The TRANsmissions Podcast

There are so many modes of transportation, and there really needs to be a more holistic look at how they compliment and work with each other. Including the use of technology in those relationships. And that's why we're talking about Integrated Transportation Development planning today! Podcast host Russel Lolacher sits down with Executive Lead David Greer to understand the ministry's approach to i...

Ethics - "moral principles that govern a person's behavior or the conducting of an activity." That's what dictionary.com tells us. And in this episode, we're going to hear from our ministry's Ethics advisor on how that pertains to us. Host Russel Lolacher sits down with David Greer to understand what this role is responsible for, how he can help members of our ministry and why it's so important. ...

PTB. Do you mean the Branch or the Board? What's the difference?! Quite a bit actually and we're here to get into those details and so much more of what the Passenger Transportation Branch does. Host Russel Lolacher chats with P erry Dennis , Deputy Registrar and Director of Operations and Steve Haywood , Registrar and Executive Lead for Taxi Modernization and Ride Hailing to better understand the...

It's always a great time to get to know our engineers. We have many types that work within our ministry and in this episode, we give Structural Engineering the spotlight. Podcast host Russel Lolacher talks with Director of Structural Engineering Carl Lutz , Hydrotechnical Engineer Alysha Piccini , and Senior Bridge Seismic Engineer Alireza Ahmadnia for an overview of their work and responsibilitie...

Data, data, data. It's a big part of how we are informed to make the decisions we do. Host Russel Lolacher sits down with returning guest Director of Transportation Systems and Road Safety Engineering Kenedee Ludwar and Traffic Data Program Coordinator John Mazuruk to talk about traffic data – what do we collect, how do we collect it, who uses it and what do we use it for.   This week's sponsor: t...

What do you call a team that is in charge of the roll out of our highway projects? Highway roll outers? Sorry, not very catchy. What we DO call them however is our Provincial Field Services team and in this episode, host Russel Lolacher speaks with Shawn Grant , Director of Provincial Field Services and Wayne Fraser , Deputy Director of Provincial Field Services on the scope of their work, how the...

For this episode, host Russel Lolacher talks with those behind the Moose Hide Campaign , a grassroots movement of Indigenous and non-Indigenous men and boys who are standing up against violence towards women and children. Campaign day is Feb.11. We're joined by campaign co-founder Raven Lacerte , campaign CEO David Stevensen , and Associate Deputy Minister Kevin Richter to talk about the importanc...

It's a very special episode. Very soon, a member of the MoTI community will be retiring and leaving a lasting legacy behind. That person, is Cariboo District Manager, Todd Hubner . Having been a part of our organization for decades, Todd has amassed an exceptional career: navigating numerous emergency events, mentoring so many of our fellow coworkers and leading his amazing district staff. Podcast...

When the public looks for information, they search the internet. Project details, tenders for bidding, forms to fill out, blogs to read, latest CVSE news… that content is all available. But it doesn't happen magically. There's a lot of work that goes into making sure it's up to date, it's easy to read, it makes sense, it's consistent, it's findable… all the things. And helping make that happen is...

Breaker Breaker One Niner. Maybe your experience with radio is mainly from television shows? Maybe you had a radio when you played as kids? I'm not talking transit radios either. Today it gets a lot more serious because radios in our ministry are really vital to our work. In this episode, we meet up with the Radio Program. Host Russel Lolacher welcomes to the show the Manager of Radio and Telecomm...

The environment in which we work, the resources we have available, how we are supported, from the day we come into our "office" to the day we leave, are all vital to the quality of our employee experience. There is a group in our ministry that has a very important hand in supporting the health of this ministry. For staff, supervisors and executive. In this episode, we meet up with Strategic Human...

Communication is so vital to what we do. And it takes on so many different forms. Whether it's our Dynamic Message Signs, Social Media, Drive BC, News Releases…One of the traditional ways we inform the travelling public is through our road signage. And there is a shop in Kamloops that makes that happen. Host Russel Lolacher talks to the Manager of the Provincial Sign Program Ross Mclean  to unders...

How are you doing? How are you feeling? Really. It's vital to understand that our mental health is an important part of our lives. Though it's been a part of who we are for as long as time, awareness around mental health and wellness has become a growing topic of discussion over the years, at home and at work. On the show today, host Russel Lolacher talks to Mental Health and Wellness Training Spe...

The public's expectations around how, what and when we communicate continues to change and grow. One of the ways our ministry meets those expectations is through the Social Media Services Team, who use various platforms, social strategies and content creation to provide social customer care. Guest host Nick Nixon, Director of Corporate Communication and Innovation talks to Russel Lolacher, Directo...

Technology is vital to our work. We really can't do much without it. Applications, data recording, DriveBC, highway webcams, digital storage, computers, map imaging and so much more we probably don't even know about. It's the Information Management Branch that has a hand in making this work for us. Chief Information Officer and  Executive Director Debbie Fritz joins us to discuss the role her bran...

It's Cold. It's Rainy. It's Hot and Dry. Weather has a huge, HUGE impact on what we do and how we do it. From floods, to avalanches, to wildfire and all the in between. Wouldn't it be helpful if we monitored the weather so we could make more strategic decisions? Spoiler: we do. Climate and Weather Specialist Simon Walker and Avalanche Systems Tech Adam Todd join us to walk us through the weather s...

Weather has a huge impact on our roads. Which is why it's more important than ever to raise your awareness in how you can be a better driver and be prepared to head out in winter driving conditions. Our ministry is a big part in highlighting the importance of this safety with the Shift into Winter campaign. Director of Traffic and Highway Safety Engineering Kenedee Ludwar, District Manager for the...

Communications. Public relations. Media Relations. Public Engagement. Our ministry works very hard to connect with so many of our stakeholders. There's actually an entire BC government organization that helps us get the word out about what we do: GCPE. Government Communications and Public Engagement. In this episode we learn more about the work they do and how it's connected to our ministry when w...

Not a lot of people like doing it or are comfortable doing it or want to do it. But, if you have an idea, a project or a program you want to get across to people, it's very important to be a strong public speaker.  In this BONUS episode of the podcast, we sit down with Ari Hershberg Senior Program Analyst with the BC Government's Exchange Lab, who also happens to have an extensive background as a...

You've heard of the Coquihalla Highway? Port Mann bridge replacement? Evergreen Line? We are heavily involved in making these a reality. We even have a department dedicated to it.  In this episode, we chat with Jody Deane, Executive Project Director of the Highway 91/17 and Deltaport Way Upgrade Project and Thomas Chhun, her Associate Director on the project. We'll learn a little bit more about th...

Money, money, money. The work of finance impacts everything we do. What we can, what we can't and where we need to be smarter about how we use our funds to go a little farther. It fuels our projects and programs while also letting us eat and pay our mortgages or rent. But how does it all work? In this episode, we travel the world of Corporate Finance with our ministry's Chief Financial Officer and...

The work we do impacts so many communities across our province. Their history, their cultures and our relationship with them need to be considered whenever we put together a project. Our indigenous communities and our relationships with them is vital to our success. In this episode, we dig into our Journey towards Reconciliation with Director of Corporate Communications and Innovation Nick Nixon,...

What's 50 plus years old, the only one of its kind in all the BC Public Service and is driven by employees? Spoiler Alert: The Road Runner Newsletter. In this episode, we talk with long serving editor Nancy McLeod to get behind the scenes on this internal publication that has been a staple of our ministry for decades and decades. You'll hear about the history of Road Runner, what Nancy looks for i...

So you want to do some development along BC highways do you? Well that's where Development Services kick in. Formerly known as Development Approvals, it's one of those business areas that has bigger impacts that you may think. In this episode, we talk with Rajeeta Bains, West Kootenay District Technician and DAEI lead in the Highways Department, on a development approvals 101 overview and what the...

46 years. 46 YEARS! In 1973, the Vietnam War was ending, a dozen eggs were 45 cents, and Elton John released "Crocodile Rock" AND our ministry's chief engineer Dirk Nyland joined MoTI. His history, his lessons learned, his missteps and the advice he'd provide new, mid-career and retiring staff is all in this episode. Sponsor: The Employee Advisory Forum The Employee Advisory Forum is made up of ar...