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 →
Commitment to mutual benefits turns infrastructure projects from eyesores into assets
By JAY KEELING | POWER Engineers Incorporated Imagine what is becoming a common situation: a municipal utility needs to build an electrical substation in the middle of an urban neighborhood. Substations have a reputation for being unsightly, certainly nothing anyone … Continue reading →
Breaking the pothole cycle
2018 was the year of the pothole. It seems like every news station locally and nationally had extensive coverage on what they dubbed the “pothole pandemic.” A crumbling infrastructure in combination with dwindling municipal budgets and an extensive freeze thaw cycle has created the perfect storm for potholes and lots of them. Public works departments, county road commissions and state departments of transportation are fighting an uphill battle when it comes to pothole patching. Adverse weather conditions, lack of resources, asphalt plant closures and outdated methods are all factors directly contributing to the ever-challenging fight against potholes.
Continue reading →Saluting the Doughboys, gone but not forgotten
Since 1954, the United States of America has celebrated Veterans Day on Nov. 11 to commemorate the men and women who served their country in a military capacity. On this day, veterans are to be treated with the utmost respect. … Continue reading →
Quality of life is Kirkland’s economic development strategy
Kirkland, Wash., is a Pacific Northwest gem that really has it all. A suburb of east Seattle in King County, Kirkland is a community of 88,630 that is consistently ranked as one of the most livable communities in the country. … Continue reading →
Phoenix addresses skills gap with apprenticeship program
Hands-on learning, one-on-one interaction, classroom studies and camaraderie are a few of the keys to an impactful career experience, as demonstrated by the inaugural year of the Phoenix Public Works Department’s Solid Waste Equipment Operators Apprenticeship Program. In recent years, … Continue reading →
Trail networking for health and fun
Leave it to a Cameron County, Texas, physician/city commissioner to come up with a trail network that not only benefits the health of her city, Brownsville, but also its surrounding communities — Los Fresnos, San Benito, Rancho Viejo, Laguna Vista, … Continue reading →
DOT’s connected vehicle pilots look to safer roadways
From a windy interstate highway out West to more crowded urban centers in the East, the United States Department of Transportation is putting connected vehicles through their paces with its Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment Program. During the course of the … Continue reading →
Cities spruce up their gateways
If you’ve ever had to sell your home, you probably know all the little tricks to close the sale: make a batch of chocolate chip cookies a few hours before the buyers come so the aroma will fill the house; … Continue reading →
Sioux Falls, S.D., looks to tech companies for best practices
Sioux Falls, S.D., recently introduced a department of innovation and technology. And if you ask the mayor, this move is a nod to the direction cities of its size or larger are going or should be going. According to Mayor … Continue reading →
Eclectic mix makes Missoula great place to live
If you haven’t ever been to Missoula, Mont., you might want to pay the city and its 66,000 residents a visit. After all, it’s one of the American Planning Association’s five Great Neighborhoods of 2017. A decade ago, the APA … Continue reading →
Microgrids harness resilient, local energy
Thanks to Hurricane Florence, the coastal areas in the Carolinas and surrounding states spent a significant amount of time underwater and without modern resources such as heat, gas and electricity. This includes fairly populated cities such as Wilmington, N.C., where … Continue reading →
Eureka, Calif.
Eureka, Calif., population 27,177, is the only municipality in the nation to adopt the state’s seal as its own. Befitting, perhaps, because the city bears the name of California’s motto: “Eureka” — the Greek word meaning, “I found it.” The … Continue reading →
Purdue University creates unique pothole detection system
Any municipality that experiences harsh winters has at least one common enemy — potholes. Purdue University is working with West Lafayette to help identify this problem. “Potholes are a very significant issue in many municipalities, particularly in West Lafayette Ind., … Continue reading →
Ark Encounter Williamstown, Ky.
Atop one of the scenic rolling hills of Williamstown, Ky., population 3,931, rests a boat — a really big boat. Hailed as the world’s largest timber-frame building, the life-size replica of Noah’s ark towers seven stories above the ground and … Continue reading →
Vision meeting the science to back it up
Oftentimes, I am reminded of one of Arthur C. Clarke’s three laws: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” This is especially true, at least, for the general populace who might not have the most cutting-edge understanding of technology … Continue reading →
Keeping on track with technology
Trying to keep up with technology these days can be a full-time job for anyone, and municipalities, in particular, have so many factors to consider, including the different technology needs for various city operations, how often that technology needs updated … Continue reading →
Technology streamlines realtime, two-way communication
As technology continues to evolve, Magellan and MiTAC Digital Corp. President Pierre Parent spoke with The Municipal on the subject of standouts and how these technologies are making the lives of fleet managers and administrators easier while also encouraging fiscal … Continue reading →
The preserve-play relationship with nature: Creating community opportunities in nature
Land management ıs one of those terms that causes a bit of head-scratching from the general public, especially when the land being managed is considered “natural habitat.” Managing natural lands should be simple and straightforward — leave it alone, limit … Continue reading →
