• Introduction to the T2 Center E-Learning's Coffee & Conversations
• Signal Spotlight: On-Demand Learning: Basics of Traffic Signal Operations Course Launch
• Safety Matters: Taking STEPs to Boost Pedestrian Safety
• Warren's Words of Wisdom: Back to Basics — Electrical Boot Camp — Part 2
• Innovation Station: Robotic Research to Help CTDOT Make U.S. Transportation History on CTfastrak by Automating First Heavy-duty Transit Buses for Revenue Service Deployment
• NEW Tailgate Talk: Hygiene in the Workplace

Introduction to the T2 Center E-Learning's Coffee & Conversations

The T2 Center is pleased to announce two new E-Learning Program opportunities. The Safety Circuit Rider and the Traffic Signal Circuit Rider Programs will begin hosting new virtual discussion series called  Safety Matters Coffee & Conversation  and  Signal Spotlight Coffee & Conversation .

The first  Safety Matters Coffee & Conversation  will be held on August 26, 2020, from 10am to 11am. The conversation will be an interview with Balazs Martai, CTDOT Traffic Engineering, in which we will discuss what the Safety Office does, some exciting projects they are working on and the relationship between CTDOT Safety and the Safety Circuit Rider program. Also, we will be discussing how local agencies can take advantage of the opportunities presented. Should time allow, we will do a short Q&A with attendees. More information will be sent out on the CT Public Works Listserv in a couple of weeks. Hope to "see" you there!

We will be hosting the first of the  Signal Spotlight Coffee & Conversation  series this fall. Each conversation will be held from 10am to 11am and consist of an informal presentation or interview of approximately 20 to 30 minutes, followed by Q&A and open discussion. A variety of topics will be discussed, with the first being video detection. Stay tuned for the schedule, and as always, if you have a topic suggestion or some good work to share, we would love to hear from you!

Signal Spotlight: On-Demand Learning: Basics of Traffic Signal Operations Course Launch

The T2 Center is pleased to announce the launch of the first on-demand Traffic Signal Academy course. This new course, Basics of Traffic Signal Operations, provides an overview of traffic signals and how they operate. It is recommended for new signal technicians, engineers, and other municipal employees interested in an introduction to traffic signals. An on-demand format offers the flexibility of completing the course on one’s own schedule, as well as having it available at any time of the year for new hires.

The course consists of a video lecture with knowledge checks, a downloadable learning guide for future reference, and an online participant evaluation. It covers the advantages and disadvantages of installing a traffic signal, the main components of a signal, and the basic terminology used to describe the operations of a traffic signal. Standard NEMA phasing and the Ring and Barrier Diagram are also discussed.

To learn more about this course, click here .

If you have traffic signal systems questions, please contact:

Theresa Schwartz, P.E., P.T.O.E. - Traffic Signal Circuit Rider

Taking STEPs to Boost Pedestrian Safety

With warm weather comes outdoor activity, and one of the most popular activities is walking. Over 110 million Americans walk for exercise, transportation to work or school, or just for fun! With that many pedestrians out there, who are vulnerable users of the roadways, it’s important to keep them safe.

Pedestrian fatalities escalated 53 percent between 2009 and 2018, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Crashes with vehicles killed 6,283 pedestrians in 2018, the highest number since 1990. The Federal Highway Administration has made pedestrian safety a priority through their Every Day Counts (EDC) initiative Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian or STEP.

STEP promotes proven safety countermeasures for addressing pedestrian safety, and ranges from low-cost measures such as enhanced signage and markings to larger-scale projects such as Rapid Rectangular Flashing Beacons (RRFBs). The entire list, often referred to as the Spectacular Seven, along with additional information on each can be found here .

If you have any questions about local road safety concerns, you can contact:

Back to Basics — Electrical Boot Camp by Warren Rogers, C.S.P.

Part 2: Back to Basics Series

Last month we reviewed how electricity can kill you, mainly because you’re full of it. I mean water, salt and chemicals are over 80% of your body weight, which unfortunately makes you the best conductor of electricity on earth. But unlike a copper wire, you will burn up when the electricity flows through you—never a good thing. Linemen call dying by Primary contact a closed casket death. Dying by Secondary contact will probably be open casket, having caused less physical damage. But heck, you’re just as dead either way. Be smart, never trust any wires, primary or secondary, to be safe unless someone with the training and equipment is standing there tell you it’s safe to grab that wire. When they do that, you tell them to “You grab it first.” Your momma didn’t raise a fool!

This month we’re looking to recognize the electrical equipment in the field you could encounter while cutting grass, trimming trees, or clearing storm debris.

Substations are the locations where Transmission voltages (115,000 to 345,000 volts) get turned into Distribution Primary voltages, which could be 4,800 volts up to 23,000 volts.

Robotic Research to Help CTDOT Make U.S. Transportation History on CTfastrak by Automating First Heavy-duty Transit Buses for Revenue Service Deployment

“We applaud the USDOT and CTDOT for their support for innovation and autonomous transportation technology. We are excited for our future collaboration and joint work on public transportation and autonomous technology,” said  Alberto Lacaze , president of Robotic Research. “We take pride in providing greater accessibility and an improved rider experience for Connecticut citizens. Opportunities like this drive our company’s passion for bringing safer, more reliable automated technology to cities across the world.”  

NEW Tailgate Talk: Hygiene in the Workplace

The T2 Center has published our newest Tailgate Talk informational brief. Each Tailgate Talk focuses on one on-the-job safety topic and is designed to be shared with your crew at the beginning of their day. When employees are presented with safety material in small chunks, in a setting in which they are comfortable, they are more likely to retain that information and put it into practice.

Good hygiene in the workplace is essential for maintaining a healthy environment for all employees and limiting the spread of illness. There are several things employers can do ensure that workers are practicing proper hygiene while ensuring that facilities are sanitary.

WORKER HYGIENE

Hand Washing

Proper hand washing is the single most important way to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases. Hand washing is an activity that should always be done before beginning work and should be repeated frequently throughout the day. It is critical after performing any of the following activities:



• Before and after using the restroom
• Eating foods or drinking beverages
• Returning to work after break
• Coughing, sneezing or blowing the nose
• Touching dirty materials, trash, garbage, or waste
• Performing maintenance on any equipment
• Before and after treating a wound (yourself or others)

Along with our Facebook page, the T2 Center now has an Instagram page! Click on the icons below to like the T2 Center on Facebook and follow the T2 Center on Instagram!

If you have any ideas or suggestions for future Connecticut Crossroads topics, please feel free to email the designer Regina Hackett at regina.hackett@uconn.edu