THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION KEEPING YOU UP TO DATE WITH ALL OF PENNDOT’S PROJECTS AND INNOVATIONS THROUGHOUT com THE YEAR Public Service Announcements Work for Work Zone Safety Week Strand Jacking the Hulton Bridge Piloting Mobile LiDAR Secretary Richards Wins Confirmation May 2015 Public Service Announcements Work for Work Zone Safety Week By Anthony Scalia, Community Relations Coordinator, District 10 B C r o L o o a r y k r r e S y L m D e i u p t V p h a e , l S r , t o , F m B u e l e t d o r s f n o e r C t d C o C u o o n u u t n y n t y 1 t y March was a busy month for Clearfield, Clinton, Cumberland, and women who will be working their close calls and share the work zone safety efforts in Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, on roadways this season, an common occurrences for District 9. As winter slowly but Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, offer was extended to our local flaggers on highway surely came to a close, thoughts Mifflin, Perry, Somerset, and contractors to also record public construction. Flaggers are the moved toward the coming Westmoreland counties. service announcements. Four first line of defense for highway construction season and the contractors responded with workers and, unfortunately, first vital need to increase Very pleased with the success of interest, New Enterprise Stone in line to be part of a work zone awareness about the the approach, we decided to & Lime Company of New crash or intrusion. importance of safe travel take the same approach with Enterprise, Francis J. Palo Inc. through work zones in our construction safety PSAs that of Clarion, Quaker Sales Corp. District 9 will continue thinking region and across the state. would air during Work Zone of Johnstown, and Cottles of new and innovative ways to Awareness Week and Asphalt Maintenance Inc. of involve all of our employees in It happened that over the throughout the construction Everett. Representatives from safety efforts. The introduction winter, equipment operators in season. Larry DuVal from Fulton each of these companies were of smart phones and other District 9 were given the County, Brooke Leppert from chosen for the recordings, and devices that allow for instant opportunity to take an active Bedford County, and Richard took time out of their busy access to email, social media, role in convincing the public of Johnson and Cory Smith from schedules to come to the studio games, and text messaging - all the importance of highway Somerset County all and help to improve the safety at the users’ fingertips - have safety by recording winter participated in the recordings. awareness for themselves and added to our safety challenge. driving public service Six PSAs were recorded and their co-workers. We all must remain ever vigilant announcements (PSAs). The once again, Forever Media with the advent of these new recording process was very broadcast the messages on The Johnstown branch of technologies that tempt drivers successful and the PSAs were radio stations throughout the Forever Media Inc. will also be from doing everything but the broadcast more than 6,000 area including Froggy 98.1, Hot doing a series of “day in the most important job; keeping their eyes on the roadway. times on Forever Media stations 92 and 100, WALY 103.9 and life” radio programs featuring Continuing efforts such as Work throughout the region. Forever several others. flaggers who will have the Zone Safety Awareness Week Media’s radio stations can be opportunity to tell their stories. will remain invaluable as we aim heard in Armstrong, Bedford, Since PennDOT equipment The flaggers from JRK to bring highway fatalities Blair, Cambria, Centre, operators aren’t the only men Enterprises Inc. will talk about towards zero. Highlighting Work Zone Safety in District 6 by Brad Rudolph, Community Relations Coordinator, District 6 2 "If everyone works together, we The event was held not far from work zone in Bensalem added. "They deserve to come can all get home safely” was the where 60 year-old Lee Boyer, Township last June. Schultz home at the end of the day to sentiment echoed by Acting who worked for J.D. Eckman, attempted to flag the driver their loved ones." District 6 Executive, Christine Inc., was killed on December 3, down to protect his workers. Reilly, during a news conference 2014, while setting up cones for “The motorist proceeded toward Safety isn’t the only motivation to highlight the start of National a lane closure on the westbound me, stopping directly in front of to curb aggressive driving Work Zone Awareness Week on lanes of the Schuylkill River me before accelerating and habits in work zones. There are Monday, March 23. “Expect the bridge in North Coventry bumping my knees, causing me financial consequences as well, Unexpected” was the theme of Township, Chester County. “Lee to fall onto his hood,” Schultz which were highlighted by the week which ran through was one of many construction said. “He then continued to Officer Tom Barton of North Friday, March 27. workers who have been injured drive through the remainder of Coventry Police. He showed an or killed while working to make the work zone with me on his enlarged copy of a sample The event featured our roads safer,” Reilly said. hood.” Schultz was very lucky to citation showing that a representatives from PennDOT, According to PennDOT data, in walk away from the incident speeding violation in a work the Pennsylvania State Police, 2013 there were 1,845 crashes in with only minor injuries. He zone can cost the offender municipal police departments, Pennsylvania work zones, with said, “My only thought was that nearly $250. "We'd rather you Buckle Up Pennsylvania, the 16 people killed in those I wanted my crew to be safe." obey the signs, look out for the Chester County Highway Safety crashes. Since 1970, 85 workers and avoid this citation," Project and the Montgomery PennDOT employees have been Tim’s wife, Christine, who also he said. County Health Department. killed in the line of duty works for PennDOT’s Bucks Staged at a work zone operation statewide. County Maintenance Unit, heard U.S. Route 422 motorists will be near U.S. 422 and Armand the incident over the radio from encountering several work Hammer Boulevard in Pottstown Tim Schultz, a 38 year-old the office. "I heard the flagger zones in the coming years Borough, Montgomery County; highway foreman for PennDOT screaming," she said. "Panic set as PennDOT improves the the group’s sole purpose was to in Bucks County, talked about in. I thought I was never going highway in the Pottstown and remind motorists to drive safely his close call when a motorist to hear Tim's voice again. Valley Forge areas in in work zones as construction ignored instructions from a Anybody that works on any Montgomery County. season arrives in Pennsylvania. flagger and drove into an active road, they're people, too," she Through Construction Season, be Mindful of Those Behind the Cones With Act 89, the state’s transportation plan, continuing to bring more work zones to Pennsylvania roadways, drivers will continue to see construction projects across the state. With PennDOT data showing that 24 people lost their lives in work zones in 2014, the department urges all drivers to use caution in work zones for their safety as well as that of workers. Since 1970, 85 PennDOT employees have died in the line of duty. PennDOT data also shows that there were 1,841 crashes in work zones last year, a slight decrease from the 1,851 crashes in 2013. Over the five-year period, there were 10,586 work-zone crashes and 128 fatalities in those crashes. To draw attention to the people behind the cones, PennDOT launched a #Slow4Zone campaign in March that spotlights department employees and reminds drivers why it is important to pay attention and slow down in work zones. To learn about work zone safety and view the employee testimonials in the #Slow4Zone campaign, visit www.JustDrivePA.com . Join the discussion on social media by using #Slow4Zone in posts. Pennsylvanians Urged to ‘Donate Life’ 3 With April marking National Donate Life Month, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) reminded driver's license and identification card holders that spending a few minutes online to register as an organ donor can help another person live a fuller, longer life. Over 46 percent of driver's license and identification card holders are registered organ donors – that’s more than 4.5 million Pennsylvanians. More than 8,500 Pennsylvanians currently await organ transplants. To add the organ donor designation to an existing driver’s license or identification card today, visit www.dmv.state.pa.us and select the "Donate Life Pennsylvania" icon at the bottom of the page. Once the designation is added, individuals will receive a designation card that they will have to carry with them to affirm organ donor status until they renew or replace their driver’s license or identification card. There is no charge for adding the designation to your driver's license or identification card. Driver's license and identification card holders can also support organ donation programs by donating $1 to the Robert P. Casey Memorial Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Trust Fund at the time of application and/or renewal. Registered vehicle owners may also contribute $1 to the fund when renewing their registration. Proceeds from the fund are used to educate and promote awareness of the organ donor program through non-profit organizations like the Center for Organ Recovery and Education and the Gift of Life Donor Program.