BALTIMORE - The City of Baltimore expects to achieve an annual savings of about $6 million using C2Logix FleetRoute route optimization software. The route optimization project, implemented July 2009 in an effort to save significant labor, fuel, equipment, and maintenance, was provided through a contract with the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority (NMWDA).

For this project, C2Logix was a sub-contractor to solid waste management consulting firm Gershman, Brickner & Bratton, Inc. (GBB).

The City has an estimated population of 630,000 with 190,000 households serviced by trucks and crews from the Department of Public Works (DPW). Before the re-routing project, the DPW collected refuse twice a week from each residence, with approximately 63 trucks operating six days a week for a total of 214 routes. The DPW also collected recycling twice a month.

The FleetRoute Service Bureau developed five alternative conceptual route scenarios, according to Kevin Callen, C2Logix's chief technology officer. "Each of these optimized the routes, workdays, and equipment allocation, and analyzed cost savings. This in-depth analysis provided the City with the necessary tools to make an informed decision regarding changes in its collection operation and will allow for significant collection cost reductions for the City while improving services to residents with a more efficient operation."

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The project included refining the geocoding of City customers on the GIS maps and geocoding and identification of customers requiring collection in alleys. In addition, the street centerline data was expanded to add alleys and travel attributes (such as speeds, one-ways, overpasses/underpasses, etc.) that were not included in the City GIS baseline. City historical service data was used for set-out weights, and field observations were conducted to update the stop time information. The alternative conceptual route scenarios were provided to NMWDA and the City and included both weekly and twice weekly refuse collection. The weekly collection also included recycling collection, referred to as One PLUS One by the City. Scenarios included both five-day work weeks and four-day work weeks.

The analysis indicated that the change in the collection system could save the City about $6 million a year. The City Council approved the change, selected the One PLUS One scenario, and the City began the new collection program on July 13, 2009.

The new program provides one trash collection and one recycling collection each week for the single family residences in Baltimore, according to C2Logix. Collections are made Tuesday through Friday. The Project Team developed the routes, providing route boundary overview maps, customer sequence lists, travel path maps, and travel direction reports to the City and NMWDA, which were used in the rollout of the new collection program.