Raleigh Scaffolding Collapse Kills 3 Construction Workers

Three construction workers were killed and another seriously injured late Monday morning when an exterior lift system tore from the side of an office building under construction in downtown Raleigh.

A witness, LeRoy Kelley, said workers were dismantling a "mast climber" on the 11-story  Charter Square Building on Fayetteville Street when the elevator-like system collapsed, sending a mobile scaffolding platform to the ground.

These days everything seems to be connected. You can connect your home appliances to your WiFi network and even remotely start your car from the touch of your mobile phone. Technology is used in almost every element of our lives. Why not apply this technology to our streets as well? Local agencies are beginning to adopt Complete Streets policies that provide alternative modes of transportation for all users. The next evolution in transportation is to integrate technology with Complete Streets principles to create a transportation system that is accessible and reliable. It’s time to start thinking of Complete Streets as Smart Streets.

About a year ago we introduced a small eBook on this blog called “Hire the Right Consultant: 6 Tips for Public Agencies to Write a Killer RFP.” The eBook was our attempt to help agencies write proposals that are clear and will elicit the strongest responses from consultants.

Your tool kit is complete. You have your marketing/outreach plan, a brand for the project, a website to share what's happening with your project, a database to record who you spoke with, duct tape to ensure you listen completely, tennis shoes to help you connect in person, and a partner in the media to broadcast the stories you collect. Now what? It's time to sell.