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.
Read on to find out more about cost-effective approaches for investing in Smart Transportation Technology.
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.
A major cause of climate change is the country’s greenhouse gas emissions that come from transportation. Reworking our communities to emphasize active transportation methods can play a large role in reducing the toll it takes on our environment.
A Look at Parking Policies in Transportation Development Reviews
Highlights of the Highway Safety Improvement Program, which backs the efforts of States and local agencies to proactively prevent severe crashes via safety infrastructure improvements.
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.
Did you know that bike infrastructure holds many benefits for other modes of transportation, too?
The Lake Nona shuttle fleet has given the industry nearly three years’ of data on how automated vehicles navigate real-world traffic.
Read about some of the biggest resiliency challenges facing our bike systems today, and six specific ways cities are tackling these challenges.
Read examples from seven transportation agencies who have tapped into data and built tools and dashboards that make decision-making on projects quicker, easier, and more informed.
Signed into law in November 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) authorized $1.2 trillion in federal investments into transportation, broadband access, clean water,…
By Jessica Keller, Wayne Kittelson, Rachel Grosso, and Barrett Brown (Forth) Shared micromobility programs are still a relative newcomer to the transportation scene. The first…
Quick builds make streets safer and more comfortable for vulnerable users and allow D.C. to uphold its promise to citizens to reduce traffic-related fatalities and injuries.
Learn how Miami-Dade County’s Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) redesigned their bus network to increase efficiency, effectiveness, and ridership.
In celebration of Women’s History Month, we’re taking a look at how brave women used bicycles as a tool, claiming the machine and public space for themselves and one another.
Historically, people walking and biking have not been prioritized in intersection design, and this is often apparent at Alternative Intersections and Interchanges (AIIs).
NCHRP Research Report 969 describes a toolbox of treatments to better address the needs of pedestrians and bicyclists at signalized intersections.
How can local agencies create an environment that’s ready for electric vehicles (EVs) through development codes and policies? On February 23, Kittelson and Forth held…
In celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth, we invite you to read the story of Lois Cooper, whose remarkable career at Caltrans and investment in the lives of hundreds of students changed the the career trajectories of many who followed in her path.
How have quick build installations impacted travel patterns, shopping and dining habits, and safety for communities? A report analyzes the impact of quick build projects implemented in Massachusetts in 2020 and 2021.
The 2022 TRB Annual Meeting took place January 9-13. Read on for a summary of the event and the themes that stuck out to us as the transportation profession enters 2022.
Honoring the culture and history of Willamette Falls was essential to identifying the best alignment location for a new bicycle and pedestrian crossing between West Linn and Oregon City.
Read about the benefits of AV pilot programs, what we can learn from previous deployments, and how to write a successful AV pilot grant.
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.
After a noteworthy year in which the world’s largest transportation research conference was moved online, the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting will be back to its…
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.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was passed by the House of Representatives on November 5, 2021. What does this mean for state and local agencies?
Project reports contain a wealth of information—the culmination of months or years of technical analysis, community engagement, and hard work. But if the document is difficult to digest, the impact of that work is limited.
Under certain roadway and traffic conditions, signal coordination can be effective in reducing delays for drivers. However, it also has limitations, and its impact on pedestrians, bicycles, and transit is not often recognized.
We bring our experiences into our work. Associate Planner Conor Semler writes about why it’s important for transportation engineers and planners to develop empathy for experiences different from our own.
How are transportation professionals thinking about resiliency today? What do we need to be resilient against? We asked three forward-thinking clients.
In this article, we cover best practices for rural transit planners, applications of the ODOT Transit Development Plan Guidebook, and what rural transit planning might look like in the future.
We talked to Michael Tumlin (Graphics Designer), Jennifer Marks (Publications Coordinator/Technical Editor), and Britt Zebleckes (Content Writer) to find out what a day in their life looks like.
Read about the City’s holistic and community-based approach to transit planning that has led to flourishing neighborhoods around transit corridors.
Should e-bikes be allowed everywhere bicycles can go? Responses are divided, and not just at the personal opinion level—regulations also differ state by state.
Like painters, landscape architects must consider how color, line, form, texture, and visual weight guide a person through a three-dimensional, living space.
Instead of using Bluetooth readers that pick up cars as they go by, why don’t we go straight to the source and get data from connected vehicles themselves?
What San Joaquin Council of Governments Learned Through Their Transportation Innovation Study
Communications coach Karen Susman provides her top tips for keeping hybrid meetings engaging and inclusive.
We’re in the midst of what may be the next big shift in the way designs are produced and shared. Here’s what you need to know about the use of BIM and digital twins in transportation design.
Learn about the collaboration that took this project from 5% design to completed construction in two years.
As they rework curb ramps en masse–and seek to construct new ramps accurately the first time around–many agencies are running pilot programs to streamline design efforts in a way that’s compliant.
Will employees be expected to return to the office full-time? Here’s how we’ve approached the conversation at Kittelson, including five ways we’re seeking to operate inclusively in a hybrid environment.
Building a bridge is no small feat (or cost), so it has been essential that we use data and examine this project from multiple perspectives to lead to a good investment. Here are five steps we took as part of a data-driven origin-destination study that will move this project forward.
Driven by California Senate Bill 743 (SB 743) and statewide safety goals, Caltrans has added more safety considerations into their review process for new development projects. Here is what Caltrans looks for in this additional review.
The transportation space is rapidly evolving, and the advancements of private companies like Uber and Amazon should be a signal to cities to plan now so they are not caught unprepared for urban aerial mobility.
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?
A new study from MassTrails puts numbers behind the health, transportation, environmental, economic, safety, and accessibility benefits of shared use paths.
Traffic signals contain a wealth of information that, when managed, is a tremendous asset in signal timing and systems management. The recently-released NCHRP Report 954 is giving agencies the keys to implementing automated traffic signal performance measures (ATSPMs).
On March 25, we gathered to celebrate the achievements of women in transportation and talk role models, what it looks like to get more women in transportation leadership, and what we wish we knew when we started our careers.
Through the Transportation Equity Challenge, we came up with five practical ways to help our clients achieve more equitable outcomes in their projects.
As part of our Transportation Equity Challenge, DJ Gregory and Andrew Bailey from Kittelson Tucson explain what ramp construction has to do with equity, and how we can do better.
As part of our Transportation Equity Challenge, a team from our Baltimore, Boston, and Orlando offices proposes a set of strategies to better leverage community relationships in our projects.
As part of our Transportation Equity Challenge, Joceline Suhaimi notes we often overlook a diverse yet influential audience in community engagement.
As part of our Transportation Equity Challenge, a team from our California offices introduce a framework for thinking through the use of enforcement, and alternatives to enforcement, in reaching safety outcomes.
As part of our Transportation Equity Challenge, read about a database for housing key cultural, historical, societal, and demographical aspects of projects.
Using a combination of three unique tools, Maricopa Association of Governments has saved time and money while improving accuracy in signal timing.
Read a summary of the Transportation Research Board’s 100th Annual Meeting, how TRB pulled off the meeting virtually, and what four themes emerged out of the hundreds of sessions.
As part of a BUILD grant for a multimodal network throughout Lake Nona, Florida, Tavistock Development Company is partnering with Beep, Inc. to create the “Move Nona” automated vehicle program, which will be one of the largest automated shuttle fleets in the world within a single community.
Virtual meeting fatigue is real, but it shouldn’t sabotage opportunities to connect. Here are five activities that helped us stay connected while working remotely for most of 2020.
The stories we tell have meaning. As we reflect on Black History Month and our transportation industry, it is important to share the story of Garrett Morgan.
Read about the six factors accelerating electrification in transportation in 2021.
Watch a video interview with two TRB 2021 event organizers about the planning that has gone into this massive virtual event, and what attendees can expect.
We sat down with TRB’s Ann Brach and James Bryant to learn how attendees can prepare for and maximize the TRB 2021 experience.
How will connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) impact capacity and change transportation infrastructure needs? Join us for a webinar and virtual panel discussion on December 8.
Will the pandemic permanently change the way we use the curb? Here are five approaches to long-term curbside management in light of COVID-19.
The National Academies of Science, Engineering & Medicine’s Transportation Research Board – referred to within the profession as TRB – was established in November 1920…
At the end of 2019, Blake Boyles with the City of North Plains, OR contacted Kittelson’s Principal Engineer Tony Roos to see if the Society…
A tool developed by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is changing the way PennDOT makes decisions about scheduling work zones. Historically, identifying the optimal timing…
As transportation professionals, we are in the public health business. The transportation policies, plans, projects, and recommendations we develop have an impact on the health…
What is a protected intersection? Read how and why the design works, and where we are seeing protected intersections being built in the United States.
Adrian Ayala, who is pursuing a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning at Rutgers University, had planned to move from New Brunswick, NJ to…
How can a transportation agency effectively plan for emerging technologies with a 25-year view, when the future of automated vehicles, mobility as a service, ride-hailing,…
On October 8, 2020, we gathered to dialogue about what it looks like to factor health into transportation through a webinar with Kittelson’s Lauren Hunt, Phyllis Davis, John Paul Weesner, and…
Since the early days of modern roundabouts in the United States, this form of intersection control has grown in popularity as a cost-effective and often safer alternative…
How Ed Myers’ “circular reasoning” helped launch the first statewide roundabout program in the United States “What is a modern roundabout? Where are they used?…
When we can improve the functionality of a busy corridor and give “Twins of Evil” fans a hassle-free concert experience, we call that a project…
“Every day is Saturday,” says Kittelson Senior Principal Planner Alexander Skabardonis of his recent official retirement. In answer, Kittelson’s Rick Dowling says, “I hope you’ll…
The following article, authored by Benazir Portal of Kittelson & Associates and Kevin Walford of the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization, was originally published in the…
In an age of reliance on software programs, Michael Kyte and Rod Troutbeck’s Traffic Operations at Intersections is designed to help practitioners better understand and…
The Southeast Florida region – made up of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties – joins other rapidly growing regions looking to build their transportation…
Like many others, as COVID-19 continued to unfold, we at Kittelson were faced with the decision of canceling our internship program or reimagining it to…
COVID-19 has undoubtedly changed many work situations in the present. Will any of these changes stick around to be part of the “new normal” after…
Change always require a catalyst. Someone, or something, deciding things cannot go on the way they are. In 2019, Oregon Department of Transportation (DOT) released…
“Everyone wants to know when this will end. That’s not the right question. The right question is: How do we continue?” ”“ Devi Sridhar, public…
Like many others, as COVID-19 continued to unfold, we at Kittelson were faced with the decision of canceling our internship program or reimagining it to…
As COVID-19 continues to unfold and cities respond, we see streets closed to cars, an influx of bicycling, and growing energy behind the idea that…
Like many others, as COVID-19 continued to unfold, we at Kittelson were faced with the decision of canceling our internship program or reimagining it to…
It’s the kind of question many of us assume has always been answerable – carefully tracked by some data-crunching agency since New York’s Columbus Circle…
I’m proud to work for an organization that creates space to have difficult conversations and listen to one another. As our nation reels from and…
The Role of LRSPs, SSARs, and Vision Zero Plans in Multidisciplinary Safety Planning Where there are transit stops, there are people walking. If there’s…
Baltimore’s dockless vehicle program offers a wealth of insight for cities assessing the viability of e-scooters in their transportation system, particularly during COVID-19. Baltimore’s…
With two minutes of your time, you could help us shine a light into what changes may be on the horizon with commuting and teleworking…
Electric buses have zero tailpipe emissions, are quieter, easier to maintain, and have lower lifecycle costs than diesel buses. Despite drawbacks including higher upfront costs…
“What does a typical day for you look like?” This is a question we often get as we speak with students, and it’s a good…
For 64 years, May has been celebrated as National Bike Month and a chance to celebrate the health, economic, environmental, and social benefits of cycling….
With many people working and attending classes remotely these days, there is an abundance of online educational content coming through our feeds. Articles, webinars, and…
On June 4, 2020 we gathered to dialogue about effective communication in the virtual space through a webinar with Susan Mah, Steve Rhyne and Katie Taylor. Susan, Steve,…
On May 14, 2020, we gathered to dialogue about an important topic through a webinar with Brian Dunn, Chris Brehmer, and Wayne Kittelson, authors of…
In a Restricted Crossing U-Turn (RCUT) intersection, a driver makes a right turn, travels about 500 feet, then enters a left-turn lane to make a…
Recently, we offered broad ideas responding to a question on the minds of many practitioners: How can important projects that rely on field-collected volume data…
We’re always in favor of a little friendly debate. It helps us stay open and gain new perspectives, especially around transportation topics that are shrouded…
Developing Proxy Traffic Volume Estimates During COVID-19 Pandemic Conditions The COVID-19 pandemic has developed so rapidly that there has been very little opportunity for…
Conducting Community Outreach During a Period of Social Distancing While important for limiting the spread of COVID-19, social distancing and restrictions on gatherings of…
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a drastic impact on our transportation systems, which in turn affects the livelihood of employees in the transportation industry. In…
Kittelson & Associates joins organizations across the world in preparing to go fully remote as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold. As a consulting firm,…
Published: March 13, 2020 Last Updated: March 23, 2020 Here at Kittelson, we’re joining organizations around the world in closely monitoring recommendations surrounding COVID-19…
Kittelson & Associates, Inc. is a company spread over more than 25 offices, yet we don’t silo project work by location. Due to our “one…
What is environmental justice? What has been done to advance it? And how can transportation planners factor it into projects? Think of the water…
On March 23, 2020 we gathered to dialogue about an important topic through a webinar with Conor Semler. Will mandatory helmet laws make bicycling in the…
Automated traffic signal performance measures (ATSPMs) are revolutionizing the way agency engineers view traffic management. These high-resolution data analytic tools pull from systems and components…
On February 19, 2020 we gathered to dialogue about environmental justice through a webinar with Veronica McBeth. Veronica talked about: The harm inflicted upon minorities, low-income,…
In 2019, a group of us at Kittelson got together to discuss how we’re incorporating environmentally sustainable habits in our offices and firmwide operations. While…
In the January 2020 issue of Parking Magazine, Kittelson Senior Engineer/Planner Alek Pochowski explains how good curbside management has tremendous implications for keeping communities safe….
The Transportation Research Board (TRB)’s Annual Meeting is an eye-opener to, and reminder of, the many ways that transportation intersects everyday life, and the vitally…
An Efficient Route to Applying Performance-Based Design Guidance Traditionally, transportation engineers have been trained to apply a set of standards that primarily address function…
Opinion | December 30, 2019 In November 2019, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) convened to examine the very important topic of bicycle safety….
Traffic signals can do much more for our transportation networks than just flash green, yellow, and red. Through advances in traffic signal technology and communications…
More than 13,000 transportation professionals from around the world will gather at the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., January 12”“16, 2020….
Remember the “transit stores” of old? (Well”¦ of a few years ago.) Schedules would be stacked on one wall and people selling fare cards would…
Understanding traffic volumes is the bread and butter of a transportation engineer’s work. Volumes are usually measured along roadway segments or at intersections – where…
“We are in the Napster phase of transportation. We don’t know who’s going to have Spotify.” Gibran Hadj-Chikh joined Kittelson in August 2019 as…
Emergency evacuations and resilience planning are increasingly important topics for many reasons. Here are two key points that are top-of-mind: #1: The substantial and increasing…
More than 13,000 transportation professionals from around the world will gather at the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., January 12-16, 2020….
The first national guidebook about the impacts of new technologies on land use and transportation was released in pre-publication form by Transportation Research Board October…
We are passionate about the work we do. At the same time, we know people in the middle of their careers are in the thick…
Giving stakeholders the opportunity to visualize transportation solutions before they become reality can confirm a project’s course, or change it for the better. Visualization is…
100% market penetration for fully connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) will likely be post-2050, and even then may be restricted to dedicated CAV-only facilities. However,…
From graphic design to tech services, here are 9 career paths in the transportation field that might surprise you.
It’s National Roundabouts Week! To celebrate, we’re highlighting a few of our favorite roundabout design projects over the years. The Roundabout We Call “The Dogbone”…
We just wrapped up our summer 2019 internship program, but we are already on recruiting students for our upcoming 2020 summer internships. We’re also excited…
The Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) 2019 Conference took place from August 25-28 in Portland, Oregon. Ten Kittelson staff members – representing our…
Roundabouts continue to be constructed at a rapid pace in the United States. We have well over 5,000 roundabouts nationwide, and that number is quickly…
From July 15-18, 2019 in Orlando, Florida, leaders in all branches of transportation technology came together to share new research, make connections, and discuss the future…
You’re preparing for a public meeting to communicate the pros and cons of two different bike lane facility alternatives. You want thoughtful feedback that comes…
Close your eyes for a second, and think of a city you loved walking through. What do you see and feel? Traffic whizzing by? Stress…
By Rodrikas Jones, East Coast Director of Operations, Quality Counts What’s an activity that weathers rain, snow, and tornado warnings to piece together an accurate…
As a transportation planning and engineering firm, we exist to improve people’s daily lives with better and safer transportation. The only way we can do…
The most recent e-scooter you’ve seen may have been entertainment on someone’s vacation, or a feature in a brunchtime Instagram story. Or, it may have…
2019 marks the 105th anniversary of the electric traffic signal, so let’s travel back in time to the very first signal system”¦ which takes us…
Once just a place for parking near your destination, today’s urban curbs have become a lively, non-stop interaction of countless modes of transportation, from cars,…
Self-driving truck platoons are delivering goods, auto manufacturers and ride-share providers are racing to be the first to distribute autonomous vehicles to customers, and connected…
Our company mantra has always been to hire motivated people and give them freedom to pursue their passions. When Wayne Kittelson founded Kittelson & Associates,…
When the nimbleness of a transportation network is tested, it’s rarely by an expected event – which is why it’s critical for communities to plan…
E-scooter companies expanded from one city to 71 cities in the United States in just 15 months. (For a visual illustration of this expansion, check…
APA National Planning Conference Session Brings Light to Common Health Challenges The way we move around – in terms of transportation choices as well…
Tips for collaboration between marketing coordinators and technical staff What needs to happen for marketing activities to get the attention and momentum they need…
More than 250 members of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) convened for the organization’s annual Legislative Fly-In March 12 – 14, 2019. Attendees…
Every weekday morning in Seattle, a programmer drives a Car2Go from her neighborhood to a light rail station. In Baltimore, a graphic designer uses a…
For the past 63 years, May has been officially designated as Bike Month around the nation. We’re not surprised – May has an average high…
The United States has some of the worst traffic congestion in the developed world: in 2017, drivers here spent an average of 41 hours stuck…
We’re two planners who have come to realize that being good planners means thinking more like non-planners. What do we mean? Good planning considers the…
There was no way to fully prepare for the wettest tropical cyclone on record in the Carolinas. Hurricane Florence made landfall in September 2018. A…
The speed of drivers? The number of drivers? The impatience of drivers? The stress level of residents?
An equity lens helps planners and designers see the needs of every person potentially served or impacted by every transportation decision. It’s best applied when…
With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of John Zegeer, former Senior Principal Engineer at Kittelson – a dedicated colleague, a trusted mentor, and a…
Machine learning has been an important tool for several decades. It has been used for diverse tasks such as handwriting recognition, patient monitoring, facial recognition,…
The 98th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board just wrapped up in Washington, D.C. The brisk (and snowy) air may have had something to…
Today, I walked through some streets of Amsterdam on my way to the American Consulate. Having lived in the United States for more than a…
Finding solutions that enhance equity and sustainability for communities will always be central to the work we do as transportation professionals. Through research and data…
Here at Kittelson, we like to think of ourselves as transportation nerds… and that transportation nerds get to work differently than the average US commuter….
The future 8th Edition of A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets (Green Book 8) will reflect the dramatic evolution of the nation’s…
Vehicle storage facilities are responding to a changing transportation network
The Protected Bike Lane That's Revitalizing a Community
The term “complete streets” has gained momentum in recent years, but the concept is time-tested. How can we develop networks that meet a community’s needs?…
Jack Freeman, Karl Passetti, a hardworking team, and a great deal of gumption made our Orlando office what it is today.
Kittelson interns past and present share their insights on identifying the opportunities that will enable emerging professionals to thrive.
Once you’re confident in the guiding principles and opportunities presented, it’s time to engage in practical steps to demonstrate how your internship is a good fit. Kittelson interns past and present tell you how.
parkDC: Penn Quarter/Chinatown is seeing success for five key reasons.
As apps like Waze continue to give drivers alternatives to sitting in traffic, our engineers discuss the impacts.
FDOT takes the principle of Complete Streets to the next step by integrating a context classification into its design manual to design speed ranges for non-access-limited state roadways.
The Waiting Is (No Longer) the Hardest Part
Approaching Complete Streets design with a typological framework based on land use context to create a connected network.
Impacts of Connected Vehicles on Multimodal Geometric Design
The Potential Effects of CAVs on GHG Emissions: A Research Synthesis
The intersection of Hampshire Street and Cambridge Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts’ busy Inman Square presents a familiar challenge for cities. Due to its low-angle skew,…
Every summer, interns from Kittelson’s offices across the country gather in Portland for a week to participate in a host of hands-on learning opportunities, meet…
As state transportation departments seek to improve system performance, mobility and safety, engineers working in both the public and private sectors are charged with crafting…
Four city blocks in Baltimore were transformed last Thursday, with a “pop-up” two-way protected bike lane, open for use by the end of the afternoon….
June 30, 2016 A growing number of states in the United States are learning how part-time shoulder use can help manage congestion and want to…
Last week, the Utah Department of Public Safety and the Utah Department of Transportation hosted over 400 participants at their state’s Zero Fatalities Safety Summit….
Here at Kittelson, we like to think of ourselves as transportation nerds. We enjoy philosophical discussions about parking policies as much as we love a…
City officials in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, arrived at Middle Street early in the morning armed with plastic posts, hay bales, and flower pots. Staff from…
“It made me want to go to college more than I already wanted to and it also inspired me to try harder in school to…
As the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) planned for a new roundabout on US 20 at Barclay Drive in Sisters, the freight industry expressed concern…
Anchorage residents who wanted to know about transportation projects in their community recently had a chance to learn more about specific projects and see the…
From new residents to visitors from both inside and outside the state, people flock to Central Oregon for its natural beauty and ample array of…
The Bike Count Data Clearinghouse project aims to compile and standardize the collection of bicycle and pedestrian data to improve multimodal transportation planning across multiple…
