The Baseline Blog

The city of Newton leading the way in Massachusetts

Written by Paul-André Savoie | 28-Nov-2025 3:53:06 PM

Municipal public works teams across North America are facing an increasingly difficult task: deliver more services with tighter budgets, less staff, and rising resident expectations.

Nowhere is this pressure felt more than in winter operations and waste collection, where route efficiency directly impacts fuel usage, overtime, compliance, and public satisfaction.

The City of Newton, Massachusetts, found itself in this exact situation. Despite a skilled team and strong operational standards, they were still spending valuable time manually managing routes, responding to service disputes, and optimizing coverage after storms or waste collection delays.

They needed a way to simplify operations and improve predictability, without adding new IT burden or months of onboarding.

Their transformation began when they implemented Citycare, a digital municipal operations platform already trusted by over 100 cities across North America.

What happened next changed not only how Newton planned routes, but how they delivered services city-wide.

The Challenge Complex Routes, Manual Processes, and Rising Service Demands

Before adopting Citycare, Newton was managing many of its seasonal and year-round operations using manual tools, spreadsheets, static maps, and time-consuming coordination between supervisors and field crews.

This created several operational challenges:

  • Drivers lacked turn-by-turn guidance, increasing the risk of missed streets
  • Supervisors had limited real-time visibility into field progress
  • Service disputes required time-consuming investigations without digital proof

These are common issues across municipalities today.

Operational Savings That Compound Over Time

By optimizing routes and digitizing field operations, Newton unlocked savings in multiple areas:

Lower Fuel & Equipment Costs

Optimized routes cut unnecessary travel and idling.

Reduced Overtime During Storms

Predictable, navigable routes kept crews on schedule—even during major weather events.

Faster Onboarding of Seasonal Staff

Citycare’s mobile-first guidance allowed new workers to become operational almost instantly.

Fewer Service Disputes

GPS breadcrumbs, photo logs, and proof-of-passage removed uncertainty and eliminated unnecessary callbacks.

Higher Resident Satisfaction

Real-time updates and improved reliability strengthened trust during both waste collection and winter operations.

These are the exact outcomes public works leaders across the continent are seeking—and Newton demonstrated just how quickly they can be achieved.

A Blueprint for Modern Municipal Operations

Newton’s success shows what becomes possible when a city modernizes its field operations using a platform designed specifically for public works:

  • Optimized routes created in hours, not weeks
  • Full visibility into every crew in real time
  • Digital proof eliminating guesswork and disputes
  • Streamlined communication with residents
  • Rapid setup and minimal IT lift
  • Faster, more predictable service delivery across all seasons

Citycare provided Newton with a unified, mobile-first system that made their operations more efficient, more accountable, and more resilient, without requiring major change management.

Want to Learn How Your City Can Do the Same?

Municipal leaders can replicate Newton’s results quickly. In fact, during a 15-minute call with our CEO, Paul-André Savoie, your team can:

  • Identify one operational challenge you want solved
  • Get your own live Citycare account
  • Begin validating results, often in under 5 business days

If your city wants more efficient routes, stronger oversight, and measurable cost savings, we’d love to show you how Newton did it.

Leave us your contact info below if you're ready to improve your own winter operations in your city.