 This activity is a continuation from our January edition, which explored our snow and ice mapping data. This activity integrates real-world transportation data, helping them understand the significance of transportation safety during winter months. By exploring the map, students can visualize their own community’s snow and ice routes and better appreciate how transportation agencies keep people safe. Teachers and students are welcome to use the "Talk to us!" tool to send questions to KYTC’s GIS Help Desk.
 Objective:
Students will use the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s Snow and Ice Priority Routes interactive map to explore transportation routes between their homes and schools (or other locations of interest). They will use imagery to better understand how decision makers prioritize transportation routes to support travelers during winter weather.
Materials:
- A computer, tablet, or smartphone with internet access
- Access to the Snow and Ice Priority Routes interactive map:
- Access to the YouTube video for how to use the interactive web maps:
- A journal for students to record their findings
- Optional access to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s Snow and Ice site:
 Steps:
(Click here for the January Edition for first part of activity)
1. Explore the Map (10 minutes)
- Begin by opening the Snow and Ice Priority Routes map.
- Have students use the map’s search function to find their school.
2. Prioritizing Locations considering Traffic Volumes (15 minutes)
- In part 1, students located priority destinations and ranked them.
- Have students add traffic counts data showing the AADT (Average Annual Daily Traffic) to better understand what routes get the most traffic (YouTube 10:04).
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Journal notes: When clearing roads during winter storm events, does it matter which roads are used by more people? Do you think your original rankings should change now that you know which roads carry more vehicles? If so, note those changes.
3. Introducing Imagery (20 minutes)
- Encourage students to use the map’s Photolog Viewer feature to drive along the route they are analyzing (Web Map Video 15:10). This can help them visualize the roads in relation to the surrounding environment. They can pinpoint areas of additional concern, locations for snow trucks to turn around and what other businesses and facilities may be impacted by any delay in traffic access.
- They can also use the brand-new Oblique Imagery to explore locations for different aerial angles in their analysis! This is a tool that is currently unique to Kentucky, as we are the first to have this highly detailed, 3-inch imagery available for the entire state, free for everyone! (Web Map Video 6:09, it is the last tool in the Location Tools widget).
 5. Reflection and Discussion (10 Minutes)
- Bring the class together for a brief discussion. Ask some students to share what they learned from exploring their special location’s snow and ice routes:
- What surprised you about the snow and ice priority routes in your area?
- How do you think the Transportation Cabinet decides which roads are most important to treat first?
- Why is it important to use maps like this during winter weather?
- Have students reflect on how the snow and ice routes in their own area impact their daily life or their ability to get to school in bad weather.
- Ask the students to consider if there is anything they would change to improve the safety of travelers if they were leading this effort.
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Journal notes: Encourage students to journal a final reflection on the importance of transportation planning and how the use of maps and data can improve safety during winter months.
 We caught up with Meaghan Czarnecki, a recent Western Kentucky University graduate, about her time so far with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet as an Engineer-in-Training Scholar. This is just one of many unique opportunities students in college can have to learn the ropes!
 You graduated and are now employed full-time with KYTC! How are things going?
- I have really enjoyed being full-time at Central Office with KYTC. It is a bit of an adjustment from my relaxed school schedule I planned for myself, but honestly going home from work and having no homework is such a freeing feeling!
Can you tell me a little bit about your rotations?
- I chose to participate in the rotation cycle after graduation and I am really happy I did! So far, I have rotated through Bridge Preservation, Rural and Municipal Aid, and I am currently in Highway Safety Improvement Program. I completed load rating analyses of bridges and a few bridge inspections with Bridge Preservation, assisted with the County-City Bridge Improvement Program (CCBIP) in Rural and Municipal Aid, and reviewed and input highway safety projects with HSIP.
What stood out on each rotation?
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Bridge Preservation: I really enjoy being outside inspecting bridges and the connections I have made with so many people. Some days inspecting, it was hard to believe myself and others get paid to climb on bridges! I have had the unique opportunity to get to know people from all around the state and it is so fun to be travelling with work or talking with a coworker and being able to recognize a friendly face or name.
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Rural and Municipal Aid: I had no idea what to expect coming to Rural and Municipal Aid, but Ramona said they needed help, and I always need the experience of something new. I absolutely loved my time with Rural and Municipal Aid though! For the first time I was able to see how the work I do with the transportation cabinet can impact communities. The County-City Bridge Improvement Program was a way for counties and cities to seek funding to repair or replace bridges in need. Seeing the positive impact that the Rural and Municipal Aid team has on communities around the state was very cool!
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Highway Safety Improvement Program: Through this rotation I have learned what all goes into projects around the state. I know that sounds kind of silly, but when I am driving down the road and get stuck in construction traffic, rarely do I think about all the planning that went into the project. All projects funded by HSIP must be identified by a data-driven process and improve safety. Seeing all the research, planning, and meetings that go into safety projects has been eye opening!
Did you have a favorite rotation?
- It's hard to choose a favorite, but the Rural and Municipal Aid group made me feel very welcome and really improved my confidence as an EIT. They would ask my opinion and actually take my advice, which for some reason shocked me at the time!
Coming out of college and straight into work where I am working with people with more experience than I have been alive can be quite daunting, so the team asking and taking my opinion into consideration was really special to me! I also got the opportunity to spend the holiday season with them and we got to decorate and throw a fun holiday party which was a highlight for me as a game and Christmas lover!
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Would you recommend all students to complete rotations based off your experiences? Even if they are set on one particular field?
- I would recommend a rotation to all students! I am a very indecisive person and was nervous coming out of college that I would choose a position I didn’t truly enjoy and would be passing up a career I loved just because I hadn’t been exposed to it yet. I know I cannot be exposed to everything the Transportation Cabinet has to offer during my rotation period, but it does give me immense peace of mind knowing I tried out many positions. Through my rotations I have also been able to get a more comprehensive look at the processes that go on at the transportation cabinet that will benefit me in whatever position I choose.
I also want to add that I was nervous about rotating to a whole new office with new coworkers and a new job every few months, but it has always worked out. Most people are understanding of my limited knowledge and are welcoming to teach me what they know. Everyone I have encountered has been very kind and comforting as they welcome me into their office for just a few months!
Now that you’ve worked full-time and had a chance to think about things, is there anything you would have done differently (classes / experiences / studying, etc.)?
- I am pretty happy with how I spent my time at WKU! I realize that I probably spent a little too much time studying, trying to cram information into my brain before a test, but I wouldn’t change it because it led me to be in the position I am in today.
What advice would you provide to our readers?
- I would recommend getting involved and making friends! It is pretty cliché, but truly the friendships I made in school were so important to my success. I was pretty involved in WKU’s American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) chapter and had many friends in the engineering department, and at times, those friends are what made school bearable!
Do you have anything additional to add?
- I know it is easier said than done and I am not sure I would have taken this advice to heart during my busy senior year, but it all works out in the end! Take a bit of time to relax and enjoy your time at school, I already miss it.
 KYTC internships provide opportunities for career experience and hands-on work experience for high school juniors and seniors, high school graduates, and college students. We sincerely hope you consider an internship with us! If interested, please go to our website linked below to apply.
We offer internships in:
- Civil Engineering
- Diesel Mechanics
- Welders
- Equipment Operators
- Network Communications
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Minimum Qualifications
- Be at least 17 years of age (18 for some positions)
- Unrestricted driver's license preferred
- Willingness to learn and take direction
- High school students (seniors if interning during the school year)
- High school students must be recommended by a teacher or school official
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