The mission of the Public Works Department is to provide a quality environment for the City of Boston and ensure that the City's roadways, streets and bridge infrastructures are safe, clean and attractive. The Public Works Department also maintains street lights, traffic signals, provides snow removal and garbage collection and disposal as well as curbside recycling.

The mission of the Boston Transportation Department is to promote public safety, manage the City's transportation network, and enhance the quality of life for residents of our City neighborhoods. Accomplishment of our mission is ensured through the use of planning, coordinated engineering, education and enforcement. The Transportation Department strives to improve circulation in and around the City, enhance public transportation services, gain efficiencies in the management of parking resources, adjudicate and collect fines, collaborate with relevant agencies and encourage the use of alternate transportation modes.

• FY09 Quarter 4 Performance Report 
• FY09 Quarter 3 Performance Report 
• FY09 Quarter 2 Performance Report 
• FY09 Quarter 1 Performance Report 
• Detailed FY09 Budget Information 

• Solid waste collected has shown a steady decrease over the past three fiscal years. Since FY07, tons of solid waste collected has decreased 10.5% and the recycling diversion rate has increased by 3%. These trends should further accelerate in FY10 with the rollout of single-stream recycling citywide.
• Total square footage of utilty cuts is 60% below target for FY09 as well as 40% below total for FY08. This is most likely attributable to the slowdown in construction due to economic conditions.
• Percent of street light outages addressed within 7-10 days has increased by 12% over FY08 performance. With the introduction of an electronic constituent relationship management system this past year, there has been a greater focus on closing out service requests within targeted timelines.
• Due to the Transportation Department's attempts to publicize alternative car disposal programs, the number of abandoned vehicles towed continues to be below targeted and historical averages. From FY07 to FY09, the number of abandoned vehicles towed decreased 34% (from 1351 to 891). This decrease is due, in part, to a new policy of distributing materials on vehicle donation services when ticketing abandoned vehicles. In addition, a stronger working relationship with the Boston Police Department has helped to identify abandoned vehicles early on so the owner has a greater opportunity to address the situation. The department also feels that the economic downturn has affected the number of abandoned vehicles because people are holding onto their vehicles longer. The "Cash For Clunkers" program should further reduce the number of abandoned vehicles moving forward into FY10.
• Through its investment in new single- and multi-space meters, the Boston Transportation Department has significantly improved meter operability throughout the City. During the course of FY09, multi-space meters have had an average operability of 95 percent. And, because of a recent initiative to replace all single-space meters citywide, single-space meter operability has increased from FY07 to FY09 by 9 percent (from 77% to 86%).

The Public Works Department directs the general construction, maintenance, and cleaning of approximately 808 miles of roadways throughout the City. It also provides snow and ice control for all City streets. In addition, it operates four major drawbridges, maintains 68,055 City-owned street lights, 784 signalized intersections and supervises contracts for the removal and disposal of approximately 275,000 tons of solid waste. The Department also operates the City's recycling program with an annual diversion of approximately 38,000 tons.

The Transportation Department regulates traffic and parking for 785 miles of roadway and 3,708 public streets. In order to ensure an efficient yet safe flow of traffic and to balance competing demands for parking resources, the Department enforces 42 parking regulations, maintains and collects from the City's 6,400 parking meters, and annually replaces or repairs several thousand of the City's 300,000 street and traffic signs. The Department also continually responds to the changing transportation needs of the City and its neighborhoods by re-evaluating traffic patterns, increasing parking enforcement in response to neighborhood requests, incorporating the City's interests into state and federal roadway developments, and working to promote alternative modes of transportation for commuters.

• To collect and dispose of residential solid waste and recyclable materials
• To reconstruct and resurface the City's roadways and sidewalks
• To maintain and operate vehicle and pedestrian bridges
• To maintain clean city streets
• To provide modern, adequate and cost effective lighting for the City of Boston
• To improve the flow of vehicles and pedestrians on arterial streets by making traffic signal timing adjustments to our computerized signal system
• To efficiently maintain traffic signs and parking meters throughout the city.
• To conduct transportation action plans and design projects for neighborhoods and corridors to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety.
• To improve vehicle, pedestrian and school zone safety on neighborhood streets.
• To ensure vehicles in the centralized fleet are in proper operating condition.
• To provide scheduled preventive maintenance to the City's vehicle fleet.
• To provide scheduled preventive maintenance to the City's vehicle fleet.