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NCDOT needs your help to decide which projects receive money from the Mobility Fund.

The fund represents North Carolina’s first new revenue stream for transportation needs in more than a decade and will generate $173 million from 2011 to 2014 and $58 million each year thereafter.

The first $120 million-$130 million is dedicated to phase two of the I-85 Corridor Improvement Project in Davidson and Rowan counties – the state’s top mobility project. We’re working now to determine how to best spend the rest of the money.

The department has taken the more than 70 ideas you shared with us during our first public comment period in August and used them to create a framework for our decision-making process. It includes a potential set of minimum requirements and two scoring options. You can read them by clicking here.

What creates your greatest mobility challenge? Commuting to work? Access to schools?  We want to hear from you before moving forward. A second public comment period is now open, so you can weigh these options and offer other suggestions for improvement. We’ll use them to draft our final plan for selecting Mobility Fund projects.

The comment period ends Friday, Oct. 29. You can easily share your ideas online at our Citizens Connect Online Form.

The Mobility Fund is meant to benefit the public. That’s why it’s so important for your voice to be heard.  For more information about the Mobility Fund, visit ncdot.gov.

Nowadays, trying to find a job is a full-time job. Unemployment agencies. Career fairs. Internet sites. Jobseekers have to cover all their bases. It can be stressful and challenging.

The N.C. Department of Transportation wants to change that. That’s why we’re reaching out to jobseekers through our social media platforms. NCDOT Careers has Twitter and Facebook pages to let people know, “We’re hiring.” We tweet and post messages every time we list a new job opening. So, getting the latest updates is as easy as looking at your cell phone.

Currently, more than 40 careers are listed at ncdot.gov/careers ranging from engineer and auditor to mechanic and analyst.

We’re not just telling you where the jobs are, we’re doing our best to help you get them. If you visit twitter.com/ncdot_careers, you’ll find helpful articles and videos about interviewing, writing your resume, job searching and how to stand out in a sea of applicants.

NCDOT employs more than 13,000 employees across the state. We’re made up of a wide range of professionals including pilots, archeologists, geologists, graphic designers, writers, accountants and even scuba divers.

Through our diverse team, we take care of a transportation system that includes the country’s second largest state-maintained highway and ferry systems, as well as the nation’s first “Bicycle Highway” that now stretches more than 3,000 miles.

If you are interested in becoming part of our team, follow us at twitter.com/ncdot_careers or visit ncdot.gov/careers.

Kids and parents alike can now learn about more than just animals the next time they visit the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro. A new stormwater wetland will educate them about the importance of protecting the state’s water quality, as well as the benefits of team work.

The wetland was built through a partnership between the N.C. Department of Transportation, the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Clean Water Management Trust Fund. The organizations worked together to gain environmental permits, design, fund and oversee construction on the $1 million project.

The wetland took more than three years to transition from an idea to a reality, but the wait was definitely worth it.

When rain falls on the zoo’s 11-acre North America parking lot, it washes pollutants such as oil leaked from cars into storm drains. Before the wetland existed, the dirty water would flow from the drains right into the zoo’s lake. That is no longer the case. Now, the water is filtered as it passes through the wetland and goes into the lake untainted.

Through a successful partnership, the wetland project is not only improving the water quality in the lake, but it is also better protecting the plants and animals that rely on it for survival.

The next time you go to the zoo, stop by the wetland, read the signs explaining how it works, and enjoy the scenic overlooks and nearby picnic areas. NCDOT and its project partners hope the wetland will highlight our commitment to the environment and motivate others to follow in our “green” footsteps.

There’s nothing better than combining exercise and raising awareness, and that’s what a group of us did Friday morning through downtown Raleigh.

I rode with N.C. Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary for Internal and External Affairs Ted Vaden and many others in the city of Raleigh’s Bicycle Safety Awareness Group Bicycle Ride. The event was part of Bike to Work Week, and it allowed us to share the busy Raleigh streets and show that bikes and vehicles can co-exist.

The route took us from Bicentennial Mall at the Museum of Natural History toward the Old Capitol Building, down Edenton, Salisbury, Fayetteville, Hargett, West and Jones streets, then back to the mall. Riders came in all shapes and sizes and the bikes varied from racing to recreational.

The ride itself took about 45 minutes and the group got separated at times. But people like NCDOT Wellness Coordinator Bob Nelson kept a close eye on us and made sure the ride went safely.

Events like this were scheduled across North Carolina to recognize Bike to Work Week, which raises awareness of alternative ways to get to work and promotes bicycle safety. Bicycling is not only fun, it’s also great for your health and the environment.

More and more people are using bicycling as a form of transportation. Motorists must remember that bicycles are considered a vehicle and have the same rights and responsibilities.

We encourage everyone to grab a bike and take advantage of the many greenways, trails and bicycling routes throughout the state. Be sure to wear your helmet and share the road.