By Doug Mack

A winter that saw some of the heaviest snowfalls on record has led to a waterlogged spring as rivers and lakes, and even typically calm streams, have risen around Minnesota. The flooding has closed roadways large and small and kept MnDOT crews busy keeping the public safe by diverting traffic and maintaining a close watch on ever-changing conditions over the past few weeks.

The many road closures have included:

• Hwy 9, Hwy 200, Hwy 317 and Hwy 220 in District 2
• Hwy 47 in District 3
• Hwy 7, Hwy 9, Hwy 27 and Hwy 75 in District 4
• Hwy 60 and Hwy 61 in District 6
• Hwy 93 and Hwy 19 in District 7
• Hwy 167, Hwy 75 and Hwy 40 (due to “chandeliering” ice on the road) in District 8

While some of the closures have been for just a day or two, others have lasted longer, including in District 6.

“A small area of Hwy 60 east of Hwy 61 at Wabasha has been closed since April 14,” said Mike Dougherty, District 6 Public Engagement and Communications director. “A backwater area of the Mississippi River has flooded the road at a low area that passes underneath railroad tracks. The Mississippi River is expected to reach its peak levels this week.”

Every closure requires careful consideration of various factors, starting with public safety; it also necessitates a thoughtful approach to the type of closure. In some cases, only a lane or two needs to be shut down temporarily, while traffic continues on the rest of the roadway. When a road is completely closed, MnDOT officials plan a detour and, in some cases, take other measures.

When MnDOT recently closed Hwy 19 in southern Minnesota, for example, rerouting the traffic required extra steps.

“We are putting up a temporary traffic signal at the intersection of Hwy 25 and Cty Rd 3 in Belle Plaine,” said Ryan Wilson, Metro South area manager. “This helps move the additional traffic through the intersection.”

Wilson added that in some past instances of road closures leading to a significant increase in traffic elsewhere, MnDOT will restripe roadways on an emergency basis to add lanes. Such actions have not been necessary yet this spring, but have been used in past years when flooding in the Minnesota River valley required closing bridges in the southern suburbs of the Twin Cities, leading to more vehicles on Hwy 169.

To keep tabs on local conditions around the state, including road closures, use the 511 app or the 511 website.

By Julie Bartkey

April is Earth Month, and one way that MnDOT has marked the occasion is to take stock of the agency’s efforts to contribute to a cleaner, greener environment.

The transportation sector continues to be the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emission in Minnesota and the state’s extreme weather this spring is an example of the impact of climate change. MnDOT is taking steps to address these issues, with the Office of Sustainability and Public Health helping to guide the next steps.

Here are a few examples of actions the agency has taken since Earth Month last year:

• Completing the 2022 update to the Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan, which included updated greenhouse gas reduction, vehicle miles traveled reduction, and zero-emission goals.
• Responding to the Sustainable Transportation Advisory Council’s third set of recommendations, which identified opportunities to advance electric vehicle infrastructure and multimodal transportation options.
• Releasing a Next Generation Highways Feasibility study, which explored opportunities to expand the use of MnDOT rights of way to support clean energy, modernize the electricity grid and support future demand growth and electrification of transportation.
• Updating the Complete Streets Policy and expanded training opportunities to support project managers and staff with addressing the safety and access needs of users of all ages and abilities.

Going forward, new federal climate and resilience programs provide opportunities for MnDOT and its partners to invest approximately $300 million over five years in plans and projects to create a more sustainable transportation system across Minnesota. This includes the Office of Sustainability and Public Health leading planning and programming for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program; Carbon Reduction Program; and Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT).

To learn more about these efforts, visit the MnDOT Office and Sustainability and Public Health website.

By Doug Mack

The Minnesota chapter of the Women's Transportation Seminar held its annual recognition awards ceremony on April 20, and MnDOT was well-represented among the honorees.

The agency was named Employer of the Year.

“When it comes to employee professional development and creating career pathways for women, MnDOT truly stands apart,” the citation read, in part. “MnDOT administers numerous workforce development programs to support women and employees at every career stage. MnDOT hosts five Career Pathway Programs designed to recruit, develop, and retain a highly qualified and diverse workforce.”

In addition, Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger was honored with the Woman of the Year Award, Jennifer Wiltgen, Metro District planning program coordinator, received the Member of the Year Award and Abdullahi Abdulle, transportation equity planning coordinator, Office of Transportation System Management, was given the Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership Award.

“I’m deeply honored to receive this recognition from WTS Minnesota – and to be in such good company with the other winners, including MnDOT’s own Abdullahi Abdulle and Jennifer Wiltgen,” Commissioner Daubenberger said. “We have a responsibility at MnDOT to create career pathways that help our agency better reflect the diverse communities we serve statewide. I’m proud of the progress MnDOT has made and look forward to continuing to commit ourselves to that critical work.”

By Doug Mack

In its three decades of operation, MnDOT’s FIRST program has become an essential, sometimes lifesaving, asset to drivers around the Twin Cities Metro area, responding to 21,700 service calls in 2022 alone. On April 13, the agency held an event to mark the program’s 30 years and celebrate the people who make it work.

Originally called the Highway Helper program, FIRST exists to reduce incident related freeway congestion and prevent secondary crashes through the quick response and removal of incidents. It is a key component of the Metro District’s Incident Management Program.

When a call comes in to the Regional Transportation Management Center in Roseville, dispatchers and operators can see the locations of all of the FIRST trucks and, if appropriate, dispatch drivers to incidents and monitor their locations. Once they’re on the scene where assistance is needed, FIRST drivers take actions, such as pushing vehicles out of the traffic lanes, clearing debris, assisting State Patrol with first aid and traffic control at crash scenes, providing small quantities of gasoline, jump starting vehicles and assisting with tire changes.

“Our FIRST drivers really represent MnDOT in a positive way,” said Tiffany Dagon, RTMC director. “They provide help and assistance to road users during what is often a stressful or traumatic time and their help is really appreciated by the people they serve.”

The numbers speak to the importance of the FIRST drivers: in 2022, they responded to 15,361 stalls, 3,371 crashes, 1,307 debris removal requests, 283 spinouts, 118 vehicle fires and 82 medical situations.

By Doug Mack

Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger, along with other agency leaders, is encouraging all employees to participate in the two-part safety culture survey.

“Sharing your insights, perspectives, and recommendations will provide the information we need to improve our safety culture and prevent serious incidents,” Daubenberger said in an email to employees on April 17.

The first survey opened on April 18 and will close on April 28. It takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and focuses on the work environment, safety practices and procedures, attitudes, and behaviors of people in the workplace, and the level of commitment to safety MnDOT leaders show. This survey will include a follow-up consisting of onsite assessments and employee interviews. Leadership will use the results from this survey to chart a clear path forward for safety excellence.

The second survey will be open from June 5-16.

This effort is the third State of Minnesota enterprise-wide safety perception survey. The goal of the survey is to give state employees an opportunity to express opinions about workplace safety and to provide leadership with the information needed to manage staff safety. The results will also offer insights into the ways that safety culture has evolved since the last survey, in 2017, and will be used to set new goals.

The survey is being administered by a third-party vendor, Propulo Consulting. All responses will remain confidential – neither MnDOT nor Propulo Consulting will collect information about IP addresses, names or employee numbers, and MnDOT staff will not have access to individual responses. Personal information will be removed from any open-ended comments shared by those completing the survey, and the agency will never try to identify who said what, except for situations in which a respondent may share information indicating they may be a potential safety risk to themselves or others.
 
Here is the link to the safety survey. Any questions about the survey should be emailed to Stephanie Raley, Safety Culture director.

By Joseph Palmersheim

MnDOT is committed to recognizing and rewarding the outstanding performance of its employees. One way to do that is through employee achievement awards, which are monetary awards granted to eligible employees who demonstrate outstanding job performance.

A new policy regarding those awards recently went into effect after Minnesota Management and Budget updated the state’s Employee Recognition and Achievement Award Policy. The biggest change to the enterprise policy was adding an option to award step increases or lump sum payments. MnDOT’s new policy adds the option to grant step increases, which are only available to employees represented by MAPE, MMA or MGEC who are not at the top of their pay range. Each district/office determines the budget for monetary achievement awards as part of fiscal year planning.

MnDOT also removed a previous stipulation that employees can only receive one Achievement Award per fiscal year. It also complies with the provisions of the collective bargaining agreements and compensation plans which state employees may receive both an individual and a team achievement award in one fiscal year.

But when to give an award? The policy also includes guidance for decision-making. Under the new policy:

• Awards must align with MnDOT’s vision, mission, core values, and Strategic Operating Plan.
• Awards should be given as close to the actual activity or outstanding performance as possible, be meaningful to the individual, and any public recognition should respect the preferences of the recipients.
• Awards are not a substitute for a competitive salary plan or supplemental compensation and must be performance-based.
• Offices and Districts may allocate money in the budget each fiscal year to use for achievement awards according to the Achievement Award Procedures. End of year allocations for achievement awards are not permitted.

Any MnDOT employee may nominate an individual for an achievement award to recognize outstanding performance. Nominations may be submitted year-round using the MnDOT Achievement Award Nomination Form and should be made close to the time of outstanding performance for which the employee is being recognized.

Team Awards

• Team Recognition: Team of employees who have demonstrated outstanding teamwork on a special project or overcome a particular and unusual challenge in carrying out the goals of the office or district.

Individual Awards

• Project Recognition: Employee has done exceptional work on a project that supports agency-wide goals and is outside of normal job parameters.
• Sustained Performance: Employee has demonstrated consistent, exceptional performance throughout the appraisal period in regard.
• Individual Performance: Employee has delivered outstanding individual performance, including developing and implementing innovative ideas or creative solutions that result in cost savings, operational efficiency and/or improvements in service, processes or productivity.

ByMadeline Kuncio, MnDOT Library

The latest issue of New Library Materials is available and features information about the library’s new alert on Government Workforce Development. New Library Materials is a compilation of resources added to the library collection during the previous month. Visit the MnDOT library website and click “New Library Materials” to sign up. Questions and feedback are welcome at Ask a Librarian.

By Julie Swiler, Office of Research & Innovation

Gov. Tim Walz proclaimed April 23-29 Capitol Area Library Consortium Week to recognize CALCO libraries during National Library Week.

“By assisting employees of the judicial, legislative and executive branches of Minnesota government, as well as providing information services to Minnesota residents and libraries, CALCO libraries offer a vital service to the people of Minnesota,” said Gov. Walz in the proclamation.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, CALCO was formed in 1973 to encourage cooperation among state government libraries and increase their role within Minnesota’s library community. The MnDOT Library is one of 13 member libraries and four associate member libraries.

Since 1957, the MnDOT Library has provided access to a vast network of transportation information. Visit the library on the first floor of the State Transportation Building, access library services online, or check out the new MnDOT Digital Library, a digital repository of MnDOT publications.

By Joseph Palmersheim

Dave Hanson is a natural resource program coordinator with MnDOT’s Roadside Vegetation Management Unit. Hanson, an 11-year MnDOT employee, said that another way to describe his job would be “roadside vegetation manager.” He maintains certification as an International Society of Arboriculture: Certified Arborist. He’s also a State of Minnesota Tree Inspector and is qualified by the DNR to conduct rare plant surveys.

What do you do in your job, and what do you find interesting about it?
RVMU team members are often referred to as “MnDOT’s foresters.” Forests, boulevard trees, or individual trees are often at the forefront of our conversations. There is so much more to experience on MnDOT’s roadsides. This includes grasses, wildflowers and many other plants supporting roadside habitats.

My time in the office can include working on vegetation reviews for early notification memos or permit requests. Deskwork may involve tree-related questions or questions about plant identification or weed control. My time in the field is often focused on trees in urban settings, like boulevards, and preservation or removal of a tree or trees.

The interesting part is that I get to spend time outdoors in Minnesota consorting with plants. Then, even though I am an introvert by nature, I enjoy the opportunities I am given to share my knowledge and experience with the MnDOT team statewide.

What sort of activities do you do in the field?
Tree surveys, including identification and mapping before rural or urban infrastructure improvements. Typically, the focus is on whether trees should stay or be removed. If they are to be retained, we determine whether they need protection from construction activities.

Minnesota’s roads travel through many distinct habitats, such as remnant prairies, forests or wetlands. These habitats may harbor state-listed threatened or endangered species. This is one instance where my plant identification skills are often brought to bear. If we find a unique habitat or a rare plant species, we begin the discussion with partners on how best to preserve or avoid that resource.

And on rare occasions, I get my hands dirty helping with prescribed fire operations.

What are some of the variables and challenges that come with working in the natural
world/outdoors?
Besides weather, insects and poison ivy?

People and passions. And, I would say rightly so. People are attached to nature and natural things in deep ways. It could be a clump of Showy Lady’s Slippers or hundreds of them. It could be a small patch of land or acres, an individual tree or a forest. But they form very real, emotional attachments. The emotions are difficult to express in words, but they show in the angst when change is imminent.

Unfortunately, when change happens it can be difficult to witness, and it can be emotional. It doesn’t matter if that change is from natural forces, such as wind or fire, or by human development. The challenge is softening or explaining that change. We balance the need for an alteration, maybe a safety improvement, with the preservation or, in some cases, removal of a natural entity.

How has your role changed since you started?
The role, for the most part, has remained unchanged. Fortunately, the activities that make up the role are many and varied. That variety keeps the work life challenging, interesting and fun.

One of the many rewarding MnDOT experiences has been putting my skills to work on an update to MnDOT’s Minnesota Noxious Weeds book. Since its completion in 2012, it has become a standard training manual for anyone working to manage noxious weeds in Minnesota, and many partner agencies use it.

The only change I will mention has been gradual, from MnDOT rookie to being one of the team leads. I enjoy bringing in new people and sharing my experience and knowledge with them to further their development and career at MnDOT.

What did you want to be when you were growing up, and what was your path to forestry/MnDOT?
That is a good question! I grew up in south central Minnesota and loved being outdoors. I think there were thoughts of pursuing a degree in biology and following some path to a job outdoors. But soon after entering college, I discovered computer science and I was hooked.

That put me on the journey that has not been without a few sharp turns. A degree in computer science and mathematics from Minnesota State University-Mankato turned into 18 years with Unisys Corporation, where I solved operating system software glitches. As that job wound down, I attended the University of Minnesota and earned a degree in assessment and modeling of natural resources, heavy on GIS.

My minor in forestry management became the catalyst for 10 years as a research specialist in Urban and Community Forestry. I continued taking classes and completed a master's degree focused on Urban and Community Forestry. Then, 11 years and 5 months ago, another turn in the path brought an opportunity to work with MnDOT, and here I am.
Do you or a co-worker have an interesting job to share with readers? Send us your ideas, and we’ll contact you for more information.

Recent employee profiles:

• Dan Roushar helps make it all work at MnROAD
• Becky Parzyck balances work at MnDOT, service in Navy Reserve
• A.J. Farrow maintains bridges and keeps roads clear

By Jen Parshley, Commissioner’s Office and Q&A ERG

In 2021 and 2022, MnDOT’s Q&A Employee Resource Group organized a virtual MnDOT Pride event during Pride Month. As part of this, the group offered agency employees the opportunity to record a personal Pride message that would be part of a video compilation shown during the virtual event. The event was well-attended, and participants reported that it was especially meaningful to hear the messages from MnDOT leadership.   

While Q&A is participating in Pride events in person this year, the group is also continuing this recent tradition of sharing pride messages with MnDOT employees.

To participate, contact Jen Parshley to schedule a 15-minute Teams call. Messages only need to be a few minutes long and should focus on how you can show up as an ally in the workplace, why Pride in the workplace matters to you, what being an ally means to you and your connection to the LGBTQ community. The meetings will be available until May 15, at which point Q&A leadership will work with Video Services to edit the recordings into one video.

MnDOT Virtual Pride will take place on June 5; more details will be announced soon.