PAGE 2 DECEMBER 2005 - Iowa Department of Transportation · PAGE 2 DECEMBER 2005 A fter nearly two years and 12 exten sions of TEA-21, Congress passed a ... worst of the storm.”

Weatherview is new-----------------------------3When Daniel met Wilma -----------------------4New look for your license --------------------6Prep your car for winter -----------------------7Interstate history - the master plan -------8Iowa 27 time capsule ---------------------------9Toys for Tots CD -------------------------------- 10Snow plow ahead - driving techniques 16

PAGE 2 DECEMBER 2005

After nearly two years and 12 extensions of TEA-21, Congress passed afederal transportation reauthorizationbill called SAFETEA-LU which thePresident signed in August. These

actions cleared the way for DOT staff to shift intohigh gear and begin putting together information forthe Transportation Commission to consider as theyfinalized the 2006-2010 Iowa Transportation Im-provement Program.

By Iowa law, the commission has 90 days todevelop and approve a five-year program oncereauthorization is approved. Beginning in August andthroughout September and into October, the Commis-sion reviewed highway project information, askedlots of questions, listened to constituent presentations,and formulated their program which they approved atthe Nov.1 commission meeting.

This new five-year program includes initiatives inaviation, rail, trails, traffic safety, highway, andvarious grant programs. Complete details areavailable on the DOT Web site at www.iowadot.org.

The largest section of the program relates to thehighway system. The commission identified threeobjectives which they used as guideposts in decidingthe investments they would make. These objectivesinclude:

Completion of the high priority corridors andI-235. In 1996 the Transportation Commissionidentified six corridors in the state as “high priori-ties”. In doing so, an emphasis was placed onimproving and completing a four-lane highway ineach of these corridors. Among those corridors, U.S.151 from Cedar Rapids to Dubuque, Iowa 5 from I-35to Knoxville, and Iowa 330 from Des Moines toMarshalltown have been completed. The Avenue ofthe Saints will be completed this year; Iowa 60 fromSioux City to Minnesota will be completed in 2007;and the Des Moines to Burlington corridor will becompleted in 2008. I-235 is slated for completion in2007.

Stewardship of the state system. In order tokeep the existing highway system operational andsafe for travelers, resources need to be dedicated topreservation of the existing system. To that end, thecommission agreed to increase the average annualinvestment in the interstate system from $125 millionto $175 million beginning in 2007, and beginning in2006 increase the average annual investment in theremainder of the state system from $50 million to$92.5 million, increase the average annual investmentin bridges from $15 million to $35 million, anddedicate an average of $5 million annually to safetyimprovement projects.

Inclusion of additional projects. The commis-sion had some tough decisions to make regarding thelimited remaining dollars at their disposal after theirother priorities had been met. They looked closely atprojects that received earmarks in the reauthorizationbill and listened to citizens make a case for localprojects. In the end, the commission was able to fund11 additional projects.

I must commend all the staff who spent manyhours assembling information and compiling projectcost data for the commissioners to use in theirdeliberations. This information was invaluable in thedevelopment of the final program. The result is afiscally balanced (as long as revenues and costs comein as projected) five-year program with projectsdispersed throughout the state. A sincere “Thanks” toeveryone who assisted.

•On a broader note, as the year comes to a close, I

want to take this opportunity to thank all of you foryour hard work this past year. I am very proud of theDOT and the work we do, and I know the DOT“works” only because each and every one of you doesyour job so well. Thank you for that dedication! Ihope your holidays are safe, fun and peaceful.

DECEMBER 2005 PAGE 3

Updated WeatherviewSee what the field folks see

New for this year is a wind speed and dirNew for this year is a wind speed and dirNew for this year is a wind speed and dirNew for this year is a wind speed and dirNew for this year is a wind speed and directionectionectionectionectionmap on Wmap on Wmap on Wmap on Wmap on Weatherview.eatherview.eatherview.eatherview.eatherview.

At 3 p.m. on Dec. 10, thepavement temperature onU.S. 34 near Creston willbe 16 degrees Fahren-

heit. The Weatherview crystal ballhas spoken.

Okay, so maybe it’s a weatherforecasting service and not a crystalball, but new features on dotweatherview.com willallow all people with Internet access to see currentinformation as well as forecasts of pavement andbridge deck temperatures and roadway/bridge frostprobabilities. These tools were previously onlyavailable to highway maintenance personnel at DOTgarages.

Tina Greenfield, the DOT’s road weather infor-mation systems coordinator, says adding the forecaststo Weatherview is an effort to help city and countymaintenance forces maximize their effectiveness.Greenfield said, “Sometimes the local jurisdictionsdon’t have all the information they need to effectivelytreat their city or county roads. In making theseforecasts available on Weatherview, we’re hoping tomake it easier for local maintenance managers to gainaccess to road weather information. This informationcan help them gain insight on when to deploy treat-ment options to increase their effectiveness and maketraveling Iowa roadways safer and easier.”

The information, generated by Meridian Environ-mental of Grand Forks, N.D., is county-specific andincludes brief information for the DOT district.

These forecasts contain many road weather itemsthat are not found in “typical” forecasts. Amongthese unusual forecast items are bridge and roadtemperature, bridge and road frost likelihood, and thepotential water evaporation rate on the roadway.“Potential road water evaporation rates tell us howmuch water could be evaporated from the roadsurface in one hour,” said Greenfield. “This could bevery beneficial for predicting if moisture on a roadwill dry before cold temperatures arrive.”

In addition to the forecasts, there’s a new windmap available on Weatherview this year. The windspeed and direction map will be especially helpfulduring those blustery days. Over the next three years,Greenfield says plans are underway to add features

such as traffic speed information,photos and visibility sensors alongwith access to information on thesite via cell phones.

Iowa was the first state in thenation to combine aviation androadway weather systems informa-tion data and make that information

available to the public on a Web site. TheWeatherview site was originally developed as anintelligent transportation system project in 1999 withthe intent of providing travel information to thepublic to help them make informed decisions whiletraveling.

Several groups within the DOT and at Iowa StateUniversity (ISU) were actively involved in develop-ment of the Web site. Those groups include theDirector’s Staff Division, Office of Maintenance,Office of Aviation, Information Technology Divisionand ISU’s Center for Transportation Research andEducation. The site is currently maintained by theDOT’s Office of Maintenance.


Daniel and WilmaDaniel and WilmaDaniel and WilmaDaniel and WilmaDaniel and Wilma, go to next page

he trip began inparadise and ended in

panic. Daniel Apatiga, fieldfacilities manager, was

looking forward to spendingquality time with his parents

during a 12-day getaway toCancun, Mexico. Hurricane

Wilma made sure they spentmany, many hours in very closecontact.

“This trip had three parts,”said Apatiga. “It started asparadise, then went to hurricaneand then to panic. My parents,who live in Mexico City, met mein Cancun Oct. 14. We stayed in abeautiful hotel and it was paradiseuntil about midnight, Oct. 19.”

On that night Apatiga said amemo was pushed under his hotelroom door telling guests that theMexican government had ordereda mandatory evacuation of the390 hotel guests. The touristswere instructed to bring a pillow,blanket, clothes for one day andtoiletry items to the lobby at10:30 a.m. the next morning.

They were also instructed to placeall valuables in the in-room safe,pack their suitcases and place themin the bathtub.

Thursday morning came andbuses were loaded and driven to alocal junior high school designatedas a hurricane shelter. Apatiga said,“The weather was beautiful thatmorning. We went to the schooland started to get settled. Eachbusload of people was directed to adifferent classroom, about 45 ineach room. We were on the thirdfloor of the building. There wereno beds, so we made camp on thefloor. Since no one had done thisbefore, we didn’t know to leavewalkways to places like the door orthe bathroom. We had to adjust afew times to get everyone in. Afterthat the hotel people came aroundand gave us games to play to keepus busy.”

Thursday night passed with nosign of Wilma. The group wasupdated on the hurricane’s path andintensity. “I didn’t know anythingabout hurricanes,” said Apatiga.“They kept talking about the eye,so I thought that would be theworst of the storm.”

Friday came with a vengeanceas Wilma, a category 4 hurricanewith sustained winds of 155 milesper hour, battered the YucatanPeninsula. “Friday was hell,” saidApatiga. “The sound of the windwas deafening. We couldn’t openany doors because the negativepressure would have taken theplywood off the windows. It wasvery hot and stuffy in the school.All the windows were boarded upand there was no air moving. Istarted to wonder if the windowswere going to collapse.”

Wilma didn’t make a quickexit. By 2 a.m. Saturday, the eye ofthe storm was over Cancun.During the relative calm, hotelofficials reorganized the guests tothe other side of the school inpreparation for the winds that weresure to come with the back side ofthe storm. “Water was coming ineverywhere. Everything was wet.We were all tired. We had foodand water, but everything waswarm. Cell phones were notworking. There were generatorsfor minimal lighting, but not muchelse. At first we didn’t understandwhy we had to move, but when theother side of the storm camethrough, we realized the windscame from the opposite directionon the back side of the storm. Thepeople who planned our evacua-tion really knew what they weredoing.”

It had been two days since the390 hotel guests were moved intothe junior high school. By Satur-day night the water supply wasrunning low. Hotel employeesbraved the elements to get waterfrom the school’s swimming poolfor toilets and washing. Apatigasaid, “We didn’t realize it untillater, but those hotel employeesstayed with us, taking care of us,even though they had no idea whathad happened to their own homes

“The sound of the windwas deafening. We

couldn’t open any doorsbecause the negativepressure would have

taken the plywood off thewindows. It was very hotand stuffy in the school.

All the windows wereboarded up and therewas no air moving. I

started to wonder if thewindows were going to

collapse.”


Daniel and WilmaDaniel and WilmaDaniel and WilmaDaniel and WilmaDaniel and Wilma,continued from previous page

or their families. It was very heroicof them.”

Although everyone was hotand tired, sleep did not comeeasily. Apatiga explained, “Aboutmidnight people would start tosettle down for the night. Thenabout 1 a.m. the symphony started.One person would begin to snoreand then you were surrounded bythe noise. I tried to stand up aslong as I could to make myself sotired that I could sleep through thesurround-sound of snoring.”

Once Sunday afternoonarrived, there was less wind. Theevacuees were allowed to venturea few feet outside the school’sdoors. Due to the debris anddowned power lines, going muchfarther was very dangerous.Although the hurricane hadpassed, the aftermath was every-where. The streets were impass-able. The tourists pitched in as bestthey could to clean up around theschool. Hotel staff informed themthat returning to the hotel roomswould not be an option, but theywere going to be moved to theconvention center in the hotelbasement.

“On Monday we saw the sunfor the first time in four days,” saidApatiga. “We hung blankets andbedding outside to dry. Everythingwas soaked and we all smelled likewet dogs. In fact, we joked that“wet dog” was the name of ournew cologne. There were a fewpeople who were grouchy andmade a fuss, but those of us whokept our sense of humor gotthrough it pretty well.”

Monday was also Apatiga’sfirst contact with the outside worldsince Wilma had arrived. He hadto sign a liability waiver to leavethe school grounds, and then walkthree-and-a-half miles to find anopen grocery store and a working

telephone. “I called my kids andJanet Vaughan here at work,” hesaid. “I had no idea what wasbeing said in the media, so I didn’tknow if they knew what was goingon.”

Later on Monday the busescame to take the weary travelers tothe convention center. “It was verydramatic to see the damage,”Apatiga said, “All the glass wasblown out of the hotels, powerlines were down everywhere. Thestorm was more destructive than Ihad imagined. To me it looked liketotal devastation.”

After spending the night in theconvention center, it was Apatiga’sturn to go to the hotel to retrievehis luggage. The hotel staff guidedsmall groups of guests floor-by-floor to gather their possessions. “Ididn’t understand until then whywe were told to put our suitcasesin the bathtub,” said Apatiga.“Once I saw the damage, I said,‘Ah ha’ and was very glad Ifollowed instructions. My suit-cases were dry in the bathtub and Icould finally change clothes forthe first time in five days. Manypeople did not follow the direc-tions and ended up with wetclothes.”

Paradise was lost, the hurri-cane was over and the panic ofhow they were going to get homenow set in. Since they wereMexican citizens, Apatiga’sparents weren’t as concerned,because flights inside Mexico hadresumed. International flights werea different story. “There was nopower. There were no computers,no systems to find out what flightswere running and who was onthem,” said Apatiga. “It was chaos.We found out the control tower atthe airport was not operating andno international flights werecoming or going. Finally welearned the American airlines hadset up a center at a high school. OnWednesday, Oct. 26, limitedflights began to leave for the U.S. Iwent to the school and found outthat anyone who showed up with aticket, itinerary, passport andluggage could board a plane forthe U.S. I ran back to the conven-tion center, gathered my belong-ings and was lucky to get on thesecond airplane out that day. Thefirst thing I did on the plane wasask for a cold beer.”

What did this trip teachApatiga? “Awareness of the powerof Mother Nature,” he said.

Apatiga’s hotel in Cancun wasdamaged by Hurricane Wilma.

IIPAGE 6 DECEMBER 2005

The following newfeatures have beenincorporated intothe cards to makethem more tamper-and counterfeit-resistant.

New look for your licenseowa began issuing moresecure driver’s licensesand non-driver identifica-tion cards Oct. 18 at theDOT’s Cedar Rapidsdriver’s license station.Changes to the designand materials used to

produce these credentials makethem more difficult to alter orduplicate.

“We made a commitment toincrease the level of customerservice we provide to Iowans byadding the most innovativesecurity features and improvingthe system that issues our driver’slicenses,” said Kim Snook, DriverServices field manager. “Using thenew format, Iowa now has one ofthe nation’s most technologicallyadvanced systems in terms of cardsecurity.”

Identification fraud and illegaltampering and manufacturing ofdriver’s licenses are serious issues,both here in Iowa and nationwide.Each year the Iowa DOT investi-gates hundreds of these cases.

The roll out of the new systemwill be complete by mid Decem-ber. Licenses and identificationcards in the “old” format remainvalid through the expiration date.However, if you want the newstyle card, you may receive one bypaying a $1 fee.

Ghost image: A ghost image is a faint, smaller version of theapplicant’s digital photo image. The ghost image prints on the faceof the DL/ID card and appears in the bottom right corner. Theimage is sufficiently faint to leave information printed on the cardvisible and easily readable, but any attempt to alter that informa-tion printed on top of the ghost image will be immediatelynoticeable.

Barcode and magnetic stripe: The two dimensionalbarcode and magnetic stripe on the back of the card contain all ofthe data from the front of the license and can be read by magneticstripe readers used by establishments serving and selling alcoholand tobacco products, as well as law enforcement agencies.

Overlapping data: Overlapping the edge of the card holder’sportrait is the issuing office number and DOT director’s signature.

Optically variable patterns: Appearing on the front of thecard is an “optically variable” pattern repeating the word Iowa andthe image of a wild rose, which changes color as the license istilted for viewing.

Color selection: The colors, including the wild rose imageand designs featuring a rural and city landscape and official Stateof Iowa seal, are used to hinder the duplication of the card bycolor photocopying or scanning and printing.

Lamination: Laminate coating on the front and back of thecard increases its durability, security and tamper resistance.

Identification of minors: Driver’s licenses, instructionpermits and identification cards issued to people under age 21continue to be printed in a vertical format. In addition, the licensefeatures a red bar that indicates the person is under age 18 orunder age 21.


Aleading cause of death during winter storms istraffic crashes. Preparing your vehicle for thewinter season and knowing how to react if

stranded or lost on the road are two keys to safewinter driving.

1. Before the weather makes driving dangerous, it’s agood idea to have an experienced mechanic checkthe following items on your car:

• battery• antifreeze• wipers and windshield washer fluid• ignition system• thermostat• lights, including flashing hazard lights• exhaust system• heater• brakes• defroster• oil level

(If necessary, replace existing oil with a winter gradeoil or the SAE 10W-30 weight variety.)

2. Make sure the vehicle’s tires have adequatetread and are properly inflated. All-weather radialsare well-suited for most winter conditions. However,some jurisdictions require that to drive on their roads,vehicles must be equipped with chains or snow tireswith studs. In Iowa, studded snow tires are legal foruse on your vehicle from November 1 to April 1.

3. Keep a windshield scraper and small broom forice and snow removal.

4. Maintain at least half of a tank of gas during thewinter season.

5. Plan trips carefully. Call 511 or log on to511ia.org for any road delays, closures and roadconditions. Log on to dotweatherview.com for thelatest weather forecasts (see page 2 for details) andother weather information. If possible, avoid travelingin the dark or alone. If you must go out during awinter storm, use public transportation wheneverpossible.

6. Dress warmly. Wear layers of loose-fitting,layered, lightweight clothing.

7. Carry a fully-charged cell phone.

8. Carry a winter “survival kit” that shouldinclude:

• flashlights with extra batteries• first-aid kit with pocket knife• necessary medications• several blankets or sleeping bags• plastic bags (for sanitation)• candles and matches• extra sets of mittens, socks, and a wool cap• rain gear and extra clothes• small sack of sand, cat litter or strips of carpet for

traction under tires• small shovel• booster cables• brightly colored cloth to use as a flag• high-calorie, nonperishable food items like candy

and nuts• bottled water

If you do become stranded, stay with yourvehicle. Park on the shoulder where possible, and turnon your emergency flashers. Keep snow away fromyour exhaust pipe and open your vehicle’s window acrack to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide buildup.

Prep your car for winter


The plan comes togetherhen the effects of the Great Depression

began to wane with the beginning ofWorld War II, state highway planners

heeded the advice of Bureau of PublicRoads (BPR) chief Thomas MacDonald and

prepared comprehensive needs studies.MacDonald had concluded the time had come for

America to begin the next stage of highway develop-ment. The federal-aid system would be “completed”by the late 1930s. Although many segments of therural network had not been paved, virtually all hadreceived initial treatment. As MacDonald said in a1935 article: “We have reached a point in our devel-opment where we can no longer ignore the needs oftraffic flowing from the main highways into andthrough cities and from feeder roads to the mainhighways.”

Migration from urban to rural areas seen duringthe Great Depression peaked in the mid-1930s.Because of the influx, rural areas were seen by manyas wholesome, while cities were dens of iniquity.Decay of the central cities was rampant. A studycommissioned by President Franklin D. Rooseveltleaned heavily on city planning as a solution and onthe use of highways as a tool for change.

To provide the data needed toplan the highway network of thefuture, MacDonald put his faith inthe highway planning surveysconceived by Herbert S. Fairbank,chief of BPR’s Division of Informa-tion. Fairbank’s goal was a compre-hensive state-by-state accounting oftraffic on the American highway.

In 1939, using data collectedfrom 46 state planning surveys, theBureau of Public Roads presented aMaster Highway Plan. This report

became the basis of President Roosevelt’s system ofinter-regional highways and laid the groundwork forthe future interstate highway system.

Components of the proposed master plan in-cluded:

1.Classification of all rural roads by order ofimportance. This activity was to be carried out bya joint action of the Secretary of Agriculture andthe several state highway departments and wouldbe based on the statewide highway planningsurvey.

2.Formulation of a comprehensive federal policygoverning its participation in the cost of improv-ing several classes of roads and defining theobjectives of that federal participation;

3.Establishment of general standards for roadwayimprovements using federal funding; and

4.Enactment of federal laws and regulationsregarding vehicles, to apply on all roads im-proved in whole or in part with funds of thefederal government. The laws and regulationsprescribed maximum weights, speeds anddimensions of vehicles, and minimum require-ments for vehicle braking, lighting and tireequipment, in coordination with establishedstandards of highway design.The National Superhighway system, clearly the

precursor to our current Interstate Highway System,was comprised of direct inter-regional routes de-scribed in the proposed plan as “...following thealignment and incorporating the improvement ofexisting highways wherever feasible, but departingfrom existing roads wherever necessary to obtaindirect alignment and high standards of curvature andgradient. Such a system would serve approximatelyone-eighth of the total traffic moving over all ruralhighways. It would include all of the important linesof long-distance travel… ”

In 1944 Congress authorized a system of nationalhighways. In 1947 the system was officially desig-nated. Although construction did not begin in earnestuntil the passage of the 1956 Highway Act, the planwas there in black and white. President Dwight D.Eisenhower’s vision of cross-country routes wasabout to become reality.

Herbert S. Fairbank

PART FOUR IN A SERIES

The beginning of construction on the Interstate Highway System celebrates50 years in 2006. Each month for the next year INSIDE will highlight the his-tory of this system of roads. Information for this article was derived from theFederal Highway Administration’s Web site “infrastructure origins section”written by Lee Mertz, and from the FHWA’s Public Roads Web site. The nextinstallment will cover early construction of cross-country routes.


Avenue of the Saints time capsule

Time stood still for a few minutes Oct. 28, astime capsules from Iowa and Missouriwere lowered into place on either side ofthe Des Moines River toll bridge on

Iowa 27/Missouri 27 (Avenue of the Saints) at thestates’ border in St. Francisville. The Missouri andIowa DOTs, along with members of Clarke Countycommunities, were on hand when the time capsuleswere buried on each side of the river.

The time capsules, one each from Iowa andMissouri, were presented during the outdoor cer-emony at the new bridges and will remain buried untilthe existing bridge is replaced, which could be aslong as 75 years. Engraved plaques mark where thecapsules are located, near the river in both states.

Ingrid Ruddy, the Iowa DOT’s District 5 fieldservices coordinator, compiled the contents of theIowa time capsule. “We included an Iowa flag, acongratulatory proclamation by Governor TomVilsack, correspondence about the decisions onlocation of the Avenue, early history of the planningand naming of the Avenue, a CD of the bridgeopening ceremonies (will they be able to play it bythe time the capsule is opened?), soil from thegroundbreaking ceremonies, Avenue of the Saintslapel pin, a small highway 380 marker along with asmall Avenue of the Saints marker. We ended up witha bit of space at the top of our capsule so added ayellow/green safety vest and hat for future genera-tions to see.” Other Iowa DOT employees who helpedplace the time capsule were Raymond Tull and hiscrew at the Donnellson garage.

The Missouri capsule contains more than 20items representing the past, such as pictures from thegroundbreaking, a proclamation with signatures ofthe bridge opening celebration attendants, the historyof the toll bridge, a local telephone book, news articleabout the toll bridge from the Quincy Herald-Whig, acurrent newspaper, plan sheets of the project, a guestlist of 359 people invited to the opening ceremony, aninvitation to the opening and reception, project andconstruction history, a ticket from the toll bridge,business cards of personnel who worked on thebridge, a Missouri flag, and a St. Francisville TollBridge T-Shirt.

“As this generation’s gift to future generations,we hope that someday the contents will help ourchildren’s children better understand construction anddaily life of our era,” said Kirk Juranas, MoDOTNortheast District Engineer.

Missouri DOT employees place their time capsule.

The time capsules were dropped into holes near the DesMoines River bridge signs.


New Year’s Day Monday, Jan. 2Martin Luther King Jr. Monday, Jan. 16Memorial Day Monday, May 29Independence Day Tuesday, July 4Labor Day Monday, Sept. 4Veterans Day Friday, Nov. 10Thanksgiving Day Thursday, Nov. 23Friday after Thanksgiving Friday, Nov. 24Christmas Day Mon, Dec. 25

Toys for Tots fund-raising holiday CD

To raise money for the Toys for Tots cam-paign, several DOTers lent their voices to arecording of holiday music called “AndOne for All.” DOTers involved in the

project include: Gerry Ambroson, Leroy Bergmann,Brenda Boell, Mike Coon, Cheryl Cowie, DaveDoolittle, Christine Evans, Steve Gray, Jay Larson,Kathy LaRue, Phil Meraz, Gail Nordholm, ChericeOgg, Deanne Popp, Kelly Popp, David Putz, ReneeShirley, Colette Simpson, Debra Thompson and MaryZimmerman.

Recording the “And One for All” Christmas CD

Few things feel as good to a coworker assincere praise or a heartfelt thank you. On theother hand, a well-meaning bit of praise can

become easily diluted by carelessly tacking on anegative comment or by refocusing attention onyourself. Avoid phrases like “You should alwayswork that well” or “It’s about time.”

Delivering praise the right way leads to a morepositive work environment full of motivated employ-ees. A few pointers:

Praise everyone. Don’t limit compliments toyour star employees. Challenge yourself to recognizesomething about everyone at least once a week. Keeptrack so you don’t forget anyone.

Express your gratitude in writing. Just a fewwords will do. Example: “Mary, thanks for your extrahelp on that rush order.”

Pump up the power of a thank-you by lettingpeople know you have faith in them. Example: “Jerry,thank you for all your help on the product launch. Iknew you were the right person for the job.”

Communications Briefings, , , , , November 2005

Stand-oute-mail messages

A recent report estimated that more than 7trillion e-mails circulated worldwide lastyear. Spam messages jam in-boxes across the

globe, and the average office worker now receivesbetween 60 and 200 messages a day. How can youmake your very important business communicationstand out from the crowd?

Strategy: Keep e-mail messages short. Mostrecipients will immediately read and comprehend aten-sentence e-mail. If you sent them a 10,000 worddocument, they’ll likely scan the highlights and thensave the message to read later. That means yourmessage may never be fully read.

Adapted from “Tips for More Effective E-mailCommunication,” David Friedman, www.nightingale.com aspublished in Communications Briefings, November 2005.

Pump up thepower of praise


This year 45 MotorVehicle Divisionemployees, family andfriends supported orwalked in the 14th

Annual Des Moines Race for theCure on Saturday, Oct. 8. Thatmeans the MVD team raised over$900 for the “Cure.” Accordingto the Susan G. Komen BreastCancer Foundation Web site,breast cancer has struck more than2 million women in the pastdecade. In 2005, an estimated211,240 new cases of invasivebreast cancer will be diagnosed. Inthe United States, a woman has a 1in 7 lifetime risk of developingbreast cancer.

The goal of the Susan G.Komen Breast Cancer Foundationis to change these statistics and,ultimately, eradicate breast canceras a life-threatening disease.

To find out more, log on to thethe Susan G. Komen BreastCancer Foundation Web site atwww.komen.org.

Race forthe Cure

This year the team members from the Motor Vehicle Division wore memory signsfor friend and co-worker Capt. Tom Sever who succumbed to cancer last Jan. 11.Team members were: Thelma Huffman, Nancy Lacy, Judy Hilsenbeck, CindyGregg, Diann McMillen, Jordan Berry, Dee Merrifield, Hazel Marks, Mary Jensen,Sherry Forrest, Rhonda Wernecke, Lynne Thornton, Wendy Foreman, Chris Taylor,Melody Aswegan, Jean Cook, Debra Shafer, Emily Shafer, Sue Reding, SharonAnderson, Leslie Bellon, Anne Anderson, Tonya Bishop, Jessica Bishop, LavonneShort, Dave Short, Karen Ballard, Andrea Coco, Sherrie Coco, Marie Davis, JennyRobinson, Shirley Andre, Karin Strand, Jacob Coco, Erika Eckstein, MaryAnnNewman, Pamela Cook, Mike Winfrey, Merideth Winfrey, Mary Pane,Tina Hargis,Larry Hargis, Samatha Hargis, Sabrina Hargis, and Diane Johansen.

Harold “Harry” Miller, 57,died Nov. 8 of injuries sustainedwhen the small plane in which hewas a passenger crashed near the

Ankenyairport.Miller, whoworked inthe DOT’sOffice of Airand Transitfrom 1970 toJune 2000,was em-

In memoryployed by Snyder and Associatesat the time of the crash. He hasremained in contact with many ofhis former DOT co-workers and hewill be greatly missed. Miller issurvived by his wife, Linda, ofDes Moines, three daughters, oneson, three grandchildren and manyother family members and friends.

•

Kimberley Sue Eucher, 45,died suddenly at home, Monday,Nov. 7. Eucher worked as atransportation engineer in trainingat Ames construction. She alsoworked in Systems Planning andContracts. Her service dates were1987 to 1992. She is survived byher husband, Eric, and manyfriends and family members.


Family Happenings

District 6Jeanne Heeren

The District 6 maintenanceteam held its annual fall staffmeeting Oct. 11 at Bellevue StatePark. De Witt/Sabula area highwaymaintenance supervisor and“master griller” Dick Banowetzcooked lunch. Dawn Hansen,maintenance secretary, took on therole of photographer for the group.

District 1Kay Ridgway

Norm and Barb Miller becamethe proud parents of Ashton onOct. 21. Baby Ashton weighed6 lbs., 15 ozs. and was 21 ½ incheslong. He joins big sister Amber,18, and big brother Andrew, 14.Daddy Norm is the assistant landsurveyor in District 1.

Front row (from left) Jerome Steward, maintenance manager assistant; MarileePityer, maintenance manager assistant; Dave Shanahan, HMS Dubuque/Dyersville; Dick Banowetz, HMS DeWitt/Sabula; Dan Laing, HMS Tipton; RickButz, District 6 executive officer; Russell Brown, HMS Anamosa/Maquoketa; DaveLee, HMS Davenport; John Berry, HMS Urbana/Newhall; Jack Patterson, HMSWilliamsburg. Back row (from left) Gretchen Gresslin, district maintenancemanager; Ron Stutzel, district mechanic; Jeff Tjaden, HMS Cedar Rapids/Marion;Kim Sheehy, HMS Independence/Manchester; Ed McDermott, district operationsmanager; and Travis Nitcher, HMS Oakdale. (see below - District 6)

DesignJudy Lensing

Wes Mayberry and his wife,Christy, introduce their new son:Vincent (Vinny) Mayberry wasborn Oct. 5 weighing 7 lbs., 6 ozs.and was 20 ½ inches long. BabyVinny was welcomed with openarms by big brother, Ozzy, 2.Daddy Wes is a design technician.

Operations and FinanceJanet Kout-Samson

On Oct. 15 Robert Whitman,photo processor in DocumentServices, married his high schoolsweetheart, Jane Anne Richards.Although it’s been a few yearssince graduation, many friends andformer schoolmates were inattendance at the wedding inBoone. Congratulations to Boband Jane!

Planning andProgrammingMary Kay Reimers

Andy and Shelly Loonanwelcomed Haley Rochelle Oct. 8.Haley weighed 8 lbs., 10 ozs. andwas 21 inches long. Big brothersRiley, 7, and Jacob, 3, welcomedtheir new little sister into theirworld wearing “I’m the bigbrother” t-shirts. Andy works inthe Office of Systems Planning.


Update on Bob BriggsAccording to his wife Michelle, Bob Briggs, equipment operator

in Mount Pleasant who was injured while on active duty in Iraq April16, had another surgery Nov. 9. The surgery went well, and Bob isnow involved in daily rehabilitation work. The Briggs are planning tobe home Dec. 10 so Bob can be in formation with his unit (CompanyC, 224th Engineering Battalion) whenever they arrive back in southeastIowa. Bob will still have to travel to Minnesota as an outpatient tocontine his therapy.

Michelle also reports that Bob continues to gain strength. Beforehis last surgery Bob’s balance was greatly improved. He was evenpracticing setting a table and vacuuming the floor. In speech therapyhe was working on a Quicken program so Bob will be able to help outwith Michelle’s business. She says Bob’s vision is still poor in his lefteye, but it doesn’t stop him from playing cards. Bob still has a greatattitude, but is ready to come home for good.

(Editor’s note: As you’ve read inprevious issues of INSIDE, Bob andhis wife, Michelle, have two smallchildren, Ashlea, 6, and Cody, 17months. The military no longerprovides financial assistance to thefamily for their frequent trips to theVeterans Administration Hospital inMinnesota. As you read earlier,friends and coworkers have beenextremely generous, but any addi-tional assistance would be welcomeas the Briggs family has a very longrecovery period ahead of them.)

Bob & Michelle’s mailing address is:Robert Briggs1373 Salem RoadHillsboro, IA 52630

UPDATE

You never know whatyou’re going to see in

Right-of-Wayon Halloween.(Left) bonnie

lass BelindaMerritt showed her

plaid and (upper right)Sharon Bowers, Mary Beth Kiner,

Gwen Ballard, and Donna Stuber werein the holiday mood.

In Purchasing (lower right) MaryZimmerman, Jerry Giebelstein, LauraLindusky, Christine Evans, KermitWilson and Jan Halvorson celebratedHalloween in festive luau apparel.

SSSSSERVICEERVICEERVICEERVICEERVICE A A A A AWWWWWARDSARDSARDSARDSARDSInformation supplied by the Office of Employee Services for December 2005.


40 YearsLarry Suntken, Design.

35 YearsLarry Goranson, Manchester construction; Kim Kammerer,Maintenance; Sue Schuck, Driver Services.

30 YearsCathy Miskell, Materials; Jerry Shepherd, Motor CarrierServices.

25 YearsJames Almond, Oskaloosa garage; Jim Dowd, Maintenance;Mark Frein, Driver Services; Donald Herdliska, Shenandoahgarage; Nancy Krukow, Information Technology Division;Patricia Montgomery, Storm Lake maintenance; JohnTasker, Anamosa garage.

20 YearsJoseph Barton, Muscatine garage; W. Scott Gettings, District5 materials; Paul Hasenmiller, De Witt garage; StevenHaxton, Mason City garage; Darrell Lee Hocking, Williamsgarage; Doug Lickteig, Hanlontown garage; DennisMarquart, New Hampton construction; Jeffrey Owen,District 4 Office; Howard Reischauer, District 1maintenance; David Wells, Contracts.

15 YearsC. Alan Beddow, Location and Environment; Larry DeanBlumer, Algona garage; Rickey Bowman, Fort Dodge garage;Terri Delaney, Mount Pleasant construction; Roy Gelhaus,Britt construction; Roger Gould, Highway Division; JamesHanson, Waterloo garage; Katrina Huffman, Waterloo DLstation; William Kaller, Ottumwa construction; CharleneKinzenbaw, Iowa City DL station; Gary McAtee, Wapellogarage; Rollin Nemitz, Sioux City construction; Arlen Olson,Latimer garage; Dwight Pierce, Newton-interstate garage;Barbara Rasmus, Finance; Lawrence Stuff, Davenportconstruction; Danny Wagner, Tipton-interstate garage; FredWilliams, Fort Dodge garage.

10 YearsTimothy Branam, De Soto garage; Jerry Deaton, Materials;Lori Dittmer, Document Services; Duane Evans, Washingtongarage; Paul Flattery, Design; Carol Higgins, DriverServices; Kevin Hockett, Marshalltown construction; DanielHolmes, Carroll garage; Andy Janus, Information TechnologyDivision; Rodney Martin, Bridges and Structures; BeckyMcDaniel, Des Moines construction; Kevin Merryman,Construction; Adriana Reyes-Phelps, Materials; JasonRuter, Britt construction; Gary Teague, InformationTechnology Division; Joy Williams, Design; Jorge Zamora,Transportation Data.

5 YearsJohn Allmon, Council Bluffs-north garage; Joe Ashmore, LeMars garage; William Boles, Spirit Lake garage; RayBraband, Spirit Lake garage; David Chapman, Davenport-interstate garage; Alan Downs, Martensdale garage; RichardFitzgerald, Davenport-interstate garage; Joshua Hamilton,Pocahontas garage; Lance Holmes, Boone garage; CarmenHomrigausen, Davenport-interstate garage; John Jepsen,Sioux City-Leeds garage; Laura Linduski, Procurement andDistribution; Todd Mabbitt, Council Bluffs-north garage;Ronald Nehl, New Hampton garage; Earl Ogden,Procurement and Distribution; James Rose, Mount Pleasantgarage; Mark Sadler, Sioux City-Hamilton garage; KathrynScott, Information Technology Division; David Staab, Urbanagarage; James Thomson, Le Mars garage; William Tinkle,Grinnell garage; Myron Zabel, Davenport-interstate garage.

LLLLLarry Goransonarry Goransonarry Goransonarry Goransonarry Goranson Sue SchuckSue SchuckSue SchuckSue SchuckSue SchuckManchester construction Driver Services

Kim KammerKim KammerKim KammerKim KammerKim KammererererererMaintenance

Service Area Correspondent Phone

District 1 ..................................................... Kay Ridgway, Des Moines ..................... 515-986-5729District 2 ..................................................... Lu Mohorne, Mason City ....................... 641-423-7584District 3 ..................................................... Mary Beth Banta, Sioux City ................. 712-276-1451District 4 ..................................................... Marlene Jensen, Atlantic ........................ 712-243-3355District 5 ..................................................... Brenda Hadley, Fairfield ........................ 641-472-6142District 6 ..................................................... Jeanne Heeren, Cedar Rapids ................ 319-364-0235Bridges and Structures ............................... Judy Whitney, Ames .............................. 515-239-1564Construction ............................................... Nancy McMenamin, Ames ..................... 515-239-1043Contracts ..................................................... Peg Muxfeldt, Ames ................................ 515-239-1422Design ......................................................... Judy Lensing, Ames ................................ 515-239-1469Director’s Staff Division ............................ Lynn Purcell, Ames ................................ 515-239-1730Driver Services ........................................... Noralee Warrick, Des Moines ............... 515-237-3153General Counsel ......................................... Sheri Anderson, Ames ............................ 515-239-1509Information Technology Division ............. Colette Simpson, Ames ........................... 515-233-7728Local Systems ............................................. Kathy LaRue, Ames ............................... 515-239-1081Location and Environment ......................... Jean Jesse, Ames ..................................... 515-239-1225Maintenance ............................................... Cindy Shipley, Ames .............................. 515-239-1824Materials ..................................................... Dawne Berner, Ames .............................. 515-239-1919Modal andPlanning & Programming Divisions .......... Mary Kay Reimers, Ames ...................... 515-239-1661Motor Carrier Services ............................... Diann McMillen, Des Moines ................ 515-237-3250Motor Vehicle Enforcement ...................... Val Hunter, Des Moines ......................... 515-237-3218Operations and Finance Division ............... Janet Kout-Samson, Ames ..................... 515-239-1340Research and Technology Bureau ............. Phyllis Geer, Ames .................................. 515-239-1646Right-of-Way .............................................. Linda Kriegel, Ames ............................... 515-239-1135Traffic and Safety ....................................... Linda McBride, Ames ............................ 515-239-1557Vehicle Services ......................................... Thelma Huffman, Des Moines ............... 515-237-3182

INSIDE is developed to help keep all Iowa DOT employees informed aboutcritical issues affecting them, recognize DOT employees for their excellentservice, and share interesting aspects in the lives of our coworkers. For moreinformation, contact Tracey Bramble, Office of Media and Marketing Services,515-239-1314 or e-mail [email protected].

Nancy Richardson, Iowa DOT Director

Tracey Bramble, Office of Media and Marketing Services, EditorLynn Purcell, Office of Media and Marketing Services, Desktop Publisher

J. Cory Heintz, Office of Media and Marketing Services, PhotographerPrinting Staff, Office of Document Services, Printing

800 Lincoln Way, Ames, IA 50010 • 515-239-1372.

On the cover: On the cover: On the cover: On the cover: On the cover: Renee Devine, driver’s license examiner at theAmes DL station, says the new driver’s license format is a hit.

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS ISSUE

PPPPPERSONNELERSONNELERSONNELERSONNELERSONNEL U U U U UPDPDPDPDPDAAAAATESTESTESTESTESInformation supplied by the Office of Employee Services for Sept. 23 to Oct. 20, 2005.


New HiresJennifer Devries, driver’s license clerk, Ames DL station;Tasha Henderson, driver’s license clerk, Council Bluffs DLstation; Nichole Martens, driver’s license clerk, Cedar RapidsDL station; Steven Milligan, land surveyor, District 3 Office.

PromotionsDenny Eppert, from equipment operator, Boone garage tobridge inspector 1, Bridges and Structures; Jason Holst, fromtransportation engineer to transportation engineer specialist,Design; Cindie Mead, from equipment operator,Correctionville garage to construction technician, Sioux Cityconstruction; Gregory Moyle, from construction technicianassistant to assistant soil party chief, Design; DanielRedmond, from transportation engineer intern, Materials totransportation engineer, Chariton construction; Mark Sadler,from equipment operator, Sioux City-Hamilton garage toconstruction technician, Sioux City construction; WesSwallow, from equipment operator senior to garage operationsassistant, De Soto garage; Luann Thiede, from driver’slicense clerk senior to driver’s license examiner, Davenport DLstation; Cindy Yarrington, from equipment operator,Waterloo garage to construction technician, Marshalltownconstruction.

TransfersJames Cornelius, equipment operator, from Highway Helperto Grimes garage; Phillip Davis, equipment operator, fromHighway Helper to Grimes garage; Alvin Hartgers,equipment operator, from Altoona garage to Newton-interstategarage; Steven Hill, equipment operator, from Grimes garageto Carlisle garage; Kevin Hockett, from constructiontechnician senior, Marshalltown construction to designtechnician, Design; Julia Lucas, equipment operator, fromAmes garage to Des Moines-north garage; Larry Mason,equipment operator, from Des Moines-north garage to Grimesgarage; Ronald Niemeyer, mechanic, Charles City garage toequipment operator senior, New Hampton garage; Jay Ridlen,equipment operator senior, from District 5 paint crew toBloomfield garage; Rob Thies, equipment operator, fromHighway Helper to Grimes garage; Ardella Walker,equipment operator, from Grimes garage to Altoona garage.

RetirementsReginald Burch, information technology specialist 4,Information Technology Division; Kenneth Hatfield, typistadvanced, District 6 Office; Judith Krough, informationtechnology specialist 3, Information Technology Division;Patricia Sievers, driver’s license clerk senior, Iowa City DLstation.


For your safety, the safety of othertravelers, and the safety of our DOTcrews, remember to practice thesegood winter driving techniques.

• Always wear your seatbelt.

• Turn on your lights - to see and be seen. Brushthe snow off your head lights and tail lightsfrequently.

• Don’t use your cruise control during winterdriving conditions.

• Know how your anti-lock brakes work in slipperyconditions.

• Be aware that ramps, bridges and overpasses mayoccasionally freeze first.

• Be aware of “black ice” (roads that look wet butare actually glazed with ice).

• Drive below the posted speed limit when snow,ice, freezing rain or sleet is on the pavement. Theposted speed limits are intended for normalpavement conditions.

THINK SAFETYGood winter driving techniques

When plows are present,use extra caution.

• Remain alert. Snowplows generally move slowerthan other traffic (5-35 mph), and may becompletely obscured at times by blowing snowand blizzard-like conditions. This is especiallyimportant when you see an area of blowing snowthat could conceal a plow. Watch for the amberflashing lights.

• Stay a safe distance behind the snowplows.During snow plowing operations visibility can bereduced by blowing snow. Operators may need tostop or move over to avoid stranded vehicles.

• Don’t travel beside a snowplow. They can bemoved sideways after hitting drifts or cuttingthrough snow pack.

• Make sure you have clear vision ahead beforepassing a snowplow. On two-lane roads wheretraffic is not able to pass the plows, plow opera-tors will pull over periodically to let vehiclesbehind them pass. On divided highways, watchfor snowplows operating in the left lane.

• Allow plenty of room when passing a snowplow.Do not cut back into the lane ahead of the plowtoo quickly since the blade extends several feetahead of the truck.

• Don’t try to pass snowplows that are workingtogether in tandem pulling snow from the middleof a divided highway. There isn’t enough roomfor you to get through.

• Move as far away from the centerline of thepavement as you safely can when meeting asnowplow on a two-lane road since blowingsnow may obscure the actual width of thesnowplow’s blade.

• Don’t drive through “white out” conditionscaused by cross winds or plowing of light snow.Be patient. Conditions will change so you cantravel and pass safely.

Documents

PAGE 2 DECEMBER 2005 - Iowa Department of Transportation · PAGE 2 DECEMBER 2005 A fter nearly two years and 12 exten sions of TEA-21, Congress passed a ... worst of the storm.”