Rooted in Rhode Island: Kittelson’s Newest Office Opens in Providence

We’re thrilled to announce the opening of Kittelson’s newest office in Providence, Rhode Island—a city known for its walkability, creativity, and strong sense of identity. This expansion is an exciting move for us that builds on more than a decade of work in Boston and surrounding communities while bringing our transportation planning and engineering expertise to a new and distinct place.

Providence on the Move

A city on the water, Providence is shaped by its bridges, islands, and coastal geography. Climate resilience is increasingly vital here, and transportation plays a central role in shaping a sustainable future. The city is on a trajectory of embracing multimodal planning, with momentum around walking, biking, and transit, especially through recent safety initiatives. In fact, USA TODAY recently named Providence the second most walkable city in America. The city is also known for its vibrant arts scene, earning it the nickname of “The Creative Capital.”

There are many things that make Rhode Island’s geography unique; one of the most defining from a transportation perspective is the network’s many bridges and waterways. This characteristic presents both challenges and opportunities, inviting creative thinking about how to diversify transportation modes and routes.

Why a Presence in Rhode Island Matters

Rhode Island’s compact geography and centralized structure—with one department of transportation (DOT) district, one metropolitan planning organization (MPO), and one transit agency—create a distinctive planning environment that benefits from local insight. Having a physical presence in Providence allows us to build strong relationships and attune to community priorities.

At Kittelson, we operate as “one office in many locations,” meaning project teams are built around expertise rather than geography so all clients can benefit from the depth of our national research and experience. However, it’s also true that local know-how is essential to tailoring that expertise to Rhode Island’s context, which is why we’re excited that the two passionate transportation professionals leading this expansion have personal ties to the Ocean State.

Meet the Kittelson Rhode Island Team

Megan Mello is a native Rhode Islander whose love for transportation began with her walking commute to her first job in Tiverton, RI. Megan joined Kittelson’s Boston office in 2020 and has worked on a variety of projects throughout the United States with a focus on bicycle and pedestrian planning, safety, and design. For her, the opening of a Providence office is also a homecoming.

“As someone who grew up here, I’m motivated by the opportunity to positively impact transportation in my home state,” says Megan. “Rhode Island may be small, but it has enormous potential for multimodal investment and modernization.”

Since returning to Rhode Island more than a year ago, Megan has enjoyed connecting with the local planning and transportation community through her service on the Board of WTS-RI, as a member of APA-RI and ACEC-RI, and through involvement with local conferences, including the Annual Convention of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns, the Grow Smart RI Power of Place Summit, and the Southern New England American Planning Association Conference.

Christi Apicella brings more than 25 years of experience across federal, municipal, private, and nonprofit sectors, with a strong focus on New England. She’s known for her people-centered approach to transportation planning and her ability to bridge technical expertise with human experience. Christi joined Kittelson earlier this year, driven by a desire to expand our New England presence beyond Boston.

“One of the things that made me excited about joining Kittelson was the opportunity to help lead the charge into new projects and new geographies,” says Christi. “I’ve had the privilege of getting to know many wonderful transportation and planning professionals in Rhode Island, and it’s exciting to see the dream of opening an office in Providence come to life.”

Let’s Connect!

Our new office is located in the 195 District, a vibrant area that was once in the path of Interstate 195 before it was rerouted. As we settle into the new space, we’re excited about the opportunity to contribute to a city that’s actively shaping its transportation future.

You can find Megan, Christi, and more members of the Kittelson team acting as conference attendees, sponsors, and speakers at the upcoming Southern New England Planning Conference (SNEAPA) in Newport, RI. You can also reach out to Megan and Christi directly—we’re excited to connect, share ideas, and talk about the future of transportation in Rhode Island with you!