In July, we looked at some past submittals in the Build a Better Mousetrap competition. Let’s take a look at some more past submittals, and again we’ll start with some from Delaware.
A simple innovation from the City of Newark in 2015 involved a modified floor jack to safely support a snow plow cutting edge when changing it out, either installing or removing. As you may have experienced firsthand, cutting edges are heavy and can cause injury if you lose control of them. You are often short-handed and might be tempted to install or remove a cutting edge by yourself, increasing the risk of injury. With Newark’s approach, one person can safely support the cutting edge while reducing manpower. Using an old jack and some scrap metal, the entire innovation cost less than $100, including labor. As Dave Vispi and Jason Winterling said in their submittal, “two hands are better than four,” when you can do it safely. With their innovation, you can.
Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) Equipment Operator Glen Mumley found the new wing plow challenging for seeing down the right side of his truck, and the Third Eye was born. Glen talks about the origin of this $20 solution in this video. His idea was the Delaware winner in 2018 and then placed first in the national competition! We accepted his award for him at our national LTAP conference and brought it back for him.
Roadside mowing requires Mowing Ahead and End Mowing signs to bracket the operation with a maximum length of two miles (Typical Application 1A, Delaware MUTCD, Part 6). The logistics of setting, moving, and retrieving the signs is substantial and any task is more likely to be done right if it can be simplified. The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) adopted the Sign Bracket, a bracket that fits the receiver hitch on the sentry truck to carry the sign securely in advance of the operation. The Sign Bracket saves time and labor, reducing the number of employees and hours required during mowing season. It also provides a positive image and more visible warning signs of work for the motorists, all for about $30-40.
As we have reluctantly noted before, not every great idea originates in Delaware. Personnel in municipalities, counties, DOTs, and other agencies 
across the country come up with all sorts of great ideas. You’re wondering how you can learn about them. Simple. The Build a Better Mousetrap competition is intended to celebrate all kinds of ideas and you can scan through annual catalogs of submittals. It’s a great rainy day activity for the crew and you are bound to find an idea to steal (they don’t mind) and adapt to your own operations. Who knows? You may then take it to the next level with your own application and that evolution should be shared in the next competition.
For example, Buffalo County, Nebraska was having a problem with agriculture and other oversize equipment knocking down their bridge object markers. So, they fashioned a spring-loaded post holder for the object marker and their problem has basically been eliminated. Their solution earned them second place in the 2010 national competition.
Also in the 2010 catalog is one of the first iterations of an under body pressure washer adapter from Atwater Township, Ohio. With $40 in parts, they constructed a 50’ lance extension to reach under trucks, loaders, and backhoes to remove salt residue after storms. In 2012, the Town of Vernon (Connecticut) Public Works Department placed second in the national competition with an advancement of the idea.
In 2011, Dunn County, North Dakota placed first in the national competition with their cutting edge lift. Call us biased, but with think Newark’s 2015 version is less cumbersome.
As an honorable mention, while it was never actually submitted, our Municipal Engineering Circuit Rider spotted this back-saving solution in action in Lewes. Allan Scrutchfield was part of an AECOM team inventorying pedestrian curb ramps and other elements for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Not only does this simple solution save on the back, it improves productivity.
Winners in the Delaware T2/LTAP Center annual competition receive a prize (this year it was a $100 Visa gift card), but more importantly, they are awarded the prestigious trophy to display to all who visit their facility! Our past winners love a gift card or a pair of Stop/Slow flagger paddles, but they all cherish the trophy. So, if you want one of these sitting in your glass case for others to covet, have a look around your shop and grounds and we think you will find an innovative tool you’ve made or process you’ve developed that has saved money, increased value to road users, and/or increased safety. Make a note of it and look for the 2021 Build a Better Mousetrap competition.
You must be logged in to post a comment.