What’s eating away at your vehicle
De-icing chemicals: A growing threat Motor vehicles face a constant battle against the elements, with one of the most insidious threats being corrosion. In colder climates where snow and ice are prevalent, it’s not uncommon to see traditional road salt … More from our cover sponsor →
Fracking and rural roads
Which way would a blind Lady Justice’s scale tilt when weighing the benefits of shale energy development, with its high-volume hydraulic fracking, against rural road deterioration? That’s the major balancing act that confronts state and local powers that be. It’s … Continue reading →
Managing grant funds
The recession, along with recent trends in finance and economics, has changed the extent to which the local level of the public sector can expect single-source funding for projects. The level and reliability of funding streams, local demographics and the … Continue reading →
Stopping Distances Part 2
In our last article we discussed the steps involved in bringing a speeding vehicle to a stop. This complex process includes the time and distance necessary to perceive and react to a hazard, followed by the time and distance necessary … Continue reading →
Storybook cities: Tourism booms in literary towns
They are the communities that spark the imagination and serve as a backdrop to the stories that shape our lives. One minute they are no different than any other small town, and then seemingly overnight, they become iconic boomtowns of … Continue reading →
Harvest that golden egg: Grants
Recent trends in finance and economics, including the recession, have changed the extent to which non-federal public entities can expect single-source project funding. Local leaders have had to make hard decisions about how to prioritize their communities’ needs. Having to … Continue reading →
Fracking and rural roads
Which way would a blind Lady Justice’s scale tilt when weighing the benefits of shale energy development with high-volume hydraulic fracking against rural road deterioration? That’s the major balancing act that confronts states’ powers-that-be when deciding whether drilling for natural … Continue reading →
Public servants and sexual harassment: Avoiding the headlines
Don’t you wish there was a guaranteed strategy for keeping your city free from one of the most scandalous headlines of the day? What if you could, just by doing X, using training program Y or making elected officials and … Continue reading →
Meeting federal retroreflectivity guidelines before the cutoff
Across the nation, municipalities of all shapes and sizes are checking their signs — from hazard signs to stop signs — to make sure they meet new U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration retroreflectivity requirements, which went into effect … Continue reading →
Cure-in-place pipe and historic sites
Cast-iron pipes leading from the roof of the Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park barracks in Key West, Fla., were intended to collect rain water. Over time, however, they also rusted and perpetually dampened the structure’s walls. Digging to repair … Continue reading →
Stopping distances Part 1
When people think about “stopping distance,” they usually picture a vehicle skidding to a stop in a haze of blue smoke. But bringing a vehicle to a stop is a more complicated process than you think. The first step occurs … Continue reading →
Whose turn is next?
Every once in a while, when I have free moment, I review periodicals from other countries. I follow a few of them on Twitter as well. Recently, I read several reports of how the western coast of Mexico was dealing … Continue reading →
October North Classifieds
The October 2013 North Edition of The Municipal: Classified Ads. October North Municipal Classifieds
Continue reading →Government agencies cut costs, meet environmental goals with green purchasing
From protecting the environment and human health to saving money, a wide gamut of reasons exist for municipalities to “go green” and rethink their purchasing of equipment and supplies. Buying recycled products is one type of green purchasing municipalities are … Continue reading →
This land is your land
National parks feel the pinch as sequestration slashes budgets National parks are the treasure of the American landscape. With over 400 locations covering 84 million acres across the United States and its territories, national parks inspire nearly 279 million visitors … Continue reading →
Lighthouse parks
By BARB SIEMINSKI | The Municipal Lighthouses have long been a popular subject for artists, clothing designers, poets and others. Few people give thought, however, to what it takes to run them and what the unique challenges are — especially … Continue reading →
NYC goes biodiesel
On Sept. 4 New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg signed a citywide ordinance mandating the use of a minimum B5 biodiesel fuel in all internal fleet vehicles. The mandate also required that April through November all public works vehicles will … Continue reading →
