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Don’t lose out on federal funding. Local agency federal-aid project implementation is a high risk for Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and state departments of transportation (DOT), due to complex federal…
Read MoreCeasing to provide critical winter maintenance services during the pandemic was not an option. COVID-19 tests public agencies and the critical, emergency, and routine services that are provided to citizens every day. The public works industry has stepped up to the challenges of a worldwide pandemic. In this session, the presenter will walk through the COVID-19 pandemic timeline and how agencies responded over time to safely, effectively, and efficiently provide services to their citizens while keeping their employees and families safe. This interactive session will allow the speaker and attendees to discuss what was done in their organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal is to share how everyone was able to support their agencies during this pandemic and look to the future to plan for the next pandemic…that hopefully never happens.
Read MoreInstituting large-scale changes cannot happen without employees supporting the process. As employees are charged with implementing the program, it is important that they fully understand why change is occurring and actively participate in the creation of the new process. Recognizing and engaging multiple change champions within your organization is the key to success, because the closer a change champion is to the other stakeholders impacted by the change, the greater your chance of success. This program discusses how to identify change champions, and how Niles tapped the abilities of their change champions to guide, develop and implement new and improved programs, winning the APWA Excellence in Snow and Ice Control and Management Innovation Awards.
Read MoreThe maintenance facility is often overlooked as an asset in snow operations. A proper maintenance facility can have a positive effect on staff morale and help to increase the satisfaction of customers by keeping equipment ready to go. This session will discuss real-life examples from the Town of Lexington, Massachusetts, on how your maintenance facility can be an asset when preparing and implementing snow operations. Discussion will include best practices for setting up your facility considering personnel, equipment, materials, and contractors. Strategies will be discussed as to the importance of including snow operations when considering a new facility or redesigning an existing facility.
Read MoreThis presentation will provide a step-by-step summary of the process used to convene the working group and arrive at consensus-based decisions driven by technical analysis of previously unquantifiable metrics. After the presentation, attendees will better be able to build modeling tools specifically designed to evaluate policy alternatives, assemble well-balanced working groups to collaborate on policy guidance, and establish robust consensus- and science-based policy for green infrastructure implementation to achieve a wide array of environmental and social objectives. The presentation will include a short cutting-edge computer-generated video that provides a visual representation of a selection of the various scenarios that have been modeled along with the representative metrics.
Read MorePublic works organizations are making smart communities a reality. And they are doing this with the adoption of smart technologies and their integration with a geographic information system (GIS). From location-enabled devices, drones, augmented reality, and machine learning, public works professionals are using location as the standard analytical approach to achieving new insight and improved performance. Increasingly, sensors, the internet of things, and cloud computing are feeding data on the locations of people, nature, vehicles, and infrastructure. Public works departments have access to more tools and data than ever before and are leading their communities towards a more prosperous and well-run future. This session will showcase examples of organizations using Esri’s Smart Community Information System to optimize urban mobility, address and respond to humans in crisis, monitor drone traffic, leverage artificial intelligence for infrastructure management, and design and support a sensor-driven world.
Read MoreThe Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) selected TranSystems to design the Interstate 235 (I-235) interchange to accommodate safety and operational problems identified from a study and support a more efficient and resilient roadway system to better accommodate current and projected traffic volumes. As one of the most significant roadway infrastructure projects in Kansas history, TranSystems addressed several of the most congested sections between I-235 and U.S. Route 54/U.S. Route 400 (US 54/500), with minimal impact to the community, by implementing a Smart Work Zone to ease congestion and inform drivers. During certain phases where capacity was greatly constrained, the need for alternative routing was identified. Thus, variable message signs were deployed on the side roads that allowed users to divert at key locations and use the street network or other routes before entering the access-controlled freeway. By integrating portable, changeable message signs on key arterial routes feeding onto US54/400, better diversion was accomplished.
Read MoreOver the last 30 years, a large body of national, international, and industry asset management standards and guidelines have been created. Today, the industry continues to struggle with the integration of engineering, accounting, and community planning, while aligning corporate goals with daily operations and maintenance, planning, budgeting, and delivery activities. The challenge is how to adopt and sustain asset management practices to meet the demands and expectations of our communities while managing an aging infrastructure asset base. To assist jurisdictions in navigating their asset management journey, APWA has developed an interactive Asset Management (AM) Road Map. It is designed to assist communities in systematically implementing their asset management system and is structured around ten key asset management themes defined as Road Map stops. This session will introduce the APWA AM Roadmap and Best Practices.
Read MoreMecklenburg County (home to Charlotte) is the most populated county in North Carolina. The County has had significant exposure to urban flooding exacerbated by explosive growth over the last two decades. The County, which is recognized as having one of the most progressive flood mitigation programs in the country, has invested in various data, technology, policy, and administrative initiatives to continue to reduce flood risk. As part of a recent partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the County has implemented a network of low-cost flood sensors and coupled it with powerful geographic information system (GIS) based tools to provide near real-time flood inundation and impact assessments during storm events. This information is invaluable for emergency response and recovery and long-term program planning and guidance.
Read MoreStormwater utilities started emerging as a popular mechanism to fund community stormwater needs in the 1980s and 1990s. Regulatory drivers, particularly municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) requirements, led to creating the first stormwater utilities in larger cities. Since then, more jurisdictions of all sizes have been implementing stormwater utilities to fund ever-increasing stormwater program needs. Over the last 30 years, industry-standard practices have evolved, technology has changed rapidly, and financial practices and resources have expanded. In working with utilities of all ages, we see patterns in the way utilities mature. Depending on where a utility is in its stormwater utility development, patterns emerge in rate increases, rate structure modifications, data maintenance and management, and financing strategies. We will highlight indicators and drivers for updating your utility and include actionable steps to consider.
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