Lynchburg - The Voice - Fall 2022 Edition

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DARLENE COWART SETTLING INTO HER NEW ROLE She’s “hectic but happy” while getting up to speed as HR Benefits Administrator Darlene Cowart knows it’s not easy to keep track of all the benefits you have as a member of the VDOT family. She’s been cramming to get up to speed so that when you have questions - she’ll have the answers you need. “It’s just a lot of information to digest and a lot of different systems to learn. I’ve been taking stuff home, too, just to get more familiar with it all,” Cowart said. You may think reading through all that paperwork -- about various benefit programs, onboarding new employees, health and life insurance options and more -- would be not only challenging, but boring. Cowart says, for her, it’s anything but. “I enjoy it, actually. I enjoy reading about insurance and retirement. VRS, to me, is fascinating. It’s a great benefit to the employees.” And she really enjoys giving employees the information they need – especially for their post-work years. “The biggest accomplishment for me is to help them feel comfortable with knowing what they have in retirement,” she said. “And to me, I’m at a success point when I feel confident that they understand what their retirement is, the package, what they have when they retire.” Her message to younger VDOT employees is to start planning for retirement now – and make an appointment to meet with her if you have any questions. “Build it up. You can retire so much earlier if you get started at a younger age.” Cowart was born in Campbell County and grew up on her family’s farm. Her husband Mike is a county deputy. The couple owns a miniature Schnauzer named Hokie. She previously worked for the county, as well, with her last role being HR Benefits Coordinator there. Now she with us, at VDOT, and happy. “Everyone has been so welcoming and warm,” she said. “I really appreciate that.” If you have questions about your benefits, reach out to Darlene at 434-215-8142 or darlene.cowart@vdot.virginia.gov to set up an appointment. NEAR CONSTANT CHANGE How Lynchburg’s Signal Team is using technology to lead the way to safer roads To say the Lynchburg District’s Signal Team is a busy bunch would seem a huge understatement. Just four employees cover all 10 counties – plus Bedford County out of the Salem District. And when a traffic signal goes down, one or more of these four workers will be on the road - no matter the time, no matter the weather - to fix it. “You can work your eight hours here and then be running calls half the night and be back here at seven the next morning,” said Team Leader James Holt. “But I love it. You gotta love it to do it.” Holt’s been doing it for 34 years and in that time, he’s seen and taken advantage of huge advancements in technology to make our roads safer. Holt said: “When I came here, it was light bulbs and the controller had a red dial, a yellow dial, and a green dial and it had contacts in it. And when it got stuck, you pulled the contact out, cleaned it with an emery cloth, and stuck it back in.” Now, he points out, computers and communications systems have made the process very different. pg 8
The Lynchburg District Signal Team from Left to Right: David Dorr, Troy Miller, James Holt, Gary Mountcastle “We have a central software system now that’s statewide and it’s tied to all our controllers that are online, which enables me to connect to the controller and look at them just like I’m in the cabinet, and see what’s running.” Impressive, but it still doesn’t necessarily prevent a trip at 3 a.m. to fix a malfunctioning signal, be it just down the road or a 90-minute drive away. “We’ll never reset a light remotely,” Holt said. “Now, if there’s a detector stuck or a camera not picking something up, those we can do from our house. We can also adjust the timing of a signal light that way.” And the technology “hits” have keep on coming - from video detection systems in the early 2000s that read traffic and change signal lights accordingly; to walkways that use thermal sensors to determine if someone is crossing the street; to traffic cameras that can rotate 360-degrees and offer a clear image, even when zoomed in substantially; to an advanced fog detection system on the Monacan Bridge in Amherst County. “We have sensors all through the bridge and it shoots a beam of red light to those sensors,” said Holt. “And if there’s enough fog to block that beam of light, it automatically sets off beacons above a sign that reads ‘Low Visibility Ahead.’” In fact, the Lynchburg District’s signal team has been a leader across the Commonwealth in many different areas. Holt rattled off the list of improvements over the years: • All mast arms – no more signal lights hanging from wires. • All LED lights which last 15 years or more and save a lot of money on electricity. “Some of these lights don’t even meet the monthly requirement to generate a bill.” • Reflective back plates on all traffic lights for brighter signals. • All T-S 2 Model Cabinets (an upgrade from the old T-S 1 units) meaning no more need for hard-wiring. “Now, it’s all done through keystrokes.” And Lynchburg’s team took over Bedford County sometime in the late 80s/early 90s, as Route 221 was growing rapidly and VDOT needed a quicker response than Salem’s team, an hour’s drive away, could accomplish. But Holt gives credit to signal team members throughout the Commonwealth. “It doesn’t matter what district they are in,” he said. “I can call a signal team member and they will answer. We all communicate and help each other out as much as we can.” All of the changes have been focused primarily on making roads safer, but also on improving traffic flow and saving taxpayer dollars. Holt is certain more change is on the way. When it gets here, he knows his team will be ready. “We do an awful lot with just four people.” pg 9
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Lynchburg - The Voice - Fall 2022 Edition

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