Speaking

When planning improvements for public streets, there are often more expressed needs for the corridor than the right-of-way can accommodate. It can be challenging for street planners to sort through these needs coming from internal and external stakeholders and prioritize them based on the goals of the corridor. Items that must be considered are automobile and bike lanes, public transit service, pedestrian/walking facilities, parking, public spaces, utilities and drainage, landscaping, etc.  

The two presenters, Steve Thieken, PE, PTOE, AICP and Amy Rosepiler, PE, have over 40 years of combined experience working with a multitude of stakeholders developing implementable transportation solutions during the planning process. This presentation will discuss the most common needs from the perspective of a transportation engineer, a planner and city administration. Referencing case studies, the presentation will also detail proven planning and decision-making processes that can be used in the development of street/corridor plans that include visioning, goal setting, option development and evaluation, scenario analysis, and recommendation development. There will be a dedicated question and answer period to discuss the perspective and responsibilities of transportation and traffic engineers in street planning and design projects.

Cities, counties, and metropolitan planning organizations are often challenged by changing modes of transportation, shrinking budgets, and meeting the needs of an increasingly multimodal public. To help agencies in this dilemma, planners and engineers must have a practical mindset and focus on options that meet the community’s most basic goals and needs, while shaving excess costs to help a community stretch their money. This focus should start in the planning phase of a project where a wide range of innovative and practical solutions that avoid major reconstruction and minimize costs can be considered, evaluated, and discussed with local stakeholders and the public.

This session will:

• Explain the benefits of incorporating a practical mindset into the planning process  
• Exhibit lessons learned on recent planning projects to provide cost-effective solutions by repurposing existing roadway width to create multi-modal corridors 
• Discuss funding alternatives for planners to share with clients 
• Show how to identify potential red flags during planning and include in implementable plans

Planning practices have not always been as comprehensive as the methods transportation planners use today. Modern planning takes several factors into consideration, including safety, multimodal mobility, land use, and economic and social impacts. In the past, that was not always the case, leaving lasting impacts on communities and broken, divided and dangerous problems to correct. 

Using a case study in Columbus, Ohio, in which the 1960s construction of a major interstate highway divided the city, presenter Brian Toombs, PE, will detail how a holistic approach to roadway capacity improvements helped reconnect the community and increase safety. Mr. Toombs will first discuss the outreach process that was developed to identify and implement corrective mitigation measures. Next, he will go into detail on the measures, including gateway entries, large cap structures, pedestrian and bicycle-friendly urban arterials, enhanced congregating spaces, and improvements to utility infrastructure to reconnect the neighborhoods. Finally, he will discuss the public reaction both during and after the project to show their acceptance to the overall project improvement.

Every state, including Idaho, has a Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) with a goal to reduce crashes, especially those that cause fatalities and serious injuries, at the broader state level. However, according to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), nearly 80 percent of all public roads are operated by local or rural governments and approximately 56 percent of all fatalities occur on these roads. 

Roadway safety issues are unique by area and can even differ between neighboring jurisdictions. In some cases, issues that are specific to local or rural roads may not be reflected in the overarching SHSP. Local Road Safety Plans (LRSP) are tailored to local issues and needs. Developing the LRSP is a collaborative community process which involves workshops with representatives from all facets of the community – law enforcement, school district representatives, local agencies including cities and Metropolitan Planning Organizations, and emergency responders. Together, this group creates a community “playbook” for strategies to improve safety on its roadways through education, enforcement, and engineering countermeasures.

Burgess & Niple has helped develop and execute LRSPs for several states around the country. Hear from presenter Kendra Schenk, PE, PTOE, RSP, as she details the following:

• The FHWA’s six-step LRSP Development Process
• How establishing an LRSP working group can foster collaboration between different entities within a jurisdiction
• How aligning an LRSP with the SHSP can help secure funding
• Real examples of successful LRSPs