Software to optimize street sweeping, garbage truck routes in Glendale
Glendale is slated to receive nearly $78,000 from the Southern California Assn. of Governments, or SCAG, for software designed to optimize its street-sweeping and garbage-truck routes as part of a pilot program intended to reduce vehicle emissions.
With EasyRoute software, Glendale officials will redesign the routes using geographical information systems, based on two optimization criteria: time spent on the routes and distance traveled.
Once the revised routes are in place, there should be fewer refuse and street-sweeping vehicles on the roads, and traffic congestion will be reduced, thereby, decreasing emissions from both the city’s equipment and regular motorists, according to SCAG spokeswoman Margaret de Larios.
“Ultimately, we hope to improve the quality of life for our residents by offering more efficient service,” Glendale city spokesman Dan Bell said.
According de Larios, the program will reduce labor hours and personnel, lowering the city’s street-maintenance costs.
Bell said there are no plans to reduce staff as a result of the program.
Set to roll out this summer, Glendale is heading one of four projects totaling $1.3 million funded throughout Los Angeles County, as part of SCAG’s Future Communities pilot program. All projects are projected to wrap up by December 2020.
Representing a partnership between SCAG and air-quality authorities, the supported pilot projects are intended to reduce how long cars are on the road through the use of new technologies and enhanced data analytics.
The largest of the four grants — $500,000 each — will go to the cities of Los Angeles and Monrovia.
The Los Angeles program will use real-time data to measure how many miles are reduced from car-share use.
The other $500,000 grant will be used to research and implement pricing strategies for the GoMonrovia program, a partnership between the city, ride-share provider Lyft and bike-share provider Lime, to reduce individual miles traveled.
The city of Cerritos will receive $211,000 for online software that automates community development-related permits and business-license applications, with the intent of removing the need for clients to travel and appear in person.
“These innovative pilot projects will help determine how we can use that resource effectively to reduce unnecessary travel, improve our air quality and make it easier for our constituents to access local services. It’s a win-win for everyone,” said Margaret Finlay, a Duarte City Council member and former SCAG president, in a statement.
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