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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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Benefits of Proactive Culvert Cleaning

working on a clogged culvert

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.

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PILLAR to Begin Work on The Virginia Capital Trail

A new partnership between PILLAR and VDOT will utilize cutting-edge technology to make Virginia a safer, more beautiful place for cyclists and pedestrians.

Recently, PILLAR received a task order to inventory assets, assess, and maintain the Virginia Capital Trail. The Virginia Capital Trail was originally a scenic road that connected Virginia’s capital to the coast. Then called Route 5, the drive was widely valued for its natural beauty and character. In 2004, The Virginia Capital Trail Foundation was formed to advocate and fundraise for a recreational trail adjacent to Route 5. In 2008, construction on the project began. Today, The Virginia Capital trail is a 51.7 mile, fully paved trail that stretches from Williamsburg to Richmond and is enjoyed by cyclists, runners, walkers, skateboarders, and more.

Maintenance of the nearly 52-mile trail is no small task. To keep the Trail well-tended, The Virginia Capital Trail Foundation secured a public-private partnership with the Virginia Department of Transportation. VDOT is responsible for maintenance of the Trail from making repairs, clearing debris, or cutting the grass. VDOT faced the challenge of proactively monitoring each mile of the Trail to ensure repairs happened quickly and citizens stayed safe. To address the challenge, VDOT partnered with PILLAR to leverage their expertise and engage them to scan the trail with mobile LiDAR.

For maximum efficiency and safety in transportation maintenance, data is key. As part of the Trail inventory process, PILLAR’s modern technology will automatically extract key features important to the upkeep of the Trail utilizing proprietary AFESTM Technology. This data provides a comprehensive baseline overview of the Trail. From this starting point, PILLAR will make validated maintenance plans enabling VDOT to address issues so pedestrians and cyclists can continue to enjoy the trail now and into the future. “We are honored to partner with VDOT in the maintenance of this beautiful and historic trail and play a part in helping Virginians to enjoy the natural beauty of our state,” says PILLAR Vice President Eric Brooks. 

PILLAR is an award-winning organization that has been recognized for their stewardship and the ways in which their maintenance plans have positive impacts on the environment. As the partnership continues, PILLAR and VDOT anticipate that scheduling short- and long-term personnel to address the hands-on work of maintenance will become more efficient. Other areas of impact include brush management, pavement management, signage and more.

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Virginia’s Tie to National Work Zone Awareness Week

This year, PILLAR is celebrating 20 years of ethical commitment to the well-being and safety of the public through transportation asset management.  During our two decades of work, we’ve partnered with transportation departments and roadside workers at both the state and national level and witnessed their tremendous dedication firsthand.  To celebrate PILLAR’s 20th anniversary, recognize our excellent partners, and remember those who lost their lives in work zones, PILLAR made a donation to the National Work Zone Traveling Memorial.  

The Work Zone Traveling Memorial is an integral part of the National Work Zone Awareness Week and is inscribed with more than 1,600 names of individuals who lost their lives in America’s roadside work zones.  Our donation will support memorial visits in locations all over the country and bring awareness to the importance of safety for roadside workers.

Because safety is an integral part of PILLAR’s mission, we observe National Work Zone Awareness every year.  We’re proud to partner with the national leader in work zone safety awareness, VDOT’s Bristol District.  In 1997, VDOT’s Bristol District spearheaded the country’s first Work Zone Awareness Week.  Bristol’s idea quickly gained traction and by the next year, VDOT launched a statewide campaign to encourage both employees and the public to reduce safety hazards to roadside workers.  Thanks to the hard work and dedication of leaders in Virginia’s transportation sector, a national campaign was launched just two years later in 2000. 

Virginia’s leadership toward work zone safety has made America’s work zones safer.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, the number of work zone fatalities has decreased in the United States every year since 2002.

The Work Zone Traveling Memorial will stop in Virginia during National Work Zone Awareness Week April 11-15, 2022.  This year and every year, PILLAR is proud to support respect and safety in America’s roadside work zones. Please follow these 8 tips on navigating highway work zones.

8 Points to Follow When Navigating Highway Work Zones

  1. Expect the unexpected
  2. Follow the signs
  3. Don’t tailgate
  4. Don’t speed
  5. Never change lanes in a work zone
  6. Focus and minimize distractions
  7. Be patient
  8. Know before you go by dialing 511 for traffic information

For additional information on work zone safety and distracted driving please visit these links:

Virginia DMV General Distracted Driving

National Safety Council Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Drive Smart Virginia’s Distracted Driving Outreach and Education Toolkit

National Work Zone Awareness Safety Week Information

Handheld Personal Communication Devices Policy Information

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Meet the PILLAR Team Online and In-Person at Upcoming Events

Pillar Team Meeting

Over the next few months, members of the PILLAR team will be on the road at various tradeshows and conferences. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn more about the company’s approach to infrastructure asset management and how it can help organizations save time, save money, and save lives.

Our unique approach merges technology with specialist expertise to maximize efforts, justify budgets, and reduce risk, thereby delivering greater sustainability and longevity of your transportation assets.

The PILLAR team would love to share more information with you. Make sure to say hello if you see us in person or online at one of these upcoming events.

If you’d like to discuss ways to save time, money, lives, and face (by preventing public outcry in the case of a disaster), contact us to schedule a meeting during one of these events at info@pillaroma.com or (276) 223-0500.

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Virginia State Highway Performance Ranking Leaps to #2 Nationally

Virginia Highway Viaduct

The PILLAR Team congratulates the Virginia Department of Transportation for earning the nation’s #2 best highway performance ranking. Virginia operates the third-largest DOT network in the nation and handed in an impressive 19-position improvement in the 26th Annual Highway Report from the Reason Foundation.

Virginia moved up the ranks in several areas, including improving 24 positions for capital and bridge disbursements, improving 15 positions for maintenance disbursements, and improving 17 positions for urbanized area congestion.

Cost-effective Maintenance & Operations

Virginia’s highway system is considered one of the most cost-effective highway systems in the country.

“States with high ratings typically have better-than-average system conditions (good for road users) along with relatively low per-mile expenditures (good for taxpayers),” according to the Reason Foundation annual report.

PILLAR has been a trusted partner of VDOT for nearly 10 years, serving as its contractor for Statewide Maintenance Consulting Services.

“The PILLAR Team is proud to support VDOT in its continuous quest for excellence through best management practices and innovative transportation management solutions,” said PILLAR President Mark Boenke.

How PILLAR partners with VDOT

PILLAR supports VDOT in several ways, providing information that will save time, money, lives, and credibility.

A Penny Saved is A Penny Earned

PILLAR utilized its mobile LiDAR and conventional and traditional survey methods to gather dimensions on overhead signage that needed replacing in VDOT District 1. By defining accurate dimensions, PILLAR determined the existing support structure could be utilized for the new sign, saving significant time and money for VDOT.

Creating Efficiency from Field to Office

PILLAR georeferenced plan sheets to locate the position of pipes along the I-95 corridor in Caroline, Spotsylvania, and Stafford counties for VODT’s Fredericksburg District Office. This enabled VDOT field personnel to easily locate pipes when performing inspections. Ultimately, saving time and money.

Environmentally Friendly Asset Management Solutions 

PILLAR helped the VDOT Staunton District save $12.9 million in mitigation projects and nitrogen-credit purchases, also earning the district the Environmental Stewardship award. The efforts allowed VDOT to reallocate money to other critical needs throughout the district.

The project used an innovative approach. It took PILLAR’s LiDAR-based mapping for mowing management and helped save the district millions annually in converting interstate rights-of-way into pollinator habitats.

What PILLAR can do for you

What sets PILLAR apart is our CAPE approach.

That’s our Collection, Assessment, Planning, and Execution (CAPE) approach that intersects technology with our expertise to tailor asset management plans for program funding, public outcry, and improved services.

We advise state agencies and provide plans that avoid potential pitfalls and save money.

“Our staff augmentation helps improve knowledge and experience to achieve a high maintenance rating program (MRP) with average scores in the low-to-mid 90s,” Boenke said.

Contact PILLAR today to get started on improving your maintenance and performance rating.

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How to Calculate & Classify Mowable Area with LiDAR

PILLAR Truck Monitoring Mowing Tractors

Your agency has a lot of ground to cover. Literally. Municipalities and departments of transportation have acres and acres of land that need to be managed.

PILLAR can help assess the best way to tackle ground that might have to be mowed or best left unmowed and calculate the total mowable area and frequency or necessity of that upkeep.

This practice can help save your agency valuable cash, up to millions.

Mowing Frequency

Knowing what you need to maintain frequently and where to cut back can save millions in costs. Your agency will save in labor and equipment costs and heighten the safety of workers in high-traffic areas.

Certain areas benefit from a less frequent trim. Cutting tall grass and cutting back brush can improve visibility but may only have to be maintained once a year instead of cutting every few months.

The environmental benefits differ as well. If acreage is classified as an environmental benefit, your agency can receive credit toward mitigation and pollution reduction projects, such as pollinator or stormwater run-off programs.

When you contract with PILLAR, you’ll receive a full assessment of best practices.

How PILLAR Calculates & Classifies Mowable Area

PILLAR helps you get a better sense of what is needed for the land you manage.

We use image scanning and Mobile LiDAR, which can accurately inventory acreage that should be added to the total calculated mowable area. Additional access to land plats can help us determine if you can earn environmental stipends for mowing less frequently.

Our services also include an assessment of the terrain, so we can work with you to determine the types of equipment needed and the time and frequency required to maintain that acreage. That information also helps us parse and configure mowing patterns/swaths for full mows or partial mows.

After all the data is collected, we will work with your geospatial system of choice to integrate and normalize your mowing data.

The PILLAR team has more than 100 years of combined experience working with and for municipalities and departments of transportation. We know how to help classify environmental benefits and safety requirements needed to maintain your areas and keep the public safe.

Case Study

PILLAR was able to help Staunton earn $12.8 million in credits for pollution mitigation from our assessment of mowable acreage. Their practices earned them VDOT’s Staunton District’s Environmental Stewardship Award.

Learn how we can help you. Contact us today.