Public Works/Infrastructure

Overview

Public Works/Infrastructure

A child biking alone on a protected bike bridge.
Article Features By Melissa Lee, CNU-A

Transportation networks are at a critical crossroads

Access to transportation in under-resourced communities — both in rural areas and large central cities — has reached a critical juncture. In these neighborhoods, transportation isn’t just a convenience, it’s a lifeline.

Article California Cities Helen Putnam Award for Excellence By Erin Olsen

Pismo Beach transforms an iconic neighborhood

Shell Beach Road is Pismo Beach’s oldest road — and one of its most important downtown connectors. What began as a community concept to make it a safe, efficient, and enjoyable street for all its users turned into one of the largest projects ever completed by the city.

Article Legal Notes By Gail A. Karish

Is your city ready to regulate 5G wireless infrastructure? Think again

In 2018, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission placed stringent limits on local regulations that control the placement of small wireless facilities. Even if your city passed new regulations early on, it could be at risk due to changes in the law that favor the streamlined deployment of all types of wireless facilities. 

Article California Cities Helen Putnam Award for Excellence By Damien R. Arrula

Placentia to provide high-speed internet access for all

Service providers are often reluctant to deploy high-speed universal broadband due to costs. To get around this, Placentia helped develop new microtrenching construction techniques that allow for quicker broadband deployment, even in areas with no existing connections.

Article President’s Message By League of California Cities President Ali Sajjad Taj

Extreme weather is putting California’s infrastructure in uncharted territory

As our climate crisis deepens, so too does the threat of extreme weather and the increased strain on our infrastructure. Despite recent federal investments in infrastructure, California cities need more support from the federal government to address the needs of our communities.

Article Local Works By Brian Lee-Mounger Hendershot

Berkeley and Monterey’s awarding-winning infrastructure projects reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Two innovative infrastructure projects in the cities of Berkeley and Monterey received top honors from the Outstanding Local Streets and Roads Project Award program. The statewide program recognized Berkeley for its renovation of the “worst streets in town” and Monterey for a citywide adaptive traffic control system.

Article Features By Greg Kester and Adam Link

Wastewater treatment facilities could be a solution for cities’ organic waste challenges

Reducing methane emissions through SB 1383 is one of California’s primary climate change mitigation strategies. Municipal water resource recovery facilities could partner with the state for this, but some significant challenges need to be addressed first.

City hall meeting
Article News from the Institute for the Local Government By Melissa Kuehne

Tools to strengthen public trust in the face of increased divisiveness

Elected leaders cannot effectively address challenging local issues without the strong bedrock of good government — accountability, responsiveness, and transparency. Recent political turbulence has made building, or even maintaining, that foundation extremely difficult. The Institute of Local Government has a suite of public trust and ethics resources to help local leaders navigate the issues and build a strong foundation for success. 

Article Solutions for Cities By Haig Kartounian

Need help planning electric vehicle charging projects?

From planning and design to permitting, and construction, Southern California Edison has helped its customers install thousands of charging stations for passenger vehicles and hundreds more for heavy-duty vehicles like buses and trucks through its Charge Ready programs.

Article California Cities Helen Putnam Award for Excellence By Rhea R. Borja

Windsor builds one of the nation’s biggest floating solar arrays

When the town of Windsor realized that its wastewater treatment facility produced as much as 45% of the town’s total greenhouse gas emissions, it began searching for a cleaner, greener way to power the facility. The resulting project, one of the largest of its kind, has numerous environmental benefits and saves the town about $175,000 annually.

Old bridge
Article Features By Caroline Cirrincione

Congress passed a historic infrastructure law: What this means for California and its cities

For years, the League of California Cities has fought for state and federal infrastructure funding. In 2021, the federal government responded with an infrastructure package, including $45 billion expected for California. Cal Cities is carrying out multiple strategies to ensure cities have what they need to access the funding.

Article News from the Institute for the Local Government By Karalee Browne

Isolated and costly: The unique infrastructure challenges facing rural communities

Rural communities face different infrastructure needs and challenges than many larger cities. And although the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has many cities excited about the upcoming opportunities, rural leaders worry that they lack the staff and matching dollars to compete with bigger cities for their fair share of the bounty.

Pismo Beach aerial view of street
Article Local Works By Brian Lee-Mounger Hendershot

Outstanding Local Streets and Roads Project Awards showcase local infrastructure projects; Pismo Beach takes top prize

Pismo Beach and Santa Clarita were honored for their innovative infrastructure projects at this year’s Outstanding Local Streets and Roads Project Awards. Both cities show that, when given the necessary resources, local leaders can find creative solutions to statewide problems, even during the worst economic conditions in decades.

Article President’s Message By League of California Cities President Cindy Silva

Federal infrastructure package ends a years-long funding drought, and Cal Cities is committed to ensuring all cities get their turn at the faucet

After months of negotiations, Congress passed the $1.2 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. If your city is like mine, you have a long list of infrastructure projects that need funding. The challenge is that the federal infrastructure package is incredibly complicated, encompassing hundreds of separate programs across multiple agencies.

Fremont streets
Article Local Works By Brian Lee-Mounger Hendershot

Traffic fatalities across the US rose in 2020 but not in Fremont. What did the city do differently?

In 2015, Fremont’s city council committed to a bold goal: Reduce traffic-related fatalities to zero. Even though the city was already a national leader in traffic safety, this new mindset forced officials to rethink their approach to traffic safety. Known as Vision Zero, Fremont’s traffic safety focuses on integrating human error into transportation systems, instead of reducing it.

Aerial shot of park
Article Local Works By Gilbert Livas

Working together for the community: Downey’s Measure S neighborhood improvement program delivers on promises

In November 2016, Downey residents voted to invest in the most robust capital improvement program in the city’s history: Measure S, a 1/2 percent transactions and use tax that generates approximately $10 million per year for the city. Thanks to Measure S, Downey residents now experience increased public safety, benefit from important infrastructure upgrades, and enjoy additional amenities.

Article Executive Director's Message by Carolyn Coleman

Building bridges to a brighter future with infrastructure investment

As city leaders worked around the clock to lead their communities through a global pandemic, they also dealt with devastating budget shortfalls that forced cuts in local services and delays in much-needed infrastructure projects. However, we are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel. The supply of vaccine doses is growing, eligibility is expanding, and assistance for cities in the recently enacted American Rescue Plan is on the way. Cities will now have resources to begin to recover and rebuild from the pandemic. 

The city of Santa Rosa’s “Fulton Road Reconstruction” project repaired approximately 3,200 lineal feet of 4-lane principal arterial pavement and associated bike lanes.
Article Features by Jill Oviatt

Despite pandemic-related challenges, California cities pave the way to award-winning infrastructure projects

Upgrading local streets and roads is critical to communities, and many projects were well underway when the pandemic hit in early 2020. Thanks to the innovation, dedication, and creativity of local officials, the projects were not only completed, but received statewide recognition through the 2021 Outstanding Local Streets and Roads Project Awards.

Storm water flows through drain.
Article Legal Notes by John J. Harris

California municipal stormwater permits: recent court cases cities should consider

One of the primary points of contention between cities and water boards has been the cost of achieving water quality goals – the water boards have steadily imposed more restrictive requirements in municipal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits, while expecting cities and counties alone to bear the costs. This article covers two court decisions affecting cities and the key takeaways for local government officials.

City of Escondido public works employees remove graffiti.

City of Escondido develops innovative and collaborative program to eliminate graffiti

Graffiti destroys property, costs cities hundreds of thousands of dollars each year, and can blight entire communities. To address graffiti issues, the City of Escondido created a custom designed smartphone app to crowdsource information from the community to help keep their city clean and free of graffiti.