Street Talk | Summer 2016 by Austin Public Works

VOLUME 6 ISSUE 2

REPORTING ON WHAT MATTERS TO PUBLIC WORKS

Step into My Time Machine Have you ever imagined Austin in 2025, 2050 or even a hundred years from now? Technology is developing at light-speed and some of that technology may change the way we do business, the way we recreate and the way we connect all around Austin.

Celebrate good times, come on! (letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s celebrate) Public Works Innovations Forum celebrates a yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth of planning and hard work, turning vision into reality.

Safety in 2040: A Leap into the Future

PWD safety expert, Deborah Graham, channels her inner author and gives us a first-person fictional account of how the world, and Public Works, might look in the year 2040.

SUMMER 2016

director’s message BY HOWARD LAZARUS DIRECTOR

Director’s Log

153rd Floor, Three Texas Center, May 1, 2096

just got into the office, and, I’ve got to tell you, the traffic in hyperspace was horrible. I’m hoping the Austin Teletransportation Department works out the bugs in the molecular telecommuting system. Last time I tried it, I got into the office five minutes before my kidneys – not a pretty sight. It’s amazing to think about the improvements we’ve made over the past 80 years, including the nuclear genetic modification options under our health care plan that have raised my life expectancy to 412 years. While I look forward to another 100 years until retirement, there is rumbling from the Quadrennials about career advancement. Anyway, down to business. The current state of the right -of-way and our transportation network was really set back in the late “20-teens,” when the Smart Cities Initiative morphed into the Brainiac Transportation Overdrive (BTO) program, also known as “Keep Austin Weird – Ride, Ride, Ride, Let it Ride.” Some of our most prudent decisions included the incorporation of solar technology in our roadways – especially starting with placing hardened panels in our crosswalks and sidewalks, using the right-of-way to allow greater internet connectivity all around the City, and fielding our first drones to assist in planning more sustainable projects. The consolidation of Car-2-Go and Austin B-Cycle into autonomously driven, “Wheelies-4-U” has helped ease congestion for local trips that still use our road network. The perfection of flux capacitor technology has also eliminated the need for Austin Resource Recovery to provide curbside organics collection services, as food waste is now immediately converted into automotive fuel. The “tap-to-toilet” approach Austin Water has employed to address our water needs is now joined by the “veggies-to-vroom” program. Technology has continued to impact our daily lives. Our fleet purchases now focus primarily on remotely operated construction equipment. Our asset responsibilities have expanded to include not only pavements, bridges, sidewalks, and trails, but also transponder portals and dimensional bridges. Payment terms in our contracts have recently been adjusted to include the state mandated 45 nanosecond turnaround, a big change from the 45 microseconds of just a decade ago. Crossing Guards in the Safe Routes to School Program must be made aware of the dangers of skywalks. In closing, what does the future hold for the Public Works Department? We’ll need to continue to be good stewards of the environment as the city’s population approaches 10,000,000. We will have to develop the means and methods to extend our services into the recently annexed areas around College Station and Waco. Continued investments in staff growth and development will cement our standing as a workplace of choice, and we will forever be Your Department with a Heart!

STREET TALK SUMMER 2016

VOLUME 6

contents

ISSUE 2

SUMMER 2016

contributors EDITORIAL Editor-In-Chief

Courtney Black

courtney.black@austintexas.gov

Assistant Editors

Susan Garnett

susan.garnett@austintexas.gov

Alexandria Bruton

alexandria.bruton@austintexas.gov

Carolyn Perez

carolyn.perez@austintexas.gov

WRITERS Alexandria Bruton alexandria.bruton@austintexas.gov

features 24

COVER STORY: STEP INTO MY TIME MACHINE Have you ever imagined Austin in 2025, 2050 or even a hundred years from now? Technology is developing at lightspeed and some of that technology may change the way we do business, the way we recreate and the way we connect all around Austin.

divisions

IN 2040: A LEAP INTO 04 SAFETY THE FUTURE PWD safety expert, Deborah Graham, channels her inner author and gives us a glimpse into how the world, and Public Works, might look in the year 2040

THE CITY INSPECTOR OF THE FUTURE: A DAY IN THE LIFE The future is looking bright for PWD inspectors. As technology continues to grow, so does the potential for improved job efficiency.

TRANSPORTATION OF THE FUTURE Transportation of the future is here and it is taking shape in a lot of interesting ways! See what’s in store for us as we pioneer into uncharted territory.

NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERING PROGRAM 06 THE AWARDS FUNDING TO SIX NEW PROJECTS

IT’S A WRAP!

Congratulations to the recipients for their hard work and dedication to community

Going behind the scenes of a PWD video shoot.

Michelle Frith michelle.frith@austintexas.gov Susan Garnett susan.garnett@austintexas.gov Deborah Graham deborah.graham@austintexas.gov Sara Hartley sara.hartley@austinteas.gov Megan Heynen megan.heynen@austintexas.gov Peggy Howard peggy.howard@austintexas.gov Howard Lazarus howard.lazarus@austintexas.gov Jorge Morales jorge.morales@austintexas.gov Carmela Morgan carmela.morgan@austintexas.gov Alexa Muraida alexa.muraida@austintexas.gov Terrance O’Connor terrance.oconnor@austintexas.gov Molly Ritter molly.ritter@austintexas.gov Patricia Wadsack patricia.wadsack@austintexas.gov

ART + PRODUCTION Creative Director Alexa Muraida

alexa.muraida@austintexas.gov

Cover Artist

Christian Flores

christian.flores@austintexas.gov

Photography Director Carolyn Perez

carolyn.perez@austintexas.gov

columns 11

PELOTON U TAKES PUBLIC WORKERS TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF EDUCATION

THE FUTURE OF WORK How open collaboration, diversity and tech are shaping our workplaces.

A new pilot program helps PWD employees get back to school and earn their degrees.

2016 SUMMER STREET TALK

division BY DEBORAH GRAHAM CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Safety in 2040: A Leap into the Future

PWD safety expert, Deborah Graham, channels her inner author and gives us a glimpse into how the world, and Public Works, might look in the year 2040.

planned on being long retired by the year 2040, except – wait! That’s right when the United States of the Americas was created in 2024 - a lot has changed. For instance, I learned I was “too healthy to retire.” Maybe it’s because I can run a mile in less than four minutes with my stemcell-managed knees and artificial 3-D printed heart. Get this – when I started working, I was straight out of high school. It was 2005 and I thought technology was for geeks. I remember it like yesterday. There I was, waiting in line at Krieg Field for my turn in the vehicle “Road-eo.” Back then, we actually drove our tandems, (that’s dump truck, in case you didn’t know). We were lucky just to have radios, and forget about using a cell phone! Now we use selfdriving tandems. Instead of driving the tandem, I monitor bioremediation pavement for signs that it can still heal. I record what I see in real time using our 3-D holographic information system. Bioremediation pavement uses micro-

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scopic bacteria (I just call them bugs) to clean or fix something because of the way the little buggers eat and digest. Scientists had just begun exploring how microbes could clean up nuclear waste in 2016. Believe it or not, it wasn’t all that far-fetched because the same bugs helped clean up big oil spills in Kuwait in the 1990s. Pavement operations, however, are a long way behind nuclear waste and big oil spills. We got our own bioremediation bugs working in the summer of 2020. We introduced the bugs through crack sealing ops – they were in the crack sealant. We knew we had a winner if they could stand the heat. Later, when the bugs ate the crumbling asphalt and when they did their natural things, the outcome was smooth pavement. With recent advances, any new overlay has a slew of dormant bugs that wake up when the conditions are just right. It doesn’t even smell! Of course we need more than bugs for a major pavement breakup. Collisions still happen once in a while and the holes they make in

the pavement are wild! I am so glad we have robots for handling those big craters. For the record, collisions happen mostly between our modes of transportation. Seriously, you would have thought that somebody, somewhere, might have considered dangers of mixing hovercraft, maglev trains and old-fashioned electric vehicles that still need drivers. Thankfully, nobody gets hurt in these situations because Austin successfully made it to Vision Zero. Vision Zero means no fatalities from car wrecks! I never thought we could do that by 2020, but I didn’t take technology into consideration. A big kudos to makers of suspension ejection air bags (we call them bungie-bags) and fractal spring bridges (used by pedestrians to walk over traffic lanes).

division BY PATRICIA WADSACK AND PEGGY HOWARD CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

The City Inspector of the Future: A Day in the Life T

he future is looking bright for PWD inspectors. As technology continues to grow, so does the potential for improved job efficiency. Check out some of the ways we see current processes and practices changing in the future:

PRESENT

FUTURE

Daily Progress Reports (Paper)

Electronic daily progress reports with electronic approvals and dash boarding.

Review 2’ x 3’ paper plans

11” x 17” paper plans and electronic plans with large dual monitors and electronic markup.

Paper submittals + requests for information

Submitted and stored electronically and accessed in the field via tablet.

Public notice via paper flyer

Public sign up for e-mails and text alerts for water shut outs, safety issues, traffic shifts, parking, emergencies, and other project information.

Quantities and pay applications

Pay apps will be auto populated from the quantity data entered on the daily progress reports. The information will also include geo-referencing.

Quality assurance testing

Electronic scheduling and geolocation of test results. Test documents available in a georeferenced map format.

Unacceptable work letters (paper)

Created and transmitted electronically. Contractor signs acceptance on inspector tablet.

Weekly progress meeting

Can be virtually and electronically documented.

Project photos

Will include geo-referencing and metadata and be attached to the daily progress report.

Plans

available electronically on field tablets.

Working drawings + intersections

Electronic markup with field access to web map plans and intersections.

Survey

Data collection of key items done during construction using automatic data collection devices.

As you can see, the shift we foresee is largely digital, removing a lot of the antiquated ways of reporting and conveying information by paper and putting it into an electronic format. This shift will likely result in cost savings and cut back on our use of natural resources. Here’s to the future!

2016 SUMMER STREET TALK

division BY MEGAN HEYNEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Neighborhood Partnering Program Awards Funding to Six New Projects Congratulations to the recipients for their hard work and dedication to community

he Neighborhood Partnering Program is excited to share that after our most competitive round to date, we have awarded funding to six new community-initiated projects through the fall 2015 application round of the Neighborhood Cost Share Program! This program assists neighborhood groups in developing, resourcing, and executing small to medium-sized improvement projects in the City’s right-of-way or on City-owned property.

These community groups provided the vision for the projects and demonstrated their willingness to cost-share with the City through cash match, volunteer hours and in-kind professional services and materials in an amount valued at approximately $300,143. A big thank you is due to our colleagues at Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Planning and Zoning, Transportation, and Watershed Protection for providing the staff and technical resources needed to advance these projects. The City leveraged $294,262 from the Neighborhood Partnering Program’s funding, $171,573 from Parks and Recreation and $10,200 from Sidewalk Fee in Lieu to fund these six projects.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING NEIGHBORHOODS FOR THEIR DEDICATION AND HARD WORK IN BEING ONE OF THE SELECTED PROJECTS FOR THE FALL 2015 NEIGHBORHOOD COST SHARE PROGRAM APPLICATION CYCLE:

Balcones Shade Project (Milwood Neighborhood Association)

Taking place at Balcones District Park, this project will install a pavilion next to the park’s basketball court and a shade structure next to the pool area. Additionally, two cement slabs will be included underneath these amenities with benches. The City will be responsible for purchasing and installing the materials while the neighborhood, in addition to a cash donation, will complete a number of work days to beautify and enhance the park.

Example of Shade Structure by the Pool Area

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Central Williamson Creek Greenbelt Neighborhood Nature Trail (Emerald Wood Community Garden)

This project will help connect a trail in Williamson Creek that runs along South First Street by installing a pedestrian bridge under the South First Street bridge. The project will also include lighting under the bridge, installation of a mulch trail, and 30 fruit tree saplings. The neighborhood will primarily be responsible for clearing the trail, mulching, planting the trees and maintaining the trail.

Emerald Wood Exhibit of Mulch Trails

Festival Beach Food Forest (Festival Beach Food Forest)

Bluebonnet Ramp Improvement Park (Friends of Little Zilker Park)

This project will improve the drainage at Bluebonnet Park, leaving a better and safer access point to the parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s playscape. In order to do this, the City will relocate a portion of sidewalk, install a seat wall, 10 limestone blocks, two benches, one trash receptacle and a flagstone drainage channel. The neighborhood will contribute by fundraising and by hosting a number of volunteer clean up days.

Adjacent to the already existing community garden, the project will create more opportunities for healthy living by creating a food forest. This will entail the installation of plantings, plant marker signs, educational signs, entrance signs, benches, a crushed granite trail, and one ADA ramp. This group will take on the planting, sign design and maintenance of the project while the City will purchase the signage, plants and benches, as well as, install the ADA ramp.

Bluebonnet Proposed Project Concept

Festival Beach Circulation and Signage Plan

Fairfield Sidewalk and Quail Creek Painted Bridges (North Austin Civic Association)

Fourteen bridges and two retaining walls have been selected for painting with designs with one bridge installing a mosaic mural. The project also includes the construction of a missing sidewalk segment. The neighbors will lead the artistic elements of the project while the City will install the sidewalk segment.

Proposed Painted Mural at 945 Thurmond St.

Kingsbury Gateway (Pease Park Conservancy)

To enhance the safety and visual aesthetic of the historic memorial arches already in place at the entrance of Pease Park, this project will install bump-outs around the arches, relocate the storm drains and restripe the parking lot. While the City takes on these elements, the neighborhood will provide a cash donation, plants and soil for inside the bump-outs, while hosting a number of volunteer work days at the park.

Proposed Kingsbury Gateway

2016 SUMMER STREET TALK

division BY JORGE MORALES CONTRIBUTING WRITER

CIP from a Bird’s Eye View Touring some of PWD’s amazing Capital Improvement Projects

n May, the Office of the Director and the Austin Police Department teamed up for a “project crawl” to view some recently completed or in progress Capital Improvement Projects managed by Public Works. The tour was unique in that the view was provided by Austin Police Department’s helicopter. Getting to see projects from several thousand feet up gives a big picture perspective and an appreciation for the hurdles and construction complexities staff faces when bringing projects to completion. The first project we visited was the Water Treatment Plant 4 (WTP4). A spectacular project that’s been operating smoothly for 18 months, the plant currently produces around 23 million gallons of clean water each day. After visiting the WTP4, it was time to head back downtown to check out the New Central Library, Second Street Bridge and Seaholm Wall projects. This suite of projects will transform the downtown scenery for generations to come and exemplify the talent and hard work of our public workers. Not far from there, we flew on over to the Waller Creek Tunnel Project that is still in construction. Hovering above the Waller boathouse, the tunnel outlet lagoon, and the Waterloo Park inlet, we were able to see with great

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clarity how these legacy projects will bring a level of flood protection and beauty to Lower Waller Creek. Next up was the completed Boardwalk Trail. Although this complex project was challenging from a budget standpoint and presented environmental and construction challenges, it is a smashing success, beloved by regular trail users and visitors alike. On any given day, between 3,000 and 15,000 people use the trail and enjoy spectacular views of Lady Bird Lake and downtown. The last stop on our aerial tour was the Todd Lane Street Improvements Project, which is nearing completion. When finished, it will be Austin’s first certified Greenroads project. Greenroads projects efficiently use resources and renewable materials, help reduce emissions, manage waste, enable multimodal transport, and are designed to be accessible by all. We’re proud to have collaborated on not only the sustainable roadway design, but also on a roundabout that’s helped us avoid a costly easement acquisition. We want to thank the PWD team members who contributed to these great projects as well as Chief Art Acevedo for giving us the opportunity to view them from aloft.

Todd Lane Improvements

Waller Creek Tunnel Outlet in Waterloo Park

Boardwalk Trail Project

Waller Creek Tunnel boathouse and outlet

Water Treatment Plant 4

2016 SUMMER STREET TALK 9

BE THE INFLUENCE mentoring for success Students all around Austin need a positive influence. Public Work Department Employees are making a world of difference.

Fredrick Reza Engineering Services Communities in Schools Mentoring for 2 years

Jorge Morales P.E., Assistant Director Seedling Foundation Mentoring for 6 years

Susan Garnett Office of the Director Communities in Schools Mentoring for 2 years

Javier Perez Engineering Services Austin Partners in Education Mentoring for 2 years

Michael Singleton Engineering Services Victory Tutorial Tutoring for 2 years

SIGN UP FOR THE 2016-2017 SCHOOL YEAR TO BE A MENTOR OR TUTOR Five programs to choose from. Opportunities near work and home. City of Austin Mentor & Tutor Program COAVolunteers@austinenergy.com/ 512.505.3746 www.austintexas.gov/mentor PWD Mentor/Tutor Coordinator: Carmen Morgan, 512.974.7150

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column BY SARA HARTLEY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Peloton U takes Public Workers to the Next Level of Education

A new pilot program helps PWD employees get back to school and earn their degrees.

btaining a college degree is not a simple step in life for many of us. Oftentimes, students are forced to juggle fulltime jobs, family responsibilities, and challenging schedules, all while attempting to attending classes. Luckily, a new program that Public Works is piloting this year gives people another chance to pursue a degree. In February of 2016, Public Works partnered with a fairly new non-profit in Austin called Peloton U. The organization takes the name from the word used for a group of cyclists riding together, usually when racing. It is symbolic because a peloton full of cyclists can make the individual rider more efficient, faster, and guarded against the elements. That is exactly what Peloton U is trying to help do for those Public Workers who want to go back to college to earn a degree. We began with a great group of more than 30 interested folks in February. They started by walking through an application process that takes about 10 minutes on-line. Peloton U reaches out to each prospective student after they apply to gauge where they are in life, whether they are ready for this type of program, and how one may be able to make it work financially. After all of the screening, interviews, initial work and financial aid applications, seven of your fellow Public Works employees are now enrolled in college, with several more planning to start this summer! They are all eager to have more colleagues join them – and they are supporting each other as they go through the program and complete schoolwork together. Each have generously offered their time, if you are interested in contacting them to give their perspective on Peloton U and their on-line college experience.

So, what would it take for you to join them? There is a new July cohort forming now, and the application deadline is June 11 for Public Works employees (the website will say June 5, but we have an extra week). You can go to Peloton U’s website (http://www. pelotonu.org/quiz/) to take a quick quiz to see if the program is right for you. You can apply on-line (http://www.pelotonu.org/apply) and it only takes minutes. Or you can just give them a call at 512-553-2338 to ask questions! If you are concerned about cost, the City has a tuition reimbursement program of $2,000 per year, which can help offset the costs. The online universities that Peloton U works with are non-profit, accredited universities that are less expensive than most online schools. Wondering if you might be eligible for financial aid beyond the City’s reimbursement? Peloton U will help you apply for federal aid for school. Three of our PWD students earned a Pell Grant that will cover their tuition costs! You can also check the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) website (https://fafsa.ed.gov) ahead of time to see if you might be eligible. Public Works will be there to support you all the way. We are planning to pilot this program all year, through three cohorts: February, July and October. The Executive Team encourages managers and supervisors to get involved with their interested employees, and to allow flexibility in schedules for students wherever it is possible within your work groups. This is a great investment in the career and personal development of our Public Workers, and we are all very proud of those taking the leap!

CLAY RIVERS AND ALFRED LEDAY

CLAY RIVERS AND JOHN FORD

Peloton U students from the February 2016 Cohort: John Ford Katherine Hernandez Alfred LeDay Michael Nguyen Clay Rivers Carlos Villalpando Lewis Wilkerson

2016 SUMMER STREET TALK

feature BY COURTNEY BLACK CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Transportation of the Future:

“Where we’re going, we don’t need roads” Transportation of the future is here and it is taking shape in a lot of interesting ways! See what’s in store for us in the next 10, 50, 100 years as we pioneer uncharted territory.

ne of my favorite movies as a child was the 1989 film, “Back to the Future II.” In it, characters Marty McFly and Doc Brown travel to the year 2015 where they are surrounded by new and exciting technology, transportation, and even fashion. I remember watching this fascinated by prospects of hoverboards, flying cars, x-ray vision and self-tying shoelaces. As a kid, this is the stuff dreams are made of!

At the end of the first film, Doc Brown tells Marty, “Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” Clearly, this prediction turned out to be false. Roads are still very much alive and they are still a staple of transportation and often dictate how we get around. That being said, society as a whole has definitely moved towards a more multi-modal approach to transportation, relying less and less on cars to get around and embracing trains, busses, walking, cycling and ridesharing. So, we still need roads, but the way we use them is evolving and changing. Austin is a great example of this. Just this May, the Austin Transportation Department and Capitol Planning Office wrapped up a City-wide effort to gather input on mobility issues with the “Mobility Talks” survey and outreach efforts, results of which will be presented to Council in June.

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Stagnation in the way we approach transportation isn’t an option with an ever-growing population and heightened demands on our roadways. Innovation is key and people around the world have creative (and plausible) ways to get people moving. Transportation of the future is here and it is taking shape in a lot of interesting ways! With new technology, we’ll be getting places more efficiently and faster using cleaner, greener methods. See what’s in store for us in the next 10, 50, 100 years as we pioneer into uncharted territory.

10 YEARS Improvements in bus-rapid transit Increased light rail presence High-speed passenger rail Electric bicycles Self-healing concrete Intelligent traffic lights Driverless cars As we move to alternative transportation methods, legislation, and not just the modes, will also be affected. Portland, for example, constructed a bridge that restricts cars, while Denver is funding a program to encourage low-income cyclists. Electronic bikes and driverless cars are already a reality, but soon we should expect them to become a standard. High-speed passenger rails have had their share of setbacks here in the United States, but abroad in countries like Korea and Taiwan they are up and running.

feature 50 YEARS Smart Pod Cars Maglev (Magnetic Levitation) technology Use of autonomous vehicles continue to flourish Personal vehicle ownership drops In 2050, a predicted 80 percent of the world’s population will live in urban centers. Four out of 10 cars will be electric and Smart Pod Car, voice-activated, driverless, electric vehicles will be zipping around you on designated tracks. Magnetic Levitation technology will also be in use allowing users to navigate to unique destinations using existing train, subway and street infrastructure.

100 YEARS Evacuated Tube Transport (ETT) – An extension of Maglev technology String Transport System – Imagine heavy-duty above ground electrical wires, but instead of carrying power, these high-tension wires become the support for carriages Space tourism Tunnels, strings, free-flying crafts – the future has all the potential to utilize the most advanced technology and bring it to the masses. Science has evolved so much in the past 100 years and has the potential to evolve exponentially more in the next 100. Heck, people might be travelling to space in 100 years! There is lots to consider and however the future evolves, I think one thing is for sure – we have an exciting road (or tunnel, tube, or rail) ahead of us. Reporting from the future, CB signing off!

2016 SUMMER STREET TALK

JOIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN PUBLIC WORKS FACEBOOK PAGE! The Public Affairs team recently launched a new Facebook page for the department. Get information about projects, events, employee profiles, pictures, and more! If you have a Facebook account, please “like” us and share with your friends and family at www.facebook.com/atxpublicworks/. Worried about privacy? Don’t be. “Liking” the page won’t give us access to your information or profile. You’ll simply see messages from us on your timeline. Have an idea for content? Reach out to Courtney Black at courtney.black@austintexas.gov.

HEADS UP! The Public Works Department Human

Resources Ofﬁce has relocated to 105 W. Riverside, Suite 205, Austin, TX 78704.

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division BY CAROLYN PEREZ AND MOLLY RITTER CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Career Progression Program helps employees reach for the next level SBO employees hoping to move up showcase their equipment operating skills

s part of PWD’s ongoing commitment to being a “workplace of choice,” designated Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from various Street and Bridge Operation (SBO) Divisions recently got hands-on practice evaluating volunteers on their equipment operating skills. Getting together as a group to observe operating techniques helps the department develop a consistent set of standards to use when evaluating eligible employees who may seek career advancement within the SBO Technician job family or a related field.

To be eligible to apply for advancement to a higher level classification through the Career Progression Program, employees must consistently and successfully perform at the skill level of the next level Technician position. They must also show that they have the required knowledge, skills and abilities through hands-on equipment assessments and a written assessment. Equipment evaluation, along with job skills, safety performance, and overall “citizenship” is an integral part of the Career Progression Program. Employees can apply for equipment evaluations throughout the year and for advancement twice a year. The Career Progression Program, along with the training offered through Public Workers University (PWU), is helping build a better workforce for tomorrow. For more information, contact PWU at 974-7252 or at PWU@austintexas.gov.

Certified Subject Matter Experts discuss what to look for when evaluating equipment operation.

2016 SUMMER STREET TALK

division BY ALEXANDRIA BRUTON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Future of Work

How open collaboration, diversity and tech are shaping our workplaces

he rise of a workplace built on collaboration, cooperation and community is well underway. Spurred, in part, by a growing female workforce and the move away from traditional workplace hierarchies, the relationship between employer and employee is becoming more supportive in nature. By 2030, experts anticipate the typical workplace will be an open, social exchange of ideas taking place within a flat organization. This also means the standard method of advancement, such as the “career ladder,” may be replaced by more dynamic paths like the “career lattice.”

Technological innovations and social trends are leading to flatter organizational structures. Flat organizations have few or no levels of middle management in between staff and executives or directors. This means, the number of people directly supervised by each manager is large while the number of people in the chain of command is small. The idea behind flat organizations is that welltrained staff will be more productive when they’re directly involved in the decision making process. As a result, productivity and performance increasingly depend on a workforce that is more diverse than ever before. This diversity can be seen

in the rise of women in the workplace. According to the to the Unesco Institute for Statistics, 56 percent of master’s degrees globally are awarded to women. The number of Fortune 500 companies run by women continues to grow and the ratio of womenrun to male-run companies has jumped 30 percent since 2011. This means that the future workplace may focus on providing a culture of empathy, flexibility, openness, and collaboration. Current trends are also shaping the way people advance in their careers. Taking the career ladder’s place is the corporate lattice, in which ideas, success, and recognition move along horizon-

tal, vertical and diagonal paths. The lattice makes it easier to customize a unique career path, structure work, and promote communication. In the ladder’s prime, communication flowed from the top down. In today’s lattice world, information flows more transparently in all directions. The lattice fosters an inclusive culture where everyone can– and indeed, is expected to– contribute. More open communications and varied careers paths have also ignited the concept of “intrapreneurship.” These programs encourage employees to think and act like entrepreneurs but within the confines of their organization. You can see already taking

root across City departments and programs. This provides staff the freedom to take full ownership of particular projects, with minimal supervision or managing, and the ability to share ideas with the leaders of the organization without having to go through several layers of management. Ultimately, greater collaboration, less rigid workplace structures and flexible career options will result in more innovation and the sharing of ideas and skills. It also means a closer-knit organization where employees work together to accomplish great things.

YEAR 2030 Experts anticipate the typical workplace will be an open, social exchange of ideas taking place within a flat organization. 16

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DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO JOIN THIS TEAM?

The Public Works Department, Construction Services Division is looking for talented, motivated Public Workers! Participants will: •Spend one work day per week with a CSD employee •Develop understanding of the Inspector’s role in Capital construction •Gain the knowledge needed to compete for a vacant Inspector position (when available)

Important information: • Trainees will be selected through a highly competitive process. • Applicants must have completed 4 of the 7 CSD classes—Registration is available on Train • Program requires a 6-month commitment • Participation in the program does not guarantee a position with CSD

For more information, contact Terry O’Connor at 512-974-2293 2016 SUMMER STREET TALK

It’s a Wrap!

Going behind the scenes of a PWD video shoot BY CAROLYN PEREZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

he scene: A warm spring morning on a leafy residential street in South Austin. A group of actors in animal costumes await direction while a professional film crew positions cameras, reflectors, and lighting equipment. As the cameras begin to roll, the actors quickly assume their places, awaiting cues. At first glance, the scene could be straight out of Hollywood. In reality, the scene described was the filming of PWD’s latest Public Service Announcement, or PSA. Each year, the Public Affairs Office (PAO) meets with executive leadership and division managers to determine what messages we want to communicate to the public. Past projects have included the awardwinning “Jerk,” PSA which stressed the importance of driving safely in work zones, as well as last year’s preventive street maintenance PSA. This year, PWD’s Urban Forestry and Sidewalk Programs came to us with a challenge: Create a video to educate property owners of their responsibility to keep the right of way clear of excessive vegetation on our sidewalks, streets and alleys. Overgrown weeds, brush and tree limbs are a headache for Public Workers trying to do their jobs and for people who rely on the sidewalk network to get around town. According to John Eastman, Sidewalk Program Manager, “If vegetative

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barriers and obstructions were removed from the public right of way, 40 percent of existing sidewalks would be passable or walkable.” So what goes into making a PSA? A lot more than simply reading The City of Austin code manual on camera, it turns out! To be effective, a PSA must be short (around a minute and a half, ideally), to the point, and memorable. In today’s saturated digital world, the City competes with millions of other organizations to get people’s attention- even for a minute or two- so videos must be attention getting and clearly get the message across. Over a period of weeks, the PAO team brainstormed how to get this important message across in under two minutes. We wanted to keep the light and playful attitude for which PWD is known while staying focused on a serious message. After much consideration and many discarded drafts, we arrived at a concept we and our client program managers could agree on: “It’s a Jungle out There.” The script would play off a common phrase while visually comparing an overgrown ROW to an actual jungle and asking citizens to fulfill their responsibility as property owners. Of course, any jungle has animals so the search began for willing volunteers to don jungle animal costumes on camera. Luckily, PWD staffers, family and friends stepped up the plate and we soon had actors

on board. The Corporate Public Information Office lent their talented ATXN videographers to film, edit, and produce the PSA. As a result, the video was produced at a very low cost using in house staff, resources and volunteers. The shoot took a day and half to film as most scenes required multiple takes to get just the right shot. Although it was a long, grueling day of work for the actors and for the production team, it was satisfying to see everything come together. “Know the Right of Way, Clear the Right of Way” will be an ongoing public education campaign and collaboration with other City departments. You can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=YhX9IHiVzgU on YouTube and on CityView, the City’s bi-weekly news magazine show. The Public Affairs Office wishes to thank the following volunteers who made this project possible: Kathryn Potenza-Arnold, Mike Girod, Peter Davis, Rob Grotty, Randy Harvey, John and Chris Muraida, Christian Flores, Marty Chandler, Charlene Neal and our Street and Bridge North district crew and Forestry crew.

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Street and Bridge Urban Forestry Crew lending a hand to clear the Right of Way

Peter Davis, Project Manager, lends his British accent for a BBC- style voiceover

The PSA cast strike a pose for the camera after a long day of shooting

Before and After photos to show what overgrown vegetation in the Public Right of Way looks like.

vegetative barriers and obstructions were “ Ifremoved from the public right of way, 40 percent of existing sidewalks would be passable or walkable.

”

Street and Bridge Right of Way Vegetation Maintenance Crew helping out

- JOHN EASTMAN, PROJECT MANAGER

2016 SUMMER STREET TALK

column BY ALEXA MURAIDA AND SUSAN GARNETT CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Celebrate good times, come on! (let’s celebrate) Public Works Innovations Forum celebrates a year’s worth of planning and hard work, turning vision into reality

n May, the first graduating class of the 2015-2016 Public Works Innovations Forum celebrated a year’s worth of building relationships, broadening horizons through professional development and career enhancement, but most importantly, collaborating and working towards innovative solutions that could help the department, the City of Austin and the community. Within the Innovations Forum, there were three groups, working towards a common goal. To have an executive champion an innovative idea and solution and provide an opportunity to have the group’s idea incorporated into our Public Works daily operations. The theme of the graduation ceremony and group presentations to the executive team was setup to replicate the Emmy Award-winning television show, “Shark Tank,” with PWD executives acting as “sharks.” Each group pitched their idea to the sharks to try to convince any one of them to champion their idea. At the end of each team’s presentation, the floor was opened up for the sharks to comment, question and discuss future steps, and indicate if the team should continue to explore the idea.

By the end of the graduation ceremony, all three groups had received interest and buyin from the shark tank to discuss next steps in turning the innovative ideas into a reality. Congratulations to all of the Innovations Forum members and CORE team members who applied to the Forum by dedicating work hours towards creating innovative ideas and solutions. Does this sound like something you would like to be apart of next year? If you’re interested, send an email to Janae Ryan @ janae.ryan@austintexas.gov or call 512.974.3159.

Innovations Forum members (left to right, front to back): Daren Duncan, Michelle Frith, Susan Garnett, Bobby Currin, Alexa Muraida, Jennifer Pierce, Clay Harris, Howard Lazarus, Janae Ryan, David Smythe Macaulay, Doron Silberstein, Michael Girod, Wale Odufuye, and Justin Golbabai. Not pictured: Annie Van Zant, Nika Brogan and Jules Parish

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BREAKDOWN OF THE GROUPS Group One | Zero Waste Initiative Members: Nike Brogan , Michael Girod, Robert Currin, Jules Parish, and Clay Harris Purpose: The Public Works Department’s Zero Waste efforts assist the City in its sustainability efforts by encouraging resource efficiency and managing materials for a second life, rather than managing waste. Business Opportunity: Stockpiling concrete excavated during Street & Bridge operations and internally processing it for recycled aggregate. The group would like to request funding to increase stockpile of concrete spoils at Dalton Lane and improve resource productivity, which will help advance an exceptional and sustainable quality of life for City of Austin residents.

Group Two | Shifting Gears, Alternate Career Path (ACP) Members: Michelle Frith, Jennifer Pierce, Doron Silberstein, David Smythe- Macaulay, and Wale Odufuye Purpose: The Seven Rules of Business include Rule #2 “The secret to success and happiness in life is to hire well.” In order to retain a happy and enthusiastic workforce, Public Works must look at Alternate Career Paths (ACP) to retain good employees. Rather than look outside the department for a new career, the Shifting Gears team will offer an opportunity to divert from the traditional career path and remain in the department. This will retain the investment in diversity, talent and experience.

Group Three | Neighborhood Enhancements Members: Annie Van Zant, Daren Duncan, Susan Garnett, Janae Ryan, Justin Golbabai, Alexa Muraida Purpose: The purpose of the Neighborhood Enhancement team is to communicate a proposal of working with Austin communities to integrate neighborhood improvements into Street Reconstruction and Street Rehabilitation Capital Improvement Program (CIP) projects. This would benefit the Public Works Department, as it would provide neighborhood buyin for our large CIP projects. Other benefits are improved coordination, neighborhood involvement, and potential cost savings. The greatest benefit of the proposal is that these projects will improve quality of life and build community, helping make Austin the most livable City in the country.

Innovations Forum CORE members (left to right): Michelle Frith, Alexa Muraida, Susan Garnett, Jennifer Pierce, Janae Ryan and Justin Golbabi

2015/2016 SPEAKERS AND SESSIONS INCLUDED: August 2015 Keri O’Connor, City of Austin’s Chief Innovation Officer September 2015 Google office visit October 2015 Jessica King, Austin Resource Recovery Division Manager on Austin’s Zero Waste Initiative November 2015 Discussion on Shark Tank December 2015 Howard Lazarus and James Snow on Public Work’s 2017 Business Plan January 2016 Howard Lazarus on a Discussion of the Listening to the Workforce Survey February 2016 Edwin Marty, Food Policy Manager for the Office of Sustainability April 2016 Ryan Stipan, Public Works Financial Manager on Public Works Budget Process May 2016 Field Trip to Mobile Loaves and Fishes- Community First Village

2016 SUMMER STREET TALK

column BY MICHELLE FRITH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

How well do you know your neighbor?

Meet Your Neighbor! Michael Foley Division | Community Services Division Title | Crossing Guard

Michelle Frith profiles two employees that work hard for PWD every day who you may have never met!

entility is the first word that comes to mind when talking with Michael Foley. His brilliant smile and quick wit are immediately evident, but a more beautiful story is found by digging just a little deeper. Michael was born in New York City, the youngest child of Samuel J. and Grace Foley. Samuel was a District Attorney and Michael’s grandfather, a state senator, was a second-generation American from Ireland. Grace stayed at home to care for daughter Mimi and sons Sam and Michael. He grew up in the Bronx, near NYU. Drawing inspiration from his mother’s decorating talent, Michael became interested in writing and interior design. He began his career as a statistical clerk in the promotions department of CBS, then just as CBS went to color, he was promoted at age 21 to writer/producer, writing leadin copy for shows like “What’s My Line?“ His 20 and 60-second film splices were distributed nationwide. He attended the New York School of Interior Design while at CBS and found that he had a far greater love for interior design and visual arts than for writing. Combining writing and design, he became the design director for Gimbels for two years and then acted as home furnishings editor for Redbook Magazine from 1972-1973. Entrepreneurship beckoned, so Michael launched his own business, Michael Foley Interiors. “I had a great clientele, middle class people who had homes in Florida and people who were busy at work and didn’t have time for decorating.” He moved to Ft. Lauderdale in 1974, following his daughter Samantha who had moved to Florida with her mother. Work kept him busy. “I would do one large job at a time, and was a one man band. I found great jobs through the Design Center of the Americas

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(DCOTA), “Designer on Call” service and wrote design articles for Palm Beach Post and Palm Beach Life,” he comments. In 2006, Michael decided to retire. “I had a great life because I was always busy, but when I retired, I was bored.” Samantha had moved to Austin in 2000 so in 2010, Michael decided the most important thing he could do would be to join his family in Texas. Michael’s life became full, spending time with Samantha, her husband Ty and their three children, identical twins, Ruby and Stella (11) and Nate (13). “Ruby is like Doris Day – bubbly and full of life and Stella is like Grace Kelly, elegant and smart. Nate attends Lamar Middle School and plays basketball with a local league. As his grandchildren grew older, Michael’s roommate suggested he apply for a job as a Crossing Guard at Canyon Creek Elementary. Michael began working for Public Works three years ago helping children from kindergarten through fifth grade get to school and back safely. “I really love all my kids and

know each by name. They call me ‘Mr. Mike’. I even dress like the Grinch at Christmas for them! Nothing makes a child feel more important than taking the time to listen carefully to their stories. The children bring me treasures of art work with hearts or baked goods. I’m doing something now that is so important – child safety- and I feel it’s a privilege to work for the City of Austin”. He is especially grateful to report to a supportive supervisory team, Esperanza Schiele, Herschell Esquell and Chris Moore. “They are very nice, professional and gracious. I particularly enjoy putting together and delivering backpacks for the kids.” Michael continues to write informative “ehow” articles about design for Demand Media and does house and petsitting part-time. His adored dog/best friend, Buddy, is a Chow/ Shiba Inu that he adopted from the Town Lake Animal Shelter six years ago. “I’ve been so happy since I came to Austin. It’s a wonderful thing to have the last part of your life to be the best part of your life.” How beautiful is that?

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oet Joyce Kilmer once said “I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree.” A passion for trees and forests is also shared by Rob Grotty, Urban Forestry Program Manager in Street and Bridge Operations. Rob’s parents, Mary and Bob, moved from Ohio with Rob’s brother and three sisters to Garland, Texas where Rob was born. Mary worked in retail and at TDS as a Sales Office Manager, and Bob was in the semiconductor industry. Rob loved the outdoors as a child and, because his dad had been a Boy Scout, Rob got involved, progressing to Eagle Scout. He planted 15 trees at a church for his Eagle Scout project. “As a teenager, having to learn how to ask complete strangers for donations and organize a big project was a real challenge.” After graduation, Rob spun his wheels in community college for three years trying to decide on a career. A spring break road trip with friends led them to Carlsbad, Albuquerque and Eastern Oklahoma. While in the foothills of the Ozarks, they stopped at a gas station where a US Forest Service truck was parked. Rob had an epiphany: “It just all fell into place what I wanted to do with my life” he says. Once home, he applied to Stephen F. Austin State University. “This was the dawn of the Internet. I remember downloading my application and printing it out on a dot matrix printer. That was the first time I went on the Internet!” Since Rob’s parents had moved to Austin, after graduation in 2002 he joined a private tree company in Austin as a “climber,” pruning trees for three months. He quickly realized the job wasn’t a good fit, and joined the City of Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department as a Forestry Specialist, investigating tree complaints. While there, he applied for a position with the Texas A&M Forest Service here in Austin. He was quickly offered a job investigating oak wilt and other tree diseases in nine counties. For the next nine years, Rob worked for the Texas A&M Forest Service driving around surveying huge ranches and properties. “I loved it! Being off the grid is great. I could get out of town, look at trees and animals. I am very comfortable out in the woods, so I was never afraid to be out there on my own. In 2006 I was called out to a property to investigate oak wilt. I didn’t find anything wrong there, but I did strike up a conversation with the property owner. Two years

later, I stopped by the property again, and the woman asked me if I would call her daughter who had just graduated college. Even though Jamie was furious with her mother, she agreed to meet me and I knew within a week that she would be my wife.” Jamie and Rob married in November, 2009. Even though Rob loved the Forest Service and had helped with the Bastrop, Spicewood and Steiner Ranch Fires, he saw that there were few chances for promotion, so in August, 2013 he came to Public Works. Just six weeks later, Rob and Jamie welcomed their son Grayson into their family. Jamie has a degree from A&M in Agriculture and wanted to be an Ag teacher,

but when Grayson was born, she decided to be a stay at home mom. “Grayson is the joy of our lives, and he has completely changed everything. He is an eigth generation Texan! Jamie is an incredible wife and mother. She is everything I was looking for. We play with our son, go antiquing for unusual items, take Grayson to the park and work on making our house a home. Jamie has a small photography business, and I love woodworking.” Now the man who loves nature is happiest in the environment of his family.

Meet Your Neighbor! Rob Grotty Division | Office of City Engineer Title | Urban Forestry Program Manager

2016 SUMMER STREET TALK

Step Into My Time Machine BY MICHELLE FRITH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ave you ever imagined Austin in 2025, 2050 or even a hundred years from now? Technology is developing at light-speed and some of that technology may change the way we do business, the way we recreate and the way we connect all around Austin. What could the future hold for our roadways and methods of travel?

CLIMATE CHANGE Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no secret that our planetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s climate is rapidly changing and that we need to take steps to avoid causing any more harm to the earth. However, often the needs of the city may be at odds with the needs of the environment. Public Works is encouraging cultural change by installing bike and pedestrian lanes and encouraging the use of public transportation and urbanization. People are reluctant to give up their cars and independent means of travel during the work day, so we continue to look for greener and more efficient ways to connect.

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RESOURCE SCARCITY AND NEW MATERIALS The Dutch city of Rotterdam is currently investigating using recycled plastic bottles to build roadways. This concept, otherwise known as PlasticRoad may eventually replace asphalt. Asphalt is relatively inexpensive, easy to install and very durable. However, its production releases 96 million tons of CO2, or two percent of all emissions into our atmosphere each year, and contributes to higher temperatures in cities, known as the heat island effect. Roads made from recycled plastic bottles are friendlier to the environment, stronger, more easily maintained and more resistant to temperature extremes than blacktop. VolkerWessels, the company working with the Dutch govern-

ment on a PlasticRoad prototype, believes that PlasticRoad could keep a mind-boggling amount of plastic trash out of landfills if other countries were to follow suit. For example, the U.S. generated more than 33 million tons of plastic waste in 2013, but less than nine percent of it was recycled. Unrecycled plastic bottles generated this year alone could circle the earth more than four times. India has already begun replacing asphalt with recycled plastic, including plastic bags, installing 3,000 miles of roadway with the new materials. PlasticRoad can also handle tough temperature extremes like those in Texas and is more resistant to corrosion. PlasticRoad surfaces are estimated to last three

feature BY MICHELLE FRITH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

SOLAR ROADS

times longer than traditional surfaces, saving resources and road construction costs and delays. Even if the material were to break down, the prefabricated modular pieces could easily be transported, snapped out and replaced easing traffic disruptions. Since the road is hollow, cables and pipes can easily be passed through. Cars may be cruising down the Rotterdam PlasticRoad as soon as 2018. That kind of innovation has led inventors to ponder planetfriendlier materials and applications, including solar-panel arrays and luminescent paint designed to absorb solar energy. Hydrogen energy from bacteria, water, wastewater or unused food is another fuel alternative for future transportation.

Imagine LED-lit roads made of glass that collect solar energy and produce electricity. It’s not that far-fetched. Solar roads are much more energy efficient than current asphalt roadways and could generate more than four times the electricity we currently need. Ted and Julie Brushaw, the founders of Solar Roadways, envision solar LED lights and heat programming being used to stripe lanes, warn drivers of upcoming road dangers, revise parking lot designs and melt ice or snow on the roadways, sidewalks and driveways. Additionally, solar roads could reconfigure outdoor recreation areas according to the game you want to play, from basketball to hopscotch. Solar roads would provide clean energy, zero carbon imprint and power to electric cars. Tarmacs could be safer for pilots landing on solar landing strips. The interlocking solar units are being designed to meet impact and traction tests, and could generate capital and electricity. Pressure-sensitive roads can warn approaching vehicles of obstacles in the roadway. A cable corridor would lie beneath the surface, eliminating the need for telephone poles, hanging wires and expensive digging and resurfacing and would provide a safer environment and fewer power outages. A second underground channel captures storm water and melting snow, moving it off of the road and into cisterns for water collection. The possibilities are exciting! Another infrastructure reinvention company WAVE (Wireless Advanced Vehicle Electrification) would enable electric buses to recharge themselves through magnetic induction. A magnetic induction receiving unit installed on the bottom of the bus allows power transfers at bus stops through a transfer system embedded in the road. Busses stopping for passengers are recharged wirelessly. WAVE is currently installing these bus systems at various places around the globe. Still more companies are investigating the usage of microalgae and bio-asphalts in creating roadways. A Dutch company called SolaRoad has installed a 230-foot-long solar bike path in a village in the Netherlands made of heavy tempered glass panels over solar cells in concrete. In its first six months of operation, it’s generated over 3,000 kilowatt-hours of energy, or the equivalent amount of power needed for a single-person household for a year.

ECOPASSAGES Many of our major roads run through wildlife habitats, cutting animals off from their traditional feeding grounds and natural migration routes. Animals are separated from each other and are forced to cross the road dangerously. In the state of Washington, federal and state agencies built a set of culverts and vegetated bridges along I-90 that run through forested federal lands. These crossings allow the animals to cross the interstate without causing accidents. Other states are implementing bridges and tunnels as ecopassages for wildlife. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Federation is planting milkweed and flowering plants along 1500 miles of I-35 from Minnesota to Texas, limiting mowing and pesticides to create a safe corridor for the endangered migrating Monarch butterflies. The City of Oslo is building a “bee highway” – all protecting our future planet.

continued on pg. 26 2016 SUMMER STREET TALK

feature BY MICHELLE FRITH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Continued from pg. 25 SMART REPAIRS

NEW LENSES ON FUTURE CITIES

How do we know when our roads need repair? Engineers are now employing sensors to tell us when they need help. For example, the IH35W Bridge was rebuilt with hundreds of embedded sensors after the fatal collapse in 2008. Solar panels provide power to the sensors. Electrical engineers believe that piezoelectric sensors (powered by vibrations and deformations) will essentially be powered by the traffic itself. Wireless power transfer, the technology that charges cell phones and other devices without plugging in is beginning to be used in roadways and electric power vehicles. Since electric cars are becoming more common, there is no reason we cannot embed charging strips into the highway. When a road needs repair, imagine that it sends a signal to a drone. Scientists in Leeds, England are creating new robots that help fix street lights and potholes to create a “self-repairing city.” The drones will autonomously cruise streets, detecting, fixing and possibly preventing new potholes. Other drones will “perch” on high structures repairing things like street lights and yet more drones will be developed to live indefinitely in utility pipes, performing inspections, repairs, metering and reporting tasks. Leeds, just awarded a $6.5 million research grant aims to be the first city in the world to have zero disruption due to street repair. A 3-D printing roving robot has been developed to repair streets. “Addibots,”using raw material, can fix potholes, resurface icy roads, blend conductive material into roadways for the transmission of electrical power or add sensors to allow communication between vehicles. They may print materials for added road strength such as carbon fiber. Using infrared heat, the drone can recycle asphalt by heating the asphalt pavement into a hot mix and raking it back into place.

More than half the world’s seven billion inhabitants lived in cities in 2007 but by 2050 the number will expand to three quarters as our population explodes from seven to nine billion. Compact, densely populated, well-planned cities with effective integrated infrastructure and services are more resource-efficient. Existing cities will need to focus on smart retrofitting of existing infrastructure, lowering emissions of transport systems by encouraging mass transit and introducing lower emission vehicles, fuels and micro-power. The use of trees, greenery and roof gardens, as well as lighter-colored surface materials that reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat, can help mitigate the impact of urban heat. Compact and densely populated cities use less energy per person in transport because people live closer to where they shop, work and play. Conversely, transport

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is more energy-intensive where road networks encourage car use, where public transport is lacking, or where most people live in the suburbs. Public transport networks make transport energy use more efficient, but city size and congestion can partially offset this efficiency. The average North American citizen uses three times as much energy for personal transport as the average European. Examples of efficient and green cities include Amsterdam where 57 percent of inhabitants cycle daily. One third of people in the Netherlands use bikes as their main mode of transportation and Rotterdam has developed over 130,000 square meters of garden roofs. Helsinki uses an application ‘fixmystreet,’ where citizens can report non-emergency issues such as potholes on the streets to be fixed. Freight transport might

CONNECTING be improved by creating a clear boundary around Austin. Major depots on the boundary would become the gateway to the city where goods are transferred from semi-trucks to smaller, more efficient vans within the city. Global positioning system (GPS) technology could monitor the vans and allow managers to allocate drivers quickly to jobs, reducing fuel waste.

More efficient mass transit would include frictionless trains. Imagine a frictionless track that floats the train above the track. Welcome Maglev trains! Maglev (magnetic levitation) trains are propelled through super-powerful magnets that literally levitate the train. They are contact-free, use half the energy per passenger of a commercial airplane and can hit speeds of over 361 mph. Maglevs cannot derail and can reroute and switch tracks easily with dynamic instant switching. Scientists are now designing stations where passengers board a waiting compact train and tell the train where they want to go instead of where the train is scheduled to go. The key is smaller cars that are dynamically routed. The French AGV (Automotrice Grande Vitesse or “super-fast train”) has no locomotive, fewer wheels and uses carbon compos-

ites instead of steel. A new Japanese class of smart train uses tilt technology, helping the cars lean into curves independently, like a speed skater. They generate energy when the train slows down and transfer energy to other trains. Still others float, slide and fly! Aero Train, powered by wind and solar energy, is part train and part aircraft. It is designed with wings, riding on air in a half-enclosed concrete track. The wings give the train just enough lift to keep it aloft, but not quite flying. Solar-powered electric propellers transport 350 passengers, and use ¼ the electricity of Maglev trains. Advanced Vehicle Transport (AVT) is like a constantly moving giant conveyor belt. Personal vehicles are pulled onto a solarpowered shuttle using maglevs, transporting up to 10,000 cars per hour. Stacked Maglev train tracks could generate power through

distributed hydrogen, and solar panels on top of the rails or powered by o-rings with internal steel wheels pushing the train from one rail to the next. Designers believe the trains could generate 1mgw per mile per hour of selfsustaining energy. Stacked tracks can prevent crashes with other vehicles. In emergencies, highly efficient trains could evacuate cities quickly and efficiently, carrying pedestrians, autos and freight. In the distant future, scientists predict “gravity trains” that burrow in to the earth using gravity itself as a power source.

FUTURE READY As technology improves at an ever-increasing rate, we hopefully will be propelled into a kinder, gentler, environment where we can connect easily with the places and people we care for without causing harm to our home or fellow beings. Be ready. The future is here.

2016 SUMMER STREET TALK

events

Public Works Connects You... All Around Austin

Crossing guard goes national

Crossing Guard, Michael Foley, one of this features profiles, sat down with National Public Radio’s Texas Standard Reporter Swathi Narayanan to talk about why he loves being a crossing guard. Michael is a crossing guard for Canyon Creek Elementary School and enjoys teaching children the rules on safely crossing the street. He recently received an award for going above and beyond by providing this interview to help do his part to educate the community on how important crossing guards are for our children. Michael says, “One of the things I love about the job is memorizing the children’s names – it makes the children feel important and it puts a smile on their face.” Thank you, Michael, for caring for our children!

Public Works builds our city’s future and celebrates our successes with PWD staff and events all around town.

Public Works talks about the challenges of construction in Austin’s Central Business District

Construction in Austin’s Central Business District (CBD) can be extremely challenging with all of the unforeseen conditions that are inevitably encountered downtown each and every day. In April, representatives from Public Works sat on a panel with Austin Transportation and private contractors at the Austin Convention Center for the 2016 Austin Contractors and Engineers Association (ACEA) Symposium to discuss these challenges. Some of the topics up for discussion included questions about the challenges of utility, streetscape and traffic control design; utility coordination; and working within close proximity of other projects in the Austin’s Central Business District. Panelists included: Project Manager Randy Harvey, PMP (PMD); Supervising Engineer Jennifer Massie-Gore, P.E. (ESD); Right-of-Way Permitting Supervisor Greg Pepper (ATD); Project Executive Tom Woods (The Beck Group); and Vice President/Project Manager Hardin Camp II (M.A. Smith Contracting Company, Inc.); and Public Information Specialist Susan Garnett as moderator for the panel.

Panelists at the 2016 ACEA Symposium discuss challenges of construction in Austin’s Central Business District. (Left to Right) Tom Woods, Greg Pepper, Hardin Camp II, Jennifer Massie-Gore, Randy Harvey, Susan Garnett

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Construction for the Davis Water Treatment Plant Improvement Projects to start in June

Preliminary Planning for the Redbud Trail Bridge Project Underway

This spring, the study phase for the replacement bridge at Redbud Trail over Lady Bird Lake began. This project has been years in the making and is the result of increasing strains on the bridge due to flooding, population growth, and the number of vehicles on the road. Funding for possible construction will be identified in the near future. The bridge, built in 1948, was not designed with todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s traffic in mind and lacks bicycle and pedestrian paths. It is also nearing the end of its operational life. Once complete, the new bridge will be able to handle current traffic requirements and will have better bike and pedestrian access. To gather public input on the project, PWD and URS Corp, the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design firm, will kick off a community outreach campaign this summer. The bridge study and conceptual design are slated to continue through the fall of 2017, during which time the public will have a number of opportunities to participate in this exciting process. Please visit the project website for more information: http://bit. ly/22hKJ05

To maintain reliable delivery of drinking water to City of Austin customers, PWD and Austin Water are taking on two major improvement projects at the Albert R. Davis Water Treatment Plant. These projects will upgrade and replace several electrical and mechanical components of the plant, including constructing a new medium service pump station building and a new electrical substation building. Construction will begin in late June, with a Meet the Contractor meeting to take place on June 14. This is the fourth outreach meeting in the past year to keep the public informed of this project as well as the 35th Street Electrical Feeders project, which will also go into construction in late June/early July. We are working closely with area residents, schools, and Council Member Gallo to ensure these projects go off without a hitch. Stay tuned for construction progress in the next All around Austin!

JJ Seabrook Ribbon Cutting

In April, Council Member Ora Houston, City staff and neighborhood representatives celebrated completion of improvements to the JJ Seabrook Park with a ceremonial wildflower seed toss. Located between Manor Road and E. Martin Luther King Boulevard, the park improvement project was a multi-departmental effort between Public Works, Watershed Protection, Transportation and Parks and Recreation. Throughout design and construction, Public Works staff from ESD and PMD provided innovative environmental design and project management expertise. Improvements include a new park bridge, a new Urban Trail, stream and water quality improvements and traffic calming. The JJ Seabrook Park improvements were celebrated with a ceremonial wildflower seed toss (Photo courtesy Erika Rich)

2016 SUMMER STREET TALK

events

continued from pg. 29

Safe Routes to School spins its wheels for National Bike to School Day

The City of Austinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Safe Routes to School Program recently joined Kiker Elementary School to celebrate National Bike to School Day. Students, faculty and staff hit the road to promote safety, active transportation, and a healthy lifestyle. The celebration began with a quick bike ride to Kiker Elementary followed by a raffle and giveaways. The Austin Police Department and the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crossing guards helped ensure easy riding for all participants. Last year, the Safe Routes to School program trained more than 50,000 students in bicycle safety, in addition to safe street crossing and safe bus riding. For more information on the Safe Routes to School visit austintexas.gov/saferoutes.

Shoal Creek Greenbelt Trail Improvements Project Pushes Forward Despite Bad Weather

April was an interesting month for crews working on the Shoal Creek Greenbelt Trail Improvements project. With unpredictable rains creating a swiftly moving creek, crews continued to work on the footings and retaining walls that will surround new trail (see image). The rain set crews back about seven days due to high creek levels. Due to all the rain, the creek has taken on something of a cloudy appearance, at times. This is due to several thousand gallons of (filtered) water being discharged by construction projects upstream. To mitigate this, the PWD project manager added devices within our construction limits to help reduce silt and sediment discharge and works regularly with Spills Response to remedy these situations. This project is still on track for an October/November 2016 completion date and will be an exciting addition to the downtown area.

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events 8

SRTS Staff Partner with the Marshall Apartments to Host a Safety Fair

In April, staff from the Safe Routes to School Program (SRTS) partnered with the Marshall Apartments to hold a safety fair for the kids who walk and bike to school from their apartment complex. Twenty students, or one third of the students from the apartment complex, showed up for the event. Participants learned about bicycle and pedestrian safety through several activities coordinated by the SRTS. To finish off the day, staff held an Easter egg hunt and a raffle. Two lucky kids rode away with new bicycles, helmets and locks; and two others won gift baskets. Everyone had an excellent time at the fair while learning about how to safely get to and from school.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on in the world of Public Works social media?! Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s take a look at some of the 2016 Social Media Campaign highlights so far this year: National Engineers Week (February 21-27) National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week (April 11-15) National Women in Construction Week (March 6-12)

2016 SUMMER STREET TALK

milestones CONSTRUCTION SERVICES PROMOTIONS

Milestones

Kirkland accepted the position as Lead Construction Inspector for the Plant 4 group in the Construction Services Division.

What Public Workers are doing out there to achieve, foster community, impress co-workers and citizens alike, and show we really are the ‘Department with a Heart’!

Kirkland Fordham James has accepted the position of Construction Supervisor for the Construction Services Division. James has been part of the CSD group for 15 years. Prior to joining the City of Austin, he worked at TXDOT, Baker Properties and was in the Air Force. James Evans

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES YEARS OF SERVICE NAME DATE YEARS OF SERVICE Simon Orta

December 25, 2015

10 years

Rick Glosson

January 5, 2016

5 years

Kirkland Fordham

January 6, 2016

5 years

Stephen Holland

April 11, 2016

5 years

Jeff Jewett

April 23, 2016

15 years

Mark Day

May 14, 2016

15 years

Peggy Howard

May 23, 2016

5 years

Masoor Yazdi

May 28, 2016

10 years

Peter Morales

June 5, 2016

10 years

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES AWARDS

ABOVE AND BEYOND

Michael Beatty

STREET TALK SUMMER 2016

Simon Orta

Rick Glosson

Kirkland Fordham

Stephen Holland

Jeff Jewett

Mark Day

Peggy Howard

Mansoor Yazdi

Peter Morales

Michael has played a huge role in the North Acres Wastewater Final Conveyance and North Acres Water & Wastewater Improvements South. Both of these projects have had issues and vocal residents. Michael has stepped up to the challenge and has done an amazing job with the residents. He is extremely knowledgeable and handles himself in a professional manner in all situations presented to him. He has been the “go to” person for this project that has had multiple project managers. He is a huge asset to the Construction Services Division and the City of Austin.

ABOVE AND BEYOND

Lek Mateo

For assisting another Division Manager with an urgent request. He responded with a very complicated spreadsheet in just one day.

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ENGINEERING SERVICES RECOGNITIONS Kiersten Dube recently graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering.

UPDATES FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS DAY ICE CREAM SOCIAL

Kiersten Dube Adewale Odufuye has been promoted to Consulting Engineer for his role leading Austin Water’s extra-jurisdictional utility relocation program. Adewale Odufuye Ruben Lopez has accepted the position of Supervising Engineer and is now leading Design Team 1.

Ruben Lopez

Javier Perez

(Left to Right) Ella Zhang, Carlos Garcia and Javier Perez

Congratulations to Javier Perez who graduated from the City of Austin Leadership Education and Public Service Program (LEAPS) on May 4th.

Ella Zhang Ella Zhang, Engineer C, completed her twoyear term as Treasurer for the LEAPS Board of Directors, showing commitment and dedication.

On April 27, the PWD Executive Team and the Administrative Manager hosted an ice cream social to show appreciation to those who help make the department run smoothly and to provide a chance for employees to engage with the department’s leadership team. Four lucky employees were selected through a raffle for the opportunity to swap places with Director Howard Lazarus and his three Assistant Directors, now coined around the office as “Freaky Friday!” The winners include Erma Rosas, PMD; Sandra Soler, OOD; Jennifer Pierce, OOD, and Dorothy “Dotty” Callahan, Finance. The Office of the Director will schedule the winners for their “Freaky Friday” in the next few weeks. A special thanks to our administrative professionals for all that they do!

Mario Amaro

Mario Amaro completed his first year of a two-year term as Alumni.

“

I am extremely proud and appreciative of them representing PRIDE for Team 4 and the Engineering Services Division.

”

- Carlos Garcia, Supervising Engineer

PAT ON THE BACK

Peggy Howard

For your excellent guidance and thorough review to get the Waterline Completion on San Antonio at 21st Street As-Builts completed and submitted to Austin Water. Thanks for working directly with our staff to make sure all of the edits were properly incorporated and for keeping the process moving.

PAT ON THE BACK

Peter Morales

The Boyce Lane Project is one of those projects that is complicated and has a lot of moving parts. Peter inherited this project from another inspector and because of his familiarity with Austin Water standards as well as all the specs and details, he was able to keep the project moving forward. His recordkeeping is excellent and he often thinks outside of the box. I have full confidence in him and appreciate his efforts to keep the project on track for completion before the end of the year.

2016 SUMMER STREET TALK

milestones

Milestones What Public Workers are doing out there to achieve, foster community, impress co-workers and citizens alike, and show we really are the ‘Department with a Heart’!

continued from pg.33

PROJECT MANAGEMENT DIVISION RECOGNITIONS

Eric Bailey

Richard Avery

Ray Minjarez

Eric Bailey

PROJECT MANAGEMENT DIVISION FAREWELL Margot Massey Margot Massey retired at the end of May after 11 years of faithful service. During her tenure, she revamped and maintained the Project Management Procedures Manual. She also set up the Project Manager’s Academy and was working to have it placed online. Margot also patiently tackled the creation of numerous forms, organized and archived mountains of documents, and created countless reports and spreadsheets. Margot’s extensive work history at PWD and TXDOT made her a source of wisdom and knowledge that will be sorely missed. We congratulate her on her wellearned retirement!

The Project Management Division recently added Project Manager Eric Bailey, P.E. to their group. Eric brings with him a Bachelor of Science (Cum Laude) in Civil Engineering from Oregon State University, as well as a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University. He has an extensive background in engineering and most recently, Eric worked for Black & Veatch as an Engineering Manager, responsible for delivery of $10 million in water design projects per year. Please stop by and say hello to welcome Eric to PWD.

Richard Avery In March, the Project Management Division welcomed Project Manager, Richard Avery. Richard has a master’s degree in Architecture and is a registered architect. For the last nine years he has worked as a project manager for Travis County Facilities Management Planning, Design and Construction Department; focusing on energy efficiency, large HVAC Renovations, large and small remodels. Before joining Public Works, he managed the County’s new $30 Million Medical Examiner’s Office. Richard was also sole proprietor of his own construction and maintenance management company for over 13 years in State College, PA. His work history also includes management of facilities and construction, design, engineering and practical experience in the building trades and working as an Industrial Engineer, Construction Inspector and Director of College Facilities. Welcome aboard!

Ray Minjarez Ray Minjarez, A.I.A., recently earned the title of Project Manager Supervisor in the Project Management Division. Ray has 28 years of experience providing innovative and strategic leadership in uniquely challenging situations as a dynamic and results-orientated leader. He has been a project manager with the City since 2013 where his work includes project management for the new Central Library, and various PARD and Police facilities. Congratulations, Ray!

STREET TALK SUMMER 2016

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UPDATES FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

NEW EMPLOYEE BREAKFAST

BABY ALERT!

On March 9, the Director hosted a breakfast to welcome new employees to the Public Works Department. Our Department with a Heart truly means loving the work we do, caring about the public we serve, and being a workplace of choice. An extra special feature of this particular welcome was the brainstorm of a Public Works Band, which has materialized into “The Potholes”, who performed at City Hall on May 19.

Jacqueline Sedona Ramirez was born on March 22 to Nadia Barrera-Ramirez, our Urban Trails Program Manager. Jackie weighed 6 lbs 12 oz and was 21 inches long. She has since gained 3 lbs! Momma and baby are doing great and are enjoying getting to know each other.

Feel free to say “howdy” and introduce yourself, if you haven’t already. (Left to Right) Thuan Nguyen, Susan Delgado, Meagan Norris, Lauren Rowe Standing, left to right: Lin Rui Li, Eric Bailey, Howard Lazarus, James Snow, Robert Hinojosa, Sara Hartley, Jorge Morales

SAFETY OFFICE FAREWELL Howard Hendrickson, CSP, made a splash at his own retirement party on March 9. After more than eight years with Public Works, Howard kayaked off into the sunset. You might catch him playing guitar somewhere in Bastrop or Smithville after a day of kayaking. Howard, a teacher at his core, shared safety experience from his 30-plus year career in safety that spanned working in construction on major power plant projects to working with all aspects of road construction. If you had the honor of working with Howard, you know he was always conscientious, caring and concerned about our department and the citizens we serve. Howard left big shoes to fill in Public Works Safety. We wish him all the best in retirement.

SAFETY OFFICE NEW MANAGER Mike Bewley, Safety Manager for Public Works, served 23 years in the Austin Fire Department (AFD), retiring with the rank of Captain. While in the AFD, he developed and delivered numerous trainings focused on fire ground safety and in particular, firefighter rescue. After his fire service, Mike served for four years with the Texas Division of Emergency Management, serving as Plans Unit Manager where he was responsible for all of the emergency planning for the State of Texas. Mike returned to occupational safety taking a position of Safety Manager for Journeyman Construction, overseeing construction safety on numerous projects in several states. In 2014, Mike returned to the City of Austin as Occupational Health and Safety Coordinator for Health and Human Services. Please give Mike a big Public Works Welcome!

2016 SUMMER STREET TALK

calendar

JUNE Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday Thursday 01

Safety Meeting 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM St. Elmo P/I SSD

Sunday 05

8:30 AM to 4:30 PM OTC-325

09 Safety Meeting

8:00 AM to 9:00 AM St. Elmo District/ IMG

$ PAY DAY

Saturday

Defensive Driving Class

Safety Meeting

Friday

8:30 AM to 9:30 AM OTC- 325 Moonlight Margarita Run

10 Republic of Texas Biker Rally Downtown Parade and Free Concert Over the Edge for Make-A-Wish $ PAY DAY

Safety Meeting

Sunday 12 Second Street SoundCheck Juneteenth Celebration

Sunday

8:30 AM to 9:30 AM OTC- 325

New Employee Safety Orientation

1:00-5:00 PM

Keep Austin Weird Fest and 5K Fit Foodie 5K

Sunday

Safety Meeting 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM St. Elmo Utilities/ Structures

Blues on the Green

Sunday Safety Meeting 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM OTC- 325

New Employee Safety Orientation 1:00-5:00 PM

STREET TALK SUMMER 2016

To find Austin events around town, visit https://www.austintexas.gov/citystage

calendar

JULY Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday Thursday

Friday $ PAY DAY

Saturday 02

Sunday 03 05

HEB Austin Symphony 4th of July Concert and Fireworks

Sunday

Defensive Driving Class

OFFICE CLOSED 4th of July

8:30 AM to 4:30 PM OTC-325

$ PAY DAY

Sunday New Employee Safety Orientation 1:00-5:00 PM

17 Blues on the Green

Sunday 24 25

$ PAY DAY

Sunday 31

New Employee Safety Orientation 1:00-5:00 PM

To find Austin events around town, visit https://www.austintexas.gov/citystage

2016 SUMMER STREET TALK

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Milestones

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