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Time to read: 8-10 minutes
Today marks a momentous occasion as many kids head back to school for the first time in over 17 months. Your Street Cred team is sending well-wishes and smooth sailing to students, parents, and caregivers alike. We know that this time may be filled with all the feels, including excitement and nervousness, so we encourage you to be gentle on yourself, your colleagues, and your kiddos. Take time away if you need it. We want to remind you that our Safe Routes to School team has created some great resources to help you plan your trips to and from school.
Help us cheer on your kiddos from afar by sharing first day of school pictures on the thread currently happening on the Parent Peer Support Teams Channel.
Whether you have school-age children or not, we all play a role in helping our students get to and from school safely by driving slowly, obeying speed limits, and keeping an extra eye out for kids are we travel around. Remember that school routes are everywhere. Drive like it.
- Kailyn Lamb, Stacy Brewster, and Abby Hauth, your Street Cred editors
In this issue of Street Cred:
Did you know that Results-Based Accountability 101 trainings are now available on CityLearner? This four-part series, beginning in late fall, includes two sessions introducing the Results-Based Accountability framework (November and December), then two follow-up sessions early next year on applying root cause analysis.
Results-Based Accountability (RBA) starts with the result you want, then works backward toward the means. This is a way of ensuring that organizations implement their plans with an approach driven by community stakeholders. It disrupts historic patterns of “doing what we’ve always done, because we’ve always done it that way.” RBA trainings center racial equity and provides staff with a results-driven methodology. This framework allows institutions to move past good intentions (i.e., a "head and heart" understanding of structural and institutional racism) and to act in impactful ways both inside their organization and outside it, through their partnerships.
To sign up, log into the CityLearner platform, then go to the “Learning” section. Type the word “results” into the “Find Learning” search bar (not the keyword search). Dates are below:
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Nov. 16, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
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Dec. 10, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
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Jan. 11, 2022, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
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Jan. 28, 2022, 9:30 a.m. - noon
Sign up today and share this free training opportunity with staff you think may be interested. Contact PBOT’s Interim Equity & Inclusion Manager Tosin Abiodun with questions.
PBOT Lunch and Learns are back next Wednesday, Sept. 8! Francesca Jones will be leading us in an International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) mini-course titled “Emotions, Outrage, and Public Participation.” Have you dealt with angry members of the public? Maybe the question is, who hasn’t? The work we do at PBOT impacts people’s lives. Sometimes people’s strong feelings take us by surprise. Or we anticipate and dread those feelings. Breathe easy. This mini session will teach you how to identify 12 risk factors that could increase the likelihood of strong emotional reactions from the public. You’ll learn the riskiest factors and leave you with six highly effective strategies for reducing outrage—whether you’re getting ahead of it or responding after a mistake or crisis. Click here to join the meeting
Out of an abundance of caution, and to help protect PBOT staff and the community, face coverings are required for all PBOT staff running public outreach outdoors where you represent PBOT or the city.
Additionally, as of Friday, August 27, masks are required in most public outdoor settings (including large outdoor events) where physical distancing is not possible. These requirements are regardless of vaccination status. The city’s face covering directive has been updated to reflect these new state requirements, outlining new outdoor exceptions in addition to the existing exceptions.
Exceptions include working outdoors with consistent, uninterrupted, 6-feet or more of physical distance from others; playing sports; during activities where it’s not feasible to wear a mask, such as swimming; or giving a speech or performing outdoors.
If you have questions, please talk to your manager or supervisor.
 White text on pink background that reads, "School routes are everywhere. Drive like it." There is a graphic of a young boy wearing a helmet and riding a bike on a street, passing a crosswalk. There are trees to the left and an orange building to the right in the photo.
Kids in Portland Public Schools head back to in-person class today. Other schools and districts have either just started or are starting soon. We wish all students and their parents well on this big transition. We also remind PBOTers, and the broader community, of our role in helping students get to and from school safely.
As you move about Portland remember:
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Keep an eye out for children and families crossing the street. Remember Oregon law: every corner is a crosswalk, whether it’s marked or not!
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If you’re driving, check blind spots before making left turns. Watch for kids on bikes or scooters before turning right.
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Drive 20 mph in school zones – 20 is Plenty!
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Put away distractions likes phones when you drive. Not only are kids harder to spot when you drive distracted by devices, it’s the law.
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Stop for school buses and stay stopped. Never pass them. Wait as they load and unload little ones.
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Many youth ride TriMet, so remember to pay close attention when you’re near schools and transit stops.
Help us get the word out about PBOT and Metro’s campaign to travel safe as students head back to classrooms: “School routes are everywhere. Drive like it.” It's easy to promote! Simply download and use the virtual background or share the social media posts provided at oregonsaferoutes.org/drivelikeit.
Staff created a new landing page to explain the PBOT Equity Matrix and updated the map and language within it itself using estimates from the 2018 American Community Survey (ACS). The previous version using 2016 ACS estimates will be retired soon. Visit our What is the PBOT Equity Matrix page or in the ArcGIS Layer Manager by searching “PBOT Equity Matrix.”
Big news in accessibility! It’s now possible to turn on real-time voice transcription within Teams meetings, which shows up like closed captioning at the bottom of your frame, with each speaker identified by their picture or icon.
During a meeting, simply click on the three dots in the top menu bar and select “CC - Turn on live captions.” Each person must individually turn on this feature themselves to see it on their screen. Testing it a bit, we found it fairly accurate, although not as accurate as a professional captioner. Note that currently, transcripts cannot be stored or saved.
Please keep in mind that while this feature may add accessibility to your meeting, it should not be used as a substitute in public meetings where professional captioning is requested or required.
More resources about language around disability and access
To help us all continue our growth when it comes to accessibility and language access, Lisa Strader, PBOT’s Accessibility Coordinator, shared two helpful guides with us. These are both great resources to review and keep on file to make sure the language we use is current and that we continue to provide our content in accessible, inclusive, and equitable ways:
PBOT Maintenance Operations’ Traffic team was hard at work last weekend installing Portland’s newest Rose Lanes along SE Hawthorne Boulevard, at César E Chávez Boulevard!
Looking west along SE Hawthorne Boulevard as crew members in yellow safety vests and face coverings pose along the red bus-only “Rose Lane” they just installed on the north side of Hawthorne, just west of SE César E Chávez Boulevard.
After a very long day that started at 3 a.m. (!) Saturday, the team’s spirit was still shining. The team included Jason Baggs, Mark Bartholomew, Rylan Bender, Mark Kodani, Tony Martos, Jerry Munson, James Pettet, Sara Pope, Richard Sousa, and Andrew Sterling (not pictured).
Looking west along SE Hawthorne Boulevard, from the southwest corner at César E Chávez Boulevard, showing the curb-side lane with large red stripes, indicating a bus-and-turn (BAT) lane, as a Line 14 bus approaches.
These new red bus-and-turn (BAT) lanes are part of PBOT’s Rose Lane Project and will help keep TriMet Line 14 riders moving.
All year, PBOT has been working to improve SE Hawthorne Boulevard between 23rd and 50th avenues. This street now features 180 new curb ramps that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), fresh pavement, and new lane configurations with one vehicle thru-lane in either direction and a center turn lane. During the final phase of construction, PBOT crews with Signals & Street Lighting and other contractors will add new street lighting, median islands, and crosswalks to make 10 intersections safer.
Members of the Traffic team Missie Hicks and Aaron Eby also updated street signs along SE Hawthorne Boulevard as part of our “Complete Streets” protocol. This means that after a grind-and-pave leaves the street looking new with fresh asphalt and new striping, that PBOT also makes sure all the street signs get a refresh and clean as well. Take a look at the pictures below!
Traffic team member Missie Hicks, in yellow safety vest on a ladder, updates the street signs at SE Hawthorne Boulevard and 30th Avenue. Team member Aaron Eby, standing on the sidewalk, assists.
Stay tuned for future articles in Street Cred when this project is complete.
There's been some talk and even some action about ferry service on the Willamette. Could robot boats be far behind? That's what I thought of when I saw the first item from MIT's Senseable Cities' newsletter. It's about the testing of robot boats on Amsterdam's canals. Just one more reason to visit Venice of the North.
Meet Marilou Nazario (she/her), Lauren Hunter (she/her), and Laurie Lee (she/her), PBOT’s three timekeepers. This tireless team ensures the accuracy of nearly 1,000 PBOTer’s timesheets and make sure the timesheet process is smooth for everyone. Among many duties, they provide data to managers and employees about hours worked, verify payroll data, and make corrections to timesheets. This is in addition to providing customer service to PBOTers, helping answer questions and connecting them to the right people for issues with their paycheck.
Marilou (pictured on the left) has been with PBOT for 16 years. She’s from Vancouver, Washington and loves “singing, cooking, sleeping, and going out of town with my family.” Her favorite part of her job is getting to work with other PBOTers.
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Lauren (pictured on the right) has been with PBOT for six months, but worked at Portland Parks & Recreation for 10 years before joining the PBOT team. She says she’s loved getting to know her team. The hardest part of her job so far? “Starting a new position during the pandemic,” Lauren says. “It’s been a challenge training over video chats, and even though I started six months ago, I’m just beginning to meet my coworkers in person!” She’s a lifelong Portlander and loves to do projects around the house (she’s currently installing a new range hood!), as well as going to see movies.
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Laurie (pictured on the left) has been with PBOT for 12 years. The favorite part of her job? “Getting to work with and help a wide variety of PBOT Employees,” Laurie says. “I’ve made a lot of friends and acquaintances over the years.” She’s also lived in Portland her whole life and says her favorite activities outside of work are hanging out with her golden retriever Jane, reading, and spending time with her 7-year-old granddaughter Ava.
Marilou, Lauren, and Laurie want PBOTers to know that submitting your timesheets on time makes their jobs much easier! They also highly recommend double-checking your timesheet for accuracy before submitting them.
Laurie’s hot tip: “Enter time daily so, if there is an issue, it can be addressed before the last day of the pay period after which it would need to be corrected by us.” Lauren adds that it can be helpful “to schedule an ongoing reminder in your Outlook calendar to enter your hours before the pay period ends. That’s what helps me get my hours entered on time! And yes, timekeepers forget to enter our own hours once in a while too!” Marilou says that the hardest part of her job is when she has to make retroactive changes to timesheets after the payroll has already been locked, so get those timesheets in on time!
Do you have questions for our timekeepers? Keep an eye out for future tips in Street Cred and submit questions PBOT Payroll Team.
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As part of PBOT’s Reorganization, we’re featuring reflections from managers and staff on their experience. This week, we’re sharing thoughts from Todd Liles, Division Manager of the Construction, Inspection, and Pavement Management division within the Engineering Services group. For a refresher on the changes Todd’s referring to for his division, visit our PBOT Reorganization update page and look at the updates from January and March of this year.
Q: How long has it been since the changes?
Liles: It’s been about six months.
Q: How has the process been for you and your team?
A: Most of the team is managing quite well. Many have been here a while and understand the structure is changing but there has been some anxiety due to how long the process has taken, especially since not everyone has moved yet. I’m working with Eva to hold meetings where both our teams can come together, as well as construction staff from other teams, to receive consistent messaging and updates, and have opportunities to ask questions.
Q: What positive impacts have you seen since the changes were implemented?
Lilies: We are getting a lot of good feedback and communications from staff on construction issues. Additionally, we’ve been able to streamline some of the construction-related advice that other teams receive around projects. The reorganization has helped us to provide more clarity around construction messaging and information.
Q: Where are the challenges or opportunities for improvement?
Liles: We are still working out some kinks with staff moving over to our group, which does create some confusion but that should happen soon. We are also still working out consistency around communications between my group and Eva’s but there have been opportunities for her team to come to us with construction-specific questions and vice versa around design. This change has also identified opportunities for Eva [Huntsinger] and me to provide more education around what each of our teams does and how we can provide the best support projects.
Q: How has leadership supported you through this change?
Liles: Overall, we have support. We’re still working through some staffing assignments and moves, which is a bit of a challenge, as well as efficiency and clear lines of responsibility and reporting, but we’re making it work. We are going to be successful no matter what happens.
Q: What else would you like us to know?
Liles: Construction issues are continuing to be handled successfully and we are collaborating across the bureau with all construction managers to communicate issues, staff assignments, and project status reports on a biweekly basis. This change has brought more efficiency, clarity, and communication across groups on all projects which I see as a positive change.
If you missed our last PBOT Reorganization article, with survey results and reflections from Active Transportation & Safety’s Division Manager Catherine Ciarlo, you can read that Street Cred article here.
Want to share a PBOT story here in Street Cred? Limit your copy to less than 500 words, provide detailed captions for any graphics, and email kailyn.lamb@portlandoregon.gov by 5 p.m. Thursday the week before so we have time to copy edit and proof. For longer featured articles please reach out to us first so we can target the best date for you.
Upcoming editorial deadlines:
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Sept. 15 issue [deadline: Sept. 9]
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Sept. 29 issue [deadline: Sept. 23]
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Oct.13 issue [deadline: Oct. 7]
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