$20/gallon!

I recently received a link to an article about an author who is predicting the impacts of rising gas prices. Christopher Steiner wrote a book called “$20 Per Gallon: How the Inevitable Rise in the Price of Gasoline Will Change Our Lives for the Better” and spoke in Orlando recently sharing his theories with planners in central Florida. At first glance, I thought “this will never happen!” On second thought, that is probably what our parents would have said when gas was $0.25/gal.
I suspect that not many folks would agree with him based solely on their perception of what the book may talk about. If you go to his website, he has an interactive timeline that predicts the impacts of the price per gallon, starting at $6/gal and ending at $20/gal, which I find interesting and thought provoking.

We plan for transportation improvements, looking out 20-30 years, and often base our projections based on historic trends. Should we assume that the trends will continue as they have historically grown or should we include a “gas price” factor to better predict future traffic volumes?  Do you think the price per gallon will have these positive impacts?  How should we be planning for the future?

Super Bowl Monday – a “Giant” of a game!

Just to be perfectly clear, I am a Giants fan, and not just last night. I remember going to a game (a long time ago as a Red Bank Regional high school student, in Red Bank, NJ ) and sitting with the high school band in the end zone on folding chairs (we were the half time show, just like Madonna!).
We all tend to use sports analogies to help clarify our stories. So as I was driving to work this morning, I was thinking about how I could relate the Giants WIN to public works. (Did I tell you I was a Giants fan?) I thought about how the Giants were average mid-season (7-7) and successfully won every game since – they must have refocused and made commitments to each other on the team to strive for success. I thought about the game last night – Eli’s focus on the goal, systematically making progress down the field; or Eli’s mistakes, taking two time-outs as he was running out of time between play; or the Manningham’s miraculous catch on third down to keep the drive alive, his effort to control the ball and keep his feet in bounds. How can I relate this to our work as public works professionals?
I am sure I could, but I won’t. I will just bask in the glory! Go G-Men!!!!!

A Precious Resource – what is our duty?

I received my copy of the February issue of the Reporter yesterday. This issue focuses on water and I want to thank the Water Resources Technical Committee for the great content.
Each morning, I cross the James River. It really is a beautiful site. I can tell when the river is running high and when the flow is low. The James is the source of water for communities all along its banks, a total of 350 miles through the heart of Virginia.
We talk about fuel conservation all the times. Our need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, changing our travel patterns to conserve fuel. buying alternative fuel vehicles. It seems however, that the only time we hear about water conservation is when we are in draught conditions.
A number of years ago when the Atlanta area was faced with major draught conditions, mandatory water conservation measures were put in place. Users ultimately developed water conservation habits, which actually continued even after water supplies were replenished. Sounds great! The unexpected consequence was that the water utility budgeted for a normal year of water distribution. Revenues were low since users were continuing these new habits to conserve water.
The tag line on the Reporter is “Public Works: Guardians of one of our most precious resources…. Water”. Maybe as the guardians, we should learn from advocates for fuel conservation and focus efforts on promoting the establishment of habits to conserve this precious resource, even if it is at the expense of our utility budgets.

Advice from the Aussies

The beauty of list serves is that you don’t have to be in the same time zone or continent for that matter to share ideas or ask questions. I am a member of most of the APWA InfoNow communities and find it interesting to read what our members are asking about and the responses and support that is shared. I have recently “joined” the IPWEA’s (Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia) list serve “Ask Your Mates” and read with interest the issues that are posted by their membership.
Recently, there has been a discussion about Community Engagement, something we all struggle with yet know how important it is to involve our communities. The original post was:
“Community engagement. It’s talked about. It’s put into action. It works. It gives a warm fuzzy feeling!
But what happens when the good news message is shot along with the messenger.
More so than ever, it’s not just about community engagement; it’s also about engaging the community in the message we want to – or “have to” – give.
How do you and your council manage this balancing act, especially when the message is one certain sections of your community don’t want to hear?
What works? What hasn’t? And where has it simply just gone off the rails?”

I thought the following post by Janet Kaylock, Traffic Engineer with Yarra Ranges Council, was worth sharing:
“Notify rather than consult if it is a safety issue that you intend to implement no matter what response is received. You may still be able to let people influence the final outcome between two proposals.Consultation takes extra time but it usually leads to better outcomes. We have set up templates for our consultation letters so they are quite quick to prepare.
The City of Darebin have been successful when doing major community consultations. I think the key message was to engage the whole of the affected community rather than only rely on feedback from activists within the community.”

Sounds like good advice from down under.

We all have stories to tell – please share!

Celebrating Diversity

Today, we celebrate the contributions of Martin Luther King, Jr. to accepting diversity and towards ending segregation in our country. I decided to spend some time today reading about Dr. King’s philosophy. I don’t have memories of segregation and it is difficult to understand why we wouldn’t treat others as equals, having grown up in a diverse community.
According to the King Center website (www.thekingcenter.org ), Dr. King believed there were Triple Evils – poverty, racism and militarism – which stand as barriers to living in the Beloved Community. The Beloved Community was a global vision in which all people share in the wealth of the earth. The Triple Evils are not tolerated because human decency will not allow it.
Today, our communities continue to struggle with the Triple Evils, although we have made significant progress since the days of Dr. King. Our public works agencies often reflect the diversity of our community. What great value this diversity has in understanding the needs of the community and the best methods for delivering our services. This is why it is so important to involve all your staff in your continuous improvement programs. Who better than them know the needs of the different community sectors. How cultural differences could mean different expectations and therefore different service delivery. Understanding and embracing diversity also is key in managing you staff and understanding their needs.
I believe in the powerful benefits of embracing diversity in organizations – gender, racial, generational, education, religious beliefs. We each bring unique perspectives. We must really listen to each other and not create barriers to the vision of a Beloved Community.

2012 – a Big Year for US Politics

The holidays are over and a new year has begun. I have a feeling that politics will dominate the conversation here in the US this year. Iowa has weighed in on the selection of the republican candidate and New Hampshire and South Carolina will soon do the same. Once the final republican candidate is selected, we will be bombarded with recommendations on who to vote for – republican or democrat. If you are like me, I get tired of it pretty quickly.
As I was listening to the Iowa results this morning, I got to thinking about how this election impacts public works. You have to assume that the economy will be a major topic of debate. As a public works official, I remember being truly apolitical, you have to be able to work with all parties. The public works message was the same whether you were working with a republican, democrat, tea party member, or independent.
I am very interested in hearing what the candidates believe is important for this country. Big government or small, more stimulus money or spending cuts, infrastructure investment at the federal level or leave it to the state and locals to fund? Will we see improved relationships between the Senate, House and the Administration or more of the same? What will the citizens of the US believe is the most critical when voting in November?
They say you shouldn’t talk politics, but I think it is so important to our profession that we shouldn’t avoid it. Our Government Affairs Committee is seeking assistance thru APWA Advocates. A number of you have signed up and I thank you! Others may not feel comfortable being apolitical in this political environment. What is important to you in this year of politics and what role do you think APWA should play in it?

Let it Snow!

I heard on the radio this morning that parts of the southwest of the US are being slammed by a snow blizzard. I am sure that our public works professionals are working diligently to make travel safe for the holiday weekend. Once again, our community needs usurp any personal plans for holiday preparation and celebration. I hope that these men and women, as well as any others who may have to put aside their personal plans to serve, understand how much our communities rely on their service.
Although the impact of a snow storm creates short term inconveniences, the news story shared that this part of the country has been suffering from a terrible drought this year and that this moisture is really welcome. This is a season of optimism and I am glad that the media shared this side of the story.