Leadership Message

Hello Transportation Team,

We hope everyone had a fun and safe Superbowl Sunday. Don't forget this upcoming Monday is Presidents Day, a paid holiday for full-time staff. 

We had another successful Mesa Marathon on Saturday, February 10th. Thank you to the Traffic Barricades team, Traffic Studies and Admin teams, Sweeping team, ROW team, Asphalt team, Public Communications and everyone else that supported the event.

It was cold and wet this year, but there were nearly 9,000 runners registered for the event, including Mayor Giles, City Manager Chris Brady, and Governor Katie Hobbs. There were also over 75 charities involved and over 20 participants running to qualify for the Olympics. We expect the course to remain the same next year and it's scheduled to take place on Saturday, February 8th, 2025. 

The Inside Mesa app and website are now up for you to download and use. The app is not registered, which means you NEED the QR code to download it. You cannot search for it on your app store. 

• Use your camera on your phone and point it at the QR code. Click on the link that appears. Sign in with your Okta username and password. Get stuck or have questions? Reach out to Cassie or Sanja for support.
• It's designed to make it easier for our teams in the field to have access to information like links, benefits, free employee events, and classes for wellness and free training opportunities to advance your career. We've also updated the Mesa Marketplace on the app where you can buy and sell items/services from other Mesa employees. Inside Mesa can also be accessed from your desktop at insidemesa.hubengage.com.

The City Manager's office is offering some great prizes for using the app - Spring Training tickets, Suns tickets, Monster Jam, and Willie Nelson concert tickets. All you have to do is download the app, sign in, and like the posts for the tickets from you app. 

Bike-to-Work Day is coming up. See more details and registration information on the link below. 

Thanks for all that you do to keep the City of Mesa moving safely!

The Transportation Department Leadership Team

Upcoming Dates:

• February 19: Presidents Day (Paid Holiday)
• March 9: CS Pickleball Tournament (Details Below)
• April 5: Arizona Bicycle Summit - Learn more here
• April 6: CycloMesa at The Plaza at Mesa City Center - Learn More
• April 13: Celebrate Mesa
• April 17: Bike to Work Day - Register here (Registration opens Feb. 21)

Check out City of Mesa's Event Calendar to see what else is happening this winter. 

Holiday and Pay Schedule for 2024

Community Link

Community Spirit is selling Kindness Grams again this year as a fundraiser for this year's focus charity, Oakwood Creative Care. You can purchase them here while supplies last.

Our department also put together a Cool-est Summer Road Trip and Choose Your Own Street Sign Raffle Basket for the upcoming CS Pickleball Tournament & Fundraiser.

The winner of Transportation Department's raffle basket can design their own sign with our Signs Team or choose a recycled sign of their choice. Watch inside Mesa for opportunities to purchase raffle tickets for this and other baskets for the event (you do not need to be present to win). Thanks to David Awadallah for helping to coordinate the Signs donation. 

Bunker Collapse During Railroad Track Cleanup

Our maintenance crews face many challenges out in the field, especially when they are called on from the Police Department to help with homeless encampment cleanups. 

"Our crews often encounter unforeseen obstacles, confined spaces, overhead hazards, unpleasant trash, and even human waste," said Craig Brisbois, Transportation Field Operations Superintendent.

Last month, the team added one more unexpected challenge to the list when their front loader collapsed into an underground tunnel that had been dug beneath the homeless encampment. 

The crew wasn't aware of the hazard when they arrived on the scene and it took some expertise maneuvering to get the equipment out safely.

It serves as a good reminder to always be on the lookout for the unexpected and take time to evaluate your equipment and the area before you begin a project, especially when working out in the field. 

Kudos to Bill McLeod, Transportation Field Operations Supervisor, and his maintenance crew for rising to the challenge and keeping everybody and the equipment safe in the process. Thanks to Craig Brisbois and Orlando Otero for sharing the story and photos.

If you are in favor of safety glasses...say "Eye"

What Causes Eye Injuries?

• Flying particles. Almost 70% of the accidents studied resulted from flying or falling objects or sparks striking the eye. Injured workers estimated that nearly three-fifths of the objects were smaller than a pinhead. Most of the particles were said to be traveling faster than a hand thrown object when the accident occurred.

• Contact with chemicals caused one-fifth of the injuries.

• Other accidents were caused by objects swinging from a fixed or attached position and striking the eye.

SAFETY UPDATE: Transportation's Safety Manual was been updated this month and can be accessed here.

Birthdays

Years of Service

Team Highlights

Streetlights volunteered and participated, representing Transportation in this year's MLK parade. Thanks to Luz Diaz for organizing the team and sharing these photos. 

Thanks to our staff that helped support the 2024 Mesa Marathon. We could not do it without you. Great job everyone!

The Asphalt Team had CAT training on their new equipment last week. The new paver will allow the team to respond to small asphalt jobs around the City.

Fox 10 News stopped by the West Yard last week for a story about the Transportation Department storm preparation and sandbag program. You can learn more about the resources we offer here. Watch the news story here.

Thank you!