Message Monday for Nov. 30, 2015 - Ice is frightful, safe arrivals are delightful

November 30, 2015

With Iowa’s ever-changing conditions, “Oh the weather outside may be frightful”….  might come to mind often when describing a journey down a frozen roadway.  During winter weather, before you venture out, check the weather and road conditions at www.511ia.org.  If you decide that you need to travel, follow the 5 items below for “Safe arrivals are delightful”… of friends and family at their destination.

Personnel updates for Nov. 6-19, 2015

November 24, 2015

Information provided by the Office of Employee Services

Making one of Iowa's most scenic drives safer

November 23, 2015

The stretch of Iowa 76 north of Marquette is one of the prettiest drives in the state. Bordered by the Mississippi River on the east and a scenic bluff on the west, the road is a popular destination for a weekend drive or as an Iowa vacation destination. Unfortunately this stretch of highway has also become a major maintenance concern for the Iowa Department of Transportation when it comes to the safety of the traveling public. 

The trees on the bluffs in this area can be beautiful, but they can also be a safety hazard when Mother Nature decides to send them tumbling onto the roadway. Between the spring and fall of this year, maintenance staff from the Iowa DOT’s Waukon garage responded to calls for downed trees on a 3-mile stretch of Iowa 76. Most of the down trees could be cleaned up quickly with little traffic disruption, but in two instances the road had to be closed completely, once for about four hours to remove debris.

Lessons learned from the leadership breakout sessions Oct. 21

November 23, 2015

At the Leadership Development Conference Oct. 21, managers, supervisors, and other informal leaders at the Iowa DOT came together for a day-long event focused on developing their leadership skills.

Some of the most impactful parts of the day were the sessions where small groups of leaders gathered to identify barriers and then brainstorm solutions in the areas of leadership, strategic planning, performance measurement, culture, and communication.

While some great discussion and ideas came out of these sessions, conference attendees are not the only ones responsible for improving our agency. Everyone has the ability to make improvements that help the Iowa DOT become smarter, simpler, and customer driven. Over the next few weeks, blog posts will be added to let you in on what was discussed in each of the five topic areas. Please use these posts to continue conversations in your work unit.

Today’s topic is leadership.

Are you as safe as you can be at work?

November 23, 2015

Active shooter. Those are two words we’ve become far too accustomed to in American culture and around the world. With senseless acts of violence like the Paris attacks, the reality of our world is forcing agencies like the Iowa Department of Transportation to take a close look at our facilities and how we can protect our employees and customers. With safety as one of our core values, it makes sense to take a critical look at the security of the places where we come to work every day.

Last year, staff from Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department began working with Iowa DOT’s Motor Vehicle Division staff to assess the security of the 18 driver’s license stations and the MVD headquarters in Ankeny.

Message Monday - Nov. 23, 2015 - Buckling up can save your giblets

November 23, 2015

Many of us just pitch the little package of turkey giblets straight into the garbage. If they get used at all, turkey giblets (heart, gizzard, liver and other visceral organs) are mainly relegated to being boiled for stock or gravy, or chopped up in stuffing. The lowly bag of giblets hardly gets a second thought.

That’s not the case with your own organs. Keep your giblets safe when you’re behind the wheel by buckling up, every seat, every time.  Your loved ones are counting on you to be there for Thanksgiving. https://youtu.be/PCcavUqM--I]

The fatality count of 286 is an increase of 12 from last Monday. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, go to http://www.iowadot.gov/mvd/stats/daily.pdf.

Iowa DOT testing blue lights to increase visibility of snowplows

November 19, 2015

On a bright sunny day, it’s hard to miss a very large orange snowplow. But when the sun goes down or the snow and wind make it tough to see, the mammoth vehicles can become nearly invisible.

Typically when the plow is down, snowplows operate at 20-35 mph, but are often moving even slower if the snow is deep or conditions warrant a slower speed. Since traffic is often traveling at much higher speeds than the plows, the visibility of the large equipment is vital to the safety of both travelers and DOT snowfighters. 

Accurate weather information helps Iowa DOT snowfighters keep roads safer

November 19, 2015

There is no shortage of information available for today’s snowfighters. Since we all know the weather in Storm Lake can be very different from the conditions in Burlington, accurate local weather data is one of the Iowa Department of Transportation’s most valuable tools when winter rolls in. The Iowa DOT uses a contractor to provide in-depth information that helps our field staff make more informed decisions regarding winter maintenance of the state’s roads. The vendor supplies us with current atmospheric conditions and accurate forecasts in an easy-to-use, Web-based format.

Personnel updates for Oct. 23 to Nov. 5, 2015

November 16, 2015

Information provided by the Office of Employee Services

Message Monday - Nov. 16, 2015 - Leave sooner, drive slower, live longer

November 16, 2015

Someone loves you and wants you to be safe. That’s the simple premise behind this week’s message “Leave Sooner, Drive Slower, Live Longer.”

It’s so easy to get caught up in the rush of everyday life where the kids need to be dropped off at school or daycare, then it’s off to run a few errands before a busy day at work. We can all benefit from slowing down a little and taking extra care when we’re behind the wheel.

Try this, when you have to be somewhere at a specific time, leave 10 minutes earlier than you normally would. You just might surprise yourself by being in a better state of mind when you arrive.