Like Caltrans, NYSDOT was fully metric. We were probably the furthest along of all the States but sadly we were not ready to go it alone and have since reverted. There are still a few metric projects out there but slowly they are all disappearing. There was a cost to revert but most states never fully converted and it was easier to go back to English standards (many of which never went only metric but were partially converted or included both units). The cost to convert to metric involved a learning curve and training costs, these did not reoccur in the reversion. I wish it was harder and more costly to go back we could have fought that fight but sadly it was not and the battle was lost.
I believe the reason it failed was because we did not convert the entire industry, only part of it. Contractors can work in metric and did so successfully, what they don't want to do is work in both units. Some local construction and all building and site development was English. For example, Wal-Mart didn't build in metric but they had to submit permits for highway access in metric even though their site plans were in English. Contractors had to buy supplies and have things fabricated In shops that had to work in both units. We have seen too many disasters when this happens. Paul T. will attest to the confusion in the medical field when some mixed units are used, i.e. dosing meds in grams or milliliters but then give body mass in pounds. Howard Ressel, P.E. NYSDOT From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2013 7:13 PM To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:52218] RE: current status of the Hawaii metric bill, H.B. 36 CalTrans actually went back to using imperial units from last I heard. It's unfortunate considering they had a plan to implement metric in new projects. Sent from Yahoo! Mail for iPhone <snip>
