ATSSA Signal September October 2020

The Signal | September/October 2020 41 Member Engagement Send your suggestions to [email protected] for people to interview and questions to ask for future installments of Transportation Conversations. likely to be close to equipment that’s backing up. TxDOT also works to educate the travel - ing public so they can stay safe around work zones. Every April is National Work Zone Awareness Month. Throughout the month, we hold a safety education and outreach campaign, organizing public events, interviews, and social media posts to stress the importance of driving safely and paying attention in work zones. Throughout the year, we also routinely post safety messages on social media, and drivers receive infor - mation on TxDOT dynamic message signs regarding road closures, traffic incidents and traffic safety. Q: What measures has your state taken to reduce traffic fatalities? A: TxDOT has launched numerous measures to reduce traffic fatalities on our roads. In 2019, the Texas Transpor - tation Commission allocated an addi- tional $600 million to enhance safety engineering features on Texas road - ways statewide over a two-year period. That has already funded multiple proj - ects across the state, including a cable median barrier on Interstate 10 north - west of San Antonio. As mentioned earlier, we set a goal of zero highway deaths in Texas by 2050. Over the last decade, we’ve also launched the “End the Streak” campaign, which is a grass - roots campaign to educate and moti - vate motorists to practice safer driving habits. Nov. 7, 2000 was the last death - less day on Texas roadways. “End the Streak” reminds motorists that since that date, at least one person has died on Texas roadways every day. We’re hoping to finally end the streak of daily deaths. TxDOT applies the three E’s to highway safety: engineering, enforcement, and education. Through engineering safety enhancements in every roadway proj - ect, providing grants for additional law enforcement initiatives, and educating the traveling public on traffic safety, we believe this multi-pronged approach saves lives. Q: What do you consider the most significant transportation infrastructure changes over the last 10 or 20 years, and what do you expect in the future? A: Intelligent transportation is one of themost significant changes we’ve seen and will continue to see in the future— using cameras, digital signs, Bluetooth equipment, GPS map applications, etc., tomonitor traffic and communicate traf - fic lane closures, emergencies, crashes, safetymessages, etc., directly to the trav - eling public to assist them in the daily driving experience on Texas highways.