Motorists & passengers will see messages like this whenever there’s an AMBER Alert, complete with suspect’s license plate number such as the fictitious sample shown above. Photo by Marsha Storck

A community full of watching eyes can help parents and police searching for missing or abducted children, and now that sense of community extends to Minnesota highways. Last week, Mn/DOT announced that electronic highway signs will help recruit motorists and passengers whenever an "AMBER Alert" search begins.

Twenty-six other states use the AMBER Alert system—"America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response"—to interrupt radio and television broadcasts with emergency bulletins about missing children. Now Mn/DOT will assist by displaying brief AMBER Alert bulletins on changeable message signs as well.

"These signs will be a valuable tool in the event that an AMBER Alert is issued," said Doug Weiszhaar, acting commissioner. "They will prompt drivers to keep their eyes open for anything suspicious and to turn on their radios for more information."

Within an hour after an AMBER Alert begins, the state’s Division of Emergency Management will activate an alert system using radio and television. Stations will interrupt programming with available information about the victim, the abductor and the possible vehicles involved, including license plate numbers.

About the same time, Mn/DOT will also display AMBER Alerts on changeable message signs in a search area designated by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Mn/DOT has 105 of these signs in use around the state, including 70 in the Twin Cities metro area and a total of 35 in Detroit Lakes, Duluth, Hibbing, Mankato, Rochester, St. Cloud and Virginia.

The signs will continue to display the AMBER Alert for five hours or until the alert is over. If motorists see a vehicle matching the description, they can call 9-1-1.

"Our changeable message signs are on our most heavily traveled routes, so many people will see an AMBER Alert message while on the road," Weiszhaar said. "We could be reaching tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, of people at any given time."

The AMBER Alerts will not displace messages that these electronic signs usually display, according to Weiszhaar. Mn/DOT has used this technology since the mid-1990s to alert motorists to crashes and other road and traffic conditions up ahead. The AMBER Alerts are an exception to the rule because of their importance, Weiszhaar said.

"When a stranger abducts a child, time is the greatest enemy," he said. "That’s why it is so important to use every resource available and enlist the help of every citizen possible."

By Marsha Storck

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A Minnesota Prairie Line train pulls onto the main line after adding a carload of grain at a Fairfax elevator. Twin Cities and Western Railroad photo

The Minnesota Prairie Line recently began operating between Hanley Falls and Norwood supported with funding from a state loan program coordinated by the Office of Freight, Railroads and Waterways. Shippers can now use the rehabilitated track instead of trucks to move grain, fertilizer, rock and kaolin clay.

"The Minnesota Prairie Line offers another transportation choice for regional shippers," said Al Vogel, Freight, Railroads and Waterways director.

Mn/DOT, the Minnesota Valley Regional Railroad Authority and the MINNRAIL Shippers Association worked together on the $6 million project. A loan from the Minnesota Rail Improvement Program loan provided $4.8 million to help fund it. The shippers and the Minnesota Valley Regional Rail Authority each contributed $600,000.

Project supporters expect an average of one train per day will use this 94.5 mile-long route during its first phase of operation, adding up to about 8,200 cars per year. The amount of freight in these cars would require using nearly 33,000 semi-trailer trucks a year if shipped by highway, Vogel said.

The new rail service is the 22nd regional line rehabilitated by the Minnesota Rail Service Improvement Program since it was began in 1976. Cities along the Minnesota Prairie Line’s route also include Redwood Falls, Morton, Franklin, Fairfax, Gibbon, Winthrop, Gaylord, Arlington, Green Isle, Hamburg and Young America.

By Sue Stein

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A Twin Cities and Western locomotive bearing the Operation Lifesaver message rolls through a railroad crossing west of the Twin Cities. Staff Photo

The reintroduction of freight service on the renovated 94.5-mile rail line between Hanley Falls and Norwood underscores the need for motorists and pedestrians to use extra caution and common sense at railroad crossings.

So far this year, 19 people have died in rail crossing and trespassing incidents. Ten pedestrians were killed when struck by trains and nine people died when vehicles in which they were riding collided with trains. In 2001, a total of four people died in vehicle/train crashes. Ten people died in pedestrian-related incidents last year.

The Hanley Falls to Norwood route now operated by the Minnesota Prairie Line includes 104 at-grade crossings. Statewide, there are more than 4,600 public and private crossings.

Addressing the new rail service, Al Vogel, director Freight, Railroads and Waterways, said, "There haven’t been trains running on this line for more than two years which means drivers may not be looking for trains. Now there are 104 new locations where trains and vehicles could collide. We want people to know that any time is ‘train time.’"

Mn/DOT works with Operation Lifesaver to promote rail-crossing safety including free educational programs for schools and community groups. For more information, see the Operation Lifesaver Web site at: http://www.mnsc.org/ontheroadway/ol/index.htm.

By Craig Wilkins

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Orientation is a must for all new employees these days, but one soon-to-be-appointed employee—the yet-to-be-named new Mn/DOT commissioner—will need more than just the standard half-day session.

To prepare for the new commissioner’s arrival, Mn/DOT managers, district engineers and other staff are assembling and summarizing key documents that provide an overview about Mn/DOT, its business and the issues the department faces. The information is assembled into segments that correspond to what Mn/DOT’s new administration needs to know in its first seven, 30 and 60 days in office.

Information in the packet will range from the basic (parking, keys) to the complex (revenue and expenditures) and include:

• Overviews of recent studies and market research

• Planning documents such as the 20-year statewide transportation plan and the Department business plan

• Mn/DOT operations (e.g., programming highway projects, security)

• Moving Minnesota status

• Construction updates (light rail transit, design-build, intelligent transportation systems) and

• An update on Mn/DOT’s workforce, such as its efforts for succession planning, strategic staffing and recruitment.

In addition to the information packet for the new commissioner, a briefing packet specifically aimed at legislators is also in development. The Government Relations staff is preparing a packet that includes:

• Financial information

• Mn/DOT district maps

• Brochures about state aid, rural transit and traffic management and

• A list of hot topics.

Government Relations and district management staff will also meet with legislators by Mn/DOT district, beginning with Willmar/District 8 on Nov. 26.

Information from both briefing packets will be available soon on Mn/DOT’s Web site.

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Wendy Frederickson was appointed as Mn/DOT’s new winter maintenance coordinator. Photo by Dick Maddern

The Office of Maintenance Operations and Research appointed Wendy Frederickson as its new winter maintenance coordinator. The position previously was known as the Salt Solutions coordinator.

Before accepting her new position, Frederickson worked as a transportation generalist at the Virginia Truck Station in the Duluth District.

"I’ve worked for Mn/DOT for nearly 12 years, and I’ve seen the Salt Solutions Program develop from its infancy. I know from experience that it’s a great program, and I’m excited to get more involved with it," said Frederickson.

Frederickson’s responsibilities include the duties once held by the salt solutions coordinator, whose principal task included coordinating statewide initiatives to reduce salt use.

"In this position I will be able to research and investigate new ideas about to snow and ice operations," Frederickson said, "so that continuous education and technology are incorporated into the Salt Solutions program and will save time and money for the department."

Rick Shomion, training coordinator,maintenance operations, said, "We renamed the position because the job now encompasses a variety of duties. The winter maintenance coordinator will not only oversee the salt solutions program, but will also be responsible for incorporating the Road/Weather Information System into the program, managing de-icing and anti-icing guidelines, updating data, writing reports and newsletters and much more."

Frederickson’s new position requires her to provide training and technical expertise to all Mn/DOT snowplow operators as well as present current snow and ice control procedures.

"The speaker’s bureau gave me the opportunity to educate students, adults and community groups about winter driving and snowplow safety," Frederickson added. "So it comes down to helping the public stay safe. With this job, I’ll be able to do that and much more."

"Wendy is actively involved with the Work Zone Safety Speakers Bureau Program, which makes her an excellent choice for the job," Shomion said. "I’m looking forward to the enthusiasm she’ll bring to this position."

By Daneeka Marshall-Oquendo

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During the Minnesota Intelligent Transportation System meeting in Jackson, George Welk, assistant district engineer, Mankato/District 7, reviewed advanced technology for improving highway safety. Photo by Rebecca Arndt

Two innovations—remotely operated bridge anti-icers and gates that limit freeway access—promise safer travel for motorists on I-90 this winter.

Prevent ice from forming

Bridges on I-90 at Worthington and Beaver Creek now have automated anti-icing systems that spray the bridge surface with chemicals such as potassium chloride to prevent ice formation.

These anti-icing systems are located at the freeway’s junctions with Hwy 60 in Worthington and with Rock County Hwy 4 near Beaver Creek. Pavement sensors monitor when road surface conditions get near the freezing point. Within minutes, 36 to 40 nozzles mounted along the bridge guardrails spray chemicals onto the freeway surface.

"Overpasses are the first spot on the road to freeze and they can freeze in minutes," said Dough Weiszhaar, acting commissioner. "This anti-icing system allows us to act before ice has a chance to form."

The overpasses at Beaver Creek and Worthington record an average of 12 snow- and ice-related crashes every year.

In addition to the bridges on I-90, Mn/DOT operates anti-icing or de-icing systems on bridges in the Twin Cities metro area, Duluth, Dresbach and Winona.

Automatically close I-90 during severe weather

Mn/DOT will test another innovation this year on I-90 at the freeway’s interchange with Hwy 71 near Jackson.

During severe weather, district maintenance crews can now remotely activate gates that block access to I-90. This enables them to close access almost instantly and gvies them more time to clear the freeway. Closed gates also reduce the opportunity for motorists to enter the freeway, where their presence can impede efforts to keep it passable.

The remotely operated gates evolved from manually operated gates that have successfully helped Mn/DOT deter traffic from entering freeways during severe storms.

"These automated gates save about 15 percent in the cost to clear the roads," Weiszhaar said. "Fewer employees are needed to clear the interstate which means more employees can focus on clearing the road."

By Craig Wilkins

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In order to improve service delivery, the Office of Research Services joined the Program Support Group effective Nov. 12. Previously, the office reported directly to Mn/DOT’s chief of staff.

Doug Weiszhaar, acting commissioner, said the change results from Mn/DOT’s efforts to identify the most effective way to deliver the department’s products and services. Weiszhaar added that Research Services staff will continue to shape the state’s transportation system by acquiring, creating and sharing transportation research and knowledge.

As an expert office within the Program Support Group, the staff will identify research needs and manage state and national research. The Mn/DOT Library will continue to provide reference assistance, document delivery and interlibrary loans.

Dave Johnson continues serving as acting director of Research Services.

By Craig Wilkins

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Mn/DOT Newsline begins a new service: highlighting news releases issued by the department to the public via the news media. These are some of the news releases issued this week:

• Incident management system started for the Wakota Project work zone. Mn/DOT will assist travelers whose vehicles are disabled in the Hwy 61/I-494 work zone by repairing or removing and by alerting motorists to incidents via changeable message signs.

• Last barge of shipping season set to leave on Nov. 22. The shipping season on the Mississippi River, which started on March 16, will end on Nov. 22.

For more news releases, go to http://www.dot.state.mn.us

Clippings are available on-line at: http://www2.dot.state.mn.us/ocpr/clips.html.

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A new and improved state Web site went online Nov. 18. The revised North Star site organizes government services by theme rather than by agency.

The themes—living and working, learning and education, health and safety, government, business, travel and leisure, and environment—were chosen to help break down barriers people face when doing business with their government. The theme-based structure means citizens and customers no longer need to be familiar with state government to find specific information or services.

The new site is the result of more than a year of work by the Office of Technology and InterTechnologies Group in the Department of Administration plus more than 250 providers of state government services.

The North Star site receives an average of 1.2 million visits monthly. The site will evolve as customers explore it. Check it out at http://www.state.mn.us.

If you have comments about Mn/DOT content on the site, contact Kay Korsgaard, Office of Communications and Public Relations, 651/297-1919.

By Kay Korsgaard

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