Podcasts about sicop

When New Hampshire began developing the I-93 widening project there was concern about the amount of salt that might be introduced into the environment due to winter operations and this became to impetus for the creation of the Green SnowPro Program through the Department of Environmental Services.  Marilee Enus, Director of the New Hampshire Local Technical Assistance Program (NH LTAP), at the University of New Hampshire's Technology Transfer Center (UNH T2) and Scott Kinmond, Technology Specialist/Instructor explain the program and certification program.For more information about the Green SnowPro visit the NH Department of Environmental Services website at https://www.des.nh.gov/land/roads/road-salt-reduction.  And if you're interested in more detail on the Green SnowPro program, including a good discussion of the legislative process (including a legislative partner who was in the winter maintenance industry), as well as a review of a recent legal case that “tested” the liability coverage, our webinar with the NHDES Green SnowPro team is now available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pf7k5LbvWYgYou can also reach out to Marilee at Marilee.Enus@unh.edu or Scott at Scott.Kinmond@unh.edu for more information about the training or program.  Additional information on the certification program can be found on the New Hampshire Technology Transfer Center Website https://t2.unh.edu/Sign up for email notifications on future episodes and other communications associated with winter maintenance and winter weather management by clicking on subscribe on the Talkin' Winter Ops website at TalkinWinterOps.comThanks for listening in and stay safe out there!

We've been talking about electrification of the maintenance fleet for some time now and the conversation always turns to the challenges facing the rollout of this technology particularly when it comes to winter maintenance.  Diminished load carrying capacity due to the weight of the batteries, battery performance in cold operating environments, range anxiety, and the lack of rapid charging infrastructure re just a few.  Well, Edison Motors Ltd based in Merritt, British Columbia has found the answer to these challenges and are in the process of developing a plugin hybrid electric snowplow for Emcon Services Inc, the largest maintenance contractor in Canada.  Frank Rizzardo, President of Emcon Services is here along with the founders of Edison Motors, Chace Barber and Eric Little to tell us all about their plugin hybrid electric snowplow project.  check out the progress of the hybrid snowplow build and other vocational trucks Edison Motors have built on their YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@EdisonMotors.  If this episode has got your interest up in hybrid snowplows you can reach out to Frank at  emcon1@emconservices.ca, Chace at chace@edisonmotors.ca, or Eric at eric.little@edisonmotors.ca to continue the discussion.Sign up for email notifications on future episodes and other communications associated with winter maintenance and winter weather management by clicking on subscribe on the Talkin' Winter Ops website at TalkinWinterOps.comThanks for listening in and stay safe out there!

Una primera advertencia. Mañana tendremos un programa grabado, que abarca dos temas de coyuntura nacional. Damos la explicación, ya que el primero de ellos es el caso de investigación del fiscal general, Carlo Díaz, ante el hecho de haber mentido en relación con el nombramiento de una fiscal, con quien mantiene una relación personal. Partimos del hecho de que dada la responsabilidad y el poder del cargo de más alto cargo del Ministerio Público no admite mentiras, debido a los casos que cualquier persona tenga en esa instancia, mucho menos cuando es el responsable de las más de 50 investigaciones, que, en esa sede, tiene el presidente de la República Rodrigo Chaves. Por esta razón de peso la renuncia del señor Díaz debió haberse dado apenas se hace público el asunto. Aun así llegamos al viernes y permanece en el cargo, continúa la investigación administrativa y permanecen las implicaciones políticas y judiciales. Además de este caso se destapa, gracias al Sistema de Compras Públicas (SICOP) la “póliza de la impunidad” que gestiona el Ministerio de Hacienda con el Instituto Nacional de Seguros, que hoy suspendida por consultas, cubriría al presidente, ministros y presidentes ejecutivos por casos de extradición, confiscación de activos, violaciones ambientales, enjuiciamiento, pagos por procesos penales, pre investigaciones, eventuales pérdidas económicas, servicios de relaciones públicas entre otros por actuaciones ejercidas durante el periodo a cargo, incluso si renuncian o cambian de puesto. ¿De qué tendrán miedo para impulsar esto? Para profundizar en estos dos temas conversaremos mañana con el politólogo, Gustavo Araya.

Las tensiones entre los médicos especialistas y las autoridades de la Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS), entraron a la segunda semana, con muestras de alta temperatura y molestias generalizadas. Se estima que unos 2.500 galenos se sumaron al movimiento de presión, lo que representaría prácticamente un 65% del total de los que trabajan para la institución. Un primer rechazo a un posible acuerdo fue el ajuste técnico salarial aprobado por la Caja, porque ese asunto en particular no forma parte de las reclamaciones en curso y, por tanto, tampoco de las negociaciones. Se acudió a la Contraloría General para denunciar la erogación de ₡12 mil millones para contratar servicios médicos privados a través de una licitación en SICOP. Los especialistas estiman que el procedimiento no fue el adecuado y que, por lo demás, esa vía es insuficiente para atender a los pacientes que requieren servicios. La institución ha tenido que atender, según informó al fin de semana pasado, a unas 463 personas que urgían de intervención. Pero hay quejas por la forma en que se han dado estos casos, con recargo a médicos generales. La negociación no está en punto muerto, pero todo parece indicar que sí lejos de encontrar una solución. Para seguir tomando el pulso conversaremos con Maikel Vargas Sanabria, vicepresidente del Siname.

 La bronca entre la Caja y los médicos especialistas sigue en punto muerto, las autoridades están buscándole la comba al palo mientras la contraparte no cede en su protesta. Mieeeeentras tanto, yo creo que hay que meter en SICOP con urgencia un cartel de “Asesoría en imagen y relaciones públicas” pal Poder Judicial. Este tema tiene que dejar de ser tabú. Tenemos que animarnos a hablar de esto: es imperativo que aprendan a leer el cuarto... ¡fuera de su propio cuarto! 

You would think that it wouldn't be difficult to see something as big as a snowplow but during a winter storm event at night you'd be surprised how hard it is recognize a slow moving maintenance vehicle.  In this episode Jeff Pifer, Director of the Equipment Division at the West Virginia Division of Highways discusses techniques that are being used to make snowplows and other maintenance vehicles more conspicuous.  Vehicle color, lighting packages, and reflective markings and patterns are the topic of discussion.Clear Roads has also sponsored several research projects into vehicle conspicuity and you can review this work at their website https://www.clearroads.org/equipment-plow-trucks/ For more information on this topic you can reach out to Jeff Pifer at jeff.m.pifer@wv.gov Sign up for email notifications for future episodes and other communications from AASHTO's Winter Weather Management Technical Service Program at clicking on subscribe on the Talkin' Winter Ops website at TalkinWinterOps.comThanks for listening in and stay safe out there!

Whenever you mix snowplows, winter storms, and motorists on the same stretch of pavement everyone needs to be at the top of their game in vehicles equipped for conditions.  Most of the time folks get where there headed and the roads get cleared without incident. But, there are times when vehicles get tangled up with a snow plow and the outcomes can be catastrophic. On this episode we've got Jed Falgren, State Maintenance Engineer for the Minnesota DOT who's been involved in some really innovative projects to help reduce the number of interactions between snowplows and motorists from their CAV-Traveler Alert System to reflective materials and lighting. For more information on MnDOT's efforts to reduce crashes with snowplows and other slow moving maintenance operations you can reach out directly to Jed at jed.falgren@state.mn.usSign up for email notifications for future episodes and other communications from AASHTO's Winter Weather Management Technical Service Program at clicking on subscribe on the Talkin' Winter Ops website at TalkinWinterOps.comThanks for listening in and stay safe out there!

When it comes to liquid deicing products how do you know you're getting what you paid for and that it's likely to perform as promised?  The Nebraska DOT has been working on developing a easy to run, repeatable, and cost effective test method to determine the ice melting capacity of liquid deicing products.Mike Mattison and Jasmine Dondlinger of the Nebraska DOT take us on the journey this test method has taken from the initial idea using a instrumented martini shaker to the Rocker AASHTO Provisional Test Method and why this test method should be part of your winter operations program when it comes to liquid deicing products.If you would like more information about the new Rocker Test Method or how it might fit into your winter maintenance program you can contact Mike Mattison at mailto:Mike.Mattison@nebraska.gov or Jasmine Dondlinger at mailto:Jasmine.Dondlinger@nebraska.gov .If you'd like to be a guest on SICOP Talks Winter Ops or you have an idea for an episode send an email to Rick Nelson at rnelson@aashto.org or Scott Lucas at SELucas@columbus.govSign up for email notifications for future episodes and other communications from AASHTO's Winter Weather Management Technical Service Program at https://subscribe.talkinwinterops.org We'll never spam you and you can unsubscribe at any time.Thanks for listening in and stay safe out there!

Introducing the transformation of SICOP to the AASHTO Winter Weather Management Technical Service Program and SICOP Talks Winter Ops to Talkin Winter Ops.  With the re-branding of SICOP we're re-branding the podcast as well.  Same program, same podcast, with a new look.If you'd like to be a guest on SICOP Talks Winter Ops or you have an idea for an episode send an email to Rick Nelson at rnelson@aashto.org or Scott Lucas at SELucas@columbus.govSign up for email notifications for future episodes and other communications from AASHTO's Winter Weather Management Technical Service Program at https://subscribe.talkinwinterops.org We'll never spam you and you can unsubscribe at any time.

There's a lot of ways we use salt in winter operations from solids to pre-wet, brines straight up or blended, and combinations of all of the above.  regardless how you use it there a lot of chemistry going on when you put it on a snow packed or about to be snow packed road.  Our guest for this episode is Dr. Scott Koefod who's an inorganic chemist with 30 plus years of experience researching various aspects and uses of salt which includes our business of winter maintenance. You can reach out to Dr. Scott to discuss the chemistry of salt by email Scott_Koefod@cargill.com or visit his Q&A website at https://www.cargill.com/industrial/winter-road-maintenance/questions-and-answersIf you'd like to be a guest on SICOP Talks Winter Ops or you have an idea for an episode send an email to Rick Nelson at rnelson@aashto.org or Scott Lucas at SELucas@columbus.govSign up for email notifications for future episodes and other communications from AASHTO's Winter Weather Management Technical Service Program at https://talkinwinterops.org/subscribe We'll never spam you and you can unsubscribe at any time.

4th National Briefing on Winter Maintenance and Road Weather give organizations working in the severe weather and maintenance operations space an opportunity to showcase their recent efforts to advance the state of the practice through collaboration, research, technical support, and implementation.  This briefing features the Winter Weather Management Technical Service Program - SICOP.This briefing series is produced in collaboration with the AASHTO Maintenance Committee, the Maintenance Operations Technical Working Group, and the Winter Weather Management Technical Service Program - SICOP.Watch the video at https://youtu.be/YbPUTsB7C9oFor more information Contact :Rick Nelson rnelson@aashto.orgBrad Darr bdarr@nd.govJoe Thompson Joe.Thompson@dot.ny.govHeath Patterson hpatterson@mdot.ms.govBecky Allmeroth Rebecca.Allmeroth@modot.mo.govDoug McBroom dmcbroom@mt.govVisit our website at https://sicop.transportation.orgSICOP Talks Winter Ops is always looking for interesting topics and guests to visit with regarding winter maintenance and road weather. If you have any ideas for future episodes contact Rick Nelson at rnelson@aashto.org or our our co-producer Scott Lucas at SELucas@columbus.gov

When your agency is responsible for vast amounts of infrastructure and performs hundreds of activities with thousands of employees having a robust management information system is imperative.  On this episode Michael Middleton of the Missouri Department of Transportation and Project Director for MoDOT Management System talks about the development and implementation of their new maintenance management system.  Easy to input data for the employees, easy to extract information for managers, this system is a one-stop shop for employees.  It's not just maintenance activity based, this system includes a safety management component focusing on employee safety.  This MMS has become such a powerful tool for the agency that it has become the MODOT Management SystemChapter marks0:00 Intro with Becky4:10 Kicking off the project / system requirements9:55 COTS vs develop in house?  18:31 Roll out - champions22:54 initial system functions28:51 Safety module40:28 Additional resources-videos43:44 wrap upFor more information on the MoDOT Management System contact the Project Director, Michael Middleton at michael.Middleton@modot.mo.govor Check out these MODOT videos on the MODOT Management SystemMMS Phase 1 – Documentation and Dashboardshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjPBFRuxwlAMMS Phase 2 - Work Plans and Budget module.https://youtu.be/lcOjUlCxe1ESafety Management Modulehttps://www.youtube.com/embed/BZJMQ8evSco?rel=0%20Story Board for Safety Modulehttps://youtu.be/kkNf06eGDroNew Incident reporting modulehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hx1Edm6EShs&t=3sSICOP Talks Winter Ops is always looking for interesting topics and guests to visit with regarding winter maintenance and road weather. If you have any ideas for future episodes contact Rick Nelson at rnelson@aashto.org or our our co-producer Scott Lucas at SELucas@columbus.gov

Management of salt and salt reduction isn't solely on the shoulders of maintenance operations.  In many cases salt use is necessary to address problematic areas that maybe could have been mitigated with a more winter sensitive design.  On this episode were visiting with Connie Fortin, Todd Hubmer, and Chris Chromy of Bolton & Menk on their approach with a new perspective on designs to optimize winter operations and minimizing the need for salt.  Designing new facilities or retrofitting existing facilities is the result of hundreds of tradeoffs and compromises with the goal of reaching the optimal sub-optimal solution.  Long term operational costs of a highway facilities can include pavement maintenance, rehabilitation schedules, safety benefits, and other costs but seldom include the costs of winter maintenance like chemicals, equipment, and level of effort to provide a resilient network.  Maximizing solar radiation, minimizing drifting snow, and eliminating the repeat offenders where melt water refreezes can dramatically reduce the need for chemicals throughout the life of the facilities.For more information about winter sensitive design considerations you can contact Connie Fortin, Senior Project Manager at connie.fortin@bolton-menk.com , Todd Hubmer, Principal Water Resource Engineer at Todd.Hubmer@bolton-menk.com, or Chris Chromy, Senior Principal Transportation Engineer at Chris.Chromy@bolton-menk.com0:00 Introduction1:14 Chloride use is a blessing and a curse4:03 unique things to consider in design 7:50 The maintenance worker has to live with the design we give them11:53 Design possibilities for existing infrastructure13:18 Vegetation options14:28 A different thought process 17:45 Geometric considerations20:40 Safety considerations22:30 Challenges 28:02 Advise to owners contemplating a design in winter regions33.14 Listening vs understanding35:28 SignoffSICOP Talks Winter Ops is always looking for interesting topics and guests to visit with regarding winter maintenance and road weather. If you have any ideas for future episodes contact Rick Nelson at rnelson@aashto.org or our our co-producer Scott Lucas at SELucas@columbus.gov

As soon as that first snowplow was attached to a horse drawn wagon officials have been looking at other fuels to accomplish the winter maintenance mission for a variety of reasons including performance, availability of fuels, or environmental considerations.  What defines an alternate fuel depends on your current situation with regards to fleet, engines, and powertrain.  A recently completed Clear Roads project, 21-05: Evaluation of EVT and Alternative Fuels for Winter Operations provided a comprehensive look at this topic. In this episode project champion Justin Droste, Michigan Department of Transportation  and the research team lead by Kate Vigneau, Matrix Consulting Group, and Russ Owens of Energetics set the stage for transitioning a winter maintenance fleet to alternative fuels by looking at the requirements for winter maintenance and the alternative fuel possibilities. For more information you can review the Clear Roads report at this link: https://clearroads.org/project/21-05/ or you can ask specific questions or discuss this topic with our guests by sending them an email at the above links.0:00 Introduction1:30 Clear Roads project development3:47 Considerations for alternative fuels 8:23 Alternate fuels currently being utilized9:27 Biodiesel and biodiesel blends13:35 What do the engine and truck manufacturers have to say16:48 Renewable fuels 19:18 Compressed gasses for fuels22:59 Fuel cells and battery electric vehicles (BEV)26:07 Operational requirements31:09 What's next31:44 Sign offSICOP Talks Winter Ops is always looking for interesting topics and guests to visit with regarding winter maintenance and road weather. If you have any ideas for future episodes contact Rick Nelson at rnelson@aashto.org or our our co-producer Scott Lucas at SELucas@columbus.gov

For over 40 years we have sought after a measure of friction during winter events to determine if additional treatments were required.  Over the decades the science, sensors, and computing power have advanced to the point that friction or grip is making its way into winter operations.  On this episode we explore some cutting edge work in world of winter road friction.  Lead Statewide Snow & Ice Engineer for the MassDOT Mark Goldstein and from the Research Applications Lab at the National Center for Atmospheric Research,  Senior Software Engineer Gerry Wiener and Software Engineer Seth Linden discuss projects they are involved with and the finer points associated with using friction/grip in winter maintenance.Follow this link for more information on the Aurora Road Friction Project https://aurora-program.org/research/completed/roadway-friction-modeling-improving-the-use-of-friction-measurements-in-state-dots/ You can reach out to our guests directly for more information on their work with wintertime friction and grip by emailing them directly through the links above.Chapter marks:0:00 Intro1:54 when did you start thinking about friction and wintertime operations4:03 how does friction play onto the highway environment7:23 what are some of the grip measuring devices out there12:31 how do friction sensors work, what are they measuring17:05 The Aurora Roadway Friction Modeling study discussion25:41 MassDOT friction project38:04 What's the future of friction/grip look like44:04 Last minute thoughts - autonomous vehicles46:4 2 sign off  SICOP Talks Winter Ops is always looking for interesting topics and guests to visit with regarding winter maintenance and road weather. If you have any ideas for future episodes contact Rick Nelson at rnelson@aashto.org our our co-producer Scott Lucas at Scott.Lucas@dot.ohio.gov

NCHRP Project Report 889 details Performance Measures in Snow and Ice Control Operations.  Caleb Dobbins, SICOP Chair from New Hampshire DOT, is working to move the material presented in this report from research to reality through an NCHRP 20-44 project conducting a series of implementation seminars to help states with their implementation goals.Caleb explains snow and ice control performance measurers and how this project is helping with implementation of this important guide.For more information you can download the Guide at https://www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/160864.aspxor email Caleb Dobbins at caleb.b.Dobbins@dot.nh.gov 00:00  Intro01:27 NCHRP report on winter performance measures (PM)02:50 PM implementation project06:15 Implementation workshops09:28 How to use PMs13:10 Role of Winter Severity Indices17:00 Regional implementation seminars20:10 Value of winter PMs

Knowledge transfer plays a critical role in advancing the state of the practice and conferences and expositions play an important role in knowledge transfer.  The Purdue Road School Conference and Expo have been playing a role in knowledge transfer since 1913.  Listen in as Jeremy McGuffey, Indiana DOT, tells us about the Road School and how you might become involved.Find more information about the Purdue Road School at this link https://engineering.purdue.edu/JTRP/Road_School or email Jeremy directly at JMcguffey@indot.IN.gov

Everyday folks out there are coming up with better ways to do business.  It might be a mechanic coming up with fix to solve a problem for an operator  - to a research project that could fundamentally change the way we do snow and ice control.  The thing is, if you can't move this new idea from a one off - or a great research concept to reality you stay stuck in the status quo.On this episode we are going to discus implementation and how some have overcome the challenges new ideas face on the road to implementation.Craig Bargfrede, Winter Operations Administrator for the Iowa DOT and Jeremy McGuffey Statewide Winter Operations Manager for the Indiana DOT will be discussing their experiences moving ideas to the field. For more information you can contact Craig at craig.bargfrede@iowadot.us or Jeremy at jmcguffey@indot.in.gov 

On this episode we are going to introduce you to three programs designed to introduce K-12 students to a variety of science and engineering concepts used by DOTs and highway maintenance.  AASHTO's TRAC™ (Transportation and Civil Engineering) & RIDES (Roadways in Developing Elementary Students) outreach programs are designed for educators to use as part of their Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) classes and Front Range Community College's Senior Seminar in Public Works and Highway Maintenance offers high school seniors the opportunity to learn about highway maintenance in the class room and on the job through internships .  Julia Smith, AASHTO's TRAC™ & RIDES Program Manager, discusses some of the modules that are part of the program and how educators can incorporate them into their curriculum. In addition to the most popular bridge building module there are modules on how salt depresses the freezing point of water, pavement friction, and environmental impacts facing DOT's among many others.  These hands on activities are designed to to introduce students to the world of transportation and civil engineering giving them a new perspective on how the world around them works and may inspire them to  consider a career in these fields.Sue Baillargeon, Director of the Highway Maintenance Program at Front Range Community College, has introduced a Senior Seminar in Public Works and Road Maintenance to the Highway Maintenance Management Degree offering.  Designed for high school seniors, this program introduces them to world of highway maintenance through class room and independent study along with on the job training through an internship at a maintenance garage.For more information on TRAC™ & RIDES follow this link: https://tracrides.transportation.org  or contact Julia Smith at jsmith@aashto.org For more information on the Senior Seminar in Public Works and Road Maintenance program and the Highway Maintenance Management Degree follow this link: https://www.frontrange.edu/programs-and-courses/a-z-program-list/highway-maintenance-management or contact Sue Baillargeon at susan.Baillargeon@frontrange.edu1:50 TRAC & RIDE description2:50 How does TRAC & RIDE work5:25 Some RIDES activities7:38 The educators perspective of the program10:31 Some TRAC activities13:15 Introduction to the Senior Seminar Program17:11 Program details19:32 Internships21:56 Students can participate from anywhere in the US25:10 how to get more information on these programs28:22 How these programs change student perspectives

Maintenance operations adapted quickly in lots of ways we never thought we could due to the pandemic.  On this episode we're visiting with Joe Bucci, State Highway Maintenance Operations Engineer for the Rhode Island DOT to learn about some tools they use to help keep the paperwork flowing while the snow plows are rolling.  The application they utilize to manage and coordinate over 400 vendors during winter operations has revolutionized the administration of those resources.  For more information about the Rhode Island DOTs winter maintenance program you can reach out directly to Joe Bucci at joseph.bucci@dot.ri.gov 1:27   Introduction to the Rhode Island DOT winter maintenance program4:06   Tracking and coordinating with vendors6:35    Reverse auction for winter maintenance materials9:13    Admin to manage contractors and materials14:00 Implementing the new system20:21 Using the application for state forces22:10 Communication the the vendors during winter operations25:00 Enhancements26:47 COVID changes to the way we do business30:11 What's next for the winter maintenance program32:55 Retirement?!The contents of SICOP Talks WInter Ops are intended for general information purposes as a public service.  Reference to any specific product or entity you might hear about on this podcast does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by SICOP or AASHTO.

Listen in as SICOP Talks Winter Ops with Randi Feltner, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Road Weather Program Manager about crowd sourcing in Kentucky.In 2014 the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet began a program of crowd sourcing data from motorists from a variety of sources to aid in their delivery of mobility across their network especially during sever weather events.  Providing extra sets of eyes on the condition of the network gives the KYTC enhanced situational awareness and a leg up in response.  For more information on crowdsourcing in Kentucky you can contact Randi by email at mailto: Randi.Feltner@ky.govand check out the travel resources provided by the KYTC at this link https://transportation.ky.gov/sites/snowky  More information on Crowd Sourcing can be found on the National Operations Center of Excellence website https://transportationops.org/edc5NCHRP Research Report 889: Performance Measures in Snow and Ice Control Operations https://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/178901.aspx

Listen in as SICOP Talks Winter Ops with Tony Coventry of the FHWA's Road Weather Management Program and Kyle Garrett of Synesis Partners about the Integrated Modeling for Road Condition Prediction or IMRCP.When it comes to road weather management there have been a few major advances in the way agencies manage roadway networks during weather events.  The latest under developed through a series of pilots is the Integrated Modeling for Road Condition Prediction or IMRCP.  Modeling the performance of a roadway network during a weather event marks a milestone in understanding and prediction just how it will perform provides a practical tool to support operational decision making, maintenance planning, and traveler information.Tony and Kyle describe the beginnings of the program, where its going in the future, and how it can help agencies achieve their maintenance and road network operation mission during weather events.Follow these links to learn more about IMRCP:Tony Coventry tony.coventry@dot.govKyle Garrett kyle.garrett@synesis-partners.comRepository & Open Science Access Portal (ROSA P) search on IMRCPhttps://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/gsearch?collection=&terms=imrcpFHWA Road Weather Management Program https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather/index.asp 

When a snowplow is involved in a crash there can be injuries to drivers and other motorists as well as damage to the snowplow that can take it out of service.  In winter some agencies can experience up to 10% reductions in equipment and operators.  To help address this Montana DOT advanced a project through Clear Roads Pooled Fund Project to look at the causes of crashes involving snowplows and develop a training program to help operators hone their defensive driving and safe driving skills when operating snowplows.Doug McBroom, Operations Manager for the Montana DOT discusses a project funded by the Clear roads Pooled Fund Study that looked at the types of crashes impacting snowplows and suggested strategies that made their way into a training program for snowplow operators.  The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute conducted surveys and analysis of snowplow crashes and created two easy to implement training programs that are available to all DOT's and public works  agencies.  You can check out this work the training programs by visiting the Clear Roads website at https://clearroads.org/project/18-01/  You can contact Doug McBroom directly by email at dmcbroom@mt.gov if you would like to discuss any aspect of this program.The research team at VTTI authored a paper describing this work and submitted it to PIARC's 16th World Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress Feb 2022 where it was presented. The US National Committee evaluated all the papers from US authors.  This paper won the award in the winter service category.  The full paper can be viewed at this link:      Developing Comprehensive Defensive Driving Training for Snowplow Operators

Maintenance operations during extreme events is far more complex than salt and snowplows.  Historically we thought of the motorist as a consumer of maintenance's efforts but in reality they are an active participant who's actions have implications on the operations of the network.  In this episode Wilf Nixon, President of the Professional Snowfighters Association, joins the discussion of how we operate the network with the many major events that have happened so far in the winter of 2021-22 as a backdrop.Things like Traffic Incident Management (TIM), traveler information, preemptively holding traffic, and disaster exercises are all part of the discussion.  Additional listening:Episode 19: When the snow hits the fan - Emergency operations methodology  Episode 20: TSMO365 Weather or notEpisode 22: EDC5  - Weather responsive management strategies

The 16th PIARC World Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress is just around the corner.  Being able to exchange knowledge and learn from winter service and road resilience professionals from around the world is a valuable takeaway from participating in this event.  The technical program offers papers from a diverse body of authors from around the world ranging from practitioners showcasing their approach to the challenges they face to academics sharing their current research into issues facing winter service and road resilience. Papers have also been considered for international prizes in several categories.  Learn about the technical program, the international prize categories, and what you can take away from attending this congress by listening in as we talk to members of the Calgary 2022 Organizing Committee about the technical program.Find out more about the 16th PIARC World Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress and the technical program through their website at this link: https://www.piarc-calgary2022.org 

The City of Calgary, Alberta, Canada has had to adapt to a variety of circumstances from changing weather patterns to changes in mobility needs and travel patterns brought on by the Pandemic.  These challenges are not unique as cities, counties, states, and countries who provide winter service can attest.  This heightens the relevance of the upcoming PIARC World Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress is “Adapting to a Changing World” being hosted virtually be the City of Calgary and Canada.  https://www.piarc-calgary2022.org Learn more about how Calgary is addressing these issues from Troy McLeod, Director of Roads at the City of Calgary as he describes their approach to winter service and road resilience as they adapt to these changing conditions.Find out more about the City of Calgary Roads program and specifically about their programs dealing with winter snow and ice control through their website at this link: https://www.calgary.ca/transportation/roads/roads.html 

In 2022 winter maintenance professionals from around the world will be focusing their attention on Calgary, Alberta, Canada, host of the World Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress.  In this episode Chris Hewitt, Manager of Roads Maintenance at the City of Calgary, discusses winter operations at the city and the unique challenges they face in a large urban environment subjected to some unique winter weather conditions. More information about snow services in the City of Calgary including their snow plan, snow routes and parking bans, snow clearing bylaw, and other information visit their website at https://www.calgary.ca/cfod/csc/snow.html or you can contact Chris Hewitt at Chris.Hewitt@calgary.ca 

Back in 1969 Permanent International Association of Road Congresses or PIARC held a World Winter Maintenance Congress in Berchtesgaden, Germany.  Reuniting every 4 years in a different country, winter maintenance professionals from around the world have turned this world Congress into the grandaddy of them all.  Hosted by Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the next international gathering of winer maintenance professionals is planned for February 7-11, 2022 as a virtual event.  On this episode we're visiting with Nadia Lappa, Project Manager for this 16th Congress to find out all about this event, what to expect, and what you can take away from this quadrennial world-wide gathering of winter maintenance and road resilience professionals.For more information about the PIARC 16th World Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress happening February 7-11, 2022 you can check out its website at https://www.piarc-calgary2022.org.

You might not know that there is an International Winter Maintenance committee that mirrors SICOP.  The Permanent International Association of Road Congresses (PIARC) houses a Winter Service Technical Committee that in a lot of ways mirrors SICOP in advancing winter service. Interaction with with the international winter maintenance community through international scanning tours and participation on the PIARC Winter Service Technical Committee (TC) has jumpstarted the introduction of several winter maintenance strategies and tools like the use of liquids and RWIS.On this episode Steve Lund and Paul Pisano join Rick Nelson, all three English Speaking Secretaries on the PIARC Winter Service TC, to discuss PIARC and why our participation on this TC is important to the winter maintenance community here in the US.  Every 4-years PIARC conducts a worldwide winter maintenance conference and in 2022 the 16th PIARC Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress will be hosted by Calgary.  Registration is open and more information can be found at https://www.piarc-calgary2022.org 

SICOP has been busy this past year and on this episode Steve Lund, State Maintenance Engineer for the Minnesota DOT and Chair of SICOP spends some time filling us in on several activities SICOP has worked on this past year and what's in store for the next.  He introduces the Strategic Initiatives contained in the 2021-2023 Strategic Plan recently approved by the Steering Committee and available at https://sicop.transportation.org/strategic-plan/ .  Steve makes a special announcement regarding the SICOP leadership at 32:16.

For those of us in the business of winter operations there are 2 seasons, winter and getting ready for winter.  In this episode we're visiting with Paul Brown of Road Tech and formerly the winter maintenance guru at the Mass DOT about 6 summertime  projects you should consider in order to be prepared for next winter.For more information on these 6 summertime projects for winter maintenance and other insightful tips you can contact Paul Brown at roadteck@comcast.net

What are some key elements to improve winter resilience of roads to severe winter conditions?  In 2020 Mark Corbin, Highways Key Route Network Manager at Transport for West Midlands, received a Winston Churchill Fellowship to investigate winter resilience in several countries and bring his findings back to the UK.  During his visits to Canada, Finland, and Sweden he interviewed over 50 interviews with winter maintenance professionals zeroing in on key themes to enhance resiliency during wintertime.  While his focus was on UK roads his findings are relevant across the sector regardless of your jurisdiction or country.  You can view more information about Mark Corbin and download his Winston Churchill Fellowship Report “Improving Winter Resilience on UK Roads” at this link: https://www.wcmt.org.uk/fellows/reports/improving-winter-resilience-uk-roads

How do maintenance managers know what’s in deicing chemicals and do they meet the specifications? Many years ago a group of states in the pacific northwest region of the US banded together as the The Pacific Northwest Snowfighters (PNS) and one of their objectives was to collectively test deicing chemicals and share best practices in purchasing materials that are effective deicers and also protective of the environment. The PNS created the Qualified Products List (QPL) to review, test, and approve products used by the Pacific Northwest states.PNS and Clear Roads have partnered to refresh the QPL and make it relevant for agencies across the nation. In this episode SICOP Talks Winter Ops with Patti Caswell, Maintenance Services Section Manager at the Oregon DOT and chairs the Clear Roads subcommittee that oversees the QPL.For more information on the QPL you can visit the QPL website at https://clearroads.org/qualified-product-list/ or contact Patti at patti.CASWELL@odot.state.or.us

There are many different alternative methods and equipment available to perform winter maintenance. In this episode Jed Falgren and Jeff Perkins from the Minnesota DOT talks about a new strategy to break up ice pack on the roadways without the use of any chemicals at all. Mechanical ice breakers make short work of ice pack in an environmentally friendly way. This equipment is another tool in the winter maintenance arsenal.Listen in as SICOP Talks Winer Ops with Jed Falgren and Jeff Perkins with the Minnesota DOT. Want to see an ice breaker in action? Check out the MnDOT Minute showcasing the IceBreaker at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbD9iJ-dzD0 or a more detailed video on the IceBreaker at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPgHKh1tpkwContact Jed Falgren at jed.falgren@state.mn.us or Jeff Perkins at jeff.perkins@state.mn.us for more information.

The Federal Highway Administration Road Weather Management Program plays an important role in winter maintenance across the nation. Contributing significant work in the development of Maintenance Decision Support Systems and the use of Road Weather Information Systems to improve safety for the motorists and efficiencies for the DOT’s the Road Weather Management Program continues to help advance programs the DOT’s rely on during winter operations like Pathfinder, Integrated Mobile Observations, and Automated Driving Systems in inclement weather. Listen in as we discuss advancements at the FHWA Road Weather Management Program. If you would like to learn more about this technology follow this link to the FHWA Road Weather Management Program: https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather/index.aspFor more information you can contact Team Leader David Johnson at david.Johnson@dot.gov or Tony Coventry at Tony.Coventry@dot.gov

On The Dot, Produced by the Indiana Department of Transportation, is your number one source for information about all things road and transit related in Indiana. This month's episode discusses Winter Operations Technology advancements in Indiana and also nationwide with AASHTO SICOP Coordinator Rick Nelson. Featured Segments: INDOT Southwest Communications Director Jason Tiller SICOP Coordinator Rick Nelson. 1-855-INDOT4U (463-6848) or online at indot4u.com Find Rick's Podcast "SICOP Talks Winter Ops" at https://sicop.transportation.org/stwo/

What is El Nino and how do the trade winds influence the weather on the east coast? We’ve all heard the terms atmospheric rivers, the polar vortex, Siberian Express and others, but what are they really. SICOP Talks Winter Ops sits down with Mike Alger, Chief Meteorologist at KTVN, 2 News in Reno, Nevada to talk about what these weather phenomena really are, what sets them in motion, and what do they mean for the maintenance crews.Mike is no stranger to winter highway maintenance. Many years ago when the Nevada DOT began creating their Road Weather Information System network and the precursor to 511, Mike provided a conduit and explanations to his viewers on the RWIS information and road weather forecasts to improve winter-time commutes in northern Nevada. Find out more about Mike at https://www.ktvn.com/story/6059462/mike

There are many different alternative methods and equipment available to perform winter maintenance. In this episode Laura Fay from the Western Transportation Institute at the University of Montana talks about a recently completed project for the Clear Roads Pooled Fund Study dealing with Alternative Methods for Deicing. This project helps maintenance managers dealing with snow and ice obtain a better understanding of the performance and impacts of various alternate methods through case studies. Listen in as we discuss this project Laura Fay. If you would like to learn more about this project and its final report follow this link to the Clear Roads website for this project https://clearroads.org/project/18-05/ or contact Laura Fay at laura.fay1@montana.edu

Having sustainable winter maintenance practices is one of the Top 10 things for a world class winter maintenance program. Environmental considerations is one of the three pillars of sustainability along with budgets and societal needs. In this episode we’re visiting with Connie Fortin of Fortin Consulting about environmental considerations for winter maintenance. Of all the water on the planet only 2.5% is freshwater. Once salt is introduced its very difficult to remove it. Listen in as SICOP Talks Winter Ops with Connie and hear about smart salting from the environments perspective.There are several good resources regarding salt (chlorides) and water. Connie mentioned this site from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency https://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/chloride-salts and follow the link to Salt Applicators for Smart Salting training and success stories.Fortin Consulting is active in promoting smart salting through Salt Symposiums (https://fortinconsulting.com/salt-symposium/) and several training programs (https://fortinconsulting.com/training-and-presentation-calendar/). For more information contact Connie Fortin at connie@fortinconsulting.com

The Covid pandemic has dramatically altered the way we do business and maintenance has not been immune. In this episode we’re having a discussion with the leadership of the AASHTO Maintenance Committee - Maintenance Operations Technical Working Group on the impacts they’re seeing in maintenance operations in response to Covid safety guidelines while still maintaining mobility across the roadway network.

In this episode of SICOP Talks Winter Ops were visiting with Frank Rizzardo, President of Emcon Services, an employee owned construction company, with maintenance contracts across Canada that includes providing winter service in some of the harshest environments in North America. Frank shares his story of how British Columbia transitioned from an agency that self-performed maintenance into one that contracts for those services and his take on winter service from a contractors perspective. You can check out Emcon Services at http://www.emconservices.ca or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/emconservicesinc/

Road Weather Information Systems or RWIS provides invaluable data about road weather and the real-time condition of the roadway during winter events. When RWIS began to be deployed back in the 1990’s the big question was, and still is 30 years later, how many sensor stations should be installed and where should they go. The Aurora consortium has been looking at this question and recently completed a project on Optimum RWIS Density, Phase 2. Dr Tae Kwon from the University of Alberta describes this work and the results he obtained. For more information on this project visit the Aurora website at https://aurora-program.org/research/completed/optimal-rwis-sensor-density-and-location-phase-2/or you can contact Dr. Tae Kwon by email at tjkwon@ualberta.ca

Maintenance Decision Support Systems or MDSS are an excellent tool to help maintenance managers evaluate all the important information about a storm including the output from advanced forecasting tools and make better decisions regarding optimal treatment strategies. On this episode Dave Huft of the South Dakota DOT will give us some insight into these systems and how DOTs utilize them in their winter maintenance operations.For more information about the MDSS Pooled Fund Study you can follow this link to their website: https://mdss.iteris.com/mdss/pfs/

Colorado DOT and Front Range Community College collaborated in the creation of the first Highway Management Program in the nation. Developed strictly for current highway maintenance personnel this two-year degree program is an excellent way to advance your career in highway maintenance. Listen in as the programs director, Susan Baillargeon, explains how it came about and what students can expect to experience as they make their way through the program.You can find out more about this program through the program flyer, visiting the Front Range Community College website, or by contacting our guest Susan Baillargeon directly.

The most important element of a successful winter maintenance program are the employees. Having a well trained, efficient, and alert workforce is a key to success. However, working long hours during a emergency without opportunities to refresh can lead to dire consequences. For example, when you’ve been awake for 24 hours your performance can be similar to someone with a blood alcohol content of 0.1%Listen in as Dave Orr, Director of the Cornell LTAP center talks about research into driver fatigue and discusses Tech Tips they’ve developed to help agencies understand driver fatigue and ways to combat it.You can reach out to Dave Orr for more information through his email dave.orr@cornell.edu View the Tech Tips at https://cornell.app.box.com/v/SnowFatigueFullSeries

Lots can be learned from see how others approach winter operations. James Morin of the Washington State DOT had the opportunity to interact with the Norwegian Road Authority and compare notes. On this episode James shares his observations on the similarities and differences between the two winter operations. Some key elements during our conversation included equipment, materials, relationships with academia, and levels of service.

One of the primary missions of SICOP is to promote work advancing winter maintenance operations. Clear Roads is a consortia of states conducting practical research in winter maintenance. In this episode we’re going to spend some time with Paul Brown, a long time member of Clear Roads, discussing a recently completed project 15-01: Synthesis of Material Application Methodologies for Winter Operations. For more about this project follow the link to the Clear Roads website: https://clearroads.org/project/15-01/

Recording at the TRB Annual Meeting, Wilf Nixon returns to SICOP Talks Winter Maintenance to visit about winter maintenance and the new Professional Snowfighters Association (PSA). The PSA is a new non-profit professional association dedicated to creating a community of practice, improved knowledge and practices in the pursuit of safe, sustainable snowfighting. If you want more information about the Professional Snowfighters Association you can visit their website at http://professionalsnowfightersassociation.org or you can contact Wilf Nixon by email at wilf@psa.org

In this episode Steve Lund, SICOP Chairman and Rick Nelson, SICOP Coordinator, recap SICOP activities from the past year. From producing episodes of SICOP Talks Winter Ops to hosting State Showcase Webinars to collaborating with other winter maintenance organizations, SICOP has had a busy year. AASHTO’s technical service programs are supported by voluntary contributions from state DOTs. For SICOP this contribution is $4,000 and has been since the creation of the program back in 1998. It’s important for the program to communicate the activities accomplished back to our member states to show how their contribution was used to promote winter maintenance and help states with their winter maintenance maintenance mission.To view the hard copy of the 2019 SICOP Year in Review CLICK HERE

When you talk about maintaining mobility during inclement weather, one group of folks that can make it or break it for the maintenance crews are the weather forecasters. On this episode of SICOP Talks Winter Ops we’re going to get some perspective from that side of the fence from a someone who’s no stranger to the winter maintenance community, Chris Albrecht, Director of Business Development and Consulting Services at The Narwhal Group and member of the American Meteorological Society Committee on ITS and Road Weather. We first met Chris many years ago when he was involved with the AURORA Pooled Fund Study Focusing on research in Road Weather Information Systems and road weather. Over the years these two fields have experienced rapid growth in the technology and the mainstreaming of the strategies the technology allows. If you want more information about road weather and the connections with the American Meteorological Society ITS and Road Weather Committee you can contact Chris by email at calbrecht@narwhalgroup.com

No part of the country is immune from the effects of winter weather. Winter storms in the southern reaches of the US are particularly difficult to deal with. Events severe enough that require attention, frequent enough you have to plan for them, and the challenge of dealing with budget realities of not enough to address all your maintenance activities.Listen in as SICOP Talks Winter Ops with David as he shares some insight into what it’s like to deal with the winter on the roadways in Louisiana. For more information about the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development visit their website at http://wwwsp.dotd.la.gov/Pages/default.aspxor contact Chief Maintenance Engineer David Miller at david.miller@la.gov

SICOP Talks Winter Ops with Rod Schilling from the Nevada DOT as he talks about Integrated Mobile Observations. Obtaining data about the weather and other things happening onboard snow plows helps managers and the public know what's happening out there during winter storms. Rod discusses the experiences and growing pains surrounding this newest way to gather data on the fly.FHWA has a collection of presentations discussing a host of aspects regarding the Nevada DOT IMO project that you can view here: http://bit.ly/2MOnGGaThe Nevada DOT IMO project Final Report can be viewed here: http://bit.ly/35HddovContact Rodney Schilling directly for more information at roschilling@dot.nv.govIn the mean time, listen in as SICOP Talks Winter Ops with Rod as he shares some insight into Integrated Mobile Observations.

SICOP Talks Winer Ops with Laura Fay. Who are you going to call when you have a perplexing problem in Winter maintenance, Laura Fay at the Western Transportation Institute. Winter maintenance is much more than salt, trucks, and snow plow drivers. Without the folks behind the scenes supporting the practitioners we could not have progressed as far and as fast as we have over the past 20 years. Laura Fay is no stranger to the winter maintenance community. As the Program Manager for the Cold Climate Operations and Systems Research group at Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University Laura has been involved in many winter maintenance research projects that have made their way into practice. Listen in as SICOP Talks Winter Ops with Laura Fay as she shares some insight into what it’s like being a researcher of winter maintenance. If you’d like to reach out to Laura to talk about winter maintenance or other projects you can drop her an email at laura.fay1@montana.edu

SICOP talks winter ops with Dan Eriksson from the Swedish Road Administration. While State DOT’s here in the United States self perform the vast majority of winter maintenance they are relying more and more on contracted workforce and equipment to meet the level of service demands with the limited resources available. On the other hand, The Swedish Road Administration has been providing winter service utilizing contracts and contractors for many years. Listen in as SICOP Talks Winter Ops with Dan Eriksson as he shares winter maintenance in Sweden.

SICOP talks winter ops with Paul Pisano. Paul had a very productive career with the Federal Highway Administration retiring as the Road Weather Management and Work Zone Team Leader. During his time with the FHWA Paul and his Road Weather Management team saw the development of several significant projects to benefit the winter maintenance community. Projects like the Maintenance Decision Support System, Clarus later the weather data environment, and initiatives through Every Day Counts like Weather Savvy Roads, Pathfinder, and Integrated Mobile Observations were just a few of the advancements in the area.Listen in as SICOP Talks Winter Ops with Paul as he shares some history, some current events, and some thoughts on the future of winter maintenance.

Keeping the public moving in all weather conditions is an orchestrated dance between the maintenance forces, the network operators, and the public. The actions of one influences the reactions of the others. Road weather management strategies are employed by both the maintenance forces and the network operators independently or in unison to help mitigate the mobility challenges for the motorists to maintain a safe, reliable transportation system. This is what we call Transportation System Management Operations every day of the year, rain or shine, or TSMO365.SICOP talks Winter Ops with Steve Cook of the Michigan Department of Transportation, Chairman of the Community of Practice on Road Weather Management and member of the Committee on Transportation System Operations, Committee on Maintenance, and the SICOP Steering Committee.

La CCSS es otra de esas instituciones que se suele manejar por fuera de la línea del Gobierno central, ahora que está de moda el concepto. Lo particular es su volumen enorme para nuestra escala y lo sensible que resulta para nuestra sociedad. Manejaba el sistema de compras que quería y ahora sí acepta regirse por el programa unificado llamado SICOP, pero mantiene el rechazo a plegarse a las consideraciones fiscales del sector público. Una de cal y otra de arena, podría decirse. Sin embargo, la CCSS sí deberá obedecer el mandato de la Sala Constitucional de diseñar antes de septiembre un plan para solucionar el inagotable problema de las listas de espera para citas, procedimientos o cirugías, pues los magistrados consideran que –más allá de cada recurso de amparo- hay una violación general del derecho a la salud. El presidente de la CCSS, Román Macaya, nos acompaña, dispuesto a contestar, explicar o justificar los ángulos más actuales de esta institución fundamental en nuestro país.

SICOP exists to support member states in fulfilling their winter maintenance mission. As one of AASHTOs Technical Service Programs we are supported through voluntary contributions made by state DOTs. Throughout the year SICOP performs many different activities in this cause. In this episode, SICOP Steering Committee Chair Steve Lund from the Minnesota DOT talks about the accomplishments of the program in 2018. Check out the 2018 Year In Review on the SICOP webpage at https://sicop.transportation.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2019/02/2018-year-in-review.pdf

The Transportation Research Board is a lot more than the week long Annual Meeting that happens every January. Listen in as SICOP Talks Winter Ops with James Bryant, TRBs Maintenance and Preservation Engineer, as he shares whats on the calendar this next year for the TRB committees on Winter Maintenance and Surface Transportation Weather.The TRB eNewsletter is another way to keep on top of all the activities and offerings of the TRB throughout the year. Anyone can subscribe through the link https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USNASTRB/subscriber/new Want to take an active role in the winter committees, AHD65 Winter Maintenance and AH010 Surface Transportation Weather? Head over to “My TRB” at https://www.mytrb.org and sign up as friend of the committee to get involved.

How did the evolution of modern winter maintenance take place? What significant milestones ushered in the tools that make up the modern winter maintenance tool box? Lee Smithson, formerly of the Iowa Department of Transportation and a past SICOP Coordinator, was one of the few individuals leading the charge that produced significant advancements in winter maintenance technologies. Listen in as SICOP Talks Winter Ops with Lee Smithson, as he shares his recollections on how we got where we are with winter maintenance in the US.

Many agencies have been collecting a lot of data, GPS/AVL coordinates, RWIS, mobile observations, photos and the like. Now comes the time to ask So What? Until you do something with it its just a bunch of 1s and zeros occupying peta bytes of space. There are however great opportunities to mine these data and turn it into information that can help transportation agencies manage the system and their operations. One agency, the Iowa DOT, has take that leap and demonstrated success in turning all that data in useful information. Tina Greenfield, Iowa DOTs RWIS Coordinator, shares their experiences in working with Big Data.

Agencies have been using salt brines and a variety of other liquid concoctions for years as a winter maintenance strategy. Pre-wetting stockpiles, pre-wetting at the spinner, slurries, direct application for anti-icing have been tried and true practices. Now some have taken the use of liquids to the max , and now, utilizing direct liquid applications through the course of the storm. Some would say using liquid only routes are a risky proposition throughout the storm although some states and countries abroad have been successfully running field trials with liquid only routes. Jim Hughes, State Maintenance Engineer with the Wisconsin DOT is talking winter ops with SICOP about their experience with liquid only routes.

Having an efficient and effective winter maintenance program is built largely on having the right resources at the right place at the right time. This begs to question, Which way should the snowplow go? Route optimization made the top-10 list of things for a world class winter maintenance program and is front and center on the minds of state members of the SICOP winter maintenance technical service program. Several state DOTs are utilizing route optimization programs and many more are considering starting a route optimization program. Kyle Lester(CO DOT), Jim Hughes (WI DOT), and Larry Gangle (ND DOT) sit down with SICOP and Talk Winter Ops and talk about their experiences with route optimization in their states.

It’s no surprise that having the right equipment, in the right place is one of the top-10 things you should have to be a world class winter maintenance operation. Caltrans Division of Equipment have a daunting task of keeping snow fighting crews outfitted with the best snow removal equipment to keep people and goods moving throughout the winter. Their winter operations mirror many situations across the US from the season long fight in the Sierra Nevada to the occasional storm in more temperate regions. Kris Keague, Lisa Kunzman, and Virgil Realin from Caltrans Division of Equipment sit down with SICOP and Talk Winter Ops as it relates to equipment

Having timely and accurate road weather forecasts is one of the top-10 things you should have to be a world class winter maintenance operation. Utah DOT has a program where meteorologists are positioned in their traffic management center and are an integral part of their winter maintenance operations. Jeff Williams, UDOTs Weather Operations and RWIS Manager talks winter operations with SICOP and discusses how they deliver timely and accurate road weather forecasts to UDOT maintenance crews.

A short while back SICOP took to social media with the goal of identifying the 10 most important things an agency should do to have a world class winter maintenance program. Using crowd-sourced data from winter maintenance professionals we hit upon the 10 most important topics, with a bonus, that would be necessary for a world class winter maintenance program. In this episode Dr. Wilf Nixon joins Rick Nelson to reveal the Top-10 and why they're important. Follow this link for more information on the Top-10

A short while back SICOP set about to identify the Top-10 things that would be necessary to have a world class winter maintenance program. Using crowd-sourced data we hit upon 11 important topics that would be necessary for a world class winter maintenance program. In this episode Dr. Wilf Nixon joins Rick Nelson to discuss the process by which the Top-10 were identified and why.

Steve Lund, SICOP's Chairman and State Maintenance Engineer for the Minnesota DOT visits with Rick Nelson about the SICOP program. We discuss what SICOP is, what we do, and the value of the program.

Introduction to the SICOP Talks Winter Ops podcast. The podcast of AASHTOs Winter Maintenance Technical Service Program - SICOP.