King of Prussia, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) recognized PennDOT employees with Innovation Awards for creating efficiencies and implementing best practices at a ceremony earlier this month. Four team members from PennDOT's District 6, which represents Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties were among the honorees.
“The PennDOT workforce is more than 11,000 strong, and these award winners represent some of the most dedicated among us," said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “I'm proud to see so many examples of that dedication and recognize those employees for their creativity in solving problems and working diligently for Pennsylvania travelers."
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 David Adams, Traffic Operations Division Senior Manager, Frank DiJoseph, District Regional Traffic
Management Center Manager (Retired), Ashwin Patel, Assistant District Executive
for Operations, and Mike Valentin, District Regional Traffic Management Center Manager.
The team was recognized for implementing the Interstate 76 Variable Speed Limit (VSL) and Queue Warning (QW) system, as part of a strategy to improve safety and traffic conditions. The system includes a network of 72 VSL signs and nine Changeable Message Signs (CMS) along a 14-mile section on I-76 between the Pennsylvania Turnpike and U.S. 1 (Roosevelt Expressway) interchanges.
The speed limits and QW messages use real-time traffic conditions to populate software algorithms that dynamically start to reduce speed limits one mile ahead of stopped or slowed traffic. Since implementation, the VSL and QW system have impacted driver awareness and behavior along the corridor, resulting in reduced travel times at this location as well as a significant decrease in crashes.
“I am incredibly proud of this team," said District 6 Executive Din Abazi. “PennDOT continues to advance its commitment to provide the best transportation network for the traveling public through investing in technology and innovations such as the Variable Speed Limit and Queue Warning system."
Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/District6.
Information about infrastructure in District 6, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D6Results. Find PennDOT's planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Robyn Briggs, robbriggs@pa.gov
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