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Innovation Station

Statewide Innovation Program


UDOT Innovation Catalog

The UDOT Innovation Catalog features innovations created or adopted by UDOT.

You can also view UDOT’s live Innovation Efficiencies Report, Impact Dashboard, Award Winners, and Maintenance Innovations by clicking on the links along the top of the catalog.

2024 Innovation and Efficiencies Report

Highlights Report
(click to open .pdf)

What is Innovation at UDOT?

This three minute video will get you started!

About the Innovation Program | Contact Information


UDOT’s Statewide Innovation Program is led through the Research and Innovation Division via UDOT’s larger Technology and Innovation Group. At UDOT, innovation efforts are an essential part of everyone’s job. Many employees are hired and promoted based, in no small part, on their ability to influence innovative outcomes. This page is dedicated to continuing UDOT’s proud tradition of being a world-class leader in the transportation innovations space. Please review this content to learn more about how UDOT continues to invest in a better tomorrow, and how you can accelerate these efforts by actively participating today!

Program Management

Winston Inoway
Innovation and Implementation Program Manager
801-455-3911
winoway@utah.gov

Quinten Klingonsmith
Innovation and Implementation Program Coordinator
801-386-0473
qklingonsmith@utah.gov

UDOT Innovation Process

Click the blueprint for an overview of UDOT’s innovation process.
(click image above for details)

UDOT Innovation Station Videos

What is innovation at UDOT?

This three minute video will get you started!

Get inspired with these brief innovation example videos!

Innovation Award Winners

2023 Innovation Awards

Innovation of the Year Winner

In recognition of the innovation that advances safety, saves costs, and/or improves public service, the Traffic & Safety Division wins the 2023 Innovation of the Year Award for implementing wrong way driving warning systems to improve safety at freeway ramps. Congratulate Adam Lough, Daniel Snell, Grant Farnsworth, Justin Wilstead, Lisa Zundel, Mark Taylor, Robert Miles, and Tyler Laing for their work to protect the traveling public and Keep Utah Moving. For the full story, read Wrong Way Driving Project Improves Safety at Freeway Ramps.
 
Finalists

Spark Award for Inventive Innovation Winner

In recognition of creativity in developing novel processes, tools, or technologies to solve problems and make improvements, the Traffic Management Division wins the Spark Award for Inventive Innovation of 2023. They implemented innovative technologies to help visually impaired, deaf and hard of hearing, and disabled pedestrians cross intersections safely and navigate more independently. Join us in congratulating Adam Lough, Degen Lewis, Jesse Sweeten, Karen Roylance, Lisa Zundle, Mark Taylor, and Troy Torgersen. Read Pedestrian Crossing App Enhances Accessibility and Safety for the whole story.
 
Spark Award Finalists

Enhance Award for Adaptive Innovation

The Enhance award honors ingenuity, adoption, adaptation, or resourceful problem solving using available resources. The Traffic Management Division wins the Enhance Award for Adaptive Innovation of 2023. Matthew Smith, Todd Wright and Brandon Clark implemented a monitoring system that saves hundreds of labor hours and helps keep our roadways brightly lit and safer at night. To read more, see Interstate Lighting Maintenance From The Cloud.
 
Enhance Award Finalists

Flow Award for Process Innovation

The Motor Carrier Division wins the Flow Award for Innovative Process of 2023. This award recognizes the implementation of a new or redesigned process that achieves excellence results. Their use of mobile technology increases inspector’s access to systems and streamlines the documentation process saving time and improving customer service. Thanks Chad Sheppick, Daniel Hunter, Howard Trexler, Lane Murphy, Rick Clark, and Stephen Goodrich for a job well done. See Smart Use of Smartphones Speeds Up and Improves Port of Entry Inspection Process for details.
 
Flow Award Finalists  

2022 Innovation Awards

UDOT Innovation of the Year Award: Incident Management Team

YouTube Video (3min.)
The 2022 winner of the UDOT Innovation of the Year Award is the Incident Management Team. Their use of drones to gather crash scene information helps clear accident scenes quicker and increases safety. UDOT congratulates Ben Goddard, Ben Kelly, Robert Bratton and the whole Incident Management Team for their pioneering work. Special thanks goes to the Utah Highway Patrol for their close partnership and great working relationship both out on the road and in the coordination, training and implementation of this new technology. The UDOT Aeronautics Division was also instrumental in getting this effort off the ground. Thanks for Keeping Utah Moving!

Spark Award – Inventive Innovation of 2022: Saddle Lift Tool for Sign Repair

YouTube Video (2:20min.)
The winner of the 2022 Spark Award for Inventive Innovation is the crew of the Sign and Guardrail Shop, Shed 2444 in Region 2 for their creation of the saddle lift tool used to repair concrete barrier signs. UDOT congratulates Jayson Kesler, Dexter Forbush, Anthony Platner, Dylan Butters, Aaron Winn, and Robert Graham for their innovative tool that allows workers to repair signs more easily, at a lower cost, and most importantly in a safer way.

Enhance Award – Adaptive Innovation of 2022: Valve Body Location

YouTube Video (2:11min.)
UDOT is proud to announce the winners of the 2022 Enhance Award for Adaptive Innovation. This award recognizes individuals and teams who creatively solve problems and make improvements using available resources. UDOT congratulates Mike Maez, David Devore and Jace Archuletta of the IMT Shop and Ben Kelly, Statewide IMT manager, winners of the 2022 Enhance Award for Adaptive Innovation. Their innovative efforts to reduce wheel lift maintenance saves money and improves safety for mechanics, IMT and the traveling public.

Flow Award for Innovative Process of 2022: ROW Water Rights Tracking System

YouTube Video (2:30min.)
The Right of Way Division wins the 2022 Flow Award for the most innovative process improvement project. They developed new processes and systems to better manage UDOT’s water rights and shares. Special thanks go to Charles Stormont, Darek Sagers, Ben Teran, Ryan Tiu, Christopher Meredith, Todd Sweeten, and Logan Riley for their innovative work on the Water Asset Tracking System.

Annual Innovation and Efficiencies Reports (current and previous)

2024 Innovation and Efficiencies Report

(click to open .pdf)
Check out some of UDOT’s groundbreaking innovation. The 2024 Innovation and Efficiencies Highlights Report features 16 implemented innovations that save time and money, improve safety, and Keep Utah Moving! Topics include maintenance, data visualization, artificial intelligence, community engagement and advanced air mobility.
 
For all innovations, visit the Innovation Catalog. See the “Efficiencies Report” tab of the catalog for up-to-date efficiency numbers.

Previous Year Reports

*Reports are now published towards the end of the calendar year and do not receive broad circulation until the next calendar year. As a result, reports are now labeled in the year where they receive broad circulation. The 2020 report was not skipped, rather the 2021 report covers the preceding year which is 2020.