- Leaders to Watch: Garrett Bolella, City of Norwalk
- Safety Matters: NHTSA's Speed Prevention Campaign
- Signal Spotlight: Pilot Seeks Better Micromobility Safety at Intersections
- Innovation Station: Unmanned Aerial Systems
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CTDOT Information for Persons with Disabilities – ADA/504 – Video Library
- Social Media Corner: Town of South Windsor Public Works Facebook
- Cornell Local Roads Program Safety Shorts: Flagger Basics (Video)
- CT Department of Transportation Office of Highway Safety Receives Grant to Fight Uptick in Impaired Driving
- Host an In-House Lunch and Learn for Your Crew This Summer with NEC Connects Webinars
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Garrett Bolella, City of Norwalk |
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General Assembly Official Citation
Be it hereby known to all that the Connecticut General Assembly offers its sincerest congratulations to Garrett Bolella, P.E., PTOE, RSP1 in recognition of being named an awardee of the Fairfield County 40 Under 40 . We
are thrilled of your special accomplishments and thank you for your steadfast work on behalf of the people of the City of Norwalk.
The entire membership extends its very best wishes on this memorable occasion and expresses the hope for continued success.
Garrett Bolella is 34 years old and a Connecticut native. He is a graduate of the University of Connecticut with a Bachelors in Civil Engineering and a Masters in Transportation and Urban Engineering. He is also the only licensed Professional Engineer in a Connecticut municipality with a PTOE certification and an RSP1 certification.
In 2017, Garrett applied to the City of Stamford for an opening as the Lead Traffic Engineer under a recently created Transportation Bureau. The new Transportation Bureau's focus on efficiency, mobility, sustainability, multi-modal transportation, safety, and engagement were all key components in filling this critical role. Garrett's experience in consulting along with his research and studies in transportation planning, urban design, and regional planning made him an ideal candidate for the position.
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NHTSA's Speed Prevention Campaign |
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According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2020 there were 11,258 people killed in speeding-related crashes, accounting for 29% of all fatal crashes in the United States. Additionally, 87% of all speeding-related traffic fatalities on American roads occurred on non-interstate roadways. From 2019-2020, there was a dramatic increase (17%) in speeding-related crash fatalities. In an effort to help reduce this number, NHTSA has introduced a new safety campaign for 2022, Speeding Wrecks Lives.
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The new campaign is active from July 20th through August 14th and features two different strategies. One is Speeding Catches Up With You, a social norming campaign. The other is Speeding Slows You Down, an enforcement campaign. Materials for both can be found here. There are fact sheets, sample news releases and variable message board messages for both strategies. It is important to remember that these campaigns are not just for State DOTs to promote but also for local agencies. In Connecticut, since January 1, 2018, there have been 1,466 fatal or serious injury speed-related crashes. Of those, 642 have occurred on local roads. Speeding on local roads is deadly and has a serious impact on communities.
If you would like assistance with local road safety, including speed management, in your community, contact Melissa Evans, Safety Circuit Rider, at [email protected].
Resource:
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Signal Spotlight: Pilot Seeks Better Micromobility Safety at Intersections |
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Austria-based technology firm SWARCO AG and San Francisco-based micromobility provider Lime are jointly testing a system to reduce the risk of crashes between motor vehicles, e-scooters, and bicyclists at intersections controlled by traffic signals.
The joint pilot project seeks to “optimize” SWARCO’s adaptive traffic light management algorithms in concert with Lime’s ridership data to develop insights and potential countermeasures like adjusted crosswalk timing algorithms to support safer road conditions for motor vehicles and micromobility users alike.
“We know that intersections are key areas where conflict between cars and micromobility users are more likely to occur, which is why we’re excited to partner with SWARCO to reduce the potential for crashes,” explained Annie Chang, Lime’s director of safety programs, in a statement.
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States across the country are ramping up their Unmanned Aerial Systems programs as new use-cases and additional demand arises.
The Georgia Department of Transportation’s (GDOT) program is organized in a decentralized manner, with certified pilots spread through its districts, working under diverse groups and units based on their primary work location and function, along with a small support group located at headquarters. GDOT currently has 27 Part 107 certified pilots across 7 Field Districts. These 27 pilots are on pace to fly 2,000 or more missions/operations this Fiscal Year. Of these pilots, the 16 most seasoned and experienced and will fly 75-80 percent of these missions. The department’s program objective seeks to average three flights per pilot of 15 minutes or longer. Being a certified UAS pilot is a secondary duty for those who participate in the program.
Candidates for GDOT’s UAS pilot program must read and acknowledge GDOT Policy and complete the UAS Visual Observer (VO) course before they can be considered for training for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 107 exam.
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The VO course is an important component of the overall program, as missions require both a pilot and a VO. The course teaches participants the purpose of the VO role and gives basic training to help protect the pilot and aircraft during a mission.
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CTDOT Information for Persons with Disabilities – ADA/504 – Video Library
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The CT Department of Transportation's Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity has a free video resource library of ADA training sessions. Click on any of the topics below to view the video.
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Social Media Corner: Town of South Windsor Public Works Facebook |
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Did you know that almost 50% of adults in the United States use social media as a source of news? Social media is part of our everyday lives and is a great tool to have in your agency's communication toolbox. Some Connecticut Public Works Departments (DPW) have created their own social media accounts so that they can get information out to their residents in real time. The results have been extremely positive; the accounts have become a great resource for the agencies' residents. We are going to feature a DPW social media account each month to highlight the great things being shared with Connecticut's residents. |
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If your agency is looking to start a social media page or group for your residents, the Town of South Windsor Public Works page is a great example of a municipal agency's social media presence. They post real time updates on public works projects and alert residents of road closures and updates on town office hours. They post fantastic photos of crews in action and promote their annual Fill A Public Works Truck campaign. South Windsor keeps their page up to date and posts consistently, which has created a large following of over 3,000 followers! |
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Cornell Local Roads Program Safety Shorts: Flagger Basics (Video) |
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The Cornell Local Roads Program (NYSLTAP-CLRP) has started producing safety short videos for agencies to use in their training and communications toolboxes. In this video, watch NYSLTAP-CLRP Director David Orr, P.E. as he goes over some of the basic things you need to think about when flagging.
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CT Department of Transportation Office of Highway Safety Receives Grant to Fight Uptick in Impaired Driving |
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The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) Office of Highway Safety has been awarded a $22,000 grant from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) and Responsibility.org to fund a training program designed to enhance the identification and treatment of alcohol- and drug-impaired drivers.
Across the country, drug- and multiple substance impaired driving continues to increase. Many of these drivers often go unreported as police may not have the training to recognize drug impairment.
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With the funding from this grant, Connecticut will conduct a “green lab” which involves giving volunteers a controlled dose of cannabis, and in some cases a combination of cannabis and alcohol. Law enforcement officers will then perform a series of sobriety tests with the volunteers to witness the impairing effects of these substances. This training will equip officers to better detect cannabis at the roadside, resulting in more impaired and dangerous drivers being removed from roadways before they hurt or kill themselves or others.
Connecticut is one of only five states in the U.S. to receive funding from GHSA to combat this growing safety problem.
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Host an In-House Lunch and Learn for Your Crew This Summer with NEC Connects Webinars |
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The NEAPWA Chapter (NEC) Connects webinar series is taking a break from live webinars over the summer.
The NEAPWA is encouraging public works agencies to use the many topics in the video resource library to implement a lunch & learn series for your crews. It is a great way to give the crew a break from the heat and provide an opportunity to learn.
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Here is a sample of the topics that are available:
- Preparing for Hurricanes/Storms – Emergency Operations
- Tips for Dealing with the Public
- Sustainable Winter Operations – Are you Prepared?
- New Technologies in Public Works
NEC Connects will be back in September; keep an eye out for promotion later this summer.
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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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