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35Â Â Conclusions This synthesis provided a collection of current practices related to night and weekend move- ments of permitted OS/OW loads on state highway networks. The results demonstrate a wide range of practices and inconsistencies across state boundaries. In general, there are several instances where a lack of uniformity across the states creates varying challenges specific to inter- state movements of permitted loads on nights or weekends. There are several emerging research needs associated with these activities. This chapter provides summaries of the primary issues, as determined by the literature review and case examples. Research Issue 1: Identify best practices and barriers around data sharing across states, including opportunities for leveraging existing data collection efforts for other agency functions. There remains a limited amount of data associated with permits issued and data sharing across states on night and weekend movements. This lack of data sharing or established frameworks for sharing data hinders some multi-state movements. Best practices for improving the accuracy, availability, and consistency of data on physical infrastructure constraints and restrictions is vital for night and weekend movements, as well as general OS/OW activity. Without data, the permitting processes are more complicated on weekends or during non- business hours. Incorrect information also could result in suboptimal routing, bridge hits, or other safety concerns. To expand use of night and weekend permitting, better data are required. Some states reported that OS/OW data are not used for any other purpose outside of permitting. Data obtained as part of the permitting process, including information about the origin, destination, routing, size, and dimensions of a load, can be a rich source of information for a variety of purposes, and there are opportunities to better leverage data within DOTs for policy, planning, and programming functions. Research Issue 2: Complete a comprehensive study on best practices for permitting night and weekend movements. Most truck size and weight research does not include night and weekend movements. In fact, according to the literature reviewed during the course of this study, multi-state permitting generally discusses nighttime and weekend movements in a cursory manner. Research Issue 3: Assess challenges for cross-state OS/OW movements from a non-DOT perspective. A comprehensive study reflecting carrier experiences and case examples would be valuable. This synthesis collected the state of the practice from the state DOT perspective, but did not include interviews with representatives from industry or permitting agencies. These viewpoints could also help determine potential areas of improvement and efficiency. Research Issue 4: Quantify safety concerns by analyzing crash data, specific incidents, secondary crashes, and similar safety information. There has not been a comprehensive look C H A P T E R Â 5
36 Night and Weekend Movement of Oversize/Overweight Loads at safety information for permitted movements on nights and weekends. The expansion of permitting activities and self-issued/automated permits has not been evaluated. Several urban areas have started to require nighttime freight movements, regardless of size and weight. Some evaluation of nighttime movements would help states identify the effectiveness of these policies. Such a study could also compare safety information for daytime against nighttime movements and discuss operational issues associated with night and weekend movements. Research Issue 5: Explore economic impacts of night/weekend moves. While carriers have expressed some cost effectiveness associated with night and weekend movements, no study has verified these claims. It would be beneficial to capture the costs and benefits of these maneuvers. Research Issue 6: Assess operational issues for parking, tollway, enforcement, and similar procedures. On the operational side, there are a number of critical issues for understanding night and weekend movements. Anecdotally, costs and staffing needs are cited as key challenges for these moves. Establishing clear expectations on permit issuance turnaround times is also important. This allows carriers to plan effectively and identify routine OS/OW loads that can move on off-peak hours. When one state allows self-issuance, but another requires multiple days, it becomes a barrier to efficiency. However, the actual operational issues and preferred practices have not been identified. One key area for future focus is tollway/expressway operations. Research Issue 7: Assess potential design issues that hinder night/weekend movements and examine pavement material characteristics specific to nighttime movements. Traditional road design accounts for some OW and over-dimensional loads. However, increases in use could require a comprehensive look at potential OS/OW corridors for design windows. A set of lanes could operate that allow a certain envelope regionally or across multiple states. OW loadings during evening temperature changes have not been readily studied. These material characteristics could provide key information for maintenance and design in addition to the operational challenges. This report identified challenges associated with multi-state night and weekend OS/OW transportation. These challenges are not insurmountable, nor are they easy to approach. Communication has been identified as a key component in past studies and in the results of our case examples. Free flow of information between states would aid in the ease of freight movements, particularly across states.