Be Thankful for Safe Travel

Like many other Missourians, my family and I will be traveling Wednesday to visit our family for Thanksgiving. Also like your family, we have traditions that must be upheld – the bountiful food of course (and not a chicken casserole like my mom tried to pass off as the Thanksgiving meal one year), and sharing what we are thankful for before the big meal this Thursday. Although there are many things I can list, I am most thankful that we will all be together. And while that may seem obvious, for 280 Missouri families it is not the case – their family members died last year as a result of impaired driving crashes.

Impaired driving continues to be a grave problem in Missouri and around the country leaving a human toll of lost lives, grief-stricken family and friends, injuries and disabilities that never go away. Over the last five years in Missouri, 1,348 people have been killed in impaired driving crashes and thousands more injured.

And the days between Thanksgiving and Christmas can be an especially dangerous time of year on the roads. Between the two holidays in 2009, 88 people died in traffic crashes in Missouri (21 were alcohol-related) and 4,650 were injured (with 343 related to alcohol).

Some contend that those drinking and driving are simply hurting and killing themselves, but a substantial number of people killed or injured in these crashes are innocent victims. In fact, 31 percent of the fatalities and 40 percent of the injuries occurred to some other party involved in the crash – not the drinking driver or pedestrian.

So what can we do? Each of us can take the responsibility to drive sober, call a cab or designate a driver while celebrating this holiday season and urge all our friends and family to do the same. If you’ve had a personal experience with an impaired driving crash, you can share it with others on a special remembrance page at facebook.com/humantoll in hopes that more education will help others to not drive impaired and other families will be spared such tragedies.

When you get to your Thanksgiving meal this year, be thankful you got there safely and let’s all work together to Arrive Alive.

Thankful

Just last night we were having dinner out and a group of guys ranging in age from 25-50 were at the table next to us. They were having a few beers and getting a little loud with their conversation. My ears pricked up, though I was trying hard not to listen.
The talk at their table was about law enforcement of all kinds, and the unfair treatment of cops to guys like them. Although I can’t quote them directly from my middle-age memory, I can give you the highlights:
I was only going 10 mph over the limit, and they had the nerve to stop me!
That blankety blank cop asked how much I’d had to drink!!
I think they are just out to raise some money by giving tickets!
Now, I can’t say that I’ve never in my life done anything wrong. But when it comes to the men and women who work in law enforcement, I know three things: I know that they are doing their job, I know I don’t want to do their job and I know they are trying to protect us from ourselves and the other crazy people out there who think the cops are just out to get them. For that, I am thankful!

Missouri Miles

For this month's Missouri Miles, listen to MoDOT's new director Kevin Keith, appointed this month. You'll also learn about a MoDOT employee who walked more than 90 miles to pay tribute to his fallen co-workers and to raise money for a Fallen Workers' Memorial. Get the latest update on MoDOT's five-year direction and how we have worked to cut costs. Finally, don't miss the view of the windfarms. All that and more on this month's edition!

Part 1:


Part 2:

Who I Want to Be

I try my best not to be a helicopter mom. I try to let my kids, you know, make their own mistakes (on selected things).
But lately, my friends are probably starting to hear the sound of chopper blades when I’m around. Okay, I may preach a little about the benefits of seat belts and always ask if everyone in my car is buckled. Not to mention telling them they absolutely cannot text and drive.
I’ve begun to notice when my friends call me from their cell now, they quickly tell me they aren’t driving or that they didn’t text me earlier because they WERE driving.
So I think I’m developing a rep as the ENFORCER among my friends, family and neighbors.
Is it who I want to be? Well…. I’m a grownup now and I guess if it keeps any one of them, or anyone else from hearing the sounds of chopper blades from the Lifeflight helicopter after a car crash then it’s a badge I’m willing to wear, with honor.

Golden Hour

 
The Eads Bridge photo above has been chosen for the cover shot and January photo for the 2011 American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials calendar. It was taken by Cathy Morrison with MoDOT.
The photo shows the golden hour of Eads Bridge, a combined road and railway bridge over the Mississippi River at St. Louis, connecting St. Louis and East St. Louis, Illinois. Today the road deck has been restored, allowing vehicle and pedestrian traffic to cross the river. The rail deck has been in use for the St. Louis MetroLink light rail line since 1993.

The Human Toll

toll: verb -- To ring slowly, with regularly repeated strokes, esp. for announcing a death
The human toll of impaired driving is devastating.
In 2009, 280 people were killed, 1,140 seriously injured in crashes involving a drunk driver. In Missouri, someone is killed or injured in an impaired driving crash every 1.9 hours.
Those that are killed leave a void that no one can fill. They leave behind family, friends and loved ones who are haunted by their loss.
But, not everyone is killed in a drinking-involved crash. Some are injured and their physical wounds heal with time, some suffer permanent and disabling injuries. Some victims have difficulty overcoming the emotional and psychological impact of the crash. All are changed forever.
Visit our wall on Facebook at www.facebook,com/humantoll. We want to remember those who have been injured or killed in impaired driving crashes and to remind others of the importance of driving sober not only this holiday season but always.
We invite you to share your story of how impaired driving has affected your life, or the life of someone you love.

The Wheelies Are Optional

It isn’t every day that your job requires you to wear a bike helmet, but on Nov. 8, staff from MoDOT’s Kansas City office wore their helmets with pride as they rode through town on two wheels as part of a workshop for transportation planners and engineers on “Understanding a Cyclists Perspective.”

Hosted by the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation, the six-hour seminar introduced staff to the physical, mental and agility challenges of actually maneuvering a bicycle through active traffic. The agenda included classroom and hands-on sessions and covered:

·         Benefits of cycling

·         Principles of traffic law

·         Lane choice and position

·         Bicycle crashes

·         Sharing the road

·         Bike handling skills and urban practice ride

The concept of the workshop was developed as part MoBikeFed’s effort to form a new KC regional bike and pedestrian advocacy organization.

“This organization will partially focus its time and resources on bicycling and pedestrian education. A hallmark of this education will be to offer it to transportation staff and elected officials throughout the Kansas City region,” Said Eric Bunch, program coordinator for the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation.  “Before we take the program to a bigger audience we needed to get feedback from the experts. MoDOT District 4 has been a great supporter of bicycling in the Kansas City area, but as advocates, we realized that we could help MoDOT staff gain a better perspective of how our built environment works for cyclists.”  

This was the inaugural run for “Understanding a Cyclist's Perspective” but the workshop borrows elements from a program offered to the public called Traffic Skills 101. MoBikeFed hopes in the future to offer this workshop as a continuing education credit option for planners and engineers.

While most of the class was held in classroom session, the team did enjoy an hour-long bike ride through Lee’s Summit, Mo.’s urban streets.

I have always considered myself to be an experienced cyclist.  I have ridden my bike in urban, suburban and rural settings on roads, trails and even sidewalks,” said MoDOT Construction and Materials Engineer Perry Allen. “The training provided me what I need to know to ride safely and legally, especially in an urban and suburban setting. I found the class to be very informative and beneficial increasing both my interest, as well as my confidence as a cyclist.” 

The workshop is open to other groups and organizations. Contact Eric at 573.701.2492 or Eric.Bunch@mobikefed.org for details. 

Talk to Us!

MoDOT wants to be accessible to the citizens we serve. We want your input, we want your opinion, we want you to talk to us.

To make this happen, we try to remove as many communication barriers as possible. We want it to be easy for you to reach the right person in the department.

That’s why you can go to our main website and send us a comment from any page. At the bottom of every web page of www.modot.org you’ll see a little word balloon that says “Give Us Your Feedback on this Page.” Originally we had launched the feature so folks could comment on specific topics or web pages. We quickly learned it served a broader purpose.

People started clicking on the link to ask questions about projects, road conditions, public meetings and anything else that was on their mind.
As the person who oversees the website, I saw that as a huge success! Web visitors didn’t have to navigate to a comment form or hunt down a phone number. Now they were talking to us whenever they felt like it. My comments from the site tripled in a matter of weeks. While we didn’t actually receive a lot of comments about the site, we did get to hear from citizens on about every other topic.

We still have more detailed comment forms on the site, and we still want you to call 1-888 Ask MoDOT whenever you feel like it. But if you’re surfing our site, and something crosses your mind, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the word balloon. We’ll make sure your comment makes it to the right person.

Wish List

Every motorist has an opinion of other drivers' behavior. My pet peeve? Tailgaters. Grrrrr

My husband is willing to give those who irritate him the benefit of the doubt. When someone blazes past him, obviously flaunting the speed limit, he remarks that the driver must have a digestive issue and has urgent needs to attend to.

What about the folks who spend their workday on the road? What behavior would professional drivers most like other highway users to change?

MoDOT posed that question to participants in the Missouri Truck Driving Championships. The answers are posted in a "Trucker on the Street" segment on MoDOT's YouTube site.

I bet you can guess what they say before you watch the video:

• Pay attention to your surroundings
• Buckle up
• Be courteous. Show respect.
• Give everyone enough space.
• Use turn signals.

It seems to me that full-time drivers have the same concerns as most part-time highway users.

Stay tuned. More Trucker on the Street videos are coming soon.

Win a vacation on the Missouri River Runner

Welcome to the ultimate Missouri vacation experience giveaway. Thanks to Amtrak, 94.3 KAT Country and Missouri River Runner (MoDOT) you can have it all!

Who couldn’t use a Missouri vacation? I know… I know some of you are thinking that you sometimes need a vacation after your vacation, but what if you didn’t have to always drive to your vacation destination? What if you could log on and surf the web while glimpsing at scenic Missouri River views when traveling? What if the kids could grab a snack all while making a childhood memory of the family trip experience on a train?

KAT Country’s “KATcations Contest” is giving away a trip for four!…Read contest details here.

Need some vacation ideas?
In Independence visit the Harry S. Truman Library & Museum; get exercise and maybe lost in a corn maze in Warrensburg. We all know that there will always be a welcoming winery in Herman. In Sedalia, stay at the Hotel Bothwell and immerse the family into the 1920’s. Do some shopping in Kirkwood; experience the City Museum and a Rams Game in St. Louis. Take in a dinner at the Westport District in Kansas City; not to mention, a spa weekend getaway and afternoon at the Missouri State Museum in Jefferson City. Visit an old Indian trading post at Fort Charrette Historic Village in Washington, MO; and maybe you can catch a circus puppet show in Lee’s Summit.
Go see Missouri on the Missouri River Runner!

So sign up, relax and enjoy the ride…and please tell us all about your train experiences!

Notice our new Missouri River Runner train schedule effective November 8, 2010

Sign-up here to enter contest!
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Visit Missouri tourism!

MoDOT Veteran Named New Director

A familiar face for those acquainted with MoDOT is taking over as director of MoDOT. The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission today tapped Kevin Keith to lead the department. Kevin had been serving as MoDOT's interim director since April. Before that, he was the department's chief engineer for nine years. Altogether, he has been with MoDOT for more than 25 years. Kevin was selected as part of an intense, national search for a new MoDOT director that began in April.

Kevin is known to be innovative, results-oriented and a straight-shooter. He is nationally recognized for his innovative efforts to implement "Practical Design," a no-frills approach enabling MoDOT to satisfy customer needs while saving money to put toward more transportation improvements. Practical Design has saved Missouri taxpayers more than $1 billion and has been adopted in numerous other states.

As he moves forward in his new capacity, Kevin said his top two priorities are to make the best use of the resources MoDOT has available and to have a conversation with Missourians about our transportation needs and how we will fund improvements in the future.

So begins a new chapter in the MoDOT history book.

Ready, Set, Snow!

So if your house is anything like ours, you've probably had your heater checked out for the winter, switched out all your summer clothes for the cold-weather clothes, and made sure your cars are ready for the snow. Just as we prepare our homes and vehicles for the cold weather, MoDOT employees are busy getting ready for the snow.

The department does lots of things to make sure we're ready for that first snowfall including stocking buildings with salt and beet juice, and ensuring plows and crews are ready by Nov. 1 for bad weather. New this year, we've added additional training on some of our equipment like the TowPLow.

For anyone out there who doesn't speak DOT language, the TowPLow is a really cool piece of equipment we've been using for a few years. It is a 26-foot plow created in Missouri, and now used in 10 other states and parts of Canada. It is designed to trail behind a standard plowing truck and can clear two traffic lanes at one time, the same as two standard snowplows, which saves a lot of time and resources. The department has 65 of these being used in all areas of the state on multi-lane highways, and it's just one of the tools we're using to make sure we keep roads safe for motorists while making the most of our resources.

Something else new for motorists this year is the updated Traveler Information Map on MoDOT's website that now includes weather radar imagery. Viewers can see what is happening and what is coming their way. New categories to better describe winter road conditions include the following: Closed, Covered, Partly Covered, Mostly Clear and Clear.

When bad weather hits, MoDOT will focus on getting roads drivable by treating the highest-traveled major roads and regionally significant roads first until they are mostly clear. All the remaining less-traveled roads will be plowed to allow for safe travel concentrating on hills, curves and intersections.

MoDOT has more than 3,000 employees and more than 1,600 pieces of equipment ready to fight the winter storms. Remember to give snowplows plenty of room to work, don't tailgate and try not to pass plows. We want everyone to get home safely. Buckle up, and remember, when driving in ice and snow, take it slow.

A Winning Team

MoDOT has recently been awarded some top honors. This week it was announced that the Interstate 64 reconstruction project in St. Louis has been selected as the 2010 America's Transportation Awards Grand Prize Winner by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, AAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It competed as one of forty-three projects.

In addition, the new diverging diamond interchange in Springfield, Mo., won the Francis B. Francois Award for Innovation. The award goes to a project that brings value to the public. In this case, the interchange allows traffic to move faster, reduces congestion, increases safety and saves money.

Also, Interim Director Kevin Keith received the President's Transportation Award for Administration. He was recognized for exemplary service and impacting transportation by implementing Practical Design, a cost-saving strategy that has now become our standard way of doing business.

This recognition shows we're working hard to provide quality transportation and use resources wisely. Congratulations to all of those who worked with these projects and were a part of bringing about practical, innovative solutions to achieve tremendous results.

Watch Out For Real Halloween Horrors

This time of year, I am wrapped up in the Halloween preparations like most people. The house is decorated and candy bought, but we’re still trying to find the pieces to complete costumes for a night of trick-or-treating fun. And while we all know the typical dangers to look out for on this night like tampered candy and ill-fitting costumes, many of us don’t think about some of the other really scary dangers like drunk drivers.

In fact, Halloween is a particularly deadly night due to impaired drivers. According to a study over a 20-year period by the National Highway Traffic Safety administration, four times the number of elementary and middle school-aged children were killed by a car or truck on Halloween when compared to all other evenings.

In 2008, 58 percent of all highway fatalities across the nation on Halloween night involved an impaired driver. In 2009 in Missouri, there were six people killed and 34 seriously injured in traffic crashes during the Halloween weekend. Of the six people killed, two involved an impaired driver and 80 percent were unbuckled.

So for everyone planning a Halloween party for more than the kids, keep in mind the following tips:
* Plan a safe way home before the festivities begin.
* Before drinking, designate a sober driver and give that person your keys.
* If you’re impaired, take a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation.
* If you suspect a drunk driver on the road, contact your local law enforcement.
* Always buckle up. It’s your best defense in a crash.
* Slow down and stay alert!

Besides looking out for impaired drivers, all motorists need to be aware that on a night such as Halloween, children dressed in costumes can run out onto streets and roadways. To avoid real-life Halloween horrors, remember the following if you are trick or treating with your kids:
* Walk on sidewalks if at all possible.
* Make sure cars can see you by wearing reflective strips and carry a flashlight.
* Don’t assume a vehicle is going to stop for you – the driver may not be paying attention or see you.
* Watch carefully for kids in the streets and stay close to your own little “monsters.”

For more information, visit www.saveMOlives.com

Taking Impaired Drivers Off the Road

Foristell Police Department put their brand new DWI enforcement car to good use: by making a bust involving 70 pounds of marijuana.

Foristell Police Department was awarded the car by MoDOT's Division of Highway Safety for their 2009-2010 DWI enforcement efforts. They were randomly selected from 105 law enforcement agencies that participated in all five statewide DWI enforcement campaigns from August 2009 through July 2010.

Statewide DWI enforcement campaigns are held for St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, the Fourth of July, the annual You Drink & Drive, You Lose. Campaign and during the December You Drink & Drive, You Lose. holiday campaign.

During the statewide campaigns from August 2009 through July 2010, law enforcement officers statewide issued 2,385 driving while intoxicated violations. In addition, citations and warnings were issued for 16,521 speeding violations, 3,770 safety belt violations and 309 child restraint violations.

In 2009, 280 people were killed, 1140 seriously injured and 3719 received minor injuries in crashes involving an impaired driver.

KTU Constructors Completes 100th Bridge

For construction schedules, visit www.modot.org/safeandsound.

KTU Constructors has hit its first big milestone associated with the Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program -- the completion of its 100th bridge in less than a year.

KTU Constructors is MoDOT's design-build contractor. They won the contract in May 2009 to design and build 554 new bridges across the state. After spending several months getting their team in place, and starting the design process, KTU built four bridges last fall to test some of the construction techniques they expected would help them meet the challenge of rapidly building 554 new bridges in less than five years.

They started anew in March, and last Saturday reopened a bridge on Route M over Shankton Branch in Putnam County (near the Iowa-Missouri border) to hit the century mark. They've completed two more since then, and currently have 44 bridges under construction. In the next two weeks, KTU will begin work on 12 more projects to wrap up the 2010 construction season.

By the end of the year, weather permitting, KTU should have more than 150 new bridges completed.
But wait until 2011! Armed with lessons learned from this year; with the design process complete; and with a full inventory of precast beams awaiting delivery to job sites across the state, KTU plans to step on the gas. They have more than 300 bridges scheduled for 2011, with construction to begin in February.

The Safe & Sound program is well on its way to delivering 802 new and improved bridges to Missouri. Including the 'quick-start' bridges that MoDOT built last year outside of the design-build contract, Safe & Sound has repaired or replaced 265 bridges since April 2009. The pace has accelerated to where a new bridge is opening very two days.

To stay abreast of construction schedules, visit the Safe & Sound interactive map at www.modot.org/safeandsound

Dirty Trash Equals Clean Cash

My family and I recycle every piece of trash we can, and we pick up trash other people leave on the ground, so I understand the value of taking care of our environment. That’s why it’s so exciting when I hear of things MoDOT is doing to make a difference.

MoDOT Maintenance Superintendent Owen Hasson from our St. Louis District found a way to not only sweep up trash on St. Louis area streets and make them safer for motorists, but to help the environment and save the department tons of clean cash. Thanks to a dedicated sweeping crew and a new mobile screening unit, MoDOT has the potential to reduce its contribution to our urban landfills by up to 90 percent, while at the same time producing usable fill that can be used back on various road operations.

In March this year, crews started using the new screening unit to screen the street sweepings, producing a clean usable fill and reducing landfill debris and disposal costs. One cubic yard of sweepings weighs over one ton and thousands of cubic yards of sweepings are sent to landfills each year. Area landfill companies charge up to $45 a ton to dispose of sweeping debris. Hasson worked with the Department of Natural Resources to approve the usable fill.

So far this year, night sweeping crews have picked up 2,224 cubic yards of road debris. To haul this debris straight to the landfill would have cost more than $131,000. By filtering out the sweeping debris and reusing the cleaned sweepings, the disposal cost is reduced to under $20,000, saving $101,000 in landfill fees from these night crews alone.

Night crews represent only a fraction of the debris swept up in the St. Louis area. During the day, routine maintenance crews sweep up debris from the other major roads in the area and dump that debris at their buildings to be screened by the mobile screening unit.

Hopefully this process can be expanded in other areas to save even more money and reduce what goes to our landfill. Kudos to our St. Louis Area District and Owen Hasson for looking for creative ways to save money and help the environment!

Take a Break!

Aaaahhh, road trips. The open road, singing along to the radio, the thrill of freedom and adventure as you roll past the beautiful countryside.
OR...
Small children in the back screaming for the sippy cup they dropped, the dog whimpering for some attention, and a desperate need for some caffeine to finish up the 90 miles to Grandma's house, all while Barney and Elmo rock out to the latest counting song. 

Whatever YOUR road trips look like, we can help.

Missouri maintains 19 different rest areas and Welcome Centers across the state. Located on seven different Interstates, there are a variety of easy-to-access amenities. Visit our rest area map and click on any of the locations designated with stars to see what each offers.

You may even pick up a bit of Missouri history along the way. In Conway, stop to see the award-winning Route 66 displays. In Joplin, a mural made entirely from license plates is sure to impress. And in Eagleville, don't miss the 44-foot glass tile mosaic while you pick up a map, grab a snack and stretch your legs.

Your family ( and Fido) will thank you.

Two Thumbs Up

A new Nielsen survey out this week shows that teens send or receive an average of 3,339 texts a month, up 8 percent from last year. While I like to think that my teen years weren’t THAT long ago, the fact that I never go over my texting plan of 250 texts per month shows me that I’m not nineteen anymore.

The problem with texting is that too many texts are being sent from behind the wheel. I can’t get in my car and drive anywhere without seeing at least one person texting while driving. Just last week I passed a car that had been weaving between lanes for a good five miles only to figure out why: she was texting.

In 2008, 4,457 teen drivers ages 15 to 19 were involved in fatal crashes, and 16 percent (692) were distracted at the time of the crash. While it can be hard to put away your phone and ignore that pesky little beep of a new text message, the risk it poses to you and others on the road is just not worth it.

This week is Teen Driver Safety Week. Talk to your teen about distracted driving. Remind them that it’s prohibited for drivers under 22 and that it carries a hefty fine: $200.

For more information about teen driving safety, visit saveMOlives.com.

Take a Tour!

Have you ever wondered what goes into building a major river bridge? Tours are now being offered for the New Mississippi River Bridge in St. Louis, where you can see up close how these impressive structures take shape.

Up to 25 people can participate in two tours each month. They are 1.5 hours long and take place on the final Friday of each month at 12:30 and 2 p.m.

"This is a good opportunity for people to see the ongoing activities on the river as part of building the main span for the new bridge," said Greg Horn, P.E., project director for the New Mississippi River Bridge. "We have to limit tours though to minimize the impact to our contractor team and to ongoing construction."

Reservations are required. For full details, call 314-453-1808 and schedule your tour!