Editor’s note: TPB staff just like many other people across the region have been working from home in response to Covid-19. Almost all staff for COG and TPB have been teleworking. COG and TPB regularly promotes teleworking and many of us already regularly telework but, practicing social distancing has led us to do our work differently. I wanted to show you, our readers, how we’re coping with this challenge and let you know that the work goes on, even though we now have some fun and sometimes furry co-workers. Read on to learn what it is staff continue to work on at home and get a glimpse into our workspaces. – Abigail Zenner, TPB Communications Specialist
We’re still meeting, just not in-person
With social distancing mandates and restrictions on large gatherings the biggest change for us at COG was to our meetings. Now all our meetings are taking place online. We have conference calls, webinars, and group video chats.
The first meeting to go virtual was the March Citizens Advisory Committee meeting. The CAC met online through a webinar service. A few staff were in the office to set it up, presentations were done over the phone and on computer screens.
The TPB meeting also went virtual for the first time. TPB planners Sergio Ritacco and Bryan Hayes worked together to lay out how it could be done. Board members were able to talk to one-another and vote while everyone else was able to listen online. Even public comments were adjusted to be emailed in and read by staff.
Read more about the virtual March TPB meeting.
Most interesting was high attendance at the TPB meeting. 32 board members participated, which is more than would fit on the dais in the board room. Another 42 people listened in to the live stream. Overall participants seemed pleased with how it worked out.
Other meetings have also moved online with high participation rates. Travel Forecasting Program Director Mark Moran reported that the Travel Forecasting Subcommittee meeting had 61 connections on their webinar. That’s much more than the usual number of participants at a normal meeting. We’re all still working out some kinks in these systems and figuring out best practices, but these meetings have been well attended.
Staff meetings have also been affected of course. On Monday all COG staff were planning to gather together and take a break to take the Census. The good news is the Census is online or was mailed to our homes, so we were all able to take a break together and fill out our forms at home. A lot of people have been able to take a break to do the Census.
Have you filled out your Census form yet?
A few dispatches from TPB staff:
TPB Staff Director Kanti Srikanth says that with so much of the staff teleworking he was inspired to learn some new options for staff communication like COG’s newest Microsoft Teams tool for group collaboration. “It is quick way to hold audio conferences and share documents without having to sign up and pay for WebEx services,” he says.
He also mentioned the challenges of having multiple family members also working from home. “Since having to work from home more frequently than in the past I have had to work out arrangements for where we will work and take conference calls with my wife (who works from home 90% of the time) and my daughter who is beginning her online only graduate school classes! Using headphone sets for phone calls is one of the quick adaptions we have made.” Since he is also deputy executive director in addition to his role with TPB, Kanti has been coming into the office on a limited basis. “I am continuing to come into the office every third day – part of a three-member group to serve as on-site management contact,” he says.
TPB Planner Arianna Koudounas writes: Greetings from Charm City! I have been spending my days accompanied by my beloved three-legged furry friend, Marty. He can be a bit of a micromanager - we are currently working on boundaries. Curious what I'm working on? Here's a glimpse of the 2019 Washington-Baltimore Regional Air Passenger Survey General Findings Report. You may also notice the Microsoft Teams platform to the far left of my screen, which has a chat function that has really helped me stay more connected to my colleagues. And as you can see from the envelope to my left, I'm all set for COG’s virtual "Take a Break, Take the Census!"
TPB Planner Bryan Hayes writes: The Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) meets monthly to provide input into TPB plans and activities. The March CAC meeting was the first meeting to go online-only at the TPB. It was a last-minute decision and required drawing on our experience hosting meetings to make it work. While there were some hiccups, it went well. I was able to use lessons learned with other committees to make sure their online meetings go smoothly.
Now that I am working from home, I am thinking a lot about how the TPB can engage people in the region. At the best of times this is difficult because our region is so large and diverse. It is especially difficult now because not everyone in the region has access to a computer or the internet. So, while developing participation activities we need to be especially thoughtful about how we can reach folks.
TPB Planner Nicole McCall says she is collaborating with our MARC/VRE Run Through Service Market Assessment study consultant to prepare to deliver an update to the Regional Public Transportation Subcommittee. The presentation is scheduled for slightly after noon on Tuesday and will be delivered remotely. “I’m probably being more consistent than ever about taking lunch; my fuzzy office mates are quite insistent that I take that break on time,” she notes.
TPB Planner Ken Joh writes in that he’s been working on the 2017/2018 Regional Travel Survey, focusing on cleaning and editing the trip file from the travel diary. He will be giving an update on the RTS to the April Technical Committee meeting, that will be held virtually. Ken says that he has been thinking about how COVID-19 will impact regional travel patterns and how the switch to mass telework can dramatically shape the future of travel in this region.
TPB Planner Stacy Cook is working from home with a window open, enjoying the sounds of spring while adjusting to an all-online work environment. She is busy thinking ahead to how our region will plan together to address transportation challenges and ensure multimodal transportation options over the next 20 years, Stacy is often accompanied by one or more (usually sleeping) cats.
TPB Planner John Swanson writes in that he is working on the Transportation Land-Use Connections program, virtually! A selection panel next week will meet virtually to identify a list of TLC projects to fund next year. The panel’s recommendations will be presented to the TPB Technical Committee on April 3. The TPB is scheduled to vote on the recommendations on April 18.
“A couple days ago, I wanted to get some fresh air – while maintaining social distance, of course! So I jumped in my car and went to have a first-hand look at the locations for some of this year’s TLC applications. I had the chance to see sites around the region where local governments are proposing to make walking and biking easier and to create mixed-use, economically vibrant communities. Attached is a selfie of me looking at a potential trail site (location undisclosed because we haven’t yet selected applications for funding).“
Need telework resources and good practices? Commuter Connections released some guidelines.