The DOT POD

This episode of the DOT POD talks about something every single employee experiences at some point in their career - learning.

The New York State Department of Transportation's Learning & Development Bureau is the driving force behind this learning from leadership and professional development, to organizational improvement, mentoring, and educational partnerships.

Josh and Anya welcome Assistant Bureau Director Kiersten Hall to the show to talk about what DOT is doing now, and what they plan on doing in the future.

In this episode of the DOT POD, we are looking at a project that is literally reshaping the heart of Syracuse and transforming how people are traveling through and around Central New York for generations to come...the I81 Viaduct Project.

Construction has been underway for about three years now, with the project recently embarking on its second and final phase.

Josh and Anya traveled to the Great New York State Fair to see the I-81 Viaduct Project display, and to meet with Betsy Parmley, the Regional Director for Central New York, including Syracuse.

This episode was recorded in the Science and Industry Building at the Great New York State Fair where the New York State Department of Transportation was giving visitors a chance to experience something they may or may not think about every day: what it's like to navigate an intersection from someone else's perspective.

One of DOT's displays is all about empathy at intersections and it invites people to step outside their own experiences and see transportation as someone with different abilities or needs. With vision goggles, a wheelchair, and other interactive elements, visitors can get a better understanding of the challenges people may face while simply getting across the street.

Joining Josh and Anya were Lynn Godek, Landscape Architect 1 with DOT's Office of Environment, Landscape Architecture Bureau, and Karen Lorf, Landscape Architect 2 with the Department's Office of Policy, Planning, and Performance.

Every summer, hundreds of thousands of people make their way to the Great New York State Fair. They come for the food, music, and rides, and if you've ever walked through the Science and Industry building, you've probably noticed one of the Fair's most interactive exhibits: the New York State Department of Transportation display.

But what visitors don't see is the incredible amount of planning that goes into creating an experience that's fun, educational, and maybe even life saving. Our DOT exhibit gives visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the work that keeps New York moving every day.

Josh and Anya are joined by two of the multitude of people who help create these displays, DOT's Director of Marketing and Multimedia Operations, Carol Breen, and Communications Specialist for DOT's Syracuse region and the I-81 Viaduct Project, Sabrina Betts.

New York's transportation network is one of the largest and most complex in the nation, connecting communities, supporting businesses, and helping millions of New Yorkers get where they need to go.

And the investments we make today determine how that system will look tomorrow. From historic infrastructure funding, to workforce investments that keep our roads, and the people who build and maintain them, safe, Governor Kathy Hochul's Fiscal Year 2027 budget is helping DOT shape the future of transportation across New York.

In this episode, Josh and Anya are breaking it all down with someone who knows this work inside and out, New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez.