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Council committee recommends $72,707 increase to RouteSmart contract to finish trash‑routing rollout
Summary
The standing committee recommended increasing the RouteSmart contract by $72,707 to support a transition from RouteSmart’s discontinued enterprise product to its web application, funding a brief overlap of both systems while in‑cab testing and route optimization occur.
Pittsburgh City Council’s Innovation, Performance, Asset Management and Technology Committee recommended approval of a $72,707 increase to an existing contract with RouteSmart (Root/RouteSmart Technologies) to continue implementation of turn‑by‑turn routing and route optimization for environmental services.
Director of Public Works Chris Hornstein told the committee the additional money covers a transition period in which both the enterprise routing system and RouteSmart’s web application must be run concurrently while in‑cab testing continues. “The contract amendment in front of us is proposed… we have to have both systems live for a period of time,” Hornstein said. He said the city expects to move to the lower‑cost web application in 2026 (approximately $40,000 per year) versus the enterprise rate (about $56,000 per year) once the migration is complete.
Hornstein said the city has already purchased in‑cab devices and expects to begin testing the web application in trucks within about two months. He and council members described intended benefits: automated turn‑by‑turn directions for drivers, better balancing of route weight and workload, visibility for managers on collection performance, and the ability to adjust routes more frequently to account for changing road conditions.
Council members sought detailed assurances about driver testing and real‑world usability. Several said earlier attempts to digitize routes (including a public‑facing snowplow tracker) encountered implementation problems and emphasized the need for meaningful driver feedback during trials. Hornstein said limited testing has occurred and the requested funds will support more robust in‑cab trials and supervisor feedback before full implementation.
Committee members also raised questions about whether RouteSmart functionality could be extended to other uses (sweeping/street cleaning) and how the system handles real‑time conditions like construction and accidents. Hornstein said some integrations exist or are planned, but staff will follow up with technical details.
The committee gave the amendment an affirmative recommendation. Staff said the change is a step toward longer‑term route optimization that could reduce inefficiencies and improve service distribution across neighborhoods.
