By Elizabeth Mount
Ashley Jackson has a message for drivers:
Get off your phones while driving.
Don't drink and drive.
And, slow down and pay attention in work zones.
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| Ashley Jackson and her team pose in front of variable message signs before performing rolling slowdowns on Interstate 405 in December. Courtesy of Ashley Jackson |
Meet Ashley
Ashley used to be a certified nursing assistant. She says her schedule didn't allow for time off and the pay wasn't the best. She sought out an opportunity where she could have a more manageable work-life balance.
She obtained her flagger's card, several other certifications, and after several years of hard work she had enough experience to become a traffic control supervisor. In this role she will get contracted to set up traffic control for WSDOT on state highway projects.
Ashley says being a woman in a male-dominated field has been challenging. She feels like she needs to prove she can do the work. But a few male coworkers who want to see Ashley succeed go out of their way to make sure she is learning how to do different aspects of the job. She enjoys the work she does, in part because she loves being outside and doesn't mind getting dirty.
Ashley's not trying to ruin your day
Ashley creates traffic control plans based on the road size, closure length and traffic flow. For example, she developed a traffic control plan for the Barnes Creek fish passage project. The detour was large. Setting up a detour route starts with a lot of research and looking at maps to decide which roads can accommodate the traffic in the area. She drives the route several times, checking the traffic and making sure the roads can handle the extra vehicles. After that, she can put up signs, but she still needs to pay attention to the detour and adjust it as needed. This is just one facet of her day as a traffic control supervisor.
Traffic control doesn't eliminate the risk to our crews. Ashley says in her experience, the choke point where vehicles are finally forced to merge is the most common place for collisions. She wishes people would have more patience and realize road crews aren't trying to ruin anyone's day.
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| Ashley Jackson poses with her husband and son. Courtesy of Ashley Jackson |
Ashley's plan can't stop distracted drivers
Not too long ago, Ashley and her team were on State Route 18 working in the right lane. They had set up everything necessary to take a lane – signs, support trucks, truck mounted attenuators, etc. But, a driver, who had been texting, ignored all the signs to move to the left lane and was forced to change lanes at the last second. That didn't work, and the vehicle hit another car and one of the attenuators protecting Ashley and her team.
Just as in Ashley's example, distracted driving is one of the top reasons work zone collisions happen. Ashley says travelers have become numb to work zone signs. But each of those signs isn't just a warning to drivers about upcoming lane closures – it's also a reminder that fathers, mothers, sons, daughters and friends will be working on the road and are vulnerable if somebody drives into their work zone.
Ashley and her colleagues all have families they want to get home to. Specifically, Ashley has a young son and a husband at home. For her to get home to them, safety needs to be a top priority for everyone using our roads.
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