Engineering Services Division keeps Lincoln moving

Keeping traffic moving safely and efficiently is a priority for the Engineering Services Division of the City Public Works and Utilities Department. Planning, building and maintaining streets is a big task. The division is responsible for maintaining about 2,800 lane miles of streets, 30,000 traffic signs, 400 traffic signals, 45,000 feet of guard rail and 110 bridges.

“To support continued City growth, we must have the necessary streets and other infrastructure in place,” said City Engineer Roger Figard. “Declining funds have made that difficult, but we are meeting the City’s needs by finding efficiencies where we can and using the latest technology to do more with less.”

Public Works and Utilities has implemented cost-saving measures that include:

• Using longer-lasting, energy efficient LED signals to replace incandescent bulbs in traffic signals. The use of LED signals decreases manpower, increases safety and saves power costs. Despite an increase in the number of signals, the electricity bill for the devices has dropped from $160,000 in 2000 to less than $100,000 in 2005.
• Implementing the Rural to Urban Transition Streets (RUTS) plan. The City and Lancaster County are working together to build roads at a lower cost as the urban area expands to include rural roads. When major roads are built in the fringe area, enough right of way will be acquired so roads can be widened when the City annexes them. The County will grade these roads to City standards so that traffic can be maintained when they are upgraded.
• Creating a Pavement Management System to extend the life of existing pavement and make the best use of street resurfacing funds.
• Increasing the use of durable pavement markings to make sure markings are visible all year and to reduce the amount of time crews are working in roadways.
• Using new technology. Traffic can be monitored through 23 cameras which can be viewed online. Nearly all of the 400 City traffic signals are connected to a central traffic signal control system. Signal timing can be adjusted based on traffic counts, construction projects, detours, special events and weather. On an average day, seven different signal timing plans are implemented automatically by the system.

The safety efforts of Engineering Services include:

• Regular street maintenance, including the filling of 12,000 to 15,000 potholes every year. In addition to snow removal, crews applied 5,000 tons of sand and 3,600 tons of salt for ice control in 2006. They also maintained nearly nine miles of guardrails, swept 21,000 miles of streets, picked up 7,500 tons of debris, sprayed 52,000 gallons of dust control chemicals and inspected and cleaned 31 miles of roadside ditches.
• An annual crash study that helps Engineering Services identify the locations having the highest number of crashes. Engineers determine how improvements such as signs or pavement markings can reduce crashes. The City aggressively seeks federal funds for safety projects. Since 1997, the City has obtained more than $4 million for 11 separate safety projects. A 2006 report looked at 18 completed projects and found that accidents were reduced by 102, an annual savings of $4.5 million. Despite an increase in population and vehicle miles traveled, the number of injury crashes in Lincoln has decreased 22 percent from 2,268 in 1996 to 1,764 in 2004.
• Traffic control for special events. Thousands of hours are dedicated each year toward maintaining safe traffic flow for neighborhood block parties, the Star City Holiday Parade, the Lincoln Marathon, the 4th of July Celebration, sporting events and downtown festivals. Nebraska football games require a staff of 11, and more than 160 traffic signals run five different timing plans to accommodate game-day traffic.
• Participation in school crossing safety and the Safe Kids Coalition. Engineering Services has taken the lead in applying for federal funds for the Safe Routes to School Program to provide physical improvements and educational materials. The division also is continuing its efforts to increase the number of countdown crosswalk signals.

For more information on the Public Works Department and the Engineering Services Division, visit the City Web site at lincoln.ne.gov or click here.

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