/
Print
Services
Residents
Business
Visitors
Government
City of Knoxville
Blogs
City Blog
Winter Work: How Traffic Eng...
Winter Work: How Traffic Engineering Decks City Streets with Holiday Decorations
The light poles on Gay Street showcase Christmas wreaths for the holiday season.
The Winter Work blog series continues, as we highlight how City employees make the holidays happen.
We rarely pay close attention to traffic signals - until something goes awry. City Traffic Engineers are the ones who get the call, regardless of the hour or weather conditions (in fact, it's often in the worst conditions), to repair malfunctioning or knocked down traffic signals.
Beyond the response role of these unsung heroes, Traffic Engineering also assists with holiday decorations on City streetlights. City Communications caught up with Hal Pena to gain some insight on the process of decorating light poles.
HAL PENA, TRAFFIC ENGINEERING
Position:
Signal Installation Crew Leader
With the City since:
1990
“City streetlights…dressed with bright red and green…”
One of America’s biggest downtown holiday traditions is a decorated streetlight - just try to find a miniature Christmas village set without one!
Each year, the City’s Traffic Engineering Division staff uses bucket trucks to decorate an estimated 100 streetlights with banners, lights and garland. This is quite a change of pace from the typical maintenance and emergency work on traffic signals.
“We’re working in all weather conditions year-round, so holiday work doesn’t really expose us to anything that we wouldn’t experience anyway,” said Harold “Hal” Pena of Traffic Engineering. “We are well-outfitted for any form of weather.”
Pena represents Traffic Engineering on the Special Events holiday planning committee.
“The nature of our regular work is response and repair, so I really enjoy being a part of the creative process on the front end of things during the holiday season,” he said.
This year, streetlights from Hill Avenue to Emory Place will be decorated. Pena and his team have also been working with the River Hill Gateway Association to install decorations along the Hill Avenue Viaduct.
On the Gay Street block that includes the Tennessee Theatre, holiday banners will commemorate the venue’s 90th anniversary.
“People make positive comments as we install banners, and it’s nice to get appreciative feedback,” said Pena.
Our Traffic Engineering Division does its part to herald in the holidays!
Posted by
On 11 December, 2018 at 7:34 PM
Recent Posts
Checking in with Summer in the City interns
Old Broadway Sidewalks Project Enters Final Phase
Welcome, 2024 Summer in the City Interns!
Stadium Halfway Completed: Wooden Roof Installed - Next Up, Light Poles!
Meet Your Neighborhood Firefighters! Hundreds Attend Easter Egg Hunt / Open House at Station 12
City Employee Hard at Work for 50 Years: 'I Love My Job, I Love Keeping Busy'
Residents Weigh in on Future of McClung Redevelopment
Urban Wilderness: 1 week, 2 milestones
Congratulations to KPD's Newly Promoted Officers!
#PublicWorksWednesday: Dirty Lots and Neighborhood Codes
Archives
July 2024 (1)
June 2024 (1)
May 2024 (1)
April 2024 (4)
March 2024 (3)
February 2024 (3)
January 2024 (2)
December 2023 (4)
November 2023 (5)
October 2023 (4)
August 2023 (1)
Group Blogs
City Blog
KAT Blog
KPD News & Alerts
Magnolia Avenue Streetscapes Project
More...
Post Categories
City Events
City Services
Cumberland Ave.
Downtown
Government
KAT
Mayor Kincannon
Meetings
Neighborhoods
Outdoor & Recreation
Public Safety
Redevelopment
Road Work
South Waterfront
Sustainability
Content Alert Subscription
Blog Feeds
Podcast Feeds
Subscribe to Email Alerts