2012 Peter J. Marshall Municipal Innovation (Plaque) Award Recipients
Organization:
Region of Waterloo and Seven Participating Municipal Transit Systems
Topic:
Transit Inventory Management Services
Project Description:
Transit Inventory Management Services is the first initiative in North America to consolidate parts procurement for multiple transit systems (Region of Waterloo and Grand River, Brampton, London, Burlington, Oakville, Hamilton Street Railway and York Region Transit. The Vendor Managed Inventory Model reduces administration costs, uses economy of scale to save money, increases efficiency, reduces the supply chain carbon footprint and removes the risk of inventory obsolescence.
Goals and Objectives:
The cost savings, the carbon reduction and the general streamlining of the procurement process have heightened awareness within the industry of the need for smart and innovative supply chain solutions. This collaborative initiative has resulted in a high standardization of bus designs, increased market power, economies of scale, stronger contract terms and a vendor managed inventory for parts.
2012 Peter J. Marshall Municipal Innovation Certificate of Merit Award Winners
Organization:
City of Hamilton
Topic:
Hamilton: Biogas to Natural Gas
Project Description:
The City of Hamilton is enhancing its Woodward Avenue Wastewater Treatment Plant so that the existing digesters will increase the volume of biogas and continue to convert biogas to electricity and heat. The conversion of additional biogas to natural gas will be through a new gas purification system and the product will be used in city natural gas vehicles and injected into the local grid operated by Union Gas.
Goals and Objectives:
The gas purification system removes impurities from the biogas produced to meet natural gas quality specifications and production will increase 72 percent over the status quo by 2031. The enhanced production will reduce greenhouse gas generation, reduce the volume of biosolids requiring disposal and yield additional revenue for the city.
Organization:
City of Brampton
Topic:
Leveraging Information Technology for Fire Services
Project Description:
Through an automated vehicle location system, every vehicle in the fleet is monitored, so that when a call comes in, the fire apparatus best able to reach the emergency is automatically identified and the fastest route is immediately calculated and provided to the responding vehicle via a Mobile Data Unit. The IT system also supports changing traffic lights out of normal cycles to enable the vehicle to proceed and connections to an enhanced CAD system provide information on the location of fire hydrants, the type of buildings and potential hazards in the emergency location.
Goals and Objectives:
These technology innovations have resulted in the provision of real-time interactive, quality information remotely in the field, that is easy to use and is reliable under tough conditions, maximizing safety and faster response times, enhancing Mobile Command Post efficiencies during major emergencies, improving safety for the public and providing better customer service.