The Hidden Costs of Filling the Same Pothole Every Year

July 22, 2026
Listed in Road Maintenance

** A note about the image above: if I ever witnessed one of my workers filling a pothole while it had stones and sand in it, I would lose my shit. That's a waste of blacktop and it's never going to adhere. That pothole is too shallow anyway. The "repair" is replacing a divot with a speed bump. Anyway, I digress. Every highway department has them. The potholes that seem almost immortal. You fill them in the spring, patch them again after a heavy rain, revisit them a few weeks la…continue

Every Accident Has a Lesson: Using Incidents and Near Misses to Build a Safer Highway Department

July 18, 2026
Listed in Daily Tasks

Over the years, I saw more than a few workplace injuries and equipment accidents. Fortunately, most weren't catastrophic, but every one of them had something in common. There was an accident. Someone investigated it. A form was completed. It was filed away. And then...we moved on. What was learned? Not a damn thing, unless you were the guy who got injured. In many organizations, that's where the learning stops. I've always thought that was a missed opportunity. An accident should nev…continue

"How Many Stop Signs Do We Have?" Why Every Highway Department Needs an Asset Management System

July 16, 2026
Listed in Asset Management

If you're responsible for a municipal highway department, sooner or later someone is going to ask you a question you can't answer. Not because you're unqualified. Not because you're disorganized. Simply because no one has ever taken the time to collect the information. You inherited the problem from whoever previously occupied your office, but you're the one who looks bad. Imagine sitting in a town board meeting when the supervisor turns to you and asks: "How many stop s…continue

Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Why Every Stormwater Asset Should Be in Your Asset Management System

July 16, 2026
Listed in Asset Management

Stormwater infrastructure is easy to forget because, when it's working properly, most people never notice it. Culverts quietly carry water beneath roads. Catch basins collect runoff before it floods intersections. Drywells accept stormwater and allow it to infiltrate into the surrounding soil. These assets perform their jobs silently for decades. That is, unless they're forgotten and not maintained. I was reminded of that recently after a heavy rainstorm. I have an odd habit of hopping i…continue

Why Stormwater Management Is More Challenging Than Most People Realize

July 15, 2026
Listed in Stormwater Management

Most people don't give much thought to stormwater. Rain falls, flows into a catch basin, and disappears. It seems simple enough. Those of us who work in municipal government know the reality is far more complicated. Managing stormwater is one of the most important responsibilities facing highway departments, public works agencies, engineers, and environmental professionals. Every rainfall sets an enormous system into motion. Water must be safely collected, conveyed, slowed, stored, and disch…continue