- Congratulations Mary McCarthy, NLTAPA National Program Achievement Award Recipient
- Welcome Jason Hughes, T2 Centers New Safety Technical Associate
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Town Crier: 'Nothing less than heroic': Waterbury Official Saves Person from House Fire
- Safety Matters: 2023 Rural Road Safety Week — What's Speed Got To Do With It?
- Innovation Station: STIC Showcase Features Homegrown Innovations
- A New Class of Heavy-Duty Vehicle Goes Electric in Hawaii
- NEAPWA Chapter Connects: Grant Writing — How To Get Started. Register Today!
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Congratulations Mary McCarthy, NLTAPA National Program Achievement Award Recipient |
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On July 18, 2023, in Columbus, OH at the National Local and Tribal Technical Assistance Program's (NLTAPA) Annual Conference, Mary McCarthy, T2 Center's Director of Training was presented the National Program Achievement Award! The National Program Achievement Award is presented by NLTAPA to an individual in recognition of their dedication, leadership, and effectiveness in promoting the goals and purposes of the NLTAPA through service to the Association.
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Mary has spent over 22 years serving the Connecticut Transportation Community through her care and passion for enhancing the skills and knowledge of every member of the 169 city and town’s public works departments. Mary has grown our training program from 2 certificate programs to 9 programs and her training team continues to grow. Mary’s dedication and leadership is a critical factor in the success of our center.
While Mary has a very busy position here in Connecticut, she has always been compelled to support the National LTAP efforts and to be a resource for her colleagues throughout the country. She has accomplished this through participation on many NLTAPA committees, including Communications and now co-chairing Professional Development. Mary has also participated in Director orientation programs to give new LTAP Center Directors critical information as they begin their work of leading a center.
Mary is an exceptional leader, very well respected, and is certainly a go-to resource for the transportation community. Mary is so deserving of this honor and recognition from her peers in NLTAPA. We are so proud of you, Mary!
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Welcome Jason Hughes, T2 Centers New Safety Technical Associate |
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The T2 Center is very pleased to announce an addition to our Safety Circuit Rider (SCR) program. Jason Hughes has just joined the team as a full-time Safety Technical Associate. He will be joining Melissa Evans and Lisa Knight in providing training and technical assistance, on road safety topics, to our CT municipalities. |
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Jason has been in law enforcement for the past 23 years. As a member of the North Central Regional Crash Reconstruction Team and a police officer in Farmington since 2011, he has extensive experience in crash reconstruction and investigations. Jason hopes to bring his experience and the network that he has built to help in his new position helping CT cities and towns reduce fatalities and injuries on local roads.
Welcome, Jason!
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'Nothing less than heroic': Waterbury Official Saves Person from House Fire by Riley Millette
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Waterbury Deputy Director of Public Works Pat Mulvehill saved a person from a house fire on Crescent Street on Friday morning, according to Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary.
Mulvehill was leaving West Side Middle School and was on his way to Fulton Park when he noticed smoke coming from a multi-family home. After stopping his vehicle, he saw a window on the second story shatter and heard yelling from behind the house.
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One of the residents was bound to a wheelchair and two other residents were trying to help her escape. Mulvehill carried the woman downstairs safely.
“I was just doing my thing. We’re public works, that’s what we’re supposed to do, help the public,” Mulvehill said. “Police and fire do this everyday, I don’t think anything special of it. I was just there at the right place at the right time and I’m glad I was able to help the resident out.”
O’Leary called Mulvehill’s actions “nothing less than heroic” in a statement.
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2023 Rural Road Safety Week — What's Speed Got To Do With It? |
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In July, the National Center for Rural Road Safety celebrated the 2023 Rural Road Safety Week with a different topic each day of the week. For the “Why Speed Management is Important” topic, the Center held a webinar highlighting various speed management strategies. Connecticut was honored to have been invited to participate in the speaker panel for this webinar.
Melissa Evans, our CT Safety Circuit Rider, presented about the statewide speed feedback sign and speed management training program to a national audience of safety stakeholders. She was joined by Nichole Morris, Research Associate Professor and Director of HumanFIRST Lab, and Dongho Chang, State Traffic Engineer for the Washington State DOT. A recording of the webinar is available on the National Center for Rural Road Safety’s YouTube channel here.
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The presentation was well-received by attendees, with many asking follow-up questions on the program. Melissa also received several emails after the webinar from practitioners around the country looking for more information and sharing their experiences with speed feedback signs. These opportunities to connect with broader audiences and share information are invaluable and we encourage you to engage in them when possible. Working together we can slow speeds on our roadways and keep our communities safe spaces to walk, ride, and drive!
For more information and assistance with local road safety in your community, contact Melissa Evans, Safety Circuit Rider, at [email protected].
Resources:
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STIC Showcase Features Homegrown Innovations |
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As part of the EDC-7 virtual summit held in February, the National STIC Network Showcase provided a platform for State Transportation Innovation Councils (STICs) to share more than 100 homegrown innovations developed and implemented in their States with a wider audience to expand their potential use and impact. The virtual summit also featured short presentations from State and local agencies on several of these homegrown innovations, which can be watched on-demand from the summit website. The following are just a few examples of the innovations featured during the showcase.
Harris Inspection Tool (aka HIT Rod)
The Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) Bridge Inspection team invented a variation of a selfie stick that enables a phone camera to be used to visually inspect bridge elements that otherwise would require expensive equipment and often traffic control. The telescoping HIT Rod consists of a 20-foot telescoping pole with an adjustable phone cradle attached on top. The MaineDOT inspection team activates and controls the phone’s camera via a Bluetooth-connected watch. The phone is moved into position via the HIT Rod. MaineDOT reported that up to $5,000 in inspection costs are saved by using the HIT Rod rather than paying for heavy equipment and/or traffic control.
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A New Class of Heavy-Duty Vehicle Goes Electric in Hawaii by Skip Descant
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Electric motor coaches are taking to the streets in Hawaii and California. Roberts Hawaii, a tour bus company in the Aloha State, has become the first electric fleet of its kind in the United States. |
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Electric motor coaches are gaining ground, with the nation’s first fleet taking to the streets in Hawaii.
Roberts Hawaii, a transportation provider and tour company, has acquired three new battery electric, 45-foot, 56-passenger tour buses taking visitors to some of the state’s most popular destinations like the Pearl Harbor National Memorial. The company received support from state and federal funding opportunities to provide incentives in the form of grants and rebates. The move to transition to e-buses fits directly within Hawaii’s climate goals, said state officials.
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NEAPWA Chapter Connects: Grant Writing — How To Get Started. Register Today! |
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A New England Chapter Connects Series — Presented by the NEAPWA's Public Works Awareness and Education Committees
When: Thursday, September 28, 2023, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. via Zoom Hosted by T2 Center at UConn
If you are interested in learning how to tackle a grant or funding application, or would like a refresher, this webinar is for you!
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Writing a grant or funding application can seem like an impossible task if you have never completed one before. It can seem daunting even if you have completed one or more but weren’t given any guidance on how to approach the project. During this webinar, learn the basics of how to tackle and complete a grant or funding application. Topics will cover reviewing and understanding what your application requires, organization to collect the application’s information, readability of your application, and considerations for strengthening your application’s chances of being funded. You won’t become a grant or application writing expert by participating in this webinar, but you will take away a method for approaching and completing applications.
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Along with our Facebook page, the T2 Center now has an Instagram page! Click on the icons below to like the T2 Center on Facebook and follow the T2 Center on Instagram! |
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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]
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