Serving the Garden City
- Charlie Parks
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
City of Newton DPW balances aging infrastructure, street cleaning and evolving transportation needs while preserving the character of its 13 villages
The city of Newton, Mass., relies on its Department of Public Works (DPW) to keep its roads, utilities, fleet and transportation systems running for nearly 100,000 residents across 13 villages. Led by Commissioner of Public Works Shawna Sullivan, the department includes seven divisions and about 200 employees when fully staffed.
“We are responsible for all of the public ways in the city of Newton,” Sullivan shared. “That includes roads, sidewalks, ADA ramps, underground infrastructure, sewer, water and stormwater. We also oversee our fleet, which includes police vehicles, and our transportation division manages traffic signals.”
Newton’s age and layout make public works operations complex. Incorporated as a city in 1874, Newton balances infrastructure repairs, transportation improvements and neighborhood expectations while preserving the character of a community known as the Garden City.
“Each of the 13 villages has its own distinct character,” Sullivan commented. “It is a wonderful city with lovely trees and parks, and the Department of Public Works supports that quality of life through the work we do.”
Support that delivers
To oversee daily maintenance, emergency response, seasonal work and long-term infrastructure needs, the DPW relies on a large fleet of equipment. Fleet Director Travis Mosca manages the city’s equipment life cycle, maintaining about 500 road vehicles and 700 total assets. The department turns to C.N. Wood Co. Inc. and sales representative Steve Russell for many of its equipment needs.
“We look for the best equipment available, the track record, the aftermarket service and the training that is provided,” Sullivan said. “C.N. Wood meets all of those needs and beyond.”
“The fleet world is always changing,” Mosca added. “Every day is different. The equipment changes, the community changes, and we have to keep up with all of that while maintaining a high in-service rate, so city employees have the tools they need to do their jobs.”
Many of the DPW’s equipment purchases were facilitated by Russell, who has worked with the city of Newton for decades and understands the demands placed on the department’s machines.
“Newton has been a great partner for a long time,” Russell reflected. “We’ve worked with them on lots of equipment purchases over the years. Their operation requires a variety of different machines to keep the city clean, and they trust us to support them in that effort.”
For Sullivan, C.N. Wood’s support directly affects the department’s ability to handle work around the city. When equipment goes down, crews need answers quickly.
“We want to impact our local residents’ daily lives as little as possible,” noted Sullivan. “If something breaks, C.N. Wood is right there behind us to help. Their service and support staff is great at getting our equipment back up and running, so we don’t have a bigger problem on our hands.”
C.N. Wood also provides Newton with equipment recommendations, operator training, service technicians, parts and long-term product support whenever the DPW adds equipment.
“Plenty of vendors can sell you a product,” Mosca stated. “The good vendors sell you a good product. Then, there are top-tier companies like C.N. Wood that sell you a good product, stand behind it, train you on it, have service personnel who show up quickly and fix it correctly, and support that product for the life cycle of the vehicle.”
Customer snapshot
Company: City of Newton Department of Public Works
Location: Newton, Massachusetts
Established: 1908
Employees: About 200 when fully staffed
Areas of expertise: Road, sidewalk, ADA ramp, water, sewer, stormwater, fleet, transportation and traffic signal maintenance
Equipment from C.N. Wood: Vactor combination sewer cleaners; TRUVAC hydro excavators; Gradall excavators; Elgin Pelican sweepers; Elgin vacuum sweepers; Trackless vehicles; Epoke salt spreaders; Holms plows
Equipped for every need
The department’s fleet of equipment from C.N. Wood includes Vactor combination sewer cleaners, TRUVAC hydro excavators, Gradall excavators, Elgin Pelican sweepers, Elgin vacuum sweepers, Trackless vehicles, Epoke salt spreaders and Holms plows.
The Vactor combination sewer cleaners are vital components to maintaining the city’s underground infrastructure.
“Sewer backups happen every day, and it is very important that we get out there, jet the line and get that sewer running,” Mosca emphasized. “Vactor has multiple types of equipment that work for us, including combination units that vac and jet, as well as some with rapid deployment booms.”
For water, sewer and construction work, Newton relies on its TRUVAC hydro excavator to expose utilities safely.
By the numbers
7 divisions: administration and finance, engineering, fleet, streets, sustainable materials management, transportation, and utilities
Nearly 100,000 residents across 13 villages
700 total assets are included in the equipment fleet
279 centerline miles of roadway, 415 miles of sidewalks and approximately 5,400 curb ramps are maintained
80+ miles of city-maintained sidewalk routes require snow and ice removal
🎥 Watch how the City of Newton DPW keeps nearly 100,000 residents across 13 villages moving with a diverse municipal fleet and dependable support from C.N. Wood: ▶️
“We use the TRUVAC for construction and water projects when we are digging in streets or on property,” Mosca explained. “It allows us to excavate safely without sending a mechanical backhoe into the ground. It keeps our people out of the ditch and reduces the chance of an accident.”
Street sweeping is another major part of Newton’s operation, and according to Mosca, the Elgin Pelican sweepers are “the best mechanical broom sweepers out there.”
“The sweepers are used daily to clean our streets,” Sullivan added. “They are also used to collect leaf litter because it contributes to phosphorus that can run off into our streams and waterways.”
As Newton’s infrastructure and transportation priorities evolve, the city continues to work with C.N. Wood to identify equipment for new applications.
“We are placing an order for more Trackless machines with attachments, particularly the sweeping attachments, because we now have raised bike lanes that travel in both directions,” Sullivan described. “The sweepers will not fit on those lanes, and some are only about 8 feet wide or narrower, so the Trackless machines will give us the ability to sweep at the sidewalk level.”
Planning for the future
Looking ahead, the city of Newton DPW plans to continue strengthening its fleet and improving the way crews maintain streets, sidewalks, bike lanes and waterways.
“We will continue to work with C.N. Wood, particularly on our sweeping program,” Sullivan said. “The hope is to maximize our sweeping capability and do the best job possible in reducing materials that enter our waterways.”
For Newton, equipment decisions are ultimately service decisions. The right machine helps crews respond faster, work safer and keep the city moving. The right distributor makes sure that machines continue to perform.
“We have a great partnership with C.N. Wood, I feel like they are
always there for us.”
-Shawna Sullivan, Commissioner of Public Works
📞 Looking for the right equipment to keep your municipality moving? From street sweeping and sewer maintenance to hydro excavation, snow removal, and year-round infrastructure care, C.N. Wood can help you find the right solution—and provide the training, parts, and service to support it for the long haul. 👉 Contact us today to learn how we can support your public works operation.
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