Transportation Take Away, This Week: Speed Limits!

 

The UMass Transportation Center (UMTC) launched the Transportation Take Away series about a month ago. These short video series on transportation engineering topics hope to be the link between the public and experts in the field.

Points of interest range from everything from Roundabouts v. Rotarys to Marijuana & Transportation to Bike Shares and more.

The latest Transportation Take Away is on Speed Limits. Check it out below:

Click here to see past Transportation Take Away videos!

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MA Driver Skills & Safety Training Event!

2018 Massachusetts Driver Skills & Safety Event is July 18, 2018!

Hosted by the Massachusetts Highway Association, the MA Driver Skills & Safety Event, is designed to demonstrate teamwork, safety awareness, and vehicle operating skills in a competitive and fun setting. In addition to trucks, this training event will also include a wheel loader event.

First place winners qualify for the National Roadeo in Loveland, CO!

Click here to register today!

2018 Innovation & Mobility Exchange: In Review

The 2018 Innovation & Mobility Exchange was the first year where the MassMobility’s Massachusetts Community Transportation Coordination Conference merged with the MassDOT Innovation & Tech Transfer Exchange.

This combined event is an invaluable opportunity for state, MPO/local, transit agencies, researchers, human service agency staff, advocates, planners and private sector practitioners to share ideas, sponsor peer-to-peer learning, and collaborate on issues of mutual interest.

Their inclusion created a new conference energy, added new participants, and created new learning and networking opportunities for attendees during the exchange.

Highlights of this year’s conference include:

• 1248 Total Registrations
• 93 Sponsors and Exhibitors
• A Re-Imagined First Floor Exhibit Space with a Full-Scale Complete Street Equipped with:
  • Drones
  • Electric bicycles and scooters
  • Segways
  • Oxboards
  • Brick sidewalks
  • Road striping
  • Traffic signals and signs
  • Parklets with cornhole and basketball
  • Electric bus
    and more!
• Keynote Speakers
  • Karyn Polito – Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  • Stephanie Pollack – Secretary & Chief Executive Officer of MassDOT
  • Jeff McEwen- Division Administrator Federal Highway Administration
  • Luisa Paiewonsky – Director, Center for Infrastructure Systems and Technology, Volpe National Transportation Systems Center
  • Jonathan Gulliver – Highway Administrator of MassDOT
  • Patricia Leavenworth – Chief Engineer of MassDOT
  • Rachel Fichtenbaum – EOHHS Mobility Manager at MassMobility
  • Robin Lipson – Chief of Staff and Chief Strategy Officer for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs

Make sure to save the date for next year’s conference
April 9 & 10, 2019

Governor Baker Signs Bill Applying OSHA Protections to State Executive Branch Workers

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On March 9, 2018, Governor Charlie Baker signed a bill extending OSHA safety law standards to all public employees throughout the Commonwealth.

…AND we have a CLASS FOR THAT!

Baystate Roads OSHA 10 Hour Construction Training Workshops

The OSHA Outreach Ten Hour Construction Training Program provides training on the recognition, avoidance, abatement, and prevention of workplace hazards. Classes also provide overview information regarding OSHA, including workers’ rights, employer responsibilities, and how to file a complaint. All OSHA 10 Hour Construction Training is intended to cover an overview of the hazards a worker may encounter on a job site. Training emphasizes hazard identification, avoidance, control and prevention, not OSHA standards.

Dates & Locations:
4/3/2018 – 4/4/2018 • Mass Development, 100 Sherman Road, Devens
4/24/2018 – 4/25/2018 • Bellingham Police Department, 30 Blackstone Street, Bellingham
5/2/2018 – 5/3/2018 • UMass Center Springfield, 1500 Main Street, Springfield
5/8/2018 – 5/9/2018 • Hamilton-Wenham Public Library, 14 Uniion St., South Hamilton

Click Here to Register

More Information Available at:
https://www.osha.gov/about.html
http://www.masslive.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/03/gov_charlie_baker_signs_bill_e.html

Massachusetts Project Intake Tool (MaPIT) Videos Available Now!

This past October, MassDOT rolled out a new tool for project management to the 365 communities in the Commonwealth. The tool titled, Massachusetts Project Intake Tool, or MaPIT, is a web-based application that helps to streamline completion of municipals Project Need Forms (PNF) and Project Intuition Forms (PIF).

Baystate roads, within the UMTC will be hosting free workshops in classrooms and online for those who wish to familiarize themselves with the new tool. The workshops are instructor led step-by-step software training and demonstrations. The workshop trainings are aimed to help project managers, town selectmen, consulting companies, and others who would need to use the tool feel confident with the new technology.

The intention behind MaPIT is to expedite project initiation, environmental permitting, scoring, and project delivery. It does this by automating Project Need Form screening for relevant GIS layers, transferring PNF information to PIF forms. The app also maps your project location for DOT and public viewing, and upon approval, your project is assigned a number and your information is automatically transferred to the MassDOT Project Info Software System.

Since September seven classes have been held with close to 200 participants from 62 municipalities represented.

MaPIT videos are available online on UMTC’s Vimeo at: https://vimeo.com/umtc

Workshops Scheduled for the New Year!

Start 2018 with All About Asphalt and 
Trenching & Excavating Safety workshops!

All About Asphalt

In this workshop you will learn about selection of materials for construction, maintenance and reconstruction of pavements; the various maintenance treatments and conditions under which they should be used; and how to identify the various pavement distress types and their causes.

Dates and Locations
January 17, 2018-  Hanover DPW Facility,  219 Winter Street, Hanover, MA 02339
January 18, 2018- MassDOT District 1,  270 Main Street,  Lenox, MA 01240
January 24, 2018- Wellesley DPW,  20 Municipal Way, 2nd Floor,  Wellesley, MA 02481
January 25, 2018- Tewksbury Public Library,  300 Chandler Street,  Tewksbury, MA 01876
January 30, 2018-  Whately Town Offices,  4 Sandy Lane,  South Deerfield, MA 01273

Register Here!

Trenching & Excavating Safety: Competent Person

What does it mean to be a “Competent Person” in Trenching and Excavation Safety? The OSHA excavation standard states that a competent person is: “one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings, or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous or dangerous to employees and has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.” OSHA states that you must have specific training in and knowledge to perform soil analyses, determine the protective system to be used in excavations and conduct daily inspections.

Dates and Locations
January 9, 2018- Rehoboth DPW, 345 Anawan Street, Rehoboth, MA 02769
January 10, 2018- Winchendon Town Hall, 109 Front Street, Winchendon, MA 01475
January 11, 2018- MassDOT District 1, 270 Main Street, Lenox, MA 01240
January 16, 2018- UMass Springfield, 1500 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01115
January 31, 2018- Wellesley DPW, 20 Municipal Way, Wellesley, MA 02481

Register Here!

Class 2 & 4G Hoisting CEU classes throughout August!

Do you need to renew your Class 2 & Class 4G Hoisting Machinery License? Or do you need a class to prepare for the Massachusetts Hoisting Exam?

Then join us for our Class 2 & Class 4G Hoisting CEU class!

This class will provide the required CEUs for any Class 2 and Class 4G Hoisting License. Topics covered are all MGLs and CMRs as required by the Department of Public Safety as well as operational guides for hoisting machinery. Although this is a CEU class, it is also an excellent way to prepare for the Massachusetts hoisting exam. 

Target Audience:

Municipal workers who operate Class 2 and Class 4G hoisting machinery and are required to fulfill the continuing education requirements to renew the Hoisting Machinery License.

Instructor:

Michael Smith is the Baystate Roads Technical Training Specialist. He was a Highway Superintendent for 20 years where he developed and implemented modern road maintenance techniques. Mike was responsible for day to day operations and long range planning for the  municipality. Before retiring in 2015, Mike was also a firefighter for 34 years. He is a lifelong resident of Heath, MA, whose teaching style includes a healthy portion of humor and student interaction. Mike can be reached at: mdsmith@umass.edu.

Dates & Locations:

August 17, 2017
Scituate Public Safety Complex
800 Chief Justice Cushing Highway
Scituate, MA 02025

August 22, 2017
The Safety Center
32 North Main Street
Andover, MA 01810

August 23, 2017
Adams Highway Department
92 North Summer Street
Adams, MA 01220

August 30, 2017
Becket Town Hall, Berkshire Room
557 Main Street
Becket, MA 01223

*This class is open to municipal employees only