A team of local students have been named runners up in a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation contest.
Two students from the Seneca Valley School District took home second place in the second annual statewide “Innovation Challenge” after winning the PennDOT District 10 contest last month.
Students have been working since last fall to develop innovative methods that can be rolled out in the next five to 10 years to get drivers to slow down in work zones. The Seneca Valley students came up with reusable, fluid-filled “smart” speed bumps that react like a solid when impacted by vehicles traveling over 55 miles per hour. Throughout the years, speed ramps and bumps have become a more common tool, used in heavily populated areas, to ensure that drivers are aware of pedestrians and are forced to slow down. They are often used in residential areas, around schools, and in work zones.
“Every day, construction workers on Pennsylvania roadways face a dangerous threat in work zones,” said PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards. “Despite increased enforcement efforts, work zone signage and smartphone alerts, drivers continue to commit traffic violations in work zones, which can lead to crashes or tragically someone being killed. We challenged our next generation of leaders to become an active part of the solution by developing innovative ways to tackle this transportation issue.”
A team from North Allegheny took home the state championship in Harrisburg last week- as well as $1,500 in reward money- for an idea involving an app that would track speeds in work zones.
The Seneca Valley students’ idea could still be used on state roads in the near future.
