A look back. A vision forward

As we close in on the end of 2014 we all look back on the year that was and plan for what's to come. 

When I look back, it was a tough year. We had a rough winter, we fought floods, and Amendment 7 did not pass. It always seems like you remember the bad things, but we also completed projects all over the state that were on time and under budget, we are on track for fewer fatalities than last year and our customer satisfaction is very high.

With that said what I remember most about my first full year as Chief is meeting the folks on the MoDOT team around the state. It's people that make things happen. I have been at the ceremonies numerous times where our folks pulled people out of burning cars and then say: "Oh, I was just doing my job." I have been to the innovations challenge to see all of the great things our folks are coming up with and putting into practice. I see how you all go out of your way to help folks, whether it an angry customer, one of our own that has fallen on tough times or an unknown  stranger through the charitable campaign. I have talked with many of you at Maintenance Buildings and see how proud you are of your work and your frustration when you can’t do more because of our lack of money. I am truly humbled by the things you all do and how you do them.

As we look to next year we will face some of the same challenges as last year and some new ones, but I know I don’t have to worry about how the team will rise to meet them.

Enjoy some time off, get recharged and we will all get ready to take on the new year.

Innovations Challenge Captures Interest of Other DOTs

In the last month, I have been to FHWA’s “ Every Day Counts” event and to the Annual AASHTO meeting listening to folks talk about innovative ideas and programs. What strikes me is that most of the things being talked about we have been doing for several years. That is not by accident, we have created a culture that encourages innovation and rewards taking risks to get better.

At the “Every Day Counts” event I highlighted our Innovations Challenge and many state and national leaders were very intrigued with this and were interested in attending our event next spring. By the way, I know the deadlines for entry are coming quickly, so get your innovations submitted!


What we all strive for everyday is to figure out how to make what we do better, safer, and more efficient and then share it with all of our team so they get the benefit and then improve it again.

Statewide Drill Reinforces Safety, Sharpens Skills, Keeps Missourians Moving

It’s a good thing we took the time to do the Statewide Snow Drill the first part of November, because last weekend was the real thing.

I was in southwest Missouri on Sunday and the team did a great job on the roads. I noticed that many trucks had two people in them getting ride-alongs done, so folks are ready to solo on the next storm. Safety is of the utmost importance, and especially so during the changing conditions in a snow fight. 

Last week at the Tracker meeting, we worked on how to make winter ops as safe as we can make it. Our field teams from all districts shared what they are doing so we can get better statewide. I asked Jeff Padgett how we did on reportable incidents this weekend, and he thought we might have had one minor incident statewide.

Getting better each storm and staying safe is the goal. Thanks to all of you who went out this weekend making travel safe for our customers.

MoDOT Honors Employee Veterans

Next Wednesday, Nov. 12, MoDOT will honor our employees who have served in the armed forces. Our veterans have dedicated years of their lives and time with their families to serve and strengthen our country.  We want to show them our thanks with a small celebration and offer them certificates as a small gesture of our appreciation for their service.

The Central Office event will take place at 9 a.m. at 105 W. Capitol, Room 100. It is open for all employees to attend. Family members of our veterans are also invited. Refreshments will be served following the ceremony.

If you are a district employee and wish to participate, contact your supervisor to find and when and where your local event is taking place.

Our veterans have given a lot to our nation.  This is an excellent time to show them our appreciation, respect and support.

Fall meetings offer opportunities for both employees and executive team

It's fall meeting time across the state. Roberta Broeker, Kathy Harvey and I are making it a priority this year to get to as many fall meetings as we can over the next few weeks. 

It is important to me that employees get to interact with leadership in person. It is very valuable to me to hear directly from you on what is going well and what concerns you have. In the satisfaction survey there was some concern expressed about decision-making and time allowed to get things done by executive leadership. 

By getting out and talking with folks, hopefully you will better understand what we are doing and we won't be nameless, faceless folks from Central Office.

In the meantime,  I look forward to seeing you at the fall meetings!

Employees Invited to Day of Remembrance

John P. Allman.

If the name doesn't ring a bell, don’t worry. You probably didn't know him.  He was the first recorded highway worker to die in a work zone.  The date was July 28, 1932.  He was the first to fall, but he would not be the last.

Since the day Allman lost his life, 130 other MoDOT workers have died while doing their jobs on Missouri’s transportation system. I personally knew some of the folks we honor. Their families are still connected to the MoDOT family and come to the events we have like this. I hope that in the future we won’t personally know any of the folks we honor.

Next Thursday, Sept. 18, we will observe our second annual MoDOT Day of Remembrance, and take a few moments to honor the memory of our 131 fallen co-workers.

I invite Central Office employees to assemble at the Fallen Workers Memorial. The ceremony will begin at 1:31 p.m.  Districts will also hold individuals ceremonies on that time, so anyone who can, should attend their local ceremony.

Another way you can show your support is to wear orange clothing or any clothing with a MoDOT logo.  No matter how you participate, please take a moment at 1:31 p.m. -- or anytime that day -- to remember those we have lost.

Staying on course

I know you are as disappointed about last week’s election as I am.  But the people of Missouri have spoken and we respect that.

The question now is: What next?

We have said repeatedly that our direction is:

• Keeping ourselves and our customers safe
• Keeping our roads and bridges as in the best condition we can, for as long as we can, with the resources we have
• Providing outstanding customer service

The direction has not changed and we will stick to them.

Setting priorities among the equally important projects will be a tough job and we’ll work closely with our planning partners, local governments and customers to do this.

The vision for transportation that our citizens helped us assemble will continue to be our long-term focus. But without funding to make that a reality, we will be forced to pace our efforts until a transportation-funding solution is found that Missourians can accept.

Just to let you know, we are not making changes to our staffing numbers. 5,106 was our target number and that’s where we’ll stay.

In the end, we will take care of what with have, as best as we can, for as long as we can. And we will keep ourselves and our customers safe.  That’s our direction and we will stay on course.

Project List for Amendment 7 Approved

Yesterday, the commission approved the project list required by Amendment 7.  With more than 800 projects across the state, the list addresses a variety of transportation needs for Missouri.

These projects will benefit the state’s economy, create jobs, broaden transportation options and improve the safety of our roads and bridges.

The list was compiled by our transportation partners across the state. They have been working with citizens for years to gather and prioritize their area needs.

MoDOT worked with these partners to choose projects that would benefit Missourians from all walks of life, both in urban and rural areas.  We are confident that these projects are the right ones for the funds that will become available if Amendment 7 passes on Aug. 5.

The ¾ cent sales tax is not enough to make everyone’s wishes come true, but it is sufficient to meet these obligations and help us match federal funds in the near future.

We’ll never have enough to do every project for everyone. But we know how to get the most from the funds we have.

I believe when Missourians review this final list, they will see the economic and safety benefits of every project.  I believe they will see it serves a wide cross section of transportation options that will benefit all Missourians for many years to come.

Open Houses Give Us a Chance to Educate, Listen

Last year, MoDOT and its partners held listening sessions across the state to gather input from Missouri citizens on what they wanted from their transportation system. On the Move gave us a chance to talk to thousands of people and collect several ideas about the state’s transportation future.

Working with local and regional planning partners we have now pulled that input together into draft project lists for Moving Forward.

The project lists are in draft form and the public is weighing in on each region’s vision for Missouri’s transportation system if Amendment 7 passes.

Open Houses are being held around the state to give people a chance to review district project maps and lists to make sure we are meeting the needs and expectations of Missourians. Around 43 open houses will be held by the time the comment period ends.

MoDOT staff attends these meetings, to answer questions and fill in details so the public will know where we plan to go.

We are compiling an extensive list of comments from our customers through a variety of ways.  We hand out comment forms at the meetings.  We also steer people to our Moving Forward website so they may take time to review the lists and maps at their convenience.

After the comment period ends, the Commission and our partners will review each comment.  As of today, we have more than 600!

These comments WILL have an impact on the final project list. The public’s voice will be heard during this process. But just as we’ll never have enough money to do everything that our customers want, we won’t be able to respond or incorporate every suggestion.

For MoDOT this comment period is critical. This is our opportunity to educate the public on the state’s transportation needs but also to listen to what our customer’s think about the future of Missouri.

Assistant Chief, Kathy Harvey, Sweeps In as Guest Blogger!

I’m filling in for Ed this issue and thought I’d share my experience working on a sweeping crew in St. Louis.

The job was a few weeks ago on I-44 near downtown at night. Jerome Mitchell, assistant maintenance supervisor, was in charge of getting me where I needed to be and meeting up with the crew. 

As soon as he picked me up, he made sure I had all of the correct PPE for night work. I looked like a glow-in-the-dark skeleton, but I was definitely visible to the traffic and safety is more important than appearance.

Kevin was my driver and he did an amazing job of staying focused while answering my endless stream of questions. In the passenger seat that night, swerving around each and every grate next to the barrier wall, I wondered how I was going to keep from getting dizzy! Because the grates had not been raised when we resurfaced the roads, the person in the lead truck had to get out at each one and rake or shovel the trash, then sweep it far enough to the side that the sweeper could actually pick it up on the swerve he did around the grate, and since they are so close together, we rarely drove straight.

 We had two TMAs behind us and as I watched the traffic whiz by, I still wondered if anyone was paying attention to us.  I live outside of Jefferson City and the streets around there are empty after 9 p.m., so I was amazed at the amount of traffic on I-44 at midnight on a weeknight and shocked by the amount of trash along the barrier.  The crews can make the entire round of roads needing to be swept in about three weeks, but in that time – wow -- people throw out a lot of trash!!!    

Our crews do a fabulous job of sweeping the streets in St. Louis, and I appreciate the job they do during the hours they do it, and all with an upbeat can-do attitude.  The entire team that night was great to be with and I appreciated them letting me tag along for a few hours.

Stay on course, focus on safety

Here's  what I've been up to the last few weeks: 

After the Innovations Challenge and DOMInno meeting in Springfield, I hit the road and sat in on as many spring meetings as I could. I have been to six districts (Wayland, Houston, West Plains, Nevada, KC, Lebanon and Trenton ) and wanted to reinforce a couple of things.

First, that MoDOT's direction has not and will not change regardless of what happens with the transportation funding debate.  Second, that I want you to coordinate your work and focus on safety and quality instead of focusing on deadlines that may not let you make the best decisions. 

The best part about my travels the last few weeks is that I got to talk with many of you one on one during breaks at the meetings. I get more value from hearing your challenges, your concerns and what you are proud of. This helps me in figuring out what decisions we make going forward.

Ed

Innovations Challenge, DOMinno and the Future of Funding

Two weeks ago, a number of MoDOT leaders gathered in Springfield for the Innovations Challenge and the DOMInno meeting. The Innovations Challenge was great … so many good ideas. Every year I am amazed that all these good ideas keep coming. But what is more important, and really cool to see, is what happens as folks look at these innovations and it triggers the thought in someone’s mind about the next thing. I could see that going on all around the exhibit hall. This creates the environment throughout the organization to always look to make things better, safer, faster, cheaper and easier.

I also wanted to highlight what Vice Chairman Carmichael, Roberta Broeker, Kathy Harvey and I tried to covey during the opening session. Our goal was to do three things: thank Team MoDOT for what you have done, give some clear direction on where we are headed and talk about what we expect from employees as it relates to the 1-cent sales tax proposal for transportation.

Thanks!

You all are doing great work. From snow operations to delivering projects across the board, you are knocking it out of the park.

Direction

The direction is and will be the same: Keep our roads and bridges in as good condition as long as you can with what you have to work with; Keep our customers and ourselves safe; and Provide outstanding customer service. The direction is pretty simple and it won't matter if we get more money or not; the direction is the same.

1-cent tax proposal

Employees need to know the basics: it's a 1-cent sales tax and it exempts groceries and medicine; it is temporary (lasts 10 years); 5 percent goes to cities and 5 percent goes to counties! It can be used on any mode of transportation and there will be a project list of what will be delivered with the new revenues. MoDOT can talk about the facts, but cannot campaign for the tax. As employees, the most important thing you can do is a good job. Be a great example of what MoDOT is all about. Take care of what you have control over and don't worry about the rest.

- Ed 

Work Zone Awareness Week

Nature threw a lot at us this winter but we answered the challenge in stride, keeping roads cleared when it snowed and fixing potholes after the snow melted.

Now, with the kick Off of Work Zone Awareness Week, our crews will be taking on a whole new set of challenges.  Mowing, striping, and chip seal are at the top of the list.

We’ll be close to traffic and working in different kinds of work zones -- some stationary, some moving.

The new “Slow Down and Move Over” law is great. It requires drivers to give us a lane, or slow down, if they see our flashing yellow lights.  That’s definitely a step in the right direction, but it’s only the beginning when it comes to safety.

We still have to stay sharp and keep our heads up.  We still have to watch for motorists who just aren’t paying attention to what’s going on in front of them. “Safety Begins with Me” is more than a slogan we put on stickers.  It’s a philosophy that addresses our personal responsibility to making it home safely.

It’s great that we have laws that require motorists to give us room. It’s great that we have gear that increases our visibility when we’re in a work zone.

But in the end, following procedure, checking your equipment, wearing the right PPE and paying attention are the best safety measures you can take in a work zone.

Don’t rush or cut corners. Take time to be safe!  

When It Comes to Safety, Plan for Everything

Last week I spent some time in the Northeast District.  I met with the Work Life Team in Macon, drove some minor roads around the area and met with the New Cambria Maintenance Team before they  started their day. 

I wanted to share some observations with you. The Work Life Team had just finished a week of doing the Gear Up Program for a group of new employees. The comments I heard from them was how impressed they were with the quality of the new hires we had brought on to Team MoDOT. We are continuing to recruit, hire and train the team, and while we are making great progress we are still not fully staffed.We need to stay at it and get the team full. Thanks to the teams that are recruiting, hiring and training new folks.

At New Cambria I had a great discussion that covered everything from department direction, funding, safety, and health care, but what I wanted to highlight was the safety talk the crew was having when I got there. 

They were talking about edge rutting and going through the Risked Based Assessment for the work. We always want everyone to plan well and be prepared for any situation that might pop up. Well, I heard one I had not thought about. The crew was planning  a way to handle Amish buggies in a flagging operation. They had seen some problems with young Amish boys driving erratically and not staying in their lane and were discussing a strategy on how to deal with it. 

It just goes to show you every situation is unique.  I can not over stress the importance of planning to be safe and trying to think of everything that might occur. 

I had a great day in the Northeast! Take the time to plan to be safe.

.

Keep clicking on MoDOT Now!

Earlier this month, I introduced you to a great new way we’ll be communicating with employees.

MoDOT Now is on the cutting edge of employee communication. It allows you to receive timely information about the department wherever you are and whenever you want it.

We pushed the icon out to all MoDOT issued phones but you can install it on your personal smartphone as well. And once it’s there, click on it and stay connected to what’s going in the department.

Even if you don’t have a smartphone, you can still be in the loop!  We also made an online version that can be accessed from any computer that has internet access.  The web address is modotnow.modot.org.

The online version has the exact same information as the app version. They’re updated from the same place at the same time.

We’ve had more than 1800 downloads since we launched the app.  That’s fantastic, but I want to remind you all to actually use it! 

One thing we couldn’t get technology to help us with is employee involvement with this great tool.  If you want to keep up-to-date with the department make sure you have MoDOT Now and check it daily for new stories, links and videos.

Pride and Partnership Make Great Things Happen

I wanted to share with you the events of last weekend. I had the pleasure of attending the opening ceremonies for the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge.

It is a very impressive bridge that took a big team effort from many disciplines and a lot of coordination with our partners. But the most satisfying part was when I talked with members of the MoDOT team who worked on the project.  You could see the pride they shared. Many of our team had brought their families out to show them what they had accomplished. One family came all the way from Houston to see the bridge. I see this type of pride in our folks all the time and that makes me proud of Team MoDOT.

The night after the bridge ceremony, I went to the American Council of Engineering Companies awards banquet. This is where the consulting industry recognizes excellence in engineering. Many MoDOT projects were recognized and each one was great on its own merits, and I am sure you will read about them in Connections or MoDOT Now.  

What struck me was not just the complexities of each individual project, but the unifying theme of how well MoDOT works with our partners to produce outstanding results. While we take this for granted, and this is just our way, it doesn’t happen in other organizations. 

So I want to say, "Congrats to all our winning teams!"

The Stark Reality of MoDOT Funding

As you all know by now, the stark reality of our funding shortfall is here.  For years we have been telling Missourians that construction and maintenance costs were going up while MoDOT’s revenue was going down.

State and federal dollars are coming in below our needs, this is no surprise, we have been talking about this for years.

We have done a lot to prepare for this.  The Bolder Five-Year Direction helped brace us for this moment.  Now the commission has taken additional measures to help meet the limits of our financing.  One of which begins with our STIP program.  We will not be adding any new projects to the STIP.  The STIP will remain the same, allowing us to manage our funds looking forward.

Second, the cost share program will be suspended.  This program allowed counties and municipalities to contribute funds for transportation projects.  There is no additional construction funding outside of what is already programmed in the STIP.  There is no reason to keep this option on the table at this point in time. 

We have been talking about this funding cliff for a few years.  We are as ready as possible.