Roadside Maintenance

  • Bird Control

    Fourteen ways to (humanely) block, bedevil, and otherwise banish feathered pests.

     
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    Out of the Darkness

    Emergencies occur at the least opportune times. Sink holes appear. Utility lines snap. Storms wash out rights of way. When these things happen, it's absolutely essential that your vehicles and crews be seen, especially if it's at night or in the midst of severe weather.

     
  • Guerrilla gardeners produce green graffiti

     
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    Balancing act

    Though it's very uncommon for a private utility--electric, gas, or telecommunications--to refuse to move assets that are within the public right of way, disagreements occur and these instances are increasing.

     
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    Good Neighbors

    Los Angeles chief forester George Gonzalez believes sidewalks and trees are just as much a part of a city's infrastructure as a road, a water main, or a sewage pipe--but most cities don't realize the true worth of either. He thinks it's high time they did.

     
  • Power to the people

    Creating a healthy, safe, and visually appealing environment is always conducive to a fun place to play, a good learning environment, or a better community to live in. Often overlooked in contributing to a municipality's overall objectives, a grounds management operation is critical in...

     
  • Device gets troublesome teens to bug off

     
  • Construction boom raises a stink

     
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    Holey Success

    Paving more than 220 miles of dirt roads with porous asphalt keeps traffic in a Florida county moving.

     
  • Vegetation management excellence applauded

    One awards program recognizes vegetation management projects that go beyond the basics and show excellence in their planning and execution.

     
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    Tall in the saddle

    Equestrian-minded development makes Norco, Calif., more than a one-horse town.

     
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    Florida park tops grounds awards

     
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    Curb appeal

    Discover the beauty and benefits of decorative pavement. By taking a decorative approach, cities do more than dress themselves up. They increase the visibility and awareness of crosswalks and bike paths, calm traffic without creating an eyesore, and revitalize neighborhoods and business districts...

     
  • Down & Dirty January 2007

    Brief items chronicling the unusual side of news for PUBLIC WORKS.

     
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    Getting to the root of the issue

    A Gardena, Calif., company has come up with a solution that helps sidewalks and trees coexist peacefully.

     
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    Ramping up

    While cities are working to make sidewalks more accessible, many are learning that their curb ramps don't comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This article, the second in a three-part series, discusses product options. Part three will cover real-world examples.

     
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    GIS Adds Curb Appeal

    The city of Austin developed a Pedestrian Master Plan to address compliance issues, using a custom GIS toolset called the Pedestrian Infrastructure Management System that scores sidewalks on ADA compliance, giving the city an efficient way to rank construction or maintenance needs.

     
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    Walking the line

    Many public agencies have created effective procedures to curb new encroachments onto rights of way. But there remains a larger issue: What to do about existing encroachments that may have been in violation for years, or even decades?

     
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    APWA Expo Preview: parks and grounds

    A preview of APWA events related to parks and grounds.

     
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    Flower power

    As the Roadside Environmental Unit demonstrates, vegetation managers need to focus on driver safety, managing budgets, beautification, and being environmental stewards.