MACFHWA

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MAC-FHWA
Federal Highway Administration

• Motorcyclist Advisory Council
• Federal Highway Administration

By Martin Calawa, ITS/Safety Engineer
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SAFETEA-LU

• Mandates MAC Establishment
• Established by Secretary through Federal Highway
  Administration
• To Coordinate with and Advise on Infrastructure
  Issues

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SAFETEA-LUInfrastructure Issues Mandated

• Barrier Design
• Road Design, Construction and Maintenance
  practices
• Implementation of ITS Technologies Architecture

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SAFETEA-LUSpecified Membership

• Not more than 10 Members
• One Each Recommended by
• a National Motorcycle Riders Foundation
• a National Motorcyclist Association
• a National Org. representing Highway Builders
• a National Org. representing the Traffic Safety
  Systems Industry

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SAFETEA-LUSpecified Membership

• 1 from a National Safety Org.
• 1 from the National Association of State
  Motorcycle Safety Administrators
• 2 members from State Motorcycles Organizations,
  and
• 1 or 2 motorcyclists who are traffic systems
  design engineers or State transportation dept.
  officials

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Council Selection

• Notice of Intent published in Federal Register
  Dec. 23, 2005
• 44 Nominations Received
• FHWA selected Members based on
• Mandated requirements
• Congressional Recommendations
• Experience
• Geographical Representation
• of States

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First MAC Meeting

• October 24, 2006
• In Washington DC at FHWA HQ
• Kick-off
• presentation by Mary Peters
• Attended by
• FHWA Administrator Rick Capka
• Associate Administrator Jeff Lindley
• Meeting Run by Designated Federal Official
  Michael Halladay,
• Office of Safety

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Council Comments

• General Comments
• Designs currently based on carsmotorcycles not
  considered
• Awareness/education is a big issue
• Designers think of motorist only
• Things have changed due to growth of motorcycles

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Barrier Comments

• program, Safer signs, are yours break-away
• how to make more motorcycle-friendly barriers?
• Asked, Research on Effects of Guardrail on
  Motorcycles?
• Raised Medians are a problem can they be simply
  painted medians?

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Design Comments

• Issue is pavement markings as significant
  contributors to motorcycle crashes should be
  looked into
• add skid resistance to pavement markings
  especially intersections
• Thermo-Plastic buildup
• Markings become invisible in wet weather. (Retro)
  Reflectivity is important

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Design comments (Continued)

• Break-away Signs? Not for Motorcycles
• Warning signing for hazards
• Motorcycle specific signage vs. generic signs for
  all

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Construction Comments

• Steel plates!
• Milled surfaces Builder Awareness
• Bridge expansion joints
• temporary crossover lanes, transition from
  concrete to asphalt is a problem
• uneven pavement

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Maintenance

• settlement of bridges is issue
• joints not aligned w/lane markings
• Preventative maintenance
• Potholes more dangerous to MCs

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Discussion Summary

• Most engineers are not motorcyclists... All about
  awareness

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Council Member Suggestion

• toll free phone number for reporting problems
  like potholes (motorcycle), reported directly to
  maintenance
• Web page for Motorcycles
• FHWA to develop a brochure to raise awareness of
  motorcycle concerns to designers
• put best practices on sites