City of Philadelphia Streets Department wins honors from Public Technology Institute

The City of Philadelphia earned three honors in the 2010-2011 Technology Solutions Awards competition from the  Public Technology Institute, a national membership organization for local government IT executives.
City initiatives won in the sustainability and the GIS categories and received a ‘Significant Achievement’ honor in the sustainability category as well.

• GIS WIN: Optimizing Traffic Signal LED Installation Using Mobile GIS Technology: In 2010, the City of Philadelphia Streets Department Traffic Division began replacing over 70,000 incandescent traffic signal bulbs with energy saving Light Emitting Diodes (LED) modules, with funding by the American Resource and Recovery Act. To help manage this enormous effort, a mobile GIS solution was developed and deployed to enable field personnel to accurately track the replacement of these inefficient and undependable incandescent bulbs using GIS-enabled mobile technology. This project, funded by the American Resource and Recovery Act, also enabled field crews to track and maintain the City’s street pole inventory using scanning technology and edit capabilities native to the GIS mobile environment. Based on ESRI’s ArcGIS Server Mobile platform, this set of customized desktop tools also ensures data integrity as well as provides many advantages, including data standardization, GPS navigation, minimized paper use, and x/y coordinate locations with real-time efficiency. [This initiative started in July 2010, with more technical details here]
• Sustainability WIN: Big Belly – Solar Powered Energy Improving Service: The Philadelphia Streets Department’s Sanitation Division employs the latest innovative technology to track maximum capacity and disposal of trash in bins better known as BigBelly Solar, solar-powered trash receptacles. This system features a wireless monitoring and management capability which creates staff efficiency through better deployment of crews and better management of personnel when planning collection routes and work zones. Software solution tracks all compaction and collection activity, allowing collection crews to maintain high service levels. [These trash cans were rolled out summer 2009]
• Sustainability Significant Achievement: Maximizing Swift Reach Results for Maximum Communication: The Philadelphia Streets Department employs the latest innovative technology to disseminate information about the department’s services and programs to Philadelphia citizens. The service most frequently utilized is Swiftreach Networks Emergency Notification Service also known as Reverse 911. The service is used as a means of quickly and efficiently broadcasting recorded voice messages to citizens over the telephone simultaneously. The department has utilized this service to distribute thousands of messages ranging from emergency road closures to trash collection delays/changes. This service can be activated by advanced technology users, but, most importantly, activation can be done by any technologically challenged person from any location with an Internet-connected computer using a web-based notification control panel and/or remotely by phone. A call/campaign can be scheduled with two simple components, a call list and message to citizens within mere minutes.