The new work zone safety campaign slogan—Work Zones. Pay Attention or Pay the Price—will debut in ads shown in movie theaters statewide on Memorial Day weekend as part of the department’s summer work zone safety campaign. Designed by Mordechai Dorfman

Along with their popcorn, soda and Raisinettes, moviegoers in select theaters this construction season will get a work zone safety message from Mn/DOT before the start of their favorite movie.

The new work zone safety campaign slogan—Work Zones. Pay Attention or Pay the Price.—will debut in ads shown in movie theaters statewide on Memorial Day weekend as part of the department’s summer work zone safety campaign.

The ads, which are expected to run for 18 weeks, should generate some buzz among the movie-going crowd, said Kevin Walker, Metro District public affairs coordinator.

"We hope our message will increase the public’s long-term awareness of the need for safety in work zones to protect their lives and those of highway workers," he said.

The campaign focuses on the consequences to motorists if they don’t drive safely through work zones. By building awareness and bringing safe driving to the forefront, Mn/DOT hopes that motorists will obey posted speed limits, stay alert for people and vehicles in the work zone, eliminate distractions such as cell phones and allow adequate space between vehicles.

The "price" motorists may pay could range from a doubled fine for speeding through work zones to property damage to a vehicle or an injury or death to themselves, other motorists or highway workers laboring to improve the state’s transportation system, Walker said.

Radio and television public service announcements will round out the department’s statewide efforts this summer.

"There is a lot of road construction planned again this year," Walker said. "Safety is Mn/DOT’s top priority, and public education is crucial to that effort."

Follow these links for more information about work zone safety and the 2004 construction season.

By Kent Barnard, Metro District public affairs coordinator

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Greeting Lt. Gov./Commissioner Carol Molnau at Crookston’s Annual Employee Day event are (left to right) Craig Booth, Scott Swenson and Butch Peterson. Photo by Karen Bedeau

Recently Mn/DOT people chowed down, hung out and listened up during the annual round of district employee meetings.

Employees at the district gatherings had an opportunity to learn about the use of rumble strips, review construction program plans, hear safety tips and re-connect with co-workers from their district or maintenance areas.

Managers presented awards for service, outstanding work and other accomplishments.

District employees at Bemidji, Crookston and Brainerd had an opportunity to visit with Lt. Gov./Commissioner Carol Molnau during their meetings.

On April 27, Molnau attended the annual meeting at Bemidji. After lunch with district employees, she visited a site near Lake Bemidji along Hwy 197, the highway that runs through Bemidji now being rebuilt, said Karen Bedeau, district public affairs coordinator.

There Molnau met with the Bemidji city manager, staff from the Beltrami County Board of Soil and Water Conservation and District 2 to review plans that would reduce erosion along the shoreline and improve spawning conditions for walleye.

(At left) Gary Dirlam, district traffic engineer, discusses maintenance issues related to centerline rumble strips with Dan Norman, transportation generalist, from the Pine River Truck Station. Photo by Bob Girtz

Molnau went to Crookston on April 28 to meet with employees before flying to Camp Ripley to join Brainerd District employees at their meeting and observance of Worker Memorial Day.

Employees from District 6 gathered at the Mayo Civic Auditorium in Rochester to hear updates on maintenance, construction and design projects, see a presentation on WisDOT’s building a new Mississippi River bridge at LaCrosse and receive a statewide report on Mn/DOT activities from Bob Winter, director, District Operations Division.

District 6 transportation engineer Nelrae Succio offered remembrances for two employees who died since the last annual meeting, Darrell Reese and Sheldon "Smokey" Schmidt. Keynote speaker Al Batt entertained participants with his humorous stories about everyday life.

Willmar/District 8 held meetings at its Willmar, Marshall and Hutchinson regional offices. Each session offered access to insurance and other vendors and focused primarily on district- and maintenance-related issues.

Bob Pyfferoen, a transportation specialist in the District Bridge office, visits Tracy Mashak, a public affairs staff member with the contractor on the ROC 52 project, and Terry Ward, district ROC 52 project manager. ROC 52 involves rebuilding about 11 miles of Hwy 52 in Rochester. Photo by Brian Jergenson

The meeting at Willmar included presentation of an Above and Beyond Award to a maintenance crew that set up a detour on a county road for a bridge removal project in February during snowstorms and below zero temperatures. In order to meet safety requirements, the crew had to install new signs and signposts as well as remove and replace striping, some of it by hand.

"The annual meetings keep people in touch and aware of issues that affect the entire district and the department," said Sandy East, Willmar public affairs coordinator.

Districts 1, 4 and 7 are not holding annual employee meetings this year. Metro District will hold its meeting in the fall.

Click here to view more photos from the District 3/Baxter and District 3/ St. Cloud annual employee meetings.

By Craig Wilkins

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With just days left before the Legislature adjourns May 17, most issues of importance to Mn/DOT remain to be negotiated between the House, Senate and the Governor’s Office.

A report on the legislative outcomes will be posted in Mn/DOT Newsline once the issues are settled.

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The annual B-BOP (bike, bus or pool) Commuter Challenge will occur May 20 in Mn/DOT offices statewide.

The annual B-BOP (bike, bus or pool) Commuter Challenge is a month-long event that encourages commuters statewide to use an alternate mode of transportation at least one day in May. For Mn/DOT, the challenge is to B-BOP to work on May 20.

"Taking transit, carpooling, telecommuting, biking, even walking, just one or two days a week, can help reduce congestion on our roadways," said Lt. Gov./ Commissioner Carol Molnau.

Those who pledge to B-BOP are automatically entered into a drawing to win prizes, including a one-week vacation package to Pehrson Lodge in northern Minnesota.

Mn/DOT district B-BOP representatives are coordinating events in their offices and with local businesses at various times throughout the month. For more information about events in your area, visit the B-BOP Web site at www.b-bop.org.

Central Office employees can challenge themselves in a Walk Around the Capitol during breaks and lunch hour anytime from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 20. Walkers will be eligible for B-BOP incentive prize drawings. Trophies will be awarded to the team with the most laps and the agency with the most walkers. Sign up for the walk on the Web at http://www.b-bop.org/walk.html or at the tent on the day of the event.

"This is the first year employees from all state agencies are invited to take part in the Walk Around the Capitol," said Jarvis Keys, B-BOP coordinator, Transit. "Commuting options can help us all reduce travel time, relieve stress and save money."

For more information about the B-BOP Commuter Challenge, contact Keys at 651/297-3702.

By Donna Lindberg

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About 55 vendors displayed their products and services during the annual Spring Maintenance Expo at the St. Cloud Civic Center Apr. 27-28. More than 500 people from around the state attended the event. Photo by Kevin Gutknecht

More than 550 people attended the annual spring maintenance training expo at the St. Cloud Convention Center Apr. 27-28. State, county and city highway and street workers as well as other interested parties took part in the two-day event.

"It is a chance for maintenance workers from all across the state to get the training they need to do their jobs more safely and efficiently," said Jim Grothaus, University of Minnesota’s Center for Transportation Studies.

CTS sponsored the event, with assistance organizing the event from Mn/DOT, the Minnesota Local Road Research Board and the Minnesota Public Works Association.

The conference provided 11 different training sessions that varied from safe chainsaw operation to proper application of pesticides. In addition, 55 exhibitors displayed their products and services.

"The vendors are very important to this event," Grothaus said. "We couldn’t have done this without them."

The event also provided the latest information about research projects funded by CTS, about commercial driver license management and about truck regulations in general. Participants also earned continuing education units and "roads scholar" credits.

This event is one of two such annual events. Another maintenance expo in early fall will focus on winter maintenance safety and techniques.

By Kevin Gutknecht

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The cab of the new tandem-axle snowplow features controls that enable operators to manage several functions at once when plowing.

An exhibit of a new tandem snowplow and the emergency traffic control truck developed by the Metro District drew the normally desk-bound Central Office employees outside to get a close-up look.

Their appearance was part of a week-long effort by the Maintenance Operations Research Unit to inform employees and visitors to the Transportation Building about the unit's role in developing and testing new maintenance practices and equipment.

In addition to the vehicle exhibit on May 6, the week included a display with photos, video and printed materials about MOR projects.

The plow, recently outfitted at the Central Shop, includes side-mounted tanks for pre-wetting liquids, and stainless steel box, sander and spinner. It also features joystick controls to operate the plows and truck box and a control unit that enables the operator to regulate applying de-icing materials more effectively.

The orderly and convenient storage of signs, cones and barricades on the Metro District’s emergency traffic control truck attracts the attention of Central Office employees. The truck also carries a changeable message sign to direct traffic during an emergency. Photos by David Gonzalez

The Metro District’s truck carries cones, signs and barricades that allow its crew to quickly set up lane closures in case of a traffic crash or other emergency situation. Darl Schossow, a transportation generalist at the Cedar Avenue Truck Station, designed the low-body truck that has specific compartments to carry equipment securely and make it easily accessible to crewmembers.

Sue Lodahl, maintenance training and research engineer, said visitors peppered her and other staff with questions about the plow’s operation and cost and features such as the dual 120-gallon tanks for de-icers.

Visitors included Lt. Gov./Commissioner Carol Molnau who climbed into the cab to get the feel of the department’s newest generation of plows. She also expressed her appreciation of the ingenuity of the traffic control truck’s design.

"We did the truck exhibit and our other displays to raise awareness about maintenance research and to share what we do with others," Lodahl said.

By Craig Wilkins

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Mn/DOT recently revised the Appropriate Use of Electronic Communication and Technology policy and guidelines. The policy provides direction to employees about acceptable use of Mn/DOT computers and other electronic communications and technology.

Most employees may have heard of the revised policies by now—but sometimes wading your way through an official policy can be like reading the fine print on a car warranty—you know the critical information is there, but you have to put on your reading glasses to make sure that you are not missing anything between the lines.

To provide clarification and more detail about the policy, the Office of Information Technology has developed a Web site with additional information for employees and supervisors.

The site includes:

• A list of computer do(s) and don’t(s)

• Frequently asked questions and answers

• A guide for supervisors

The materials on the site will continue to be updated and expanded as the office receives new FAQs, suggestions and clarifications.

If you have questions about the revised policies visit the Web site at http://ihub.oit/policy/apprUse.html or contact Linda Dahlen or Mary Welfling, Office of Information Technology.

By Kay Korsgaard

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Bernie Arseneau (right) describes his first parachute jump to his mentor, Mike Robinson. Photo by Kelly Robinson

One might say Mike Robinson and Bernie Arseneau recently took their mentoring relationship to new heights—about 14,000 feet over Hutchinson. After reaching that altitude by plane, they returned safely to the ground via parachute.

Robinson, Duluth/District 1 engineer and an experienced parachutist with 240 jumps, took Arseneau for his first jump on May 8.

Both survived the experience quite nicely. Jumping in tandem with an instructor, Arseneau followed Robinson and the other parachutists out of the plane. Each had about a minute or two of freefall flight and then three to five minutes of descent under the opened canopy.

Their official mentoring effort started about two years ago at Mn/DOT’s Leadership Academy, but Robinson has been Arseneau’s unofficial mentor for about 20 years. The relationship started in the mid-1980s when Robinson, then the district traffic engineer, was Arsenseau’s supervisor at the former District 9 headquarters at Oakdale.

Areseneau, who was recently appointed as director of Traffic, Security and Operations, credits mentoring as a significant factor in his growth as an engineer and manager.

"Mike was a great supervisor and he’s a solid guy who took me under his wing," Arseneau said. "Now we can share any concerns or issues and we’ve developed a great deal of friendship and trust."

In addition to mentoring within Leadership Academy, department programs include "Lighting the Path to Success" for new employees as well as programs for employees of all levels at various stages in their career.

Robinson said mentoring offers as much benefit to mentors as it does to the people with whom they work.

"Mentoring is a two-way process," said Robinson, who also mentors Bemidji’s Lynn Eaton, district program management engineer. "Mentoring has meant a great deal to me; it’s one of the reasons why it’s fun to come to work every day."

The program requires an initial six-month commitment by mentors and mentees. Meg Tilley, Office of Workforce Development, directs the program. She can be reached via GroupWise or at 651/296-4001. Information about the program may also be found at: http://ihub.hr/mentoring/.

By Craig Wilkins

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Keeping informed about issues in transportation is as simple as turning on your PC. One of the features offered on iHUB is a compilation of daily news articles about transportation and Mn/DOT from online news media.

The features of the daily news site include:

• A "go to today's clippings" button that will bring up the most recent clippings

• A news archive that provides access to clippings for any date starting with February 2001

• A search engine that can look for news articles on specific topics

Today’s clippings contain news stories on road maintenance costs and how higher gas prices are not yet boosting bus ridership.

For more transportation news, go to http://ihub/ and select "Daily News Clippings."

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The best weather reporter in the Twin Cities is not a person but a television service from Mn/DOT’s Aeronautics office, according to the City Pages’ recent "Best of the Twin Cities Search."

In its April 28 edition, the weekly tabloid named Mn/DOT Aviation Weather Computers as Best TV Weatherperson. The service is aired in the Twin Cities on public television Channel 17 at the end of the broadcast day.

The article describes the weather channel’s delivery: "The overnight is breathtaking in its simplicity: The "male" voice, accented…and soothing, trading information with the "female" voice, coolly seductive—a sort of low-pressure duet."

Click here to read the City Pages article.

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