VAA Virginia Asphalt Fall/Winter 2020

08 FALL/WINTER 2020 Born in Boston, Rob Cary was raised in Northern Virginia where he began his professional career after graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineer- ing from Virginia Tech. He started his career with the Virginia Depart- ment of Transporation in 1992 and has served in five of VDOT’s nine Districts. Cary agreed to take a few minutes to answer some question for VAA readers. For our field employees, who comprise about half our agency, we’ve implemented safety measures, including maintaining social distance and wearing face coverings. We’ve also worked proactively to introduce new technologies reducing paperwork, increasing efficiency, and allowing employ- ees to use their skills and energy on the challenging jobs at hand instead of clerical processes. The VDOT of the future puts more technology in the hands of our field employees. The COVID-19 pandemic has also spurred on implementing virtual public involve- ment, where we conduct public hearings digitally instead of planning in-person gatherings. We think residents appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the process at a time and place convenient for them. There is a wealth of opportunity here. VAA→ Aside from COVID-19, what do you see as the two or three big- gest challenges facing VDOT and the transportation industry? CARY→ Certainly, one challenge is fed- eral funding and lacking a sustainable, long-term funding program. The federal government has passed a series of continu- ing resolutions that allow us to address immediate needs but doesn’t give us a funding stream we can count on. With short stop-gap measures, it is difficult to know the long-term funding landscape and makes project planning a greater challenge. Another challenge or change to be aware of is the coming of connected and autono- mous vehicles where cars communicate with each other to create a safer and more efficient driving experience. This kind of advanced technology used to be available only in higher-end vehicles, but we’re seeing them now in more affordable models. We GETTINGTO KNOW VDOT Chief Deputy Commissioner Robert H. Cary, P.E., L.S. VAA→ Over the last 25 years, you have served in various roles within VDOT. Why did you want to become the Chief Deputy Commissioner? CARY→ For me, working at an agency like the Virginia Department of Transporta- tion has always been about improving the quality of life for the 8.5 million residents of Virginia. Over my nearly 29-year career, I’ve served in leadership positions in multiple locations across Virginia, over- seeing engineering, maintenance, design, and construction activities. Through that work, I had the opportunity to interact with many different types of people, from county board members and state legislators to res- idents with drainage problems or motorists who want to know how we maintain their roads. These experiences allowed me to see how our agency’s work impacted Virginians locally and on a statewide level. In 2018, when Gov. Ralph Northam was inaugurated, I was offered the opportunity to serve as Chief Deputy Commissioner. With the technical and people skills I’ve built during my career, I felt this new position would be my best opportunity to improve Virginia residents’ quality of life. VAA→ The last six months have created a new normal due to COVID-19. What does the new VDOT look like as a result of the pandemic? CARY→ Impressively, within two weeks, over 4,000 employees transitioned from their offices to teleworking from home, which is a massive change for them. We’ve seen good results so far, and I am not sure we’ll see our offices back at full capacity 100% of the time, as it was in the past. This type of work will likely be conducted in a hybrid fashion, with 50% to 60% of employees in the office on a given day and the others teleworking.