This is a series of articles intended to introduce to the community key members of the City’s Team of employees who serve Manteca residents through their respective position and areas of expertise.
Kevin Jorgensen II is the Director of Engineering for the City of Manteca. He’s been City Engineer for the past 8 years.
Kevin Jorgensen II is the Director of Engineering for the City of Manteca. He’s been City Engineer for the past 8 years.
Kevin says he came to Manteca because, “I was very excited to work for a burgeoning, fast-paced City, with a vast array of challenging capital improvement and development projects. I also liked the idea of working for a government agency with a family-orientated focus.”
When asked what he likes about his job, Kevin answered, “We have a team atmosphere, collaborative spirit, and a great group of people to work with. Work moves at a very fast pace and we often have to work cohesively with other departments to accomplish our goals.”
Kevin describes a typical day on the job as revolving around meetings, emails, and providing staff direction, with his priorities being adjusted to meet the needs of development, capital improvement projects, and overarching City endeavors.
He was asked to identify the City’s most significant needs from the Engineering Department’s perspective. “Our most critical and encompassing need is additional funding to keep up with the demands of a flourishing City. Thisis something strongly felt by all City Departments. The vast majority of City employees make every effort possible to improve the City, but there’s only so much that can be accomplished with our funding shortfalls. As it specifically relates to the Engineering Department, our infrastructure facilities supporting transportation, sewer, water, and storm are in constant need of maintenance, upgrades, and expansion. We simply do not have the funding to complete all of the necessary projects that greatly impact the quality of life of our residents.”
Carl Brown, Director of Public Works, City of Manteca.
MANTECA, CALIF. The City of Manteca created a Traffic Solutions Committee in 2022 to improve and create safety solutions on the City’s streets. This multi-departmental group is led by the City’s Director of Public Works, Carl Brown. Through various measures, the committee analyzes safety concerns and brings viable solutions to the City.
As Director of Public Works, Brown has a multitude of responsibilities including streetlights, traffic signal operation, signs and markings, curbs and sidewalks, and environmental compliance. “We constantly work on improving efficiencies and effectiveness of processes and programs and ensure that all services continue to be performed as our citizens expect, he explains.
“Improving traffic safety and reducing pedestrian injuries is the top priority of the Traffic Solutions Committee in Manteca,” Brown stresses. A few of the enhancements include the following.
City traffic improvements such as flashing stop signs that increase visibility so people are more likely to stop. This also reduces right-angle crashes by alerting drivers of upcoming roadway changes, so they do not unintentionally run the stop sign. “Right-angle crashes are the most common type of crash that results in a fatality or serious injury at stop sign-controlled intersections,” Brown adds.
Flashing Stop Sign
New high-visibility crosswalks ensure that pedestrians and drivers have safer access when crossing the street. These alert pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists to designated pedestrian crossing areas and help give drivers enough time to react to pedestrians on the road.
New high-visibility crosswalks
Speed lumps (yes, lumps, not bumps or humps), are on Hacienda Ave. and North Walnut Ave. These lumps slow down speeding cars in the neighborhoods. The speed lump is a variation on the speed hump, adding two-wheel cut-outs designed to allow large vehicles, such as emergency vehicles and buses, to pass with minimal slowing.
Speed Lumps
The Committee is updating and adding pavement markings, yield limit lines, warning signs, red curbs, and street parking markings to decrease traffic accidents. A yield line, also called shark’s teeth or give-way line, is a marking used to inform drivers of the point where they need to yield and give priority to the oncoming vehicle or pedestrian traffic at an intersection or roundabout controlled by a yield sign.
Manteca is a full-service City with police, fire, public works, water, trash, and sewer services. For more information call the City Manager’s office at (209) 456-8000, email Feedback@manteca.gov, or go online to https://www.manteca.gov.
Incorporated in 1918, Manteca has a diverse population of 86,928. Manteca continues to grow at 4.1 percent a year. The City has 25,670 households with a median home price of $432,100. The median annual household income is $82,538.
