The document provides an overview of construction projects and storm damage repair work happening in Caltrans District 1 in Northern California in 2016. It discusses 14 construction projects taking place, including projects on US Highway 101, Route 1, Route 20, Route 29, Route 175, and others. It also summarizes storm damage that occurred in early 2016 in Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Lake, Trinity, and Humboldt counties from heavy rains and flooding, including slides, flooding, and fallen trees and rocks that impacted roads. The Willow Creek maintenance crew is recognized for their hard work responding to multiple large slides on routes 299 and 96 that closed the highways.
The Ports-ta-Plains Alliance focus continues to be the improvement of our
infrastructure and economic growth throughout our region. In 2011 we saw
successes on many fronts. We have worked closely with the Texas Department of
Transportation to identify more than $225 million in projects along t he corridor that
can be constructed with Proposition 12 bond funds. The Texas Transportation
Commission approved those funds September of 2011, and we will see construction
on many of these important projects beginning this summer. These dollars are in
addition to the hundreds of millions of dollars in projects currently under
construction throughout the corridor.
Genesee Valley Greenway State Park - HistoryJoan Schumaker
This show covers canal and railroad history of the historic transportation corridor that transitioned to the Genesee Valley Greenway and now the GVGSP, New York State's newest linear park.
West Bay Marina Village Development Sitelatitudelisa
25 acres +/- of Commercial and Multi Family land with 864 ft frontage on Hwy 79 and over 1000 ft on the bay. Future land use of Marina Village available, zoning entitlements in place. Location is 4 miles north of beaches, and 3 miles south of new International Airport on Hwy 79.
The Ports-ta-Plains Alliance focus continues to be the improvement of our
infrastructure and economic growth throughout our region. In 2011 we saw
successes on many fronts. We have worked closely with the Texas Department of
Transportation to identify more than $225 million in projects along t he corridor that
can be constructed with Proposition 12 bond funds. The Texas Transportation
Commission approved those funds September of 2011, and we will see construction
on many of these important projects beginning this summer. These dollars are in
addition to the hundreds of millions of dollars in projects currently under
construction throughout the corridor.
Genesee Valley Greenway State Park - HistoryJoan Schumaker
This show covers canal and railroad history of the historic transportation corridor that transitioned to the Genesee Valley Greenway and now the GVGSP, New York State's newest linear park.
West Bay Marina Village Development Sitelatitudelisa
25 acres +/- of Commercial and Multi Family land with 864 ft frontage on Hwy 79 and over 1000 ft on the bay. Future land use of Marina Village available, zoning entitlements in place. Location is 4 miles north of beaches, and 3 miles south of new International Airport on Hwy 79.
Hagámoslo Bien es un movimiento ciudadano que busca empoderar y activar a distintos sectores de la ciudad de Monterrey alrededor de la Cultura de la Legalidad.
Estamos convencidos de que si promovemos comportamientos y actitudes que impulsen transformaciones sociales, podemos construir una ciudad transparente, cuyo principio fundamental sea el respeto a la ley y a los demás.
Durante 2015, promovimos un “despertar ciudadano” mediante la capacitación de ciudadanos y líderes, ésto a través de acciones que hemos documentado en nuestro Reporte Anual 2015, el cual puedes consultar y/o descargar en esta sección.
A By the Numbers account of flood debris removal, high hazard mitigation and emergency protective measures taken after the historic floods in Boulder County. Variations of this presentation was shared with the Boulder County Commissioners and Planning Commission, and will be shared at the 2014 Colorado APA Conference.
The Midhill Place Outfall Restoration project was substantially completed on October 26, 2018. The primary goals of this project were to address public safety concerns, stabilize an eroded channel by using natural stream design techniques and promote the growth of native vegetation. The natural channel design techniques used, such as a reinforced bed mix riffle sections and step pools, reduce the flow velocity, provide stability, and enhance water quality along the streams leading to the Chesapeake Bay. The disturbed areas of the site were restored with native shrubs, plants and trees.
The Dead Run Drive Outfall Restoration project was substantially completed on August 27, 2018. The primary goals of this project were to address public safety concerns, stabilize an eroded channel by using natural stream design techniques, promote the growth of native vegetation and improve water quality. The natural channel design techniques used, such as a reinforced bed mix riffle sections and step pools, reduce the flow velocity, provide stability, and enhance water quality along the streams leading to the Chesapeake Bay. The disturbed areas of the site were restored with native shrubs, plants and trees.
Winds of Change in Klickitat CountyThe Harvest Wind ProjectM..pdfinfo335653
Winds of Change in Klickitat County:
The Harvest Wind Project
M. Phillips, D. Watson, B. Barnes, and H. Feldman
The following case describes a proposal by four Pacific Northwest utilities to build another wind
farm in the Columbia River Gorge. The local county planning director is responsible for deciding
on a permit for the project, but there are organizations and citizens both for and against
approving the permit, including local farmers, environmental groups, county citizens worried
about health and noise effects, and, of course, the local utilities who are proposing the project. If
approved, and completed by the end of the year, the costs of the project could be reduced by
almost a third through a grant by the U.S. Treasury Department.
Introduction
It was early April 2009, and Klickitat County planning director Curt Dreyer was weary but
happy to be writing up his permitting decision. On a tight timeline, he had worked for months
gathering information and vetting the Harvest Wind Project proposal that had been submitted by
four Pacific Northwest consumer owned utilities: the Public Utility District (PUD) No. 1 of
Cowlitz County, the Eugene Water and Electric Board. Lakeview Green Energy. Inc., and
Peninsula Light Company. The pressure had been high: hanging in the balance was a $60.76
million US Treasury Department grant which represented 30 percent of eligible construction
costs, made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
To qualify for the full amount, the wind project had to be completed within the year 2009.
The proposed construction schedule was one of the most aggressive ever and in order to
complete it on time approval had to come in April. Wind projects were complicated and required
months of constructiontypically half a year or more. If Curt approved the project, construction
could commence by early May, concluding by December 2009 at the latest to qualify for the
$60.76 million grant.
Approving the permit was not a forgone conclusion. Although Klickitat County was often called
the capital of wind energy in the Pacific Northwest due to its 14 operating wind farms and its
prime location in the Columbia River Gorge, concerns about wind power among
stakeholdersincluding negative economic, environmental, and health effectswere increasingly
being voiced in the region and nationally. With imperfect information on health effects and
environmental effects, the true costs of wind were uncertain. And yet each new wind proposal
had to be evaluated given leading edge knowledge at the time, and every affected party and
viewpoint had to be taken into consideration before approving or turning down the projects
permit application for the county. Given these concerns and the uncertainty, would the gains to
project stakeholders justify signing off on the project? As he reflected on the past few months,
Curt felt he had done his best to collect as much information as possible and to weigh the
concerns and needs.
overview of sunset cove restoration plan highlighting community efforts to fund and build a boardwalk out over the wetlands and include a eco dock for oyster studies
Presentation to Friends of Moonee Ponds Creek on opportunity to reverse the unplanned outcomes of a 40 year out of date project originally intended to "improve" creek flow at Westmeadows.
2. Our Mission
Provide a safe, sustainable, integrated
and efficient transportation system to
enhance California’s economy and livability.
Our Vision
A performance-driven, transparent and accountable
organization that values its people, resources and
partners, and meets new challenges through
leadership, innovation and teamwork.
Safety and Health
Provide a safe transportation system for workers and users,
and promote health through active transportation and reduced
pollution in communities.
Sustainability, Livability and Economy
Make long-lasting, smart mobility decisions that improve the
environment, support a vibrant economy, and build communities,
not sprawl.
System Performance
Utilize leadership, collaboration and strategic partnerships to
develop an integrated transportation system that provides reliable
and accessible mobility for travelers.
Stewardship and Efficiency
Money counts. Responsibly manage California’s
transportation-related assets.
Organizational Excellence
Be a national leader in delivering quality service through excellent
employee performance, public communication, and accountability.
Integrity n Commitment n Teamwork n Innovation
March 2015 - Job 0146
2016 -VOL. 1
COVER STORY
STORM DAMAGE
Learn more about how District 1 was
impacted by winter storms.
PAGE 1
FEATURE
CONSTRUCTION PREVIEW
Brief overviews of 14 District 1
construction projects happening
this years.
PAGE 3
REPORT
GREEN TEAM
District 1 employees volunteer to make
the District Office a better place.
PAGE 7
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK Up to date information at facebook.com/CaltransD1
5 DIRECTOR’S CORNER 16 GRATITUDE FOR ATTITUDE 8 CAUGHT ON THE JOB 9 MUSICIANS LIFT SPIRITS 10 VETERANS WORK FORCE
11 SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATE 12 OFF THE WALL 13 DAY IN THE LIFE 14 SAFETY IS NO JOKE NEAR LANDSLIDES 15 CLEAN CITIES SYMPOSIUM
ON THE COVER Submited photos of storm damage and repair work from early 2016.
Contractors work to stabilize U.S. Highway 101 at Cushing Creek just south of Crescent City in Del Norte County after slide activity damaged the roadway.
3. Mendocino County was hit hard with heavy rains by the Jan-
uary storms. At one point, Route 1 at the Garcia River, Route
128 at the Navarro River, and Route 175 at the Russian Riv-
er were all closed due to flooding. Small slides and downed
power lines at multiple locations on U.S. Highway 101 caused
delays in the north end of the county. On the lighter side,
a large slide at the old Confusion Hill alignment generated
phones calls asking if Caltrans was going to do anything
about the slide as it went into the Eel River! The callers were
told that Caltrans was letting the hillside “go back to nature.”
Lake County fared well despite the potential for erosion as
a result of last summer’s fires. Reports of rocks in the road-
way and a small slide on Route 175 were the most prominent
issues.
The north half of the District incurred some dramatic
storm damage. A slide on State Route 299 in Trinity County
kept our Willow Creek Maintenance crew busy around the
clock, resulting in a full closure of the highway for two days
near Big Bar. Not long after that, another slide on Route 96
isolated Hoopa and Orleans from Willow Creek. The high-
way was closed for approximately 13 hours while crews
worked to clear a lane and restore services in the eastern part
of the District. Emergency contracts were issued for both
slides, though the contract for the slide on State Route 299
was issued by District 2.
In Del Norte County, a section of U.S. Highway 101 at
Cushing Creek gave way in mid-January; a large portion of
the southbound shoulder collapsed after constant hillside
movement underneath it began in late December. Emer-
gency work has been ongoing ever since. Our Crescent City
Construction office was able to restore two-way traffic to the
highway a full day ahead of schedule, much to locals’ relief.
Another slide briefly closed northbound U.S. Highway 101
near Loleta in Humboldt County. Part of a hillside – includ-
ing trees – came down onto the lanes and required traffic to
be detoured onto local roads for nearly 7 hours.
Wind blew down several more trees near the Singley Road
interchange on Route 101 during the evening commuting
hours, which resulted in a northbound closure for a short
time before crews were able to clear the roadway. •
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The $17 million paving project on Route 20 from Nice to
Clearlake Oaks, which began last season, will be completed
this season. The project includes traffic calming striping
through Lucerne to help reduce speeds.
The $15 million Valley Fire emergency repair projects on
Routes 29 and 175 will be completed this season. Since last
September, Caltrans has removed thousands of damaged
trees, replaced signs, fixed and replaced culverts, repaired
guardrail, and restored a retaining wall. Pavement repairs
will be completed this season.
The $200 thousand scour prevention project on Route 29
at Saint Helena Creek will begin. The project will place
rock slope protection (RSP) under the north end of the
bridge, and should be completed by the end of the season.
CONSTRUCTION PREVIEW The $5.2 million permanent restoration project on Route
1 at Seaside Beach, which began last season, will be
completed by this fall. The project includes a retaining
wall to allow the roadway to be widened into two 12-foot-
wide lanes with 4-foot-wide shoulders for pedestrians and
bicyclists.
The estimated $18 million Peregrine Slides project on
U.S. Highway 101, located near Frog Woman Rock, is
anticipated to begin construction in the fall. This storm
damage restoration project will construct retaining walls at
two locations, improve drainage, and stabilize the highway.
The project is anticipated to be completed in 2019.
The Willits Bypass mainline project on U.S. Highway
101, which began in 2013, will be completed by this
fall [see completion preview in this issue]. The $300
million project, which includes mitigation, fish passages,
and relinquishment ‘child’ projects, is constructing
approximately six miles of new highway and more than a
dozen bridges, including the 1.1 mile long viaduct over a
floodplain.
The $3.6 million paving project on U.S. Highway 101 in
Klamath has begun construction this season. The capital
preventative maintenance project was awarded last fall.
The $5 million paving and high-friction surface treatment
project on U.S. Highway at Cushing Creek began
construction this season. The safety project was accelerated
and scheduled a year early.
The $1.9 million storm damage project on U.S. Highway
101 at Patrick Creek that consists of a retaining wall and
slope repair is expected to begin construction in 2016.
The safety improvement project on Route 96 at Vista
Curve will improve roadway geometrics and widen the
paved shoulders to four feet. Construction is set to begin
this summer.
Permanent restoration projects on U.S. Highway 101 at
Last Chance Grade will begin this summer, including the
construction of a soldier pile wall as well as a soil nail wall.
The work will help maintain a safe and traversable align-
ment through this unstable area while Caltrans imple-
ments a permanent solution.
The $3.5 million collision reduction project on U.S. Route
199 at Smith River will include the construction of a new
viaduct and provide a curve with a larger radius, improved
superelevation and wider shoulders. Construction is ex-
pected to begin this season.
The $5.3 million paving project on Route 299 from the
Blue Lake Overcrossing to the North Fork Mad River
Bridge will continue construction. This capital preventa-
tive maintenance project began late last year.
The $4 million project on Route 299 near Chezem Road
will make safety improvements to curves. Construction is
expected to begin this summer.
Lake County
Mendocino CountyDel Norte County
Humboldt County
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5. ArriveAliveNow.org
What do your Saturdays usually consist of? Sleeping in,
picking up around the house, going out to breakfast, spend-
ing time with your families, taking a weekend trip? While
much of us are enjoying our days off, our maintenance crews
are putting in long hours responding to emergencies.
On Saturday, January 16th, 2016, our District 1 Willow
Creek maintenance crew left their families and headed out to
State Route 299 about 25 miles east of the Trinity/ Humboldt
county line. When they arrived on scene, they knew they
weren’t going home any time soon. The hillside had crum-
bled into the roadway and was continuing to move. Crews
immediately closed the highway and took turns standing in
front of the active slide watching for falling boulders so oth-
ers could start to clear the road. They continued putting their
lives at risk and working around the clock for several days
until District 2 hired a contractor to begin a massive cleanup
project.
Just twelve days later, that same crew was called out once
again to respond to a massive slide on State Route 96. This ac-
tive slide isolated Hoopa from Willow creek for 2 days, closed
down local schools, and created a five hour detour for Hoopa
residents.
All 22 of our District 1 maintenance crews should be ap-
plauded for their, especially during storms and conditions
that most anyone would find difficult to work in. But our
Willow Creek crew stands out this past winter because of
their positive attitudes and the compliments they have re-
ceived from the public. (We received hundreds of comments
on social media and calls from motorists thanking the crew
for the pride they have in their work, their positivity, and
their helpful demeanors, even after working incredibly long
and demanding hours. )
So, to our Willow Creek Crew… Mike Klemp, Jamie Kelly,
Rodney Tavares, Donald Warren, Larry Jordan, Troy Bra-
nham, Timothy Hunt Jr., Jeffrey Smith, Eugina Yarbrough,
Peggy Harnden and Carlson Kane, we would like to recog-
nize each and every one of you and tell you how grateful we
are for your great attitudes and representing our district in
such a positive way. •
ratitude
Attitude
gfor
BY BETSYTOTTEN
DIRECTOR’S CORNERWITH CHARLIE FIELDER
Spring has arrived, but we continue to receive record rain-
fall due to the El Niño event. Despite these continued winter
conditions persisting for most of the State, District 1 is man-
aging the storms with success. We have had some highway
closures, but our forces in the field have been quick in re-
opening the roadways to minimize traveler delays. We have
executed several Director’s Orders that allowed contractors
to come in with additional resources, giving our dedicated
Maintenance crews the ability to focus on other locations.
The areas with the greatest damage have been in Del Norte
County, costing over $16 million with a majority of the work
at Last Chance Grade on Highway 101. Humboldt, Mendoci-
no, and Lake Counties have also experienced major damage
and temporary route closures due to flooding, falling rocks,
and landslides. The extensive emergency restoration work
completed last fall in Lake County following the Valley and
Rocky Fires has performed well during winter’s rainfall. To
date, there has not been a State or national emergency proc-
lamation, but that could change depending on future events.
The work performed by Maintenance, Construction person-
nel, and private contractors is heroic and greatly appreciated
by everyone who relies on transportation.
During the months of April and May, Caltrans employees
will be participating in Safety Awareness activities, which in-
cludes safety meetings and the annual Highway Worker’s Me-
morial ceremony at the State Capitol in Sacramento on May
5, 2016. We are also holding our Highway Worker’s Memori-
al here in District 1 at the Eureka District Office on Thursday,
April 21, 2016 at 10 AM. Field maintenance will be holding a
Safety Stand Down meeting in Eureka following the Worker’s
Memorial event. Construction staff will also be meeting that
same day for the annual Resident Engineers meeting. Work-
er safety will be discussed at each of these events and ideas
shared on ways to protect the public and our workers. Safety
is our top priority and we strive to maintain a safe workplace.
Please take the time to participate in a safety meeting and
continue to always look out for each other. Take the time nec-
essary to perform your duties safely so we can all go home at
the end of the day.
A reminder that Earth Day is celebrated each year on April
22nd. Please join me and the District 1 Green Team in mak-
ing a difference by reducing waste and increasing our effi-
cient use of resources. This is an important part of our mis-
sion in providing a safe, sustainable, integrated and efficient
transportation system to enhance California’s economy and
livability.
Together, 2016 is going to be an outstanding year for all. •
- Thank you
*See the following link for sustainable ideas to reduce waste
and save energy:
http://district1.onramp.dot.ca.gov/caltrans-district-1-green-team
5 6
6. Safety is No Joke
Near LandslidesBY DAN RAMIREZ
The Bridgeville Maintenance Crew had to remove a rather sizable boulder from the side of Route 36.
Bridge inspectors evaluate a viaduct on State Route
271 just south of Piercy in Mendocino County after
the ground underneath the viaduct began to erode in
late December.
Another view of the imperiled dump truck from the Fort Bragg Maintenance Yard, which
was impacted by a landslide while responding to an existing slide nearby. See “Safety is No
Joke Near Landslides” by Dan Ramirez on page opposite to learn more.
CAUGHT BY OUR CREWS: Maintenance Photos
Our field maintenance crews are very accustomed to cleaning up slides, both statewide and in District 1. On March 11, mem-
bers of the Fort Bragg Maintenance Crew were preparing to clean up a small slide on State Route 1 north of Fort Bragg at PM
82.10 at about 3:00 a.m. This slide was very routine and fairly minor. The events that occurred next show how unpredictable
and dangerous slides can be, even ones that look comparatively small.
At 5:15 a.m., the hillside which produced the initial 50-yard slide, fractured above the highway and approximately 3,000
yards of rock and dirt started to slide. This in-and-of-itself would be fairly routine. What was not routine was that one of our
Equipment Operators (who wishes not to be identified) was driving a 10-wheeler under the slide when it decided to come
down. Photos of the event show how close our Operator came to going over the railing and falling 300’ to the ocean.
Thankfully, our employee was a little shaken up but otherwise alright. The crews had done everything right, and they
were preparing to clean up the slide once it was daylight and they could determine the stability of the slide. Even
with the precautions that the crew had taken, we came very close to losing another family member. (Thank
goodness that someone was watching over our Operator that day and everything turned out fine.)
This event reminds us of another tragic event that involved a slide. On January 25,
1983 on Hwy 299 in District 1, Caltrans Equipment Operator William Abarr
(from Willow Creek Maintenance) was not as lucky as our Fort Bragg Oper-
ator. On the morning of January 25th, William was just finishing his night
shift working on a active slide at TRI-299-2.1 in a loader. William and
two others had been working to keep Hwy 299 open all night.
Tragically, a charge of material came down and swept Wil-
liam and the loader over the bank in to the Trinity River,
fatally injuring him.
Both of these events illustrate how dangerous and un-
prediactable working under slides can be, even when we
take all the precautions we can. Remember to always de-
termine the stability of a slide before working on it, and also
folow our Code of Safe Operating Practices.
Whether our field crews are cleaning up slides, opening
drains, or removing hazardous trees during a wildland fire
- we need to make sure that we are always looking out
for each other’s safety. •
A Fort Bragg Maintenance Crew member had a close call when a landslide impacted his vehicle while he responded to another slide
on State Route 1 in Mendocino County in early March.
7 8
7. When a landslide closed Route 299 at Big French Creek near
Big Bar in Trinity County on Saturday, January 16, travelers
settled in for a delay while Caltrans crews tried to clear a lane
to get traffic moving. As District 1’s Willow Creek Mainte-
nance crew looked for a way to safely remove debris, motor-
ists got out of their cars to stretch, chat with one another, and
find out more about what was happening on the road ahead.
Minutes passed, then hours.
“Our first thought was just ‘Oh, let’s take some photos,’”
Ian Scarfe said, recalling the experience shared by the Trinity
Alps Chamber Players. The musicians had been en route to a
free concert at the Morris Graves Museum of Art in Eureka
when the landslide nixed their plans for the evening.
“It was such a beautiful setting. We got all fancied up, we
put our ties on, and a lot of times musicians get their instru-
ments out for photos,” Scarfe explained. “We figured that
since we already had the instruments out, we might as well
play some music. There were enough travelers out and walk-
ing around that we knew we’d have a captive audience.”
The group played pieces arranged for a string quartet.
Since not all of the musicians in the group play string instru-
ments (Scarfe, for example, plays piano), some of the Cham-
ber Players distributed handbills to the impromptu audience.
Mary Vellutini, a motorist who was at the slide that Satur-
day afternoon, told local reporter Kym Kemp (whose news
website - kymkemp.com - covers Humboldt, Mendocino, and
Trinity counties) that the musicians never asked for dona-
tions. “I got the feeling that they wouldn’t have taken them.
I’m pretty sure it was just a spontaneous moment. It felt like
a gift,” Vellutini said.
Scarfe clarified that the group performs for free at venues
around Northern California, but that they do accept dona-
tions. “Sometimes you’ll have someone who wouldn’t buy
a ticket to the concert because maybe they’re on the fence
about it, but if it’s free and they appreciate the music, some-
times they’ll donate more than what a ticket would have
cost,” Scarfe explained.
This was the first time the Trinity Alps Chamber Players
had encountered a slide on their way to a performance, but
certainly not the first time they’d encountered adverse condi-
tions on the rural mountain highway. Being based in Trinity
County, the devastation of the lightning fires of 2015 quite
literally hit close to home for the musicians.
Even though the elements eventually forced Caltrans to
turn motorists around at the slide and send them back the
way they came, the musicians’ performance helped to make
the best of a frustrating situation. Vellutini detailed on Face-
book that even though her 3-hour trip turned into a 10-hour
ordeal, the performance lifted her spirits. “I ended up having
to backtrack and drive four more hours,” she said. “I smiled
most of the way.”
The Trinity Alps Chamber Players are a part of the Trinity
Alps Chamber Music Festival, which Scarfe started five years
ago. Their spring concert series is currently being planned,
but no dates have been set yet. For more information about
the Trinity Alps Chamber Music Festival, visit their website
at http://www.trinityalpscmf.org/. •
MUSICIANS LIFT SPIRITS,
COMFORT STRANDED MOTORISTS AT 299 SLIDE
BY ELI ROHL
This summer was punctuated with a series of lightning
fires that affected highways throughout Northern Califor-
nia. The drought turned forested areas into tinder boxes that
burned right up to the highways, often jumping over the
roads to burn ferociously on the other side. Culvert piping
melted; guardrail was found lying at the side of the highways
with only burning holes where posts used to keep the barriers
in place. Throughout it all, Caltrans Maintenance patrolled
their areas looking for motorists to help, surveying the dam-
age, staffing road closures, and working to keep people safe.
Brian Brown Buchanan is the president of a non-profit or-
ganization called Veterans Work Force, Inc. Veterans Work
Force brings veterans together to provide services for other
veterans, and to help bridge the gap between active duty and
civilian life. Buchanan contacted Caltrans at the height of
fire season. “Everyone thanks the firefighters, thanks the law
enforcement – and I’m not saying that they don’t deserve it
– but nobody thanks the Caltrans workers that are out there
around the clock keeping us all safe,” Buchanan said during
his initial contact with Caltrans. “What about your people?
Who’s getting them warm food and dry socks? How are they
charging their phones to let their families know they’re al-
right?”
Buchanan loaded up a trailer with snacks, drinks, socks,
and more. He hauled it all out to crews working the highway
closures to provide Caltrans Maintenance crews with some
measure of comfort while they worked in the intense heat
and smoky conditions.
“I brought a big pack of peanut brittle out to one of the
Caltrans crews last time,” Buchanan recalled. “One guy came
up to me and hugged me, and I swear at one point I was sure
he was going to pick me up and spin me over his head he was
so happy.”
His generosity – and the generosity of Veterans Work Force
– didn’t stop there. During the El Niño storms that have in-
undated District 1 with heavy rains for the past two weeks,
Maintenance has responded to downed trees, flooded high-
ways, and landslides. Some incidents have resulted in long-
term closures, such as a large slide on Route 299 in Trinity
County which Districts 1 and 2 have been working to clear
for the better part of a week. Maintenance has had crews
staffing traffic control around the clock. Buchanan loaded up
his trailer again, and made sure that the Caltrans crews on-
site were well taken care of with hot soup, cookies, and more.
Maintenance leadership made sure that everyone got a
chance to get something warm to eat or drink while they
worked in the less-than-stellar weather, and to thank Bu-
chanan and his wife, Meredith, for donating their time and
resources to making our Maintenance crews’ day a bit bright-
er.
“Most people have no idea how hard your job is,” Buchan-
an wrote in a letter to Caltrans, which was posted to the Vet-
erans Work Force Inc. Facebook page. “To protect the drivers
that were on [Route] 299, you posted two-to-three people
to make sure nothing fell on the drivers as they passed your
slide site… Your staff kept their eyes wide open to stop any-
one from getting in the path of giant rocks.”
Buchanan compared Caltrans Equipment Operators to
Mozart, saying that “all the movements of the loaders and
trucks were so fluid and perfect. As fast as the materials came
down the hillside, it was removed.”
“The traffic control specialist always kept the commuters
informed as to why they were waiting,” he added. “Smiles and
communication kept the drivers at ease… As they did this,
they never lost sight of the big picture: SAFETY.”
Caltrans is well and truly taken aback by the generosity and
the gratitude exhibited by Brian and Meredith; what they’ve
done for our crews is so far beyond the scope of what anyone
might expect that there just aren’t words to thank them in
return.
“I wish I had a ‘go-to-the-front-of-the-traffic-queue card,’”
District 1 North Region Maintenance Superintendent Wel-
don Hailey said. “[The Buchanans] deserve it.” •
VETERANS
FORCE
Members of the Trinity Alps Chamber Players put on an impromptu performance at the side of State Route 299 near Big Bar.
Meredith Buchanan helps unload the VWF vehicle at the side of SR 299.
9 10
8. Off The Wall - Excerpts from Facebook
Social Media Update
District 1 is continuing to grow its online presence through social media. The Caltrans District 1 Facebook page (facebook.
com/CaltransD1) has nearly 17,000 loyal followers who’ve helped our stories from District 1 get picked up by national news.
In addition, District 1 is launching its own Instagram account, and has repurposed its Twitter account to more closely mirror
its content on Facebook.
Recently, a story from the Mendocino coast went viral (see pg. 7). A Fort Bragg Maintenance Equipment Operator was repo-
sitioning a 10-yard dump truck at the side of a landslide north of Westport when a second, completely separate slide came down
a hill and impacted the side of his truck. The truck was almost pushed off the roadway by the slide, but came to rest against some
bridge railing that prevented it from tumbling over the side of the highway to the beach below. The post was shared hundreds of
times within the first hour, and major news agencies began calling shortly thereafter. To date, the posts that showed the truck’s
precarious position on the roadway have been viewed by more than 1.2 million people. Not bad for a Caltrans District with only
312,000 residents spread across four counties, right?
While the other platforms get up to speed (we’re still experimenting to see what kind of posts do better on which social net-
works), we highly recommend following Caltrans District 1 on Facebook. Help us spread the word about our other accounts by
following @CaltransDist1 on Twitter and Instagram! •
11 12
9. At a very early age, Josh Runnion set his sights on life as an
engineer sky-high – literally.
“One of my fondest childhood memories is watching my
grandfather Milton build a small observatory,” said the Struc-
ture Representative out of Del Norte County. “The plumb
bob, the level, the mason lines crisscrossing in disciplined
perfection -- I was fascinated. It all seemed very important
and somehow magical. One might say the project baptized
my imagination. From there it has been a lifetime of watch-
ing, questioning, and working at various forms of building
and engineering.”
At Caltrans, Runnion is entrusted to ensure various struc-
tures ranging from buildings to bridges are built properly. He
also conducts structure-related emergency response, works
with contractors to ensure public safety, collaborates on
construction projects, participates on project development
teams, provides constructability reviews, and provides tech-
nical expertise on structure construction related issues.
“In 2008, I was introduced to Leonard Fiji, the Bridge En-
gineer for District 1,” he said. “At the time I was working for
a small engineering firm in Del Norte County as a Project
Engineer. Fiji was great. He was enthusiastic about his work
and he loved building structures. He convinced me Caltrans,
and the Office of Structure Construction (OSC) in particular,
would be a challenging and exciting place to work.”
Runnion was born in New Orleans and grew up in Moor-
park, California, working in various construction trades be-
fore going on to graduate from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo
with a degree in Civil Engineering. Before starting at Cal-
trans, he was a structure designer for residential buildings,
doing a fair share of inspection, surveys and other miscella-
neous civil engineering work.
Currently a father of three (with another due soon),
Runnion and his wife of fourteen years, Christy, helm a
church-going family that enjoys sports, outdoor recreation,
reading, and television.
“My hobbies lately?” he said. “Legos, Nerf wars, board
games, and reading existential books such as ‘The Cat in
the Hat,’ and ‘The Essential Calvin and Hobbes.’ I also have
a respectable collection of ‘Berenstain Bears’ books.” In his
limited free time, Runnion enjoys exercising, fishing, playing
piano, and kayaking, “though usually not simultaneously.”
“It’s the people that I enjoy most about my job,” he said.
“Caltrans has a remarkable depth and breadth of experience
in every facet of engineering. Have a nagging question about
AASHTO soil classifications? Call June. Need to know the
maximum allowed tension steel in bridge soffits? Call Man-
ode. Bird or bat issue? Call Jim. We are all well trained to
do our jobs. And, if I may, especially when it comes to OSC.
OSC trains its employees extensively, investing both time and
money to ensure we are the best at what we do. We partici-
pate in a yearly winter training and attend a bridge design
academy that is second to none. In the private sector, you just
don’t get this kind of commitment to the employee. People
don’t share information as freely, keeping skills close to the
chest to ensure that next promotion. But here at Caltrans,
everyone is happy to give you their opinion and share their
knowledge -- even when you don’t ask for it! Fiji once told
me OSC would be exciting, enjoyable, and challenging. He
was right.” •
Day
Life
inthe
BY MYLES COCHRANE
How often do you use the recycling bins around the build-
ing? The Caltrans District 1 Green Team did that. Did you
borrow one of those nice ceramic plates to stuff your face
with food on Goodie Day? That was all thanks to the Green
Team, too. If you’ve ever thought, “You know, I wish [busi-
ness practice X] wasn’t so wasteful,” the Green Team might
be the right place for you.
According to members of the Green Team, their goal is
to improve efficiency and reduce Caltrans’ ecological foot-
print by making small changes to office habits or practices.
“We can’t make policy changes,” Facilities Coordinator Josh
Wilkinson said, “but we can try to influence peoples’ behav-
iors and habits to make everything better for the building.”
Given the time-consuming (but widely beneficial) nature
of the work the Green Team does, Caltrans District 1 Director
Charlie Fielder has authorized members of the Green Team
to charge two hours of reported time per month to overhead
charge codes in order to undertake the Team’s eco-friendly
tasks.
“It’s nice, because the team members don’t have to give up
their lunch hour or their breaks to help improve our work
environment,” Wilkinson explained.
“We’re coordinating an Earth Day event,” said Green Team
member and Local Assistance Office Chief Suzi Theiss. “We’ll
be doing an E-waste event sometime soon. We’ll set that up
with Facilities – it’s just a place where people can bring in
their E-waste from home and drop it off for free.”
“We have a pretty small group right now, so it would be
really nice to get some more volunteers to add their energy
and interest to help pursue getting some of these things taken
care of,” Theiss added.
“One of the ideas we’re tossing around for our next project
is a vermiculture (or worm) bin,” Transportation Planner Jes-
se Schofield explained. “Basically, it’ll give us an option here
at the office to compost any food that people bring in. What-
ever they throw away – like apple cores, what have you – we
can collect it and toss it in the worm bin to create some really
cool top soil that people could take home or use for their of-
fice plants.”
Employees who want to join the Green Team can speak
with any Green Team member to be looped in on Green
Team happenings, such as the group’s monthly meeting.
Team members will also have access to a Microsoft OneNote
document to share ideas and collaborate; the document will
be shared on the District’s S: drive.
“In the past, we’ve had suggestion boxes,” Wilkinson said.
“The idea with OneNote is that it’s on your computer, it’s
easy to access, you don’t have to walk upstairs… it’s just right
there.”
The Green Team last met on February 18th. To get more
information about the Green Team, or if you’re interested in
attending a meeting, contact Suzi Theiss at extension 6399. •
Structures Engineer Josh Runnion in the field near a retaining wall at Last Chance Grade on U.S.
Highway 101 in Del Norte County.
Green Team Improves Efficiency,
Reduces Waste at District 1 Office
13 14
10. Edmund G. Brown Jr.
Governor
State of California
Brian P. Kelley
Secretary
California State Stransportation Agency
Malcolm Dougherty
Caltrans Director
Charlie Fielder
Caltrans District 1 Director
NEWSLETTER STAFF
Betsy Totten
Chief
Public Information Office
Phil Frisbie, Jr.
Public Information Officer
Lake and Mendocino Counties
Myles Cochrane
Public Information Officer
Humboldt and Del Norte Counties
Eli Rohl
Multimedia Public Information Officer
and Photographer
Jose Moreno
Graphic Design
Caltrans District One
DEL
NORTE
HUMBOLDT
MENDOCINO
LAKE
Caltrans got a chance to show off two of its low carbon emis-
sion vehicles at the Redwood Coast Energy Authority’s North
State Clean Cities Symposium at the Humboldt County Of-
fice of Education on February 25.
The symposium, which was simulcast to audiences in Uki-
ah and Redding, sought to gather local stakeholders to work
together in a concerted effort to reduce petroleum consump-
tion in accordance with the U.S. Department of Energy’s
Clean Cities program. Symposium presenters included the
RCEA, the Blue Lake Rancheria, CivicSpark, the co-director
of the Transportation Sustainability Research Center at the
University of California in Berkeley, and more.
Caltrans brought its Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf fleet
vehicles to the event, and spoke with attendees about the
many benefits and challenges of using the low-emission vehi-
cles on the North Coast. One of the challenges facing drivers
of electric vehicles in District 1 is an underdeveloped infra-
structure for their vehicles; something which many organiza-
tions hope to change and are actively working to improve. •
Caltrans Shows Off
Green Wheels at
Clean Cities Symposium
15 16