December 2017
Issue 43
T2 Center's Annual Staff Retreat
The T2 Center staff came together on November 29th for our Annual Staff Retreat. At the retreat we review the past year, reflect, regroup and begin planning for the upcoming new year.

This year's retreat was held at Four Arrows UConn. Four Arrows UConn is a Leadership and Organizational Development program. Their mission is "to provide unique, challenging, and adventurous experimental learning programs specially designed for individuals and groups to accomplish personal and team goals, promote character development, while learning through reflection."

The T2 Center staff had a great time with the Four Arrows UConn staff. We did some engaging team building exercises and had many laughs throughout the day. It was just what our team needed to refresh and regroup for the upcoming year. Many exciting ideas were developed for 2018 and we can't wait to start sharing them with all of you! Stay tuned...
Watch for 2018 Training Opportunities
We are busy planning our 2018 Workshop Training Calendar. Available soon, check back here to view training opportunities scheduled for 2018!
34th Annual CASHO-CIRMA Snow Plow Safety Roadeo
Winner Announcement
The Connecticut Association of Street & Highway Officials, Inc. (CASHO) and the Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency (CIRMA) hosted their 34th Annual CASHO-CIRMA Snow Plow Safety Roadeo on October 12, 2017. The event took place in Wallingford, CT.

The overall winner of the event was the City of Bridgeport .

The Best In Show category winners were:

  • 100 - East Hartford - Keith Zern
  • 200 - Bloomfield - Mike Luduc
  • 300 - Hebron - Richard Wanat
  • 400 - Vernon - Kevin Clements
  • 500 - Fairfield - Paulo Seara

Congratulations to all of the winners! For a complete listing, click here .
Tips from Tony
Does the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) allow for Interpretations, Experimentations, Changes and Interim Approvals?
Find the answer at the bottom of the newsletter.
If you have roadway safety questions, please contact:
Anthony Lorenzetti, P.E. - Safety Circuit Rider
(860) 486-5847 or anthony.lorenzetti@uconn.edu
Keep Connected to Training

During the winter months, it can be difficult to keep crews focused on training and professional development. Help your staff stay on top of technical and operational information by taking advantage of the T2 Center's Worker Safety Briefs and Tailgate Talks .

Visit the Resources page on our website to access training tools on a wide variety of topics and share the information to keep your crew safe and informed over the winter months. Give your agency a head start to a safe and healthy spring.
Looking Forward, Reflecting Back: Using Perspective to Make the Most of Your Accomplishments

As a leader, you are tasked with setting the long-term vision for your team or organization. However, it's sometimes hard to keep those big-picture goals in sight when you are constantly bombarded by day-to-day tasks and challenges. Another year is quickly coming to a close, and you may be wondering where the time went, or worse, feeling like you haven't made much progress towards your long-term vision.

Many of us have been trained to always look forward. To push ourselves. To achieve. To always be, do, and have MORE. There is certainly nothing wrong with this, and actually it's this desire for greatness that helps us accomplish things and make a difference in the world. Unfortunately, one drawback is that when we are constantly looking forward, we can fail to see how far we've come.

Goals Are like the Horizon
Have you ever noticed that no matter how hard you work, how much you accomplish, or how far you've come, it always feels like there's still so much more to be done? That's because goals are like the horizon—they recede as you move toward them.

If you set out on a journey from the east coast to California, you'd notice that no matter how far you travel, the horizon never gets any closer. Like a carrot on a stick, for every step you take, the horizon is one step ahead.

Goals are very similar. We may have a future vision in mind, and as soon as we achieve it, we immediately begin crafting a new vision and setting new goals. Often, we are so focused on the future that we don't even stop to acknowledge our accomplishments before moving on to "what's next?".

While it's great to be driven, constantly looking to the future can make us feel dissatisfied, overwhelmed, and like we are never going to "get there."

Click here to continue this empowering article from the KJR Consulting Group.
Coming Soon: UConn Traffic Safety Driving Simulator!
The Connecticut Transportation Safety Research Center (CTSRC) is in the process of obtaining a fully loaded traffic safety driving simulator! The advanced driving simulator, a full-sized, four-door sedan, will have no engine and will be almost fully encircled by three large projection screens, similar to the image displayed here.

Various driving scenarios and environments can be generated and displayed on the projection screens to simulate driving events in the real world. Simulation programs will be created to study how research participants react to driving in a multitude of circumstances such as inclement weather, at night, on the highways or in a heavy pedestrian and bicyclist traffic.

Click here to continue this article by Marisa Auguste, from her Drivers Behaving Badly blog.
December is National Drunk & Drugged Driving Prevention Month.
In recognition of December as National Drunk & Drugged Driving Prevention Month, we are sharing news from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of their recently released 2016 Fatal Traffic Crash Data.

According to NHTSA's data, which was collected from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, 37,461 lives were lost on U.S. roads in 2016, an increase of 5.6 percent from calendar year 2015.

The number of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) on U.S. roads in 2016 increased by 2.2 percent and resulted in a fatality rate of 1.18 deaths per 100 million VMT—a 2.6-percent increase from the previous year.

NHTSA found that distracted driving and drowsy driving fatalities declined, while deaths related to other reckless behavior—including  speeding, alcohol impairment, and not wearing s eat belts—continued to increase.

Click here to continue reading this news release from NHTSA.
T2 Center's Holiday Message
To brighten your day and bring a smile to your face, check out the 2017 UConn Holiday video.
Tips from Tony ~ Answer
Yes, section 1A.10 page 4 of the MUTCD provides the framework to request Interpretations, Experimentations, Changes and Approvals.

Section 1A.10 Interpretations, Experimentations, Changes and Interim Approvals
Standard: Design, application and placement of traffic control devices other than those adopted in the Manual will be prohibited unless the provisions of this section are followed.

Written approval must be requested from, and given by FHWA HQ prior to the use of any interim approval by any jurisdiction. The list of Approved Requests can be located at: https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/interim_approval/ialistreq.htm

The following links provide information on Interpretations, Experimentations, Changes, and Interim Approvals. Note: Some of the approvals that were published prior to the MUTCD revision and were included in the 2009 MUTCD update.

The MUTCD also has a link on Frequently Asked Questions at: https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/kno-faq.htm .
Follow Us!
Use these links to get more information about the Connecticut Technology Transfer (T2) Center:
If you have any ideas or suggestions for future  Connecticut Crossroads  topics, please feel free to email the designer Regina Hackett at  regina.hackett@uconn.edu