ADOT's new weekly ADOT Connection news bulletin will help you stay connected, informed and healthy whether you're working from home, in the field or in the office during the COVID-19 pandemic. The monthly issue of The Inside Lane is on hiatus. Go to the COVID-19 Resource Center for information and assistance.

Leadership Matters

Thank you for your can-do attitude

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your can-do attitude and resiliency in continuing to serve the people of Arizona. We are public servants, and now the public and our fellow ADOT employees need us more than ever.

We know transportation is an essential function of the state. That’s why our commitment to keeping our transportation system moving is vital to keeping grocery stores’ shelves stocked, helping first responders get to patients in need of care and ensuring commercial drivers are properly licensed and their trucks are safe, as well as providing places for truckers to rest … it’s our way of helping the state cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

While many of us are working from home, limiting our visits to the office or providing extra space and meeting social distancing directives if we have a job that isn’t conducive to remote working, it is important that we stay connected and informed on what’s going on at ADOT. I would ask managers and supervisors to make sure you are staying engaged with your team members and continue to share ideas to improve processes and problem solve as our Arizona Management System training inspires us to do. Try Google Meet or Hangouts to allow you and your team to meet face-to-face, safely, remotely and socially distanced.

I would like to take this opportunity to recognize our administrative staff on Administrative Professionals Day. They are our unsung heroes in the department. Make sure you either call or send a thank-you note to your division/office administrative staff today.

Safely Home,

Scott Omer, Deputy Director/Chief Operating Officer

In the Work Zone

Virtual meetings keep ADOT, contractors connected

To provide social distancing during the COVID-19 health crisis, the Southcentral District, like many districts around the state, has replaced weekly in-person construction project meetings with virtual meetings. Since ADOT was already on Google, it was easy to switch the invitation from in-person to remote meetings.

Southcentral District Senior Resident Engineer Dan Casmer said they haven’t skipped a beat because the Google Meet technology has worked well. For example, about 15 to 20 Southcentral District staff and contractors individually join in the weekly remote meetings to discuss the $129 million I-10/Ruthrauff Road project, which began construction in January and is scheduled for completion in late 2021. While participants aren’t in the same room, there is still a lot of interaction between them. ADOT and the contractors can screen-share schedules and other information as people can follow along. The only drawback to remote meetings has been an occasional reminder for participants to mute their phone line to prevent background noise.

As part of the state of Arizona Google Suites, Google Meet is integrated with your ADOT email account. You can find instructions at the Get started with Hangouts Meet site.

Stay Connected/Stay Healthy

Working from home, with kids

As many ADOT employees telework from home to slow the spread of COVID-19, they’re also finding new ways to manage that work-life balance. Certainly, there are challenges — especially for employees with school-aged children at home. But many moms and dads are finding fun, creative solutions that work for their families.

Take ADOT Community Relations Project Manager Gabriella Kemp for example. She shared a photo of her children Naomi, 7, and Raquel, 5, at “Mommy’s Marvelous School.”

“I work from the kitchen table, just far enough away, where I can still see them working on their assignments … or messing around,” Kemp said.

Creating a designated work space, like Kemp has, is actually one of the keys to successfully working from home, according to this informative article.

Of course, employees who are teleworking should communicate with their managers about expectations and adjusting schedules if needed.

Work Zone Awareness Week

We’re right in the middle of Work Zone Awareness Week (April 20-24) and, as Deputy Director for Transportation/State Engineer Dallas Hammit wrote in his Driving Safety Home column, the week holds even more meaning for us as an agency due to the recent tragic loss of one of our own, Frank Dorizio.

Throughout this week, ADOT has shared short videos of ADOT Maintenance and Incident Response Unit workers giving their take on all things work zones, including what drivers should expect and how to keep workers safe.

All drivers can do their part to keep work zones safer by paying attention, driving alert and slowing down. For more safe-driving tips, be sure to visit FocusOnDriving.com.

Kudos Act of kindness helps Traffic Operations Center staff

After word got out that ADOT's Traffic Operations Center (TOC) staff needed face coverings to wear at work during the COVID-19 crisis, the Axman family stepped up.

TOC Supervisor Neil Barker said the Axmans, who are members of his church, heard about the need for face coverings through family and friends. The Axmans collected and sanitized materials then sewed them into 15 face coverings. Check out the photo on the right of TOC staff wearing the new face coverings.

A big thank you to the Axman family. Their act of kindness helps employees continue to staff the TOC 24/7 during the public health situation. Learn more about the TOC’s essential role in keeping the public safe and informed by reading this press release.

Yuma MVD employees are grateful for good deeds

When Yuma Motor Vehicle Division Manager Connie Shaw first heard about COVID-19, her office had ample disinfectant supplies. But the supplies were used more frequently because of the virus and she wasn’t able to replenish the supplies because distributors were out of stock.

“We reached out to our ADOT partners in Yuma and they were able to provide us with some of the items we needed to keep our office sanitary until our orders came in,” Shaw said.

The response to Yuma MVD’s plea for help was remarkable. Southwest District Assistant Engineer Michael Jones provided face coverings for MVD employees. Border Liaison Unit Officer Frank Cordova presented Yuma MVD Customer Service Unit Supervisor Katrina Alva with cleaning supplies as shown in the photo on the left. Sgt. Marco Veloz from the Yuma Port of Entry, also dropped off cleaning supplies and gloves. In addition, Building Maintenance Supervisors Oscar Murillo and Devin Gatter installed plastic shields and provided disinfectants to make it safer for frontline employees to serve customers.

And that’s not all. Yuma County Sheriff Office Deputies Juan Arciniega and Emmanuel Alvarez rescued the MVD office’s American and Arizona flags that were knocked to the ground by winds over a recent weekend. Shortly after Shaw discovered the flags were missing on that

Monday morning, the deputies arrived holding the two neatly folded flags, which they kept safe until the MVD office reopened.

“The Yuma MVD staff is very appreciative of the many good deeds that we have received to help us serve customers during this public health crisis,” Shaw said.

What's Up @ ADOT

Green Shop winners are announced

In ADOT's Green Shop competition, the main shop winner is Holbrook, and the satellite shop winner is Capitol Mall. These awards are given out every other year and celebrate environmentally friendly ADOT shops.

News Releases

Arizona Highways celebrates the mining camps and military posts of the state’s frontier past with a new book that reveals the history of ghost towns for modern-day visitors.

Freeway construction crews have a message for drivers tempted to speed when they find themselves on freeways that have lighter traffic these days: Slow down. To help the long-haul truckers keeping Arizonans supplied with food and essentials, Governor Doug Ducey issued an Executive Order allowing food trucks to operate at eight ADOT rest areas.

ADOT Blog

One Adopt a Highway group has found "one man's trash is another man's treasure" is sometimes true. I-17 is a great highway, but if it only runs between Phoenix and Flagstaff, why is it called an interstate? We're offering some transportation-themed free Zoom virtual backgrounds for kids captivated by construction. Going somewhere? Message boards statewide say how long it will take.

ADOT Photo Albums

Check out the deck construction on Fairway Drive!

ADOT Videos

ADOT recently made face coverings available to all ADOT employees, and it took a lot of people to coordinate the effort.

ADOT in the News

After evaluating its inventory, ADOT reallocated more than 2,600 N95 masks to two state-assisted care facilities. The deadline for air travelers to get an AZ Travel ID has been pushed back a full year to Oct. 1, 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

On a Lighter Note

ADOT Kids: Snowplow art, answering your questions

Thanks to everyone who took part in our first ADOT Kids activity about snowplows! We enjoyed seeing the children’s wonderful colorings and receiving their inquisitive questions about snowplows.

Check out the fun video with Deputy State Engineer for Operations Jesse Gutierrez answering kids’ snowplow questions and explaining how we keep highways safe during winter storms. You can view this video and a slideshow of children’s snowplow colorings on the ADOT Blog.

We have more fun ADOT Kids activities lined up. We hope your children will take part in our Keep It Grand Anti-Litter Art Challenge, which has a deadline of 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 22. A new activity begins on April 22 about how engineers build bridges.

For more ADOT Kids fun, check our new ADOT Kids website, azdot.gov/ADOTKids, because we are adding activities and information often. You also can check back on our ADOT Blog or use the hashtag #ADOTKids on ADOT's Twitter, Facebook and Instagram account.

Share your photos at work

To help you feel more connected while we are social distancing, ADOT Connection is featuring photos of employees at work. Whether you're telecommuting, in the field or in the office, we invite you to send a selfie to InsideLane@azdot.gov. Check out more ADOT employee photos in the ADOT Employees at Work Flickr album. Thank you to Ivan Racic, air and noise planner for the Environmental Planning Group, for sharing his telecommuting photo.

ADOT Walk for Your Life Challenge

In the spirit of staying healthy and connected, ADOT employees are invited to join a 30-day walking challenge. While the virtual starting line began at 12:01 a.m. Monday, April 20, you can still catch up and cross the finish line at 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 19.

Submit your weekly step total by 5 p.m. on the following Monday to accumulate eligible points for the prior week. Step totals accumulated on May 18 and 19 — the last week of the

challenge — must be submitted by 5 p.m. Thursday, May 21. Email step totals to Communications Program Manager Mary Currie at MCurrie@azdot.gov.

The three winners with the highest accumulated step totals during the challenge will each receive a small prize and will be featured in ADOT Connection on Wednesday, May 27.

ADOT Connection is published weekly for the employees of the Arizona Department of Transportation by ADOT Communications. Visit our archive at azdot.gov/insidelane or adotnet.az.gov/insidelane. For questions, comments, story suggestions or to request a printed copy, contact InsideLane@azdot.gov.

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