Madison's Everyday Engineering

You see the red lights flashing in your rear view mirror. The sounds of sirens grow louder and you pull over to the side. Chances are you’ve likely gotten out of the way for a fire truck at some point. But now, there may be a new vehicle rushing by, especially in the City of Madison: the City’s and Nation’s first all-electric municipal fire truck, the Striker Volterra.

In this podcast episode you will learn about the differences between a standard fire truck vs. the new electric model, how engineering helped charge up this milestone and what the future holds when it comes to electric service vehicles. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts Madison Fire Department Assistant Chief Scott Bavery and City of Madison Engineering Division’s Master Electrician Matt Parks to discuss the details about this historic, all-Wisconsin story on how the first electric fire truck began in our community.

Have you heard what all the buzz is all about? The City of Madison is a Bee City USA and it’s busy season for our black and yellow pollinator friends! Our Engineering Division Crews are also busy tending to the pollinators and sharing why its important to support the pollinator habitat. Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts the Engineering Division Greenway Vegetation Coordinator Maddie Dumas and Field Ecologist Emily Jorgenson to talk about how our division focuses on making the community bee-friendly and pollinator friendly. From new bee boxes and plant selection to learning about the “bad boys” of the pollinator world (wasps!), in 20 minutes learn how you can help the City continue to be a Bee City USA.

Having a green, lush, lawn makes for a beautiful visual, but at what cost? Some people use fertilizers, others use different means to make the perfect lawn cushy and vibrant. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts City of Madison Engineering Division Engineer Phil Gaebler and Engineering Division Greenway Vegestation Coordinator Maddie Dumas to talk about the lasting impacts your lawn can have on the area lakes. They also share what sort of fertilizers you should look for, while also trying to support local waterways. Is it possible? That question answered in this 20-minute episode that will get you closer to your perfect, green lawn.

Anyone who is riding, driving or commuting in some form in the City of Madison is already impacted by Vision Zero. Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. Is it possible to lower speed limits to 25 miles per hour, and have everyone abide by it? That question is answered in this podcast as City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts City of Madison Transportation Department Director Tom Lynch and Principal Engineer Jim Wolfe. Designing safer, it’s a topic your life depends on, and in 20 minutes you’ll learn everything you need to know about a new way of approaching safety in the City of Madison.

A lot of residents want the feeling of soft water, the silky-hair-out-of-the-shower-feeling, which is possible with salt. However, have you ever thought of how much damage you’re doing thanks to the amount of salt you’re putting into your water softener? It’s a question City of Madison Engineering Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky asks to Water Resource Engineer Phil Gaebler and Wisconsin Salt Wise Coordinator Allison Madison, both experts in salt and salt reduction. Not only do they explain what sort of impact salt from your softener can have on the environment, they’ll tell you what to look for when deciding if you need to replace your softener.

A Town of Madison and City of Madison have existed for quite some time separately, however, come October 2022 the City of Madison and City of Fitchburg will absorb the Town of Madison. This process is called attachment, and in a nutshell, means some major changes for the roughly 6,300 people living within the Town of Madison boundaries, which is about 3.9 square miles of land. As part of an aggressive communication plan to connect with the residents impacted, this podcast episode will explain generally what attachment is, introduce resources and background that support the process to help those impacted understand how they can get answers as the process moves forward. City of Madison Planning Division Director Heather Stouder joins City of Madison Engineering Division Hannah Mohelnitzky for a conversation breaking down attachment as the City gets ready to welcome its newest residents.

A pandemic, Wisconsin winter, growing need and a tight deadline: all things standing in the way as Engineering crews work as fast as they can to put together a temporary homeless shelter for men in need in our community. City agencies pulled together in December 2020 to open a temporary homeless shelter in the City’s former Fleet services building located at North First Street in Madison, Wis. This included pop-up showers, bathrooms, more than 200 bunk beds and maintenance to the building that helped make it livable. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts Engineering Division Facilities Services Coordinator Stephen King and City of Madison Community Development Grants Supervisor Linette Rhodes to answer the questions of why the City needed this so quickly, how it was possible to whip together in seven short weeks and where will men be placed when the City finds a more permeant location? It’s all explained in 20 minutes in this episode.

Operating a backhoe, designing a street, wiring an entire floor of lighting or designing a building: they’re all jobs in the trades and construction industry. These positions are also historically, held by men, however, the industry is changing and the number of women in the construction industry is increasing thanks to some of the pioneers who blazed the trail for other women, and also men helping create space for women to benefit as well. The City of Madison Engineering Division is celebrating women in the construction industry with a week-long profile campaign to align with the Nationally-recognized week: Women in Construction March 7-13, according to the National Association of Women in Construction. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts President and CEO of CLE Consulting Dawn McIntosh and Madison College Construction and Remodeling Instructor Allie Berenyi talk all things Women in Construction, the hurdles still in the way, and other obstacles that no longer are in sight when it comes to women not only sitting at the table, but leading.

A bike path with ice and snow is no good to ride on, unless you have the right equipment or if Engineering crews make a pass through, which is the case even if on weekends and holidays. The City of Madison Engineering Division works with the Parks Division to make sure bike paths are clear in the City of Madison. The city also has a very active bike community, and once the snow falls, Engineering crews move into snow removal mode immediately to make sure to support riders and safe paths. In this episode, Engineering Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts City of Madison Common Council District 15 Alderman Grant Foster and Engineering’s Ryan Schmidt to talk about snow clearing strategy, the expectations from the bike community and so much more as part of winter biking in the City of Madison.

For municipalities to operate efficiently, the Fleet Service Division is often the backbone that keeps the fire department trucks tuned up, police cars up to date with oil changes and engineering’s dump truck tires filled with air. However, the work of Fleet means so much more, especially to the mechanics and team doing the hard work. At the City of Madison, a brand new fleet building was built, and the team gets to enjoy the state-of-the-art facility, while Engineering can proudly say the project was a success. City of Madison Engineering Division Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky hosts a candid conversation between Fleet’s Superintendent Mahanth Joishy and Engineering’s Jon Evans to share why not only should you care about the brand new Fleet resource but the process that goes into pushing through a successful energy-efficient project and building.