All in one

Director’s Corner

Mark your calendars for the March 9 Town Hall

Hello Team Caltrans! I want to begin by thanking you for the part you played in helping us confront, address and recover from the deluge of storms that impacted the entire state around New Year’s. Our state’s transportation system sustained a few temporary setbacks but through your hard work and expertise, we quickly resumed our normal operations and our steady, determined pursuit of greater efficiencies, forward-looking projects and, of course, increased safety.

We have much to be proud of, and yet much more to do. Next month we will have an opportunity to discuss in a question-and-answer format how things are going as we work together to make our world-class transportation system even better.

Please join Chief Deputy Michael Keever and me at the Director’s Town Hall, which District 4 will host from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 9. Please mark your calendars to tune in via YouTube. The accompanying flyer has a QR code for those joining the meeting from a mobile device.

(If you would like to attend in-person – at the District 4 Training Center, Building 3, San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge Complex, 200 Burma Road, Oakland – please fill out our online RSVP form.)

In this CT News column, I also would like repeat my Jan. 31 announcement that the Director’s Office of Sustainability and Caltrans Office of Race and Equity (CORE) have combined forces to form the new Director’s Office of Equity, Sustainability & Tribal Affairs. This merger represents the direction I would like us all to take to advance holistic, integrated, and restorative policies to planning, building, and advocating for a more just transportation system.

Please join me in celebrating this latest milestone by learning more about the team and their mission and values on their website. You can email the team directly at sustainability@dot.ca.gov with any questions.

Enjoy this latest edition of our department e-newsletter, and thank you again for all you do. Stay safe.

News

Let’s all come clean together in March

Hey Team Caltrans! Let’s help our golden state look its very best by participating in Clean California Community Days — Spring Into Action, a volunteer service event and celebration sponsored by the Governor's Office, Caltrans and our partners across California.

This statewide 11-day event kicks off Friday, March 17, with a big splash of activities occurring on Saturday, March 25. The goal is to work together to clean up our communities and spread the word about taking pride in keeping California clean.

Here’s a quick look at the various ways we can help tidy up California:

• Dump Day events. Dispose of waste materials for free, avoiding landfill fees and creating equitable access to disposal options. Some Dump Days also offer additional services like tire, mattress, e-waste, and appliance recycling.
• Community cleanups. Take pride in your community with a local volunteer cleanup event. Join one already scheduled or plan your own. It can be a large group of people beautifying a beach or even a single person picking up around their block. Learn how you can hold a cleanup in your community here.
• Festivals. Celebrate your community while learning about the impacts of litter and how to properly dispose of it. These family-friendly events feature music, food, informational booths, educational games, and other opportunities to unite communities.
• Tree plantings. Planting 1,000 trees statewide to provide shade, enhance beautification of public spaces and improve air quality. A focus will be placed on planting in underserved communities.

View the Clean California program’s event map to identify when and where activities will be happening in your community. You can also sign up to host and organize a community cleanup. Once registered, your cleanup event will appear on the statewide Clean California Community Day map. Cleanup events can be scheduled for any time from March 17-27.

Learn more by visiting Clean California’s homepage.

Biden, Newsom and … Caltrans’ Derek Kantar!

Imagine, if you will, that you are standing on a beach. Suddenly, two men emerge and walk straight toward you. These are not ordinary men. One is the oft-called “leader of the free world” and the other is governor of our great state of California.

That scenario was not merely a dream introduced by cigarette-dangling Rod Serling. It actually happened to one of our Caltrans colleagues last month.

In Aptos, no less.

Derek Kantar has been with our department for almost 15 years. He is officially listed as a senior transportation planner in the Maintenance Division, but he describes his role as “emergency planner.” He works extensively with the Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES), which is how, on Jan. 19, he ended up having a coastal chatting session with President Joe Biden and Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Kantar is hyper-articulate and seemingly unflappable. CT News could attempt to tell this story – a “Twilight Zone”-esque tale as vast as space and as timeless as infinity – but why bother when Kantar himself can smoothly and concisely sketch it out, in under 30 minutes and with no commercial interruptions. (Unlike Kantar, CT News also is prone to silly hyperbole.)

The scene was set by the relentless waves of heavy storms that battered most of the state from late December through early January. For more than two weeks, Kantar had been Caltrans' lead at the OES State Operation Center as part of the department's Emergency Management Team and was the ideal representative from Caltrans to answer any specific questions regarding our response to the nine atmospheric storm events.

And with that, we turn it over to Kantar.

“The president was going to be coming to Aptos, Seacliff State Beach, to tour the damage. One of the stops on the way. He was making several stops to look at the flood damage and Aptos was going to be where they had a physical stop for the press. You know, put up the podium and offer some comments. The governor was going to be escorting him on that visit. ...

 “The representatives who were going to meet with the president and the governor met in the parking lot of Seacliff State Beach in Aptos. We were then escorted down to the boardwalk, on the beach. Then they broke us into two groups. Group 1 was Caltrans, State Parks and Cal OES, each with one representative. The rest of the delegees were in Group 2.

“So the president’s motorcade came. President Biden, Governor Newsom got out of the car. They were looking around at the damage, and then walked over to the three of us. The president shook our hands, gave us his presidential coin, and then we had a few minutes to talk to the president about the impact from our programs’ perspective.

“What I shared with the president was that, while we had some segments of road underwater, landslides, mud flows, debris flows onto the highway was our big remediation effort. That’s what we were trying to clear up right away so that we could keep the public moving.

“But then the comment I made to the president specifically was – I don’t remember the exact words, but it was words to the effect that we do this so that we can keep the public moving and to make sure that we don’t have isolated populations. Because at the end of the day this is really all about taking care of people. We know how to fix the roads, but we want to make sure we are taking care of people, and that Caltrans really has a human focus on what we do. We try to put people first.

“That conversation lasted somewhere between three and five minutes. Then the president went over to talk to one of the other delegees, and I spoke with Governor Newsom for, uh, I don’t know, a little over 10 minutes, about basically the same thing.

“I commented how fixing roads is what we do for a living, clearing mudslides, landslides. I reminded the governor that while we were doing all the flood mitigation, we were still plowing snow up in the Sierra. And it was heavy snow. So we had, you know, a full litany of winter operations personnel up in the Sierra plowing roads and doing everything we could to keep people going over (U.S. Highway) 50 and (Interstate) 80.

“Keeping freight moving – that was one of the things I told the governor, that we are a multimodal transportation department. It wasn’t just roads. We wanted to make sure that rail, transit, aviation and maritime matters were not negatively affected too long because we wanted to keep mobility running. I assured him that those modes were going well. He was glad about that.

“I shared the big concern was the 29-mile segment of Highway 1 between San Simeon and Big Sur has had four landslides on it but U.S. Geological Survey and Cal Geological Survey had identified nine total slides that could affect that segment of road. One of the concerns was that this incident could wake up old landslides. I said that as a department, we’re very concerned that these storms could wake – just about the time we get something cleared, an old landslide could be reactivated because of all the rains.

“And I said even though we know how to clear debris and we know how to stabilize slopes – we do that very well – we want to make sure there are no isolated populations. Because at the end of the day we’re here to take care of the people of California.

“I put a real people-first focus on everything I was saying to Governor Newsom, and he was really glad to hear me put a people focus on that. And I said, well that comes from our director all the way down to our employees. Director Tavares has really emphasized the human side of what we do. That this is not just about inanimate asphalt. We are a people-oriented organization. The governor was really glad to hear that.

“So I talked to the president first, then the governor, and then the party move on to the other groups, and after that I was just an observer.”

The president and governor moved on, but CT News wanted to extend the conversation.

Were you nervous talking with the president?

“Not at all. Not at all,” he responded in a phone interview conducted 10 days after the Aptos affair. “I wasn’t nervous. I saw this as an opportunity to represent out 24,000 employees. I didn’t see me in all of this. I saw myself as an ambassador for our 24,000 employees. It was a chance for me to showcase the best of who we were. But I didn’t feel nervous. Stage fright is not one of my things.”

Afterward, did you kind of reflect on what you said to both Biden and Newsom, and did you have any regrets? Oh, I wish I had said this, or oh, I wish I had not said that?

“No. No,” Kantar said, “because these were hand-shaking moments. There wasn’t a lot of time to go into a lot of detail, so I did have to be mindful about what I wanted to say. With the president, since that was the shorter conversation, and landslides and debris flows was primary on his mind, I wanted to emphasize that. To tell him how expediently we wanted to try to remediate that, to take care of our people.

“I did specifically thank him for being there, because the people of California can value from what the federal government can bring to help us. I said the help is for people, and that I know Californians are glad he was able to come out and bring FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) with (him).

"It wasn’t, ‘Thank you for coming out so we can have your money to rebuild our roads.’ That wasn’t my intent. I said, ‘Thank you for being here to help the people of California.’”

Have you met or spoken with Newsom before?

“Yes. When he goes to Cal OES, he is part of the Unified Coordination Group – the UCG. … That’s where Cal OES brings the state-level executives together to talk about objectives and priorities. … I attend those UCG meetings on a fairly regular basis, helping represent, or working with Tony and Mike, on those. So I think there is some of the comfort, you know, in doing it at that level. That’s where I had met Newsom in the past.

“So when we saw him on the beach, he came over to me with a big smile because he recognized me. He doesn’t know name and face, but he recognized me from the UCG. That made for a very friendly visit.”

What were your impressions of Biden?

“My general impression was … listening to him talk to others … the breadth of the flooding, the breadth of the disaster – he definitely internalized that. He saw how big it was. So I think he was definitely – I’m taken back by the breadth of the flooding. But he had made a couple of comments – you know, after I had talked about the human side, how we’re doing this for people – and that was his thing. Yeah, we really need to make sure we’re doing the best thing we can to help people.

“So I think my impression was, the human side was more important (to Biden) than the infrastructure side. That was my general impression. And same for Governor Newsom.

“Now maybe they were following my lead to some degree, but I had worked with Newsom in the UCG and his thing was the same thing. He was more concerned about people first. And then when I said this did not, as bad as it was, it didn’t affect our freight mobility. … I did mention that when you have an economy as large as California’s, freight mobility is very important. The state’s freight program didn’t take a big hit by this one, which gives me more reason to want to focus on the human side. …

“I probably could have gone technical. I could have gone emergency management. I could have taken this thing all different kinds of ways, but when you’ve only got a few minutes – and I didn’t think I’d have as much time as I did with the governor, but – when you only have a few minutes, what do you want to make most important?

“And for me it was: Caltrans does what we do for the public. We do this for people. We do it for mobility. We do it for goods movement. This is a real people-forward thing. And I know (Tavares) was very happy to hear that. Even the governor liked that approach. So I guess it worked out.”

Kudos, Mr. Kantar. Roll the credits!

District 1 answers call after 6.4 earthquake

By Manny Machado
District 1 public information officer

State Route 211 at Fernbridge in Humboldt County was reopened just 40 hours after sustaining damage in a magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck in the early morning of Dec. 20, 2022. The quake impacted Rio Dell, Fortuna, Ferndale, Eureka and other surrounding North Coast communities. Two deaths and 12 injuries were reported.

Within an hour following the first quake, Caltrans District 1 crews were already on scene in Fernbridge. They closed State Route 211 to traffic while inspectors assessed the extent of the damage to the bridge structure that sits above the Eel River. The 1,320-foot-long arch bridge opened in 1911 and is the longest functional poured concrete bridge still in operation, connecting Ferndale to U.S. Highway 101.

Caltrans resident engineer Tai Morgan-Marbet is a trained safety assessment program inspector. Having responded to natural disasters including the 2018 Camp Fire in Butte County, this was his first earthquake response. He described the scene after arriving at Fernbridge. “Engineers went around in the dark with a lot of flashlights underneath and on top of the bridge to assess what the damage was to piers and the bridge decks and taking pictures. We then came up with a gameplan as to what to do next.”

There was damage to the bridge’s deck and underlying structure and $6 million in emergency funding was allocated to bring in a contractor as quickly as possible for repairs, repaving the road and adding additional support to the bridge’s approaches. Caltrans hired Sacramento-based Myers & Sons Construction for the repairs work. They mobilized equipment and personnel to get onsite the same day. A Structure Maintenance and Investigations unit arrived from Sacramento and determined repairs could be safely made with one-way control traffic in place and the bridge was reopened the following evening.

“The response was quick and is going really smooth,” said Morgan-Marbet. “It’s awesome to see how everyone was able to get together and help the public by getting this main access route out to Ferndale open. It’s fantastic to see.”

For a permanent solution, a comprehensive repair plan is being developed for Fernbridge. All District 1 bridges, overcrossings, and roadways were inspected following the quakes to ensure safety for the traveling public.

Storms pose issues, and District 10 responds!

By Rick Estrada
District 10 information officer

Old Man Winter kicked off 2023 by rocking the northern San Joaquin Valley and the Sierra, pummeling the region with heavy rain and snow. The wild weather began before the New Year – with State Route 120 in Yosemite National Park closing on Friday, Dec. 30, due to a rockslide near Tuolumne Grove Road – and it kept coming.

Caltrans District 10 maintenance was on the road all New Year’s weekend, handling flooding, rock and mud slides, vehicle collisions that required guardrail repairs and doing its best to keep mountain roads open in extreme conditions.

As part of District 10’s commitment to outreach, the Public Information Office created social media postings throughout the storm, blending descriptions with vivid visuals to spotlight crews overcoming weather-related struggles.

With rain and snow pelting them from above, stiff winds buffeting them from the side and slippery surfaces below, District 10’s maintenance personnel overcame the weather to keep the highway system operating throughout the wicked storm.

Mountain Superintendents Charlie Hutchings’ and Chris Baker’s crews were busy clearing snow from the highways, checking streams and rivers for flooding, conducting avalanche control, and helping motorists stranded or distressed by the weather.

Down on the valley floor, District 10’s Superintendents Joe Norman (San Joaquin County), Esther Herschbach (Stanislaus) and Dave Taylor (Merced) were sending their maintenance crews north (including flooding on Interstate 5 at Acampo Road), west (high winds on Interstate 580 near Tracy), east (flooding on State Route 4 in Farmington) and south (flooding on State Route 59 at Sandy Mush Road in Merced).

With torrents of snow and rain falling on the region, creating havoc with electrical systems, and disabling power lines, Electrical Superintendent Patrick Bayona’s staff was constantly on the move. They were repairing traffic signals, changeable message signs, weather stations and other equipment damaged by the storms.

The electricians played a key role in keeping traffic flowing on low-lying highways in the valley. When heavy rain and flooding disabled power at pumping stations, allowing water to pool, and forcing lane closures, Bayona and his staff responded in force to implement repairs to get these valuable pumps working once again.

Bayona’s Structural Steel and Paint crew was also involved, working with the electricians to focus on the well-being of District 10’s structures and highways.

Those incidents were just the tip of the proverbial iceberg – a fitting phrase, given this frigid weather – as the District 10 Traffic Management Center communicated with maintenance managers and personnel throughout the wild four-day weekend.

There were more than two dozen significant highway-related incidents over the New Year’s Weekend, but there was no rest for maintenance. Three days into 2023, another storm system rolled into the region – time to get back to work!

District 10 always appreciates motorists keeping an eye out for our folks as they work along the highway: That could be someone’s mom or dad clearing a culvert or replacing a sign, and we want everyone to make it safe home every night.

How wild was New Year’s weather? This is just a small sample of the incidents:

Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022

• 5:27 p.m.: Southbound State Route 99 in Stockton (San Joaquin) closes at Golden Gate Boulevard due to flooding
• 5:34 p.m.: Eastbound/Westbound State Route 88 at Carson Spur (Amador) closes due to heavy snow.
• 5:41 p.m.: Northbound/Southbound State Route 99 in Modesto (Stanislaus) closes at the Kansas Avenue Interchange due to flooding.
• 7:29 p.m.: Eastbound/Westbound State Route 4 closes from Farmington (San Joaquin) to Buckman Road due to flooding & highway damage.
• 8:03 p.m.: Eastbound/Westbound State Route 88 near Carson Pass Sno-Park (Alpine) closes due to avalanche control
• 9:18 p.m.: Eastbound/Westbound I-580 near Tracy (San Joaquin) impacted by high winds and Changeable Message Signs activate to alert motorists to the rough wind.

Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023

• 3:07 a.m.: Northbound/Southbound State Route 99 in Modesto (Stanislaus) at the Kansas Avenue Interchange opens following closure due to flooding.
• 4:30 a.m.: Eastbound/Westbound State Route 88 at Iron Mountain (Amador) opens following closure due to avalanche control.
• 6:25 a.m.: Southbound State Route 99 in Stockton (San Joaquin) at Golden Gate Boulevard, lanes #1 and #2 open following closure due to flooding.
• 7:52 a.m.: Northbound State Route 99 in Acampo (San Joaquin) closes at Acampo Road due to flooding.
• 8:39 a.m.: Northbound/Southbound State Route 59 near El Nido (Merced) closes at Sandy Mush Road due to flooding from Mariposa Creek.
• 9:19 a.m.: Northbound State Route 99 in Acampo (San Joaquin) at Acampo Road opens following closure due to flooding.
• 3:44 p.m.: Eastbound/Westbound State Route 88 at Iron Mountain (Amador) opens following closure due to heavy snow conditions and multiple spinouts by vehicles.

Monday, Jan. 2, 2023

• 2:21 a.m.: Eastbound/Westbound State Route 88 near Silver Lake (Amador) closes due to avalanche control.
• 3:45 a.m.: Eastbound/Westbound State Route 88 near Silver Lake (Amador) opens following close due to avalanche control.
• 2:26 a.m.: Southbound State Route 99 in Stockton (San Joaquin) at Golden Gate Boulevard opens following closure due to flooding.

D2 program gives support after traumatic events

By Haleigh Pike
District 2 public information officer

The Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Program, which was spearheaded by retired Equal Employment Opportunity Coordinator Mark Robertson in 2002, aims to help employees who have been exposed to a significantly stressful event or critical incident. The goal of CISM is to ensure District 2 employees are provided a confidential outlet and the support they may need after being exposed to a traumatic event, which will ultimately ensure a long and healthy career at Caltrans. 

When Mark Clement started with District 2 as an equipment operator, the odds of being exposed to a significantly stressful event or critical incident was not something he thought about. But with the number of hours he, and many others like him, spend out on the roadways, it’s unfortunately inevitable. 

On June 8, 2022, Clement was driving home after his shift when he came across a devastating fatal car crash on State Route 32. Being one of the first on scene, Clement jumped into action and tried to help in whatever way he could. Once emergency personnel arrived, Clement shifted to traffic operations until the scene was cleared. 

The following morning, the CISM team responded to the yard, after receiving a request from the Maintenance Superintendent, to speak with Clement and his coworkers. As part of the debriefing, any person directly involved with an incident, or anyone who has shown an unusually strong reaction, should participate. Clement says that morning after debriefing was not only helpful but crucial when dealing with the thoughts and visuals following a devastating incident like the one he witnessed. 

“It’s just knowing that they’re there. Even if we don’t go into depth on anything in that morning after meeting, at the end of that meeting, I know I have someone to go to and to me, that’s huge,” said Clement. 

District 2 Safety Specialist Jason Suter, who is the CISM coordinator, says this program is key when helping get our employees back on the road. Each time there is a critical incident within District 2, the CISM coordinator receives a notification from Dispatch. The coordinator then follows-up with the supervisor of the impacted crew to see if the CISM team needs to respond. The ultimate goal is to make sure the crews know the CISM team is there for them and are ready to provide support no matter the day or time. This goes for anyone, regardless of position. If you need someone to talk to, you’re encouraged to reach out.

The program not only helps employees at the time of the incident, and the days following, but it also helps weeks, months, and years down the road. This includes assisting employees with EAP services and providing information to help employees recognize when it’s time to reach out for help.

Suter is no stranger to working in dangerous lines of work and he says being part of this program is not only helpful for others, but it’s also helpful for him. “This program is not only helping me but it’s helping other people by making sure they know that I’ve been there and can relate to what they’re going through.”

Following a recommendation from his supervisor, Clement recently joined the CISM team and is looking forward to being able to help others like he was helped. “I really believe in this program. Being in the training, the vibe in there was amazing,” said Clement. 

If you have questions about the CISM Program or would like more information, please contact Jason Suter at (530) 227-9928 or visit the Health and Safety page on the Intranet.

Outgoing TRB leader pays Caltrans a visit

Neil Pedersen served as executive director of the Transportation Research Board for about eight years. Before he launched his journey into retirement on Dec. 31, he made one last stop at Caltrans Headquarters, which he last visited in December 2019.

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the normally business-trip-loaded Pedersen embarked on almost no outings for two and a half years, until business travel re-started in spring 2022.

“This will be, actually, my last trip as a TRB employee,” the affable Pedersen told CT News when he sat down for an interview in December.

His successor at TRB is Victoria Sheehan, who most recently was commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. “Very forward-looking person,” Pedersen reported. “Really appreciates the importance of research. I am so delighted that she will be my successor because I believe she will take the TRB team to new heights.”

The Transportation Research Board is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. It has three main functions: convening, research and advising. The organization contains a startling 8,500 volunteers.

“It’s really the volunteers that are the lifeblood of TRB,” Pedersen said. “The magic of TRB is really taking advantage of the expertise of those 8,500 volunteers.”

TRB’s biggest deal, arguably, is the annual meeting it hosts in January in Washington, D.C.. More than 30 representatives from Caltrans were scheduled to attend this year’s gathering. TRB also:

• Sponsors or co-sponsors up to 50 conferences or workshops a year.
• Calls for research papers, and after a peer-review process selects about 3,000 for presentation at the annual meeting.
• Publishes about 800 papers that generally are downloadable online in the organization’s journal, Transportation Research Record.
• Has 177 standing technical committees “on almost any topic you can think of related to transportation.”
• Manages four major research programs: highways, public transportation, airports and behavioral traffic safety.
• Advises the federal government on policy issues related to transportation.

One example of TRB’s adviser role is it made “a number” of recommendations that were implemented in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Also, governmental leaders sought TRB’s help regarding aviation safety particularly after the recent rash of 737 MAX crashes.

“We were actually asked to look at what are we anticipating the safety issues are that aviation will have to be dealing with over the next 10 years,” Pedersen explained. “Six different reports will come out over a period of six years addressing different aviation safety issues.”

Much of what TRB does resonates especially in the Golden State.

“An issue that is of great concern here in California right now that we’re spending a lot of time doing research for is equity-related issues,” Pedersen said. “How we both can be trying to ensure that we have an equitable transportation system as well as how we can be ensuring that we’re not having disproportionate impacts from transportation improvements that are made. How we can be ensuring that we have good access for all people. For example, to health care, or to education, or to employment.”

TRB also has done a large magnitude of seismic-related research, which obviously is of interest in California but also has attracted the attentions of other states’ transportation departments. “That’s one that probably California has both driven the need for the research and well as benefitted from the research.

“And then California obviously is the leader in the country in terms of addressing climate-change-related issues. We’re doing quite a bit of research both on the issue of how do you reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as how do you address resilience-related issues from the increased frequency in storms that we have, and the impacts – whether it’s more heat waves, or whether it’s wildfires, or all the different climate-related increased issues that we’re addressing right now.”

Pedersen encourages Caltrans employees to take advantage of TRB resources, such as National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) reports that he called “very practical guidance documents, or documents that could be used in terms of how state DOT employees actually do their jobs.” Those interested in TRB also could sign up to be a “friend”’ of one of its committees, Pedersen said, and thereby “get to interact with the smartest people in the topic area that they are interested in. …

“We have a number of Caltrans employees on different committees. We really try to encourage state participation. With California representing – depending on what measure you use – anywhere from 12 to 20 percent of the country, we like to see Caltrans very involved with our committees.”

In that vein, Pedersen said that during his leadership tenure he prioritized increasing the diversity within TRB. “We often hear, when people are talking about diversity, they are talking about gender diversity, talking about racial diversity, or increasing participation from minorities. But I really think of diversity, not just in those terms, but (more broadly), in terms of perspectives, in diversity of backgrounds, diversity of expertise, diversity of lived experience. …

“We still have a long way to go, and I know that my successor is going to continue to make it a priority. And we have a long way to go within our profession in that regard, as well.”

TRB puts on more than 100 webinars a year, any of which Caltrans employees can participate in for free. (They also can receive continuing-education units for their professional licenses.) Furthermore, Pedersen said in listing TRB’s offerings, “We either directly sponsor or co-sponsor about 50 conferences or workshops per year. They get into what I will call a deeper dive into issues associated with a particular subject area.”

Then there’s the conference in Washington, TRB’s showcase event. “It’s just an awesome experience, going to the annual meeting,” Pedersen said, “being with 14,000 of your closest friends and learning from just the most brilliant people in transportation in the world.”

Asked about his retirement plans, the 71-year-old Pedersen said he and his wife look forward to traveling, visiting other countries and continuing their already-extensive exploration of our country’s national parks, monuments and other historic sites.

“I’ve had eight good years at TRB,” Pedersen reflected. “I think I’m leaving TRB in a very good place. I’ve seen too many people who have stayed too long. Organizations like TRB continue to grow when they have new leadership come in.”

Learn more about the Transportation Research Board on its website. If you have further questions about TRB, a good place to start is by reaching out to Joe Horton, who leads Caltrans’ Office of Safety Innovation and Cooperative Research in the Division of Research, Innovation and System Information (DRISI).

I-5 interchange projects are coming to an end

By Marc Bischoff
District 7 information officer

Caltrans hopes to complete all major construction on the Interstate 5 Valley View Avenue Interchange Project early this year.

The Valley View Avenue project broke ground in mid-November of 2016. It added a High Occupancy Vehicle and mixed-flow lane in each direction along approximately one and a half miles of I-5 from the Artesia Boulevard undercrossing to North Fork Coyote Creek. The project extends through the cities of Buena Park, La Mirada, Cerritos and Santa Fe Springs.

Three bridges were reconstructed: the Valley View Avenue Bridge at I-5 which added a third lane and includes a railroad overpass; the North Firestone Boulevard Bridge over Coyote Creek; and the I-5 freeway bridge at Coyote Creek. The project also includes new on- and off-ramps and improvements to the frontage roads.

This project is the last of six interchanges reconstructed as part of the I-5 South Corridor freeway widening project that began with the Carmenita Road interchange project in late 2011. The other four interchanges that were reconstructed along the I-5 include Alondra Boulevard, Imperial Highway/Pioneer Boulevard, Norwalk Boulevard and Firestone Boulevard.

The I-5 South Corridor project was completed in cooperation with six cities: Downey, Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs, La Mirada, Cerritos and Buena Park. Upon completion, there will be four mixed-flow lanes and one HOV lane in each direction of I-5 between the Orange County line and just south of the Interstate 605 interchange.

New method helps streamline project delivery

By Mario Montalvo
District 2 public information officer

A new method for delivering projects is being utilized in District 2.

Construction Manager/General Contractor (CMGC) is a project delivery method that allows Caltrans to select a contractor early in the project development process. This allows the contractor to essentially act as a consultant during this time and help develop the project as it goes along.

“Since the contractor is involved in the project development process it reduces the assumptions that typically need to be made during design and helps deliver a project that should require less changes during construction, which is exciting,” Construction Chief Jim Wood said.

The contractor may provide constructability reviews, value engineering suggestions, construction estimates, and other construction-related recommendations. 

“They’re basically helping us design the project,” Resident Engineer John Hinton said.

Hinton is currently assigned to the Yreka Rehab and Dunsmuir Gaps projects, both of which have utilized CMGC. He said this new project delivery method is more efficient and can actually save Caltrans money during the construction phase.

“We basically can design the job based on the particular contractor’s equipment, their staging ideas, and can avoid change orders during the construction,” Hinton said.

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The process also allows the contractor to bring their expertise to the Project Development Team (PDT), which helps streamline the process.

“They’ve got hundreds of projects under their belts,” Hinton said. “Just a lot more knowledge, a lot more experience, and they can bring that to our design.”

Having the contractor as part of the PDT also allows them an inside look at how Caltrans works and helps them better understand the design process and the challenges Caltrans faces when delivering projects.

“Our contractor has told us several times, ‘Wow! We didn’t realize you had all these constraints, all these things you had to consider’,” Supervising Transportation Engineer Toby Crawford said. “And it helps them understand how Caltrans comes to some of the decisions that they’ve made when you put together a set of plans.”

By having the contractor play a role in the development of the project, CMGC can also help open the door to improved innovation.

“They may be more aware of more resources and tools that are available, new construction equipment,” Toby Crawford said. “And they can propose innovative ideas.”

Once the design process is nearly complete, the contractor will submit a price to construct the project. And if that price is acceptable, the CMGC contractor will become the general contractor and will construct the project.

And since the contractor has essentially been on board from the beginning, it helps minimize or even eliminate any surprises that may arise during the construction phase.

“CMGC is relatively new to us, and we see great potential with this method of designing and constructing larger, more complex, projects,” Wood said.

District 6 hosts Career Day at Fresno State

By Mary Brown
District 6 student assistant/recruitment coordinator

Caltrans’ District 6 Recruitment Department recently held a career fair at Fresno State to give students an opportunity to learn about what goes on at Caltrans. 

From Nov. 1-15, 2022, Caltrans gave classroom presentations to students, and invited them to the upcoming Career Day.  On Nov. 16, more than 200 students attended the Caltrans Career Day.

Representatives from each departmental division were in attendance and showcased all that they had to offer.  Students were able to visit each table to learn more about what types of jobs are available at Caltrans, ask questions, and learn about the internship program.

Thank you to all who participated in helping to make it a big success. Due to its success, Caltrans Career Day at Fresno State will be an annual event!

More than 9,600 take 2022 employee survey

Caltrans conducts an annual employee survey to gauge the overall satisfaction of employees within the organization.

Caltrans uses this valuable feedback to further grow as a people-first organization and to support the efforts of the Cultivate Excellence Goal outlined in the Strategic Plan.

The 2022 employee survey yielded responses from 9,653 employees, 44 percent of Caltrans’ workforce. In this report you will find the results of the survey along with a year-over-year comparison to 2021 results.

Additional data breakdown can be found on the Tableau Dashboards.

Hats Off

Motorists grateful for a cleaner California

The following email was sent to Caltrans on Jan. 28 by Tom and Brenda Sweeney of Coulterville.

“I would like to compliment your organization for the statewide efforts to improve the appearance and quality of our transportation system.  It is clearly evident as we travel the state in the Central Valley, north to the Oregon border and east to Nevada.  The increased frequency of litter removal has made a big difference in our roadways.

“The construction projects are bearing fruit as well.  Improvements to the (State Route) 99 corridor have helped to reduce traffic delays.  The improvements to rest stops have made those breaks more inviting.  You all have a difficult and important job and I suspect complaints far outnumber compliments.  Keep up the good work.

“Thank you and all of your team.”

Health and safety

In relationships, try putting others first

By the Employee Assistance Program

Try putting others first as a way to deepen and improve your relationships.

Perhaps you feel locked into your current perceptions of other people in your orbit— family, friends, and work colleagues. However, do you realize that you have the capacity to improve your connections with others?

Our relationships will prove less than fulfilling if we don’t make an effort to deepen, nurture, and strengthen them. Here are some ideas on how to create more positive relationships with those around you.

• Treat others with kindness and respect, just as you would like to be treated (i.e., the Golden Rule).
• Show interest in and appreciation for others. Those who take an active interest in others’ lives — not talking only about themselves — are often the most valued people in the room. Ask people questions about their activities, and express your encouragement and admiration for their efforts.
• Expand your circle. If you limit your social circle to just a few individuals, you might miss out on the great diversity of people all around you. Make an effort to gain more friends, and in time you’ll find interesting people who match up well with you in such areas as personality, shared interests, and values.
• Strive to be a giver. Transcend the common “What’s in it for me?” interpersonal ethic by giving back something of equal or greater value to others. Giving instead of taking is always best. Invest in your relationships with time, caring, and a little self-sacrifice now and then.
• Do some basic relationship-building. Try to spend at least a little time each day building positive rapport with others around you, including people at work. Like many new habits, it can take time to master, but it will have positive interpersonal effects. For example, offer an unexpected kindness or strike up a conversation with someone at work who’s new to you.
• Be respectful, even during conflict. While disagreements are uncomfortable, you can preserve and improve relationships if you show respect despite your opposing view. Avoid yelling, name-calling, sarcasm, and insults. These can damage relationships. Also, be quick to forgive others.
• Listen actively, without distraction, so you understand the concerns, needs, and priorities of others in your life.

Who's New

Greg Chavez, deputy division chief, Planning and Modal Program Management

Greg Chavez has been permanently appointed as a deputy division chief in the new Planning and Modal Program Management Division. Greg will oversee resource management, human resources functions, and business services.

He has been extremely active on the Change Management team to facilitate a positive process and transition to the new division. For those of you who may not know, this is a new Division in the Planning and Modal Programs.

Greg has been in the role of DOTP Office Chief of Administration and Resource Management for the past 5.5 years. He helped develop systems and update processes to help the districts and Headquarters in the realm of resources, workload management, human resources and, in the past year, workforce development.  He was instrumental in supporting DOTP through many changes including helping facilitate the most recent reorganization.

Greg has also served on several task forces within Planning and Modal Programs (PMP) and within the enterprise to help move Caltrans forward.

Prior to joining Caltrans, Greg spent the past 25-plus years working in the retail sector in corporate regional and district roles in both Southern and Northern California with a key focus on operational efficiency, change management, process improvement, and human resources.  He worked for such retailers as Gap Inc., DSW Shoe Stores, and Macy’s.  

In his spare time, Greg is an avid movie buff and an addicted foodie.  In his college days, he was a sous chef.

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Scott Eades, District 5 director

Scott Eades has been selected as the Caltrans District 5 director.

Scott has a history of building strong internal and external partnerships and brings nearly 30 years’ experience working in transportation planning, engineering, and project/program management to this role. Since August 2020, Scott has served as the deputy director for Transportation Planning, Local Assistance, and Sustainability in District 5. 

Scott also worked at Headquarters as the statewide Senate Bill 1 program manager in an acting role in the spring of 2022. 

Previously, Scott served as the Santa Barbara 101 Corridor manager where he worked with internal and external teams to deliver a large ($700 million-plus) multimodal capital improvement program. In this role, Scott led teams through California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) challenges, Local Coastal Plan Amendment (LCPA) approvals, coastal permitting, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Major Project processes, and the first Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC) delivery in District 5. 

In earlier roles, Scott worked as a project manager in District 5, a transportation engineer in District 5 Traffic Operations, a transportation planner for the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG), and a student assistant in District 5 Transportation Planning. 

Scott has a bachelor of science degree in city and regional planning and a master of science in civil and environmental engineering, both from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He is also a certified project management professional (PMP) and recently completed Caltrans Leadership Training Program II.  

In his free time, Scott enjoys spending family time with his wife and three kids, backpacking in the Sierra, hiking, camping, and other outdoor activities.

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Kathleen Hanley, Carbon Reduction Program manager

Kathleen Hanley has joined the Director’s Office of Sustainability as the department’s new Carbon Reduction Program manager.

In this role, Kathleen will be working closely with the Divisions of Traffic Operations, Transportation Planning, Local Assistance, and others to lead the development of the Carbon Reduction Strategy and to assist in the coordination of the state and local components of the Carbon Reduction Program.

Kathleen previously served in the Division of Transportation Planning, where she was the acting office chief of multimodal system planning.

She joined Caltrans in 2021 as the interregional transportation strategic plan manager. Prior to Caltrans, she worked as an associate planner at Placer County Transportation Planning Agency.

Kathleen has a master's degree in city and regional planning from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor's degree in history of art and architecture from Harvard University.

Kathleen is also a WTS Sacramento Executive Board member and has an AICP certification.

Outside of work, she likes playing with her dog Maggie, working on her Oak Park bungalow, reading biographies, and hanging out at breweries. 

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David Man, chief of the Division of Traffic Operations

David Man is Caltrans’ new chief of the Division of Traffic Operations. David will lead the department to the forefront of providing next generation mobility solutions and services that stimulate the economy, strengthen local communities, support climate action, and help save lives in our commitment to zero fatalities and serious injuries by 2050.

Over the past eight months as the acting chief of the Division of Traffic Operations, David has led the team to significant progress on key initiatives that will help maximize system performance and create a safer system, meeting dynamic and evolving demands while preparing the department for a technology‑dependent future.

David’s commitment to charting a new roadmap for Traffic Operations, establishing and expanding critical partnerships, initiating development of a virtual sandbox to test new technologies, forming a new Office of Transformational Mobility, and creating pathways to build on the skills of our workforce will allow our department to deliver on key objectives and to be incubators of new ideas with strategies and people to make them a reality. 

Prior to joining Headquarters, David spent most of his career with Caltrans in one of the most diverse and complex transportation environments, in the Bay Area.  He has been instrumental in pioneering and deploying Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), ensuring successful funding and completion of operational improvement and safety projects, and day‑to‑day management of traffic throughout the Bay Area’s nine counties serving 7.6 million residents and more than 20 million visitors a year.

David is a graduate of UC San Diego with bachelor's degrees in Electrical Engineering and Political Science, and he earned a masters in transportation management from the Mineta Transportation Institute. 

In his personal life, David enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter (currently going through a raucous bout of “terrible twos”) and, of course, the occasional round of golf.

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Catalino A. Pining III, District 8 director

Catalino A. Pining III has been selected as the Caltrans District 8 director. 

Catalino has more than 29 years of service with Caltrans and his leadership experience spans three districts (4, 7, and 8), and multiple divisions. 

Catalino’s most recent assignment was as the District 8 deputy district director in Traffic Operations.  Under his leadership, Catalino was instrumental in the reorganization of the division, which efficiently managed the resources that addressed safety and operation of the State Highway Network in the Inland Empire. 

In addition, Catalino shifted the fivision’s focus to innovation by upgrading Transportation Management System (TMS) elements to help improve communication, data analytics, shift to electrification, and remote access to field assets.

In his new capacity, Catalino will manage a $5.6 billion budget and transportation investments in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. As the District 8 director, Catalino will lead nearly 1,700 employees and oversee a region that has an approximate 5 million residents with 49 incorporated cities over 28,000 square miles of roadway, 32 state routes, and 4 interstate routes adding up to 7,200 lane miles.

Catalino has a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from California State Polytechnic University in Pomona and is a licensed Professional Engineer (PE).  Outside of work, Catalino enjoys travelling the world with his wife, Roselle, spending valuable time with family and friends, playing with their two dogs, and also playing tennis. 

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Caridad Sanchez, District 11’s deputy director for External Affairs

Note: The following announcement was made in early January by District 11 Director Gustavo Dallarda.

Caridad Sanchez is District 11’s new deputy director for External Affairs. 

In this new role, Caridad will lead District 11’s new Division of External Affairs and reports directly to the District 11 director.

Throughout her career, Caridad has demonstrated her ability to think strategically, to function as part of an executive team, to lead and motivate an effective team, to engage the public, and to resolve conflicts and negotiate complex policy issues. Caridad shows a personal commitment to build meaningful relationships with communities and elected officials, and a positive attitude and passion to showcase the department's work.

I am confident that Caridad and her team will continue leading the district towards the implementation of Caltrans’ Strategic Plan, and our foundational principles of Safety, Equity, Climate Action and Economic Prosperity.

Prior to this role, Caridad was the Caltrans District 11 Chief of Public Information and Legislative Affairs for six years, in the Division of Administration. She has also over 15 years of experience in the U.S. Congress, including 11 years as the San Diego and Imperial County director for retired U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer.

In her spare time, Caridad enjoys weightlifting and spending time with her family.

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Jeff Wiley, division chief of Headquarters Project Management

Jeff Wiley has been selected as the Division Chief of Headquarters Project Management.

In this role, Jeff is responsible for leading statewide planning and management of the Capital Outlay Support program budget, schedule and risks.

Jeff joined Caltrans in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of California, Davis. 

Throughout his 31-year tenure with the department, Jeff has taken on a wide range of professional challenges. While in the Division of Engineering Services (DES), Jeff managed the DES resources and delivery plans related to DES program allocations. He was also responsible for developing DES’ most innovative data and reporting tools.

In 2018, Jeff was promoted to Assistant Division Chief for Project Management. In that role, Jeff helped lead and guide the districts in the delivery of their Capital Outlay Project portfolios by emphasizing intelligent risk-taking, and fluid communication between districts and Headquarters. During his tenure as Assistant Division Chief, Jeff also took on the additional responsibility of assisting Caltrans Office of Civil Rights with a program review in 2020.

Since Feb. 28, 2022, Jeff has served as Acting Division Chief for Project Management.

When not working Jeff enjoys spending time with his family, watching movies, taking day trips around the region, playing softball, and ensuring his dog is walked frequently.

Obituaries

Retired engineer Milton M. Costello Jr.

Note: The following obituary appeared on the Dignity Memorial website:

Retired Caltrans engineer Milton M. Costello Jr. passed away peacefully at home with his beloved spouse, Elba Carolina, by his side, family at his bedside and faithful dog, Betty, at his feet on Sept. 29, 2022. He was 94.

Milton was born Dec. 4, 1927 in Norfolk, Va. His family settled in San Diego when he was five years old.

He graduated from Grossmont High School, served in the U.S. Army and went on to study Civil Engineering at San Diego State University, graduating in 1951.

He met the love of his life, Elba Carolina Velazquez, while vacationing in Mexico. They married two years later in 1955 and went on to have five children, raising them in San Diego.

Milton worked over 40 years for California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) as senior resident engineer and district construction engineer on various highway and bridge projects throughout San Diego, including the Lilac bridge.

He took pride in his work and would often take his family on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon to visit the construction project he was currently involved with.

Milton loved traveling throughout Mexico and was fluent in Spanish. He kept a promise made to his soon-to-be wife and her parents that he would bring Elba to Mexico each summer to be with her mother and large family. Most summers, he drove the packed station wagon, kids and luggage in tow, and in later years, the van, from San Diego to Mazatlan, Guadalajara, and Guanajuato. Driving through the desert at night, he would pull over, under a star filled night and sleep for a few hours lulling his family to sleep with his steady snore. He made those long, hot car trips fun, exciting and memorable.

Milton would drive back to San Diego after several weeks. At the end of summer, the family would take “El Tren” to Mexicali where Milton would pick them up and drive them back to San Diego.

Milton was adventurous, loved nature and taking road trips.

After his retirement, he began taking short camping or fishing trips to Baja, Mexico, with friends.

While in his 70s, he took his eldest grandson on a camping trip to Baja with fellow Caltrans retiree friends, Boyd and Gene. That began the annual Grandpa Camping Trips to Baja with the group getting larger each year.

Those yearly trips took a lot of planning, some of it done during their Friday morning breakfast meet-ups at Margarita’s in Ocean Beach.

Milton was civic-minded, altruistic and a man of service. He lived his life helping others because “it was the right thing to do.”

He was involved with several non-profit organizations and volunteered at many places including AARP, instructing senior citizens in driving safety classes and income tax assistance. He presented seminars on highway safety design standards in Chile for International Executive Service Corps in Chile. He volunteered on many election days as a poll worker setting up and closing polling stations. He volunteered for Project Mercy Baja constructing housing and a daycare center, Corazon Alegre, for low-income families in Tijuana, Mexico.

He supported the Damas Latinas de San Diego over 50 years, from assisting Elba with delivering the flower arrangements, attending the yearly fundraising gala event or having an event in their beautiful backyard.

Milton is preceded in death by his mother, Elisabeth Beaupre, father, Milton M. Costello, and brothers, Walter and Joseph.

He is survived by his wife, Elba Carolina, five children, Elizabeth, Rosanna, Kathleen, Michael, Paul, six grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Milton brought much happiness to each of us and was an inspiration to many. He was a devoted and loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, uncle and friend. We miss him dearly but are so grateful to have loved him and have been loved by him.

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One-time Caltrans employee Floyd Squires

Note: The following obituary appeared in the Lost Coast Outpost on Oct. 2, 2022.

Floyd Everett Squires III passed away unexpectedly on Sept. 18, 2022. Betty, his beloved wife, life partner and best friend, was by his side.

He was 76.

Floyd was born April 17, 1946, to Floyd E. Squires, Jr. and Ruth Squires in Hayden, Colorado. He moved to Eureka with his parents at 4 years of age.

He attended Eureka High School, Humboldt State University and College of the Redwoods. He worked for Caltrans in his early years and was a self-employed realtor.

He is survived by his mother, Ruth, his brother, Rodney, and his wife, Rene; and his niece, Jacqueline McCullough, husband Shane and their children Hannah, Abigail, Colton and Emmalia McCullough. He is also survived by his sister Susan Johnson. He is also survived by his son, Kristopher, and his stepdaughter, Melissa, and grandchildren Konnor, Amy and Charles Everett.

He is also survived by his sister-in-law Mary Ford and her family; brother- in-law Leonard and Jocelyn; brother-in-law Ike and Yvonne and his very special niece, Janet, and husband Ed and their children.

He is survived by his many friends: Dennis Cline and his family, Mike and Bruce Heddinger and many more.

He was predeceased by his father, Floyd E. Squires, Jr., and stepdaughter, Michele Pozun, and brother-in-law, Edward Ford.

Floyd and Betty traveled extensively throughout Europe, China, Mexico and the United States. He was a member of the Elks Lodge, Masonic Lodge 106, Ingomar Club and the Moose Lodge.

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Eugene Bertram Thomas, retired chief maintenance engineer

Note: The following obituary appeared in the Lost Coast Outpost on Dec. 6, 2022.

Nicknamed Joe (after the comics character Bazooka Joe) by his father, Eugene Bertram Thomas was born to Jessie Mae Campton Thomas and Clarence George Thomas on April 2, 1924. His parents and only sibling, older brother Jerold Campton Thomas (1921–1973), preceded him in death.

Joe learned to fly while still at Eureka High School, taking lessons from his uncle Lester Pierce (Pierce Flying Service) while working at Murray Field. In 1943 he joined the Army Air Corps, trained as a B24 bomber pilot, flew 35 missions, and was shot down on Nov. 19, 1944, in Yugoslavia, where he hid out with his crew for 41 days before being rescued by the OSS. The story of the crew’s rescue along with multiple other air crews is told in the book “The Forgotten Five Hundred.”

After the war, Joe attended Humboldt State College, where he met his beautiful wife, Constance Virginia Ogle, playing ping pong. She beat him soundly, but as he said, “She was cute as hell.” They were married in 1949. At the end of his life he declared, “She was always right.”

He completed his degree in civil engineering at Stanford University on the G.I. bill and began his career as a highway engineer at the California Division of Highways. His engineering projects included spans of Highway 101 up and down Humboldt County.

Along the way three children were born, Laurel Ann Thomas, Dan Charles Thomas and Melinda Lee Thomas. A state-of-the-art ranch house was designed and built by Joe and Connie on Park Street in Eureka.

The family moved to Sacramento in 1969 when Joe was promoted to Headquarters for the California Division of Highways, now Caltrans, eventually rising to chief maintenance engineer for the entire state. Connie and Joe had a wonderful life of friends, children and grandchildren, travel and endless projects.

Our father’s resilience throughout his life supported him through war, deaths of dear family members, the death of our mother, the devastating fire in his home, and finally, through the difficulties of failing health. One of his final statements was, “I’m still optimistic.” He was always supportive and understanding, interested in everything in the world, and eternally positive in his outlook. His long life exemplified the Greatest Generation: service, patriotism, strength of character, hard work, and not unlike Queen Elizabeth, a fondness for gin.

Eugene Thomas is survived by children Laurel (spouse Darrel Tidaback, children Eugene and Willow), Dan (spouse Lisa, children Alexandra, Charlotte, and Ian, great-grandchildren Theia & Selene) and Melinda (spouse Steven Schmalz, children Laurel and Austin), and nieces Susan (spouse Weldon Benzinger, children Mary, Tom, Mark, John, and Sarah), Jane (spouse Neil Zimmerman), and nephew Jim (Susan, daughter Amy).