Utilities: Page 63

  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    Roundabouts safer, cheaper than traditional intersections

    The Washington Department of Transportation found that installing roundabout intersections in a community can lead to cost savings and collision reductions

    By Derek Prall • June 24, 2013
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    Pothole patcher aims to rescue city streets (with related video)

    Pothole patcher aims to rescue city streets (with related video)

    May 1, 2013
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    Model predictions: GIS helps public works manage assets

    Public works departments use GIS to enhance predictive modeling methodology, particularly for asset management and maintenance.

    By David Totman • April 17, 2013
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    Man sues town over plague of frogs

    Clarence, N.Y. – Paul Marinaccio was distraught as he watched the 40 acres of real estate he owned slowly transform into a swamp, filled by waste water from a nearby subdivision development, but it was what the water brought with it that truly terrified him. Frogs.

    April 9, 2013
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    SPIA Index will help utilities prepare for winter weather events

    The Sperry-Piltz Ice Accumulation Index will help municipalities ready themselves for winter storms by predicting the potential damage caused by ice, snow and wind.

    By Derek Prall • Feb. 11, 2013
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    2013 Keating Report on government budgets and spending

    The U.S. economy and government budgets appear to be getting a little stronger as 2013 gets underway.

    By Michael Keating • Jan. 22, 2013
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    Viewpoint: Lean Six Sigma works for local government

    By Mark McDaniel — In Tyler, Texas, the program saved money, reduced waste and improved efficiency.

    By Mark McDaniel • Jan. 15, 2013
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    Cities emphasize the basics: Keeping the streets clean

    Sometimes, local government is about matters of taxing, public safety and budgets. Other times, though, it's about really important issues — like keeping the streets clean.

    Nov. 30, 2012
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    Phony money: Fake bills had the wrong face

    Police in Massachusetts say a counterfeiter got his historical figures mixed up and passed off fake bills with the wrong picture on them.

    By Larry Conley • Nov. 20, 2012
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    Small town implements curbside recycling program

    Cartersville, Ga., makes program possible through careful planning and a small fee increase.

    Nov. 7, 2012
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    ‘Menacing’ tool clears town’s icy streets

    Colorado town breaks up tough ice with new attachment

    By Larry Conley • Oct. 16, 2012
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    Riverfront revitalization

    Town draws attention with waterfront investments.

    By Larry Conley • Oct. 10, 2012
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    Public transit agency adds capabilities to surveillance cameras

    Last year, Springfield, Mo.’s City Utilities Transit Services (CU Transit) added surveillance video management software to its fixed-route and paratransit bus fleet to improve passenger safety and security. The software works with the vehicles’ existing video surveillance system to collect data about the buses and supplement the recorded video.

    By Lindsay Isaacs • July 23, 2012
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    Banned: Perfumes, plastic bags, saxophones

    They are all on local governments' no-no list

    By Larry Conley • July 5, 2012
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How governments can respond to fracking operations

    Here are Jed Morey's views on how government administrators can respond when hydrofracking operations set up shop in their jurisdiction.

    By Michael Keating • June 18, 2012
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    New process helps innocent spike strip victims

    A new agreement between State of Oregon and Les Schwab Tire Centers helps fix patrol cars damaged by spike strips.

    By Greg Hopkins • June 1, 2012
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    ‘Smart parking’ comes to downtown Los Angeles

    Drivers can find open spots online and through their smart phones.

    By Larry Conley • May 28, 2012
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    Viewpoint: How to begin moving to next-generation 911

    By Stephen Meer — Communities can take four steps today toward advanced 911 systems

    By Stephen Meer • April 11, 2012
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    The growth (and growing pains) of design-build construction

    The design-build method of construction contracting has grown over the last decade. A look at the pros and cons.

    By Edward J. Pabor, Richard Pennington • April 1, 2012
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    Cities consider the consequences of selling naming rights

    Editor's note: This article was originally published in American City & County, which has merged with Smart Cities Dive to bring you expanded coverage of city innovation and local government. For the latest in smart city news, explore Smart Cities Dive or sign up for our newsletter.Last year,...

    By Lindsay Isaacs • Feb. 28, 2012
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    A federal experiment sets out lasting models for suburban development

    One story thread in the American City & County archives followed the federal government's Depression-era efforts to solve housing problems by creating communities in the suburbs.

    By Lindsay Isaacs • Feb. 23, 2012
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    Albuquerque flood control project features public art (with related video)

    Editor's note: This article was originally published in American City & County, which has merged with Smart Cities Dive to bring you expanded coverage of city innovation and local government. For the latest in smart city news, explore Smart Cities Dive or sign up for our newsletter.Albuquerqu...

    By Lindsay Isaacs • Feb. 22, 2012
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    Boston city workers share cars across departments

    Boston has set up a fleet sharing program for its employees called FleetHub. In the setup, fleet managers have combined vehicles formerly dedicated to city departments and created an interdepartmental fleet. The city is working with Zipcar, a for-profit car sharing service, in the effort.

    Feb. 13, 2012
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    Fluoride: Why is it in the water?

    A look through the American City & County archives reveals the early history of the practice of adding small amounts of fluoride to public water supplies.

    By Lindsay Isaacs • Jan. 1, 2012
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    Public Works Leader of the Year: Building bridges

    2011 Public Works Leader of the Year Rina Cutler drives collaboration and innovation to improve Philadelphia's infrastructure.

    By Robert Barkin • Sept. 13, 2011