A Mail Tribune Advertising Department publication
ODOT
December
14 2018
Reboot Your Commute
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Caveman Bridge
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Winter Driving
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Siskiyou Rest Area
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Rogue Valley Expressway
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Remembering Jared Castle This edition of Moving Ahead may look a little different than the previous 80 editions, which date back to 2001. The reason is the creative engine behind this publication – the one with the energy and vision for creative covers and content as well as excellent, easy-to-understand writing – passed away unexpectedly Oct. 19 at the age of 47. Jared Castle was the co-editorial director of this publication. While I provided the content on the Rogue Valley projects, it was Jared who provided the excellent layout, including the overall look, that made the publication enjoyable to read. He had a long background in print journalism in southern Oregon. He represented ODOT here for nearly 20 years. Jared was well-traveled. After graduating from SOU in Journalism,
he spent five years in Japan teaching English and working for an international bank. He came back to Oregon in 1999. Jared is survived by his wife Yumi and two teenage boys, Kai and Kou. It’s been said that we can all be replaced, and we'll carry on. But for those that knew him, there was only one Jared Castle. - Gary Leaming
CONTRIBUTORS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Jaren Hobson Graphic Design
Gary Leaming 541-774-6388 gary.w.leaming@odot.state.or.us
Steve Johnson Photography
ADVERTISING
Brian Fitz-Gerald Illustration
Athena Fliegel 541-776-4385 afliegel@rosebudmedia.com
Shelley Snow, Charles Duncan Editing
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This feature publication is produced separately from the Mail Tribune’s editorial department. All content is developed and approved by the Oregon Department of Transportation. ODOT is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer committed to a diverse workforce. Accommodations will be provided to persons with disabilities; alternate formats are available upon request.
Reboot Your Commute
by Edem Gomez, RVTD Planner Anyone who works on Barnett Road in south Medford knows there’s a lot of traffic that pours onto Barnett Road from south Medford interchange. Traffic counts at the interchange agree. Nearly every weekday morning between 7:45-8 a.m., traffic on southbound I-5 Exit 27 backs onto the freeway, creating a hazard for all road users and results in traffic delays. This congestion affects Highland Drive and Barnett Road, causing delays for health care providers and patients, school staff and families, and other industry employees. With thousands of people navigating these congested local roadways during such a short time frame, small changes in how or when people travel can improve conditions for everyone. That is why the Oregon Department of Transportation and Rogue Valley Transportation District are working together on a campaign called odotmovingahead.com
Reboot Your Commute. This program encourages employees in the Barnett Road area to commute at nonpeak commute times and try options like carpooling, riding the bus, and/or biking to work. The campaign has three goals: ä
I mprove traffic flow through I-5 southbound Exit 27 during the weekday morning commute time between 7:45 - 8:00 a.m.
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S upport employers in the Barnett Road area near Exit 27 to encourage employees to use transportation options by connecting them to RVTD and ODOT resources.
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C onnect employers in the Barnett Road area with RVTD and ODOT resources and partnership opportunities.
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Reboot Your Commute To kick off the effort, RVTD and ODOT While the project team has partnered reached out to large and mediumwith four organizations, any employee sized employers in the Barnett Road in the Barnett Road area can go area to identify which organizations online via RebootYourCommute.org have the most employees who to receive information and support. commute during 7:45-8:00 a.m. By signing up, participants receive six peak traffic. Four free bus rides and major employers opportunities to win were identified, prizes (thanks to Reboot your and each agreed campaign sponsors to partner on the Fred Meyer, Extreme commute is campaign: Rogue Juice, and the Regional Medical Human Bean). working to Center, Rogue Valley Through Reboot Manor, the Medical connect people Your Commute, Eye Center and RVTD and ODOT are St. Mary’s School. to travel options working to connect The project team is people to travel working closely with options, which will human resources improve traffic conditions in the south and communications departments Medford area. This will benefit our at each organization to inform regional transportation system, our employees of the traffic issue and local economy, environment and options available to avoid it. the community.
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Caveman Bridge The facelift of Caveman Bridge – both structural and cosmetic – is nearly complete, and community members will be planning to celebrate the new, refurbished look on the 87-year-old Rogue River crossing later this spring. The once gray, dingy looking arched bridge is light, bright and graceful looking once again. “The bridge looks great!” said Grants Pass City Council President Valerie Lovelace. “The completion of the project – along with the hoped-for refurbishing of the historic Redwood Empire sign – will make for a community celebration later this spring.” In 1931, that original celebration included a Memorial Day weekend picnic at nearby Riverside Park, complete with the noted Cavemen civic group. The Cavemen also plan to be in attendance next year, according to James Lowe, Chief Big Horn of the Cavemen, an off-shoot of the Grants Pass Active Club. Recently, most of the work has been below the bridge deck, with workers installing the skim coat and sealant. Once complete, the work platform beneath the bridge will be dismantled.
“The intensive, time-consuming work is complete on the bridge,” said ODOT Project Coordinator Todd Snyder. ‘”Our contractor has done excellent work coming into the end story continued on page 9
Larry Nicholson, Agent 1380 Biddle Rd, Ste B Medford, OR 97504 larry@larrynicholson.com Bus: 541-772-3233 MF-00100585
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www.cavemanbridge.com
Oregon’s Historic Bridge Field Guide describes Caveman Bridge as “highly ornamented, including pylon lampposts, decorative brackets and a floral panel bridge rail” and lists the bridge as only one of three of its kind remaining in the state.
This bridge rehabilitation project is the first major facelift of Caveman Bridge since its construction in 1931. The rainbow arch spanning the Rogue River was designed by Oregon’s famed bridge engineer Conde B. McCullough, who oversaw construction during the Great Depression era. McCullough’s work is widely known for architectural beauty and the Caveman Bridge is no exception.
the city of Grants Pass. Generations of tourists traveled across the Caveman Bridge, which spans the Rogue River and serves as a gateway to the Redwood Highway (U.S. 199) corridor, linking the Rogue Valley to gigantic forests and the coastlines of southern Oregon and northern California.
Caveman Bridge is an iconic link in
Improve bridge illumination with new lighting that maintains the character of the bridge’s street lights.
Repaired sections of cracked concrete, exposed rebar and failed joints along the 550foot long bridge.
Addressed deck delamination by removing the old asphalt cap and replaced it with a stronger pre-mixed polymer concrete bridge deck.
Caveman Bridge Rehabilitation Project
Replaced the original bridge rail, maintaining its unique design while meeting today’s safety standards.
Cost: $5.3 million Schedule: Sept. 2017 – Feb. 2019
Caveman Bridge story continued from page 7
of the year, and the entire project should wrap by the contract end date of next February. Contractor HP Civil only used two nights out of 12 allowed full night closures of the bridge to do the work. Those two full night closures were needed to pour the new bridge deck surface. Much of the other work that affected traffic was done at night with a single lane open to allow necessary construction while keeping the bridge open to traffic.
“We thank the community and the nearby citizens for their patience during this project,� said ODOT Project Manager Tim Fletcher.
80 years of leadership
BUILDING THE FUTURE YOU DEPEND ON
Thanks Southern Oregon residents and visitors for being a great partner this year! Wow, it has been a busy year with work on the new Highway 62 Expressway, major paving contracts, and tons of road work. We want to thank you for your willingness to take a few more minutes to get to places. Truth is, building the future depends on everyone willing to be inconvenienced just a bit. Our employees thank you for keeping them safe and productive this year. If you want the best for you and the environment, give Knife River Materials a call today.
541-770-2960 odotmovingahead.com
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Winter Driving El Nino weather patterns are hard to predict, other than they make for a warmer and wetter winter. Still, ODOT crews are prepared for the season. The hope is you will be prepared for winter driving as well. “Winter weather seems to vary from one season to the next,” said ODOT District Manager Jerry Marmon. “Last winter was different than this winter - so far- but the partnerships we have with California and the driving public are the same.” That means being prepared on the I-5 drive from the Rogue Valley all the way to Redding. “Every winter, we meet drivers stuck in the snow, trying to chain up but dressed like they’re on a beach vacation,” said Everett Carroll, Ashland Maintenance manager. “The Siskiyou Pass is no place for shorts and flip-flops. You need to come prepared.” Snowstorms don’t know political boundaries. That is why the section of I-5 from the California border to Exit 11 south of Ashland with Siskiyou Summit in the middle is challenging. Weather conditions change rapidly. Carroll said it’s not uncommon for a snowstorm to close the interstate on the California side of the mountain pass while road conditions remain dry and clear near Ashland.
requirements and no full closures over Siskiyou Summit while north of Grants Pass it was a different story. There were two long-term closures and 11 chain restrictions on Sexton, Smith and Stage passes, which stretch 15 miles. Each is about two-thousand feet lower in elevation than Siskiyou Summit and each pass and valley can have different weather characteristics or micro-climates.
“You never know what to expect, so you have to expect everything,” said Carroll.
“Lower elevation snow is much more difficult to forecast because it occurs irregularly and we don’t always know how much cold air is trapped at lower elevations preceding a storm – or if and when cold air will mix out and warm up,” said National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist Ryan Sandler.
Prepare for the worst “Every winter has different impacts on the I-5 corridor,” said Marmon. For instance, last year saw nine chain
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complements a variety of resources ODOT maintenance crews use to combat the effects of winter on the I-5 corridor. For example, crews apply deicer (magnesium chloride) and sanding material (cinder) on hills, curves, bridges and known trouble spots. The deicer is used as an anti-icer before the storm to help prevent ice from forming on the road, and as a deicer after the storm to help break the bond between ice and the road. “We can’t stop the snow but we can prevent it from bonding to our highways,” said Marmon. “We are constantly improving efficiencies and equipment that allow our maintenance crews to focus on more areas during winter storms.”
Sandler said Siskiyou Summit is higher and more exposed, which makes forecasting snow easier, but not easy. “Poor visibility can be a big driving issue for both areas but under different weather patterns. Siskiyou Summit might poke up into the clouds, causing visibility to be reduced to near zero in dense fog,” he said. “Across the passes north of Grants Pass, there could be high pressure with fog in the valleys. Maintenance practices ODOT’s ability to use salt when needed receives a lot of media and public interest. However, salt is not the only tool in the agency’s winter maintenance toolbox. Salt
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Winter maintenance practices include plowing, sanding and applying winter anti-icing liquid and finally, salt. Crews use snowplows to clear snow, and they use frame-mounted tailgate sanders, deicer trucks and spreaders to sand and salt roadways. On the Siskiyou Pass, pusher trucks (trucks equipped with counterweights over the rear axle for better traction and thick rubber noses over the front bumper) are called in to push and straighten out stalled or jackknifed commercial trucks that can close down all lanes in a moment. “This is all about partnerships and the driving public is at the center,” said Marmon. “We have crews and equipment ready. Drivers need to be prepared as well – and a big part of that is driving to conditions, maybe even waiting until conditions improve, and keeping informed through Tripcheck.com.”
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KNOW
BEFORE YOU GO
Pay attention to these four snow zone messages:
Carry Chains or Traction Tires The chains or traction tires must be in or on your vehicle, and they must be the right size for your vehicle and of sufficient number to comply with the chain rules.
Chains Required on Vehicles Towing or Over 10,000 GVW Vehicles towing or rated for more than 10,000 pounds GVW must use chains.
Chains Required on Vehicles Towing or Single Drive Axle Over 10,000 GVW You must use chains if your vehicle is rated 10,000 pounds GVW (gross vehicle weight) or less and is towing; or is a single drive axle vehicle rated over 10,000 GVW. Chains must also be used on the trailer or vehicle being towed to comply with chain rules.
Chains Required-Traction Tires Allowed on Vehicles Under 10,000 GVW Vehicles towing or rated for 10,000 pounds GVW must use chains. Vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds GVW or less and that are not towing must use chains or traction tires.
CHAIN REQUIREMENTS Chains include link chains, cable chains, or any other device that attaches to the wheel, vehicle, or outside of the tire, which is specifically designed to increase traction on ice and snow. Traction tires include studded tires or tires that meet tire industry standards for use in severe snow conditions. Studless traction tires that meet Rubber Manufacturers Association standards for use in severe snow conditions
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carry a special symbol on the tire sidewall: a three-peaked mountain and snowflake. Research shows these tires provide better traction than studded tires on bare pavement. When towing, cars and light trucks must use chains on both tires of the drive axle; chains also must be on the two outside tires of at least one axle of a trailer that is equipped with a brake. In most winter conditions, fourwheel and all-wheel-drive vehicles are exempt from the requirement to use chains or traction tires if the vehicle is not towing.
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CONDITIONAL CLOSURES Extreme winter conditions on Interstate 5 Siskiyou Pass and the summits north of Grants Pass often require a conditional road closure – a requirement for all vehicles to use chains regardless of the type of vehicle or type of tire. ODOT and Oregon State Police maintain check points and will turn a motorist around if they aren’t prepared.
I-5 SOUTHERN OREGON CHAIN RESTRICTIONS 1. Carry Chains Chains must be in or on your vehicle and must be the right size and of sufficient number to comply with chain laws. 2. Single Axle Trucks and Vehicles Pulling Trailers All single axle trucks over 10,000 GVW (gross vehicle weight), trucks pulling double trailers, and any vehicle pulling a trailer is required to install chains. Traction tires cannot be substituted for chains.
3. All Trucks and Vehicles Pulling Trailers All trucks over 10,000 GVW as well as any vehicle pulling a trailer needs to chain up. Traction tires cannot be substituted for chains. 4. Full Chain Restriction This is Oregon’s most severe winter restriction. All vehicles, with the exception of vehicles with 4-wheel drive (unless towing) and emergency response vehicles, are required to install chains. A traction tire is not allowed to substitute for chains.
Check out this primer on how to drive I-5 Siskiyou Summit in the winter:
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SALT AS ANOTHER TOOL
Expanded use of rock salt on Interstate 5 north from Ashland follows a successful fiveyear pilot project on Siskiyou Summit and on 120 miles of U.S. 95 in far southeastern Oregon between Nevada and Idaho. Siskiyou Pass was chosen because it’s the highest point on the I-5 corridor between Canada and Mexico. During winter, chain restrictions, traffic delays and temporary road closures regularly occur. Due to the elevation and length of the Siskiyou Pass, road and weather conditions can change rapidly. “Because California was using salt and we weren’t, traffic would come to a standstill for miles at the border because we had pack on the highway and a chain requirement. It caused delays, headaches for travelers and a safety problem for everyone,” said ODOT District Manager Jerry Marmon. “With the use of salt, when we need to, our level of service is consistent with California and our other neighbors.” Salt reduces the freezing point of water, leading to melting and preventing icy build-up. Last winter, ODOT expanded salt application on Interstate 5 through Josephine County and Douglas counties to Canyonville. The agency constructed a rock salt storage shed in Hugo for the purpose. ODOT continues its partnership with Caltrans to use its salt shed located across the border in Hilt. The expanded use of salt in eastern Oregon includes Interstate 84 between Idaho and Boardman, Interstate 82 near Hermiston, U.S. 395 and 730, and Oregon 207, 331 and 11. During severe winter storms, salt may be applied to other state highways with approval from the state maintenace and operations manager.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ODOT previously avoided rock salt due to its corrosive effect on asphalt, bridges and vehicles, as well as concerns about runoff into soil and streams. The five-year pilot assessed environmental impacts to nearby stream and soils in coordination with Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Fish and Wildlife and other agencies. These studies are on-going. “Compared with states in the Midwest, Washington, California and now Oregon use a fraction of the salt applied in colder states,” said Marmon. “We have learned best practices from Caltrans and we will continue to monitor salt use closely.”
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5
THINGS
by Larry Nicholson State Farm Agent
I WISH EVERY DRIVER WOULD DO
Due to the lack of winter weather leading up to deadline, some creative Photoshop work was needed for this edition’s cover shot. But winter driving is real and can turn treacherous. Even on a short trip, you can find yourself stranded for several hours.
HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO BE BETTER PREPARED: 1. Prepare Your Vehicle Get ready by checking: • Hoses and fan belts • Spark plugs • Fluid levels • Battery strength • Tire pressure and tread life • Air, fuel, and emission filters • Spare tire and jack 2. Follow Winter Driving Guides Before you start your vehicle: • Don’t warm in a closed garage. • Keep your gas tank at least half full to prevent gas line freeze-up. • Make sure your exhaust pipe is not clogged with mud or snow. • Don’t use cruise control on icy roads. • Allow more time for braking when visibility is poor. • Stay calm if you start to skid. 3. Carry Emergency Supplies Always carry jumper cables, tirechanging tools, a flashlight, and a first aid kit. Include these items: • A small, folding shovel • Tow and tire chains • Basic tool kit • Bag of road salt or cat litter • Windshield wiper fluid • Antifreeze • Warning flares • Tire chains (know how to install!)
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4. Pack a Survival Kit Traveling in an area where you could get stranded? Carry these useful items: • Compass • Ice scraper and brush • Wooden matches • Non-perishable food • Prescription medicine • Cell phone charger • Blankets and warm clothing 5. Stranded? Stay Calm! Follow these tips: • Pull off the highway, if possible, turn on your hazard lights or light flares, and hang a distress flag from an antenna or window. • Call 911 and describe your location as precisely as possible. • Remain in your vehicle. • Run your vehicle’s engine and heater about 10 minutes each hour to keep warm. Crack open a downwind window slightly for ventilation and clear snow from the exhaust pipe to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. • Exercise a little to maintain body heat but avoid sweating. • Drink fluids to avoid dehydration.
Let’s all be safe this year!
Plan ahead and be prepared!
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Siskiyou Rest Area
The new I-5: Siskiyou Safety Rest Area and Welcome Center south of Ashland is now dried in for the season while crews continue work. Contractor Adroit Construction has been working on the outside of the two buildings – the restrooms and the welcome center – through the summer and fall seasons. Now that the cold and wet of winter is upon us, craftsmen are working on the lobby, offices and other facilities that make up the welcome center. odotmovingahead.com
“Our contractor is on track to finish the facility by the end of April,” said ODOT Project Manager Tim Fletcher. The ongoing construction is part of the second phase of the overall project, building the Cascadia-themed facility. The first phase entailed building the I-5 ramps and the service road in and out of the facility. When complete, Oregon Travel Experience and Travel Oregon will operate the facility to serve
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Siskiyou Rest Area I-5 travelers who just crossed the Oregon-California border. California is Oregon’s biggest tourism market and most visitors come into Oregon by way of I-5. “This new facility will help enhance and inspire the journey of those returning to Oregon or visiting our state for the first time,” said Travel Oregon CEO Todd Davidson. The new facility is open to all traffic except
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commercial trucks. ODOT built new restroom facilities for the trucking industry at the Ashland Port of Entry, located between Ashland I-5 Exits 14 and 19.
“our contractor
is on track to finish the facility by the end of April. ” — ODOT Project Manager Tim Fletcher
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ODOT closed the old rest area in 1997 for public safety, following a series of commercial truck crashes within the rest area, which was located on a steep Siskiyou Pass grade, roughly two miles south of the current location under construction.
Rogue Valley Expressway Traffic will shift onto the new Rogue Valley Expressway later this winter. When those first vehicles transition onto the concrete roadway, it will be after nearly three years of construction and 20 years of planning on the 4.5 mile long expressway, designed to increase safety and reduce congestion on the busy corridor between Medford and points north. The $120 million project was funded in part by the 2009 Oregon Legislature’s Jobs and Transportation Act.
Over the summer, the roadway surface was poured at night to avoid hot temperatures and allow for a better concrete cure. Since then, the shoulders, center barrier and guardrail have been placed. Striping and signs at the transition points will soon be installed before drivers can jump onto the expressway. Once it opens, it is projected to save about seven minutes in travel time between Medford and Eagle Point. Increase capacity, improve safety The project increases capacity and improves safety, while also improving a critical business connection for commercial freight, tourism and commuters from Medford to destinations east.
“Motorists driving by either end of the expressway – either on the north or south end – have seen the new roadway,” said ODOT Project Coordinator Chris Penka. “It’s been ongoing, but it’s been out of view.”
story continued on page 22
Your Winter Driving Headquarters!
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Oregon 62 South Expressway Improvements
LANDMARKS
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Del Taco
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All RV Needs
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Dazey’s Hubbard’s Hardware
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Starbucks
15 Discount Tire Multi-use Pathway
Sky Park Drive
Rogue Valley Expressway
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Whittle Road
Rogue Valley Expressway story continued from page 19
The four-lane expressway begins east of Interstate 5 Exit 30 and diverges from Crater Lake Highway southeast of the Rogue Valley InternationalMedford Airport. The Rogue Expressway spans Coker Butte and Vilas Roads, and connects at a signalized intersection with Oregon 62 near Corey Road, located south of White City. Driving the Expressway “Follow the signs.” That’s the advice a sage traffic engineer once gave when asked how to drive a new section of roadway. Just prior to opening, new directional signs will placed and striping will be painted at the transition points to the expressway. Roadways are designed so they’re intuitive to drivers. For the eastbound driver on Oregon 62 from I-5, the far left lane that now ends prior to the expressway will be open as an exclusive lane onto the new facility. The middle lane will be an optional lane – to either enter the expressway or continue on toward Delta Waters Road and corridor businesses. “Once you get on the expressway, you’ll be on it all the way to the end,” said Project Manager Tim Fletcher. Coming from Eagle Point or Oregon 140, westbound Oregon 62 traffic bound for Medford will see the turnoff onto the expressway just south of White City. At that point drivers can choose to either enter the expressway or to continue on the existing business corridor. Another option for those traveling south on Agate Road will be to take it past East Gregory Road where it will transition onto the expressway.
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New Bike Lanes The corridor between Poplar/Bullock Roads and Delta Waters Roads features new sidewalks and bike lanes. On the north side of the highway, part of the old Medco multi-use path has reopened for pedestrians and bikes to connect from the Delta Center, home to Starbucks and other retailers. The path features a new riding surface as well as lighting. That path will be critical for rider and pedestrian safety on the north side of the highway between Delta Waters Road and Bullock Road. The westbound path begins where the bike lanes ends near Discount Tire. It makes a few curves before it enters a tunnel under the westbound expressway lane before continuing to the west. “Bicyclists who are currently use to riding up and over the directional interchange will soon find themselves in the middle of high speed traffic if they don’t follow the signs,” said ODOT Active Transportation Coordinator Jenna Marmon. Rogue Valley Expressway As times change, names change and, sometimes, they change more than once. When groundbreaking for the first phase of the $120 million Oregon odotmovingahead.com
62 Expressway began in May 2016, the project’s former name, “Oregon 62: I-5 to Dutton Road,” was retired. “During the development process, project names are often focused on where the work begins and ends,” said ODOT Project Information Specialist Gary Leaming. “Sometimes, as a project nears the construction stage and evolves, we need a new name that is more public-friendly.” When the project wraps up in early 2019, the new road becomes the Rogue Valley Expressway. ODOT Assistant District Manager Jeremiah Griffin said a new name is necessary to eliminate possible confusion with Crater Lake Highway and Crater Lake Avenue, which are both located in close proximity.
ODOT is working with emergency service providers during project development to address their operational needs. Gated entry points at Vilas and Justice Roads will provide access to and from the Rogue Valley Expressway during emergencies. “The last thing we want is confusion when response time is critical,” said Griffin. “Emergency service providers share our agency’s concern. We want people to understand which road they are traveling on when they call 911 for help.”
Check out this early look at how to drive the Rogue Valley Expressway
Holiday Air Travel Tips by Debbie Smith Deputy Director-Security, Rogue Valley International Airport
It’s the holiday season! We continue to break records, as we have the past 24 months, at the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport. To keep your holiday spirit festive this busy travel season, especially if you’re traveling by air, here are a few tips to keep your spirits merry and bright.
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Tip #1 Check in early for your flight – With the ease of internet, and even more so mobile apps, it is recommended passengers check in 24 hours in advance for domestic flights. This not only lets the air carrier know you will be present for that flight, it saves time when arriving at the airport. Tip #2 Go through your bag – Before you even begin to pack your bag, go through it first to see if anything has been left in it from a previous trip, especially if it has been used for a recent hunting or fishing trip. Everyday across the U.S., guns, knives and other prohibited items are found in carry-on bags at checkpoints. This is not a discovery you want to make while going through the TSA Checkpoint. (For a detailed list of prohibited items, visit www.TSA.gov) Tip #3 Refrain from wrapping – You won’t miss a beat if you wrap those gifts after you get to your destination. Regardless if the gift is in your carry-on or checked bag – if that special something requires additional screening, it will end up getting unwrapped, and not by the potential gift recipient. And, if you plan on taking jams, jellies and/or sauces, it is best to put these items in your checked bag, as they will not be permitted through the TSA Checkpoint, unless under 3.4 ounces. Tip #4 Get to the airport early – It is estimated one million passengers will travel through the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport this year! With the increase in travelers, wait times at the ticket counters and the security checkpoint have increased as well. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to get to the airport and through the security process. Nothing generates anxiety like being late for a flight then
running into a wall of people who are standing in line at the ticket counter or at the screening checkpoint. Having a little buffer of time can reduce the stress and keep your holiday cheer intact. We recommend arriving two hours prior to your boarding time. Tip #5 Have boarding pass and ID ready – To get the security screening process off to a smooth start, when approaching the TSA Ticket Document Checker have your boarding pass in hand and your valid ID ready to go. Once these items have been checked, put them away for safe keeping. Tip #6 Use the bins at the Security Checkpoint to keep things organized – TSA has enhanced security measures, which may add a few minutes to the screening process. To make the security process flow more smoothly: ä
All liquids going through the checkpoint must not be larger than 3.4 ounces and must fit in a quart sized bag. Remove these items from carry-on and place in a bin.
ä
Shoes must be in a bin by themselves, or placed directly on the conveyor belt (Nothing on top of, or below shoes.)
ä
If wearing a hat, belt, coat, sweatshirt and/or scarf remove it and place in bin.
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All electronics must be removed from carry-on and placed in bin(s): *Cell phones *Lap tops *Tablets *Kindles *Video game consoles
While this is not an all inclusive list, these six tips will help keep the humbug out of holiday travel.
SAFE TRAVELS EVERYONE! odotmovingahead.com
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GLASS . . . It’s what we do! Full Service Glass Shop Since 1954
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