PCiRoads uses custom equipment for Minneapolis stormwater project
Minneapolis features a busy and lively downtown area that’s home to nearly 57,000 residents along with 216,000 employees each week, per mplsdowntown.com. The city has consistently topped more than $1 billion in new construction permits over the past 11 years … More from our cover sponsor →
What’s in a name: Hurricane and Cheat Lake, West Virginia
Two small towns in West Virginia have had names thrust upon them that indicate more drama than they ever experienced. Hurricane never had a gale-force storm rip through its downtown and Cheat Lake never actually “cheated” anyone. Hurricane In 1774 … Continue reading →
Brick paving not down for the count
How many types of surfaces have most street departments worked with? Asphalt, brick, chipseal, cobblestone, dirt, gravel and macadam? Before the late 19th and early 20th centuries, most streets were made of dirt and gravel. Later, in order to make … Continue reading →
Heat island mapping and the effects of climate change
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced that it is continuing the Urban Heat Island mapping campaign. The agency is mapping urban heat islands in 14 U.S. cities this summer. The initiative, which began in 2017, has seen NOAA … Continue reading →
License plate recognition technology amplifies, speeds up parking enforcement
Parking enforcement: It’s a tedious task and not particularly exciting for enforcement officials, but it’s a necessary function that must be navigated by communities. “People definitely like to stay beyond the time limit, or use varying payment methods,” said Jesten … Continue reading →
Creative contributions enrich Savannah municipal archives
With a goal of bridging the gap between history and the present day, the city of Savannah, Ga., has embarked on a community-based initiative known as the Savannah Community Memory Project. According to city Director of Municipal Archives Luciana Spracher, … Continue reading →
New technology helps give Grand Island police a safer, faster upper hand
The Grand Island, Neb., Police Department is doing its best to stay up to date with technological advances that can aid the department. Two pieces of technological equipment recently acquired this year include a system to help more quickly and … Continue reading →
Hanford improves security at city hall
Every community wants its municipal center to be a welcoming space for those who have business there. However, it is equally important that the building is safe. After some troubling encounters, including incidents that required the response of law enforcement, … Continue reading →
Klamath Falls keeps the community comfortable with geothermal system
Klamath Falls, Ore., is in hot water – literally. The city of 22,000 is situated above a large, geothermal reservoir that is used to help heat the city and prevent snow from accumulating on downtown sidewalks. According to the Oregon … Continue reading →
Oklahoma City tests methods to control electric vehicle fires
The call comes in to emergency dispatch: An electric vehicle is on fire near the interstate exit ramp. Fire crews rush to the scene. If the blaze involves the car’s lithium-ion battery, putting out the fire could be a challenge. … Continue reading →
Hickman Road Bridge replacement project benefits vehicles, pedestrians and the local environment
Built in 1964, the Hickman Road Bridge over the Tuolumne River in Stanislaus County, Calif., provides a vital link between the community of Hickman and the city of Waterford. However, since 1997, stakeholders with an interest in the bridge have … Continue reading →
M Top 10: Best cities for first time home buyers
Much has been made recently about the lack of ability of young people to afford their first home. Indeed, research shows first-time homebuyers made up 26% of the home buying market last year, compared to 34% the previous year. As … Continue reading →
Florida city combats gun violence through community involvement
Gun violence is on the rise in the United States. The number of people who have died by gunshot wounds – both murder and suicide – has risen sharply over the last decade particularly since the start of the pandemic, … Continue reading →
Downtown park is new heart of North Carolina community
Cary, North Carolina, spent more than 20 years envisioning Downtown Cary Park, from its inception through designs to problem solving. Along the way, challenges included the pandemic, quarantine and resulting supply shortages, financing and then construction. The park is expected … Continue reading →
Cities embracing adaptive technology
Whether you call it adaptive technology or assistive technology, implementing ways to make your city be more user-friendly for people with special needs is a wise investment; and as Mike Carter of Sand Springs, Okla., will share, it doesn’t have … Continue reading →
Employee scheduling for public safety: Easier, faster, better with Aladtec
In public safety, it’s never a matter of simply having employees working. You need the necessary combination of employees, whether officers on foot patrol, sergeants in the precinct or voluntary firefighters on call to fill in at a moment’s notice. … Continue reading →
Placing Efficiency and Quality – Muscatine County Highway Department in Iowa reflects on the benefits of Road Widener’s FH-R
There are a few things that come to mind when thinking about summer in the Midwest: warmer weather, weekends at the lake, camping trips — and roadwork. In fact, Midwesterners often say they have two seasons — winter and construction … Continue reading →
Colorado Springs embraces the operation of Westside Community Center
A little more than a year after taking on operation of the Westside Community Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., the city is enthusiastic about its success. “We are really pleased with how far we’ve come,” commented Mark Snow, community recreation … Continue reading →
Director expands funding, infrastructure and programming for recreation
After high school, in 2011, Michael Patton began his college career at Brigham Young University-Idaho. Following his first completed year, he began a church mission in Mexico City, Mexico, and was there until 2013. He returned to Brigham Young University-Idaho … Continue reading →