摘要: |
To maximize efficiency while minimizing costs within ODOT???s winter maintenance budget, ODOT is evaluating new methods of snow and ice removal. One method is the use of the Viking-Cives TowPlow. The TowPlow is pulled behind a tandem axle truck and has the ability to treat an additional lane. A thorough evaluation of the TowPlow is conducted to determine the feasibility for implementation into an ODOT garage, including: level of service (LOS), equipment usage in different types of weather, and impacts on the traveling public. To successfully evaluate the TowPlow, three main areas of data (weather, utilization, and speed data) are collected from three counties that used the TowPlow in the 2013???2014 winter season. It is observed that the TowPlow causes slightly higher delays to motorists during all storm severities, except in heavy snow, when the TowPlow???s delay is equal to that of the standard truck. There is an annualized cost savings averaging $22,551 when compared to the equivalent standard trucks needed to match the TowPlow???s ability. |