Local PennDOT employee honored for innovation; expected to save up to $1M

A PennDOT employee whose work supports Montgomery County and the surrounding southeastern Pennsylvania region has been recognized with a statewide Innovation Award for developing a cost-saving process that could save the department as much as $1 million.

Daniel Graham, a senior highway maintenance manager with PennDOT District 6, was honored during the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s annual Innovation Awards Ceremony.

PennDOT District 6 is the agency’s southeastern Pennsylvania engineering district and includes Montgomery County, Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County and Philadelphia County. The district is responsible for maintaining state-owned roads and bridges throughout the five-county Philadelphia region.

Graham was recognized for creating Philadelphia’s street sweeping screener process, an innovation that separates soil from trash and debris collected by street sweepers.

The system works by loading material from sweeper trucks into a screening machine, which sifts dirt into one area and debris into another. By separating the materials, PennDOT can dispose of them more efficiently and is expected to save up to $1 million in transportation, equipment rental and disposal costs.

“Coming from a variety of different perspectives and backgrounds, PennDOT’s workforce of nearly 12,000 is uniquely equipped to meet the needs of an industry that changes every day,” said Mike Carroll. “These awards honor PennDOT’s most creative thinkers, who go out every day and find innovative ways to meet the challenge head-on.”

Din Abazi said the innovation reflects the district’s commitment to improving efficiency and quality.

“We are proud of our team for always raising the standard and quality of our work,” Abazi said. “This debris and dirt screener continues to check all the boxes of being cost-efficient, being easy to use, and offering new opportunities in carrying out PennDOT’s work.”

PennDOT’s annual Innovation Awards recognize employees across Pennsylvania who develop new ideas to improve safety, efficiency and service delivery.