Engineering Department

Bureau of Engineering

The City’s Bureau of Engineering is located in City Hall. The office can be reached at:

City of Troy
c/o Engineering Department
433 River Street
Troy, NY 12180
(518) 279-7179

Aaron J. Vera, P.E.
City Engineer

The mission of the Bureau of Engineering is to design high quality public improvements which employ proven practices and sound engineering principles.

The Bureau of Engineering is responsible for the City’s buildings, bridges, dams, and support structures, as well as the safe management of 150 miles of roadway and over 125 signalized intersections. The Bureau administers planned improvements related to Troy’s roadways and right-of-way, surveying and mapping, design and new construction, flood control and floodplain management, and erosion and sediment control. They are the liaison with Federal, State, County, and municipal agencies for any such projects. The Bureau further coordinates with residents and property owners to implement the public improvements of new residential, commercial, or industrial projects and coordinates with utility companies for private utility construction in City right-of-way.

For information regarding the City’s zoning ordinance or building, housing, plumbing or electrical codes please contact the Bureau of Code Enforcement at (518) 279-7180.

For matters concerning drainage structures, water mains, sanitary sewers, or storm drains please contact the Department of Public Utilities at (518) 237-0611.

Staff

City Engineer
Aaron J. Vera, P.E.

Project Supervisor
Todd Dickinson

Engineering Aide
Chip MacLasco

Head Account Clerk
Latasha Gardner

Permits

The Bureau of Engineering issues the following permits:

Accessible Parking
Required for the installation of Accessible Parking signage within City rights-of-way.
Curb Cut
Required for the adjustment of curbing or sidewalk to provide access to City streets. (§141-40 & §285-83)
Encroachment
Required prior to the installation of any privately-owned structure or feature within the right-of-way. Typically associated with porches, decks, ramps, or stairs for residential uses. (§141-66 – 71)
Excavation
Required for disturbances in the right-of-way. Typically associated with trenching for utilities. (§251-9)

Details and Specifications

Fix My Road

We are constantly looking at ways to assess and prioritize improvements to our roadways. Recently an app, Carbin, was developed as part of Fix-my-road, a project led by MIT’s Concrete Sustainability Hub (CSHUB). The app uses GPS and accelerometer data from users’ smartphones and translates that data into an evaluation of a roadway’s condition. While this is not a replacement for residents reporting safety issues directly to City staff, the use of this app can help the City determine where investments are needed.