ISSUE
1
IN THE
FALL 2019 EDITION AUSTIN, TX
WORKS AUSTIN PUBLIC WORKS SLOGAN:
WELL-BUILT
WELL-MAINTAINED
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT AUSTIN PUBLIC WORKS
WELL-BEING FOR ALL
Thank you
“
Yesterday you and your crew repaved par t of the street leading into our driveway. I wasn’t here to tell you thank you, so I want to let you know what a wonder ful job you all did! My husband, my sons, and I are so thankful that we can drive into our driveway now without worr ying about popping our tires. What a dif ference you all have made in our daily lives. Please let me know if there is anyone else I can send a let ter of thanks to to make sure your supervisors know what a terrific job was done. We are just tickled by how quickly you all got on top of this problem for us and the qualit y of work you did. Way to go Nor th District Crew!
”
Sincerely, your appreciative Austinite friend, Claire B., Nor th Austin Resident
page 2 // IN THE WORKS, Fall Edition
SEALING UP THE SEASON This year, sealcoat covered more than 200 lane miles. Technical staff aimed to understand some of the challenges crews face with operations, while also educating field staff on emulsion rates and chemistr y. Staf f worked closely with Austin Transportation’s bike program to create
better solutions for bike lanes. This included the use of dif ferent materials for sealcoat, including a smaller aggregate size (#6). Instead of having t wo separate sealcoat teams, teams were combined to create a more unified unit with the same mission: to ser ve the public and get the job done.
Sealcoat crews carried out another successful season! Teams came together to adapt to new methods and create safer streets for the public.
Fall Edition, IN THE WORKS // page 3
This issue is dedicated to the late RAY (BUBBA) THOMPSON. Ray was a tremendous colleague, friend and valued member of the Sealcoat team. He will be missed by many and we are fortunate to have had him as part of our Public Works family.
PUBLIC WORKS WEEK National Public Works Week is a celebration of the tens of thousands of men and women in Nor th America who provide and maintain the infrastructure and ser vices collectively known as public works. Highlights of the week included a proclamation at Cit y Hall and a luncheon for the depar tment at the Givens Recreation Center. Following the proclamation, Ed Poppit t, Consulting Engineer in the Of fice of the Cit y Engineer, was presented with the Distinguished Ser vice Award from Mayor Adler for his 33 years of ser vice!
Fall Edition, IN THE WORKS // page 5
Supervisor Dale Fischer worked alongside his crew to install a new accessible sidewalk with retaining walls along Buffalo Pass in South Austin. They installed many other sidewalk features in this area and neighbors appreciated the improvements, with one resident noting, “It’s pretty cool how the City came and did this work.”
SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL FIESTA
SAFET Y SUBJECT MAT TER EXPERTS
UPPER BOGGY BASH
On May 17, the Safe Routes to School program held a fiesta to celebrate their dedicated crossing guard teams. This event, officially the program’s Crossing Guard Awards & Recognition Luncheon, included a Tex-Mex buffet, live mariachis from Crockett High School and frozen treats. The fiesta was attended by hundreds of crossing guards, many of whom were presented with awards and recognition for their hard work and years of ser vice. It was a great way to celebrate the end of another safe and successful school year.
Our Safet y Training subject mat ter exper ts (SMEs) are dedicated to positively influencing the safet y culture of the depar tment! They have developed heavy machiner y classes to help advance the careers of our professional staf f. Sign up on TRAIN. Class of ferings include skid-steer and backhoe training, asphalt, concrete, haul-rig, sweeper trainings and more.
On July 12, the Urban Trails Program celebrated new improvements to Upper Boggy Creek Trail with the Upper Boggy Bash. The event was a celebration of recent improvements to the trail bet ween the Capital Metro MLK Jr. Station and E. 12th Street. Improvements include increased trail width to allow space to separate people walking and people on bikes, and the addition of a new bridge over Boggy Creek for safet y and connectivit y. At tendees enjoyed games, activities, and hands-on learning opportunities, as well as complimentar y snow cones and live music.
page 6 // IN THE WORKS, Fall Edition
For questions or for more information, email pwdsafet y@austintexas.gov.
TOP Our Street and Bridge Overlay team hard at work resurfacing Riverside Drive on an incredibly hot July day. Nice job! MIDDLE David Brown (left) and Daniel Robledo from our Quality Management Division (QMD) Land Surveying Group recording coordinates on the easement of a properties. Our QMD team provides land surveying services for most City departments and maintains the City’s surveying records for the public. BOTTOM Public Workers with their kids and grandkids during this year’s City of Austin Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.
Fall Edition, IN THE WORKS // page 7
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID AUSTIN TX PERMIT NO. 2015 CIT Y OF AUSTIN PUBLIC WORKS P.O. Box 1088, Austin, TX 78767-1088
IN THE NEWS For more photos and stories of colleagues and events, check out these other Public Works communications: FACEBOOK (facebook .com/ atxpublicworks), FLICKR (flickr.com/photos/atxpublicworks) and our IN THE WORKS E-NEWSLET TER delivered straight to your inbox!