slope slides can be deadly, so make proactive stabilization priority No. 1. With unmatched experience and state-of-the-art technology, PILLAR is your trusted slope erosion mitigation  partner. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation, and let’s make your slopes — and roadways — the safest they can be.

Complete the contact form below to learn more about our services.

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Time for Roadside Vegetation Maintenance:
Ensuring Safer Roads

It’s time to gear up your crews for a crucial task. As the trees prepare to shed their leaves in preparation for fall and winter, the upcoming months provide an ideal opportunity to tackle essential roadside tree trimming and highway vegetation control. This initiative not only enhances the safety of your community’s roadways but also benefits all those who travel on them.

Here are several compelling reasons why regular roadside tree trimming should be a top priority:

1.) Enhanced Safety

Unchecked growth of trees and shrubs can pose significant safety hazards for road users. Overgrown branches, shrubs, and other vegetation obstruct visibility, making it challenging for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians to spot crucial elements such as road signs, oncoming traffic, and the path of the road itself.

It’s imperative to remove any limbs or vegetation that obstruct a driver’s line of sight, especially in curves or at intersections. All signs should remain clearly visible from every angle and at a considerable distance. For instance, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, critical signs like stop, yield, and wrong-way signs should be discernible from 250 feet away on roads with a 30mph speed limit and 600 feet away on roads with a 60mph speed limit.

2.) Tree Health

Regular and proper trimming practices help manage the growth of shrubs and trees, ensuring their continued health and strength. This reduces the likelihood of branches falling onto roadways and sidewalks, thus mitigating potential hazards.

It is essential to remove dead or ailing trees and shrubs, as these could become serious threats to road users.

3.) Infrastructure Health

Trees and shrubs possess aggressive root systems that can penetrate pavement and affect drainage pipes and other roadside infrastructure. Eliminating young trees near roadways can prevent future issues from arising.

Vegetation adjacent to roadways can also disrupt stormwater drainage, leading to water accumulation on and near the road. This not only damages pavement but also creates safety concerns for vehicles.

Additionally, removing trees near the road facilitates snow plowing and prevents the development of unexpected icy patches during winter months.

4.) Cost-Efficiency

In simple terms, the cost of routine tree and shrub maintenance and brush removal is minimal compared to the potential damage they can cause. Taking proactive measures is far more cost-effective than reacting to the aftermath of accidents or incidents involving trees, brush, or other vegetation.

Establishing a comprehensive vegetation maintenance plan and implementing it can also reduce liability in case of unfortunate incidents involving trees, brush, or vegetation.

Create a Plan with PILLAR

PILLAR is your trusted partner in devising an effective and proactive vegetation management plan to save time, money, and lives. 

PILLAR offers a range of services, from identifying problematic areas and prioritizing needs to drafting contracts and budgeting, for DOTs of every size. Our satisfied partners include a DOT that needed to address overgrown trees and vegetation over 500 centerline miles plus corresponding ramps and intersections. 

Our expertise and experience guarantee the successful management of your plan.  Contact us today for a complimentary consultation, and let’s make your roadways safer for all.

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Can You Read the Signs?
Inventory and Fix Faded & Missing Roadway Signs Quickly

The traveling public relies on roadway signs for navigation and information. But keeping track of hundreds or thousands of signs is a challenge. PILLAR’s inventory service and assessment tools will help you replace faded and missing roadway signs and stop potential problems for drivers before they start.

Signs of Trouble

Faded roadway signs. Drivers rely on a sign’s brightness and reflectivity to get information at a glance. Faded signs are frustrating and can be dangerous.

Missing signs. Signs go missing regularly for a variety of reasons, such as unreported accidents, theft and extreme weather. 

Misplaced signs. It can be a challenge for DOTs and localities to map out every existing sign or even know if they’re installed in the best location. 

Boost Your Signal

PILLAR has the solution. We’ve helped DOT districts of all sizes collect inventory and mark the location of their signs — including a project that has 100,000+ signage assets. We then assess the condition of those assets, create a detailed list of damaged and missing assets with cost estimates and put a replacement program in place for the DOT or municipal operations and maintenance division to follow.

No matter your staffing levels, PILLAR will help you work smarter throughout the lifespan of your roadway signage with our multi-phased approach:

Inventory

PILLAR has the expertise to use various inventory collection methods, from high-tech Mobile LiDAR scanning to traditional surveying to locate all of your roadway signs at marked speeds. We map, catalog and document your assets, putting valuable information at your fingertips.

Inspection

PILLAR’s team of specialized condition assessors then reviews your assets, offering a full range of expert evaluation, including:

  • Predictive data analytics, proving an estimate of when a sign will need replaced
  • Visual inspection
  • Condition rating
  • Life expectancy
  • Risk analysis

Replacement

After inspection, the PILLAR team will create a proactive and cost-effective asset management plan for any needed roadway sign replacement that includes cost estimates and cost-saving options over the long term. Recommendations may include:

  • Priority based replacement
  • Preventative maintenance
  • Area clustering, or replacing multiple signs in a specific area to save on labor and equipment costs
  • Consider switching to smart signs that are dynamic and allow motorists to see critical information immediately

Implementation

Our team can collaborate with your employees and event track all the details of your management plan, including: 

  • Contacting, supporting in-house employees or hired contractors
  • Scheduling
  • Installation

Once your plan is executed, PILLAR continues our work with continued data management, regularly updating your signage catalog and monitor the condition of your assets. We can even deploy technology such as RFID or QR codes to monitor each sign’s condition and maintenance history.

Monitor Your Signs Better with PILLAR

Faded and missing roadway signs aren’t just unsightly, they can be dangerous for drivers. With PILLAR’s inventory service and assessment tools, your municipality will have a trusted partner and a proactive plan for roadway sign replacement. Contact PILLAR for a free consultation and see how we can help.

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Solving Congested Rest & Parking Areas for Commercial Drivers

According to the American Trucking Association, there were 3.54 million truck drivers working in American in 2022. That’s a 1.5% increase from 2021. The industry is exploding thanks in no small part to the continuing increase in e-commerce, which has significantly increased demand of delivery services. 

Unfortunately, truck parking capacity has not been able to keep pace with the high industry growth, creating a series of bad days for commercial drivers and their employers.

Trucking’s Parking Problem

The trucking industry has struggled with congested rest and parking areas for commercial drivers for over a decade. The Federal Highway Administration estimates that there are just 300,000 spaces available and many states have closed down rest areas as part of cost-cutting strategies. Drivers themselves often have to sacrifice valuable drive time to find and claim a safe spot, if they can find one.

It’s not uncommon for drivers to enter rest areas only to find that they are completely full. This situation forces them to park in unsafe conditions on the side of busy highways, or drive the wrong way in an effort to leave the full rest area in search of another. 

Asset Management Solutions to Congested Rest Areas

The parking issue for trucking companies is a serious safety and liability issue. Trucks moving against traffic, parked on highway shoulders, or fatigued commercial drivers behind the wheel can cause life-threatening accidents for themselves and other drivers sharing the road.  

PILLAR can help prevent unsafe conditions by implementing an effective mix of technology and thoughtful planning.  

  • Parking Availability Counters: When it comes to rest areas, communication is key. PILLAR can equip rest areas with parking space counters that telegraph the number of available spaces before a truck ever pulls into the lot.
  • Signage: Truckers should never back up or drive against rest area traffic. We work with you to install appropriate signage to guide drivers through a rest area and back onto the highway in accordance with the traffic pattern. 
  • Parking Availability Communication: Good communication can result in good organization. Using weight sensing traffic counters, PILLAR can devise and implement a system of communication that keeps drivers informed while on their routes.
  • Rest Area Reconfiguration: Building new rest areas or even adding additional space for parking spots can be cost prohibitive for some municipalities. We can help make the most efficient use of existing rest area footprint. By reconfiguring the layout of your rest area, we can make more spaces available and mitigate expenses. 

Contact PILLAR and Resolve Congested Rest & Parking Areas for Commercial Drivers

PILLAR is a transportation asset management firm dedicated to maximizing the lifecycle of your assets. Our multidisciplinary team of experts is ready to help you stop bad days before the start through proactive collection, assessment, planning, and execution. Work smarter, not harder with PILLAR. Contact us for help managing your congested rest and parking areas.

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Wrong Way Delineation: Techniques and Prevention

Fatalities from wrong-way driving are on the rise. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, traffic fatalities caused by wrong-way driving accidents increased from 451 in 2016 to 507 in 2020. With the troubling upward trend, more DOTs have begun investigating ways to address wrong-way driving and prevent unnecessary traffic fatalities.

Wrong-Way Driving a Growing Concern

The prevalence of these incidents is a growing concern for DOTS, localities, and law enforcement. For example, Connecticut saw a dramatic uptick in fatal wrong-way crashes, moving from just two in 2020 to 13 in 2023. The CTDOT proactively investigated ways to stop dangerous wrong driving to combat this worrying trend.

The CTDOT determined impaired drivers caused the majority of accidents they faced. They implemented a preemptive plan to keep their motorists safe, including installing extra signage in close proximity to establishments that served alcohol, deploying high-tech electronic signage that warned other drivers of danger, and implementing a real-time alert system for emergency responders.

Wrong-Way Driving Prevention: Techniques, Strategies, and Technology

Prevention measures are key to staying ahead of the risks to keep motorists safe. As the CTDOT has shown, several techniques and emerging technologies can help prevent wrong-way driving and keep motorists safe. 

  • Wrong-way signs: Signage is the classic first step in alerting motorists that they are traveling in the wrong direction. These signs are strategically installed so they catch the eye only of vehicles traveling in the wrong direction, hopefully stopping tragedy before it occurs. 
  • Directional rumble strips: These special rumble strips are designed to activate only if a driver is traveling the wrong way. These directional rumble strips will alert wrong-way drivers through vibration and sound that something is amiss, giving them a chance to stop. 
  • Technology on exit ramps: New technology uses cameras to detect wrong-way drivers and immediately flash bright red LED lights to let them know they are driving the wrong way. Additional technology can notify state police in real-time, dramatically shortening response time. 
  • Variable electronic message signs: These signs protect drivers who are traveling in the correct direction but who are at risk for head-on collisions with wrong-way drivers in their area. When a wrong-way driver is in the area, these electronic signs can immediately warn drivers to beware. 
  • Prioritizing upgrades at high-risk exit ramps: High-risk exit ramps include ramps that are near locations that serve alcohol. Studies found a direct relationship between drinking and driving the wrong way on a divided highway, showing that individuals with BACs greater than or equal to 0.08 g/dL had an odds ratio of 18.36 for driving the wrong way. Prioritizing exit ramps that match these characteristics is of the utmost importance and can decrease the number of wrong-way accidents and fatalities.
  • Reconfigure Rest Areas: Rest areas can be widened, reconfiguring the space to accommodate more drivers and preventing the need for tractor-trailers to move in the wrong direction on a highway.

Make Your Roads Safer with PILLAR

Wrong-way driving often results in head-on collisions with significant injuries or death. Traffic fatalities have devastating ripple effects on families and communities. PILLAR is poised to help your municipality tackle the issue of wrong-way driving through our proven CAPE approach. We can help you collect data to determine the cause of wrong-way driving in your area and then plan and execute a plan that makes your roads safer. 

PILLAR is a trusted partner of DOTs across the country and has a successful record of helping them stop bad days before they start. If you’re ready to address the risks of wrong-way driving in your community, contact PILLAR for a free consultation and see how we can help.

working on a clogged culvert
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Benefits of Proactive Culvert Cleaning

As summer heats up, so do thunderstorms. This can mean sudden inundation of heavy rain, increasing the risk of dangerous flooding for your assets. Flooding is a serious issue that is exacerbated by blocked culverts which can cause road collapse resulting in trapped residents at best and loss of life at worst. To stay ahead of the game, a proactive culvert condition assessment and cleaning plan helps prevent dangerous roadway flooding.

Reactive Culvert Cleaning Has a High Price Tag

Culverts can be difficult to access, making it easy to put off regularly assessing their condition. Unfortunately, with this approach asset managers only become aware of blocked culverts when a storm rolls in. By then it’s too late to prevent dangerous flooding or road collapse.

Addressing emergencies is paramount but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t challenging. Multiple high-stakes events can quickly exhaust staff, equipment, and budgets. Tasks get backlogged and expenses can mount including:

  • Labor costs in the form of wages and benefits for the crew members who work on the emergency mobilization.
  • Equipment costs such as renting or deploying any necessary equipment like excavators, dump trucks, or bulldozers.
  • Transportation costs include transporting the crew and equipment to the job site.
  • Overtime pay can be a factor if the emergency mobilization requires work outside of normal business hours.
  • Permits and fees might be required to carry out the emergency mobilization.
  • Material costs can include any materials needed for the job such as sand, gravel, or concrete.

Proactive Culvert Cleaning Saves Time, Money, and Lives

For years, PILLAR has helped municipalities and DOTs manage assets.  In addition to our planning and execution expertise, we have tools that makes it easy to collect geospatial data in underground assets. We deploy the DeepTrekker 240 L Pipe Crawler robot to safely and efficiently identify culvert conditions and possible flaws. It’s portable, submersible, and can access areas that are difficult or unsafe for humans to enter.  Its rugged design and camera with full functionality give you complete control of your data collection and assessment.

When you combine this tool with a management plan created specifically for culverts in your service area, you’ll have a proactive plan that allows you to schedule crews to maintain culverts regular hours in good weather. You’ll likely experience less flooding and safer roadways too.

This planned approach saves you time and money because you’ll have less backlogged tasks and unplanned expense related to crisis management. And your team will love the culture of sustainability that develops as a result.

Contact PILLAR

Creating a proactive plan for your transportation assets doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With our decades of combined experience, PILLAR can help you stay in front of potential emergencies like clogged culverts. Book a discovery meeting with PILLAR to learn more about how we can help you develop a systematic solution for your transportation infrastructure.

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The Road to Zero Fatalities in 2023

National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy cast a vision of zero fatalities as the standard metric by which transportation safety is measured during her keynote speech at this year’s Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting 

“Plenty of people think that zero deaths is an unrealistic goal,” Ms. Homendy noted. But she pointed out that any transportation fatality is a tragedy. “We must care about the safety of strangers…because it’s the right thing to do.”  

Steps Toward Zero Fatalities  

Ms. Homendy’s stirring speech inspired transportation industry professionals to consider the ways in which they could work toward the goal of zero fatalities within their area of responsibility. While advances in technology and equipment have created great leaps in highway safety, it’s often the routine maintenance tasks that make the difference. These tasks can include: 

  • Ensuring assets are in a state of good repair. 
  • Installing guardrails properly and inspecting them regularly. 
  • Installing wrong way detection devices. 
  • Maintaining markings for all lanes (vehicle and bike/pedestrian) keeping them bright and vibrant. 
  • Replacing faded or illegible signs and ensuring they are retroreflective. 
  • Repairing damaged pavement and staying ahead of potholes. 
  • Keeping drains open to prevent back up and reduce the possibility of flooding.  

The tasks are straightforward, but they are rarely simple. Transportation asset management is a complex job with an ever-changing set of demands. Creating and executing a regular maintenance schedule is more difficult than it sounds. And that’s where Pillar can help. 

How Pillar Can Help You Keep Roads Safe 

PILLAR is an asset management firm comprised of multidisciplined professionals with decades of tactical, strategic, and operational experts who are ethically committed to the well-being and safety of the public.  

We deploy our proven CAPE method for every client to help them avoid pitfalls and overextended budgets. Through collection, assessment, planning, and execution, they have powerful data to create a systematic planning and management program, be intentional about their asset management, and reduce fatalities on the road. Here’s how it works: 

Collection: PILLAR’s collection process combines cutting-edge technology with time-proven approaches. We will collect all existing and new data and normalize it with the tools you’re already using. 

Assessment: Using a combination of modern technology and hands-on field experience, we can accurately evaluate the condition of your assets. 

Planning: We can help with asset management planning. Our data-driven strategies clearly address your assets’ maintenance needs to help you secure necessary funding and close the skill gap for your company. 

Execution: PILLAR’s execution process uses the best-equipped Operations and Maintenance managers to help reduce skill gaps, address public concerns, handle financial adversity, manage and monitor contractors, inspect jobs, and adjust existing plans. 

Contact Us 

Ms. Homendy emphasized, “Safety, especially when it comes to new policies new transportation policies and new technologies whether it’s on our roads in the air or anywhere throughout our transportation system, cannot be overlooked ever.”  

We couldn’t agree more. Contact us today to see how we can help you work toward the goal of zero fatalities in your transportation infrastructure. 

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Are Your Guardrails Potentially Deadly? Here’s How to Fix It

Guardrails are meant to keep drivers safe on the highways, but improper installation practices make guardrails yet another life-threatening hazard for motorists. 

What are Frankensteined Guardrails?

In the spring of 2020, high school senior Isabella Alonzo was killed after crashing into a guardrail on a Georgia highway. Instead of cushioning the impact, the ‘Frankensteined’ guardrail impaled her car. Like the famous monster, the guardrail was assembled from parts made by different manufacturers.

Frankensteined guardrails occur when a guardrail and a terminal are mixed-and-matched. This practice is against federal guidelines because guardrails are engineered to collapse on impact. When guardrails are piecemealed together from disparate parts, the guardrail may not collapse and instead pierce a vehicle moving at highway speeds.

How to Correct Frankensteined Guardrails

The first step in correcting Frankensteined guardrails is to conduct an inspection of all the guardrails in your asset inventory. These guardrails may be difficult to spot for the untrained eye, but experts have no trouble identifying the potential dangers. For example, PILLAR’s guardrail experts are familiar with installation practices of various types of guardrail systems and can quickly and easily identify Frankensteined or damaged guardrails.

You may consider engaging an infrastructure asset management firm with technological capabilities to conduct a thorough inspection of all your guardrails. At PILLAR, we’re equipped to handle the most complex data collection. Not only can PILLAR perform a manual survey, but we can also leverage data collection from the air through our mobile LiDAR, spherical images, and point cloud technology. This comprehensive method is quick, efficient and prevents dangerous guardrails from being overlooked.

It is imperative to correct any Frankensteined guardrails as soon as possible to prevent unnecessary loss of life. If your current roadside crew is stretched thin, PILLAR provides boots-on-the-ground support to rapidly address safety issues, keep you in compliance with federal guidelines, and reduce the danger to motorists.

Contact PILLAR

Frankensteined guardrails pose a deadly threat to the public, but PILLAR can help. We are a firm of multidisciplined professionals with decades of tactical, strategic, and operational experts who are ethically committed to the well-being and safety of the public. From data collection to staff augmentation PILLAR can help optimize your asset management. Our team of experts is eager to speak with you; contact us today!

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PILLAR Helps VDOT Dramatically Reduce Nutrient Credit Cost

As you traveled Virginia’s roadways this summer, did you notice taller grass and wildflowers in the right-of-ways? It’s not an oversight.

As part of its overall commitment to implementing sustainable approaches to managing Virginia’s roadway system, VDOT implemented a right-of-way maintenance program that significantly reduced mowing and converted eligible right-of-way spaces into beneficial land uses such as meadowland or pollinator habitats. The root systems of plants and grasses allowed to grow in the right-of-way capture nitrogen, phosphorous, and other harmful nutrients and prevent them from polluting waterways in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Additionally, this practice reduces emissions and fuel use from mowing equipment and provides much-needed habitat for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators crucial to our ecosystem. 

Why is this so important?

The Chesapeake Bay Watershed was once primarily comprised of forest and wetlands that absorbed and filtered harmful nutrients and balanced the ecosystem. Today, 18 million people call the Chesapeake Bay watershed home, along with industry, businesses, and farms. The watershed is crisscrossed with roads that are an essential part of daily living but carry a serious environmental impact as stormwater runs off pavement and into waterways that feed into the Chesapeake Bay. High levels of nitrogen and phosphorous fuel algae growth, blocking sunlight from underwater grasses and reducing the amount of available oxygen to marine life.

VDOT Stormwater Management Tools

VDOT operates under a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit issued by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) which provides regulations to protect and improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay by requiring the implementation of stormwater controls, including effective land use management practices such as right of way conversion.

To cover the cost of offsetting impacts that cannot be fully mitigated, VDOT is required to purchase what is called nutrient credits from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

PILLAR Helps VDOT Quantify the Positive Impact of Right of Way Conversion

VDOT’s stormwater management consultant, Stantec, informed VDOT that the right-of-way dedicated to sustainable practices qualified for a reduction in the amount of stormwater controls or nutrient credits VDOT would need to implement or purchase. However, to achieve a reduction, VDOT had to quantify the total area of right-of-way included in the sustainability program.

PILLAR provided the solution by using mobile LiDAR to scan and collect data on more than 775 miles of roadway and right of way in the VDOT Districts draining to the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Using PILLAR’s proprietary real-time Fully Automatic Feature Extraction System (AFES) to extract the data, PILLAR quantified the amount of right-of-way under VDOT’s right-of-way sustainability program.

The result?

The amount of right-of-way in VDOT’s sustainable maintenance program was so significant that it dramatically reduced the cost of implementing stormwater controls and nutrient credit purchases, saving VDOT and the citizens of Virginia millions of dollars.

PILLAR is proud to have been recognized for our efforts to support environmental stewardship and how their maintenance plans positively impact the environment. Contact us to learn more about how our technology can help support environmental preservation efforts.