2001 success stories

VDOT employees and projects have won numerous state-level awards, such as the Governor’s Technology Award, Transportation Safety Board General Traffic Safety Award, Community Service Award and Career Achievement Award. However, the agency has also won prestigious national awards as well. Following, is a list of national awards received in 2001.

National Highway Safety Award from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) VDOT received the award for using milled rumble strips to reduce run-off-the-road crashes by 51.5 percent in Virginia. When VDOT began its research in 1993, Virginia and other states were experiencing an upward trend in the number of run-off-the-road crashes. Since then, VDOT has established a policy to install rumble strips on all of its rural interstate highways, and today there are about 1,750 shoulder miles of "continuous shoulder rumble strips," milled rumble strips in Virginia, and every mile of roadway that can accommodate rumble strips has them. By the end of 2001, 44 other states had adopted VDOT's findings.

The communications/community outreach program for the reconstruction of the James River bridges in Richmond received an Excel Award from the AASHTO-sponsored National Transportation Public Affairs Workshop for the best overall communications program among departments of transportation entering the competition. The James River bridges campaign was spearheaded by the Richmond District's Community and Public Relations group with assistance from VDOT's Structure and Bridge division.

Award for Excellence in e-Emergency Management from the State and Local Emergency Management Data Users Group (SALEMDUG), the national professional association for emergency management technology, for The Virginia Operational Information System (VOIS) Having offered other reporting systems in recent years, VDOT introduced VOIS in December 2000 so VDOT offices, State Police, the Virginia Dept. of Emergency Services and other state, federal and local emergency response and management agencies can effectively share information about emergencies and incidents.

Association of Equipment Management Professionals Technician of the Year Award. Two VDOT equipment technicians were national runners-up for the award. Each year, the organization selects three finalists from nominations made among 1,160 member organizations. In 2001, for the first time in the organization's 21-year history, two of the three finalists were employed by the same organization -- VDOT.

Editor’s Choice Award from FHWA’s Greener Roadsides publication. A photograph of a wetland pitcher plant taken by a Richmond District environmentalist won the award.

AASHTO's "Faces of Transportation" contest. Two VDOT staff photographers received honorable mentions for their photographs of the Hampton Roads Smart Traffic Center and the Smart Road Bridge near Virginia Tech.

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