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A draft 2022-2026 Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan that focuses on taking care of the state's existing transportation system was presented to the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission at its May 5 meeting. A 30-day public review and comment period began on May 5.
Transportation Planning Director Eric Curtit told commissioners the draft STIP includes 1,417 highway and bridge projects, of which 84% will maintain the system in the condition it is in today. On average, this STIP annually invests in 740 lane miles of interstate pavements, 1,387 miles of major route pavements, 2,733 miles of minor route pavements and 277 bridges. Learn more about the draft STIP here.
Director McKenna reported that Commissioner Terry Ecker recently presented a Leadership Coin to Northwest Assistant District Engineer Marty Liles for going above and beyond the call of duty and showing genuine care for the traveling public while managing an incident near a work zone on Highway 71.
McKenna also said Meritorious Safety Awards were recently presented to two Southwest District employees, Maintenance Supervisor Matt Ilgenfritz and his assistant Scott Austin, for their conscientious and caring response to an emergency involving a coworker. More details on these awards can be found in the full meeting summary.
Also at its May 5 meeting, the Commission selected the Lehman-Wilson team for the design-build contract to replace 31 weight-restricted and poor condition bridges in northern Missouri through the Fixing Access to Rural Missouri (FARM) Bridge Program. Learn more about the FARM Bridge Program here. Read the full meeting summary, which topics include: Director's Report, Consideration of Bids for Transportation Improvements, Innovations Showcase, Cost-Share Program and Work Zone Awareness Week Recap.
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COVID-19
On May 17, MoDOT will return to in-person work for all employees, and MoDOT buildings will be open to the public Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. If a team member was authorized to work in a remote/telework situation prior to April 1, 2020, they are authorized to continue doing so until otherwise directed.
Each employee shall be responsible for bringing necessary equipment with them that had been moved to an alternative work location to continue the work. Loaner equipment will not be returned to IS just yet. It is good practice to take your laptop or loaner laptop home every night in case of a COVID-19 workplace disruption.
COVID-19 safety guidance - All MoDOT team members shall report to work in-person daily if none of the following COVID-19-associated symptoms are being experienced by the team member:
- Fever equal to or great than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or chills.
- Persistent non-productive cough.
- Congestion/runny nose or sore throat.
- Vomiting and/or diarrhea with no alternative diagnosis.
- New loss of taste or smell.
- Unexplained persistent headache or body aches.
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing with no alternative diagnosis.
- Have a positive COVID-19 test reported to DHSS that must undergo isolation or have been identified as a close contact that is ordered to quarantine within the appropriate timeframe.
MoDOT will provide box-in testing when one positive case is diagnosed in a facility.
All MoDOT staff are strongly encouraged to wear face coverings as you enter the buildings and when you are in shared spaces such as lobbies, restrooms, conference rooms, hallways, break areas or other areas where you cannot ensure greater than six feet of social distancing. All shared spaces will be posted with a maximum occupancy. We are more than just coworkers to each other at MoDOT - we look out for and care for each other. We ask you to continue to practice good judgement and good health practices to keep ourselves, our coworkers and our customers safe.
More information will be forthcoming as it is known and developed as we move from the emergency phase of this pandemic to management of this virus.
Everyone is encouraged to get a COVID-19 vaccine, as their personal situations permit.
Read the full Guidance Updates on Cleaning, Two in a Vehicle and Testing Protocols here.
MoDOT cases as of 5-3-21: 689
Stay calm | Stay safe | Stay Show Me Strong |
Longtime employee named district engineer
Chris Redline has been named the district engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation's Kansas City District. The district covers nine counties including the Kansas City metro area and its surroundings with nearly 7,700 lane miles of highway and 1,100 state bridges. He will take over the leadership of the Kansas City region from David Silvester, who will retire from the position at the end of May.
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Chris Redline.
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A registered professional engineer, Redline has spent his 29-year career at MoDOT. After graduating from Kansas State University with a civil engineering degree, Redline worked in a variety of engineering positions in the Kansas City District including construction inspector and resident engineer overseeing construction of area roads and bridges to the regional position of Area Engineer. He served as the Kansas City District's Assistant District Engineer overseeing all the operations functions for more than a decade before being promoted to district engineer for MoDOT's Northwest District office in St. Joseph three years ago.
"I am honored to take on the role of district engineer for MoDOT's Kansas City District," Redline said. "I look forward to working with the outstanding district employees and community leaders to build upon their hard-earned successes. Working together, I believe we can create an even better tomorrow for transportation in our region."
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MoDOT internal communications survey
To improve MoDOT internal communications, a brief survey is being distributed to all employees. The survey asks employees which communications tools they use, which ones they don't, and how do they prefer to receive information related to topics for all MoDOT employees.
"We want to close any gaps we have in communicating with our employees," said Linda Horn, MoDOT communications director. "We may find that we need different tools to reach our field employees who may not have computers or easy access to email." The seven-question survey is anonymous and will be distributed both in print and electronically to make sure as many employees can participate as possible. "We also are asking employees what kind of information they'd like to see in our publications," Horn said. "There is a lot of important information that needs to be shared with employees about new or changing policies, large projects, or available benefits to employees. We want to make sure this information is easily available to employees." The communications division asks all employees to take the survey to make sure their opinions are included. The link is supplied below. If you need printed copies for the survey, please contact Communications Division or District staff. The deadline to complete the survey is Friday, May 28.
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Outlook tips for Connections and Express Lane
Did you receive the most recent Express Lane or Connections and it looked like this?
Would you rather see the full version with images? Simply right click or tap and hold to download the pictures (highlighted in the image above). If you want to add Express Lane and Connections newsletters to your safe senders list, at the top of your email you should see the highlighted message pictured below - "Click here to download pictures." In this drop down menu, select "Add Sender to Safe Senders List." This will allow Outlook to automatically download images each time you receive these MoDOT newsletters, saving you from downloading them each week. The Communications Division uses Constant Contact software to distribute both Express Lane and Connections newsletters. The open rates in Constant Contact's tracking tools are affected by images not being downloaded, the newsletter not being opened or if no links are clicked. Since January, the average open rate for both newsletters has been at 20% rather than the usual 60%. Make sure your read counts - simply right click on the images in the newsletter each week or add the newsletters to your safe senders list to have your read counted (and enjoy a nicer looking email).
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It's time to ENGAGE again!
ENGAGE 2.0 is a part of our current performance development process to continue our culture of professional development, coaching and growth. Supervisors complete quarterly evaluations on employees and employees provide upward feedback on supervisors. The next quarterly evaluation period will be held June 1-30, 2021.
To increase your knowledge and comfort level with ENGAGE 2.0 tools, use the links below:
Every employee, including supervisors, are required to take the ENGAGE 2.0 Team Member Accelerated Coaching Training before June 30, 2021. If you have not taken the training, please do so. As of April 29th, 94% of our employees have completed the required ENGAGE 2.0 Team Member Accelerated Coaching Training.
Options for field employees to access the training, click here.
Please note dashboards for the March 2021 quarter will close on Jun. 30, 2021.
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EAC application period now open
MoDOT's Employee Advisory Council is now accepting applications!
The EAC is comprised of three salaried MoDOT employees from each district and Central Office, including up to three members chosen by the department director.
These employees must have successfully completed their probationary period, must meet their performance expectations and must not have any serious disciplinary action within the past year or while serving on the EAC.
Apply today!
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May is Mental Health Awareness Month
This has been an unprecedented year, but COVID-19 is not gone and we need to continue to take care of ourselves, families and friends.
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May is Mental Health Awareness Month, which provides a timely reminder that mental health is essential and that those living with mental health issues are deserving of care, understanding and compassion, as well as an opportunity to find a path to hope, healing, recovery and life fulfillment.
Approximately one in five Missourians will face mental illness in any given year. talking about it can help those struggling realize they are not along on their journey to recovery.
There are several resources available for individuals who may need mental health assistance: - Show Me Hope - free, confidential, multilingual helpline available 24/7 for anyone experiencing emotional difficulties due to the pandemic.
- DHM CARES - live, interactive wellness webinars including health and wellness tips, stress management exercises, resilience education and disaster recovery resources.
- DMH website resources - COVID-19 Information and Self Care.
- Employee Assistance Program - employees and any member of their immediate household can receive up to six free visits per episode for personal areas of concern (health problems, marital problems, family problems, financial problems, stress, grief, etc.).
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In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, there will be two MEE Zone event opportunities on May 18 and May 20. Mental health has become more important than ever, and these events provide an important reminder that it is essential we take care of ourselves and our coworkers.
Tuesday, May 18 - Walking for Mental Health:
Walking is a common source of exercise for many people, and it has well-recognized physical health benefits. But, did you know there are mental health benefits to walking, too? This session will look at the benefits of meditative walking and walking in nature. Participants will review ideas for getting started with both types of walks, as well as labyrinth walking. The possible benefits of walking barefoot in grass, known as "grounding," will also be presented. Register here.
Thursday, May 20 - Mental Health Awareness for Leaders: (This class is targeted towards managers, but all employees are welcome to attend.)
Managing individuals who may be struggling with stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns can be a difficult balancing act. This course covers ways employees may present their distress and offers insights and strategies on forging supportive empathic alliances within the role of manager. Register here.
MoDOT U sign-up instructions:
- Walking for Mental Health: search "Walking for Mental Health" to enroll. You will then receive an email with a calendar invite.
- Mental Health Awareness for Leaders: search "Mental Health Awareness" to enroll. You will then receive an email with a calendar invite.
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Seeking employees virtually
Northwest District's Human Resources Division has been expanding beyond standard practices to reach potential new employees. Without the opportunity to attend in-person job fairs and recruitment events in over a year, the department began looking outside traditional recruitment events and job postings to increase awareness of all the district's open positions. This past week, the department participated in its first virtual job fair hosted by the jobs.mo.gov website. Ahead of the Return Strong Virtual Job Fair, held Tuesday, May 4, district staff were able to create a profile, upload job postings and design virtual their booth space. During the event, Intermediate Human Resources Technician Whitney Waller was one of a handful of employees available to message with visitors and help provide them with information about MoDOT and the district's career opportunities. She believes that the virtual format can be beneficial for both job seekers and organizations. |
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Northwest District's Human Resources Department participated in the jobs.mo.gov Return Strong Virtual Job Fair on Tuesday, May 4. Their virtual booth was designed so job seekers could view open positions, connect with a team member and learn more about MoDOT.
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"There is usually a higher visitor attendance to virtual career fairs," said Waller. "Candidates see virtual fairs as less intimidating than in-person fairs. It is also timesaving and usually cost-saving as well." While the district's human resources team doesn't know how successful the event was yet, they plan to continue exploring virtual job fair and college recruitment event opportunities. Combined with continued advertising, word of mouth and these types of online outreach events, the team hopes to fill open positions and keep MoDOT at the forefront in the minds of job seekers.
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Knowing the code makes inventory easy
EPIC is the new system which enables fixed asset inventory to be completed efficiently, while limiting in-person contact, and it even comes with its own QR Code!
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A picture is worth a thousand words. The new EPIC system utilized this year by Julie Neisen, NE District Sr. Financial Services Specialist, and many others in accomplishing fixed asset inventory has been "EPIC" in streamlining this annual task while limiting in-person contact.
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"Employees have taken pictures of their equipment then uploaded into EPIC very easily," explained Senior Financial Specialist Julie Neisen. Once uploaded, financial services staff can view the image to accept or reject it. "If accepted, the asset is marked as located and considered in inventory," Neisen explained. If rejected, financial services staff can add a reason, and an email will notify the person who took the photo that it will need to be retaken. "All three construction offices, employees working from home, IS, Materials, Survey and more, have used EPIC to complete their fixed asset inventory" Neisen said. "It has been a huge success," she added. Inventory at the maintenance facilities has been completed using traditional methods, adding in COVID precautions, due to their large inventory. "It didn't seem feasible to do their inventory through EPIC, but it could definitely be done if necessary," Neisen said. EPIC allows financial services to search assets by org, tag number, description, serial number, etc. "I can search by org and quickly identify unlocated assets or any item needing transferred or junked. It automatically creates a document in Sam II Financial for me to complete to reflect the inventory changes," she explained. "The EPIC system is very user friendly, and I have had only positive comments from users," she noted.
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If grass is growing, mowers are mowing
Be alert and slow down for MoDOT mowing crews
It has been a rainy spring and that-coupled with warmer temperatures-means seasonal growth on Missouri roadways. The Missouri Department of Transportation urges motorists to use caution when encountering tractor mowers near the shoulder of interstates and other busy roadways beginning this month and throughout the summer.
"Even the most aggressive warning lights and signs aren't effective when drivers are distracted," said MoDOT State Maintenance Director Natalie Roark. "For the health and wellbeing of our workers and yourself, please watch out for our crews, slow down, buckle up and put your phone down. We want everyone to get home safely."
Major and minor routes are mowed in three cycles usually starting in mid-May and continuing in July and September. MoDOT mows about 400,000 acres of grass statewide each year, which is equivalent to 300,000 football fields. Along with mowing, crews selectively use herbicides to stunt vegetation growth, control brush and stop the spread of noxious weeds. Encouraging wildflower growth and using herbicides carefully adds additional benefits in reducing the amount of time spent mowing.
On rural two-lane roads, crews may use a protective "follow" truck to alert motorists they are approaching slow-moving mowers. Drivers are advised to use the following tips to safely pass mowers:
- Be alert for trucks and tractors with lights flashing and moving slowly, 2 to 5 mph.
- Slow down and focus on the road ahead of you. Put your cellphone down and avoid other distractions.
- Be prepared to stop or drive very slowly behind a "follow" truck, especially approaching a hill or curve on a two-lane road.
- Obey the no passing zone stripes and only pass when you can see far enough past the "follow" truck to avoid meeting oncoming traffic.
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May is Motorcycle Awareness Month
Warm spring weather has arrived, and motorcyclists are eager to hit the road. As they tune their engines and prepare for numerous road trips to come, the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety wants to remind motorists and motorcyclists alike to "Watch for Motorcycles" in order to help prevent motorcycle crashes, deaths and injuries on Missouri roadways.
"Preliminary reports indicate that 13% of all Missouri traffic fatalities in 2020 involved a motorcycle, with 117 motorcyclist lives lost," said Jon Nelson, executive committee chair of the coalition. "One life is too many. We want to remind all drivers to slow down, pay attention, and look twice for motorcyclists when changing lanes or entering a roadway. We also encourage our motorcyclists to wear proper safety gear, ride at an appropriate speed, and never ride impaired."
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers the following tips to drivers on how to prevent a fatal crash with a motorcycle:
- Allow the motorcycle the full width of a lane at all times.
- Always signal when changing lanes or merging with traffic.
- Check all mirrors and blind spots for motorcycles before changing lanes or merging with traffic, especially at intersections.
- Never drive distracted or impaired.
Motorcyclists must also take precautions to remain safe on the road. Motorcyclists can increase their safety by following these steps:
- Wear a DOT-compliant helmet and other protective gear.
- Obey all traffic laws and be properly licensed and trained.
- Wear brightly colored clothes and reflective tape to increase visibility.
- Ride in the middle of the lane where you will be more visible to drivers.
- Never ride distracted or impaired.
- Anticipate the moves of other drivers and be extra cautious of road conditions and debris.
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Entering and Exiting Equipment
Many incidents occur while entering/exiting vehicles. Injuries such as torn rotator cuffs from falling off equipment and attempting to catch yourself, injuring knees stepping off equipment onto uneven terrain and jumping off onto a rock/into a hole.
- Never carry anything in your hands.
- Always face the equipment.
- Always use three points of contact or 4-3-4 points of contact.
- Check for damaged steps, ladders and handrails/handholds. Don't climb on tires to access truck beds. Notify supervisor if ladder, steps, handrail/handholds are damaged.
- Be sure of weight before transferring.
- Never jump from equipment.
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May is Women's Health Month
Many women are caretakers for their families, friends and communities, and they may not make their own health a priority. National Women's Health Week begins on Mother's Day each year. It's a reminder for women to take care of themselves.
These simple steps can help you live a longer, healthier life. Try them today and share them with the women in your life:
Get moving
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for American women. Being physically active every day, or at least 30 minutes four days per week, is the best way to prevent heart disease. Try aerobic or cardio exercise such as walking, jogging, dancing, and swimming.
Eat healthy
A balanced diet is crucial to overall health and well-being. Try to avoid packaged, processed foods, and opt for fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fiber-rich foods (beans and leafy greens), fresh fish, and healthy fats (nuts, seeds, and olive oil).
Prevent disease
Avoiding drugs, alcohol, and smoking can all help prevent disease and infection. Good dental and oral health can also help reduce your risk of disease.
Pay attention to mental health
Mental health effects how we feel and act, and it an important part of overall well-being. Be sure to get enough sleep and manage stress through therapy, meditation, exercise, and yoga.
Visit your doctor
Talk to your doctor about all of the checkups and screening exams you need, including an annual breast exam and gynecological visit. These appointments can help spot potential issues early, and help you live a long and healthy life.
Sources:
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Upcoming webinar: Exploring Social Explorer
Reference Services' newest database is home to a plethora of data from sources like the Census, American Community Survey, crime data, COVID data and much more!
With these resources, you can easily design your own maps and tables to create a vibrant visual representation of the statistical information you need.
This session will explore the database, highlighting its abilities and showing how you can use the maps and tables to better present your data!
The webinar takes place May 27 from 11:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. You can register here.
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Service anniversaries
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35 Years
Tommy Woods SE
Laurie Forck CO
30 Years
Maria Peters CD
Tresa Pratt CD
Johnny Mathews SW
Shelly Cauldwell SE
Richard Elijah SE
Edward Hess SE
25 Years
Michael Baxter NE
Valinda Darley NE
Karsten Sommerhauser KC
Christopher Sholl KC
John Schaefer CD
Raymond Wieberg CD
Ronald Moses CD
Anthony Bradshaw SL
Ricky Bays SW
Laurel McKean SW
Brent McGowan SW
Timothy Lee SW
Ryan Boyd SW
Nathan Hunt SE
Chad Daniel CO
Kenneth Voss CO
Charlotte Drinkard CO
20 Years
Justin Dwight NE
Rebecca Wilson KC
David Hemme KC
David Eppright KC
Marion Cora CD
Troy Minnick CD
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20 Years continued
Kevin Geldmacher CD
Cynthia Mizell Simmons SL
Anthony Carusa SL
Marc Lewis SW
Erin Collins SE
Michael Frazier SE
David Simmons CO
15 Years
Phyllis Filley NW
Travis Leader NW
Andrew Huntsman NE
Brent Merryman NE
David Brown KC
John Gahagan CD
Brynn Schmauch CD
Ryan Pearcy SL
James Holt SL
Billy Holmes SE
Jerrod Jernigan SE
Michael Wake SE
Adam Deken SE
Ronald Thomason SE
Paul Huskey SE
Joni Hoecker CO
Ashley Buechter CO
10 Years
Jason Heath SW
5 Years
Justin Skipper NW
Jessica Johnson NW
Kolby Davison NW
Justin Goodwin NE
Christopher Klocke NE
Clinton Schambach NE
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5 Years continued
Jim Thorpe NE
Tommy Thudium NE
Andrew Watson NE
Jeffrey Young NE
Claudia Hoffman KC
Phillip Nguyen KC
Victoria Slagle KC
Blake Stephens KC
Jared Yost KC
Connor Beck CD
Ian Brauner CD
Shawn Weber CD
Ronald Ross CD
Jason Dunn SL
Michael Fernandez SL
Ryan Rands SL
Adam Tate SL
Peter Lawless SW
Cory Beasley SW
Dallas Self SW
Michael Woods SW
Rex Wilkins SW
Virgil Durrow SE
Christopher Ellis SE
Ethan Pinkley SE
Austin Fisher SE
Zachary Lee SE
James Manis SE
Scotty Van Matre SE
Scott Brooks SE
Marshall Thompson CO
Ethan Aragon CO
Gary Johnson CO
Alexander Schroeder CO
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In memoriam
Beeny Janssen
D4 - May 5
Philip Hatchcock
D7 - April 27
James A. Surrette
D4 - April 29
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Loren W. Laird
D8 - April 22
David "Red" Horton
D5 - April 26
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Jerry R. Baty
D8 - April 25
Glenn Hall
D1 - May 9
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The mission of Connections is to be a source of MoDOT news
and feature articles that connect employees statewide.
Comments
What would you like to see in Connections?
We want to hear from you! Send comments
and suggestions to Bethany Belt at:
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MoDOT Communications
P.O. Box 270, Jefferson City, MO 65102
Editor: Bethany Belt
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