July 2018
Issue 50
2018 Workshop Calendar

Click here to view training opportunities available in 2018. We will continue to update the schedule with dates and locations, so check in with us regularly. If you are interested in hosting a class, please email Shelly Desjardin at [email protected] . 
Our mission is to foster a safe, efficient, environmentally sound transportation system by improving skills and knowledge of local transportation providers through training, technical assistance, and technology transfer.
In This Issue:
  • Innovation Station: Wethersfield's New Bike Repair Station
  • Safe Streets Academy: Cities Launch Demonstration Projects
  • Tips from Tony
  • Town Crier: Ducklings Rescued from Storm Drain in Vernon
  • New Tailgate Talk: Mower Safety
  • Welcome to the Wethersfield Heritage Walk
  • Tips for Driving in the Heat
  • Tips from Tony: Answer

Innovation Station: Wethersfield's New Bike Repair Station
Wethersfield is one of the lucky towns to receive a bike repair station through grant funding that was obtained by the Central CT Health District to purchase three stations for district communities.
The Wethersfield Department of Public Works recently finished installing the station at the town hall, and the ribbon cutting was held on June 28, 2018.

The town also has a new advisory committee on biking and walking that was formed in partnership with Bike Walk Wethersfield , a biking and walking advocacy group striving to encourage and improve safe bicycling and walking in town.
Safe Streets Academy: Cities Launch Demonstration Projects

Through the Safe Streets Academy, a first of its kind technical assistance program funded by the Road to Zero Coalition , the National Complete Streets Coalition has been working with three cities to build skills in safer street design, tactical urbanism, and community engagement. After attending their second workshop, the teams from Lexington, KY; South Bend, IN; and Orlando, FL applied these skills with on-the-ground demonstration projects that test techniques to slow down driving speeds and make their streets safer places for people.
To learn more about the cities' demonstration projects, click here .
Tips from Tony
Have you ever heard of (UIIG), and do you know how it can be helpful in improving roadway safety?
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 [email protected] .
Ducklings Rescued from Storm Drain in Vernon
A quick-acting crew from Vernon Department of Public Works (DPW) managed to save a group of ducklings that fell down a storm drain on the morning of July 2nd.
The drain is located in the Vernon Board of Education parking lot. When the ducklings were discovered, school system officials called the DPW.

A crew consisting of foreman Jeff Schambach, driver Kevin Clements and laborer Nick Petrolito came to the scene, pried off the grate and gently lifted the ducks to safety.

Click here to read on and view some adorable pictures!
New Tailgate Talk: Mower Safety

The T2 Center has published our newest Tailgate Talk informational brief. Each Tailgate Talk focuses on one on-the-job safety topic and is designed to be shared with your crew at the beginning of their day. When employees are presented with safety material in small chunks, in a setting in which they are comfortable, they are more likely to retain that information and put it into practice.

The summer months bring about more outdoor work for highway maintenance workers, including mowing along roadways. Mowing safety should be a priority for agencies during this time of year. Failure to observe safety precautions when operating mowing equipment can result in serious injury or death. Here are some facts and tips that can help keep you safe while mowing.
Welcome to the Wethersfield Heritage Walk

The Wethersfield Heritage Walk is a three mile long, self-guided tour consisting of a series of twenty-two interpretive markers that highlight points of historical s ignificance throughout Old Wethersfield.

Wethersfield has a rich cultural, historical and architectural heritage stretching back over four centuries. As you walk, run, drive or bike along the streets you can learn the intriguing stories of the native American Wangunks, early settlers, farmers, ship builders, sea captains, slaves, patriots, diplomats, prisoners, home builders and preservationists.

Visit historic homes, museums, shops and places of interest as you stroll through Connecticut's largest historic district.

For more information click here .
Tips for Driving in the Heat

Winter isn't the only season that can take a toll on driving safety. It is important to keep workers safe on the road during summer, too. Extreme heat can damage your company's fleet vehicles and put workers at risk of a breakdown. Workers who drive as part of their job may be sharing the roads with fatigued or impaired travelers on their way to or returning from vacation.

This year, NIOSH is sharing ways that employers can keep their workers safe while driving in hot weather conditions. Use the following tips for on- and off-the-job driving.
Tips from Tony: Answer

The Unsignalized Intersection Improvement Guide (UIIG) was developed as a road safety tool through a collaboration between the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE). The UIIG identifies 71 different treatments that can be made at unsignalized intersections. Each treatment identifies targeted crash types, problems addressed, standards and other resources. Installing a Stop Sign is one example, shown below.
The UIIG is located at this link .
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If you have any ideas or suggestions for future  Connecticut Crossroads  topics, please feel free to email the designer Regina Hackett at  [email protected]