Authored by transportation professionals throughout Kittelson, our blog is a space for evaluating new technologies, presenting unique approaches, and providing ideas to an industry that's always moving. Twice a month, we share these articles through Streetwise, a reader-friendly digest of our latest thinking. Explore our posts below or filter by a topic of interest.

Latest Ideas

Ideas People sitting at tables and looking at a speaker

4 Takeaways for New Project Managers from Kittelson’s ATLAS Summit

Project management comes with a steep learning curve and making the transition requires a set of skills and knowledge you may feel you don’t have yet. If you’re in the midst of this and feeling the incline of that learning curve, you’re not alone—in fact, you may be right where you’re supposed to be.

Alex Gonzales Rebecca Fischer
Ideas Back of a white Jaguar car with "Waymo" written on the back windshield.

The Future of Driverless Ridehail: Navigating the Road Ahead

In the not-so-distant future, a new way of travel is set to change the way we get around: driverless ridehail services. The story behind this evolution is a compelling narrative of innovation, ambition, and a major shift in transportation. So, how will we navigate the road ahead… when nobody is in the driver’s seat?

Abby Morgan, PhD
Ideas Two people interacting in front of a poster session at the TRB Annual Meeting

A Spotlight on Professional Organizations in Transportation: A Pathway to Career Growth and Industry Advancement

Join us in celebrating the impact and achievements of our industry’s professional organizations, and read our team’s advice for plugging into organizations that will boost your personal and professional growth while providing opportunities to give to others.

Rebecca Fischer
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So You Want to Be a Transportation Professional: Advice From the Public, Private, and Academic Sectors of Transportation

How does a career in transportation consulting differ from working for a public agency or in academia? And how can you know which sector of the profession is right for you? Read insights from our panelists about discerning which direction to take your career.

Ideas above view of people on street

Making Quick-Builds and Innovative Designs Truly Accessible for People with Visual Disabilities

Quick-build project hallmarks-temporary materials, rapid installation times, and modularity-allow many projects to overcome accessibility obstacles, like a lack of political will or funding. For users with disabilities, quick-builds can provide more immediate relief than more permanent counterparts.

Juliet Walker Bastian Schroeder, PhD Megan Mello
Ideas Two people on bus with masks on

Big to Little, Little to Big: How Strategic Changes to Transportation Planning Can Impact Major Public Health Crises

Transportation infrastructure can exacerbate a city’s public health problems. If our existing transportation habits aggravate these big public health issues, then changing those habits can help to mitigate them. Here’s how strategic changes to transportation planning can impact major public health crises.

Juliet Walker Karen Swirsky
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One-Stop Shop: NCHRP Research Report 992 Offers a Handy Overview of Pedestrian Analysis

The Transportation Research Board’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program released Research Report 992: Guide to Pedestrian Analysis to help provide guidance and methods for developing safe, functional, and attractive facilities for people who walk.

Anusha Musunuru, PhD Paul Ryus
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Getting Back in the Saddle: Lessons from a Horse-Powered Past for Transportation Planning Today

The history of urban horses holds valuable information for planners and engineers in the present. Understanding a community’s horse-powered past can reveal a footprint designed for the very low-speed, complete street environment we work so hard to create today.

Jennifer Marks John Paul (JP) Weesner
Ideas Protected Intersection Rendering

VDOT’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Treatments Website: A Practitioner’s Guide to Design Treatments That Support Safer Walking and Biking

At what types of intersections are bike boxes most appropriate? How much do separated bicycle lanes typically cost? The answers these questions can be found on Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)’s new Bicycle and Pedestrian Treatments website.

Ideas What is the Future of COVID-19 Outdoor Dining?

COVID-19 is changing our streets. Could it also change the way we approach transportation projects?

The proliferation of quick build parklets, outdoor dining installations, and shared streets in the past year has shown us that we can move more quickly to implement transportation projects. Will the trend continue after the pandemic?

Alek Pochowski Margaret Kent G. Wade Walker Amanda Leahy