Planning and Development Services of Kenton County Reduces Paving Costs and Enables Proactive Coordination with Right of Way Management

Multiple entities work together to reduce redundant, costly street cuts

Since 1961, Planning and Development Services of Kenton County (PDS) has been providing support and direction to guide growth and economic development in Northern Kentucky. Planning is at the heart of PDS’ mission, and one of the areas of prime focus is Northern Kentucky’s streets and roads. Coordinating projects among city, county and state governments and area utilities can be a monumental task. Until recently, this process was heavily paper-driven and time-consuming.

After an exhaustive RFP process, the Commission found that Accela Right of Way Management did not require expensive custom software development, and the PDS could begin using the solution very quickly without a large, upfront capital investment. The solution would also help the PDS reduce the number of street cuts with better coordination, saving the company money and improving community satisfaction.

HOW ACCELA EMPOWERS PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES OF KENTON COUNTY

With Accela, project coordination now flows through GIS Administration, which provides geographic data and maps that help each of the players locate and track their respective projects.

Through the implementation of Accela Right of Way Management and the PDS’ partnership with the City of Covington, Kentucky, the City recognized early cost savings. In the fall of 2010, the City of Covington planned to pave three streets where the Northern Kentucky Water District also had plans to replace water mains. The Engineering Division requires that utility companies restore a full lane width when they cut into a City street. Thanks to the solution’s map-based coordination, PDS was able to identify the overlap in these projects and work with the Water District to incorporate the resurfacing requirements into their projects, saving the City a significant amount of money.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The City of Covington and the Northern Kentucky Water District have led the way in adopting the solution’s map-based coordination. The value of the solution will only increase as it is used by other jurisdictions, utilities and county agencies. “We’re following a phased approach to involve as many entities in Northern Kentucky as possible. With a growing number of organizations using right of way management, we’re able to facilitate much more effective decision-making, enable streamlined project coordination and realize even greater savings for everyone involved.”