Public Works Content
How federal, state and local agencies save money through solar energy
Federal, state and local government agencies across the country are finding ways to employ solar panel installations to save money on electricity bills....
Check out environmental claims for deicers, urges industry vendor
Procurement, highway department and public works managers need to check out claims made by deicer manufacturers, says Pete Benoit, CEO of Frederick, Md.-based VETcorp, Inc. ...
Snow fighters to meet in Milwaukee
It might be spring, but more than 1,500 snow fighters from North America will converge in Milwaukee for the American Public Works Association North American Snow Conference, April 29 to May 2....
Online tool helps communities plan street light upgrades
A free online calculator, the Super-efficient Equipment and Appliance Deployment (SEAD) Street Lighting Evaluation Tool, helps local governments measure potential energy and cost savings from street lighting upgrades and retrofits....
Congress OKs 90-day highway funding measure
Congress beat the clock, again, and approved a 90-day stopgap measure March 29 to continue paying for the nation’s highways and infrastructure, three days before funding would have expired. It was the ninth time Congress has passed an extension in lieu of a multi-year authorization for transportation funding, according to The New York Times....
Report: More federal monies needed to fix roads/bridges that are falling apart
The nation’s roads and bridges are in desperate need of federal assistance for long-delayed maintenance and repair work, according to a new survey of 1,300 county engineers, “Fixing It: Infrastructure and the Economy,” commissioned by the National Association of Counties (NACo). ...
Aging industrial site becomes a sustainable green space
City-owned Burbank (Calif.) Water and Power has completed the first phase of its plan to transform its main campus from an industrial relic into a regenerative utility campus, called EcoCampus....
Just in time for Valentine’s Day: sewage plant tours
Brooklyn, New York's Newtown Creek sewage plant will be the center of romance this Valentine’s Day. Plant superintendent Jim Pynn will take loving couples and others on morning or afternoon tours of the facility this coming Tuesday, Feb. 14. ...
Supplier donates salt and trucks to Indianapolis
Indianapolis’ long-time salt supplier, Cargill, has selected the city as a pilot location for the company’s Safe and Smart Program. As part of the program, Cargill will donate 125 tons of salt and five Ford F-250 trucks equipped with snowplows and salt spreaders over the next five years. ...
2012 Keating Report on government budgets and spending
The 2012 Keating Report covers federal and state budgets, public private partnerships, local government budget trends, government construction and government spending....
Government construction slowing
In its "2012 Dodge Construction Outlook," McGraw-Hill Construction estimates that the value of public works construction projects under way will drop 5 percent from 2011 levels, settling at $94.8 billion....
HUD dollars will spruce up public housing
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced that it will be awarding $110 million in grants for revitalizing communities and transforming public and assisted housing. ...
GIS tool helps Golden State city win planning grant
Fullerton, Calif. has landed $270,000 in California Department of Transportation planning funding, thanks to a geographic information system (GIS) that provided key answers for the grant application. Esri Community Analyst, a cloud-based GIS from Esri, produced reports and supplied data that were needed to fill out the application. ...
Electronic sensor alerts motorists to highway wildlife hazards
The Colorado Department of Transportation is testing a system that may one day replace highway warning signs that inform drivers of potential wildlife. The system, called OmniTrax from Senstar, informs motorists of the real and immediate presence of animals on the road....
Mixers improve water quality in Arizona storage tanks
Yuma, Ariz., has installed solar-powered mixers in its three potable water tanks to help ensure water quality continues to meet regulations and the community’s expectations. The mixers from Dickinson, N.D.-based SolarBee help distribute disinfectant uniformly, eliminate thermal stratification and prevent stagnation and short-circuiting....
GIS software helps Philadelphia replace traffic lights in public works project and save a cool million
Philadelphia’s city administration is using ArcGIS software from Redlands, Calif.-based Esri to implement its LED Traffic Lights Project, a massive traffic light replacement program. The project is funded in part by an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 public works grant....
Volunteer network helps military families get through winter
THE BOSS Snowplow organization is underwriting a second year of Project EverGreen’s SnowCare for Troops program and urging snow removal professionals to join the movement and double the volunteer base in year two....
Trade groups endorse Obama jobs proposal
Several local government and infrastructure associations are calling on Congress to quickly pass President Obama's proposed American Jobs Act (AJA). AJA's focus on infrastructure construction, renewing the Build America Bonds program and green building drew particularly favorable responses....
Denver hosts this year’s “Best Show in Public Works”
More than 6,000 public works professionals will gather Sept. 18–21 for the 2011 APWA International Public Works Congress & Exposition at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver....
Americans want state and local agencies to decide on highway funding decisions, says survey
Most Americans are unhappy with the condition of the roads in their communities, according to a new America THINKS survey from Kansas City, Mo.-based HNTB Corp. The survey says most Americans are looking for decisions from local and regional officials about how to prioritize fixing those congested, crumbling roads, and most would prefer paying tolls over taxes....
ARRA-funded construction and public private partnerships
Public-private partnerships are being used as a tool to help governments balance their budgets, and ARRA funding is helping pay for a road and bridge project in Marion, Ohio — all in the the second-half 2011 Keating report....
Sustainability programs help encourage green building activity
Green communities make good markets for green office buildings, according to a new report from the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance's BetterBricks initiative and real estate company Cushman & Wakefield. ...
Tight budgets, high fuel costs drive transportation innovation
Because of lean times, Transportation departments in the 50 states are turning to innovation and technology to cut spending and improve efficiency....
Transportation spending: Is highway reauthorization legislation in the cards?
Transportation budgets are top of mind for Michael Balsam, founder of Bear Pond Research. "I think the big story for the second half of 2011 is how the federal transportation reauthorization bill shakes out....
New products and processes for highway maintenance
With 33 percent of major roads in the United States in poor or mediocre condition, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers, product innovations in highway paving are sorely needed....
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