Halloween at MoDOT

Thanks to everyone who dressed up and decorated their areas for Halloween! 

MoDOT's Royals Tailgate 2015 (Photo Gallery)

Management Development Institute 2015

Photo with Dr. Tom DeCoster at conclusion of Management Development Institute October 2015. From left to right: Regina Shipley, Reid Riley, Dr. DeCoster, Eric G. Ramsey

Get Moving and Sign Up for Movember

Want to help raise awareness and help raise funds for men’s health? November is that time to get moving! Join MoDOT and MSHP Total Wellness program in Movember campaign.

  

What is Movember?

Movember is an annual event during the month of November that involves growing a moustache and/or participating in 30 days of physical activity (MOVE) to help raise awareness of men’s health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health, and physical inactivity.

  

 How can I get involved?

• Go to Movember.com or download the free Movember app (App Store or Google Play)
• Click “sign up” and choose to grow, give, or MOVE
• Men start November 1st clean-shaven and only grow a moustache for 30 days
• Women and men commit to MOVE and complete 30 days of physical activity
• On your “Mo Space” page click “network” and join the “MoDOT and MSHP Total Wellness” network to be eligible for prizes
• Create a team of your coworkers, friend, or family and make a suggested donation of $5 to help change the face of men’s health.

What are the prizes?

Individual prizes- MoDOT and MSHP employees who sign-up to grow a moustache OR sign-up for the 30-day physical activity challenge (MOVE) will have a chance to win a $50 pre-paid gift card. Participants must join the MoDOT and MSHP Total Wellness network to be eligible. Winners will be randomly selected on November 30, 2015.

Team prize – The team that raises the most money will receive matching funds up to $200. Participants whoare part of a team and donate will also be eligible for the $50 gift card.

Share!

Send a picture to Robin Gammon with a picture of your moustache or of you being physically active and we will post it on our MoDOT and MSHP Total Wellness Facebook page!

Questions?

Robin Gammon, Wellness Coordinator

rlgammon@aetna.com, phone: 314-506-1632

Wolfe Receives High Achiever Award

Senior Information Systems Technologist Jeff Wolfe recently received the High Achiever Award in recognition for his outstanding performance to save the department some big money. Wolfe researched and canceled several fax lines in the field offices saving several thousand dollars. Then he took it a step further by making suggestions on the purchase of new copiers and printers that saved hundreds of dollars per unit. His attention to details like this shows how one person can make a big difference to the department.   

Former KC District Office Has Been Repurposed

The former Kansas City District Office located at 5117 E. 31^st Street, Kansas City, MO, has been repurposed into a mattress recycling facility and now helps provide employment to several individuals who otherwise wouldn’t be working.

Avenue of Life, a non-profit agency in Kansas City, is the organization that manages the mattress recycling business. Avenue of Life works to create jobs for individuals who have barriers to employment and to ultimately break the cycle of poverty.

MoDOT conveyed the building to the City of Kansas City in October of 2012 and through a collaborative effort with the Mid-America Regional Council’s Solid Waste Management District, Environmental Improvement Energy Resources Authority’s Market Development Program, and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources the building was refurbished and now houses the recycling business.

Avenue of Life opened their mattress recycling business in June 2014 and in the first year of operation created seven full-time jobs and more than 400 tons of mattresses and box springs were diverted from the landfill.

Mattresses are either reused or deconstructed.  Deconstructed mattresses yield several materials including metal, wood, foam, polyester, and cotton. These scrap materials are baled and ultimately sold as raw materials to manufacturers of new products. Some of these baled materials are sold to Missouri-based manufacturers which strengthens the sustainability of their business model.

MoDOT used the former facilities for 70 years. 

Join Us for a Veterans Day Celebration...but Don't Forget the Dessert

KC District Gets the Green Light to Test New Lighting on TMAs

Most work environments have the potential for stressful situations, but imagine high speed traffic mere feet from your daily routine. This is the reality for many maintenance operations with the Missouri Department of Transportation. Seeking safer alternatives for highway operations, and creating a safer work environment for the crews performing this work is something MoDOT continues to research.

A Truck Mounted Attenuator (TMA) is attached to a maintenance vehicle and used as an early warning device for drivers about upcoming roadwork. Built to absorb the impact from a vehicle that fails to move over, the TMA provides additional safety for the crews working on the road. Unfortunately, motorists don’t always see the TMA’s blinking white and amber lights until it is too late.

Just this year, the KC District has had seven collisions involving a TMA being struck by a fast moving vehicle in work zones, with one fatality as a result. One is strictly too many.  

“Our goal is zero vehicle crashes in work zones. Safety is always priority number one for MoDOT crews and the traveling public,” said Assistant District Engineer Chris Redline. “We are looking for a solution to reduce the number of impacts in our work zones, and offer early warning to motorists, allowing them plenty of time to slow down and move over.”

Currently, the Kansas City District is the only district across the state testing a new form of lighting placed on TMAs used on the urban interstates. This lighting is unique to our maintenance vehicles as it is a very vibrant green LED light, placed alongside the white and amber lights. The bright green light appears to offer better visibility and is easily spotted by motorists during daytime hours. If successful, the district has the potential for equipping more vehicles in the future.

“These lights could be another way to grab motorists’ attention. We want everyone to make it home safe,” said Redline. 

This idea originated in the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). The department was looking for ways to decrease the number of vehicle collisions with snow plows. After testing the green LED lighting on a few plows, ODOT implemented these lights on all snow plows in 2012.

Although we don’t have an issue with motorists crashing into our plows, we do have an issue with them striking our TMAs. Equipment Technician Supervisor Chris Zurn heard about ODOT using these lights with success, and asked if this would be a possibility for MoDOT to use on the TMAs. Thanks to this inquiry and after a few phone calls from the District to Central Office, the district received the approval to move forward with testing the new LED lights and see if they will make a difference warning drivers about upcoming roadwork. 

Zurn also came up with the idea of placing a strand of lights across the bottom of the TMA as another opportunity to make it stand out to traffic. He has managed the installation and continues to work with the company manufacturing these green LED lights. 

The maintenance vehicle using the new lighting is located at Stadium Maintenance Building and is currently in the early stages of testing. It is being used along I-70 and I-435 for many different maintenance operations since September 2015.  

The KC District is seeking feedback from motorists on their experience with the green LED lights, and how well the use of these lights is working. If proven to be successful, more trucks in the KC District could be equipped with these lights in the future. 

Visit our Facebook page to leave your comments about this new lighting.  

Connections is Changing

Connections is changing! Within the next few months, you will receive more information about how this internal employee newsletter will be MORE interesting...contain MORE pictures...and be MORE accessible! Don’t miss out on feature stories, compelling photographs and the latest information about MoDOT. Employees with email accounts will continue to receive Connections at work. Supervisors will still be required to print it out for others to read, but the changes we’re making will make the printed version easier to read. Because we are revamping Connections to meet more of YOUR needs, please let us know if you would like to have Connections e-mailed to your home ...your family might be interested in reading it, too! Fill out the form we linked to below and send to Communications.
http://sharepoint/support/CR/Documents/Connections/Revamping%20Connections/Home%20email%20address%20handout.pdf

MoDOT Participates in Touch A Truck

Senior Maintenance Worker Dave Warmouth spent part of this past Saturday educating visitors about MoDOT at the Independence Touch A Truck event at the Independence Events Center. Warmouth spoke to hundreds of people who stopped by and showed off the new Western Star with attached snow equipment.

We Want to Honor Our Vets this Veterans Day-It's Not Too Late To RSVP

Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces? We would like to honor your service to our country! The Kansas City District Office is planning its annual event next month to celebrate the service of all our employees who are U.S. military veterans.   

In honor of Veterans Day, a special luncheon and ceremony will be held at the KC District Office on Tuesday, Nov. 10. More than 40 veterans participated in last year's ceremony, but there is always room for more. 

E-mail invitations have been sent, so check your emails! Please RSVP with Kerri Lewis at kerri.lewis@modot.mo.gov or 816-607-2152 no later than FRIDAY, OCT. 30.

Have a Teen Driver in Your Family?? This Program is For You

The facts: It only takes one text, one drink, one call, one reach, one distraction to cause one fatal moment.  But one clicked safety belt could be the difference between life or death in a car crash. If you could help prevent even just one crash, would you?

Our district is reaching out this month to teen drivers, parents, schools with “It Only Takes One” Safe Driving Campaign. 

Six out of 10 young drivers and passengers killed in 2014 Missouri vehicle traffic crashes were unbuckled.  Through education, competition and fun, the ‘It Only Takes One' campaign can make a difference with young Missourians and save lives.

Although comprising only eight percent of Missouri's licensed drivers, young drivers were involved in 17 percent of the 2014 fatal and serious injury crashes. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for people 15-20 years old.

Research indicates that driver distractions are the primary cause of fatal collisions. Also, results of a 2015 survey among Missouri young drivers indicate that 31 percent are not wearing safety belts.

The program consists of two surprise safety belt checks at each registered high school to measure student safety belt usage, and also includes creative educational campaigns that promote safe driving throughout the school year.  In addition, schools have the opportunity to submit a 30-second video spot aimed at encouraging their peers to buckle up and drive safe. 

There are things you can do if you are a parent of a teen driver to help this campaign too. Print off, sign and go over the Adult/Teen Driving Contract. 

Print off, read and share with your driver the Missouri Graduated Drivers License (GDL) law and Underage Drinking Fact Sheet. The more they understand the risks, the more likely they are to change their behavior.

We can change the statistics. 

Media Training Preps Employees for Winter Weather Reporters

If there is one thing a KC reporter likes to report, it's winter weather. Every year when the storms hit, the reporters call the Kansas City communications team for an on-the-scene update on all our activities. 

Sometimes they will arrive on the scene of a snow plow gang or even swing by

their favorite maintenance facility. Every year, the communications team does their best to field and arrange every single reporter story. However, to keep the team prepared, we hosted a two-hour media training to get everyone comfortable if their 15 minutes of fame should happen this year. 

The agenda included many examples and personal stories of media interviews gone wrong ... and right, and included some sample interviews: The good, bad, the ugly and the unfortunate

The training also covered how to prepared for interviews and included tips such as:

• Call your Communications team for pre-interview prep
• Never feel obligated to grant an interview on the spot.
• Determine the reporter’s deadline and make every effort to give the interview within that timeframe.
• Anticipate and develop responses to the reporter’s questions. Example: Are our bridges unsafe?
• Take a few moments or a few days – depending on the situation – to collect your thoughts and other pertinent information for the interview (latest statistics, related happenings, opposing viewpoints, etc.) 
• Become familiar with the facts and issues.

The team also covered the benefits and pitfalls of social media. Now that every driver has a cell phone with photo and video capability, any customer could be a potential "reporter."

For more information, check out the presentation on the Communications Sharepoint site. And if you get a call from a reporter, call us first! 

KC District Shows Generosity

The Employee Assistance Fund benefits MoDOT KC District employees throughout the year who find themselves in financial distress due to events that are not fault of their own. The KC EAEC works together to find ways to continue growing this fund. 

Thanks to the generosity of those participating in the recent basket raffle and EAEC activities during the fall meetings, the district has added another $1400 to this worthwhile fund.

Congratulations to the following basket raffle winners:

• Book, “More Than A Season” autographed by Dayton Moore:  Mike Roberts
• KC Spirits Basket:  Jeanette Gillespie
• Weekend Getaway Basket:  Dennis Crego
• Eric Hosmer Autographed Baseball:  Jeff Gardner
• KC Sports Basket:  Joe Sims

 The winners of the daily $50 cash prize:

• Tuesday: RJ Walker
• Wednesday: Becky Wilson
• Thursday: Kevin Simcosky

The winners of the daily Poker Run:

• Tuesday: Louie Madrigal (won $23 and donated his winnings back to the EAF)
• Wednesday: Becky Wilson (won $51)
• Thursday: Brian Hof (won $35)

 The committee would like to thank those that generously donated so many great items for us to giveaway!

Fun Events Coming Soon

The Kansas City Employee Advisory Extension Council (KCEAEC) invites you to take your creativity to the max and enter the Halloween Costume & Decorating Contest. Decorate your office area for Halloween, and/or encourage your work group to join the fun and dress up in the best costumes. 

Send your pictures to the KCEAEC email group by 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30. All entries will be judged and winners announced Monday, Nov. 2.


But that's not all. With cooler temperatures comes time for some tasty homemade chili. Do you have the best recipe? Give it the ultimate test by entering your pot of chili into the annual chili cook-off. Those making it to the next round will enter into the final "Super Bowl" in early 2016.

Don't miss your chance to highlight your chili cooking skills. More details coming soon!