|
Week of Jul. 16, 2007
Employee ideas net savings for county
Jenice SanChez (left) is recognized for her bright employee suggestion. | The King County Road Services Division has tapped into a lode of great advice that is saving taxpayers thousands of dollars every year. The advice is coming from experts who know the county’s road system inside and out – the division’s own employees.“Our employee suggestion program is really paying off,” said Roads Division Director Linda Dougherty. “We’ve been able to cut costs on some big projects, and also find savings in smaller operations. Plus, it makes our employees feel valued when they see their ideas put into action.” The Roads Division’s employee suggestion program was developed to encourage innovation and creativity, and increase employee input to managers. It was started about six years ago, and in that time dozens of suggestions have been submitted. There are cash rewards ranging from $75 to $500 for the winners. Dougherty said she’s looking for ideas that help the division achieve its strategic goals to provide regional transportation solutions that support safety in a cost-effective and environmentally responsible way. “We’re looking for ideas that save time, labor, materials, money, or that increase revenue,” she said. “We want suggestions that will improve safety and service, and also increase efficiency and productivity.”
This employee-suggested mechanical asphalt grinder saves the county about $8,000 per job. | In 2001, Paving Crew Chief Larry Koch’s idea paid off big for the county because it saved time, labor and costly materials. Koch suggested using a mechanical asphalt grinder to remove worn out sections of pavement rather than the labor-intensive method of saw cutting and removal with a backhoe.In his suggestion application, which he submitted with photos and other examples, Koch wrote: “This method can improve service to the public by being on the roadway less time, so we are not disturbing traffic. Reduction of cost – what normally takes five working days can now be done in one day.” Once the suggestion was reviewed, division managers gave the okay to buy the asphalt grinder. Dougherty says even when you consider the purchase price of the machine, Koch’s idea is still saving the county up to $8,000 per job. And, there are hundreds of grinding projects each year. Not all of the suggestions have such a big cost savings, but the effect is cumulative. Other winning suggestions have included ideas to: improve workplace health and safety; reduce paperwork; improve recycling of materials; and find ways to speed up customer service. Every suggestion submitted by a Roads employee that meets basic eligibility criteria is evaluated and reviewed by a panel of Roads staff representing all sections of the division. Recommendations from the panel are forwarded to administrators and managers for final approval. “Sometimes we do have to say ‘no,’ but it doesn’t seem to dampen our employees’ enthusiasm for the program,” said Dougherty. “It’s been challenging keeping up with all the submissions.”
Special Vanpool offer for I-5 commuters 
The clock is ticking on a great deal to help commuters cope with the upcoming closure of Interstate 5 in Seattle that is expected to create widespread traffic backups. Instead of adding to the congestion by continuing to drive alone, why not share the ride with others in a King County Metro Transit vanpool? For the month of August, Metro is reducing the start-up requirements and costs for new vanpool groups with as few as five participants. Commuters who travel the I-5 corridor into or through the Seattle area can form a new Metro vanpool for just $45 per participant. This is a limited offer and participants must sign up by Friday, July 27. From Aug. 10-29, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will carry out almost three weeks of continuous intense construction on northbound I-5 between Spokane Street and Interstate 90. For most of the time, there will only be two or three lanes open in the northbound direction. Traffic congestion resulting from the August closure is expected to be considerable.
Bus to the Bite and Pow Wow Metro will be offering both regular bus service and special shuttles for the Bite of Seattle and the Seafair Indian Days Pow Wow this weekend, July 21 and 22. For the Bite, Metro will operate a shuttle between the Northgate Park-and-Ride and the Seattle Center on Saturday and Sunday. The Northgate shuttle will run every 20 minutes. The shuttle makes stops at the Northgate Park-and-Ride and the Northgate Transit Center. The one-way fare is $2, and no passes or transfers are accepted. There is no special shuttle service to the Bite on Friday, but there is plenty of regular Metro service to the Seattle Center. Use the online Trip Planner, or call Metro Rider Information at (206) 553-3000 for trip planning assistance. Another big event this weekend is the Seafair Indian Days Pow Wow at Discovery Park. There will be free shuttles inside Discovery Park for the Pow Wow on Saturday and Sunday. The shuttles will circulate between the parking lot and the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center starting at noon each day. To get to the park, ride regular Metro service on either: - Route 33 from Downtown Seattle and east Magnolia, which connects directly to the shuttles at the Visitor Center Parking Lot Area; or
- Route 24 from Downtown Seattle or Magnolia Village, which stops at 34th Avenue West and West Government Way - about a three-block walk west to the shuttle boarding location.
|
|
Historic trolley tour set for Sunday
A historic bus at 4th and Jackson. | The Metro Employees Historic Vehicle Association (MEHVA) is offering one of its popular tours Sunday, July 22. On this excursion, MEHVA members will be touring via old-fashioned motor bus to the historic town of Snohomish for lunch and antique-shop browsing. The tour will depart Seattle at 11 a.m. from Second Avenue South and South Main Street, across from the Seattle Fire Department Headquarters. Fares are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors (65 and over), and $4 for children (2-11). Metro transfers, tickets, or passes are not accepted. Please, no food or beverages onboard the historic buses. For more information, visit the MEHVA website.
Rolling sevens at Boeing Field
All of Boeing's 7-Series planes except the new 787 Dreamliner. | Amid all the recent hoopla for rollout of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner aircraft, another cool aviation event may have gone unnoticed. On Saturday, July 7, Boeing lined up almost its entire seven series on the runway at King County International Airport (KCIA) at Boeing Field. It started at 7:07 p.m., when an Omega Air Refueling Services 707 landed in front of crowd of invited guests at the Museum of Flight. Then, at 7:17 p.m., an AirTran 717 landed. This arrival pattern continued until 8:17 p.m., when an Air France 777-300ER landed. In the end, the 717, 727, 737, 747, 757, 767, and 777 were lined up nose-to-tail on the Boeing Field taxiway. It is the first time Boeing has had every seven airplane in the same place – not counting the 787, which was busy primping for its debut the next day. KCIA Operations and Maintenance staff helped with planning and execution of this historic event. | Subscribe to DOT DashSign-up to receive an e-mail text version of "Transportation Today," along with other significant DOT news by sending an e-mail to us with subscribe King County DOT Dash in the subject line.
|
|
