The 39th Annual Prince George's County Women's History Month Luncheon
 |
On March 28, 2024, Madam County Executive Angela Alsobrooks hosted the 39th Annual Prince George's County Women's History Month Luncheon. DPW&T Director Michael Johnson, Deputy Director Oluseyi Olugbenle, and several female leaders from different divisions within DPW&T represented our agency. Deputy Director Olugbenle received recognition from the County Executive as a trailblazer and outstanding representative of women in leadership. Themed "She's Trending," the luncheon aimed to highlight the diverse contributions of women shaping Prince George's County. Attendees had the opportunity to explore various businesses showcasing their products during the boutique shopping segment in the event lobby. This gathering truly encapsulated the spirit of the nationwide theme, "Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion," with speakers representing different facets of our community. Among them was Maria Renee Barillas, a journalist with over two decades of experience, currently reporting for Telemundo 44 Washington.
Council Member, Wanika Fisher, Welcomed DPW&T to Agency Response Event to Connect with Local Residents of District 2
On March 20, 2024, The Department of Public Works and Transportation, (DPW&T) joined the Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement (DPIE), the Office of Community Relations (OCR), PGC311, and Council Member Fisher for a joint community event to connect with County residents about concerns or feedback that are impacting their neighborhoods. DPW&T Director, Michael Johnson, provided an informative overview of the departments upcoming projects and additional agency updates. Guests were able to voice their interests during an informational hour, where they had an opportunity to speak with the Director and Associate Directors of the agency. Attendees received information about DPW&T's Call-A-Bus service, the RideSmart program, upcoming Vision Zero events, and a handful of trinkets and swag courtesy of the department.
DPW&T is Represented at the County Executive's Professional Networking Mixer
On Monday, March 11, 2024, Kevin Hernandez, the Chief of Transit Operations at DPW&T's Office of Transportation, participated in the Latino Professional Mixer hosted by the County Executive's office in College Park, MD. Hernandez joined other county and regional professionals and met with County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and her Latino Affairs Liaison, Samantha Howard. The organizers enlisted support from Wine Key Experience, Employ Prince George’s, Rentals to Remember, Jacob’s Ladder, Cocineros, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), and the College Park Aviation Museum.
“As the Latino Affairs Liaison, curating spaces to celebrate our vibrant community and the achievements of our Latino professionals is one of my biggest priorities. Last night, we gathered not only to network and create connections but to unite as one Prince George’s!” recalled Howard. We would like to acknowledge the Latino Advisory Board Members who created this space and have been committed to supporting the surrounding Latino professional community: Sagrario Ortiz, Omar Eaton-Martínez, Carlos Lopez, Joel Solorzano MBA, Jennifer Rios, PMP, MBA, Doctoral Candidate, Miriam Machado-Luces Saul Serpas Michelle Rodríguez John Sanchez Yolanda Rivera-Quintanilla, MPA, Katherine Lopez, Madeline La Salle Frazier LCSW, Ed.S, and Jennifer Munoz. Howard recognized and thanked County Executive Angela Alsobrooks for her unwavering support as the organizers continue to create intentional spaces for Latinos to use their voice and create community in order to thrive in Prince George's County.
Transit Service Changes Outreach Events
For the month of March, the Office of Transportation has been heavily involved in many Transit Vision Plan (TVP) events throughout the County, continuously sharing updates on the TVP and additional transit services; Call-A-Bus and Call-A-Cab. The OT team participated in more than 15 events reaching over 400 stakeholders. This included young adults, senior citizens, government agencies, public libraries, and other community members. The team has worked diligently to obtain completed surveys and feedback from TheBus community satisfaction card. Data collected from these surveys will support DPW&T's mission of enhancing our transit services to ensure riders are receiving equitable and valued experiences when traveling. The Transit Vision Plan is moving in a dynamic direction with continued outreach efforts.
DPW&T's Electric Vehicle Fleet is Expanding To Include Microtransit Buses
On Thursday, March 14, 2024, the Transit Customer Experience (TCX) and Call-A-Bus Operations teams coordinated the Electric Bus Launch at Camp Springs Community Center. In Fall 2023, County Executive Alsobrooks, hosted a press conference to commemorate the launch of Zero-Emission Buses for Prince George's County. The new Microtransit buses are the latest additions to DPW&T's fleet of electric vehicles (EV). Call-A-Bus (CAB) patrons arrived in one of our EV Transit Vans to the Camp Springs facility to enjoy a day of fun, socializing, and community building.
CAB operator, Angela Counce, was operating the van during this special occasion. Transit Customer Experience (TCX) Manager, Regina Crawford, was joined by TCX Project Coordinators, Kandace Barrigher and Imani Edwards, to greet and welcome guests. Providing community members with informative details about the new fleet of vehicles, Call-A-Bus scheduling information, and Transit giveaways. These giveaways included totes filled with tumblers, hand sanitizers, and other trinkets for attendees. DPW&T Leadership Associate Director of the Office of Transportation, Semia Hackett, and Chief of Transit Operations, Kevin Hernandez, were in attendance to connect with local transit riders and the Camp Springs staff. This continued effort of Zero-Emission Buses supports the County Executive's Transit Transformation Proud Priority.
DPW&T Hits Record-Breaking Number by Repairing More Than 10,000 County Sidewalks
Trip hazards and buckling sidewalks have caused a rise in concern for County residents regarding safety, especially for Prince Georgians that are seniors and/or persons with disabilities. Because of this, the Office of Highway Maintenance (OHM) has prioritized this effort to reinforce DPW&T's commitment to ensuring street and roadway safety. The Sidewalk Repair Program is a multi-year program that began in Fall 2023, with the goal to massively reduce concrete-related PGC311 requests. As of March 2024, more than 10,000 County sidewalks have been evaluated and repaired. OHM will continue their efforts to mitigate trip hazards by working with Councilmanic Districts and DPW&T's PGC311 team to ensure concrete repairs and other concrete projects are being completed.
The Office of Storm Drain Maintenance has some exciting upcoming projects to help improve our community and DPW&T’s operational processes. Below are a few of the accomplishments and upcoming projects.
Stormwater Infrastructure Restoration and Improvement
• 7 Small Drainage Projects completed
• 1 Site scheduled for Summer 2024
• 14 structures scheduled in FY 2024
Right Tree Right Place & Median Beautification
• 1,477 Trees planted in FY 2023 & FY 2024
• 4 Medians Completed with 2000 native plants
Levees Operations and Maintenance
• Completed Levee Maintenance Blitz in FY 2023
• 346 Tons of vegetative growth, sediment, and trash moved along levees in Council District 2
• 700 LF of Drainage Swales
|
|
