By Chris Krueger

The United States Postal Service wasn’t the only entity delivering this holiday season. Mother Nature was in the giving spirit too, bestowing more than two feet of snow in parts of the Arrowhead, travel advisories in southwestern Minnesota and sleet and rain in the southeastern portion of the state.

Mn/DOT plow drivers hit the snow and ice covered roads to help clean up the mess, continuing their effort through the holiday weekend.

“The past snow event could have caused significant travel delays and safety issues across our state,” said Commissioner Sorel. “Our snow plow operators and maintenance staff spent many of their holiday hours out on the roadways making others’ travel easier.”

The Commissioner also recognized staff throughout the state who kept good information and safety tips flowing to motorists and helped keep the 511 Web site stocked with updated information on road conditions.

“We are very pleased with how the 511 Web site performed,” said Kelly Braunig, 511 coordinator. “It is a good tool in our Toward Zero Deaths effort. Two fatalities were recorded during the holiday—that compares to three in 2008 and 11 in 2007.”

Slick roads and reduced visibility presented challenges. Just before 6 p.m., Dec. 24, District 7 advised motorists not to travel in southwestern Minnesota due to heavy snowfall and reduced visibility. South Dakota closed westbound Interstate 90 at the Minnesota border Dec. 24 and Iowa DOT pulled its plows from the roads in the western part of the state because of blowing snow and reduced visibility that made roads impassable.  The same night, District 6 experienced a combination of rain, snow and sleet that coated the roads with slush. In District 1, driving conditions were described as ranging from “poor to impossible.”

By Dec.25, Mn/DOT advised motorists not to travel in west central Minnesota due to heavy snowfall and winds that were expected to pick up throughout the day. By Dec. 28, most roads in the state were back in good condition and crews were cleaning up, with the exception of western and southern Minnesota, where driving conditions remained difficult due to blowing snow.

Holiday storm thank you messages

By Chris Joyce

When considering whether Mn/DOT should, for example, turn a state highway back to a local government, replace an aging mainframe information system or find alternative bypass routes around a city, many department managers these days have turned to a process known as risk management to help them weigh the alternatives in tough decisions.

“Risk management is a systematic way to look at possible consequences of actions—or lack of action,” said Phil Barnes, assistant director for Policy Analysis, Research & Innovation. “It’s about getting ahead of things so we can make better decisions for the department, our partners and the public.”

Barnes, who has facilitated risk management sessions for 13 different Mn/DOT projects during the past year, noted that the process can be used for most decisions that affect an organization.  

“When people get to feeling uneasy about making a decision, then maybe it’s a good idea to bring them together,” he said. 

Hwy 197/Paul Bunyan Drive turnback in Bemidji

Such was the case recently for Bemidji/District 2, which was wrestling with the decision of whether or not to turn back Hwy 197/Paul Bunyan Drive to the city of Bemidji. Barnes brought together staff from District 2, the city of Bemidji and the Office of Land Management to identify and weigh the risks associated with the two alternatives before them: (1) Mn/DOT continues to own and operate Hwy 197, or (2) Bemidji assumes ownership and operation of the road.

Barnes said the group concluded that although there were risks associated with both alternatives, there was a perception that there would be less risk during the next five years if Mn/DOT maintained ownership of the highway.

In addition, to address the city’s concern that it would lose “control over its destiny,” the group came to an understanding that a cooperative agreement about when and what kinds of changes could be made on the road would be productive.

“For D2, the process enabled Mn/DOT and the city of Bemidji a forum for openly and honestly discussing this matter,” said Lynn Eaton, District 2 engineer, who shared his district’s experiences at the Managers’ Conference in mid-December. 

“We each had to make our case and identify how a potential turnback would affect each party. Each got an opportunity to comment on the other’s potential risk. It exposed where each other’s greatest threats were and gave the opportunity for both parties to walk away from the table with a better understanding of the issue,” he said.

“Even though Mn/DOT was not able to use the opportunity to turn MN-197 back to the city, D2 learned what was important and is using that knowledge to take the turn back idea to another level.”

Transportation Information System replacement

Jonette Kreideweis, Transportation Data & Analysis director, also shared her office’s experiences at the Managers’ Conference.

“The risk management process provided a structure for reviewing alternatives and assessing risks to move forward for replacing TIS,” she said, referring to the department’s 30-year-old, mainframe-based, transportation data information system.

“We were a group with strong opinions and were risk-averse after the failure of the last replacement attempt,” she said.

Barnes facilitated 10-12 hours of discussion for a group of TIS stakeholders, which included TDA staff as well as representatives from Bridges; Information & Technology Services; Land Management; Materials and Road Research; Metro District; and Traffic, Safety and Operations.

“The process gave a structured way to weight options, assess risks and identify best options for moving forward that everyone could live with and hope will meet our needs,” Kreideweis said.

In the end, the group decided to go with an off-the-shelf product, instead of selecting the typical solution of developing and building in-house, she said.

Although these two examples show how successful the risk management process can be on certain types of decision-making, Barnes said it may not work with unilateral decisions or low-risk projects.

“As a neutral party, it’s very humbling to be a part in these discussions,” Barnes said. “These projects have big impacts on Minnesota—it feels good to be part of the decision.”

What’s ahead

Barnes and staff have already scheduled time in 2010 for several more projects, including evaluating the RouteBuilder system (the program used to route oversized vehicles through the state), jumpstarting project management plans for Chapter 152 bridge projects, delivering the new stimulus program and assessing the ideas collected during Emagination-JAM to see which should go forward.

By Beth Petrowske

A recently completed Mn/DOT report shows that the implementation of a complete streets policy would benefit the department’s planning and design processes, according to Julie Skallman, State Aid Division director.

The complete streets approach emphasizes safety and mobility. It ensures that road projects are designed to meet local needs, are sensitive to context and consider all modes of transportation and all users in the project development process.

The approach does not mean “all modes on all roads,” Skallman said. Rather, the goal is to develop a balanced transportation system that integrates all modes and includes transportation users of all types, ages and abilities.

“Commissioner Sorel made a commitment that Mn/DOT will work with stakeholders to integrate the complete streets philosophy into the department’s planning and design processes,” Skallman said. “In the next few months, we will establish an external advisory group to help us work through implementation.”

Results of the study determined that:

• A comprehensive planning and design process that integrates complete streets principles into roadway improvement projects is more cost-effective than later retrofitting complete streets components into roadways.
• For urban projects with limited available space, the primary challenge is allocating the available space between the various transportation modes and functions.
• Complete streets projects may be more expensive, but the end product will likely provide a better, long-term value.
• Project planners and designers must safely and cost-effectively integrate the needs of the various modes.
• Existing Minnesota design manuals that describe rules, guidelines, procedures, specifications and references for corridor design would need to be reviewed to alleviate conflicting information.

In 2008, the Legislature mandated that Mn/DOT do a complete streets study to identify the benefits, costs and feasibility of implementing a complete streets policy for state roadways. The study was also required to include recommendations for implementation of the policy.

Complete streets planning methods are already being used successfully in other states and some Minnesota municipalities, Skallman said. Results of the recently completed study suggest that Mn/DOT help other local agencies develop complete streets policies using Mn/DOT’s expertise in Context Sensitive Solutions, the Americans with Disabilities Act, bicycle and pedestrian planning, design and funding strategies.
Short-term and long-term benefits of complete streets:

• Reduced conflict between motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians
• Less air and noise pollution
• Reduced vehicle traffic may reduce road maintenance costs
• Integration of transit and non-motorized modes can reduce local congestion
• Increased physical activity and reduced pollution can improve health and reduce healthcare costs
• Increased compliance with ADA policy will provide better access for people of all ages and abilities

By Bob Filipczak

Mukhtar Thakur began his new role as director of personal rapid transit on Dec. 7.

Thakur, a 22-year veteran of Mn/DOT, was recruited into studying PRT after touring London’s Heathrow Airport, which is further into the development of PRT than any other organization.

A PRT system is a series of automated cars that run on a track and deliver individuals from a specific location to another specific location.

The PRT cars travel at speeds between 20-30 mph and can carry 2-4 people. It is expected that PRT systems will initially serve small localities within a 2-3 mile radius.

While the pod-like cars used in PRT may seem a bit futuristic, “this is not Jetson land anymore, this is reality,” Thakur said.

Many benefits are associated with PRT systems, including a reduction in greenhouse gases. PRT can also be done economically because everything is smaller in scale.

“PRT is useful for short trips and the cars don’t run on a schedule like other transit options,” Thakur said. “You summon the car, you tell it where to take you and you go directly to your destination without stopping for other riders.

So what does next year hold for Thakur?

“My biggest challenge is getting the policies and guidelines in place and understanding just how a system like this would work,” Thakur said. “With Heathrow’s system still in its pilot phase, there’s no way to know what problems may occur once it goes live.”

One of Thakur‘s objectives will be to issue a request for information and try to locate communities that might be interested in developing a PRT project. A group from Winona has already expressed interest and another group from the south Metro area has also briefed Mn/DOT on its idea.

Mn/DOT’s role, initially, is to study, research and possibly plan for PRT system with a view to develop and establish design, operation and maintenance protocols for such a system.

Emma Corrie has accepted a mobility assignment as the workforce and business development project manager in the Policy, Safety & Strategic Initiatives Division. Corrie began her new job Dec. 16.

In her new role, Corrie will lead the Workforce and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Collaborative, one of Mn/DOT’s 12 flagship initiatives. The collaborative is a group of Mn/DOT employees and various external stakeholders committed to delivering transformational and sustainable change to Minnesota’s external civil rights program.           

Corrie has worked for Mn/DOT since 2001 and has overseen the department’s recruitment programs including the Seeds, Phoenix, Pathways to Employment and Graduate Engineer/Land Surveyor programs. Most recently, Corrie has been working with the Community Advisors and Retention Solutions group, a community partnership composed of employees and community leaders representing minority communities, women, veterans and people with disabilities.  

Corrie started her state career at the Department of Natural Resources in 1997. She has a masters degree in Business.

Human Resources changes

Jolene Forman has agreed to serve as recruitment programs supervisor in place of Emma Corrie, who recently accepted a mobility assignment as the workforce and business development project manager in the Policy, Safety & Strategic Initiatives Division.

Forman has more than 15 years of experience managing recruitment programs within the agency. 

Bonnie Wohlberg has accepted the staffing supervisor position within the Office of Human Resources.  Wohlberg will begin her new role on Dec. 28.

Wohlberg has extensive experience in Human Resources at various state agencies including Human Services, Administration and Mn/DOT. 

Connie Eystad has joined the Staffing Section and will be responsible for leading the SEMA4 Data Integrity Project Team with a focus on reducing the overall error rate for SEMA4 transactions.

Eystad last worked in the Metro District as a senior personnel officer in the Office of Human Resources. 

By Qin Tang

Here is the last issue of New Library Materials in 2009 from the Mn/DOT Library.

If you have some free time during the end of the year and would like to sharpen your computer skills, please remember that the library has books on Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Office, Visio, Vista and Publisher. Reading, relaxing and recharging are some of the best gifts you can give yourself during this busy holiday season.  

If you would like to contact the library, call 651-366-3791 or e-mail library.dot@state.mn.us. The library is listed as *DOT_Library in the Outlook address book. Employees can also send requests via the “Ask a Librarian” Web page at http://ihub.library/asklibrarian.html or http://www.dot.state.mn.us/library/asklibrarian.html.

By Beth Petrowske

Every workday, Doug Lindenfelser checks his e-mail and gets his equipment ready—it takes about an hour. Then, he jumps into the cab of his 18-wheel International Eagle Navistar semitrailer and hits the road. The road he travels is a pretty lonely place, in fact, most days he’s the only one driving on it.

His route is the closed-loop test track at the MnROAD research facility near Monticello. He drives around the 2.5-mile track 70 times on an average day, which takes him about six hours. Every five minutes his big truck can be seen passing by the offices at MnROAD.

When did you start working at MnROAD?

I started working at MnROAD in 2000—before that I was a farmer. Driving around the test track every day isn’t much different than when I drove my farming equipment back and forth in the fields.

The MnROAD test track is parallel to Interstate 94. How do motorists react when they see you driving on the track?

This is kind of funny. I have a CB radio in my truck and I can hear the truckers on the freeway as they talk to each other and try to figure out what I am doing. I once overheard a trucker say, “Why doesn’t that guy get a map!”

You drive for six hours every day. How do you keep from falling asleep at the wheel?

I get to bed early. You can’t come to work tired on this job.

What do you do when you get tired?

I stop the truck, get out and walk around for awhile. It’s better to stop than to put the truck in the pond!

What keeps you from getting bored while you are driving?

I occasionally have a droopy day like anybody else, but overall I consider my job very interesting. There is always something to see on the freeway. I also like to listen to talk radio and country music. Sometimes I turn the radio off and simply enjoy the peace and quiet.

What was the most unusual thing that ever happened to you while driving the track?

One day I’ll never forget was when I saw a little person walking across an open field near the test track. As the person got closer, I realized it was a three or four-year-old boy. I stopped and asked the boy where he was going.

The boy said, “Do you help people?”

I answered, “Yes.”

Then the boy asked me if I had a map because he was going to his friend’s house and got lost. I asked the boy for his phone number and called it. The boy’s greatly relieved mother answered and thanked me for finding her son. He had wandered about a mile through open farm country to the place I found him. 

Are there ever days when you don’t drive the track?

Yes, occasionally. If I’m not driving, I usually run heavy equipment to prepare for the installation of sensors and other technology in the MnROAD test cells.  

What do you like best about your job?

I enjoy working with the great people at MnROAD—that includes the student workers, engineers and researchers from around the world.

I’m really proud of the research being done here. I sure wish we could get the governor to come up here to do his radio show so we could let everyone know about the great research being done.

By Commissioner Tom Sorel

It’s hard to believe we are already beginning the 10th year of the new millennium. In a few months, I will begin my third year as your commissioner. It’s been a very rewarding couple of years and I think the agency has achieved a lot in that short time.

Mn/DOT could never have achieved what it has in the past year without your dedication and hard work. You are our most important resource. This spring, we reorganized agency leadership to focus on employees and mobilize in-house talent. I believe that empowering employees to be leaders will help us build public trust in Mn/DOT.

I value all your contributions to this agency and was encouraged by the overwhelming response to our first E-Magination JAM in September. From the many innovative ideas you submitted, we selected 12 flagship initiatives for implementation. We have set aside $30 million in Destination Innovation funds for this purpose.

The flagship initiatives address the department's five strategic directions—Safety, Mobility, Innovation, Leadership and Transparency. About this time last year, I worked with our Seeds students to develop these directions and a new agency vision. I wanted to know what kind of transportation system they, as people coming up in the transportation community, thought we should create for the future. Since that vision was created, you have all worked hard to implement it.

Improving our external and internal partnerships and practicing servant leadership have helped us improve quality and credibility in the work we do every day.

This year’s road construction season was one of the busiest in recent memory, with more than 300 projects statewide valued at $1.4 billion. Additional federal economic stimulus and 2008 legislative funding helped us make great strides toward reducing congestion and improving mobility on our system. These funds also went to improve transit and airport systems in greater Minnesota.

We’ve also made great strides in improving safety on our system. The number of roadway fatalities in Minnesota has dropped for the fourth year in a row, due in part to the efforts of the statewide Toward Zero Deaths partnership.

Partnerships like these have helped us implement many low-cost, high-benefit technologies for managing congestion, such as opening a second MnPASS Express Lane on Interstate 35W.

Also in the past year, we worked closely with the public and our partners to finalize the new 20-year transportation plan. This plan is more multi-modal than previous plans and has led to completion of other modal plans. The department’s first Comprehensive Statewide Freight and Passenger Rail Plan will be available soon for public comment. This is an important plan that follows the opening of the first commuter rail system in the state and planning for expansion of the light rail transit system in the Twin Cities metro area.

To become an employer of choice, we have put greater value on diversity inside and outside the agency. An evaluation of Mn/DOT’s work force is being conducted to ensure that it reflects Minnesota’s diverse population. We are also working with minority communities to find employees for Mn/DOT jobs.

Your hard work has definitely paid off. Mn/DOT and its employees, consultants and contractors won many awards this year in the areas of historic roadside structures, project management, pavement, environmental excellence, employee recruitment and much more. Please view past issues of Newsline to get more information about these awards and their recipients http://ihub.newsline/.

I hope in the new year I can get to know more of you better by working with you and hearing more of your ideas.

Happy New Year!