TeamUp ODOT 2007

Ohio Department of Transportation Employee Newsletter May 2007

20072007

Ron Poole, Central Office

FEW OCCASIONS BRING A PACKED hall of ODOT employees to tears. But hearing a mother

thank District 4 Freeway Incident Response Service (FIRST) Team re-sponder Brian Stephens for saving her son’s life made dry eyes hard to find at this year’s TeamUp ODOT event.

Stephens received one of the seven Total ODOT Per-formance (TOP) Awards at the annual event, held this year on May 10th at the State Expo Center. Hun-dreds of ODOT employees from around the state joined in the half-day event.

TeamUp ODOT is a destination for those in the depart-ment with a desire to see ODOT achieve more and improve as a whole. It is a progression, or a journey, for employee teams taking a theory to fact, and a concept to the concrete.

The event is an invitation from these teams to their fellow employees to share in these new discoveries. This year’s theme, “Roadmap to Results,” perfectly reflects this invitation.

During the opening ceremonies, Di-rector James Beasley spoke of the ideals that guide discovery as he introduced Governor Ted Strickland as the featured event speaker:

“We are here to recognize hard work,

teamwork, and the spirit of innovation,” said Director Beasley. “I congratulate you for your heroism, dedication and innova-tion.”

Governor Strickland expressed his pride in Ohio’s highway system and the effort it takes to maintain it. He also spoke of the challenges facing the state, and the spirit it will take to an-swer those challenges.

“We are trying to create a culture (in state government) where everyone feels important, and where everyone feels their opinions are respected and listened to,” he said. “We are in this together, and it is by working together that we will accom-plish what needs to be accomplished.”

Following the Governor’s remarks, Director Beasley joined Ohio Civil Service Em-ployee Association Union President Ron Alexander in handing out the 2007 TOP Awards. Winners in the areas of communica-

tion, customer service, mentor-ing and process improvement were recognized.

The final award, Humanitar-ian Service, went to Highway Technician Stephens for his

life-saving assistance when he came upon a two-car traffic colli-sion. Stephens aided in freeing an unconscious driver who was trapped in a burning vehicle.

In a touching moment, the parents of the driver joined Stephens on stage to thank him.

“I don’t believe there are any coincidences in life,” said Pam Masters of

Stephens’ heroism. “I believe God put the right person there to help my son, and I

am so grateful!”In addition to the

awards ceremony, employees visited more than 40 differ-ent display booths set up by District teams to showcase innova-tive business practic-es, new technologies, and improved safety awareness.

1) Governor Strickland addresses ODOT employees at TeamUp. 2) Director Beasley greets the Governor warmly at the event opener. 3) The Director congratulates the District 5 Vegetation Suppression Team for their Process Improvement Award. 4) Humanitarian Service Award winner Stephens receives a hug from Pam Masters and a standing ovation from the crowd. 5) Bill and Pam Masters offer touching words of thanks to Stephens for saving their son. 6) Onlookers view a demonstration of a new roadside berm device.

A Journey to Success

See page 4 for more photos and details of some of

the innovations showcased at

TeamUp ODOT 2007.

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At this year’s TeamUp ODOT, I shared a learning story from my early days in the Brown County Engineer’s Office. As hard as it may be for the snow warriors among us to believe, when I first became county engineer, we had just six snowplow trucks and six salt trucks with no radios and only single fuel tanks.

The drivers were dispatched during snow events with little direction along roads some of them weren’t familiar with. As you can imagine, some roads got plowed… some got plowed twice… and some didn’t get plowed at all.

Halfway through a shift, the drivers would have to return to the garage to be refueled. If we had to change from plowing to salting, they had to return to the garage to change trucks.

The office phone rang constantly with complaints.

Once the chaos of a particularly bad storm calmed, my office came up with some new ideas on how to change the way we battled the snow. Not just change for change’s sake, but changes that would make a positive difference in the way we served the citizens.

By the next snow, we had divided the roads into six districts and we put the same driver in the same truck in the same district every time, to increase efficiency and safety.

Eventually we equipped all trucks with salt spreaders and snowplows and bought new trucks with dual fuel tanks. Radios in every cab made it possible for us hit the roads that needed the most attention.

The office phone quit ringing.

TeamUp ODOT is a good showcase of similar innovative solutions, fueled by need and grown out of novel ideas.

We know that ideas are cheap, but reality is not. We are facing some difficult financial chal-lenges and tough fiscal realities. Hard times are the crucible that forges character. We must be frugal in our decision making – use every day to look for ways to reduce costs and improve productivity.

In every district and every garage, let us empower our fellow employees to explore those new ideas and embrace the potential for change. With time, patience, and steadfast commitment, we will be a better organization for it… and deliver a better product.

From The Director

James G. Beasley, P.E., P.S., ODOT Director

TRANSCRIPT, MAY 2007 3

THE NEW 2007-2009 OHIO HIGHWAY MAP IS PACKED WITH MORE THAN JUST USEFUL route information.

This year’s map, unveiled in March with a new cover and message from new Governor Ted Strickland, also pays tribute to the state’s Scenic Byway Program. The reverse side of the map contains descriptions of the 24 Scenic Byways the state offers along with their map coordinates for quick reference.

Also recorded are new or extended routes added to the state’s highway system over the past few years.

The map was designed by Bruce Hull, Electronic Design Specialist in the Office of Communications. “When design-ing the map, I tried to include as much of Ohio’s history in the limited space allowed. It was a real challenge, but I enjoyed it,” Hull said.

For fun, Hull strategically “hid” 17 cardinals, the state bird of Ohio, on the reverse side of the map. He also used the memory of a road trip with his family in their convert-ible as the inspiration for the cover of the map, noting that when he thinks of the state map, he envisions trips to the many great destinations Ohio has to offer.

The first official Ohio highway map was printed in 1912. The first multi-color map was printed in 1914 and the first two-sided map came off the press in 1928. Art was used for the first time on an Ohio map in 1935, and the first full-color map appeared in 1942.

The new 2007 full-color map is available at ODOT buildings and rest areas, and will be distributed to the masses at the Ohio State Fair in August. The department hands out more than two million maps every two years.

Ryan Larzelere, Central Office The Wait is Over for New State Maps

Joel Hunt, Central Office

OHIO’S 26TH ANNUAL OPERATION Feed campaign is underway and runs through July 16. The cam-

paign benefits the Mid-Ohio Food Bank, which helps stock the shelves of 228 food pantries, soup kitchens and emergency shelters in six central Ohio counties.

In addition to financial contributions, the Mid-Ohio Food Bank is asking for essential food items, such as canned fruit and vegetables, oatmeal, pasta and pea-nut butter. A monetary donation of one dollar is equivalent to two meals, and one pound of food equals one meal.

Governor Strickland said the state of

in cash equaling more than 9,000 meals. The goal for Central Office this year is to collect 1,275 pounds of food and $4,240 in cash.

Each ODOT office is encouraged to collect food and money during the cam-paign. Special event fundraisers are up to the discretion of office supervisors.

Central Ohio food pantries fill an av-erage of 72,000 requests for assistance every month, and soup kitchens serve 162,000 meals each month.

If you have any questions regarding Operation Feed, please contact Joel Hunt in the Office of Communications at 614-466-7173.

Food Drive Brings Thousands of Meals to Needy

Ohio is pleased to continue supporting the efforts of Operation Feed. “Last year, like many before, the generosity of our employees was inspiring. Through food and financial donations, state employees provided 460,000 meals – the second largest contribution for the Mid-Ohio Food Bank in 2006.”

Last year, Central Office collected 1,200 pounds of food and nearly $4,000

4 TRANSCRIPT, MAY 2007

A Tour of Displays and Awards THIS YEAR’S TEAMUP ODOT EXHIBI-

tion featured more than 40 booths set up inside the Rhodes building

at the Ohio Expo Center. District 10 found a vivid way to em-

phasize the need for diligence in observ-ing electrical safety. Using a prepared electrical unit with three sets of live con-tacts, the demonstrators ran an electrical current through hot dogs at 110, 220 and 480 volts respectively.

A hot dog at 110 – or ordinary house current – would begin to burn after more than 40 seconds. But at 480 – a voltage an ODOT electrician might have to work with – the hotdog caught fire almost im-mediately.

The effect of such volts is the reason ODOT District 10 has been taking steps to make certain its workers always use

caution around electrical equipment.District 5’s Vegetation Suppression

Team created a program for the applica-tion of chemicals to roadside vegetation. The treatments reduce the growth of plants and grass, and save the depart-ment the costs and manpower of constant mowing.

As part of a focus on asset data collec-tion, District 2 set up a demonstration of a new electronic viewing and mapping system for roads and highways. Sitting at the primary view screen, a navigator can experience the recorded video along a highway almost as if he or she were really driving along the path.

The system also has separate dual screens that can precisely map the loca-tion being viewed and the details of the highways that need attention.

Vegetation Suppression Team, District 5 Process Improvement Award

D-10 Electrical Safety Display

D-2’s “Assets ‘R’ Us” viewing and mapping system

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Dennis Hensley, District 7 Outstanding Customer

Service AwardJR Maynard, District 6

Communication Award

Christina Davis, District 10 Impact Award

TRANSCRIPT, MAY 2007 5

A Tour of Displays and Awards

Outdoor demonstrations included new innovations for heavy equipment. Teams developed a new tailgate for handling heavy rocks without damaging the haul-ing vehicles, and the use of a new recov-ery device for restoring roadside berms.

One team created a new heavy duty safety stand for mounting large snow-plow blades while they are being ser-viced. The stands not only keep the de-vices from falling and causing injury, they also reduce the number of people and time it used to take to service the equipment.

Dave Kellough, District 9Employee Mentoring

Award (tie)

Tim McMenamin, District 4Employee Mentoring

Award (tie)

Tom McNabb and Dave Shackle, District 10

MVP Award

D-1’s Berm Savers roadside restoring device

D-9 Blade Runners snowplow safety stand

Brian Stephens, District 4Director’s Humanitarian

Service Award

Keep checking the ODOT intranet for this year’s Virtual TeamUP ODOT to see pictures and descriptions of all the displays and award winners.

D-10’s new tailgate system which handles heavy rocks

without vehicle damage.

2007

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Above: Nasco Construction Inc., from Youngstown, Ohio, works on the $838,398 bridge replacement project on U.S. Route 62 over the Killbuck Creek in Holmes County. The project began in late January and is currently 35 percent complete.

but recycling still brings the department thousands of dollars and reduces waste hauled to landfills. Funds received from ODOT’s current recycling program go back to the Division of Facilities and Equipment Management.

Blankenship said the agencies under the contract will be paid for both hazard-ous and non-hazardous recyclables.

According to ODOT’s 2007 recycling

Joel Hunt, Central Office

FOUR STATE AGENCIES, INCLUDING ODOT, have come together with the Department of Administrative

Services (DAS) to develop an expanded recycling and hazardous materials con-tract for statewide use.

The statewide recycling contract will cover a variety of hazardous materials never before recycled, including fluo-rescent bulbs, batteries, ballasts, filters, scrap rubber and others. The departments anticipate hav-ing the contract in place in early fiscal year 2008.

Gayle Blankenship, purchas-ing analyst in the Office of State Procurement at DAS, said sepa-rate contracts will be let: one for hazardous materials and one for non-hazardous materials.

Vicki Ashley, ODOT recycling coordinator, said ODOT has been recycling bottles, cans, paper, books and corrugated cardboard for years – and gets paid for it.

The market for non-hazardous recyclables fluctuates each year,

report, white led-ger paper fetches the highest dollars for the department at $123 per ton while aluminum cans are paid at a mere $.25 per ton. “We don’t get paid for plastic bottles, but we still collect them to be environmentally responsible,” Ashley said.

ODOT and the Ohio Depart-ment of Public Safety (ODPS) currently contract with Royal Pa-per Products to collect their non-hazardous recyclables.

Some district offices recycling through their local solid waste au-thorities even though they are not paid for their recyclables. Ashley encourages every ODOT employ-ee to recycle to be ‘good stewards’ of the environment.

ODPS, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections, ODOT and DAS are partners in the statewide recycling contract.

Acceptable Recycling MaterialFor “PAPER ONLY” Bin

White or colored paperNotebook Paper

Inkjet or laser printer paper

Index CardsPost-it Notes

Manila Folders

Paperback Books, Ads & MagazinesComputer paperPaper envelopes

The above items can be recycled even with paperclips, staples and rubber bands still attached!

PLEASE PLACE CARDBOARD AND NEWSPAPER IN DESIGNATED CONTAINERS

Unacceptable Recycling MaterialThe items listed below are considered TRASH and should NOT be placed in ANY recycle bin:

Any type of food con-tainers, candy wrappers Napkins, paper towels,

facial tissue

Ream wrapConstruction Paper

Tyvek materials (padded envelopes)

Plastic coated paperPolystyrene (Styrofoam) containers

District 11 Project Photos

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Below: TAB Construction Company Inc., from Canton, Ohio, works on the $837,862 bridge replacement project on State Route 9 over Pogue Run between Provident and Fairpoint in Belmont County. Work also includes the realignment of the roadway. The project began March 26, 2007, and is currently considered 10 percent complete.

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State Agencies to Expand Recycling Contract

TRANSCRIPT, MAY 2007 7

District 7 Helps Monument Take Flight

DAYTON WILL SOON HAVE AN UNMISTAKABLE ICON paying tribute to the city as the home of Wilbur and Orville Wright, inventors of powered flight.

The Wright Image Group, a Dayton based group of engineers, marketers, architects, developers and

accountants is raising funds to build a replica of the 1905 Wright Flyer, which became the

world’s first practical aeroplane.

Through the Interstate 70/75 reconstruction project, ODOT was able to assist with the replica by donating a .65-acre parcel of land to the group for the location of the memorial. Thanks to ODOT’s dona-tion and a land donation by America’s Crossroads, the replica of the Wright Brothers’ plane will be located off of the southwest quadrant of the I-70/I-75 interchange. From this location, the 40-ton structure will rest atop a 220-foot pedestal to be visible to more 156,000 vehicles a day and more than 50 million travelers each year.

Denise Heitkamp, District 7

Montgomery County Engineer Joe Litvin receiving the deed from District 7 Production Ad-ministrator Randy Chevalley for the land donated by ODOT for the Wright Flyer Memorial.

The monument will stand as a proud reminder of the role Dayton has played and continues to play in the technology and aerospace industries. This theme compliments ODOT’s aesthet-ics initiative that is part of the I-70/I-75 reconstruction project. The interchange will also include impressions of the Wright Brothers’ first flight and images of Apollo 11, the Lunar Mod-ule, and the earth and moon on retaining walls adjacent to the interstate routes. The images represent the community’s desire to incorporate the theme of “When innovation takes flight,” to memorialize the area’s history and characteristics.

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Visit our Web site at http://www.dot.state.oh.us

Ted Strickland, Governor

James G. Beasley, P.E., P.S. ODOT Director

OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONSScott Varner, Deputy Director

Lindsay Komlanc, Managing EditorAndy Eline, Layout/Design Editor

PRINTED BY THE ODOT PRINT SHOPODOT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

OHIO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION1980 W. BROAD ST.

COLUMBUS, OHIO 43223 Phone: (614) 466-7170 Fax: (614) 644-8662

District 2: Veterans’ Glass City Skyway Pylon LightingThe first night-time testing of the LED aesthetic lighting system in the upper pylon was performed on the Maumee River Crossing May 14th. When these shots were taken from the ODOT observation area, the LEDs were cycling through a rainbow of colors, flowing in constant motion. The long exposure time of the first two pictures resulted in the appearance of while light. But the actual look was much more colorful, as seen in the last three pictures taken with a faster shutter speed.The opening dedication ceremony for the Veterans’ Glass City Skyway is Saturday, June 23rd. Governor Strickland and Director Beasley will take part in the day-long celebration in Toledo. Images courtesy of FIGG Engineering Group.

The Ohio State Fair will be

held August 1 – August 12. Any-one interested in working at the fair should contact

Jane Hedge by July 20 at Jane.Hedge@dot.state.oh.us. Shifts are from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. or 1:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., with thirty minutes for lunch.

Working at the fair is in place of regular work. Volunteers will not be eligible for overtime. Week-end shifts may be substituted for a regular work-day during the same week. Supervisor approval is required for any shift or to substitute a weekend shift for a regular workday. Flex policy applies.

photos by Justin Chesnic, D-4

District 4 Featured Project PhotosSetting beams for the new Interstate 80 bridge over the Meander Reservoir. Crews utilized a unique method to set the beams so as not to further restrict traffic.The semi trucks delivering the beams drove onto a barge and were carried across the reservoir to where the crane was located to set the beam. Crews are currently preparing the bridge to pour the deck. More information on this reconstruction project can be found at www.odotdistrict4.org.