MEDFORD — State Department of Transportation (DOT) Local 508 members who are employed in the agency’s Maintenance Division work year round to keep state roadways clean and safe.
While snow preparation work and snow cleanup occupy most of their time during the winter, warmer months keep them just as busy.
Randy Acum in his office at the Medford yard.
“After the bad weather is over, we begin our spring/summer work, which includes landscaping the state roads to ensure proper clearance towards the tree line so drivers can see clearly,” said Randy Acum, a highway maintenance supervisor II. “We also clear all litter and debris that has been there for the last three to four months. Pothole and drainage basin repairs are also huge [priorities].”
Critical safety tasks
DOT members are also responsible for other important tasks that include the removal of stone markers, which allow drivers to indicate where the edge of the roadway is during whiteout conditions, as well as any repairs to guide rails and cable rails, which are tension wires that run across the center median that stop a vehicle from going into oncoming traffic, in the case of an accident.
Joey Marrero uses a post pounder to drive the cable rail post into the ground according to specs in order to attach the cable rails properly.
Our members work on projects based on the order of importance.
“Everything that we do is prioritized based on the safety of the public, including stop sign repair and anything that is by a school,” said Acum.
Cable rail work takes priority over most other projects because of the danger a damaged rail can cause to the general public.
“People often drive 70 or 80 miles per hour [on eastern Long Island], especially at night,” said Acum. “It’s really easy for someone to lose control of their car at that speed.
George Cerrulo prepares to place chains on the grate that goes on top of the large dump truck.
Cable rails are put in place to minimize the amount of damage a driver can do in that situation. So, guide rail work is always at the top of the list.”
The unit gets updates on what issues need to be addressed through contacts in the police department, the unit’s general foreman, who canvases the roads every day and INFORM (Information for Motorists, one of the largest and most advanced transportation management information systems in the country).
Members carefully place a grate on top of a dump truck. The grate’s purpose is to keep large debris from clogging up and possibly damaging equipment.
Members also maintain all of the equipment in the yard.
Our DOT Local 508 members cover state roads across Long Island. Medford unit workers cover all travel lanes on the Long Island Expressway from Exit 59 to Exit 69 as well as Sunrise Highway from Exit 51 to Exit 61. That’s a little over a 16-mile stretch on both roads, in both directions.
Typically, members begin prepping for the following day at the end of their current shift by gathering all the materials they will need in the morning and making arrangements with police, in the event that workers will need to close the road for construction, the next day.
In the morning, unit members will arrive 15 to 20 minutes before their shift begins so they are ready to begin their workday at 7:30 a.m.
Occasionally, workers from other yards use the DOT facilities in Medford. Francisco Pena, from Central Islip, is using the Medford yard to dispose of the iron that he has collected from the roads.
Members receive mandatory training, once per year, in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) usage.
Members also take advantage of our union’s member-only benefits by completing the New York Safety Program (NYSP) Defensive Driving Class, at a discount, at CSEA’s Long Island Region office or online.
The secret to the unit’s success is their camaraderie.
“The most important part of this job is having a great crew that you can rely on,” said Acum. “We have to react very quickly to the requests of the public and the fact that we have a seasoned staff and we get along well makes the job that much easier.”
— Wendi Bowie
Some of the larger DOT yards gather remaining metal debris from repairs and the roads for recycling.
