By Chris Krueger

Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Commissioner Tom Sorel celebrated the launch of the new MnPASS Express Lanes on Interstate 35W, as well as the opening of two new transit stations in Lakeville, during a news conference held Sept. 28.

Pawlenty and Sorel were joined by Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez, Metropolitan Council Chair Peter Bell and numerous local public officials who worked together to improve the commute of thousands of motorists and transit riders in the south Twin Cities metro area.

“We all worked together,” Sorel said. “It’s a true collaborative partnership and that’s what I’m proud of.”

Mn/DOT led the Urban Partnership Agreement, which aims to reduce traffic congestion on I-35W, Hwy 77/Cedar Avenue and in downtown Minneapolis using transit, tolling, telecommuting and technology. The UPA project funded the first expansion of MnPASS since Mn/DOT launched the system in 2005.

At 6 a.m., Sept. 30, almost 12 miles of MnPASS Express Lanes opened on I-35W between Burnsville Parkway and downtown Minneapolis. To date, nearly 2,000 MnPASS accounts for I-35W have been opened, resulting in more than 14,000 accounts for I-35W and I-394 combined.

In addition to the MnPASS Express Lanes, motorists on I-35W will see electronic signage over the road. The signage will provide motorists with information to keep traffic flowing, such as lane closures and advisory speed limits. The advisory speed limit messages aim to provide speed harmonization, a concept that maintains consistent traffic flow and reduces the risk of rear-end crashes.

“This is a great glimpse into the future,” Sorel said. “You’ll see an integrated system and more transportation choices.”

The new I-35W MnPASS Express Lanes include two segments: from Hwy 13 in Burnsville to I-494 and from I-494 to downtown Minneapolis. On the segment from I-494 to downtown, transit vehicles, car pools and MnPASS customers will be able to use a converted shoulder lane north of 42nd Street during rush hours. Electronic signs will alert drivers when the shoulder is open or closed. 

Construction on the Crosstown project continues and the MnPASS Express Lane segment between I-494 and 42nd Street will open in fall 2010.

MnPASS will operate between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. and again from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. The MnPASS Express Lanes on I-35W are separated by double white lines, which motorists are not allowed to cross. 

Interested individuals can open a MnPASS account at http://www.mnpass.org/.  

On Sept. 15, Mn/DOT submitted five applications to the $1.5 billion Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery federal grant program, which is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The five projects eligible for TIGER grants are:

• The $300 million St. Croix River Crossing project will construct a state-of-the-art bridge over the St. Croix River and develop a bicycle and pedestrian facility that uses the existing historic lift bridge as its centerpiece.
  
  
• The Twin Cities Freight and Commuter Bottleneck Removal project will replace obsolete signalized bottleneck interchanges and intersections with state-of-the art interchanges at Hwy 169 and Interstate 494, and Hwy 101/ Hwy 13. The project is expected to cost $135 million.
  
  
• The $99 million Burlington Northern Santa Fe Easement Rights and Passenger Rail Capacity Improvements project will purchase easement rights and develop passenger rail capacity improvements to provide passenger, intercity and commuter rail congestion relief.
  
  
• The Duluth Intermodal project will construct a new dock at the Port of Duluth, rehabilitate or replace 12 miles of I-35 in the Duluth area, including replacement of three fracture-critical bridges, and complete truck route improvements on local streets to the port. The project is expected to cost $77.1 million.
  
  
• The Southern Rail Corridor project will complete engineering and environmental work and begin right of way acquisition for a preferred rail alignment to bypass Rochester. The project is expected to cost $10 million.

Projects eligible for TIGER grants can be highway or bridge projects, public transportation projects, passenger and freight rail transportation projects and port infrastructure investments.

TIGER projects must be greater than $20 million but less than $300 million. The U.S. Department of Transportation can waive the $20 million minimum grant size for significant projects in smaller cities, regions or states.

States, local governments, tribal governments, transit agencies, port authorities, metropolitan planning organizations and other political subdivisions of state and local governments are competing for these funds.

Selection criteria for the program includes:

• Projects that provide a significant improvement in areas such as safety, mobility and economic development
• Job preservation and creation
• Innovation
• Partnership and collaboration

TIGER grant projects will be selected by the U.S. DOT in early 2010.

For more information on ARRA and the TIGER grant program, visit http://www.dot.gov/recovery.

By Lisa Yang

Sue Stein is set to become the new director of the Office of Administration, effective Oct. 7.

Stein will be responsible for directing a wide range of services that are critical to the internal functions of Mn/DOT, including safety and workers' compensation, contract and records management, support and business services and materials management.

In her 20 years with Mn/DOT, Stein has held a variety of leadership positions in several districts, including administrative manager in District 3, business manager in District 6 and materials management supervisor in District 6 and District 1. Most recently, she served as the division business manager for the Operations Division.

“I am very excited to have this opportunity and look forward to working with the Office of Administration,” Stein said.

Stein’s new office is located on the ground floor of Central Office in room G32E. She can be reached at 651-366-5027.

By Kay Korsgaard

The first E-magination JAM in Mn/DOT history generated 530 ideas in five days.

“That’s a lot of ideas,” said Susan Hall, project manager. “Once they were cross-referenced for duplicates and spam, we still had 473 separate ideas for ways the department could work better.”

During the coming weeks, staff from the Office of Policy Analysis, Research and Innovation will carefully sort through ideas along the lines of Mn/DOT’s strategic directions—Safety, Mobility, Innovation, Leadership and Transparency.

“Once the sorting is complete, we will pass the ideas along to the leadership team, which will determine which ones merit further study and possible funding,” Hall said. “We ask employees to be patient as we sort through the wealth of ideas and comments.”

Ideas ranged from the highly technical, to thoughts about ways to better communicate with the driving public, to employee concerns about work schedules.

“We had really good participation,” Hall said. “Nearly 1,000 employees voted. In all, there were 17,800 votes.”

Craig Falkum, Rochester/District 6 structures, was one of the many employees who participated.

“I thought it was a good thing,” he said. “I’ve participated in similar things in the past but never got a response. I especially liked the comment and voting procedure.”

Falkum said it might be a good idea to have an E-magination JAM once a year, and maybe next time, it could run longer than five days.

“I really didn’t have enough time to read through all the ideas,” Falkum said. “I would have liked to participate more.”

By mid-October, Hall hopes to have the data collected from the JAM processed and categorized. A summary and next steps will also be posted in the near future on the E-magination JAM Web site: www.dot.state.mn.us/EmaginationJAM.

By Darlene Gorrill

Mn/DOT is launching departmentwide training this fall on the new cost estimating and cost management process and policies.

“Cost estimating and cost management remains a priority to Mn/DOT,” said Mike Ginnaty, director of the Office of Project Scope and Cost Management. The office was established in 2008 as a result of Mn/DOT’s commitment to improving its ability to estimate and manage costs of transportation projects.

“We know that we have only begun to implement the new processes and policies,” Ginnaty said. “This training represents another milestone for us. We hope to reach about 400 staff members through the training sessions.”

The training is designed for estimators, managers, functional managers, project managers and others who provide information to estimators and project managers, including Central Office estimators, managers and staff. The training sessions will provide staff with a solid foundation and common understanding of the process and policies, as well as a better understanding of their roles and responsibilities in the new processes.

The following sessions are scheduled:

• Oct. 6-8 at Mn/DOT’s Detroit Lakes/District 4 headquarters
• Oct. 12-14 at Duluth/District 1, Lake Superior College customized training room
• Oct. 19-21 at Lakeville Holiday Inn
• Nov. 18-20 at Mn/DOT’s Willmar headquarters
• Dec. 14-16 at Bemidji State University Crying Wolf Room

Additional sessions for Districts 3, 6 and 7, as well as several centrally located sessions, are planned for 2010. Mn/DOT staff can register for a training session through their employee development specialist/training representative.

Employees with questions about training content can contact Jim Weingartz at james.weingartz@dot.state.mn.us or 651-366-4698. Employees with questions about registration can contact Norm Plasch at norm.plasch@dot.state.mn.us or 651-366-3301.

By Beth Petrowske

Tough economic times have made life difficult in many ways for many people.

The Combined Charities Campaign serves as an opportunity for employees to help make someone’s life a little easier.

Each year, the Minnesota State Employees’ Combined Charities Campaign is an opportunity for employees to donate to charities of their choice through the convenience of payroll deduction.

Last year, Mn/DOT employees contributed $90,612 during the Combined Charities Campaign. This year’s goal is to increase last year’s total by five percent.

"This year's theme is 'state employees caring for Minnesota'." said Eric Davis, human resources director. "State Employees are known for their generosity, pledging over $1 million to Minnesota charities last year. Because of the exceptional service and generosity of Mn/DOT employees, Minnesotans are safer and enjoy a higher quality of life."  

Mn/DOT’s kick-off event is scheduled for Oct. 6, just outside the Central Office cafeteria. Representatives from various charities will be available to answer questions between noon and 3 p.m.

The Combined Charities Campaign officially begins Oct. 1 and runs through Oct. 31.
For more information about the campaign, visit http://www.mmb.state.mn.us/doc/sema4/ss/charities.pdf or call Amy Zerwas, Human Resources, at 651-366-3386.

Walk around the capital

Jarvis Keys, Transit, has again organized a walk around the Minnesota State Capitol Mall to raise awareness for the need to support area food shelves.

The walk will start in front of the Central Office building Oct. 6. Walkers are encouraged to walk during morning, lunch or afternoon breaks between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

In addition to the walk, containers will be placed on each floor for non-perishable food donations. The containers will be available through Oct. 16.

For additional details, contact Jarvis Keys at jarvis.keys@dot.state.mn.us or call 651-366-4175.

By Kay Korsgaard

Two new information resources policies that address Mn/DOT’s use of Web technologies  such as Facebook and Twitter, and collaboration technologies such as Wikis, recently received approval from Deputy Commissioner Khani Sahebjam.

The intent of the policies, according to Kathy Hofstedt, Information and Technology Services director, is to encourage the responsible use of these resources for business purposes.

Social Media
Sometimes referred to as Web 2.0, Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites that represent Mn/DOT must be approved by the Office of Communications, said Kevin Gutknecht, Communications director.

“We want to encourage the use of social media to supplement our Web site and other communication tools,” Gutknecht said. “At the same time, we need to ensure that the potential use meets department goals and that a particular social media format is a good tool for the message.”

Mn/DOT already uses Twitter for Twin Cities metro area traffic updates and expects to have a Facebook presence in the near future, Gutknecht said.

In addition, several state transportation departments and Minnesota state agencies also are using these new technologies, including the Washington and Missouri DOTs, which have a Facebook presence, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, which uses Twitter to communicate with the public.

Mn/DOT’s firewall currently blocks employee access to most social media from within the department’s network. If you need to access these technologies for work-related reasons (for example, to monitor comments on another state DOT Twitter or Facebook account), you must complete an exception to policy form and have it signed by the appropriate staff. The form is available at: http://ihub.dot.state.mn.us/itweb/docs/appruseexcep.pdf.

The Social Media Policy can be viewed at http://ihub.policies/; search for policy number 4.25.

Collaboration Software
Examples of collaboration technologies currently used by Mn/DOT staff include “Groove,” hosted by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials; Sharepoint, hosted by the State Office of Information Technology, and internal Wikis. There is a fee for state agencies to use Sharepoint, which is paid for by each office.

Mn/DOT employees do not need formal authorization to participate in these technologies but do need supervisor approval, Hofstedt said. Some collaboration technologies are blocked by Mn/DOT’s firewall; if you need access to a site that is blocked, you will need to complete the exception to policy form.  

The Collaboration Technologies Policy can be viewed at http://ihub.policies/; search for policy number 4.24.

A list of frequently asked questions and answers regarding these policies is available at: http://ihub/communication.

The August 2009 edition of New Library Materials is now available at http://www.dot.state.mn.us/library/newlibmat.html.

New Library Materials is a compilation of book titles and other resources added to the library collection during the previous month.

In preparation for the Office/Outlook 2007 upgrade, the library has added computer software books for Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, Visio and Vista. Check the library catalog http://mdt.mnpals.net or contact the library for any materials needed.

If you would like to be added to the library’s distribution list, call 651-366-3791 or e-mail library@dot.state.mn.us.

By Beth Petrowske

Craig Strand started working at Mn/DOT about five months ago as an emergency management planner, but his work as an emergency management professional dates back more than 15 years.

Earlier this year, Steele County’s Awareness and Emergency Response team nominated Strand for the President’s Volunteer Service Award, which is given to Americans who, by their demonstrated commitment and example, inspire others to engage in volunteer service. Strand received the award on Sept. 16 while attending a monthly board meeting in Steele County.

"I was totally surprised and honored that Steele County CAER went through the extensive research and procedures to obtain this award for me,” Strand said.

Before coming to Mn/DOT, Strand worked at the Department of Public Safety where he helped organize Steele County CAER, a group of professional emergency responders and trained volunteers.

Keeping a group like CAER working together productively and efficiently can be an ongoing challenge. It requires a military-type command structure complete with specific roles for each group member.

Strand’s emergency management expertise is the product of the 23 major disasters he has worked in.

“Craig understands the importance of developing strong working relationships before and during disasters at all levels of government,” said Mike Johnson, Steele County emergency management director. “He is there when needed and understands that dealing with problems with an e-mail or a phone call doesn’t work during a disaster.

“Craig will be there with a helping hand—if your feet are wet during a flood, his feet will be wet also and he will be standing there offering his help.”

During the 15 years Strand worked with CAER, he attended monthly meetings and participated in annual drills representing the state. Regardless of the situation, Strand rarely missed a meeting, according to Shirley Woodfill, Steele County community emergency response team coordinator.
 
“We could always count on Craig for information, support and guidance,” Woodfill said.

By Qin Tang

More than 100 runners from 17 state agencies, including 40 runners from Mn/DOT, participated in the inaugural Minnesota State Capitol Run at Work Day 5K and Half 5K event on Sept. 18.

Commissioner Tom Sorel was on hand to kick-off the race, participate in the walking portion of the event and present the winning runners with medals.

"It was an event beyond amazing," said Lynn Frank, Run at Work Day planning committee chair. "We certainly achieved our goal of encouraging people to run and exercise and provided an opportunity for employees to come together and have fun.”

Eighteen runners from six aged-based categories were presented with medals. Among the 18 were seven winning runners from Mn/DOT:

• Matt Aman, Metro District Office of Design
• Gary Simon, Office of Human Resources
• Chuck Howe, Office of Materials and Road Research
• Victoria Nill, Metro District Office of Transit
• Sandy Davidson, Office of Finance
• Patti Loken, State Aid Division
• Lynna Schlegel, Office of Transportation Data and Analysis

The event was organized by the Run at Work Day Planning Committee and sponsored by the Hiway Federal Credit Union to coincide with National Run at Work Day, which was created to encourage people to devote some of their break time at work each day to running. 

“It was great to see the number of Mn/DOT employees who participated in the run and walk,” Frank said. "Hopefully, we can keep this event going for years to come."