Due to the snow storm and snow removal there will be no parking on Main Street Until Further NoticeThe New York State LTAP Center – Cornell Local Roads Program (NYSLTAP-CLRP) recognizes the Village of Warwick Department of Public Works for outstanding achievement in innovation through the NYSLTAP-CLRP’s 2024 Build a Better Mousetrap Competition.
The Department displayed exemplary ingenuity in the development of “The Fin-isher.” This innovation allows the department to efficiently and effectively replace a broken curb box rod. A typical replacement involves digging a large hole with an excavator, which is time-consuming and disruptive. Alternatively, using a vac truck creates a smaller, more precise hole with minimal soil disturbance. However, you can’t put a worker in it to reach 5 feet underground, to remove and install a new pin and rod. With the creation of the “Fin-isher” the Village of Warwick Department of Public Works can remove the pin and old rod, replace with new, and fill the hole back in in a matter of minutes!
In creating “The Fin-isher,” the Village of Warwick Department of Public Works demonstrated thinking ‘outside the box’ that went above and beyond the norm. Their willingness to share their innovation with the rest of the New York State highway community shows a generosity of spirit and goodwill.
The NYSLTAP-CLRP Build a Better Mousetrap Competition is a statewide contest among highway and public works departments to discover and share creative innovations that solve everyday problems. Entries are judged under the criteria of cost, implementation, transferability, and commonality of the problem solved.
The Village of Warwick Department of Public Works came in second place in the 2024 Statewide Competition and won the “People’s Choice Award”. The winner of the People’s Choice Award is chosen by the audience, over two days of voting. The Fin-isher will be submitted to the National Build a Better Mousetrap Competition, taking place this July!
NYSLTAP-CLRP provides training to and answers technical questions from highway and public works departments across New York State to help improve the quality and safety of roads and streets. Additional information about the NYSLTAP-CLRP Build a Better Mousetrap Competition can be found online at https://cals.cornell.edu/nysltap-local-roads/technical-assistance/build-better-mousetrap.
