Visitors to the Traffic Management Center's Web site can see a snapshot of what the freeway looks like before heading out the door.

The Internet has been called a "window on the world," and now that window allows commuters to keep an eye on traffic on Twin Cities Metro area freeways via the Traffic Management Center’s Web site.

On Feb. 26, Mn/DOT unveiled its newest resource for drivers: Web site links to the same video cameras that give TMC control room staff a look at what’s happening on 80 percent of the metro area freeways.

Besides sending live moving pictures to the TMC control room, approximately 240 Mn/DOT-owned video cameras now also send real-time still photographs to TMC’s Web site every 60 seconds. Web site visitors can click on the appropriate dot on the freeway map—or on the location listed in the text-based version—and pull up a snapshot of what the freeway looks like. To get the latest image, visitors need to click the link again after a minute or so.

"The map is an addition to our online traffic flow map," said Nick Thompson, system operations manager. "Customers have told us that they really like the traffic flow map, which gives a real-time overview of traffic conditions, but they also said they’d like to see the actual traffic before heading out the door."

Thompson said that providing real-time Web site information like this for travelers could help relieve metro area road congestion and driver stress as well as improve safety on the road. Thompson also sees potential for the video-to-Web connection to provide police, fire, ambulance and towing dispatchers with a bird’s-eye view of traffic incidents before sending crews to the scene.

"For example," he said, "a towing dispatcher could check the Web site to figure out what size towing truck to send."

Minnesota is not the first state to try this, according to Thompson, but does have another distinction worth noting: "I think we have the most cameras sending feeds to a Web site," he said.

The video-to-Web site link is the latest traveler information tool deployed by Mn/DOT. TMC also provides traffic information via KBEM-88.5 FM radio, a traffic phone, media alerts to radio and television stations, live feeds to television stations, online traffic flow maps showing real-time conditions, and changeable message signs on the highways.

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As part of Mn/DOT’s Shaping Our Future efforts, the Office of Human Resources has realigned some services and improved others to support and respond to the needs of internal customers so that we can better meet the needs of Minnesota citizens, according to Mark Carlson, HR director.

"During this time of streamlining services and realigning functions to increase efficiencies in many areas of Mn/DOT, the services of the department’s human resources professionals have never been more vital," Carlson said. "The Office of Human Resources has realigned its services to support all aspects of the department’s culture, employee interests and business needs. Our goal is to develop a workforce to successfully lead the new organization."

The six Human Resource services affected are: shared business services, department-wide training, recruitment and retention, organizational health and wellness, succession planning and strategic staffing.

Shared business services consolidation

Purpose: To improve delivery of business operations in the Capitol Complex (excluding Metro Division) and modal office areas by consolidating shared business services and functions. The Shared Business Services Unit will be housed in the Office of Administrative Services with dotted line accountability to the offices of Human Resources and Financial Management. See Mn/DOT Newsline, Jan. 9, 2002 article.

Department-wide training program

Purpose: To coordinate training department-wide in order to address Mn/DOT’s most critical needs as Mn/DOT moves toward a distributed products and services model. A training transition plan will be implemented over the next six-to-12 months to address the department’s critical training priorities. See Mn/DOT Newsline, Jan. 16, 2002 article.

Recruitment and retention

Purpose: To help Mn/DOT remain competitive in this labor market and deliver programs and services that directly address customer values. The unit’s goal is to partner with managers to develop and implement strategies that will help them effectively recruit and retain the highest quality people to meet current and future goals and challenges.

Organizational health and wellness

Purpose: To help strengthen the relationship between the department's culture, business results and the health and productivity of its workforce. The new unit combines Health and Wellness programs with the office's Staff Psychologist/ Management Consultant and adds American Sign Language Interpreting Services, Workforce Diversity Programs and Training formerly within the Office of EEO Contract Management.

Succession planning

Purpose: To develop current employees and recruit new, experienced, diverse and highly skilled employees for targeted leadership positions in engineering and other career areas at Mn/DOT.

Strategic staffing

Purpose: To help districts and offices develop staffing plans that address gaps and/or surpluses in all job classifications.

Carlson said that in addition to these directions, the Office of Human Resources will continue to focus on its mission to advise and direct management on the investment of human assets by providing:

• Skilled people in the right job, at the right time

• Timely and reliable answers and guidance related to human resource management

• Successful performance improvement strategies

For more information about Office of Human Resources services and objectives, visit the "HR on the Web" Web site at http://www2.hr.dot.state.mn.us/hrw3/.

For more information about department-wide Shaping Our Future efforts, visit the http://ihub/shaping intranet site. Send questions about Shaping Our Future to change@dot.state.mn.us or to "Change, MS 150." Responses will be posted on the Shaping Our Future Web site.

For tips and suggestions for coping with change, visit the state Employee Assistance Program Web site at http://www.doer.state.mn.us/eap/5.htm.

By Donna Lindberg

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A report completed by Mn/DOT’s Project Delivery Streamlining Team contains final recommendations to improve pre-construction processes in the design, right of way and environmental focus areas.

The report addresses scores of areas where process improvements can be made, recommends actions and provides the rationale for each recommendation. Many of the recommendations involve simplifying review processes, moving responsibility for processes from the Central Office to the districts and the Metro Division, focusing accountability and expediting decision-making.

Examples include giving districts final authority for final plat descriptions and orders related to right of way, shifting approval of environmental review project memoranda to the districts and limiting Central Office review of geometric layouts to Level 1 projects, the most complicated project category.

The report’s recommendations come from the task force members’ recommendations, district and Central Office input during Project Delivery Streamlining Team visits and the Streamlining Workshop held in November 2001. The report also includes comments from the steering and oversight committees, which resulted in some changes to the recommendations.

In a letter accompanying the report, Deputy Commissioner Doug Weiszhaar notes its findings become part of the Shaping Our Future initiative and its emphasis on "making Mn/DOT work better."

"The pre-construction streamlining program we have worked on this past year included many initiatives. Several are being implemented in the districts, offices and the Metro Division. I am grateful for all the hard work which has occurred and is ongoing," he writes.

Paul Huston, Cassandra Isackson and Joseph Pignato of the Project Delivery Streamlining Team prepared the report with support from consultants and staff from the Center for Transportation Studies.

The report has been widely distributed and is available in the Mn/DOT Library and on Mn/DOT's Web site at http://www.dot.state.mn.us/tecsup/pds/index.html. Limited hard copies are available by request from Cynthia Morris, 651/296-8923.

By Craig Wilkins

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Mn/DOT will begin using a new ramp metering system that will limit wait times based on ramp conditions as well as freeway conditions.

Providing commuters with more reliable travel times and managing ramp meter wait times are two of the goals Mn/DOT hopes to achieve with a new meter timing system that will be phased in on Twin Cities area freeways beginning March 1.

Other goals of the new ramp metering system include reducing the number of crashes caused by congestion and reducing delays caused by congestion and crashes.

The new responsive system follows a year-long study and extensive public opinion research after the Legislature directed a ramp meter shutdown in fall 2000. When the study ended in December 2000, several interim changes to the ramp metering system occurred: keeping a number of meters turned off; limiting ramp meter operations to four hours each day; and using faster metering rates.

A key aspect of the new responsive ramp metering system is the addition of sensors on ramps that will help monitor wait times at meters so they can be adjusted as needed by Mn/DOT's Traffic Management Center computers. The new system will provide real-time information about ramp delays and will set ramp meter rates based on ramp conditions as well as freeway conditions.

For more information and a list of traffic corridors affected initially, see the Feb. 27, 2002 news release.

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As part of Mn/DOT’s efforts to reduce costs and counter the effects of the budget shortfall, the Audit Office moves into B-8 of the Transportation Building this week. Previously, the section’s rented offices were located in a Maplewood office complex.

Ron Gipp, Audit director, said the move will also bring Audit staff closer to many of their clients, including those in the Central Office. Gipp’s office is located in Room 459.

Telephone numbers and mail stop listings remain the same for office staff members.

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Miss the Transportation Conference this year? "No worries," as Australian keynote speaker Amanda Gore would say. You can now check out videotapes and other conference materials from the Mn/DOT Library. To see what's available and request materials, visit the Mn/DOT Library Web site.

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The B-BOP Coalition is seeking designs for this year's use. The 2001 design shown above appears on these buttons.

The B-BOP (Bike, Bus or Pool) Coalition seeks designs for its annual T-shirt that helps promote B-BOP Day in May. The annual event encourages use of alternatives to driving alone for commuting to work or school. This year’s event will be held Thursday, May 16.

Winning designer for the T-shirt logo will receive a shirt and three months’ worth of bus passes.

Mail entries by March 8 to Jarvis Keys, Transit, 395 John Ireland Boulevard, St. Paul.

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Dave Trooien, Transportation District 8 Engineer, received the following letter Feb. 14 from the Kandiyohi County sheriff:

On Wednesday morning, Feb. 13, the State Patrol and Sheriff’s Office responded to a three-vehicle personal injury accident at the intersection of Hwy 23 and County Road 9. One of the vehicles involved was a propane truck and, due to the nature of the scene, it required that all traffic on Hwy 23 be re-routed for several hours.

A number of your staff also responded to assist us and they simply did an outstanding job! In a very short period of time they had a message board placed at northbound Hwy 71/Hwy 23 warning motorists of the accident and detour ahead. Cones and barricades were set up blocking off traffic to Spicer at the interchange and merging them to Hwy 71. A second message board was placed on Hwy 71 advising Hwy 23 traffic to detour onto County Road 27 and several of your staff stayed to assist with traffic control so some of our deputies could respond to pending calls.

Please extend a sincere "Thank You" to: (Highway Maintenance) Supervisor Dennis Marty, (and transportation generalists) Mark Cain, Larry Degner, Galen Henjum, Greg Kotzenmacher, Earl Swenson and Marv Woehler.

They truly did an excellent job in advising motorists and routing them in a safe and efficient manner. It was a pleasure to have worked with them and they certainly are a group to be proud of!

Sincerely,

Sheriff Don Kujawa

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