Problem:  After the fiscal crisis of the 1970's, New York City's 
sanitation department suffered from extremely high out of service 
and failure rates for garbage trucks.  This led to uncollected 
garbage and expensive overtime pay.

Proposed Solution:  The primary focus of improving the garbage 
truck repair process was the development of a management plan and 
team for the repair facility that incorporated advice and 
participation from the mechanics who actually work with the 
trucks.  In one example, mechanics developed an engine shut-off 
device to prevent burnout due to low oil.  The mechanics were 
incorporated throughout the planning and decision-making process.

Evaluation:  Both out of service and failure rates for garbage 
trucks have decreased dramatically.  While the number of vehicles 
has increased, the improvement in efficiency has enabled the 
department to operate with fewer mechanics.  The research and 
development group has developed equipment which improves the 
performance of the vehicles as well as earning royalties for the 
department.

Contact:  Roger Liwer, Deputy Commissioner for Support Operations, 
New York City Department of Sanitation, 125 Worth St, Room 819, 
New York, NY  10013.  Phone:  212-788-3956.

Citation:  "Innovations 1992."  Governing Magazine, Volume 6, 
October 1992, p. 36.
David Osborne and Ted Gaebler.  Reinventing Government:  How the 
Entrepreneurial Spirit is Transforming the Public Sector.  New 
York:  Plume, 1993.

Keywords:  sanitation, garbage collection, vehicle maintenance

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