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Nicole Kolb Hood named state highway
safety and traffic engineer
Nicole Kolb Hood, who has been with MoDOT for 21 years, has been named state highway safety and traffic engineer following the retirement of Eileen Rackers. Hood is a 1995 graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia and a licensed professional engineer in Missouri. She started her MoDOT career as a transportation planner in Central Office. She has worked in positions at Central Office and Central District in design, traffic and planning. For the past three years, Hood has served as assistant state design engineer.
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Nicole Kolb Hood, a 21-year MoDOT veteran, has been named state highway safety and traffic engineer.
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Hood says her passion for highway safety and traffic didn't happen overnight. It started as a traffic engineer reading crash reports, and conducting crash reviews at locations where people had died.
"I've taken those experiences with me and continued to instill safety into the projects I've designed and managed on the program delivery side," Hood said. "I've worked to bring innovation to projects such as j-turns, DDIs, high friction surface treatments and shared four-lanes with the focus on improving safety."
Safety on Missouri's roads continues to be a top concern as 947 people were killed in crashes on the system in 2016. Human error is attributed to 94 percent of all crashes.
"It takes each and every one of us to lead by example, focus on the road, buckle up and put our phones down," Hood said. "Seven out of ten drivers use smart phones when driving. We have to work together with our safety partners to find ways to reverse this trend and drive toward zero deaths."
In her new role, Hood plans to work closely with the districts, divisions and partners to understand the needs and implement new strategies to improve highway safety.
"There are so many new technologies and innovations on the horizon. I'm excited for the possibilities with smart vehicles and alternate travel," she said. "It will take all of us working together to ensure our current systems are interconnected and working well and then collaborating with our partners to define our future role."
Hood's passion for road safety also comes from her family. She and her husband, Financial Services Administrator Doug Hood, have three children. "These three blessings in my life represent teenage driver #1, upcoming teenage driver #2 and the passenger who gets hauled around by the teenage drivers," she said. "Knowing the leading cause of teen deaths is car crashes, there's not a day that goes by that I don't remind my children about making the right choices when driving or riding in a car."
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Innovations Challenge Showcase video
Have you seen this short video on this year's Innovations Challenge Showcase?
Click the image and take a look!
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Governor Greitens announces focus areas
Gov. Eric Greitens shared three principles that he will be focusing on for Missourians during a recent cabinet retreat.
The three principles incorporate stewardship and prioritizing the needs of Missourians. They are:
- The People's Money (stewardship, efficiency-more with less, continuous improvement)
- Citizens First (optimized for citizens, as good as anywhere, single, integrated experience)
- "My Missouri" (ownership, performance, accountability)
In the next few weeks, we will share more details about these focus areas and MoDOT's commitment to the governor's vision. Those details will include how these areas intersect with several MoDOT values and how we will incorporate them into our daily activities.
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Southeast District update:
waters
recede, repairs needed
Although floodwaters have receded in most areas, the Southeast District team is still dealing with impacts from the recent flood. Before opening any roadway or bridge, MoDOT inspects it to ensure the safety of the traveling public.
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Route T at Lake Wappapello is one of the roadways that completely washed away. MoDOT will contract work to repair Route T when the discharge levels from the gate allow, most likely after Memorial Day.
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Unfortunately, several were deemed unsafe to reopen without repairs. And even more disheartening, other bridges and roadways were washed away completely and will have to be rebuilt.
Southeast District Bridges:
With the number of bridges closed in the Southeast District, multiple inspection teams were necessary as the water began to recede. Five inspection teams were deployed from the Southeast District, as well as three from Central Office and one from the Northeast District.
During the inspections, 14 SE District bridges were in need of repair. Currently, most of the work is completed with two bridges still closed due to repairs - Route H and Missouri Route 95 in Ozark County.
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Unfortunately, this is where the Hammond Bridge once stood on Route CC near Dora. This is one of the two bridges in the Southeast District that was a complete loss.
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Two bridges were also complete losses in Ozark County. The bridges are located on Route CC (Hammond Bridge near Dora) and Route PP (James Bridge near Tecumseh).
Southeast District Roadways:
Maintenance crews have been busy making repairs to roadways damaged during the flood. Unfortunately, several roadways were completely washed away and will require more significant repairs. These roadways include Route JJ in Ozark County, Route 106 near Alley Springs in Shannon County (due to a slide), and Routes HH (Clearwater spillway) and T (Wappapello spillway) in Wayne County.
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One team in action during flood recovery efforts
As all of you know, nearly every corner of the state was hit with major flooding the last weekend in April. While the Northwest District saw a few road closures, we were not impacted as much as other areas. Crews in other regions were working hard to reopen and repair heavily damaged routes and our crews were asked to assist with personnel and fleet resources.
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Click above to watch a slideshow of some work done b the maintenance crews in Laclede County.
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At noon on Sunday, April 30, 384 routes were closed across the state due to flooding. That same day, the Northwest District sent barricades to the Houston maintenance facility as other parts of the state had simply run out of ways to block off flooded roadways.
On May 2, six employees, plus trucks and equipment, headed to Lebanon to help with repair efforts. They worked several locations in Laclede County, retrieving rock out of fields, placing shot rock to build up washed away roadsides, pulling fully grown trees packed in like concrete out of box culverts, and restoring some shoulders with rock, dirt and grass. At times they were working with five-foot deep floodwaters of the Gasconade River rushing by only inches away.
In addition to the Northwest maintenance workers and mechanics who traveled to Lebanon, four Northwest bridge inspectors traveled to Springfield to help ensure all the bridges in that region were safe for travel.
"Everyone that went enjoyed the experience and the chance to help out fellow MoDOT employees," said Milan Maintenance Crew Leader Nevin Hamilton. "We would all go back and help again if needed."
A sincere thank you to the following Northwest District employees who went to assist other districts.
Maintenance team deployed to Central District - King City Senior Maintenance Worker Brandon Gillette, Milan Maintenance Crew Leader Nevin Hamilton, Mound City Senior Equipment Technician Dusty Herron, Brookfield Senior Maintenance Worker David Lindbloom, Brookfield Senior Equipment Technician Jason Russell and Milan Intermediate Maintenance Worker Ethan Shoop. Bridge inspection team deployed to Southwest - Assistant District Construction and Materials Engineer Austin Hibler, Senior Construction Inspector Russ Love, Bridge Inspector Michael Marriott and Land Surveyor Stephen Miller. |
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MoDOT rocks to keep motorists safe
Did you know that MoDOT maintenance operations include keeping motorists safe from the effects of erosion?
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Click above to see the rock shaving operation in action.
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On occasion, stretches of rock formations alongside state roadways are affected by erosion and become a potential hazard for motorists. MoDOT crews regularly monitor these formations near the roadways. When the rock looks like it might potentially pose a hazard in the future, MoDOT proactively steps in to shave rock from the formations to keep the traveling public safe.
Recently, Central District maintenance crews noticed erosion occurring to a rock formation alongside U.S. Route 63 in Edgar Springs. The maintenance department marked four areas along the formation for removal and dispatched excavator equipment to get the job done. One lane was closed so that crews could remove loose rock from the top of a formation without endangering drivers. The operation was completed in less than a day.
A rock shaving operation like the one at Edgar Springs is rare. Over the past five years, only two such operations have happened along Central District roadways. But that won't stop MoDOT from continuing to observe rock formations along roadways so they can continue to keep motorists safe from any potential roadway hazard.
To see the rock shaving operation in action, watch this short video: https://youtu.be/nPsKIUBMp3M.
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Comment on MoDOT's website:
I just wanted to say THANK YOU ALL for keeping us safe in the many different ways that you do!
Very thankful for a site to go to, and view road hazards and closures. As well as a phone line to call.
It's not something that I think of daily, but perhaps I should. Since you are all hard at work every day.
Stay safe, and again, many thanks for the hard work you all do! NJS
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The road to healing
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Destiny Mantia is pictured with one of the Adopt-A-Highway signs that was installed on Missouri Route 47 in memory of her husband and son.
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For Destiny Mantia of Winfield, September 20, 2014, became a day she will never forget.
"Little did we know in a few short minutes, everything would change," said Mantia.
On that day, her husband Corey and one-year-old son Parker were killed in a crash by a drunk driver on Missouri Route 47 east of Hawk Point. Mantia was also seriously injured.
Three years after the tragedy, Mantia and her mother Tracy Castleberry, reached out to the Northeast District to inquire about adopting the section of road where her husband and son were killed.
"We had heard about this program and felt this would be a good way to honor their memory as well as bring awareness to drunk driving," Castleberry said. So in January 2017, the family joined the Adopt-A-Highway Program!
"I don't want to always remember this stretch of highway as a horrible place, but rather one that I can help make an enjoyable experience for others that drive along it," Mantia said. "And as they see us picking up litter, or perhaps they just see the sign, they will think of Corey and Parker," she added.
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Father commemorates daughter by
adopting section of highway in St. Louis
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Shawn Archambault (left) stands next to Karen Turnbo's daughter, Bailey, under the dedicated Adopt-A-Highway sign on Route FF in Jefferson County.
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A local St. Louis organization, created by a father who lost his daughter on a road he currently adopts for trash cleanup, hit a six-year mark this month. The KMA foundation, created by Shawn Archambault, is committed to keeping clean a two and one-half-mile section on Highway FF from Route 109 to Twin Oaks in Jefferson County.
Archambault lost his 20-year-old daughter, Kaela Marie Archambault, in a car crash on Highway FF in November of 2010 in the St. Louis District. Since then, MoDOT has added new shoulders, re-aligned curves, improved signage and visibility on Highway FF.
Since May of 2011, the KMA Foundation has helped clean up Missouri as an adopter through MoDOT's Adopt-A-Highway program. This year marks a 30-year milestone for the program.
"Being out with a group of individuals with a mindset of making a difference is rewarding within itself. Every time that we go out and clean, I leave with a sense of accomplishment," said Archambault.
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A volunteer points out the consequences of littering on a No MOre Trash sign on Route FF during a trash pickup event last year.
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The KMA Foundation picks up trash at least four times a year on the stretch of road. The volunteer groups range from three to 65 individuals at a time. The organization is one of more than 700 Adopt-A-Highway participants statewide.
"I look forward to continuing to pick up trash as an adopter for many years to come. It is a great education tool for the volunteers, which are usually young drivers. It teaches them firsthand how detrimental throwing trash out of a car window is to the environment," said Archambault.
The KMA Foundation overall is dedicated to honoring and keeping the memories of loved ones who have lost their lives in traffic accidents alive in communities. For more information about the KMA Foundation, please follow this link: http://www.kmafoundation.org/index.html.
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Getting to know your medical plan
As a member of the MoDOT & MSHP Medical and Life Insurance Plan, it is important for you to understand everything you can about this benefit. While you often contact insurance representatives if you have a question about your health care claim, they rarely hear from you with questions about the health of the plan. This is the first in a series of updates to help you understand this very important benefit. Staying informed can help you make good health care choices for you and your family.
First, it is important to know some of the basics regarding the plan's funded status. The plan's primary source of revenue is premiums paid by employees, retirees, MoDOT and the Patrol. In calendar year 2016, MoDOT and the Patrol contributed $59.8 million for active employee premiums and $20.3 million for retiree premiums, while employees contributed $15.2 in million and retirees contributed $21.6 million in premiums. The following chart illustrates a five year history of premium contributions:
The plan also receives Medicare subsidies and rebates. For calendar year 2016, the plan received nearly $5 million from Medicare. Another revenue source is interest earned on Plan reserves. Interest totaled about $557,000 in 2016.
So, where does all of this money go? In calendar year 2016 the plan paid $100.5 million in medical claims (a 17 percent increase from 2015), $25.1 million in prescription claims (a 14 percent increase from 2015), and $6.7 million in administrative service fees. This resulted in a net loss of $9.4 million for calendar year 2016, and left the Plan with year-end reserves of $10.9 million. That's a little more than half of the reserve at the beginning of the year. To view the plan's financial statement in more detail, you can go to the MoDOT and MSHP Medical and Life Insurance website -
Financial Statement.
Next edition, we'll share more about the growth in claims and prescriptions.
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Southwest District takes action on results of employee engagement summit, employee survey
The Southwest District is taking steps to better inform and engage employees.
The district held an Employee Engagement Summit in December last year. The event brought together employees from every work group in the district to talk about the recent Employee Survey results, and was an opportunity to discuss ways the district could implement changes to help all employees.
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Southwest District Engineer Travis Koestner addresses district supervisors during a training session on April 25.
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From that initial meeting, several actions have been taken. All employees in the Southwest District can now access the Weekly Connections slideshow, weekly media and Government Relations updates, as well as district-wide management team meeting agendas and minutes.
All relevant information has also been placed in an easy to access folder on the district's Sharepoint homepage. This ensures all employees can access meeting information and updates online, and creates transparency as to when the management groups meet and what is discussed.
Another suggestion from the summit was for all employees with supervisor responsibilities to undertake additional training to learn how to better communicate and manage their employees.
All 122 supervisors in the Southwest District took part in supervisor training on April 25, presented by People Centric Training. Supervisors learned about communication styles, how to handle difficult conversations, as well as some new and interesting facts about our colleagues. For example, Republic Maintenance Supervisor Nick Capra has amazing beat-boxing skills!
District leadership continues to work with the EAEC and Central Office staff to look at additional actions to support employee engagement in the district.
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Discounts for state employees
The State of Missouri employee discount website offers active and retired Missouri state employees discounts on products and services from various vendors. Here you will find discounts for lots of Missouri attractions, computer and cell phone discounts and much more. Check it out here -
https://discount.mo.gov/.
Public comment period opens on State
Transportation Improvement Program
MoDOT will focus its efforts on preservation of the state's transportation system - a $54 billion asset that carries a $125 billion replacement cost. That's the central theme of the draft 2018-2022 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, or "STIP," which was presented to the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission May 3.
Transportation Planning Director Machelle Watkins told commissioners the draft STIP includes 606 new projects that invest in 2,252 lane miles of interstate pavements, 3,302 miles of major route pavements, 7,461 miles of minor route pavements and 497 bridges.
Missouri has the nation's seventh largest state highway system with 33,873 miles of roadways and 10,394 bridges. Read more here - STIP.
The 2017-2018 Missouri State Highway Map is now available!
The map features brighter colors and stronger paper to make it both easier to read and more durable. Also, new interstate interchanges and exit numbers have been added since the last published edition in 2013. Read more about the new map features and some fun facts here -
State Map.
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MoDOT seeks participants in
driverless vehicle pilot program
The best way to protect MoDOT workers in work zones may be to not have them there in the first place. The Kansas City District is turning to technological advances to test that theory.
MoDOT recently sent out a Request for Proposal to test driverless warning vehicles in slow-moving work zones like striping and sweeping.
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MoDOT recently sent out a Request for Proposal to test driverless TMAs in slow-moving work zones like striping and sweeping operations. This technology could in the future move a worker from the most dangerous place in a slow-moving work zone - the warning vehicle.
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"More than 80 of our trucks have been crashed into during slow moving operations since 2013. Each one of those trucks had a valuable MoDOT employee inside," said Kansas City Assistant District Engineer Chris Redline. "This pilot project would test the feasibility of removing workers from the rear protective warning truck, which would eliminate these types of injuries and potentially save lives."
If implemented, the pilot program would be the first of its kind in the country and possibly the world. For the pilot program, one vehicle using state-of-the-art driverless technology would be in the rear of a striping or sweeping work zone convoy. A driver would still be in the vehicle cab during the testing with the ability to immediately take over control of the truck. Advances in leader-follower vehicle technology have increased significantly over the years. If such technology emerges as feasible during the pilot, the advancement could save the lives of highway workers and will prevent many injuries to our team across Missouri and the nation.
"We have added lights and additional markings to vehicles to reduce crashes, but distracted driving, along with aggressive driving and increased traffic, continue to pose a huge risk to our employee's safety," Redline said. Testing this technology should begin Spring of 2018 or earlier in the Kansas City District.
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Beautification in the Southeast District
From roadsides to roundabouts, there are lots of ways to help make Missouri a more beautiful state!
Check out this photo from Fred Lynch with the Southeast Missourian newspaper.
Montgomery Bank adopted the center of the roundabout at Route W and Lexington Avenue in Cape Girardeau. Now, Southeast Missouri State University's agriculture department is planting perennials in the center.
For more ideas, check out the Adopt-a-Highway website at http://www.modot.org/services/community/adoptahighway.htm.
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Designer hired for
Maintenance Management System
RKV Technologies has been hired for the technical design and specifications for Phase 1 of the Maintenance Management System (MMS). The team will get started June 1 and take about six months to complete the design.
This first phase will set the foundation for the system. Overall the project should be available for maintenance staff to use in late 2018.
As part of the designing of the system, the MMS team will be sending surveys to crew leaders, maintenance supervisors and assistants to gather input on specific details of the system. Look for the surveys soon. There will be more surveys to come in the following months asking for input about various aspects of the system. For more information on MMS, please contact one of the team members: Tim Chojnacki, Mike Middleton or Amy Binkley.
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Ribbon cut on new Festus maintenance building
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Left to right, St. Louis Assistant District Engineer Tom Blair, Festus Supervisor Tim Huskey, St. Louis District Engineer Greg Horn and Facilities Operations Specialist Dale Harfst cut the ribbon on the new Festus maintenance building.
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The Festus maintenance crew is moving into the height of the maintenance season and moving into a new maintenance building.
The new 6,600 square foot building features five large bays, insulated walls and ceilings, a large break room and office space. In addition, the new building has LED lighting, two ADA restrooms, a locker room and storage space. The new building replaces the old one that opened in 1974.
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MoDOT and MSHP total wellness email update
- Motivation to get moving - for tips on getting active and learn how to vary your workouts.
- Poor nutrition is tied to nearly half of deaths from heart disease, diabetes and stroke. The diets of Americans over the span of a decade were found suboptimal. Most diets were either lacking the nutrients the body needs, contained excessive amounts of unhealthy food, or both. But it's never too late to change. Click here to get to tips on a healthy diet.
- Rethink Your Drink - Reducing Sugary Drinks in Your Diet - The American Heart Association provides helpful tips on how to switch to healthier drinks that can still quench your thirst and still taste good. Click here for a Strawberry-Lemonade Italian Ice recipe.
- Strength and Cardio Exercises to Refocus Your Fitness Efforts from Global Fit Affiliates (YouTube, 5:01) - This video featuring Donovan Green is part of GlobalFit's Rock Star Fit Pro Tour. The video has simple strength and cardio exercises for anyone that doesn't know where to start. "The views and tips expressed in this video are solely those of this fitness professional. Before embarking on any new fitness routine or making any drastic nutrition-related changes, be sure to consult your physician."
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Fatality update
Did you know...
in Missouri, between 2012-2014, 40 percent of the fatalities involving a school bus were motorcyclists.
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Statewide Fatality Totals
as reported
on the
Missouri State Highway Patrol
website as of May 14, 2017:
2017 Totals as of 5-14-17 - 297
2016 Totals as of 5-14-16 - 301
2015 Totals as of 5-14-15 - 268
2014 Totals as of 5-14-14 - 245
2013 Totals as of 5-14-13 - 219
2012 Totals as of 5-14-12 - 289
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Missouri still below national average for safety
Click it or ticket encourages everyone to always buckle up
Though the safety belt usage rate in Missouri has slowly risen over the past 17 years, reaching 81 percent last year, the state is still well below the national average of 90 percent.
The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety is joining with state and local law enforcement May 22-June 4 in the national "Click It or Ticket" campaign to highlight the importance of wearing your safety belt. "Safety belts decrease your risk of dying in a crash by 45 percent," said Missouri State Highway Patrol Superintendent, Colonel Sandra Karsten, "And last year alone, 943 lives were lost in Missouri crashes - 64 percent of them being unrestrained."
Read more here - Click It or Ticket.
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Focus on the Road winner announced
2017 Ford Focus given to Jefferson City finalist
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Left to right: Zach Paul, KRCG TV; Mary Lea Reinkemeyer, Focus on the Road contest winner and MoDOT Highway Safety Director Bill Whitfield.
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Mary Lea Reinkemeyer of Jefferson City pledged to focus on the road and not drive distracted. On May 5, as a result of that pledge, she won a new car.
A 2017 Ford Focus from Joe Machens Ford was awarded to Reinkemeyer at the Machens dealership in Jefferson City as part of an awareness campaign to keep drivers attentive behind the wheel. The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety teamed up with Machens Ford and KRCG-TV to sponsor the "Focus on the Road" campaign.
For more information about staying focused on the road, visit www.saveMOlives.com, or find them on social media at Save MO Lives.
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Chicken and pineapple skewers
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 whole garlic cloves
1 lemon, juiced
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 fresh pineapple
16 wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
In a saucepan over medium heat, add the ketchup, soy sauce, honey, mustard, sugar, garlic, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer and cook gently until thickened, about 10 minutes. Set aside and cool.
Heat an outdoor grill or a grill pan. Cut each chicken thigh into 2 pieces. Peel the pineapple and cut it into 1 1/2-inch chunks. Alternating between the chicken and pineapple, thread the pieces onto the skewers. Brush them with olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. Remove the garlic cloves from the barbecue sauce and discard; put about half the sauce into a small bowl for later. Brush skewers with some of the sauce. Cook them on the grill, basting regularly with the barbecue sauce, until cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with reserved barbecue sauce on the side for dipping.
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May retirements
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Gregory J. Anderson - NW - 32 years
Randall E. Hartman - KC - 32 years
Milton N. Wright - KC - 32 years
Douglas K. Mullins - KC - 28 years
Brent D. Humphrey - CD - 22 years
James R. Gremaud - SL - 31 years
John W. Casey - SW - 27 years
Jeff L. Simmons - SW - 17 years
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Gary S. Goessmann - SW - 31 years
Terry S. Dry - SE - 27 years
Timothy E. Pippin - SE - 14 years
Dale W. Glenn - CO- 31 years
Lawrence L. Ayres - CO - 25 years
Kelly F. Ray - CO - 24 years
Carolyn S. Corum - CO - 41 years
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The mission of Connections is to be a source of MoDOT news
and feature articles that connects employees statewide.
Comments
What would you like to see in Connections?
We want to hear from you! Send comments
and suggestions to Tammy Wallace at:
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MoDOT Communications
P.O. Box 270, Jefferson City, MO 65102
Editor: Tammy Wallace
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