Ruth Smith, a Traffic Engineer in Willdan Engineering's Anaheim office, was one of the editors of the 2012 Work Area Traffic Control Handbook (WATCH), which is published by the Southern California APWA. "The idea is to have a handy reference with everything you need to know about setting up a traffic control zone," Ruth explained. "By design, the handbook is sized so that inspectors and workers in the field can put it in their pocket and refer to it easily, because it's so handy. But many engineers in the office use it, too, because it's so handy—and many cities have even adopted it." Compared to previous editions, the 2012 edition represents a major evolution; substantial revisions where necessary because federal guidelines change every two or three years and they have become more and more detailed. A considerable effort also went into complying with the 2012 California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. If you would like a copy of the new handbook, WATCH is available for purchase at BNI.

Willdan appreciates Ruth Smith's expertise in traffic engineering, as well as her willingness to go the extra mile in all her endeavors.