by Lauren Jessop
PennDOT says its workers are at the heart of innovations that contribute to better, more efficient, and safer operations – and the agency wants to recruit more people willing to do the same.
The department recently launched a new online publication celebrating the people behind the almost-200 employee-driven innovations implemented over the last several years.
It’s a widespread sentiment among residents and elected officials, too, who’ve recently complained about the agency’s lack of accountability – and prioritization of commercial traffic – when it comes to addressing complaints about state-maintained roads and bridges.
The new initiative highlights projects completed between 2019 and 2022 that the department says have transformed processes, procedures, and programs they say have saved nearly 29,000 hours, allowing PennDOT to efficiently reallocate resources.
Workers in PennDOT’s Engineering District 5, for example, devised a new way to build retaining walls to prevent future collapses after major flooding close State Road 568 in Berks County.
In another instance, a maintenance crew in Clearfield County convinced the department to install foldable forks on backhoes. Doing so made the equipment more functional, eliminating the need for additional machines, and improving worker safety.
In total, close to 200 employee-driven innovations have been initiated through an employee suggestion system and smart practice sharing tool, and a dozen more through the State Transportation Innovation Council.
PennDOT’s Executive Deputy Secretary Cheryl Moon-Sirianni told The Center Square that some of their best innovations are safety-related. And those may not be as easily quantified as others that save time and money.
“But it can save a life, so I don’t want that to get lost,” she said.
A 37-year veteran of the department, Moon-Sirianni has long been involved in employee-driven innovations and said, “the greatest part about it is these people know what they’re doing – they know what their job is.”
Whether it is an original idea or something they have seen elsewhere, employees are encouraged to share their ideas and the best ones making their way up the chain to the pilot stage.
Oftentimes, Moon-Sirianni said, “the folks in the field” create maintenance items or tools, or streamline a process. She has attended many ceremonies honoring employees for their innovations and is impressed with the staff’s creativity – especially those in the garages, and out in the field “with cars zooming by at 70 miles per hour.”
“Anything they can do, they think makes their job better and safer, it’s hard not to support it,” she said.
On specific challenges, Moon-Sirianni said employee recruitment and retention is the biggest issue they currently face. Roads and bridges will always require additional funding, but right now, they are looking for ways to reach out to people who may not know what career opportunities – and training – the department offers.
For example, she said, the department will train workers to become mechanics or earn a commercial driver’s license. Open house events are also held periodically at county facilities where applicants can receive help navigating the hiring system.
“We want the best and the brightest,” Moon-Sirianni said. “But sometimes you have to bring them up from the bottom and educate them along the way.”
Federal infrastructure funding will also give the department more freedom to recycle materials used for road construction and repair projects. For example, Moon-Sirianni said, concrete slabs from mitigation projects can be used to address landslides in western Pennsylvania instead of ending up in a landfill.
In response to complaints about the agency’s response time, PennDOT recently told The Center Square that it’s created many avenues for residents to lodge complaints. Still, some lawmakers believe an online tracking system would offer more transparency and accountability.
“PennDOT works closely with municipalities to address concerns and issues, both proactively and when a concern is brought to our attention, both by the municipality or by a customer who reports a municipal issue,” Press Secretary Alexis Campbell said. “No matter how the concern is shared with us, PennDOT staff responds immediately to safety concerns and works to resolve any other concerns as quickly as possible.”
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Lauren Jessop is a contributor to The Center Square.
Photo “Men Doing Road Work” by Mika Baumeister.
