AASHTO, FHWA present first innovation council awards to Kentucky, Massachusetts and Vermont

Updated Nov 29, 2016

lincoln-bridge-and-kennedy-bridgeThe American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) have recognized the State Transportation Innovation Councils (STIC) of Kentucky, Massachusetts and Vermont with the first STIC Excellence Awards.

The awards recognize the programs that “that have had a significant impact on fostering a culture of innovation in their states.”

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KTC) was awarded for creating a senior management staff position to lead the use and standardization of “innovative processes” in the state. These processes include using high-friction surface treatments and the Safety Edge, which was attributed to drop in roadway crashes of 85 percent. KTC also was cited for using an accelerated bridge construction policy to “encourage continuous innovation on bridge projects.”

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) created a READi Committee to review, evaluate, accelerate and deploy innovation. MassDOT also has an Innovation and Tech Transfer Exchange each year to share transportation technology concepts. The agency also used accelerated bridge construction techniques to replace 14 bridges on I-93 over a 10-weekend time period.

Vermont’s STIC Executive Council holds monthly meetings at which members talk about new technology and concepts and how they can be implemented. The groups annual meeting is used as a time to brainstorm on ideas gathered from attendees. To lead innovation efforts, the Vermont Agency of Transportation created a Performance Innovation and Excellence Section.

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