*Which is to say, exactly the right amount of fun
“BridgeFest is like the Utah Coachella.” Which is pretty much all you need to know about this, our newest celebration of state employees who see no reason their boring government job should have to actually be boring. As a onetime state employee, I appreciate the drive to throw a little creativity into a field that doesn’t always inspire it, and I particularly appreciate bosses that are, like, “Yes, this road construction update definitely does need an AC/DC soundtrack, you are correct.” Now you get to appreciate them, too. (You can glance back at #1 and #2 in our series, if you missed them.)
Utah Department of Transportation
The Instagram team for the Utah DOT clearly knows their way around a meme, a gag, and a pop-culture moment. But it was their truly masterful announcement of their upcoming Summer of Bridge Repairs that brought them to my attention.
(Also, learn about their newest HiMod asphalt binder, and see the pollinator habitat at the I-15 Northbound Perry rest stop.)
Washington State DOT
BIGGER. ORANGER. MORE DISRUPTIVE.
And that’ll learn you to request a PSA about summer road construction around the state. (Also, take a moment to appreciate this masterful act of graphic design.)
New Jersey DOT
The State of New Jersey’s Twitter team got their own shout-out in our original post, but the state’s Department of Transportation is doing its part to keep up, albeit in slightly less belligerent style. I’ve yet to see any invitations from the NJDOT to knife fight their Delaware counterparts — just celebration of good drivers, which I’m assuming New Jersey actually has, or else they wouldn’t bother making reels about it, right?
(The NJ DOT also wants you to know what’s up with their bridges, although they tend more toward the ‘80s-jock-rock end of the genre.)
Northern Virginia DOT
The Twitter account serving the Virginia DOT’s northern region isn’t as follow-it-anyway funny as some of the other entries in this category — if you don’t actually live in northern Virginia and drive on the roads, you’re probably not going to get a huge thrill out of their regular updates. But you have to appreciate the goofy humor they bring to their messages of traffic caution.
That said, and at the risk of revealing that I’m a human being with a rich emotional life and not just three snarks in a trench coat, I appreciate that NOVA DOT’s big thing is kindness. Their traffic updates are liberally peppered with cute cat videos reminding us all to drive safely and use our blinkers.
Transportation Safety Administration
The TSA’s Instagram is full of useful information, tips, prohibited items, confiscated items (they will find the pot hidden in your deodorant tube, people), and, of course, dogs. And they do a good job of making it entertaining without sacrificing clarity or legitimacy.
“When the TSA says you can’t pet the dogs…” I feel that one. I doff my hat, and belt and shoes, to the social media team at the TSA.
Drive safe
Whether you’re at home or on the road this weekend, please stay safe, use your blinker, and remember that a dead traffic light should be treated LIKE A FOUR-WAY STOP SIGN. (I’m looking at you, Drivers On Green Springs Highway After So Much As A Stiff Breeze.) Perry Pollinators, play us out.