Northbound Newsletter | October 2020

Our Team, Our Values

Welcome to our October issue of Northbound News! We are moving into our seventh month of working remotely under the COVID-19 pandemic while still delivering great performances as well as learning some lessons. It's always important to look for effective and efficient ways to communicate with employees. We have learned it's even more critical now with our team members so spread out between the front-line staff that show up each day, those teleworking full-time or in the office intermittently. Our monthly newsletter is another way to get the word and messages out.

We've also found that our Town Hall Meetings have been an extremely popular and effective way to reach our team. Thank you to everyone who joined us back in May (900+) and then again last Wednesday (1,000+). This is the kind of participation and dialogue that we need to continue, COVID-19 or not. I truly value your input and thoughtful questions. It only makes us a stronger organization when everyone is involved in the process and all opinions, concerns and feedback are heard. And to be quite honest, after so long being isolated, it was just great to be together again, even virtually.

I often repeat myself to drive home points that are significant, so, in that vein, it's critical that we remain focused and make wise decisions. It's easy to lose our attention and focus with so many competing urgencies on us – from work priorities to family responsibilities to our children living through a virtual learning experience. Now more than ever it's important for us to have a clear guide to help us through this ever-evolving world we live in. Our MDOT SHA Values serve as this guide and compass that help us in making wise decisions during challenging times.

So, as we continue to examine pieces of The Northbound Strategic Plan, let's take a moment to highlight MDOT SHA's Values:

	•	Integrity We do the right thing even when it is not easy.

	•	Inclusion We respect, collaborate with, and listen to each other.

	•	Teamwork We work together to advance solutions for the organization.

	•	Commitment We do what we say we are going to do.

Each day as you're making decisions, keep these four Values in mind. Are you doing the right thing for the benefit of the team, or are you doing what is easy for you? Are you listening to others or are you simply waiting for them to pause so you can speak? There is a difference. Are you collaborating with one another and helping the team to advance solutions for MDOT SHA? Are you keeping the promises you committed to or are you hoping that the other person will forget about it?

These are important questions to ask yourself throughout your day. When you feel like you must make a tough decision on your own, these Values will guide you to the right answer. They will help you figure your way when you get lost in tasks of the workday, like a compass in the woods.

Everyone expects progress, but not everyone is ready for change – and you cannot have progress without change. To make the journey necessary for us to get the MDOT SHA Team from good to great, it will require progress AND change.

I plan to move us from good to GREAT along the extra mile. It is usually less crowded along that stretch, so I would welcome the company and support.

Thanks again for your help as we head northbound together.

From the desk of Tim Smith, Administrator

MDOT SHA Partners with Local Agencies for Maryland's First Walktober!

Kicking off on October 1, Maryland celebrates Walktober – a month during which MDOT and other partnering agencies will promote and host socially distanced events spotlighting pedestrian health and safety initiatives, as well as Maryland's commuting options and walk programs. MDOT SHA and partners are sharing informational resources and hosting four webinars, or "walkinars," tailored to interest pedestrian enthusiasts, advocates, planners, and residents.

The goal of Walktober is to help Marylanders learn how to employ walking as an easy and accessible exercise, how to safely use pedestrian infrastructure, and how to incorporate walking in their daily routines within the provisions of social distancing.

Wednesday, October 7, is Walk Maryland Day. Marylanders are asked to celebrate by becoming Walk Leaders or Sole Mates and dedicating time that day to enjoy walks within their communities.

Kandese Holford, MDOT SHA Regional Planner, is a panelist for the October 15 walkinar titled "Pedestrian Infrastructure, Safety and Health." Kandese will present MDOT SHA's Context Driven Guide, which focuses on creating a safe, accessible, and balanced multimodal transportation system for everyone on State roadways. The presentation will demonstrate a core tenet reestablished in this guide: the need to appropriately balance accessibility and mobility. MDOT SHA employees are encouraged to participate in this walkinar as well as the others throughout the month.

For more information on Walktober, to become a Walk Leader or Sole Mate, or to sign up for free walkinars, CLICK HERE or visit www.mdot.maryland.gov/walktober. And make sure to keep an eye out on MDOT SHA's social media channels for more pedestrian safety tips that you can share with family and friends!

Walktober

We Biked More Than 1,000 Miles to Work

Serious Mileage: OPC's Dale Edwards cycled an impressive 630 miles during Virtual Bike Week last month. Scott Yinger (left) and Joey Sagal used their bicycles to commute from their homes to the Westminster Shop.

With the first Virtual Bike to Work Week in the books along with Cycle September, a global competition with individuals and organizations coming together to promote the benefits of bike riding, Team MDOT SHA pedaled more than 1,300 miles this month. Team MDOT SHA is among 31 Maryland organizations participating.

Dale Edwards, Agreements Division Chief with the Office of Procurement and Contracts, is currently our top rider with more than 630 miles and counting. Dale said he started riding in March of 2019 and has bicycled more than 4,000 miles. "I ride because it keeps me fit, and I enjoy it immensely," said Dale. He attributes bicycling to helping him lose almost 30 pounds.

Kicking off Virtual Bike Week, Acting Director of CHART Scott Yinger and Deputy Administration for Operations in Hanover Joey Sagal biked from their homes to the Westminster Shop on September 21, where they were greeted by Darion Branham and John Grooms.

Bike to Work Day is typically held in May to celebrate bicycling as a healthy commuting option and promoting public awareness of its safety and environmental benefits. With a goal of making Maryland's roadways accessible to all users, including bicyclists, MDOT SHA has been a proud partner and hosted an annual pit stop outside of our headquarters building. Because of the pandemic and social distancing guidelines, the Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) rescheduled the event to September and changed the format to a virtual Bike to Work Week. Participants were able to pick up free t-shirts and MDOT SHA swag items at area bike shops serving as pit stops.

Thank you to all participants for being proud Team MDOT SHA ambassadors!

Night Rides with CHART, Pt. 2 - by Brad Carey

Nighttime saviors: CHART technicians beware speeding motorists as they come to the aid of stranded motorists on Maryland highways.

In the last issue of Northbound News, I began describing an overnight ride with the Coordinated Highways Action Response Team (CHART). This is the concluding chapter in that story.

Throughout the eight hours I spent with CHART Field Supervisor Sean Frederick, he shared some of his most memorable moments throughout his tenure.

When Sean was stationed in the National Capital Region, a unique task was setting up road closures for motorcades escorting government officials. CHART would get a call with a time frame for the road closure and before you knew it, Sean would see a motorcade passing by. A couple times he got a glimpse of the President.

What Sean describes as his busiest day ever occurred during a blizzard. On that day, Sean had to assist with a 53-car pileup – yes, 53 cars – using his CHART truck to move most of these cars out of the roadway.

Sean loves how each day can be different. Just to bring that point home, Sean relayed the story to me where he was tasked with lane closures to deal with a bear that was out on the roadway. He had to block multiple roads and lanes as police and animal control tracked the bear, finally finding him up a tree.

Before Sean was a CHART technician, he used to work roadside assistance for a local car dealer. One day as he was out changing a tire for a customer, a CHART truck came up to block the lane where the disabled vehicle was located. While Sean was changing his customer's tire, he began discussing the CHART job with the technician. Sean realized how the position fit the skills he already had and how rewarding it sounded. After he put that last lug nut on the customer's tire, Sean knew how he wanted to further his career – by becoming a CHART technician. Now Sean is going on his 10th year at CHART.

Along with CHART valuing the importance of cohesion, taking pride in a job well done is the other underlying theme throughout the night. CHART technicians view everyone they assist as a brother, sister, mother, father, aunt or uncle - they all have someone who expects them home safe and sound at the end of the night and that is CHART's priority. Often during their encounter with CHART, the motorist that was in an accident or ran out of gas or had a crisis on a roadway is in a very stressful situation. Sean reflected on how each member of CHART treats every motorist they encounter as if they were one of their family members because that is how they would want their family to be treated.

My time with Sean really brought home how integral CHART is to the MDOT SHA mission and the many hats CHART technicians must wear every day to keep our roads and the motorists that drive them safe. To me, watching and speaking to Sean and his crew about what they do day in and day out (in this case night in and night out!) relayed to me how CHART is truly the heart and soul of MDOT SHA.

PHOTO OF THE MONTH:

Lending our Expertise: Reggie Turner of the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture shows a 180-year-old Hagerstown log cabin that is the site of an archaeological dig. MDOT SHA's Dr. Julie Schablitsky is aiding Preservation Maryland in exploring the cabin's rich past.

MDOT State Highway Administration 707 North Calvert Street Baltimore, Maryland 21202 | roads.maryland.gov
Larry Hogan, Governor | Gregory Slater, Secretary | Tim Smith, P.E., Administrator