Hats Off to...County Government Transportation Programs

The Clay to Paved Program was developed by the Lake County (Ill.) Department of Public Works (DPW) in response to increased residential development. Prior to this program, no systematic approach to paving county roads existed. In 1995, DPW established a methodology for the prioritization of roads to be paved. Three factors, each based on a point system, were identified in developing this priority list system. These factors include the degree of road maintenance (light, normal, heavy) required by DPW crews, the number of homes per road mile and the road's functional classification (local street, neighborhood collector, feeder). The program has been quite successful in addressing residents' paving needs, as well as utilizing current DPW staff time more efficiently and effectively.

In 1996, the "Smart Commute" Program was created to address Westchester County 's (N.Y.) ongoing traffic congestion problem. The program's goal is to promote the use of alternatives to drive-alone commuting such as transit, ridesharing and telecommuting. The program is a joint initiative of the county and the Westchester County Association, Inc., the county's largest business and economic development association. It is voluntary and free of charge for all employers within the county. Employees of participating employers are surveyed on their travel habits, i.e. travel time and distance, travel mode used and work hours. From this information, a "Worksite Commute Plan and Resource Guide," is developed for each employer. This program has been very successful. To date more than 107 worksites, representing 40,000 employees are enrolled.

In 1995, the Maricopa County (Ariz.) Department of Transportation (MCDOT), opened a contract for dust palliatives. MCDOT received bids for 11 different dust control products. MCDOT recognized that a system was needed to benchmark the products' performance in order to determine their cost effectiveness. While there are dust collection measuring devices on the market, they were cost prohibitive for MCDOT. As a result, the Dust Measuring Device was completely designed and constructed by MCDOT employees. The device, which sits in the bed of a pickup truck, is set up to trap the dust in a filter that can be weighed later to determine the amount of dust raised by moving vehicles on dirt roads. "Dust Runs" are made on one-half mile sections of dirt roads before and after application of a dust control product. To date, the Dust Measuring Device has proven the long term effectiveness of one dust control product and the ineffectiveness of another, thus preventing MCDOT from spending tax dollars on ineffective products.

(Hats Off ... was compiled by Peggy Beardslee, research assistant.)