My boss asked me to write something for this blog about an award we just received for our social media program. Although the award is from a well-respected organization and we have put a lot of work into interacting online… my first thought was that people wouldn’t care and we’d sound like we were tooting our own horn. An actual trophy arrived in the mail yesterday, and I wasn’t sure exactly what to do with it.
Then something happened yesterday that reminded me why it’s important that the City of Reno keep trying to connect with people on social media, and that more people know about it.
This tweet came in at 11:40 a.m. on October 3:
Well that didn’t seem right. So we looked into it, and it turns out that the contractor for the project sent out notices Monday instead of Friday as planned. We talked with the owner of the referenced business and with the contractor, and made arrangements to maintain access to the business for customers during the time of construction.
Our Twitter post at 6:45 p.m.:
The behind-the-scenes activity that you didn’t see involved public works staff having conversations and an in-person visit with the business owner, working out a plan to make sure customers could get to the business, arranging for the crew superintendent to slurry the street earlier in the day, and communicating the results back to public information staff.
We decided from the beginning that if we were going to try to connect with people online, we needed to be responsive and have an internal process for addressing any issues. I’m grateful for the department support we have to make that happen, and that we have so many people here who really care.
So this morning I found a place for that little glass award on the shelf above the counter on the 12th floor of City Hall, and now I’m hoping someone asks what it’s for.
This is the second summer of the City of Reno’s accelerated neighborhood street program. It is a preventive maintenance plan that is cost efficient and less hassle for residents than the complete overhaul of a street.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siZNFIHvmTI]
Residents wanting to know when their street is scheduled to be swept can now find out easily by visiting the City of Reno website.
Providing a sweeping schedule allows residents to remove parked vehicles from the street on their scheduled sweeping day. Removal of vehicles from the street is not required but it does provide residents an opportunity to move them and improve the cleanliness of their neighborhood.
The Street Sweeping Program will function on a seasonal basis from April through October. Routes will be swept between 6:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Holidays will be handled by having the routes swept on the next working day. All routes have been coordinated with Waste Management to avoid having garbage and recycle pick up occurring the same day as sweeping for the individual neighborhoods.
The City of Reno performs street sweeping though its Public Works Department and is required through Air Quality standards to sweep every street at least once per month. There are four separate sweeping operations performed throughout the year:
Routine Sweeping: General debris removal and cleaning of streets on a monthly rotational cycle.
Leaf Sweeping: Removal of leaves and other debris in the late Fall of each year.
Winter Sweeping: Removal of sand/salt material and other debris from roadways after snow events.
Special Event/Accident Sweeping: Occasional sweeping of parade routes and special events as well as specific calls for service to sweep up after accidents for safety purposes.
The City of Reno Public Works Department is dedicated to providing Reno residents with safe, clean streets. For more information about the City of Reno’s Street Sweeping Program, schedule and route map visit www.reno.gov, click on the “Quick Links” drop-down menu and select “Street Sweeping.”
The Reno City Council has declared May 15-21 as Bike to Work & School Week. As a result, the City of Reno has been registered in the Commuter Challenge and encourages all employees to ride their bike at least one day during that week. Go to www.bikenevada.org and register and make sure you note you work for the City of Reno .
Register on the Bike to Work website and you’ll be entered into a community raffle with the chance to win $500 toward the purchase of a bicycle of your choice! You’ll also get a certificate for a 10% discount on commuter merchandise (helmets, backpacks, tire patch kits, leg bands, etc. – does not include bicycles) at participating bike shops.
Get a free cup of coffee on Friday, May 21, at a participating Commuter Coffee Shops. See www.bikenevada.org for a list.
Grab your bike and mark your calendars for May 15 through May 21, 2010. It’s Bike to Work and School Week!
At yesterday’s City Council Meeting, Mayor Cashell presented the proclamation to announce the week in hopes of encouraging all commuters to join the City of Reno and the Truckee Meadows Bicycle Alliance in promoting and participating in bicycling as an alternative, non-polluting form of healthy transportation.
Commuters who travel by bicycle employ a clean, quiet, and efficient mode of transportation while helping to reduce harmful exhaust pollutants and improve air quality, saving on fuel and maintenance costs associated with driving to work or school. Moderate physical activity such as bicycling on the part of employees can in turn be a benefit to employers by reducing healthcare costs, decreasing absenteeism, and increasing productivity.
The City of Reno and Truckee Meadows Bicycle Alliance encourages parents and kids to bike safely by observing all safety measures, including wearing a helmet and obeying all traffic laws.
To help raise awareness about Bike to Work Week, local elected government officials are riding from Sparks City Hall to Reno City Hall on May 17 at 10 a.m. More information will be sent out in the upcoming days.
The Reno City Council has made “green” a priority by enhancing the City’s efforts to reduce its impact on the environment by providing leadership in the community to encourage residents and businesses to join in this effort. To learn more about the Green Priority and how the City is “Keeping it Green” visit www.reno.gov.
To learn more about Bike to Work and School week visit www.bikenevada.org— “Burn calories, save money, help the environment and have fun.”
[video] After the snow storm hits and City street maintenance crews plow the main roads, they begin the rough work of clearing neighborhood streets. Often the remaining snow becomes icy and hard. There are obstacles like cars on the streets and the problem of where to put the snow in neighborhoods.
Other cities have streetcars and light rail systems…is the City of Reno poised to have them too? Work continues to make it happen!
The new head of the Washoe County Regional Transportation Commission told members of the Reno City Council a number of significant transportation projects are continuing to move forward including efforts to build a mass transit system along Virginia Street that could include street cars and eventually a light rail system.
RTC Executive Director Lee Gibson said work continues with the area’s congressional delegation in Washington D.C. to secure as much federal funding as possible for the project.
The Reno City Council has already approved a four phase concept to implement the plan as well as seven steps to move the project forward.
The first phase of the project is underway with the introduction of Bus Rapid Transit in the downtown core. The new RAPID buses began service in October of this year and Lee notes so far, the new buses have increased ridership by 10 % from downtown to the Meadowood Mall from a year ago.
To learn more about this project go to the newsroom on the City’s website at www.cityofreno.com
Today City of Reno crews have started plowing in some residential areas and are continuing to go back to arterial and collector streets to re-sand and try to get those streets down to pavement. While having the sun out today does help with melting the snow, it will also pose a danger to drivers tonight since the melted snow will turn to ice. Tonight with the ice and anticipated freezing tempatures, crews will remain focused on sanding.
Tomorrow’s operations will be much the same as today with plowing continuing in more residential areas.
It’s important to remember the clearing of residential neighborhoods is based on areas surrounding schools, high traffic volume, and areas with larger snow accumulations.
City crews are maintaining 24 hour operations by working 12 hour shifts and will continue to do so (these same crews are also responsible for clearing up the roadways with street sweepers after the storm). Crews have been on this shift since Sunday afternoon when the storm arrived.
Remember more information can be found at www.cityofreno.com under “Quick Links” then “Snow and Ice Plan.” The information related to the 2009-2010 snow season includes route maps, environmental mandates, available resources, and equipment.
When you get a chance, check out the new Bicycling Around Reno pages at www.cityofreno.com. They are located in the Green section and have a lot of useful information for bikers. Concerned citizen Marie Gilbert was instrumental in getting this information together and up on our web page.
The snow season is fast approaching but of course nobody seems to worry about what will happen during a storm event until it is actually snowing outside. Rest assure though the City of Reno has thought about it ahead of time. The City has a plan clearly outlined, equipment ready, materials on hand, and employees trained to respond. Oh yes, the City of Reno is prepared for the snow!
I realize some won’t take the time to read the plan so here’s the information I think is most important to remember:
First, don’t panic! It’s just snow and you live in Nevada now Sorry, this native NV girl couldn’t resist!
Plowing operations can’t begin until a minimum of 4 inches or more are on the streets. If they started sooner, streets get damaged and equipment gets destroyed which equals $ to fix/replace. Not to mention the safety of the plow operator becomes jepordized along with the safety of nearby bystanders.
If you don’t need to drive in the snow storm then stay home where you are safe. Relax with some hot chocolate and stay warm inside.
If you do need to drive take it slow and give yourself some extra time. Just because the speed limit is 55 mph doesn’t mean you should be driving at that speed in the snow. Change your driving for the conditions. This means increase your following distance, decrease your speed, be more cautious, allow for more time to get to your destination, and keep a safe distance away from the operating plows.
As it should be, access to schools, hospitals, police stations, fire stations, and necessary locations is the foremost objective during a winter storm. The hardly traveled street is not going to be the first street to be cleared.
Roadways are going to be made accessible. Completely dry streets with no snow or ice is not possible or realistic.
Lastly, remember if keeps snowing or starts snowing again the plow operators have to go back to those priority streets and continue keeping them accessible before moving to the next.
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Posted by: Kristy Fifelski on October 4th, 2011 
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Sorry, this native NV girl couldn’t resist!
