IMPROVEMENTS, UPDATES & AWARDS FOR FORT WAYNE – Message From The Mayor

Traffic light/signal improvements
You may have noticed new traffic signals with black backgrounds popping up in Fort Wayne as 3,000 traffic signal heads at 320 intersections in Fort Wayne, New Haven and other parts of Allen County will have the new look, which makes the lights easier to see during a sunny day.

The new LED lighting fixtures are replacing existing LEDs that are at the end of their lifespan. The lights are the new safety standard from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

Both Allen County and the City of New Haven contract with the City of Fort Wayne for their traffic signal maintenance. Fort Wayne applied for and received $2.03 million from the U.S. Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) to cover the cost of the new lights.

The project, which is expected to run through the end of next year, involves adding a reflective plate to all traffic signal heads for better visibility, as well as replacing all existing yellow signal heads with new black LED heads. The old heads were installed in the early 2000s and are currently reaching the end of their useful life.

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Budget update
The balanced budget for 2016 presented by my office and passed by City Council in late October continues our commitment to providing needed services to residents, neighborhoods and businesses. The budget also reflects Fort Wayne’s position as a leader in economic development, job growth, strong neighborhoods and quality of life amenities that make our community a destination place for families and businesses. We’ve been encouraged by the positive feedback we’ve received from the public about our budget that will fund 33 new firefighters, $22.8 million for neighborhood infrastructure improvements, and $3 million for investments in maintenance projects in City Parks.

Fleet award
For the eighth year in a row, the City of Fort Wayne’s Fleet Department is receiving recognition with the 2015 Government Green Fleet Award. The award honors federal, state, and local government fleets in North America that have achieved success in greening their fleet in a number of ways.

The award goes to the top 50 green fleets each year. This year, we were ranked number eight on the list and were the only Indiana government fleet to win the award. The award is sponsored by American City and County magazine. We were recognized for our commitment to replacing retiring vehicles with fuel-efficient vehicles.

Our 1,826 motorized vehicle fleet includes efficiencies with more than 500 vehicles able to use E85 fuel, 365 vehicles using biodiesel fuel, 60 hybrid vehicles, and 10 electric cars. These vehicles reduce costs and protect the environment.

I continue to be impressed with the outstanding work being performed by the City’s Fleet Department. Fort Wayne is a recognized national leader in providing excellent fleet services. Having a top 10 fleet demonstrates our commitment to ensuring City vehicles are safe and operating efficiently to better serve residents and businesses.

Our fleet includes police cars, fire trucks, dump trucks, street sweepers, backhoes and many other vehicles that are driven collectively more than 10 million miles each year.