The DOT POD

Latest Episodes:

Newly Formed NYSDOT Women's Group Mar 11, 2025

Show notes

The women of DOT represent an extraordinary collective of dedicated professionals who thrive in a field that has long been viewed as predominantly male.

In honor of Women's History Month, we are highlighting a newly formed Women's Group in DOT's Long Island office that is dedicated to uplifting and empowering the women who are making significant contributions to DOT and the transportation sector.

In this episode, Josh and Anya are joined by Nancy Kamel and Deborah Rivera to discuss the group's origins and how it is nurturing a vibrant community of women centered around mentorship, advocacy, and collaboration.

For more information about the women's group or how to start your own, contact Nancy:

nancy.kamel@dot.ny.gov.

Cultural Resources Feb 25, 2025

Show notes

As DOT works to rebuild and enhance our vast transportation network, we're often reminded that our state has a rich history far older than our modern infrastructure.

Sometimes our projects reveal what life was like hundreds, even thousands of years ago and on this episode of The DOT POD we dig into the kind of discoveries that are being made as w shape our transportation system.

Josh and Anya are joined by Sean Higgins and Kyle Sommerville who are both with DOTs Office of Environment to shed some light on how the Department is preserving cultural heritage and artifacts amid our goals for modernization and progress.

Click to see the interactive story map: Enduring Connections

Carolyn Ryan & the Office of Sustainability Feb 11, 2025

Show notes

In June of 2019, New York signed into the law the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) to help address climate change. This was furthered by Governor Hochul's Executive Order 22: which directs state agencies to adopt a sustainability and decarbonization program.

On this episode of The DOT POD, we welcome in someone who is helping to lead the charge, New York State Department of Transportation's Assistant Commissioner for Sustainability, Carolyn Ryan.

Josh and Anya had a chance to talk with Carolyn about her office, and the critical role they play in helping to achieve New York State's lofty climate goals.

Can You Dig It - DOT Drillers Jan 28, 2025

Show notes

While we don't often think of what goes on under our feet, the drillers of DOT's Geotechnical Engineering Bureau are tasked with exactly what makes up the ground beneath us.

On any given project, drillers will take core samples, allowing engineers to create a soil profile and select the most appropriate foundation type for the structure being analyzed.

On this episode of The DOT POD, Josh and Anya welcome in two members of the Geotechnical Engineering Bureau, Steve Heiser and Ernie Holmberg, to find out more about this crucial work that often goes unnoticed.

64 Years at DOT and Counting...Ed Donovan Joins The DOT POD Jan 14, 2025

Show notes

In 1960, Ed Donovan joined what is now the New York State Department of Transportation, and 64 years later, he is still at it, serving as an Engineer in Charge on Long Island.

Josh and Anya traveled to Long Island to meet with Ed and talk about his history, his longevity, and his wealth of knowledge, built over 60 years at the Department.

In this episode, Ed discusses working on extended and constructing the Long Island Expressway, his first job with DOT, and how things have changed over the course of nearly six and half decades of transportation.

Bascule Bridges - NYSDOT and Drawbridges Dec 31, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of The DOT POD, Josh and Anya are on location in Hauppauge, NY on Long Island to talk about bascule bridges - what they are, how they work, and how we maintain them.

There are five bascule bridges, essentially drawbridges, on Long Island that are owned and operated by New York State DOT. We sat down with a couple of employees who work with these bridges daily.

Mitch Rippe is a bridge repair supervisor and Paul Barnes is a bridge operator. They shed light on what it takes to operate and maintain these bridges, some of which are over 90 years old, and how the DOT is working tirelessly to keep New Yorkers safe and connected.

Snow & Ice Season Dec 17, 2024

Show notes

Though the weather outside is frightful, the hardworking men and women of the New York State Department of Transportation are out there ensuring the roads throughout the state are safe to drive on.

In this edition of The DOT POD, hosts Josh and Anya welcome in two employees who are on the front lines of this seasonal battle; Kevin Kelsey, a Maintenance Supervisor 2 in the Southern Tier, and Mike Kraeger, a Bridge Maintenance Supervisor in the Mohawk Valley.

From Nor'easters to lake effect snow, Kevin and Mike discuss what its like to be a part of DOT's snow-fighting force and take us through the challenges that come with dealing with our New York winters.

Maine Department of Transportation Joins the DOT POD Dec 03, 2024

Show notes

Last month, New York State Department of Transportation's Office of Traffic Safety & Mobility welcomed their counterparts from Maine DOT to learn from each other in through peer exchange experiences.

Josh and Anya welcome back Becky Gibson-Schott, Director of Transportation Systems Management and Operations in the Office of Traffic Safety and Mobility for NYSDOT, and Colby Fortier-Brown, an Assistant State Traffic Engineer for Maine DOT.

They discuss the value of this type of peer exchange and how this kind of knowledge-sharing of innovative ideas and technology plays a huge role in our vast transportation systems throughout the US. They also discuss the some of the exciting things that are being worked on to help shape the future of the transportation field.

One Year of The DOT POD Nov 19, 2024

Show notes

On this episode, hosts Josh Heller and Anya Kardos celebrate the first anniversary of The DOT POD, which launched just over a year ago, on November 16, 2023.

They look back on the year that was, which included 27 different episodes that highlighted the people, projects, and initiatives that pushed the New York State DOT forward.

Join Josh and Anya as they hop in the way-back-machine and revisit some of the many highlights from the first year of The DOT POD.

Civil Service and the NYHelps Program Nov 05, 2024

Show notes

New York State agencies are hiring for thousands of critical positions open across the state. To help agencies fill these positions, the Department of Civil Service has developed the NY Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide (NY HELPS) Program. This program streamlines the appointment process to allow State agencies to hire diverse, qualified permanent employees quickly and without examinations.

In this episode of the DOT POD, Josh Heller is joined by a special co-host, Bryan Viggiani, who previously worked with the DOT and is currently working with civil service. They welcome the New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez and the New York State Department of Civil Service Commissioner Timothy Hogues.

Josh, Bryan, and Commissioners Dominguez and Hogues discuss the NYHelps program and its major impact on hiring across the state, including right here at DOT. They also discuss other measures that the department is taking to help fill vacancies with the best possible candidates.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected