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Leaders to Watch: Tom Farrelly – Town of Southbury
- Safety Matters: Informing UCONN's Future Transportation Professionals
- Signal Spotlight: Traffic Signal Cabinet Art
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Innovation Station: 2022 Creative Solutions Award Program – Calling All Inventors and Improvers!
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Town Crier: South Windsor Paving for Progress Project
- Social Media Corner: Morris Highway Department Facebook Page
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National Public Works Week (May 15 – 21, 2022)
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Complete Streets Spotlight: City of Norwich – Franklin Square Roundabout (Video)
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Tom Farrelly – Town of Southbury
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In January of this year, we launched a new article series in our monthly Leadership Lessons e- newsletter called Leaders to Watch. We were so happy with the first two leaders we highlighted, we want to share this wonderful series with a broader audience. The Leaders to Watch series will now be published both in monthly Crossroads and Leadership Lessons. This month, our leader to watch is Tom Farrelly from the Town of Southbury.
Tom Farrelly started with the Town of Southbury Outside Properties (Parks) in 2014, was then promoted into Highways, and was most recently promoted to Road Foreman—a very tough and demanding job in which Tom is well suited for the challenge. He has a wealth of knowledge from his work in the private sector providing customer excellence in maintaining grounds and specializing in turf management.
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Serving Southbury is close to Tom’s heart. He is a graduate of North Salem High School and Rutgers Center for Turfgrass Management. As the Road Foreman, Tom is in charge of the following departments for the Town of Southbury: Highway Department, Outside Properties (Parks), Tree Department, Vehicle Maintenance and the Transfer Station. He takes pride in developing positive rapport with all and in being an expert at organizational, fiscal and time management.
Tom has garnered many accolades for his participation with the UConn Training & Technical Assistance (T2) Center. He is a graduate of the following T2 Center programs: Public Works Academy, Road Master, Road Scholar, and the Traffic Signal Technician Level 1. Tom remains very active with the Center, providing positive feedback, support and continuing his certificate classes.
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Informing UCONN's Future Transportation Professionals |
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At the end of February, I had the opportunity to give a presentation to a UCONN graduate class, Seminar in Transportation and Urban Engineering. I was provided a similar opportunity last year as well, and I truly appreciate the chance to speak to these students. The relationship between the University’s School of Engineering and the T2 Center is an important and valuable one, and these presentations reinforce that connection. |
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Prior to my presentation, I recently had an experience working with a group of senior design students from another university and realized they weren’t familiar with some of the Proven Safety Countermeasures from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). It seemed like these tools would be valuable information for students to have as they prepared to enter the world of engineering and roadway safety. My UCONN presentation highlighted FHWA’s newly revamped Proven Safety Countermeasures website and the recent addition of nine new countermeasures, for a total of 28. I also had the chance to explain what we do at the T2 Center and what services I provide as the Safety Circuit Rider. |
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For more information and assistance with local road safety in your community, contact Melissa Evans, Safety Circuit Rider, at [email protected].
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Signal Spotlight: Traffic Signal Cabinet Art |
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Installing public art on traffic signal cabinets can enhance the beauty and sense of place in a community. Artwork depicted on the cabinets often reflects the unique characteristics of the neighborhood, especially when local artists and students get involved in the project. According to Forbes Magazine, painting colorful murals on surfaces also reduces vandalism by up to 95%. In areas hard-hit by graffiti, keeping surfaces clean requires significant resources and staff time. Some vandals do still target surfaces painted with murals, but the time and effort required for graffiti removal is reduced. |
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There are several options for applying images to a traffic signal cabinet. The first is painting, which typically consists of a layer of primer, paint, several coats of a UV-filtering clear coat to protect the art from sun fading and a layer of wax or other treatment to allow for successful graffiti removal without damaging the clear coat. Painted artworks typically last five to six years.
Another option is to use a layer of thin, adhesive vinyl to wrap the cabinet. The artwork is submitted as a high-resolution digital image which is then printed onto the specialty vinyl wrap material. The material is applied to the exterior of the traffic signal cabinet and typically has a useful life of five to ten years.
Many cities have an ongoing traffic signal cabinet art program, often sponsored by a local or regional art commission. The art is typically funded through grants, private contributions and business sponsorships. The cost to apply artwork to a cabinet typically ranges from $800 to $2,000, including materials and an optional honorarium payment made to the artist for their time.
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2022 Creative Solutions Aware Program – Calling All Inventors and Improvers
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Has one of your employees recently built an innovative gadget or modified something that makes the job safer and easier? Has there been a change in a process that has greatly improved the safety of your staff or streamlined the job to the point where you can’t believe you used to do it a different way? If so, now is the time to show it off and share it with others by entering the 2022 Creative Solutions Award Competition.
We are looking for examples of gadgets, tools, processes and programs that public agency employees or road crews designed and built to improve safety, create efficiencies, and make the job easier. It can be anything from the development of tools and equipment modifications to processes that increase safety, reduce costs, or improve efficiency or the quality of transportation. If you have a project that you think is worthy of recognition, fill out this year’s entry form and submit your entry by May 18, 2022.
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Aren’t sure if your gadget is what we are looking for? Email Mary McCarthy to share your idea and see if it is a fit. |
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South Windsor Paving for Progress Project
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A community's roadway network is typically a community's most valuable infrastructure asset. The Town of South Windsor recognizes the value of this investment and works diligently to protect it.
The Town is responsible for maintaining approximately 142 miles of roadway, and the condition of this network is in a constant state of deterioration. The effort to maintain this network has been branded South Windsor's Paving for Progress program.
The Town along with VHB Engineering Firm published a story map that they have shared with their residents. This is a great project that will benefit the community and also provide information on what the Town has planned for their roadways. This story map walks the reader through the complete project process. A story map is a web map that has been thoughtfully created, gives context, and provides supporting information so it becomes a stand-alone resource.
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Social Media Corner: Morris Highway Department Facebook Page |
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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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The Town of Morris Highway Department has an exceptional Facebook page. They share great pictures of their projects, alert residents of possible road closures, send inclement weather notices and also take the time to share their thanks to their crew publicly. Morris is a small northwestern town but has gained a following of over 760 on their Facebook page. That is a big accomplishment!
Take a few moments today to visit their account (and don't forget to follow them), Morris Highway Dept. |
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National Public Works Week (May 15 – 21, 2022)
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It's that time of year to start planning for National Public Works Week! |
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APWA is proud to announce the theme "Ready & Resilient" for the 2022 National Public Works Week poster. Within every public works professional lies a superhero, which is dramatically represented in this year's poster. Public works professionals are always READY to serve their communities and RESILIENT as ever in their abilities to pick themselves up off the ground after encountering challenges.
The "Ready & Resilient" theme highlights the ability of these professionals to perform regular public works duties and be ready at a moment's notice to react as first responders during natural disasters and overcome trials seen in the field.
Public works superheroes help keep communities strong by providing an infrastructure of services in transportation, water, wastewater and stormwater treatment, public buildings and spaces, parks and grounds, emergency management and first response, solid waste, and right-of-way management. They are what make our communities great places to live and work. So join us in celebrating these superheroes!
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APWA has lots of resources to help you plan your National Public Works Week. Visit their website today to get started.
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Complete Streets Spotlight: City of Norwich –Franklin Square Roundabout (Video)
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Learn how the City of Norwich used a roundabout to retrofit an intersection; simplifying a complex route through downtown, calming traffic and greatly improving pedestrian safety. |
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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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