In 2009, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) launched Every Day Counts (EDC) in cooperation with the American Association of State and Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) to speed up the delivery of highway projects and to address the challenges presented by limited budgets. EDC is a state-based model to identify and rapidly deploy proven but underutilized innovations to shorten the project delivery process, enhance roadway safety, reduce congestion and improve environmental sustainability.
Since EDC’s inception, every state transportation agency has used eight or more of the innovations promoted under the initiative, and some have adopted over twenty. Forty-nine State Transportation Innovation Councils (STIC) have been established to date, creating a national network to spread the word and support widespread deployment of innovation across the nation. In fiscal year 2015, a total of $4.2 million was awarded to 44 STICs to fund activities making innovations standard practice within their respective state. Additionally, 45 awards totaling $33.8 million were made in AID Demonstration incentive funding to deploy innovations throughout the country. The program is now almost half-way through the third round of EDC.
FHWA and AASHTO are calling upon stakeholders and partners such as ITE members for ideas about proven innovations to launch EDC-4. These market-ready technologies will ensure we continue to deliver transportation to the American people better, faster, and smarter and continue to strengthen the culture of innovation throughout the highway community.
A formal Request for Information in the Federal Register provides instructions for submitting suggestions for EDC-4 at www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/12/10/2015-31112/every-day-counts-initiative-request-for-information. Input is requested by January 31, 2016.