Director's Corner

Full of Caltrans pride this holiday season

As the holidays approach, I want to thank each and every one of you for working tirelessly over the past year to deliver SB 1 projects.

I am incredibly proud of the work we have done, and continue to do, to design, build, maintain, and operate our state’s vast transportation system. Caltrans’ projects are improving the lives of all Californians, and that is a truly meaningful calling. Caltrans is on track to deliver 100 SB 1  projects by the end of 2018, with more on the horizon next year.

These projects will help Caltrans bring our system up to a state of good repair and protect the safety of the traveling public. Safety is Caltrans’ first priority. This is why hundreds of staff have partnered with other emergency responders during this year’s devastating wildfires that charred significant portions of our state.

This year, each Caltrans district now has their own “safety van,” a mobile storehouse that brings safety equipment to field staff. The vans are used year-round, but were especially useful during the wildfires. Districts shared safety vans, often traveling across the state to bring respiratory and heat illness protection, safety glasses and vests, water and food, and more to employees at highway closures, maintenance stations, and wildfire base camps.

The fires impacted thousands of people, including a large number of our Caltrans family. I want to express my heartfelt sympathy to those of you who have lost homes and personal property this year. The work so many of you are doing, despite your own personal loss, to rebuild communities and share lifesaving evacuation information, deserves tremendous thanks.

Thanksgiving weekend rains extinguished the Camp Fire—the most deadly and destructive fire in our state’s history. It destroyed nearly 20,000 structures and burned 153,000 acres in Butte County. The California Transportation Foundation opened a Camp Fire Caltrans Victims Fund   and a Caltrans Retirees Camp Fire Victims Fund to help those who lost their home and possessions due to wildfires.

Every day, Caltrans employees have a tough, but critical job. It’s even more taxing when working 12- (or more) hour shifts in thick smoke to repair infrastructure fire damage. And while it’s our job to repair the system before the public can safely use it again, we can, and should, use protective gear while we do it.

Caltrans is partnering with other state agencies and the construction industry at the first Safety Summit on Dec. 11 to remind us to use the tools we have and look for new ways to work safer. This is our call, and we must answer …because highway workers have one of the most dangerous jobs in America.

Our goal is zero deaths – it’s not just a nice thing to say – working together, we will achieve this. Let’s watch out for each other and continue to work together as we strive to manage an efficient and safe transportation system.