The electronic newsletter of MoDOT District 4, Kansas City AreaFebruary 2009

eConnections electronic newsletter is produced by MoDOT District 4 Public Information, is distributed to employees and retirees by e-mail, and is archived on the MoDOT intranet. We value your privacy. E-mail addresses will not be shared outside of the econnections newsletter. To receive econnections or submit news, please send e-mail to:kerri.lewis@modot.mo.gov.

Meetings/Training

Wednesday, February 11Maintenance Supervisors 12:30 p.m. - 3 p.m., Room 136

Tuesday, February 17Management Team 8 - 10 a.m., Room 136

Wednesday, February 18Job Status Meeting, Room 2368:30-10:00 Jackson/Cass Counties10:00-11:30 Interstates 12:00-1:30 Clay/Platte Counties 1:30-3:00Lafayette/Johnson/Henry/Ray

Tuesday, March 10Stock Area Team Meeting8-10 a.m., Lee’s Summit Complex

Thursday, March 12Job Status Meeting, Room 2368:30-10:00 Jackson/Cass Counties10:00-11:30 Interstates 12:00-1:30 Clay/Platte Counties 1:30-3:00Lafayette/Johnson/Henry/Ray

Events

Thursday, February 12Lincoln’s BirthdayState Offices Closed

Monday, February 16Washington’s BirthdayState Offices Closed

Tuesday, February 17Safe & Sound Community Briefing 4-6 p.m. for Cass County BridgesCass Midway High School5801 E. Highway 2

Friday, February 20Warrensburg East Loop Ground-breaking3 p.m. at the corner of Route 50 and H

Thursday, March 5Improve I-70 Public Hearing 4-7 p.m. Blue Springs American Legion499 SW State Route 7, Blue Springs

eD4 Brings MoDOT to the Community by Kerri Lewis

be a part of the planning and design pro-cess. A variety of meetings are held and include but are not limited to prelocation study meetings, location public hearings, design public hearings, and informational public meetings. However, it is not always feasible for members of a community to attend the scheduled meetings. The Voice Van provides an opportunity for MoDOT to bring the meeting to those communities and offer the same information, allow-ing the public to voice their opinions on projects that affect them and to learn more about MoDOT.

Recently, the Voice Van was used at a local Wal-mart Store to gather input from patrons regarding the First Tier Environ-mental Impact Statement (FTEIS) for the Future of I-70. Several comments were received regarding the project and will be utilized throughout the study process. This is just an example of how the Voice Van can be used.

The Voice Van is available for use. Stop by the D4 mail room to reserve the Voice Van today.

Ker

ri L

ewis

With the help of D4 Community Rela-tions and Dennis Forbis, Central Of-

fice Senior Community Relations Specialist and Graphic Artist, D4 has introduced an innovative way to bring MoDOT to the community, enhancing the public involve-ment process with the new “Voice Van”. The 15-passenger van has been wrapped in a computer-generated mural, highlighting crews and projects from the D4 region.

Community involvement is an integral part in bringing any project to comple-tion. MoDOT values the input received by the community, gathering information through an extensive public involve-ment process to help ensure the public is involved throughout the planning and implementation of a project.

To ensure a wide range of comments is received, MoDOT follows specific pro-cedures throughout the public involve-ment process. The public is given the op-portunity to attend public meetings and hearings to offer comments. This allows MoDOT to provide general information about a project and allows the public to

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Mailbag It’s been awhile now since MoDOT dedicated/opened Smithville’s first roundabout. As you know, with all new/different types of driving “challenges” I communicated with a number of citizens who were opposed to the new structure. I (and others) spent a lot of time reassuring concerned citizens that the new structure would benefit our community. I am very pleased to report to you that since the roundabout was opened, I have not received a single com-plaint. In fact, I have been stopped on the street by several citizens who were originally opposed to the struc-ture who went out of their way to make sure I knew how happy and relieved they were to find it really is easy to “negotiate”. Interestingly, we had been forewarned to expect more complaints and/or concernsfrom our “more mature” citizens...well, in all honesty, I’ve had more positive comments from these drivers than from any other age group. It’s a breeze to negotiate, traffic moves much faster and I’ve heard nary a grumble. Looks like a win-win project to me! Thanks so much for all your help and hard work which enabled us to receivethis project.

Best wishes. Bob Foreman Alderman, Ward 3 Smithville, MO

The Warrensburg Rotary Club has been an active member of the Adopt-A-Highway program since 2003. We will continue to do our part, but we will also keep hoping that folks decrease their litter. Unfortunately, that’s not likely to happen along our stretch of roadway because we have too many fast-food restaurants and convenience stores along the route. They are good for the community and the public, but it’s a haven for litterbugs.

I’ve always been impressed with MoDOT. Yours is a great organization with dedicated personnel. Sincerely, Phil Johnston Fire Chief - Emergency Management Director

News from Across the DistrictCondolences:

Our thoughts and prayers go to Flo Noear, Senior Office Assistant in Design and her family on the loss of her husband, Maxwell P. Noear, on January 15.

Our condolences go to Melbra Taylor, district office services supervisor for Right of Way and her family on the loss of her grandmother, Helen Louise Hyche on January 15.

Our thoughts and prayers also go to Louvinia Burnett, Right of Way and her family on the loss of her aunt, Georgeann Brown on January 27.

Congratulations: Congratulations to Jeena John, Highway Designer and her family on the birth of her daughter Hannah Mary Seiji. She was born on February 5 at 9:37 a.m. at 6 lb. 8 oz. and 19 inches.

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by Kerri Lewis

The 2008 Tool and Equipment Challenge has been created to identify and share

the best department innovations to complete critical field operations faster, better and cheaper. Open to all full-time employees, the challenge emphasis different areas each year based on input from district and Central Office technical experts. In 2008, the areas emphasized were roadsides, pavement marking and bridge maintenance and are judged on cost vs. benefit, convenience and ease of use, versatility and adaptability, and implementation. The top six winners from each district will compete for statewide hon-ors at the Innovation Challenge Showcase in the spring of 2009.

Jeff Bailey and Matt Elsea, both Special Operations Maintenance Crew Lead-ers, recently received this great honor. They represent the D4 winning team for the 2008 Tool and Equipment Challenge for the areas of Bridge Maintenance and Pavement Marking. As a team, they cre-ated an innovative way for crews to work safer and quicker in both of these areas. They have been invited to represent D4 in the statewide Innovation Challenge Showcase.

In the area of Bridge Maintenance, they designed and created a Steel Plate Transporter. This piece of equipment can be pulled by a pick-up or dump truck. It simplifies the process of placing a steel plate over a

D4 To Be Represented at This Years Statewide Tool and Equipment Challenge Jeff Bailey and Matt Elsea D4 Solutions At Work Winners

damaged bridge deck, allow-ing a single operator to place the plate safely and more ef-ficiently. Prior to this creation, it took multiple individuals to load, transport and place the plate. Now, only one person is needed to attach a cable to the plate and winch steel the plate into place on the trailer. The transporter will be able to lower the plate over the hole, saving time and money.

In the area of Pavement Marking, Jeff and Matt created the Striper Attachment. This attachment allows the crew to place the wheel in a position where it is not rid-ing on the rumble stripe as it is painting. It was designed to allow the striper truck to straddle the edge line rumble stripes while striping them. This will save money, simplify work, and save time. Using this attachment will save money as the need to replace parts worn out by traveling over rumble stripes is eliminated. The set-up is quick and easy, saving time and lower-ing costs as crews can travel at a quicker

The Steel Plate Transporter can be pulled behind a truck and safely place a steel plate over a damaged bridge deck.

Above, the wheel attachment allows striping equipment to straddle rumble stripes.

pace, covering more ground with less work.

Both Jeff and Matt will participate in the 2009 Innovation Showcase on March 31 in Springfield. As a team representing one of the six statewide winners, they will earn $500 and an extra $10,000 for the district maintenance budget.

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Safety is MoDOT’s number one priority, and D4 has received some significant

honors showing just how important safety is. During the 2008 Safety Conference in Oc-tober, D4 was presented with two extraordi-nary safety awards for the efforts and focus on safety.

D4 was awarded third place for the reduction of fatalities in the State. As a dis-trict, there has been a 19 percent reduc-tion of fatalities over a three-year period. This feat was accomplished through the implementation of engineering, such as the use of median guard cables, through the help of law enforcement and increased education efforts.

Also, the Jackson County Traffic Safety Task force (JCTSTF) won the Statewide Law Enforcement Safety Award. This award is specific to a law enforcement officer or group that has substantially advanced highway safety in Missouri. The award is given to a group that has done work that resulted in improved safety. The task force includes representatives from MoDOT, KC Scout, the Mid-America Regional Council, the Missouri Prosecu-tors Office, MADD, and the University of Central Missouri Safety Center.

JCTSTF is a coalition of all the local police departments within the county and their partners that focus on the reduc-tion of impaired driving by increased and targeted enforcement. There are 13 police departments involved with the task force’s multi-jurisdictional checkpoints and saturation patrols. This partnership, formed in 2002 has helped decrease traffic crashes involving impaired driving with a 23 percent reduction in traffic crash fatali-ties from 2005 to 2007. Each year the task force takes hundreds of impaired drivers off the streets of Jackson County and helps to prevent countless, needless deaths.

The JCTSTF has been a major factor in bringing Jackson County from having the most alcohol related crashes per county in Missouri to being second in the state. The Task Force holds a DWI Checkpoint every month in different communities throughout the county. Additionally, they conducted several multi-jurisdictional saturation patrols throughout the county and have even begun conducting youth alcohol sting operations. The task force works closely with local towing and cab companies to ensure that each opera-

D4 Receives Significant Safety Awardstion is run safely. They also have regular communications with the 16th Circuit Court system to ensure that all arrests are successfully prosecuted. The task force has conducted saturation patrols on I-70 in response to a high severity location analysis.

Because it has been highly successful in the work it has done, the JCTSTF is being used as a model to the other counties in D4. A task force has been created based on their success in Cass County and one is in the works in Clay County. It is the goal of Destination Safe to have a traffic safety task force similar to the JCTSTF in every county by the end of 2009. The JCTSTF shows how powerful cooperation and col-laboration amongst county partners and law enforcement agencies can be. This task force is vital to the success of Destina-tion Safe by helping to reduce injury and fatal crashes in the Kansas City area.

Safety will continue to be the focus of D4 throughout 2009. With the help of all employees and groups throughout the district, D4 will prove to be a safety leader across the state.

Above: Representatives from D4 proudly accept the award for the efforts used to reduce fatalities by 19 percent over a three-year period.

To the left: Members of law enforcement serving on the Jackson County Traffic Safety Task Force accept the Statewide Law Enforce-ment Safety Award during the 2008 Safety Conference.

econnections sourcesConstruction Bev Chrisco, 6341

Design Flo Noear, 0455

Regional Counsel LeAnn Francis, 6382

Administration Judy Magruder, 6309

General Services Toni Terry, 0056

Human Resources Belinda Fite, 6321

Right of Way Melbra Taylor, 6351

Traffic Melanie Lanigan, 0419

Editor Kerri Lewis, 6328

In an effort to put more money into road and bridge projects, MoDOT is taking an

aggressive approach to selling property it no longer needs. Under its new Realty to Roads initiative, the agency has contracted with two private firms for real estate marketing and consulting services.

Land acquired to build, improve, and maintain the highway system sometimes becomes excess. White & Associates and Richard C. Shepard, Real Estate Strategies will help MoDOT sell selected parcels of excess land that range in size from less than an acre to 160 acres. An initial list of excess property for sale can be found at www.modot.org.

“We want to provide the best value we can to Missouri taxpayers by selling our excess property and using the proceeds for highway improvements,” Kelly Lucas, director of MoDOT’s Right of Way Divi-sion, said. “Our Realty to Roads program will help us manage the property we own more effectively and efficiently.”

Lucas said the land for sale could be assembled with adjoining properties or in some cases be developed independently. In fiscal year 2008, the agency sold 112 properties at a value of more than $4.4 million. The receipts were added to MoDOT’s budget for road and bridge projects.

MoDOT Makes Push to Sell Property No Longer Needed

Page 5

MoDOT Employees Show They Care Department Top Giver in Charitable Campaign – Most Ever Donated

Missouri Department of Transportation employees contributed the highest amount ever raised by a single state agency in the history of the Missouri State Employees Chari-

table Campaign in 2009. Their contributions topped those in all other state agencies for the second year in a row.

MoDOT employees contributed $192,297 during the month-long 2009 fund-raising period, a 16 percent increase over donations given in 2008.

“I’m so proud of MoDOT employees for their tremendous generosity,” said Director Pete Rahn. “To donate more than ever to this year’s campaign says a lot about the qual-ity and caring of our employees for their fellow citizens.”

It was also a banner year for the “Show Me You Care” campaign as a whole. State employees contributed a total of $1,152,844 – the largest amount in the campaign’s 24-year history.

The campaign is organized and administered by the Missouri Office of Administra-tion to provide state employees, on a voluntary basis, with a unified fund-raising drive for charitable organizations.

Pete Rahn Speaks to the Missouri General Assembly

Pete Rahn, Director for MoDOT, is passionate about transportation. But he says he’s never been as dedicated to a cause as he is to persuading the Missouri General Assembly

to change the state’s existing seat belt law to allow primary enforcement. “If Missouri legislators had passed a primary safety belt law when I first asked them

four years ago, about 360 people would still be alive,” Rahn said. “You can be pulled over for a burned out license plate light, but not for endangering your life and the lives of others by driving without a safety belt. It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

Rahn said changing the law would save an estimated 90 lives a year and prevent 1,000 serious injuries. The state also stands to gain at least $16 million in a one-time federal incentive grant to use for safety enforcement, education and engineering. This is the last year the grant is available.

Rahn said Missouri voters were to thank for recent improvements that have made state highways safer. Their approval of Amendment 3 in 2004 redirected highway user funds to MoDOT and enabled the department to make roads smoother and install median guard cable, rumble stripes, wider striping and larger signs. Those improvements, along with education and enforcement by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and other safety partners, have led to a 24 percent decrease in traffic fatalities over the past three years.

But while the total number of highway fatalities decreased last year, the number of deaths where people were not wearing safety belts increased – from 478 in 2007 to 485 in 2008.

“We need a new approach if we’re going to continue to save lives, and that approach needs to be a primary safety belt law,” Rahn said.

MoDOT is also looking forward to the possibility of additional funding for transporta-tion projects from a federal economic recovery act. The agency has 34 projects it could be ready to go with upon passage of a federal economic recovery act. The projects, which total $510 million, would create about 14,000 jobs and have a $2.4 billion im-pact on the state’s economy.

While the proposed recovery package would help, Rahn said, it won’t stop the slide in transportation funding the state is facing.

“Our budget for construction and maintenance is headed toward levels we haven’t seen since 2003 when only 44 percent of Missouri’s major roads were in good condi-tion,” Rahn said. “Today, 83 percent of our roads are in good condition.

“We have to ask ourselves if we’re going to stand by and let our roads fall back into disrepair, or if we’re going to do something to make sure we have a transportation sys-tem that will create jobs for the state, ease congestion and save lives.”

Rahn said there are a variety of ways to increase funding for transportation. The chal-lenge is finding one the public will support.

Page 6

2009 kcICON Project Survey Available

A 2009 kcICON Project Survey is current-ly being conducted now through March

31. Surveys are available online at www.kcicon.com, at all project presentations and public outreach activities.

This survey has been designed to ask questions about the activities associated with MoDOT’s kcICON Project to en-hance the I-29/35 corridor and replace the Paseo Bridge with the Christopher S. Bond Bridge – a new landmark, cable-stay Mis-souri River Bridge.

This information is being collected by MoDOT and Paseo Corridor Constructors – the project’s design/build contractor – as a means of identifying ways in which the team might be able to better serve mem-bers of the community.

Also, don’t forget to check out the latest construction activities via the kcICON project webcams at www.kcicon.com. Views include:

· Bird’s Eye View of bridge construction from a camera positioned on top of the Paseo Bridge.

· Panoramic View of bridge construc-tion from a camera positioned down-stream of the Paseo Bridge.

· Head-On View of bridge construc-tion from a camera positioned north of the Paseo Bridge near Levee Road.

Head-On View of construction activities for the kcICON Project. Images avail-able on the project website at www.kcicon.com.

Panoramic view of the future Paseo Bridge.

Page 7

Welcome to District 4

New HiresConstruction Inspector Derek Anderson

Maintenance Crew Leader Jason Beaver

Construction Inspector Matthew Daulton

Asst. Construction Technician Rachel Fox

Senior Office Assistant Nettie Golston

Maintenance Worker Chad Harrill

Maintenance Worker Ryan Martens

Construction Technician Steven Noad

Maintenance Worker Michael Powell

Sr. Const. Technician Melissa Roberts

Highway Designer Travis Schilling

Reg. Bridge Maint. Worker Philip Wooden

Highway Designer Abdulrasak Yahaya

PromotedIntermediate Maint. Worker Mathew Breshears

Maintenance Worker Raymond Caldwell

Intermediate Maint. Worker Robert Davis

Senior Traffic specialist Sonya Henson

Maintenance Crew Leader Glen Holcomb

Motorist Assistance Operations Supervisor Percy Houston

Maintenance Worker Rocky Hughes

Sr. General Services Tech. Jody Jordan

Equipment Technician Ryan Monroe

Support Services Manager Harold Reeder

Construction Technician Bradley Street

Intermediate Maint. Worker Mark Swafford

Intermediate Construction Inspector Richard Uptegrove

Maintenance Worker Andrea Young

Corporate Ladder

Retirement...“Until We Meet Again”

Senior Maintenance Worker Rodney Norman

D4 recently said goodbye to John Fontana after several years of service to MoDOT. To the left, Beth Wright presents John with a plaque for his dedication to MoDOT.

Below: John stands with a group of friends during his retirement celebration in December.

Page 8

Unbuckled

saveMOlives.com

7 out of 10 Missourians killed in traffic crashes are unbuckled.

Save 90 lives in ‘09with a primary seat belt law.

Don’t Gamble with Your Life- Buckle Up

If you were told you have a one in 32 chance of winning the lottery - would you

play? What if you were told you have a one in 32 chance of being killed in a traffic crash if you don’t buckle up - would you take that gamble?

Safety belts save hundreds of lives each year. Buckling up is one of the best de-fenses against severe injury or death in a traffic crash. In the past three years, more than 3,000 people died in Missouri traffic crashes – 70 percent of them were not wearing a safety belt.

By encouraging non-users to change their habits, even more lives could be saved. In fact, a primary safety belt law would save approximately 90 lives each year and prevent more than 1,000 serious injuries. Of any traffic safety legislation, a primary safety belt law has the most potential to save lives.

Currently Missouri law requires drivers and front-seat passengers to buckle up, but a citation can only be issued if the officer makes a traffic stop for another offense (secondary enforcement). This is the only traffic law restricted to secondary enforce-ment out of the more than 500 Missouri traffic laws. A primary enforcement law will allow an officer to stop a vehicle when he/she observes a violation- like all other Missouri traffic laws.

In addition to saving lives, a primary safety belt law would save Missouri ap-proximately $231 million in costs associ-ated with traffic crashes each year and would reduce Medicaid costs in Missouri by approximately $103 million over ten years. Primary safety belt legislation could also qualify Missouri for an additional $16 million in federal transportation funds.

Safety advocates across Missouri are banding together as Primary Safety Belt Partners to spread the word about the importance of wearing safety belts. To join their cause or show your support, visit www.saveMOlives.com or call 573-636-8167. Remember to Buckle Up to Arrive Alive.

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Become a “Partner” Today

Join the growing Coalition of advocates in support of changing Missouri’s SECOND-

ARY safety belt law to a PRIMARY safety belt law like they have in 26 other states, and become a “Partner”. In the 26 states that enforce the primary safety belt law, persons observed not wearing a safety belt might be stopped for that violation alone. Usage rates in those 26 other states are, on average, about 11 - 13% higher than in states with secondary laws, like Missouri’s. Increas-ing belt use by that magnitude in Missouri would:

¨ Save approximately 90 lives and prevent over 1000 serious injuries

every year;¨ Save Missouri taxpayers approximately $230 million in associated costs annually;¨ Reduce Missouri Medicaid costs by

over $10 million each year;¨ Qualify Missouri for an additional

$16 - $20 million in federal transportation funds; ¨ Not cost Missouri taxpayers a single

dollar. To pass a primary safety belt law in

2009, our lawmakers need to know this is-sue is important to all of us. This is where your help is needed. Become a “Partner”. You can do this by going to http://www.savemolives.com/programs/PSB/PSBPinfo.htm, provide the requested information and simply push the send button.

When you sign on (as a “Partner”), you will be included on the list of PSB supporters and ask you to voice that sup-port to your friends, associates, officials, etc. During the 2009 Legislative Session you will be kept informed by way of our Alerts, some of which will ask you to con-tact your Legislators. Your commitment to this task is immeasurably important --- so please, sign on today.

For more information about the Primary Safety Belt Partners Coalition and support materials, click on the Primary Safety Belt icon at www.savemolives.com.

Also, show your support by stopping by to see Melanie Lanigan in the D4 Traffic Department and request an Arrive Alive postcard to send to your local state repre-sentative and senator. Fill it out and drop it back off and it will be sent to Jefferson City, showing that you support the Primary Safety Belt Law.

At no cost to Missouri taxpayers, we can:At no cost to Missouri taxpayers, we can:• Save 90 lives, every year• Prevent 1,000 serious injuries, every year• Bring $16-20 million into Missouri

Amending Missouri’s safety belt law to authorize primary enforcement in 2009 will accomplish these goals.

Signature:

City: County:

Passing a primary enforcement safety beltlaw is a vote for saving lives.

2007: 478 people who died in MO crashes were not belted; 80% of teens who diedwere not belted; 7,744 people sustained disabling injuries; millions of dollarswere lost in federal grant funds.

saveMOlives.com

Stop by today to show your support for the Primary Safety Belt Law by filling out the postcard as seen above and sending it to your local state representative and senator. Contact Melanie Lanigan at 622-0419 in Traffic for more details.

Death

Safety BeltsThe Difference Between Life or Death

This driver was wearing a safety belt and survived.

This driver was not wearing a safety belt, was ejected and died.

Missouri Department of Transportation

Life