ATSSA Signal July/August 2019

American Traffic Safety Services Association 22 survey this without either putting our crews at serious risk, or imposing incon- venient lane closures to the traveling public,” stated MaineDOT Lidar/Survey Data Editor Nick Dutil. “We plan to purchase equipment for flights related to traffic incident man- agement,” stated Peabody regarding future applications for drones within the department. Similar to MaineDOT’s implementation of drones, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has used the devices to keep its workers safe with dangerous projects. TDOT Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Program Manager Said El Said is an advocate for the drones within the department, work- ing with TDOT to purchase the devices, and get training for DOT employees to utilize the technology. El Said shared an instance where the drone technology improved roadway safety for DOT workers and the motor- ing public. In March 2019, on I-24 north of Nashville, Tennessee, a landslide blocked the roadway with debris. Ac- cording to El Said, the DOT was able to use a drone to assess how much work was needed to safely clear the roadway and resume traffic. “I realized it was coming commercially, and I started pushing for it—I saw the potential benefit … [for the I-24 rock- slide]; we were able to survey and quantify what was needed [to safely clear the roadway],” said El Said. TDOT has also used the technology for assessing roadway crashes and bridge inspections to supplement in-person inspections. Drones are included in the fifth round of the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Every Day Counts (EDC-5) ini- tiative, a program that provides re- sources and information to help DOTs to deploy technology that advances roadway safety. Innovation & New Programs I realized it was coming commercially, and I started pushing for it – I saw the potential benefit.Wewere able to survey and quantifywhat was needed. TDOT is one of the public agencies regularly utilizing drone technology for its daily operations. Earlier this year, the department was able to use a drone for assessing I-24 following a landslide. Photos courtesy of TDOT.