The guy who writes the "Getting Around" column has been going nowhere since falling off a ladder at home May 27. That's me! Or did you forget already?

During surgery, doctors discovered ink in my blood, which may explain why I'm antsy to get back in print. Moreover, a lot has been happening on the transportation beat in recent months, and there's no indication that the news, controversy and political shenanigans will let up soon.

Thanks so much to colleagues, friends and even foes for support and encouragement during my recovery. They range from Fred Honsberger, who has ridden herd on the transportation bureaucrats on his KDKA radio talk show during my absence, to Port Authority Chief Executive Officer Steve Bland, who swore in a get-well card, "It wasn't me who kicked the ladder out from under you."

While my leg and ankle are on the mend for what I'm sure will still be quite a while yet, I'll be working part time. Telecommuting. This way, I won't hog the highway and take up another Mon Wharf parking space.

Enough about me already.

The surprise of last week in transportation was the announcement that Henry Nutbrown, Port Authority manager of engineering and construction for the past nine years, will retire Aug. 30 rather than accept a layoff that would be tantamount to humiliation for a person of his dedication and achievement.

The transit agency attributed the move to cost-cutting; a reorganization with fewer head honchos; and no foreseeable major construction beyond the $435 million North Shore light-rail extension already under way.

Mr. Nutbrown, 62, was not offered another position and the opportunity to finish the T project, which is to take up to four more years. He's disappointed but said he understands. Some even say "new blood" may not be a bad thing after all and will confirm Mr. Nutbrown's legacy as a no-nonsense professional civil engineer.

"When we cut the ribbon on the North Shore Connector, he'll be at the top of our invitation list and among the people who will be credited with its accomplishment," Mr. Bland said.

Mr. Nutbrown could have delayed taking his partial pension from the authority and collected unemployment checks like so many others, but he's not that kind of guy.

Two days after he graduated from Penn State University in 1966 as a civil engineer, he began working in PennDOT's District 11 office that was located in Green Tree at the time.

He advanced to District 11 engineer, spending 14 years overseeing more than $1 billion in highway and bridge improvements in Allegheny, Beaver and Lawrence counties.

You'll recognize most of the projects completed during his tenure, including rehabilitation of practically every bridge from the Ohio line east through Allegheny County, including the Vanport, Smithfield Street, Thornburg, Highland Park and Hulton bridges.

He spearheaded the early stages of construction for the Fort Pitt Bridge and Tunnel rehabilitation. Also built under his guidance were the split-level Route 51 interchange at the south end of the Liberty Tunnel, the seven-mile expressway to the new Pittsburgh International Airport, and the West End Bridge "north interchange," a series of "missing link" roads and ramps to connect the bridge, Ohio River Boulevard, Fort Duquesne Bridge and North Shore Expressway/I-279.

Two days after he retired from PennDOT on Aug. 1, 1998, Mr. Nutbrown took over as the Port Authority's manager of engineering and construction, moving from highways to transit.

"Aren't you taking this multi-modal business a little too seriously?" then PennDOT Secretary Brad Mallory kidded him at the time.

You'll recognize most of the projects completed during his tenure with the transit agency.

Once again, they represent more than $1 billion in improvements: extension of the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway through Edgewood and Swissvale; construction of the West Busway to bypass Parkway West/Fort Pitt Tunnel congestion; "Stage 2" light-rail improvements in the South Hills, including reconstruction of the new Overbrook line; and a First Avenue T station.

Admittedly, a few undertakings have been controversial, but they were inventions of others: the lightly used Wabash Tunnel, a project moved by political influence, not reason. And the 2,200-space South Hills Village parking garage, a project whose value may be realized when a nearby free park-n-ride lot is sold off and $4-a-gallon gasoline pushes more people into transit.

Above it all, Mr. Nutbrown did what it took and what was asked of him.

When he heard the news that Mr. Nutbrown's public career would be coming to an end, Frank Wytiaz, of McCandless, was one of several people who e-mailed me the next morning. Mr. Wytiaz was electrical supervisor in charge of bridge, road, sign and tunnel lights in the three-county area.

"When Henry Nutbrown was my supervisor, he defined 'work ethic' and 'frugality.' He served by example and told it like it was. Whomever Henry worked for got more than their money's worth. It wasn't always a walk in the park, but everybody was better as a result of it."

Mr. Nutbrown's public career may be ending, but not his engineering career.

Just as when he graduated from Penn State, and just as when he retired from PennDOT, look for him to start working somewhere else two days after he leaves.

"I like what I do," he said.

As if nobody knows.

Plate du jour. Sharon Beattie, of Churchill, spotted the personalized Pennsylvania license plates LV2TUCH and CUDELUV on two different streets while driving to her teaching job in Swissvale. "They put a smile on my face," she said.