We are
T&ES 2019–2020
T&ES by the numbers
17
Leading Pedestrian Intervals installed to improve safety at key intersections as part of Vision Zero
more than
100
12
employees worked 12-hour shifts to clean 7 inches of snow in January
more than
250
Operations employees received awards through the City’s Safety Incentive Program
3,800
pounds of food scraps were collected in the Business Center Drive compost buckets
social media followers
17,000
6,649
60,000
5,000
CALL.CLICK. CONNECT SERVICE REQUESTS COMPLETED
POTHOLES FILLED
CUBIC YARDS OF LEAVES COLLECTED
INVOICES PROCESSED
20
10
employees completed High-Performing Organization training
internal promotions
80 in 2018 40 in 2019
50%
decrease in the department’s rate of recordable injuries
12
professional certifications and/or degrees earned
A Message from the Director As 2019 ends, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank each of you for all your incredible work this year! As a department, we worked together to achieve some amazing things. We weathered a three-month closure of all Alexandria Metrorail. We spearheaded adoption of a new Environmental Action Plan, which will help guide Alexandria during a critical time for climate change and the environment. We began implementing WasteSmart, our plan to continue our top-notch refuse collection services and enhance recycling. We launched APEX, a new permitting and plan system that will offer a faster, more efficient and convenient way for City customers to apply for permits. We even gained a division, when Fleet Services joined T&ES in August! Internally, we also continued to focus on employee engagement and making T&ES an even better place to work. Our jobs are challenging and demanding, so ensuring that employees feel engaged and connected is critically important. Toward that end, we used weekly Monday Mix emails and AlexNet page to celebrate our successes and serve as a resource for important departmental information. We advocated for better pay for Commercial Driver’s License holders, and established a policy that provides merit pay when staff receive work-related degrees and certifications. Looking ahead to 2020, our internal and external goals are ambitious, but achievable! This report outlines what we’re working on in the coming year: stormwater projects that will improve our waterways, changes to our Yard Waste program, work on the West End and Duke Street transitways, and utility coordination are just a few focus areas. I’m proud of our department, the work we’ve done in 2019, and the goals we’ve set for 2020! I’m confident that next year will be another great one. Thank you, again, for making T&ES a wonderful place to work and for your contributions to Alexandria’s infrastructure, transportation network, environment, and the quality of life in our city. Thanks, everyone!
LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY Every T&ES Employee is a leader and capable of assisting the Department with turning the City’s Mission, Vision and Values into a reality. The T&ES Leadership Philosophy is the department’s guide to fostering innovation and ensuring a successful workplace. We are all leaders who create an environment that fosters engagement, collaboration, diversity, and decision making at all levels to achieve our mission by: – Investing in our people – Respecting the unique contributions of all – Sharing information in all directions’ – Encouraging opportunities for meaningful and challenging work – Priding ourselves on our diverse workforce
2019 Accomplishments
T&ES at a glance
Metro Shutdown: All-hands-on-deck effort that required major contributions from every team in T&ES. WasteSmart: In January, Council adopted a new plan that will guide the city’s solid waste management for the next 20 years and focus on ways to sustainably recover resources. The City already implemented a new glass collection program. Stormwater Management: Completed and opened to the public a refurbished Lake Cook which included improvements to the pond, a new loop trail and fishing piers Transportation Funding: Acquiring more than $164 million in new transportation funding over the next six years for Potomac Yard Metro, West End Transitway, road maintenance, electric DASH buses, better DASH service and a future extension to Metroway, and other projects. Environmental Action Plan 2040: Development of EAP 2040 and again receiving a Platinum Level recognition in the VML Green Government challenge. Smart Mobility: Enabling traffic engineering advancements such as Transit Signal Priority for buses, roadway sensors that collect travel data on City streets and provide real-time travel times and traffic cameras. Complete Streets: Implemented traffic and safety improvements along Seminary Road, in conjunction with planned paving work Combined Sewers: Implemented a Transfer Agreement regarding CSOs, resulting in transfer of assets and liabilities to Alex Renew, while retaining water quality nutrient credits for the City and continued to facilitate CSO projects between city and Alex Renew Permit Center: Completed implementation of APEX, the City’s new Permitting & Land Use System that makes it easier for customers to apply for and obtain permits and approvals.
2020 Goals Environmental Action Plan: Implement and incorporate Climate Change into decision making and resiliency into infrastructure Sewers: Increase systematic inspection and rehab and begin initial phase of a program to reduce the buildup of fats, oil and grease to avoid sewer overflows and discharges Noise: Conduct public outreach and propose revisions to City Noise Code Drainage & Flooding: Continue implementing stormwater projects (e.g. Ben Brenman Park) that help meet Chesapeake Bay mandates and address prioritized drainage problem C&I Utility Coordination: Improve coordination with utilities to ensure the fastest possible restoration after utility-related construction Smart Mobility: Laying the groundwork and infrastructure for future technology that can be applied to the transportation system to collect, analyze, apply data to better manage traffic and optimize our transportation network. Transitway Program: Advance design efforts for the West End and Duke Street transitways Vision Zero: Implement high-crash corridor crossing blitzes and other rapid-response, low-cost improvements that will improve safety near schools and neighborhoods with at-risk populations Glass: Review the City’s position on glass recycling and communicate next steps to public LED streetlights: Retrofit approximately 10% of the City’s streetlights with brighter, more sustainable LED lights to improve pedestrian safety and meet Eco-City Alexandria goals Yard Waste: Continue to improve the efficiency and costeffectiveness of the yard waste program Bridge Maintenance: Continue to ensure all city bridges remain in a state of good repair by increasing investments in needed facilities
AWARDS AND ACCOLADES • The City of Alexandria’s Phase II Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) and Stormwater Management program recognized by the Water Environment Federation’s (WEF) National Municipal Stormwater and Green Infrastructure Awards Program as winner of the “Overall Highest Score” for Phase II MS4 permittees for the 2019 awards. The City’s program was also recognized as a “Silver Level in Innovation” and a “Gold Level in Program Management.” • Megan Oleynik earned her Professional Engineer license • Infrastructure and Environmental Quality held a successful Eco-City Alexandria Summit • Complete Streets held a workshop that allows city kids to design Alexandria’s first traffic garden, which teaches children traffic safety and rules of the road • Ellen Eggerton and Thomas Hamed were named T&ES Employees of the Year! • The City was awarded $800k for the Strawberry Run Stream Restoration Project and $2.5 m for the Taylor Run Steam Restoration Project • Melanie Mason became an Erosion and Sediment Control Program Administrator • Josh Etim gave a presentation on the City’s composting program at the Virginia Recycling Conference • Mary-Alice Winston received her associate degree in Construction Management Technology and a certificate in Construction Supervision • Resource Recovery received the Virginia Recycling Association’s “Show Me the Way Award” for the new Recycle Right Alexandria sorting game • Transportation Planning held an Innovation Forum, as part of the Alexandria Mobility Plan Update • The King Street Clean Team (Louis Simms, Michelle Rucker, Rick Jones, Herbert Holmes), were recognized with an Alexandria Beautification Commission Award • Dwayne Parton, Harold Shaw, and Steve Waller were winners at the T&ES Road-eo • Thomas Hamed was recognized as one of the Association for Commuter Transportations 40 Under 40
INFRASTRUCTURE AND E N V I R O N M E N TA L Q U A L I T Y 2019 – Adopted Environmental Action Plan 2040 – Began revision of City’s Noise Ordinance – Implemented program to assess condition of all combined sewers and sanitary sewers in Old Town – Extended Backflow Prevention Program to assist residents affected by flooding – Created and implemented a Fats, Oils, and Grease program for the sanitary sewer system – Completed cost share negotiations with AlexRenew and Fairfax County for the Wet Weather Control Program – Completed Lake Cook Retrofit Project
2020 – Design and implement robust outreach campaigns to educate residents, businesses and City staff on how to adopt carbon emission-reducing strategies – Implement the Eco-City Academy – Conduct public outreach and submit revised noise ordinance for council consideration/ adoption – Reach substantial completion for the Ben Brenman Pond Retrofit, initiate construction of the Lucky Run Stream Restoration and Pond Maintenance and finalize the design of the Strawberry Run Stream Restoration. – Submit Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Phase 2 Action Plan – Develop a Drainage and Flooding Maintenance Projects Prioritization Matrix for maintenance and repair projects in response to drainage complaints – Adoption of Sanitary Sewer Master Plan – Continued coordination with Alex Renew on the implementation of Combined Sewer System Long Term Control Plan Update
T R A N S P O R TAT I O N 2019
2020
– Implemented Seminary Road Complete Streets Project
– Begin design of the Duke Street at West Taylor Run Intersection
– Offered new commuter services through GO Alex, including stronger relationships with employers, community outreach, and carpooling/vanpooling assistance
– Revise Traffic Impact Study guidelines for new development
– Began Alexandria Mobility Plan update
– Reach substantial completion of the Alexandria Mobility Plan update
– Completed Alexandria Transit Vision Plan – Updated the Residential Parking Permit Program – Expanded the Residential Pay-by-Phone pilot – Launched and completed Phase I of the scooter pilot program – Completed Year 2 Vision Zero Priority Items – Managed the impacts from the WMATA Platform Improvement Project
– Complete Vision Zero Year 3 priorities
– Advance design of all three Bus Rapid Transit Corridors – Pilot King Street Place as a pedestrian-only zone. – Implement the City's first parklets
O P E R AT I O N S 2019 – Implemented Cityworks mobile platform for traffic signals to address service requests and complete work orders – Completed wayfinding phases 3b & 4 (vehicular directional signs) and began implementation of Phase 5 (City gateways – Fully implemented Micropaver and developed 2019 PCI for the City – Listened, learned, and shared through increased regional and national networking opportunities, workshop and conference attendance, and professional society participation – Used AVL for snow progress reporting in all events over 4” – Launched WasteSmart, a comprehensive 20year strategic plan to ensure the City’s solid waste management program remains safe, effective, efficient and environmentally sound – Completed pavement condition survey of every City-owned street and alley, which are used to create our Pavement Condition Index – Added Fleet Services to the Operations branch
2020 – Implement an Arlandria Clean Team – Continue to improve traffic signal reliability by completely rewiring intersections to replace existing spliced and damaged traffic signal cable – Complete development and implementation of Sewer Maintenance Plan including the solicitation and contracting for an on-call sewer repair contractor – Fully implement bridge maintenance CIP program including required inspections, corrective and preventative maintenance – Improve commercial refuse fee collection system in cooperation with Department of Finance – Evaluate YardWaste Program- Identify changes necessary and resources to sustain the program and improve service delivery – Adopt and implement the City’s first Alternative Fuel Plan, guiding the way towards greening the City’s fleet – Develop and measure key performance measures to improve the Fleet Services operations
DEVELOPMENT AND R I G H T - O F - W AY S E R V I C E S 2019 – Launched APEX, a new permit plan system – Developed “One DROW” philosophy to reduce barriers and improve working relationships – Launched Operation Smooth Streets to encourage efficient utility paving and minimize disruptions to the public
2020 – Implement public dashboard / metrics for Development Review and Permits – Update 1989 City Design and Construction Standards – Create public facilities team to streamline plan review, permits program for public facilities by assigning dedicated team and process – Enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the inspection services by completing C&I Inspector Customer Brochure
S T R AT E G I C MANAGEMENT SERVICES 2019 – Improved FMLA process by ensuring supervisors are aware when FMLA documentation is needed from employees – Executed the Fiscal Council, focused on three topic areas, creating a culture of revenues, increasing policies to care for our assets, and implementing tactics to receive fiscal feedback – Continued Priority Based Budgeting to review and improve program and service budgets, emphasizing Council and City priorities – Continued to improve annual evaluation process
2020 – Centralize Human Resources to streamline and improve HR functions in the department – Implement Supervisor Management Academy, Recruitment 2.0, and Employee Engagement Boost – Improve translation of outreach materials to reach more residents – Create more T&ES rotational and shadowing opportunities – Hold departmental listening sessions to follow-up on changes and get more feedback on areas of improvement.
CITY OF ALEXANDRIA Department of Transportation & Environmental Services
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@AlexandriaVaTES
@AlexandriaVaTES