Make a difference – Adopt a highway

Make a difference in your community and help the environment at the same time – join the Adopt-A-Highway program in Kansas.

“This is such a worthwhile program,” says Heather Brown with the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve.  “It helps keep the beauty of Kansas unmarred and delicate ecosystems undisturbed.”

The goal of the program is to clean along the roadways throughout the state to increase safety for motorists and pedestrians, as well as improve the beauty of Kansas.  This helps to raise awareness on the negative effects of pollution and the positive aspects of a clean community.

Any nonprofit group that does not discriminate upon the basis of race, religion or gender can join and there is no cost to the group.  Members must be at least 11 years old and have adequate adult supervision.  Groups have clean-ups three times a year and are recognized for their efforts with signs marking their sections of highway.  Since spring 1990, thousands of groups have participated and a number of the original groups are still active today.

Adopt-A-Highway groups are gearing up for the annual Clean Up Kansas Campaign which takes place during the month of April.  This event, as well as the program, is sponsored by the Kansas Department of Transportation.  All Adopt-A-Highway groups are encouraged, but not required to participate in the statewide event.

Groups clean their sections of roadway three times a year at their convenience.  Most choose to schedule a clean-up time in the spring, summer and fall.

How you can join: Your group can join by calling your closest KDOT office.  Phone numbers and application forms can be found at the Adopt-A-Highway Website. 

• Volunteers should have the following qualifications before heading out:Good physical condition, including sight and hearing

• Mental alertness - don’t participate if you are tired or drowsy.

• A sense of responsibility for the safety of the public and the crew.

• A willingness to use good common sense.

Celebrating women who made transportation history

From the sea, across land, and all the way to the stars, women have made an incredible difference on our world.  March is Women’s History Month and we would like to take the time to share with you some incredible women who had a great impact on transportation.

Nellie Bly: Have you ever read the book by Jules Vern, Around the World in 80 Days? The classic adventure told the story of Phileas Fogg and his desire to circumnavigate the earth in 80 days. Elizabeth Jane Cochrane was a journalist who went by the name Nellie Bly, and she was inspired by the book. In 1889, at the age of 25, she traveled around the world — and she did it in 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes and 14 seconds. According to Biography.com she used a variety of transportation methods to achieve her lofty goal, including: ship, horse, rickshaw, sampan, burro and other vehicles.

Anne Rainford French Bush: In 1900, cars were just starting to be manufactured and there were only a handful of people who actually owned and drove them.  According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Anne Rainford French Bush was the first woman who obtained a “steam engineer’s license,” which allowed her to operate a four-wheeled vehicle powered by steam or gas.” In an article in Life Magazine from Sept. 1952, Bush said that the speed limit was nine miles an hour, and her father was pulled over for going 12 miles an hour in his convertible.

Alice Huyler Ramsey: In 1909, 22 year-old Alice Huyler Ramsey, drover her way into history as the first woman to drive coast to coast across the United States. According the Smithsonian Magazine, her 3,800 journey from New York to California took 59 days to complete. In those days, there was no GPS and the majority of America’s roads were not fit for long distance travel. Ramsey relied on the Blue Book travel guides with directions that weren’t always accurate. Ramsey and her three women passengers had to conquer many obstacles, including car trouble, inclement weather, and the fact that there were no directions west of the Mississippi River. Ramsey would eventually be the founder of the Women’s Motoring Club.

Olive Dennis: According to TransportationHistory.org, In 1920, Dennis was hired by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad to work as a bridge designer in the engineering department. Later, her role changed to a service engineer where she was responsible for engineering upgrades that would make train rides more comfortable. Dennis invented reclining seats, stain resistant upholstery, adjustable ceiling lights that could be dimmed in the passenger cars. Arguably her greatest invention was the window vents that brought in fresh air, but kept the dust out and air conditioning that was used aboard the trains and also implemented in planes and busses. Dennis said, “No matter how successful a business may seem to be, it can gain even greater success if it gives consideration to the women’s viewpoint.” She was also the first female member of the American Railway Engineering Association.

Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) During World War II, the army was desperate for pilots to deliver newly built training aircraft to flight schools. Twenty-eight women pilots volunteered to take job of ferrying these aircraft. For the next two years, 1,074 more women volunteered and they were trained to ferry, tow gunnery targets, transport equipment and personnel, and test aircraft that had been repaired. 

According to waspmusem.org, the WASP served at 120 different bases around the country and carried out a variety of aviation-related positions. The WASP asked Walt Disney if they could use a female gremlin character, called Fifinella, from an unaired cartoon as their mascot.

Although It took another 37 years before they were granted military status, these women played an important role in WWII.

“These 1,102 Women Airforce Service Pilots flew wingtip to wingtip with their male counterparts,” the site said. “And they were just as vital to war effort.”

Rosie the Riveter:  This famous icon represents all the women who went to work as the men were fighting in World War II. Rosie the Riveter was a campaign geared toward recruiting workers for defense industries. By the end of the war, one out four women worked outside the home.

The aviation industry saw the most women workers. According to history.com, 310,000 women went to work in the U.S. aircraft industry.

Rosie the Riveter is slightly based on a real-life munitions worker, and she stressed the patriotic need for women to continue working. The term is also based on a song of the same name.  The most popular illustration of Rosie was created by artist Jay Howard Miller in 1942. Norman Rockwell also created his own Rosie in 1943.

Rosie the Riveter continues to be an inspirational icon for women across the world.

Janet Guthrie: Ever since auto racing got its start, it has been a predominantly male sport. But in the early 1970's a woman with a degree in physics by the name of Janet Guthrie wanted to change that. In 1976, she became the first woman to compete in a NASCAR race, and in the following year she became the first female driver to start in the Daytona 500. She won Top Rookie honors because of her 12^th place finish in NASCAR’s biggest race. Later that year she qualified for the Indy 500. Although her racing career never saw her in victory lane, she paved the way for countless female race car drivers. In 2005 she was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Sally Ride: Nasa was formed in 1958, and it would be another 25 years before an American woman would blast off into Earth’s Orbit. Sally Ride, was born on May 26, 1951. Ride received her doctorate in physics in 1978. After she completed her studies, she applied to become an astronaut for NASA and was selected, she began spacing training that same year. On June 18, 1983, Ride took her first space flight on the Challenger. She returned to space in 1984 and continued to work for NASA until 1987 and began teaching at the University of California in San Diego to help women and young girls study science and math. She was added to the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2003.

Mae C. Jemison Nine years after Ride took her first spaceflight, Mae C. Jemison became the first African-American woman in space. Jemison was born on Oct. 17, 1956. She studied chemical engineering. According to Biography.com, Jemison also received her M.D., and worked as a medical officer for the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone and Liberia. In 1985, she returned to the United States and followed her dream to become an astronaut for NASA. In 1987, she was chosen and after five years of working for NASA, she boarded Space Shuttle Endeavor and blasted off on Sept. 12, 1992. She spent eight days in space and conducted experiments on weightlessness and motion sickness on the crew and herself.

KDOT crews and contractors awarded

The Kansas Contractors Association and KDOT handed out its partnering awards recently for the 2017 heavy highway construction season.

The awards highlight the multitude of ways contractors and KDOT employees work together to ensure the best outcome on projects.

Receiving awards were:

                  

District 1 in Northeast Kansas

One-inch cold mill with one-inch overlay: Bettis Asphalt and the Bonner Springs Construction Office the project cost $1.3 million to complete. 

 

District 2 in North Central Kansas:

Grading and concrete pavement of bike path and lighting system: Hamm Construction, Kaw Valley and the Junction City Construction Office. The project cost $938,132 to complete. 

District 3 in Northwest Kansas:

Bridge repair work: Bridges, Inc. and the Oakley Construction Office. The project cost $972,718 to complete. 

District 4 in Southeast Kansas:

Intersection improvement on U.S. 75/160: B&B Bridge Company LLC and the Independence Construction Office. The project cost $835,924 to complete. 

Surfacing, side roads and entrances on K-68: Hamm Inc. and the Garnett Construction Office The project cost $2,529,720 to complete. 

District 5 in South Central Kansas:

Bridge repairs: King Construction Company and the El Dorado Construction Office ($2,726,787)

“By working together and not against one another, we were able to solve problems in a timely manner, and the outcome was a great looking project completed before the winter hit.” — Jordan Toogood, King’s Project Manager 

Kansas Turnpike Authority Award Winner:

RCB Construction and Grading: Hamm Construction and the KTA ($3,153,466)

Statewide Project Award Winner:

Grading, bridge and surfacing: Ebert Construction and Lochner with the Marion Construction Office ($7,216,411)

“Due to tremendous cooperation with Ebert, KDOT, Lochner, city and county governments, this project was completed two months ahead of schedule and is an excellent example of partnering in action.” — Scott Swanson of KDOT when announcing the award

#IAMKDOT: Sherri Hildebrandt

This months' #IAMKDOT feature gives hope to the homeless.

Take a walk around any KDOT work area and talk to people, and a common theme you’ll hear is that they’re here because they like improving lives for the people who use the roads, bike lanes and preservation areas KDOT builds and maintains.  For many employees, the sense of service extends beyond the workplace.  Sherri Hildebrandt, Administrative Specialist at District 1 Bonner Springs office, is an unassuming example of a personal commitment to making her community better.

“It makes me grateful to be part of something that makes someone’s life a little better,” Hildebrandt said.

Hildebrandt, a five-year KDOT veteran, serves at the Leavenworth Interfaith Shelter of Hope homeless shelter, where since 2014 she has been regularly working the night shift managing intake, supervising the floor, doing laundry or “whatever is needed” for the 15-20 people who sleep at the shelter each night.

She said she’s always felt called to serve.

Prior to working at KDOT, Hildebrandt worked with the Department of Children and Families, and was keenly aware of the needs of the unhoused in the community.

 “When I saw the need here, I knew I had to be part of the solution.”

In 2014, the shelter came together through donations and the leadership of several church and community organizations.

Sherri Hildebrandt prepares to open the Interfaith Shelter of Hope for the evening.  The shelter houses 15-20 homeless people each evening.

Hildebrandt says since beginning to serve as a volunteer at the shelter in 2014 and now in her part-time paid capacity, she’s met some incredibly resilient people and been part of several uplifting moments.  But it’s not always easy.

“It’s hard when you hear their stories sometimes,” she said.  “But the people who really need these services, they are the ones who help keep me going.”

At the same time, she said, serving in that sector makes her grateful.

“These are people living day to day,” she said.  “It’s easy to walk by them. But you never know what tomorrow could bring, it could easily be you or your family. 

Hildebrandt has seen some of the success stories during her time serving at the shelter. She’s seen people work through extremely difficult struggles to finish their education, get housing, and get jobs to support their family.  For her, these are why she says it’s important for her to serve.

“I love seeing people whose lives are a little better because of what we’re doing there.”

Linda Martin, Shelter of Hope director, says having Sherri on staff provides just the right mix of component supervision and compassion.

“She is one of the reasons our shelter is so successful,” Martin said.

Hildebrandt encourages everyone to consider getting involved locally in any capacity they feel able to serve. 

“It’s eye-opening,” she said. “It definitely makes me think twice before I judge anyone.”

Hildebrandt says she would describe herself as a volunteer and professional. She is a mother and her grandchildren call her Noni. She is a sister and a friend, she loves to shop and she is dedicated and compassionate.

Musical highways

When we hear that motorists who use our highways obey the speed limit, it is music to our ears. But did you know that there are actually some locations around the world that if you obey the speed limit, the roads will literally sing? 

Two of those locations exist right here in the United States. The first one was built in 2014 on Route 66 in New Mexico, between Albuquerque and Tijeras. 

According to an article from the Smithsonian Magazine, the New Mexico Department of Transportation created this to encourage drivers to slow down and bring a little excitement to the monotonous highway.  The music is created by rumble strips in the road that are perfectly spaced far enough apart that when a car rolls over them at just the ride speed, vibrations are created and the music is produced. Music notes are essentially vibrations in the air. The closer the grooves are, the faster the vibrations and the higher the note. 

 Vehicles must drive 45 MPH, or the music can't be heard. The song that drivers can hear  is "America the Beautiful." Check out the video:

The next location where you can hear music by following the speed limit is just outside Lancaster, Calif.  If you slow down to 55 MPH, you can hear "William Tell's Overture."

Japan has several musical roads, check out this one near Mt. Fuji.

What song would you like to hear in Kansas? 

A 'pawesome' story: KDOT crews rescue lost cat

Ron O’Neal was the first to hear the meow.

Equipment Operator Seniors Jorge Alvarado, Ryan Hunter and Ron O'Neal, shown left to right, helped get this cat out of a hole they were going to fill with concrete while working on the apron of a bridge at K-96 and Rock Road. They work out of the Wichita East Subarea shop

The Equipment Operator Senior and other members of the Wichita East Subarea crew were working on the apron of a bridge at K-96 and Rock Road, about to fill a hole with concrete. They stopped when O’Neal heard the plea for help.

This grey and white cat was saved by KDOT crews from Wichita.
He was reunited with his family. 

Equipment Operator Senior Ryan Hunter “sprang into action and dug him out of the hole,” Supervisor Ted Coleman said. “The hole was huge and required flowable fill. Ryan reached down about 3 feet to retrieve the kitty cat.” 

Coleman called Wichita Animal Control and took the cat home for the weekend, introducing him to his two dogs. It wasn’t the first time Coleman has gone above and beyond for animals. He once crossed four lanes of I-135 to rescue a dog that had been lost for several days. Coleman was recently featured in the #IAMDKOT series which illustrates that scene here: 

Workers at the Wichita Animal Shelter, which is situated next to the Kansas Humane Society, successfully scanned the cat for a microchip.

Turns out the kitty had been missing for a month and lived 12 miles away in Andover.

“The family was thrilled and excited to hear the good news,” Coleman said.

Time change safety tips

Last weekend saw most of the country’s clocks “spring forward” for daylight saving time, but those extra hours of sunlight didn’t come without risks.

According to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, fatal crashes increased by 17 percent on the Monday following the time change. Researchers at the University of Colorado also found that those crashes continue their uptick throughout the week, increasing by 6.3 percent above normal.

As you continue to adjust to the time change this week, keep in mind these driving safety tips from AAA:

• Watch for pedestrians when backing up in parking lots or driveways. The darker morning hours can make these individuals harder to see!
• Turn on your headlights to make yourself more visible.
• Increase your following distance, especially if you are traveling into the sun. Those bright rays can make it hard to see what the car ahead of you is doing!
• Watch for children and others who are outdoors in the lighter evening hours.
• Always yield the right of way to pedestrians in crosswalks and never pass a vehicle that is stopped at a crosswalk.

And remember to buckle up! Every trip. Every time.