June 2024

Issue 121

• Connecticut Public Works Promotions & Announcements
• Safety Matters: Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) - Upcoming Educational Opportunities
• Innovation Station: Brighter Is Not Better: Emergency Vehicle Lighting Gets "Smart"
• Leaders to Watch: Eric Belanger, CT Dept. of Transportation
• Connecticut Celebrates the 2024 National Public Works Week
• NEW Tailgate Talk: Trenching Checklist
• NEAPWA Chapter Connects: From Applications to Allocation - Mastering Municipal Grants for Public Works (Video)

Town of South Windsor

• The Town of South Windsor celebrates the retirement of Scott Yeomans, Associate Manager of the Street Services Division of Public Works. Since joining in 2011, Scott has played a crucial role in managing programs, mentoring team members, and fostering cultural change. His extensive background in the fire sector, including volunteer work with the Windsor Fire Department and professional management of a local Fortune 500 company's fire brigade, brought invaluable expertise to South Windsor's safety programs and community outreach efforts. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Scott has been a dedicated leader in various community organizations and an avid golfer. His paternal leadership and enduring impact will be missed by all who knew him. South Windsor extends its heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to Scott Yeomans for his nearly 13 years of service.

City of New Britain

• Jason Outlaw, a current member of the Transportation Leadership Program (TLP) Cohort 7, has been promoted to City Engineer.

Multiple CT Towns

• Eleven Connecticut towns have achieved sustainability milestones with certifications from Sustainable CT, recognizing them as resilient and thriving communities. Old Saybrook stands out with a Gold certification and the Climate Leader designation, showcasing exceptional leadership in sustainability. East Haddam earned a Silver certification, and eight towns—Barkhamsted, Colchester, Durham, Ellington, Groton, Haddam, Marlborough, and Thomaston—received Bronze certifications for their dedicated efforts in environmental stewardship and community well-being. Additionally, Branford was awarded the Climate Leader designation.

Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) - Upcoming Educational Opportunities

Thirty-four years ago, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. With the many improvements in ADA compliance that have been made, there is still more to be done. Many municipalities in Connecticut are working hard to complete the required self-assessment and transition plan to make their communities accessible to all. To assist with this, there are several upcoming opportunities for local agencies to learn about how to achieve compliance and understand why it’s more important than just legal liability.

On July 24th, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, New Britain will host their 16th Annual “Walk & Roll” Ability Awareness Day at Walnut Hill Park. The event features a one-mile walk/roll around the park as well as t-shirts, raffles, and refreshments. There will also be over 50 informational booths displaying products and services for people with disabilities, including a T2 Center booth featuring the ADA toolkit. Attendees can enjoy a free concert in the park after the event as well. For more information visit Disability Services – City of New Britain (newbritainct.gov).

Click here to view more events.

Brighter Is Not Better: Emergency Vehicle Lighting Gets "Smart"

The attention-grabbing flashing lights at a traffic incident scene ahead are every driver’s cue to slow down, move over, and be cautious. However, achieving better driver visibility for responders does not always mean adding more or brighter lights to their vehicles. In fact, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) warns that “the use of too many lights at an incident scene can be distracting and can create confusion for approaching road users, especially at night.”

Increasingly, traffic incident responders are looking for ways to communicate with approaching drivers while not blinding or distracting them. As part of Every Day Counts round 7 (EDC-7), the Next-Generation Traffic Incident Management (TIM) team is promoting a “SMART” approach to emergency vehicle lighting that can better inform roadway users, improve their ability to see roadside responders, and help them navigate around responders safely.

SMART, which stands for Strategic placement, Meaningful messaging, Automatic features, Reduced pattern intensity, and Tiered approach, leverages emergency lighting technology that is increasingly sophisticated and customizable with the use of LED lights and computer software.

To continue reading, click here.

Eric Belanger, CT Dept. of Transportation

Eric Belanger is a Maintenance Manager in the Bureau of Highway Operations for the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Eric is one of those people that is not satisfied with the status quo, and is willing and eager to work together to find solutions to problems.

As CTDOT addressed the significant concern of wrong way driving and started working on the activated wrong way flashers with notification, Eric was instrumental in an expedited deployment via his maintenance team. This was occurring while Engineering was designing other locations for construction project deployment, enhancing the partnership opportunity between the DOT divisions. At this point, Eric’s team has installed 54 activated wrong-way systems, with many more coming online all the time. CTDOT is completely invested in the success of the Wrong Way Driving program and partners like Eric and his team will ensure its success.

Eric is a CT Transportation Leadership Program alumnus and has always focused on the professional development of his team and himself as a leader. We are so happy to honor him as this month’s leader to watch. 

Connecticut Celebrates the 2024 National Public Works Week

From May 19th to May 25th, 2024, Connecticut communities came together to celebrate National Public Works Week, honoring the dedicated individuals who maintain our state's infrastructure. Events such as "Touch-a-Truck" gatherings allowed families to explore public works vehicles up close, fostering appreciation for the essential work done by these professionals. Additionally, municipalities organized "Fill A Public Works Truck Food Drives", collecting donations to support local food banks and highlighting the generosity of public works departments beyond their daily responsibilities. Social media platforms showcased Connecticut's public works employees, providing glimpses into their vital contributions, while special luncheons and gatherings statewide allowed communities to express gratitude directly to these teams. The 2024 National Public Works Week not only celebrated, but also emphasized the indispensable role of these professionals in ensuring our communities' safety and functionality.

The T2 Center created the following video to celebrate the 2024 National Public Works Week and to thank the Connecticut Public Works community for everything that they do for us all year long.

NEW Tailgate Talk: Trenching Checklist

The T2 Center has published our newest Tailgate Talk informational brief. Each Tailgate Talk focuses on one on-the-job safety topic and is designed to be shared with your crew at the beginning of their day. When employees are presented with safety material in small chunks, in a setting in which they are comfortable, they are more likely to retain that information and put it into practice.

Trenching Checklist

Before starting trenching work, it's crucial to conduct several checks and preparations to ensure a safe and efficient operation.

NEAPWA Chapter Connects: From Applications to Allocation - Mastering Municipal Grants for Public Works

Unlock the secrets to securing and maximizing grants for your municipal projects. Whether you're struggling to find suitable grants, navigating the application process, or effectively managing grants post-award, we share tips and ideas to address challenges at the local agency level, and help you secure and utilize grants effectively.