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.    

Lessons learned from the recent snow fight

Well we didn’t get our wish of no snow this year. In fact, our first big snow/ice event hit before the official start of winter and by the time you read this we will probably be well through our second event.

I experienced the first storm up close and personal. I was in the SE District the day before, honoring some of our long-term employees at the service award lunch. When I got to the hotel in Cape it was just me and the Ameren crews. I talked with them about what they were up to and how bad they thought it was going to be. They were prepared for a half-inch of ice and downed power lines. Sometimes it is good to know we are not the only ones out there.

By the next morning everything was white and it was coming down fast. I headed up to the Jackson Building to see how things were going and listened in to the morning snow call. It is really great to see how well our teams are organized and how well you all adapt to changing conditions. A couple of districts asked for help and without hesitation folks stepped in and made it happen.

After the call I hung out at the building for awhile and talked with some of the team as they came in to reload. It is always good to hear first hand how things are going. It was pretty clear this one was going to be a challenge. I headed north on 55 and quickly noticed not much traffic, just me and a bunch of trucks. About every 20 or 30 miles I came upon a couple of yellow trucks, usually a tow plow teamed with another truck. They were definitely making a dent in it, but it didn’t take long for the snow to cover it back up.

By the time I got to Jefferson County things were letting up a little and I met a couple of waves of plows headed south, my first reaction was why don’t they have their plows down and then I quickly realized that they were the crews headed south to help.

Sometimes we take for granted what it takes to make all this happen and just how good we are at snow operations. That does not happen without really talented, dedicated folks doing great work. We learned some things from this storm, we get better and the beat goes on.

Thanks to everyone who makes it happen.