Generating Cost Savings through Effective Management of Infrastructure in the Public Right-of-Way

Abstract

Cities face the challenge of managing work in the public way while minimizing street cuts and related traffic impacts associated with independent (nonconcurrent) renewal and maintenance programs. Stakeholders, including public officials, utilities, and residents, find the lack of coordination frustrating and a potential waste of taxpayer moneys. In 2012, Chicago, Illinois, Mayor Rahm Emanuel launched Building a New Chicago, a plan that introduced a record amount of infrastructure construction, with City of Chicago projects accounting for $7 billion over 10 years. The Chicago Department of Transportation (DOT), Division of Infrastructure Management, is responsible for the coordination, permitting, and construction inspection of all surface and subsurface work in the public way. At the time, Chicago DOT did not have in-house resources to handle the increased number of improvement projects. In addition, communication and coordination of projects often occurred in information silos with collaboration between private and public agencies that was based on interpersonal contacts. Chicago DOT addressed these challenges by implementing a project coordination office to provide program management services and review internal processes to improve coordination and to provide enhanced management of the public way. This development of process improvements and synergies resulted in savings of more than $73 million since 2012. Because of successful coordination efforts and resultant cost savings, Chicago has an annual goal of paving more than 300 mi (483 km) of residential and arterial streets by both public and private utilities. The coordination process from inception to closeout is outlined so that other municipalities—big and small— can use the methodologies.