Welcome to the NACE webpage at www.countyengineers.org!  We'd love to get your feedback!  Send us your comments or if you have any questions/corrections contact NACE.

It's time to register for NACE 2008 in Portland Oregon from April 20 - 24, 2008. 

You can view the NACE 2008 conference schedule, delegate brochure and exhibit information etc.
Click on the NACE 2008 logo above or See: NACE Events

NACE Safety Initiative Leads Improvement of Traffic Signs

NACE is launching an education and companion grant program aiding members in replacing traffic signs to meet new federal retroreflectivity standards recently released by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Counties will be able to apply for one-time grants to significantly reduce the cost in their effort to improve reflective brightness of traffic signs and meet this important safety standard.

The NACE grant program, in partnership with 3M, the leading maker of reflective safety products, is designed to assist counties by:

• Building awareness of the new federal minimum reflectivity ruling;

• Providing financial incentive to replace non-compliant signs;

• Educating NACE members on compliance requirements;

• Providing training on sign assessment/management methods;

• Sharing best practices among NACE member counties.

"We are excited to offer our membership the opportunity to be on the leading edge of this change to make our nation’s roadways safer," said George Webb, NACE President and the County Engineer for Palm Beach County, Florida. "Counties manage the majority of highway miles in this country and a brighter, more reflective sign is a positive step toward improving our roadways for an aging population, especially on rural county roads where the majority fatal and life changing crashes occur." "Additionally, we are pleased to include an educational website (www.minimumreflectivity.org) to provide information to our members on the requirements of the new regulatory requirements."

NACE enjoys a long history of partnership with industry, government agencies and other associations and previously partnered with 3M from 2003-2006 in the National Transportation Safety Initiative Program.

Each NACE member county will be eligible for one grant to purchase 3M reflective signing material, either fabricated signs or roll sheeting, from participating independent sign fabricators. The criteria for receiving a NACE Grant are that the applicant be a member of NACE representing a local (county or city) agency and have a commitment to upgrading their signs from engineer grade (Type I, II) to a prismatic material (Type III, IV, IX, X or proposed Type XI).  An agency can apply for only a minimum (500 sq. ft.) and there is no maximum amount.  However the grant must be applied to one order and will need to be used within six months of date issued.  Applications will be received through December 31, 2008.  The NACE Grant provides substantial savings on sign sheeting materials that can be applied to purchasing roll goods directly from 3M or signs through a fabricator of the agency's choosing that uses 3M sheeting materials. 

NACE members can apply for the grant program by visiting the NACE website “Members Only” page (see top right side of page). If you need to obtain your ID and password or have any questions, contact the NACE office at nace@naco.org or call (202) 393-5041.

 New Manual "Environmentally Sensitive Maintenance for Dirt and Gravel Roads" Available!
“Environmentally Sensitive Maintenance for Dirt and Gravel Roads”, sponsored by Pennsylvania DOT with funding assistance from the EPA, has been developed.  It can be viewed by Clicking on the Title. This is a non point source pollution project that identifies, documents, and encourages the use of environmentally sensitive maintenance of dirt and gravel roads.  Specifically this project involved the development of a reference manual and related technical information sheets on “Environmentally Sensitive Maintenance of Dirt and Gravel Roads” for national use. The manual provides insight into using natural systems and innovative technologies to reduce erosion, sediment, and dust pollution while more effectively and efficiently maintaining dirt and gravel roads.  The manual addresses the environment of forests, mountainous terrain, and rolling hills.  Various states already employ some of the more common practices, particularly forestry departments.  These states and their local governments are prime targets for deploying the additional practices to be addressed in the manual.  The manual gives the users a “tool box” full of environmentally sensitive maintenance “tools” or practices, recognizing that not one tool can fit every situation or site or solve all their problems in maintaining their dirt and gravel roads and protecting the environment. 

The Environmental Protection Agency has also placed on their website, dividing up the chapters, appendices, etc. into separate pdf files, so downloading target sections will proceed much faster.  Visit their website at  http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/sensitive/sensitive.html

Promoting Safety on County Roads is the NACE Number One Priority
With the passage of the SAFETEA-LU legislation last year a renewed effort to make our public roads safer got a significant boost in attention and funding.   To summarize important safety provisions of the new SAFETEA-LU legislation review the following and visit the links to the FHWA website for detailed guidance.    

New Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Core Program Established
The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) established the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) as an FHWA “core” program and provided a significant increase in the funding available for infrastructure-related highway safety improvement projects. This program is established as section 148 of Title 23, United States Code. HSIP reporting guidance are outlined at the following link   http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/safetealu/hsipreporting.htm

High Risk Rural Road Program
A new High Risk Rural Road program has been established.  The term `high risk rural road' means any roadway functionally classified as a rural major or minor collector or a rural local road   (a)   on which the accident rate for fatalities and incapacitating injuries exceeds the statewide average for those functional classes of roadway; or (b) that will likely have increases in traffic volume that are likely to create an accident rate for fatalities and incapacitating injuries that exceeds the statewide average for those functional classes of roadway.  Guidance on this program can be viewed at http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/safetealu/hrrrpmemo.htm

Safe Routes to Schools Program
The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program empowers communities to make walking and bicycling to school a safe and routine activity. It makes funds available for a wide variety of programs and projects, from building safer street crossings to encouraging children and their parents to walk and bicycle safely to school.  Guidance on this program can be viewed at http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/saferoutes/index.htm 

States Must Complete Strategic Highway Safety Plans (SHSP) for All Public Roads
A Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) developed by the State Department of Transportation (DOT) is a new Federal requirement of SAFETEA-LU, 23 U.S.C. § 148, and is a major part of the core Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). This document has three purposes:

• To promote best practices and serve as guidance to State DOTs and their safety partners for the development and implementation of the State SHSP.
• To assist State DOTs in creating an SHSP that meets the requirements of SAFETEA-LU with the ultimate goal of reducing the number of highway fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads.
• To assist States in understanding the relationship between the SHSP and existing transportation planning and programming processes in order to best develop the SHSP with implementation in mind.

Guidance on the SHSP can be viewed at http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/safetealu/shspguidance.htm

5 % Report Requirement

As part of the new HSIP, States are required to submit an annual report describing not less than 5 percent of their highway locations exhibiting the most severe safety needs. The intent of this provision is to raise the public awareness of the highway safety needs and challenges in the States. The guidance for the "5% report" can be viewed at http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/safetealu/fiveguidance.htm

Thank you to NACE Platinum Corporate Member, ESRI