Philadelphia, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) recognized PennDOT employees with Innovation Awards for creating efficiencies and implementing best practices at a ceremony today. Daniel Graham, Senior Highway Maintenance Manager in Philadelphia County from PennDOT’s District 6, which represents Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties, were among the honorees.
“Coming from a variety of different perspectives and backgrounds, PennDOT’s workforce of nearly 12,000 is uniquely equipped to meet the needs of an industry that changes every day,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “These awards honor PennDOT’s most creative thinkers, who go out every day and find innovative ways to meet the challenge head-on.”
The annual Innovation Awards Ceremony recognizes some of the best and most innovative ideas cultivated and implemented by PennDOT employees across the Department. The ceremony honors employees who looked at the work they were doing, the processes, systems and tools they were using, and found ways to improve the quality, safety and value of the products and services PennDOT provides. Each employee receives a custom award that represents PennDOT's appreciation for their dedication and commitment to efficient and effective operations at all levels of the organization.
Carroll and other department executives honored winners from across the Commonwealth. Graham was recognized for Philadelphia’s street sweeping screener process.
The Trash and Debris/Dirt Screener works by loading the materials collected by the sweeper truck into the top of the machine, where it is then sifted through a screen, depositing soil in one place and debris in another, which allows the county to properly dispose of this material. This process is expected to save the department up to $1 million in transportation, rental and disposal costs.
PennDOT District 6 Executive Din Abazi, P.E. says, “We are proud of our team for always raising the standard and quality of our work. This debris and dirt screener continues to check all the boxes of being cost-efficient, being easy to use, and offering new opportunities in carrying out PennDOT’s work.”
Drivers can check conditions on major roads by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,200 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Helen Reinbrecht, hreinbrech@pa.gov
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