As the Labor Day holiday weekend approaches, the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) advises motorists to drive safely and expect heavy traffic traveling in and through the state. Last year, there were more than 973,000 trips made through Delaware’s three toll plazas from Friday, September 1 to Monday, September 4, 2017.

“Using good driving habits and obeying the rules of the road are critical any time you drive, and we want everyone traveling this weekend to enjoy the unofficial end of summer and reach their destinations safely,” said Secretary of Transportation Jennifer Cohan.

Motorists can increase their safety, and reduce the risk to others by doing the following:

• Always wear seatbelts
• Never drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Obey posted speed limits
• Do not drive distracted
• Do not drive aggressively

Following these five rules significantly decreases the likelihood of being involved in a crash as these are the leading cause of crashes involving serious injury or death on our roads. To date, there have been 71 crash-related fatalities on Delaware roads.

“Based on consumer confidence, steady gas prices, and the high volume of travelers we have seen this Memorial Day and Independence Day weekends, AAA expects to see more travelers on the roads this Labor Day weekend than we’ve seen in the past ten years,” added Ken Grant, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic.

Before getting on the road, motorists can review real-time conditions by using DelDOT’s smartphone application. The DelDOT App is available for Apple and Android smartphones and tablets, and can be downloaded free, by searching for “DelDOT” at the Apple and Google Play stores. Motorists can also listen to WTMC 1380 AM for updates on current road conditions.

Free, family-oriented career fair to expose middle school students, adults to careers in construction industry

WILMINGTON, Del. — Governor John Carney on Thursday announced a family-friendly career fair for youth and adults to explore careers in construction. The Governor’s Construction Career Expo is a two-day event in September that will expose middle school students, and adults looking for a career change, to training programs and construction career paths.

“We’re working hard to make sure that all Delawareans have the opportunity to succeed and share in our state’s economic progress,” said Governor Carney. “Careers in the building trades have historically provided paths into the middle class for thousands of Delaware workers and their families. Those same opportunities exist today. This Construction Career Expo will help connect Delawareans with meaningful career opportunities in construction fields, and expose Delaware students and adults to good-paying, skilled construction careers that are in demand and can help strengthen Delaware’s workforce.”

The construction industry is one of Delaware’s fastest-growing employment sectors with more than 3,500 job openings expected through 2024. The Governor’s Construction Career Expo will introduce training and career paths to students and those looking to move from jobs to meaningful careers. The Governor’s initiative is also an opportunity to connect employers and career-seekers, and to continue to train and develop a strong, skilled Delaware workforce.

“Throughout our state’s history, construction trades have been responsible for catapulting thousands of Delaware families into the middle class by providing skills training, benefits, and great wages,” said Cerron Cade, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Labor. “Today, it is more important than ever that the next generation of Delawareans are equipped with the best education and career training available, so they can continue to compete in a highly competitive and rapidly shrinking world.”

On Friday, September 21, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Chase Center in Wilmington, middle school students from various schools in New Castle County will have the opportunity to participate in one of three scheduled blocks to meet with employers, sample fun activities and tools, and participate in heavy equipment demonstrations and virtual simulators. This specialized field trip was coordinated with school principals and school districts.

All students, families, and members of the public, are invited to attend the Construction Career Expo on Saturday, September 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Chase Center in Wilmington. The free family-oriented career fair will include activities for both youth and adults, skills training opportunities, on-site job interviews, heavy equipment demonstrations, food trucks, and giveaways.

The Governor’s Construction Career Expo is presented in partnership with:

• Office of the Governor
• AFSCME
• Delaware State AFL-CIO
• Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council
• Delaware Chief School Officers Association
• Delaware Contractors Association
• Delaware Department of Education
• Delaware Department of Labor
• Delaware Department of Transportation
• Associated Builders and Contractors
• Delaware Technical Community College
• The Committee of 100
• City of Wilmington

“Many local employers are having trouble finding enough people to fill vacant job openings. We will train and pay a great wage, but we just need to find people looking for a stable and good-paying job,” said Alisha Wayman Bryson, Vice President of Wayman Fire Protection. “The Governor’s Construction Career Expo is going to be an amazing event for all ages. On Friday, kids are going to see firsthand the magic of construction, and on Saturday, we will show the entire family the benefits of a career in the construction industry. We look forward to having trades, local employers with job openings, training centers, and schools all under one roof.”

“Governor Carney’s Construction Career Expo is an opportunity for our Unions to showcase the contributions made every day by the working men and women of our state, and how big of a role they play in Delaware’s economy,” said James Maravelias, President of the Delaware State AFL-CIO. “This Expo will also introduce young Delawareans to careers in construction, one of our state’s fastest growing industries. We are pleased to be partnering with the Governor on this event, and look forward to working together to promote good-paying careers in the Building Trades Unions.”

“The Wall Street Journal and Businessweek are only two of many publications that have recently written about the shortages of trained employees and opportunities in the construction trades,” said Dr. Victoria Gehrt, Superintendent of the New Castle County Vocational Technical School District. “Governor Carney recognizes the importance of the need to train for the construction industries and is promoting the first, hopefully annual, Governor’s Construction Career Expo in Delaware. We appreciate our Governor for his support in informing and encouraging our youth to consider the construction trades as a positive and rewarding career option.”

“The Colonial School District is proud to participate in the first ever Governor’s Construction Trades Career Expo for Delaware students and families,” said Dr. D. Dusty Blakey, Superintendent of Colonial School District. “We appreciate the Governor for his leadership and vision in the area of Career and Technical Education and more specifically, for providing Delaware families with access and opportunity to learn and explore careers in the construction trades. We firmly believe that this innovative approach to engaging stakeholders across the state to support education will have a positive impact on the future of Delaware’s workforce.”

Learn more and sign up to receive updates about the Governor’s Construction Career Expo.

Use the hashtag #DEBuilds to spread the word and follow discussion about the Governor’s Construction Career Expo on social media.

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Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) Secretary Jennifer Cohan has announced today that Jana Simpler has been hired as the new DMV Director and will join the Department on September 4, 2018.

Jana is currently the Director of the Delaware Office of Highway Safety (DE OHS). She started her career in highway safety in 1997, serving as the Deputy Director of DE OHS through 2009 and as the Director for the last eight years.

“We are excited to have Jana joining us,” said Secretary Cohan. “As Director of OHS, she is very familiar with DMV and DelDOT, and has done a terrific job promoting safety on our roadways over the past 20 years. I know she will set a great example for our more than 600 employees in DMV and tolling operations in continuing to meet our number one objective – delivering First Class Service to the First State.”

“I am very pleased to have been asked to serve as the Director of DMV. I look forward to the opportunity to lead an agency whose history of excellent customer service and strong commitment to its employees has led the agency to effect many enhancements in the last several years. I thank Secretary Cohan for the opportunity to join her team and focus on making Delaware’s DMV the best in the country.”

Simpler received her master’s degree in Public Administration from Wilmington University in 1997 and her Bachelors in Criminal Justice from the University of Delaware in 1993, and lives in Milton with her family.

Scott Vien, who had served as DMV Director for the last three years, left the Department at the beginning of August for a new position in the private sector.

Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) Secretary Jennifer Cohan and Delaware Governor John Carney were joined by members of the state’s congressional delegation and local leaders as they cut the ribbon on the South Frederica Grade Separated Intersection (GSI) on Friday.

“Investing in infrastructure is a central part of our strategy to make sure that Delaware has a strong, growing, and globally competitive economy that works for all Delawareans,” said Governor John Carney. “Over the next six years, we are investing nearly $700 million to upgrade our roads and bridges in Kent County, and nearly $4 billion statewide. These investments will modernize our transportation system, create jobs, help attract even more businesses to Delaware, and ease congestion across our state.”

The project removed the at-grade intersection at Milford Neck Road and Tub Mill Pond Road and provided access to and from Route 1 via ramps. Frederica Road and Tub Mill Pond Road were realigned to create a new service road on the west side of Route 1.

“The completion of the South Frederica GSI marks another step in our progress toward a safer and more user-friendly Route 1 through Kent County,” said Secretary Cohan. “We continue to complete these GSI projects on Route 1 – at Route 9, North Frederica, Thompsonville, South Frederica and Little Heaven later this year – helping our residents and visitors have safer and easier travels to their destinations.”

“It is important that as Kent and Sussex Counties grow, we are able to keep State Route 1 at capacity and safely flowing. Here, we have a transportation project that has not only eased congestion, but also provided access to this fantastic Sports Complex that sees thousands of cars on the weekends,” said U.S. Senator Tom Carper. “Kent County is poised for growth, and one way to encourage economic development is by offering safe and reliable roads, highways and bridges. This project’s funding is shared by the state and federal government and is a great example of what we can do when we work together to improve our transportation infrastructure.”

“From tourists going to our beautiful beaches in the summertime, to year-round residential traffic, State Route 1 and the South Frederica corridor are critical components to economic development in Kent County and throughout the state,” said Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester. “With the completion of the South Frederica project, the Delaware Department of Transportation is reducing traffic congestion, facilitating commercial growth, and making our roads safer for everyone living and visiting in Delaware. I’m proud to stand with Governor John Carney and Transportation Secretary Jennifer Cohan in cutting the ribbon to open this much anticipated project.”

“While the South Frederica Overpass was not initially planned for the DE Turf Complex it was essential for the project to happen. Without the interchange Delaware would not have realize the significant economic benefit from the DE Turf,” said DE Turf Chairman William Strickland. “To date, over 100,000 visitors from 33 states, Canada and New Zealand have come to the complex and importantly have stayed in our hotels, eaten at our restaurants and shopped in our stores. We are so appreciative of the great partnership that has been forged with DelDOT to see the South Frederica Overpass to completion and most importantly for the highly professional way they have managed safe travel for our guests.”

A-Del Construction served as the lead contractor on the $26.6 million project which broke ground in March 2016, and received $21.7 million in funding from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

The Division of Motor Vehicles will begin incorporating a medical indicator onto the Delaware driver licenses or identification cards as of Wednesday, August 8, 2018.  The medical symbol will be displayed on the front of the card and the back will identify the individual’s condition so that law enforcement officers and first responders can adjust treatment accordingly.

Delaware Secretary of Transportation (DelDOT) Jennifer Cohan was joined by State Representative Valerie Longhurst to announce the implementation of incorporating this essential medical information of Delaware residents onto their driver licenses and/or identification cards at an event at the Delaware City DMV.

State Representative Valerie Longhurst explained how the program was initiated: “A constituent came to me concerned about his son’s medical condition and how it could be misunderstood if an officer pulled him over while driving. It raised concerns about a larger issue that we wanted to address. A driver’s license has a lot of critical information that first responders need to know immediately, and knowing a driver’s medical condition someone will be invaluable in an emergency. This new voluntary program will give Delawareans the option to have their vital medical information easily accessible to first responders. I’m proud to have helped establish this new indicator on our driver’s licenses.”

Secretary Cohan added that, “A voluntary medical indicator makes a lot of sense for providing additional peace of mind for any of our customers who have a condition they would want a law enforcement officer or emergency responder to be aware of. This is another example of how the Delaware DMV is being responsive to our customers’ needs, and providing personalized service.”

Participating in this program is voluntary and there is no charge to have the indicator on the license or ID card. The customer would need to complete a form indicating their condition and sign it. The signed form gives the DMV permission to notate the condition on the back of the card along with the medical indicator on the front. The form can be obtained at any DMV location.

“The Delaware Trauma System operates under the saying, ‘Getting the right patient to the right facility in the right amount of time,’ said Division of Public Health Director Dr. Karyl T. Rattay. “Allowing Delawareans to voluntarily list a medical condition on their driver’s license or photo identification card is a valuable tool that will assist our first responders when providing care in the field during a medical emergency.”

Sergeant Richard Bratz, Public Information Officer for the Delaware State Police emphasized that, “The medical indicator on your Delaware Driver’s License or identification card is important to share with first responders especially those giving medical care or first-aid. It allows law enforcement to gain some insight on medical conditions like those drivers who may have a specific medical condition like; seizures, arthritis, insulin required, hearing impaired, visually impaired, PTSD or autism just to name a few.”

Statewide ADA Coordinator John McNeal added, “The voluntary Medical Indicator program can provide an invaluable safety net for people with disabilities and others to allow for prompt notification and awareness of medical conditions to all emergency responders. Voluntary information provided can help pave the way to accurately accessing an individual’s medical condition or disability which will assist first responders by providing an information sharing process that can potentially be lifesaving.”

Nick Fina, Chairman State Council for Persons with Disabilities, commented, “The availability of critical medical data to first responders can mean the difference between life and death in emergency situations. This is a great use of technology that will make a difference in the lives of Delawareans, especially individuals with chronic diseases and disabilities.”

For more information on the new medical indicator program please visit the DMV website at www.dmv.de.gov