Speaking

Attendees will learn about the updates to Ohio's Strategic Highway Safety Plan. Strategies from this collaborative, multi-agency and Safe System Approach Plan are eligible for more than $100M of federal and state safety funding.

This presentation will equip engineers and planners with essential communication tools for engaging non-engineer stakeholders and the public by exploring common technical terms that cause confusion and emphasizing strategies to simplify language, tailor messaging and maintain clarity.

Brian (Engineer) and Shannon (Planner) will use real-world examples to show attendees how to frame meeting materials effectively, control messaging, and manage public interactions—always mindful that today’s smartphone-equipped audiences can record and share instantly. Attendees will leave with practical strategies to ensure consistent, understandable messaging that improves collaboration between engineers and planners during the project development process.

This session will introduce the Safe System Approach and explore how it can be applied in a typical fatal crash review, or crash investigation process, and shift the focus to systemic solutions that can prevent future tragedies. In this interactive session, attendees will engage in a mock fatal crash investigation, using the principles of the Safe System Approach to analyze the causes of the crash and explore strategies for prevention. By working through the crash scenario, participants will gain practical insights into how systemic factors—such as road design, vehicle safety and human behavior—contribute to crashes and what changes can be made to reduce future risk.

In the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) world, data drives decisions—but numbers alone do not tell the full story. To make meaningful and lasting impacts, we must combine traditional performance metrics with insights from stakeholders and lived experiences. 

This session introduces a topic-agnostic prioritization framework that blends qualitative and quantitative inputs to help agencies make the best decisions for their communities. We’ll explore how this approach has been applied across various geographies and project types—from prioritizing intersections for roundabout improvements in Clark County to identifying high-priority corridors for nighttime safety enhancements in Richmond. The Richmond case study uses a systemic sliding window analysis of the city’s High Injury Network, combining crash data, lighting conditions and field-verified nighttime visibility to target locations most in need of improvements.

Attendees will walk through the prioritization process from start to finish, including how to engage local stakeholders, weigh diverse indicators and validate findings using community insights and technical data. This blended approach improves outcomes and leads to significant cost savings by identifying the right solutions earlier in the process, reducing redesigns and increasing public support.

The I.B. Perrine Bridge is a 1,500-foot-long steel arch structure carrying US-93 over Snake River Canyon near Twin Falls, Idaho. This landmark structure is among the highest in the US, with the top of the deck located 486 feet above the river. The Idaho Transportation Department retained Burgess and Niple (B&N) to develop an Asset Management Plan (AMP) for the bridge. While performing a field assessment of the bridge for the AMP, B&N identified deficiencies warranting immediate attention. B&N prepared repair plans, including replacement of corroded bolts in the arch end posts, installation of protective coatings in corrosion-prone areas, repairs to the inspection access system, concrete repairs and joint repairs.

Innovative design and construction methods for steel repairs, steel coatings, joint repairs and concrete repairs will be discussed. Construction access to difficult-to-reach components will also be discussed. 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet recognized significant deficiencies in two Ohio River cable-stay (CS) bridges. Burgess & Niple was retained to inspect, perform nondestructive testing (NDT), generate rehabilitation plans and provide construction oversight services to preserve and significantly extend the service life of these two signature structures. 

In addition to gaining significant insight into the mechanics and potential deficiencies of long-span cable stay bridges, attendees will also learn about the specialized means and methods required to rehabilitate and preserve these complex structures. This project is a good example of improving the transportation network by extending the service life of the structure, as well as decreasing economic investment for a new structure. 

SmartLane projects use part-time shoulder travel to add capacity without expanding the roadway footprint, offering a cost-effective way to reduce congestion and improve travel time reliability. While effective, this strategy reduces lateral clearance, raising concerns about perceived safety. With limited long-term data, it's unclear whether these concerns are justified. This presentation examines Ohio’s first SmartLane on I-670, comparing crash data before and after implementation. It will highlight key lessons learned and identify practice gaps to consider as more SmartLane corridors are planned. 

Thoroughfare plans often focus narrowly on traffic congestion, roadway widening, evaluating functional classifications and preserving right-of-way, leaving communities with rigid designs and regulations that don't align with broader goals for safety, sustainability and sense of place.

Hear about Gahanna’s planning process: developing the RFP, transitioning to a mix of functional and context classifications and adopting a Complete Streets Policy and updating Access Management and TIS Requirements that will help the City implement its plan.

Leadership isn't just the responsibility of the person with the title—it's the driving force behind every successful project, team and organization. Yet, leadership is often missing from the core education of engineers and other professionals, leaving many teams less effective than they could be. 

This presentation will explore how strong leadership skills can elevate organizations, teams and individual careers—particularly within the transportation engineering environment. Attendees will discover practical strategies to lead more effectively, whether they are seasoned managers, early-career professionals or technical staff who don’t see themselves as leaders (yet). 

Creating safe routes to and from school is essential for promoting active transportation and supporting healthier, more accessible communities. As part of Ohio’s Active Transportation Program, the Ohio Department of Transportation administers Safe Routes to School (SRTS) funding and offers planning and design support. This session will explore how SRTS projects are selected, scoped, and implemented.

Presenters will highlight elements of effective School Travel Plans, project prioritization and strategies to minimize design costs. Presenters will also showcase innovative approaches to understanding school needs and how to use SRTS funding. Case studies from Ohio and beyond will showcase innovative, cost-effective approaches to planning and delivering impactful SRTS projects.