Highways

Join Adopt-A-Highway and Help Join Adopt-A-Highway and Help Clean Hawaii’s Roadways Clean Hawaii’s Roadways

Highways Highways

Submitted by Protect Our Water Submitted by Protect Our Water Malama I Ka Wai, DOT Malama I Ka Wai, DOT

On September 21, 2019, people worldwide celebrated by coming together in observance of World Cleanup Day, celebrating a global eff ort to keep our environment clean and trash-free.

World Cleanup Day was fi rst inspired by a national initiative in the Northern European country of Estonia in 2008, where 50,000 citizens worked together to clean the whole country in fi ve hours.

Eleven years later, the fi rst World Cleanup Day was celebrated September 15, 2018, uniting 18 million people from 157 countries and territories.

Due to excessive use and proliferation of plastic waste, countries such as Rwanda in Africa have taken drastic measures by banning plastic bottles and bags completely from being sold within the country. We have not reached that level yet and pray that we don’t ever.

DOT is committed to keeping our State highways and related facilities from adversely aff ecting the environment.

Hawai‘i is surrounded by fragile ecosystems and precious bodies of water that need to be protected from man-made waste.

One way to do that is to promptly remove all debris and human waste from cluttering the roadside areas.

DOT is making extra eff orts to continue keeping these roadside areas free of pollutants and debris year-round.

Storm Water Hawai‘i is a DOT environmental initiative that has won many awards both locally and nationally.

Adopt-A-Highway is a program that is part of the Storm Water Hawaii initiative of the DOT that encourages local community members to participate in keeping our state highways trash-free. Through the Adopt-A-Highway program, the DOT will provide volunteers from any organization with trash bags, safety materials, schedule trash pick-ups and even erect a highway sign to recognize a group’s cleaning eff orts.

All divisions are encouraged to contribute and make our islands a neat place to live and work.

Find out how to get involved by visiting Adopt-A-Highway website at https://www. stormwaterhawaii.com/adopta-highway/ and remember Ua Mau ke Ea o kaĀina i ka Pono.

f water Through h d i h

DOT effo kee are an

Due to Sto a in m lo

Adopt-A-H

Highways Highways

Meet Diane Dohm, State Bicycle & Pedestrian Meet Diane Dohm, State Bicycle & Pedestrian

Coordinator Coordinator By: Maaza Mekuria By: Maaza Mekuria

Diane Dohm recently joined the Hawai’i DOT as the State Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordinator.

She brings a decade of bicycle and pedestrian planning experience with her.

She worked in California and Texas before moving to Oahu where she used to manage the long-range transportation planning at the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization (OahuMPO).

Diane was born in the cold tundra called Wisconsin, but after college she sought warmer weather in California. Fourth of July fi reworks works F wrapped up in a winter coat, nter coat, w gloves, hat, scarf, and a cup nd a cup g of hot cocoa in-hand. nd.o

Her passion is healthy living –– eating well, being active, and living life simply.

thy living e g active, ly. ng e,

gnH a

She rides her bicycle almost everywhere she needs to go, and she loves her leisure 4-mile bicycle ride to work.

S le almost e t l t

After work, you can fi nd her

Diane and her pet feline, Jax

Hawaiian Hawaiian Humane Society, teaches H S i h yoga and DIY body care workshops, and enjoys leisure time with friends at the beach, hiking, and bicycling.

She has a Master of Science degree in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology, Environmental Studies and Latin American/Caribbean/ Iberian Studies from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

She is also a certifi ed planner through the American Institute of Certifi ed Planners (AICP). Planners (AICP).

She later realized that San Francisco wasn’t very warm when she had to endure the swimming or SUP’ing at one of the beach parks. On the weekends, she volunteers with cats at the

Highways Highways

Welcome Kingsley and Meagan to the DOT ‘Ohana!

By: Casey Abe By: Casey Abe

This past summer, the This past summ h pThhis pas p s p Materials Testing and Research MaterialsTestin Branch (HWY-L) was fortunate to have Kingsley Kwan and Meagan Nakamoto as summer hires.

Kingsley worked with the Structural Materials Section (HWY-LS) while Meagan Nakamoto worked with the Geotechnical and Pavement Design Section.

Kingsley lives in Honolulu with his mom Roxanne, dad Benton, sisters Kalsi and Alyssa and four dogs.

His mom works for the Department of Health -Hazards and Waste Branch.

He graduated from President William McKinley High School and is currently attending Oregon State University because of the scholarship off ers and their great engineering program.

Kingsley will be a senior this fall and is double majoring in Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering because he likes fi nding new ways to solve problems.

He enjoys playing basketball, golfi ng, doing robotics, going to the beach and traveling. Kingsley got to learn about the rules and regulations for concrete making and the submittal process from contractors.

He enjoyed going out into the fi eld and watching the concrete pouring process on actual highway projects. Meagan lives in Kaneohe with her mom Lei, dad Ryo and sister Nicole. Her mom works for the Department of Agriculture. She graduated from MidPacifi c Institute and is also attending Oregon State University because of its great community environment and the wide range of opportunities available. Meagan will be a junior this fall and decided to major in Civil Engineering because she fi nds it interesting and there are a wide variety of disciplines she can go into.

Kingsley Kwan and Meagan Nakamoto both started as summer hires. She enjoyed gaining hands She enjoyed gaining hands on experience of what civil engineers do and learned a lot about geotechnical engineering which will help her in her future engineering courses. She is also grateful for the opportunity to work at HWY-L and appreciate everyone helping her further her knowledge in civil engineering. On behalf of HWY-L, we wish Kingsley and Meagan the best in their future endeavors and hope they consider working for HDOT after graduation. Special thanks goes to Brandon Hee and Brian Ikehara for accepting Meagan and Kingsley as their summer hires.

Meagan like to hike, going to the beach, and watch movies and TV shows.