Page 33 - City of Arlington FY19 Adopted Operating Budget

Business Plan

In FY 2018, the Department completed a rigorous self-evaluation process and was reaccredited by the American Public Works
Association.

The Fire Station 12 project was awarded a 2018 American Public Works
Association Texas Chapter Project of the Year award. This project was the first
major renovation of the station, which is adjacent to the Arlington Municipal
Airport, since its opening in the 1980s. Construction began in January 2017 and
was scheduled to be completed in November 2017; however, through efficient
project management construction was completed a month ahead of schedule.

As part of Arlington’s Smart Cities initiative, Public Works and Transportation is
participating in several pilot programs designed to make the traffic signal network more efficient, improve roadway safety, and
to provide real-time data to roadway users through connected vehicle technology. The City’s Traffic Engineering staff is
exploring how these projects, which align with the Arlington City Council priorities to Put Technology to Work and Enhance
Regional Mobility, can aid in existing transportation system to move all modes of transportation as efficiently and safely as
possible.
The Abram Street Rebuild project began in FY18 in cooperation with
Downtown Arlington Management Corporation and other community
stakeholders. The $26 million, two-year project, focuses on pedestrian
and traffic improvements between Cooper Street and Collins Street.

Arlington collects a quarter-cent Street Maintenance Sales Tax
exclusively for the maintenance rehabilitation of existing public streets.
This dedicated funding source provides timely and cost-effective
rehabilitation and preventive maintenance of 3,000 lane miles of public
streets within the city limits. The goal is to improve mobility and maintain
roadways to prevent deterioration and costly rebuilds. The Public Works and Transportation Department uses the pavement
management system to help assess pavement conditions and determine maintenance needs. Once streets are identified for
maintenance, coordination occurs with Arlington Water Utilities to ensure water or sewer line work beneath the roadway is
completed prior to street maintenance.

Arlington Water Utilities provides safe, high-quality drinking water to
Arlington’s more than 390,000 residents, 14 million yearly visitors, and
thousands of people served by the department’s wholesale water customers in
Tarrant County. Arlington operates two water treatment plants with a combined
daily production capacity of 172.5 million gallons. The department is responsible
for the maintenance and operation of more than 1,200 miles of sanitary sewer
main and more than 1,400 miles of water main.
Arlington Water is made up of seven
divisions - Customer Care and Business
Services, Operations, Treatment,
Engineering and Support Services, Administration, Financial Services, and
Communications. Some key tasks for the department include forecasting financial needs
for rate setting, water storage tank management, water and sewer line construction and
maintenance, and water conservation initiatives. The department has increased the
effectiveness of its conservation efforts in recent years through public awareness
education; full time, proactive leak detection; accelerated replacement of high breakage
water mains; and optimization of water usage during the treatment process.

2019 Adopted Budget and Business Plan 18 City of Arlington, Texas