In February, I traveled to Rockwall, Texas for the Roads & Bridges Summit.
The Summit Team is part of Endeavor Business Media, our parent company, and for this summit, they invited public works department employees from across the country.
For two days and nights, I had the pleasure of hearing their stories. Whether they worked for a city or a rural county, each public works official had a unique perspective that I found fascinating.
D.J. Hughes, the Road and Bridge Manager in Pitkin County, Colo. stood out from the other attendees. His story, which dawns the cover of this issue, is about the team members who keep the roads safe in the mountains in and around Aspen, Colo.
Hughes is the leader of a 10-person team. None of the members can afford to live in Pitkin County, so they travel at least an hour to reach their headquarters before starting a shift.
Hughes’ story focuses on the details of their job: what they do and how they overcome challenges.
He does not state the obvious, so I will do that here:
The fact that public works employees can’t afford to live in the county where they serve is a disgrace.
It does not matter that this takes place in Aspen, which is a resort hot spot for the super wealthy.
Hughes’ team should not have to travel an hour to reach work. No one should.
Hughes and his team of dedicated workers deserve raises. And they are understaffed. Having a 10-person team to clear roads where it snows half the year is insane and cruel.
The long hours that Hughes and his team work, as well as the logistics of their schedules, makes them heroes in my book.
Though they are an extreme case, I know they are not alone.
Public works departments throughout America are understaffed and underpaid. Not only is this brutal on the public works employees who sweat for us every single day, but it also puts our health and safety in danger.
Significant strides have been made to change this under President Biden, thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
But this can’t be a one-time investment. Our public works departments are on the frontline in the fight to repair America’s crumbling infrastructure.
They need more support.
The American Public Works Association (APWA) continues to do an excellent job advocating for these heroes. This month, APWA will host the Public Works Expo in Atlanta.
If you plan on attending PWX, please stop by our booth and say hello.
If you can’t attend, or if you are reading this after the expo is over, please know this: Every dollar invested in transportation returns $5 in economic benefits, and every $1 billion supports and creates 50,000 jobs, according to an APWA report.
If we invest in public works today, it will help America thrive in the future. RB
