Photo Courtesy of Kevin Coughlin/Office of Governor
State DOT lit the Kosciuszko Bridge orange Wednesday evening in recognition of Work Zone Awareness Week.
By Forum Staff
City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez on Tuesday joined NYC Department of Design and Construction, the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, the New York State Department of Transportation, the General Contractors Association of New York, National Grid and other entities working on City streets and highways to promote National Work Zone Awareness week, observed this year from April 17-21.
At the start of the annual construction season, transportation and highway departments across the control publicize their campaigns to slow motorists down, promote work zone safety and honor colleagues killed in past work zone intrusions. Tuesday’s event was held at the jobsite for a Vision Zero Street Improvement Project along Meeker Avenue under the BQE in Brooklyn. DOT also announced the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building will be lit orange this evening and that New York State DOT will light the Kosciuszko Bridge orange Wednesday evening, both in recognition of Work Zone Awareness Week.
According to Rodriguez, throughout the year, DOT maintains its commitment to workers through comprehensive work zone training provided by the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) and E-PRO Safety Solutions, ongoing safety assessments of job sites and improvements to fleet equipment such as back-up cameras and retro-reflective markings.
In addition to its internal education and training efforts for employees, DOT officials said the agency places a strong emphasis on its external public awareness campaigns. This season the campaign will focus on ads via the digital and social platforms and highlighting the importance of work zone safety.
DOT experienced 12 work zone intrusions last year, seven of which resulted in injury. Overall, 45 DOT workers have been injured in work zone incidents since 2009 and five have died from work zone-related events during the past two decades.
This week marks the five-year anniversary of DOT losing Bridge electrician George Staab when he was fatally struck at his worksite on the Hutchinson Parkway in the Bronx. Last month, six construction workers were killed on I-695 near Baltimore when a car broke through a gap in protective barriers. Preliminary National Transportation Safety Board reports indicate that the driver was speeding.
The project along Meeker Avenue highlighted by DOT today configures the area under the BQE to provide specific space and connections for pedestrians and cyclists, including a connection to the Kosciuszko bike and pedestrian path. The enhancements in this project require the greatest amount of concrete poured this season at DOT and will greatly clarify movements for all users under the BQE.
DOT’s Sidewalk & Inspection Division mobilizes nine Safety Improvement Project crews each season, along with 22 pedestrian ramp crews and as of yesterday now features two additional Green Wave crews. Last season the division poured over 42,000 cubic yards of concrete for DOT work.
As part of the Meeker project DOT showcased its new volumetric concrete mixer, which allows the Citywide Concrete crews to make pours from one to 10 cubic yards without experiencing any waste and gives DOT the ability to perform work on nights and weekends when vendors would not be available or charge premium prices.
