Transportation News, Volume 30, Number 7, October 2005 Page: 2
16 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
On th cover
Hurcn Ria' assaultcon
Tea mad stte naioa an
- Phtlusrto by
Jeem G. 0Boehm
Content s .
Rit look lik BgOn ... .....
Evcue forc S ok w ........
Trc drier hel crew ......1
Tufews Online aTid compters only):.1
Tpf//crOpraoas/orgpioso.htm...1Our work - it's about people
by Mike Behrens
Executive Director
I don't think I've ever been prouder of the TxDOT
family than I am right now.
After Hurricane Rita slammed ashore near the
Texas-Louisiana border, TxDOT maintenance crews,
sign crews, bridge inspectors, and others worked
around the clock in the Beaumont and Lufkin districts
to repair the storm's damage.
A dozen or more TxDOT districts provided
personnel, equipment, or some sort of support. Mike Behrens
All major roads in the area had been cleared of debris within
four days of landfall. Only a couple of counties delayed re-entry
due to lack of utilities.
Ahead of the storm, hundreds of TxDOT personnel helped coordinate
the massive, historically unprecedented evacuation of upwards of
2.5 million people on the highways leading out of Houston.
More than a dozen districts sent out Courtesy Patrol vehicles or
any vehicles that could carry gas cans to help motorists stranded
without fuel get back on the road.
Maintenance yards along evacuation routes opened up their
pumps to fuel-starved motorists.
Our folks at the state operations center worked with the National
Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard to provide additional fuel.
For the first time ever, we implemented contraflow lanes on major
routes out of Houston so traffic on both sides of two highways were
headed out. In a perfect world, traffic on all lanes of all highways
would have been headed away from harm, but staffing limitations,
and the logistics of blocking every highway entrance to avoid
head-on collisions, made this impossible.
Still, the evacuation was a success in that millions of people who
wanted to leave were eventually able to do so well before the
hurricane hit.
But that's not the end of the story. I have established a group to
catalog lessons learned from this experience and use them to
develop an action plan to improve our efforts.
At TxDOT, we too often think of our responsibilities as being limited
to getting roads built, maintained and repaired. And that is our
main responsibility.
But in times of crisis, we need to step back and see the reason
we build those roads in the first place. It's not about roads - it's
about people.
Thank you for everything you have done and are doing in this
time of need. I ask only that you help me make sure that we do an
even better job next time.O~ T1
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas. Department of Transportation. Transportation News, Volume 30, Number 7, October 2005, periodical, October 2005; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth310722/m1/2/: accessed May 21, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.