Georgia Engineer April | May 2016 by Luke Clark

G E O R G I A

ENGINEER Volume 23, Issue 2 April | May 2016

Â®

GEORGIA EnGInEER

G E O R G I A

ENGINEER Publisher: A4 Inc. 1154 Lower Birmingham Road Canton, Georgia 30115 770-521-8877 E-mail: rfrey@a4inc.com

Contributing Authors Marwan Abboud Daniel J. Simmons Douglas A. Smith

Editor-in-Chief: Roland Petersen-Frey Managing Editor: Daniel Simmons Art Direction/Design: Pam Petersen-Frey

The Georgia Engineer is published bi-monthly by A4 Inc. and provides a source of general engineering information to advance the business of engineering companies governmental agencies, municipalities, counties, department of transportation, businesses, and institutions including the university system. Opinions expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of the Georgia Engineer or its publisher nor do they accept responsibility for errors of content or omission and, as a matter of policy, neither do they endorse products or advertisements appearing herein. Parts of this publication may be reproduced with the written consent of the publisher. Correspondence regarding address changes should be sent to the publisher via e-mail to rfrey@a4inc.com or by dropping us a note at the address mentioned above. Subscriptions are available by going online at www.thegeorgiaengineer.com

APRIL | MAY 2016

CONTENTS

ON THE COVER: Aerial view of traffic congestion on Walton Street, Atlanta, Georgia, February 1953. Photo Credit: Vanishing Georgia Archives, University of Georgia System. AN INTERVIEW WITH MARTA’S GENERAL MANAGER, KEITH PARKER

The Georgia Engineer magazine sat down with Keith Parker of MARTA to get an update on what’s new with Atlanta’s transit system. p10

AFFORDABLE CARE ACT TRAPS FOR THE UNWARY (AND NOT) EMPLOYER: TIPS TO COMPLY AND WHAT TO AVOID

For employers getting thier game plan ironed out for compliance with the ‘employer mandate’ of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), there may be a few last hoops to jump through. The general ‘catches’ and how to avoid getting snagged are discussed by Douglas Smith of Arnall, Golden, Gregory, LLP. p40

p14 CELEBRATING A CENTURY OF SIMPLY THE BEST IN SERVICE, SAFETY, AND INNOVATION Georgia Department of Transportation is celebrating 100 years of service. Read about GDOT’s journey through decades of change, challenges, and growth. p14

THE ROAD TO AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES: THE ROLE OF INFRASTRUCTURE

Marwan Abboud, Senior VP for Traffic and Planning and Intelligent Systems Operations Manager of Arcadis North America, took time out to talk to us about the “ride to the future.” p43

GEORGIA ENGINEERING NEWS

Stay current on the latest news from local engineering companies and organizations of interest to all those in Georgia connected to the engineering community, p45 4

GEORGIA EnGInEER

T a b l e

8 8 8 8 8

o f

GEORGIA ENGINEER April | May 2016

CONTENTS

An Interview with MARTAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s General Manager, Keith Parker

Celebrating a Century of Simply the Best in Service, Safety, and Innovation

Affordable Care Act Traps for the Unwary (and not) Employer: Tips to Comply and What to Avoid The Road to Autonomous Vehicles: The Role of Infrastructure Georgia Engineering News

p14

p10

p40 APRIL | MAY 2016

p43

p45 5

ADvERTIsEMEnTs

Amason . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Amec Foster Wheeler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Atlanta Technical College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Burns & McDonnell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Cardno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Columbia Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Crom Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Edward Pitman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Georgia 811 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 GRL Engineers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Halco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Hayward Baker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Back Cover Insurance Office of America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Nova . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Reinforced Earth Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 RHD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Silt Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 STV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Terrell Hundley Carroll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 THC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 United Consulting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Front Cover

GEORGIA EnGInEER

APRIL | MAY 2016

GEORGIA EnGInEER

APRIL | MAY 2016

GEORGIA EnGInEER

Interview with

MARTA’ S General Manager, Keith Parker

By Daniel J. Simmons | Editor | Georgia Engineer Magazine

cured natural gas buses in 1996. Our current

The Georgia Engineer magazine sat down with Keith Parker of MARTA to get an update about what’s new with Atlanta’s transit system. A lot has changed in the three years since Mr. Parker took over and he has big plans for the coming years. For so many in the Metro Atlanta area, MARTA is a transportation alternative for big events like ball games and expos when you don’t want to drive. Parker, on the other hand, envisions a future where MARTA is anything but an alternative. As droves of people continue to miKeith Parker grate into the city from the suburbs and the greater US, it’s easy to see how right he may be and how important MARTA’s role will be in our city’s future.

(420 buses). Our current CnG bus manufacturer

WiFi

MARTA was one of the first agencies that pro-

fleet size is 565 buses, and 74 percent are CnG

is new Flyer, and our engine manufacturers are

145 diesel buses.

"Over the next year, we’re looking to put WiFi on every bus and every train. This is something that we’re very excited about because it means that everyone on one of our buses or trains will be able to connect, do work, and a whole host of things. We’re also going foreword with a mobile payment program that would allow you to use your smart phone in lieu of a traditional ticket. Someone could get through the bus or train system just by tapping their phone onto a receiver and having their account debited automatically."

APRIL | MAY 2016

Cummins (366 engines) and John Deere (54 en-

gines). We plan to convert our entire fleet to

CnG fuels vehicles by FY 17/18. Our current

fleet size is 565 buses, with 420 CnG buses and

smart Cameras

"We’re also going foreword with a new video analytics system. We have placed artificial intelligence cameras throughout our entire system, primarily rail, which will learn about the normal behaviors of our customers and our crowds so that if an abnormal behavior occurs, the system can hone in on it and alert our rail control or police to respond. For instance, let’s say that a person wanders onto the tracks and it’s 2:00 in the morning and there’s no reason for that person to be there. The computer will alert us. Or, let’s say that we’ve got an event where a large volume of people are using public transit, like the July 4th race, and we’ve issued a public safety edict banning backpacks. The system is sensitive enough that it can actually identify individuals with backpacks and point them out to us. Even on an average day, over 400,000 people move through our system using 38 rail stations and thousands of bus stops, and we simply can’t monitor all of them using a live police officer. This AI on the other hand, allows us to greatly improve the degree of safety that we can offer at a much more manageable price. We’re planning on taking the system live within a year.” Cyber security

“Here at MARTA, we get hacking attempts up to 200,000 times per day. A large number of different groups are coming after us looking for vulnerabilities that they could exploit in order to get things like Social Security numbers of our employees so that they can file false tax returns or steal identities. And then there’s the more sinister side which, thankfully, we haven’t come across yet, but there are people out there who will try to infiltrate our networks and run trains into each other. So it’s everything from stealing personal data to people wanting to do actual physical harm. So we will actually be hiring a director of cyber security here shortly, and his or her job every day will be to wake up and make sure our police department, our planning groups, our IT 12

department, and everyone who runs our operations are all doing the things they’re supposed to do in order to ensure our digital security." new Buses

"We are in the midst of our largest bus procurement ever. We will be purchasing upwards of 300 new vehicles, replacing half of our fleet. Five years ago, MARTA had one of the oldest bus fleets in the entire country. We’ve replaced half of them over the past two years, and this next procurement will replace the remainder. So now we will have one of the newest fleets in the nation. They will all be compressed natural gas vehicles, state-of-the-art in every way. Much quieter, more fuel efficient, more environmentally friendly, and just all around fantastic buses. There will be monitors throughout the vehicles so that when you look up, you can see yourself in a video screen, which has been shown to dramatically decrease bad behavior.” Way-Finding

“Recently we introduced some new ‘way finding’ signage around Atlanta, that is, some signs around town that would point pedestrians in the direction of the nearest MARTA station. This isn’t exactly hightech, but it happens to be extremely effective. People who aren’t from the city, for instance, will walk out of a building looking for the nearest bus or rail station and they will naturally look around. They might not take the time to download a transit app but they will naturally look around themselves for signs, which is why we’ve found this to be an extremely effective way of increasing ridership and improving customer experience. So first of all we would like to dramatically enhance user experience through these sorts of signs.” Prices & services

“On the financial side, we are going yet another year without a fare increase. MARTA had gone through a three-year period where we raised fares more than any other transit system in the nation

(over 40 percent) while simultaneously cutting services dramatically; we eliminated about 30 percent of all bus routes, increased wait times between trains, increased wait times between buses, and eliminated a number of restrooms. This year, however, our budget will introduce no fare increases (for the fifth year in a row) and it will introduce additional services. As I mentioned, we will be improving the bus system and making it a bit more pleasant and we’re opening more restrooms as well. In fact, the new restrooms will be some of the most high-tech in the nation, which also means that they require a lot less maintenance." Cutting the Cost of Monthly Passes

“Speaking of not increasing fares, we have actually been experimenting recently with dropping the rates on some of our services. Back in December, we put MARTA passes on sale. The normal cost for a monthly MARTA pass is $95 (unlimited rides for the whole month) and we discounted them to $71. This resulted in an enormous spike in not only purchases, which was somewhat predictable, but also in ridership and in profit. That is, at the decreased rates, people were actually using MARTA more, and we became more profitable. So we’re going to try this again a few more times this year to see if this consistently yields the same results, and if it does, then we will look into a permanent rate decrease for monthly passes. We will not likely do the same thing for daily passes, but it looks like it could work very well with the monthly passes.” new Tax & More Funding

“Another thing I’d like to mention is the senate bill that recently passed, which allows MARTA to pursue an additional 1/2 cent of sales tax in the city of Atlanta. Assuming that we can work with the city council and they will go ahead with this decision, the city would put a referendum on the ballot this November that would GEORGIA EnGInEER

increase the sales tax in the city of Atlanta by about 1/2 of a penny (which would generate about $2.5 Billion) and we would use these funds to dramatically expand transportation services within the city of Atlanta. We would potentially put light rail around the belt line area, lots of new bus services, lots of enhancements at the rail stations, and a whole lot more. Overall we would be able to offer a much higher quality of service within the city of Atlanta.” Partnering with Uber

“Despite this new potential funding, we do recognize that it’s simply not financially feasible to physically expand everywhere, and so we have set our sights on innovative technological solutions rather than infrastructure, which we believe to be considerably more cost effective. One such example would be a potential collaboration with Lyft and Uber and other groups like that, about solving the problem of the first and last mile of connectivity. Our ultimate goal is something like the following: let’s say a customer is riding the MARTA rail, headed to the Lindberg station, and from there they’re going to have to walk five blocks to their condo. When they are a few stops away from Lindberg, they can pull up their phone app, which is MARTA owned and operated, and notify several different transportation companies (Lyft, Uber, local taxis, etc.) of their ultimate destination. Those companies would then compete for their business, pick them up at the station as soon as they get off, and deliver them to the final destination. Then the app would handle the disbursement of funds.” vision for the Future

“People are moving back into the city who had left during the urban sprawl. Many middle class and even lots of affluent people are moving back into places like Midtown, Peachtree Center Market, and all around Buckhead. These areas are experiencing an explosion of growth. New condos are being built, new stores and APRIL | MAY 2016

businesses too. Even some very high profile businesses are relocating their headquarters to Atlanta. Mercedes Benz, for instance, announced that they are moving from New Jersey down to Atlanta, and they said that one of the major reasons for this was to be in close proximity to MARTA. Other companies like NCR, Kaiser Permanente, and State Farm all moved thousands of jobs into Atlanta and they all name MARTA as a significant factor in their decision. These actions speak very loudly, and what we’re hearing is that these businesses don’t want their employees to be burdened with cars. These employees don’t want a 90 minute commute each way to work.

realizes that he needs to get some groceries. So he hops back on his bike and heads over to the Kroger down the street. As he’s buying his groceries, the MARTA app will automatically know when he’s checking out and it will send a MARTA autonomous vehicle to come pick him up because it would be too difficult to take everything home on the bike. The car picks him up and takes him back to his condo. Later that evening, he might decide that he’d like to go to a Falcons game. But no one wants to be on the street when 30,000 cars are trying to get to the stadium. So, again, he goes to his phone app which tells him “go out the The American Public Transportation Association found in a recent study

that the typical family of four with two

cars would save between $9,000 and $11,000 per year if only one of the

adults committed to using public tran-

sit. The typical family of four has two cars. Those cars, on average, sit un-

used 95 percent of the time.

“Now, of course, the next step in accommodating these sorts of changes is to get the [above-mentioned] bill passed, increase our funding, and increase the breadth of services that we offer. That’s a given. However, as we look further into the future, we see the day where our customers look at us as their overall transportation solution. We’re their ‘mobility manager’ as I like to put it. Imagine a guy sitting on his sofa on a Sunday afternoon, and he decides that he wants to go down to the park that’s eight blocks away. Well, he doesn’t want to walk so he pulls out his MARTA app and says “I want to go to the park” and the MARTA app tells him, “Ok, walk out the door, go to your left and there will be a MARTA bike.” So he gets on the MARTA bike and goes down to the park. He enjoys the park for a couple of hours and then he

door, walk two blocks, and get on the MARTA rail” which would then take him straight to the stadium. There, the app will help direct him to his seat and allow him to order his food without standing in line. So he enjoys the game. Then, when it’s over and all 70,000 people are trying to exit the stadium, the app will tell him where the shortest exit lines are, depending on which MARTA station he is heading to. “So at the end of the day, MARTA will seamlessly integrate a variety of different services and process the payment to each service automatically through an app. And even though you might hear all this and think “bike rental, car rental, rail… that’s got to add up” I assure you that we can organize a system like the one I’ve described such that it would be markedly less expensive than owning a car.” v 13

1916-2016 This article and photos, unless otherwise indicated, are courtesy of the Georgia Department of Transportation’s Office of Communications and District Offices.

2016

CELEBRATING A CENTURY OF SIMPLY THE BEST IN SERVICE, SAFETY, AND INNOVATION

marks the year of Georgia DOT’s centennial!

On August 16, 1916, the Georgia Highway Commission— now Georgia Department of Transportation—was created. And for the last 100 years, Georgia DOT has played a key role in the growth and transformation of the state with transportation infrastructure improvements that increase economic growth through expanded markets and increased job opportunities. In every decade of Georgia DOT’s 100-year history, road building has improved mobility, enhanced quality of life, presented significant business opportunities beyond the paving of a road, and encouraged innovation. As road building evolved into a profession, jobs were created and more people were connected to more places. Tourism increased, and the state experienced growth in businesses that serve the traveling public. 14

GEORGIA EnGInEER

In the last three decades, demand for improved transportation and higher infrastructure investment has inspired great innovation. For example, the use of fiber optics for incident management; high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes; Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS); the Highway Emergency Response Operator (HERO program; 511 service; and innovative roadway and interchange designs are all part of our continued effort to provide the best transportation system. During the last century, funding for transportation and infrastructure improvements has been a consistent discussion at the local, state, and national levels. More recently, the federal Highway Trust Fund became unsustainable partly because gas taxes did not generate the revenue they did years ago when demand was higher and cars were less fuel efficient. On the state level, we are indeed grateful for the turning point in transportation that came in 2015 with the passage by state lawmakers of the Transportation Funding Act (TFA). This historic legislation provides a sustainable transportation revenue source to address Georgia’s transportation needs, and to restore and maintain the state’s critical transportation infrastructure. While we celebrate 100 years of Simply the Best in Safety, Service, and Innovation, we reflect on our past accomplishments, but our work is not done. There are challenges to come in the next 100 years and beyond. The automobile of the future will have a tremendous impact on transportation, and finding new and innovative ways to address freight and mobility concerns will always be a primary goal for us. Our strategic goals of planning and constructing the best set of mobility-focused projects on a schedule; making safety investments and improvements where the traveling public is most at risk; making GDOT a better place to work and taking care of what we have in the most efficient way possible, are entrenched in the work we do daily. And we are eager and well positioned to meet the future. Transportation is about connecting people and it is a critical part of our everyday lives. That’s why it is important to us here at GDOT. We are indeed proud of Georgia DOT’s long legacy—a legacy of employees working to provide the best transportation system for Georgia’s citizens. We look forward to serving Georgians for another 100 years. Russell R. McMurry, P.E., Commissioner

View of Memorial BridgeThe bridge was Federal Aid Project 201; begun in 1922 by the State Highway Department with W.R. Neel as State Engineer. APRIL | MAY 2016

Road work using early horse-drawn grading equipment. Courtesy of Yancey Brothers archives.

1910s...

The Good Roads Movement, Dixie Highway, and the Federal Highway Act of 1916

In the 1880s, the Good Roads Movement was a national crusade that was initially led by bicycle enthusiasts, riding clubs, and bicycle manufacturers. As interest in bicycles waned and automobile ownership gained momentum, Georgia farmers and rural communities saw roads as the best way to get produce to and from markets not accessed by railroads. As automo16

bile ownership increased, so did the demand for better roads. By 1916, the Dixie Highway, an early automobile highway connecting Chicago and Miami, served as a model for what was possible. Funded by a group of individuals, businesses, local governments, and states, the Dixie Highway had three designated routes through Georgia. These routes and their impact

on communities along them highlighted the potential of good roads. Nearly everyone agreed that good roads were good for Georgia, but the cost of construction and maintenance was beyond the capabilities of independent rural counties. Who should pay that cost would be debated for the next one hundred years. Addressing this need in 1916, the GEORGIA EnGInEER

United States Congress passed the Federal Aid Highway Act which allotted an initial $75 million to finance roadways. In order to receive these funds, each state had to form a state highway department to oversee construction contracts and in-

terface with Washington. On August 16th of the same year, the Georgia General Assembly founded the Highway Department of Georgia and tapped its members from the Prison Commission of Georgia, the State Geologist, the Dean of the College

Despite the formation of the Highway Department, allocations for road construction during the first two years remained paltry. Federal Aid in 1917 was only $134,329 and $268, 658 in 1918. In spite of these amounts, the Department succeeded in inaugurating 75 federal aid projects in 64 counties from 1916 to 1919.

IN THE 1880s, the Good Roads Movement was a national crusade that was initially led by bicycle enthusiasts, riding clubs, and bicycle manufacturers.

During this time, many counties took the initiative and voted large bond issues for road-building. This was significant since it enabled the Georgia General Assembly to avoid both higher tax rates and state-level bonded debt as county funds

APRIL | MAY 2016

of Civil Engineering at the University of Georgia, and the Professor of Highway Engineering at the Georgia School of Technology. These individuals took office as the State Highway Commission.

counted toward the federal matching funds mandate. An act by the General Assembly on August 18, 1919, created an entirely new State Highway Board (SHB), composed of three appointees of the Governor. The Board’s first official act was the appointment of W. R. Neel as the State Highway Engineer with an annual salary of $6000. As a testament to the political nature of road building in the state, Mr. Neel would also be the last professional engineer to hold this position until 1975. By 1919, twelve Division engineers were appointed—one for each congressional district—and the first budget was created. Funds were allocated among the congressional districts to construct projects recommended by the Division engineers.

The SHB designated the first state system of highways, a total of four running 800 miles. The SHB also placed under construction 170.4 miles of paving, helped to make more roads passable by applying a sand/clay mixture on 673.5 miles of roads, and graded 34.4 miles of roadway. The construction of 28 new bridges was also initiated. The State Maintenance Office was formed in 1919 to inspect and repair roads which were part of the new highway system. The goal was to begin maintenance soon enough to prevent the deterioration of the roads and protect the investment. This office would also become the model for counties in the maintenance of their roads.

DIXIE HIGHWAY The Dixie Highway was a United States automobile highway, first planned in 1914 to connect the US Midwest with the Southern United States. 1915-Present Length: 5,786 Miles. 17

Bainbridge, 19221926. View of Memorial Bridge during construction. This bridge was dedicated to those who lost their lives fighting in World War I and crosses the Flint River at Calhoun Street.

1920s...

Building the Department and the Automobile Age

The Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 was the legacy of the Good Roads Movement and the beginning of the federal and state partnership that continues today. As the federal government provided increased funding for road building and maintenance, the Dixie Highway Association was disbanded, and the Dixie Highway was absorbed by the U. S. Route system. The federal government was the obvious choice to help fund the building of roads and re18

solve issues of standardization and interstate connectivity. During the 1920s, highway transportation began to assume a dominant role in America. The first two decades of the twentieth century saw the transition of the automobile from a rich manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s toy to a fairly dependable method for transporting people and goods. World War I had inhibited road building for nearly three years. Along with a shortage of manpower, increased material prices

due to the war meant that concrete for bridges was scarce. Much of the grading, drainage, and surfacing work was done with local materials, if it could be done at all. On the positive side, the Department received a fleet of trucks valued at $2 million from the War Department, and this much-needed equipment was distributed to counties. By 1920, the Department was ready to roll. The Federal Highway Act of 1921 GEORGIA EnGInEER

had solidified the state and federal partnership and allowed each state to manage their own road building with a budget of over $75 million a year - five times what the 1916 act provided. The funding could only be secured when states matched it with funds of their own, and Georgia was primarily accumulating revenues from the

New paving processes replaced dirt as the primary material for roadways; machinery developed for specific purposes, such as grading, tamping, and spreading asphalt, replaced farm tractors. A uniform system of numbering and marking interstate highways was developed by a board consisting of members from the Bureau of Public Roads and 21 state highway officials. Each state was tasked with selecting systems of roads—major northsouth and east-west routes—that would connect the country. By 1929, the Georgia map showed seven roads designated by the U. S. highway shield; they were U. S. 84, U. S. 17, U. S 301, U. S. 80, U. S. 41, U. S. 29, and U. S. 1. On the state level, the gas tax increased four times during this decade. The original one cent increased to three cents per gallon in 1921, three and one-half cents in 1925, four cents in 1927 and six cents in 1929. In 1920, the first state highway

state’s gas tax, but not all of the revenue was dedicated to building roads. The annual report for 1922 stated that a total of $23,299,550.22, which included $9,362,230.50 in federal funds, had been dedicated to the construction of new roads. The Highway Department’s leadership focused on creating an organization

that could take on the challenge of building and maintaining roads strategically. By 1922, the Department’s organization included a statistician, accountants, a maintenance testing engineer, a construction engineer and a bridge engineer. A Blue Print Department was added by 1923.

map was published by the SHB. The map showed state roads, county seats and a few of Georgia’s larger cities and towns. Efforts to improve highway safety began by addressing railroad crossings. This resulted in the elimination of many at-grade crossings where feasible. Nine new Division offices were established in Rome, Gainesville, Griffin, Augusta, Americus, Dublin, Savannah, Thomasville, and Waycross in 1924. These offices provided a liaison between the General Offices in Atlanta and the highway construction and maintenance at the grass-roots level. As a result of requests from organizations including Garden Clubs, United Daughters of the Confederacy, Daughters of the American Revolution, the Federation of Women’s Clubs, and the Georgia

Automobile Association, the Department began taking steps toward roadway beautification by planting trees along selected roadways in 1928. By 1929, funding for roads was provided by federal aid, the state motor vehicle license and registration fees, and the state gas tax. In contrast to the initial years of the Department, funding from the counties was minimal.

Photo credit: Vanishing Georgia, Georgia Archives, University System of Georgia

APRIL | MAY 2016

Built as an emergency war effort between 1935 and 1944, view during construction of the bridge spanning the Darien River in McIntosh County. GDOT archives.

1930s...

The Great Depression and Paving with Politics The Great Depression worsened an economic downturn that began in Georgia a decade earlier. During the 1920s, the falling price of cotton and the effects of the boll weevil to the crop had robbed many small farmers of any prospect of making a living. Not until the United States’ entry into World War II would the depression in the state fully recede. The Great Depression reduced the number of registered vehicles in the state, and this 20

impacted tag fees and tax collections from gas sales. During the 1930s, Georgia’s political landscape also had a marked effect on the work of the State Highway Department due in part to its success in obtaining federal funds. By 1933, the State Highway Department accounted for half of Georgia’s budget, often making the funds a political football. Building new roads was frequently used as a campaign promise, as

well as a payoff for support. The Department was also used as a dispenser of patronage jobs especially at a leadership level. Friction between the State Highway Board and the Governor’s office also resulted in another reorganization of the Department and a reduction in the motor vehicle registration fee. The overall result of the Great Depression and political maneuvers was fewer new roads during this decade and a GEORGIA EnGInEER

state falling further behind economically. In spite of these challenges, the Department adopted new road standards that

In March 1931, the Department moved to a new general office across from the State Capitol on the corner of Capitol Avenue and Mitchell Street, now known as Capitol Square. By the end of the decade, two floors were added to the original two with a basement to accommodate several new divisions and functions. In 1933, in a dramatic sequence of events, Governor Eugene Talmadge ordered the National Guard to seize control of the Highway Department after a much publicized dispute with the board. The same year, the six operating Divisions were reduced to three and a new threeman Highway Board was appointed. The General Assembly, facing a financial crisis, transferred $2 million in highway funds to pay the salaries of teachers, school bus drivers, and pensions for Confederate veterans.

brought more federal money to the state. The state also benefitted from the Works Project Administration (WPA) which

the state in order to develop long range plans. The new long-range planning capabilities would become the backbone of road building in later decades. A new State Highway Board was created in 1937, and it immediately increased the number of operating divisions from three to seven in order to maintain more supervisory control over the expanding work program. Offices were located in Rome, Gainesville, Augusta, Macon, Columbus, Savannah, and Fitzgerald. The U.S. Bureau of Public Roads devised the first plan of a national interstate system in 1938. This study recommended a system of interregional highways with connections through and around cities. It also recommended that a federal land authority be created to acquire, hold, and sell lands for highway rights-of-way. The debate on how to fund this program would rage on for the next 20 years.

spent $14.4 million to help Georgia construct 3,201 miles of roads and over 300 bridges from 1935 to 1942.

BY JUNE 1938, four interstate routes or trunk lines were completely paved from state line to state line from north to south, and four from east to west.

By June 1938, four interstate routes or trunk lines were completely paved from state line to state line from north to south, and four from east to west. The Maintenance Office began marking the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s primary roads with centerlines and implementing no-passing zones to improve roadway safety.

Design standards advanced during the 1930s as roads were designed with wider rights-of-way, improved horizontal and vertical curvature to increase sight distance, wider travel lanes, wider shoulders, and flatter fill and cut slopes in order to improve safety.

On March 18, 1937, the Division of Post Roads was created by an Act of the General Assembly to focus on improving secondary or feeder roads. The Division of Highway Planning was established on June 1, 1937. The principal function of the Division was conducting studies of highway and traffic conditions in

APRIL | MAY 2016

In 1941, this Caterpillar roadgrader was used during road construction around the Contract Training School at Bush Field in Augusta. Courtesy of Yancey Brothers archives.

1940s...

World War II, Post-War Infrastructure, and Public Works Campaign Between 1941 and 1945, America was fighting World War II. Gas was rationed to two gallons per week, and gas tax collections declined. As a result, manpower and materials were scarce and these factors curtailed road building. All construction programs involved in the federal aid program were cancelled by the Public Roads Administration with only essential 22

projects approvedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;mainly access roads to military bases or war-related industry. Roadway maintenance was also minimal due to manpower and material shortages. In the 1930s and 1940s, politicians continued to use the promise of highway jobs to entice supporters and reward allies. Some workers lost their jobs during this period simply because they backed

the wrong candidate. In 1949, the State Highway Department (SHD) was placed under the State Merit System of Personnel Administration, effectively removing politics from hiring and firing decisions. The Department added new offices and new functions during this decade to prepare for the end of the war as well as the interstate construction that surely was GEORGIA EnGInEER

the future. During the latter period of the war effort, surveys were made and plans were prepared for postwar projects making it possible, in 1946, to let the largest number of highway construction con-

The Office of Traffic and Safety was organized in February 1940 under a resolution passed by the SHB. This office initiated a more uniform marking of roads and installed signals. In 1943, the General Assembly abolished the State Highway Board and placed the State Highway Department under the authority of a state highway commission, a state highway director, and a treasurer. Also in 1943, members of a new 12-man advisory commission were selected from Georgia’s ten congressional districts and two from state at-large berths. The director and treasurer served on a full-time basis while the commission members served part-time with a four-

tracts in the Department’s history. Also in 1946, the Department provided an on-the-job-training program sponsored by the Veterans Administration to 881 employees. These employees

APRIL | MAY 2016

year term that ran concurrently with the governor’s term. In this decade, several new offices were established. In April 1944, the Right of Way Office was organized to handle the acquisition of rights of way for state and federal-aid projects. Previously, counties were responsible for acquisition. This foretold a shift from a time when most construction took place in or near existing right-of-way.

participated in correspondence or other schools to qualify for positions such as construction inspector, project engineer, draftsman, designer, mechanic, and other higher paying job.

ROADWAY MAINTENANCE was also minimal due to manpower and material shortages.

In January 1945, the Landscaping Office was created to supervise the design, construction and maintenance of roadside projects including planting trees, and grassing and fertilizing slopes to prevent erosion. In 1947, the Division of Urban Projects was created to administer and process federal aid urban funds. An urban area was defined as a community having a population of 5,000 or more. In 1946, work began on the Down-

town Connector—a four and sixlane divided expressway running north-south with limited access. Atlanta was on the fast-track ten years before the Federal Highway Act of 1956. The effort was the result of a detailed transportation study by H. W. Lochner and Company, an engineering firm hired by the city. Atlanta’s phenomenal growth is often credited to this early expressway effort, but this also marked the state’s transition to long-range planning and a shift toward more involvement in urban areas as cities began to expand beyond their boundaries.

In 1949, the Georgia General Assembly increased the state gas tax from six to seven cents.

LOOKING TO THE NEXT 100 YEARS…

Like many state transportation departments, Georgia DOT’s greatest challenge has historically been to adequately maintain assets while growing for the future, and to identify and secure sustainable funding to carry out its mission. This hasn’t been easy. After years of funding inadequacies on both the state and federal levels, Georgia lawmakers tackled the issue with HB 170 – the Transportation Funding Act of 2015. TFA addresses Georgia’s critical transportation infrastructure needs with sustainable funding for much-needed routine maintenance and capital improvements. On the federal front, there was positive news as well. After a decade of short-term funding patches to bolster the Highway Trust Fund, December 2015 saw passage of a five-year federal highway funding bill - Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. This long-term legislation ends the cycle of temporary funding extensions that made it difficult for GDOT to efficiently plan and deliver major long-term projects. Transportation in Georgia has come a long way in 100 years. While Georgia DOT reflects on the progress made in the past, the Department looks with optimism to the future … a future with rapidly evolving technology. A future that is coming fast. GDOT will continue to rise to new challenges, to seek out new opportunities, to break new barriers, and to positively impact the lives of Georgians. Georgia’s best days for transportation are truly ahead.

GEORGIA EnGInEER

APRIL | MAY 2016

Facing south on Atlanta’s Downtown Connector in 1951. The North Avenue bridge is shown in the background. GDOT archives.

1950s...

Funding of Rural Roads and Bridges, and the Realization of the Interstate Highway System During the post-World War II years, times were good, but roads were inferior. Although Congress had spent millions on roadways, it was still not keeping up with the demand. The country was on the verge of an economic and technological boom, and people were buying bigger cars with more powerful engines. The Bureau of Public Roads claimed that 76 percent 26

of the country’s roads were outdated, too narrow, and too congested. Increased industrialization, migration from the agricultural countryside, and the growth of cities and their expanding suburbs had fundamentally transformed Georgia. Because of this modernization, most Georgian’s recognized the need for effective transportation infrastructure—

roads, bridges, and interstate highway—as essential to the state’s development. In a 1954 address to the Georgia State Budget Commission, the chairman of the State Highway Board, James L. Gillis stated, “We know that in the main this problem is one of finances. This is true in the cities and counties as well as in the State Highway System.” GEORGIA EnGInEER

The General Assembly addressed part of the problem with the creation of the State Bridge Building Authority in March 1953. Slightly more than a year later, the legislature also established the State Toll Bridge Authority to finance the construction of the $6.65 million Turtle River Bridge (currently the Sidney Lanier Bridge) in Brunswick. While the state routes had been improved somewhat, the country farm-tomarket roads were still neglected. The Rural Roads Authority was created in

early 1955 in order to “lift rural Georgians out of the mud.” The authority was funded by $100 million in bond revenue, a significant departure from the ‘pay as you go’ policy that Georgia had historically depended upon. Although the administration of Governor Marvin Griffin was plagued with multiple charges of waste, fraud, and inappropriate spending, no one could deny that thousands of miles of rural roads were paved during his four year term. The Federal Aid Highway Act of

1956, also known as the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act, shifted the dream into high gear. The Highway Trust Fund was created to collect gasoline taxes from motorists and disburse the accumulated funds to the individual states. It was the sole source of federal aid for the interstates and remains a major highway funding vehicle to this day. Under the 1956 Act, the federal government would be responsible for 90 percent of the construction finances while the remaining ten percent would come from state funds.

pilot in 1952 as it began to use photogrammetric or aerial photography that would be useful in determining the paths for the new Interstates. A new laboratory was also built at the Atlanta Airport for the production of aerial photographs and maps.

state marker, I-75, was unveiled by Governor Ernest Vandiver in the largest road dedication ceremony in the state’s history. Ribbon cutting ceremonies were held on the northern end of a 37 mile segment of I75 in Turner and Tift counties.

Standardization became the Interstate’s hallmark. With collaboration between state departments of transportation and the US Department of Defense, planners laid out a highway system that would serve both peacetime and strategic defense needs. Choosing signs and shields, determining the best materials for roadway durability, and discussing the benefits of one design over another was done at a national level. In February 1950, the Georgia General Assembly once again reorganized the State Highway Department. They abolished the position of state highway director as well as the advisory commission and established a three-man highway board instead. With more people traveling to more places, roadside parks became a popular service to the public. By the end of the 1950s, 188 parks had been built, almost entirely with state funds. Although aerial photography had been used by the Department since 1940, the Department purchased an airplane and hired a full-time

APRIL | MAY 2016

In order to determine the best materials to use for road construction in Georgia, the Division of Materials and Tests was established by the SHB in February 1956. To support this effort, a testing lab for joint research was built on the Georgia Tech campus at a cost of $1 million.

The Air Pollution Control Act of 1955 was the first federal legislation that addressed air pollution and lead to the Clean Air Act of 1963 which would include mandates to control air pollution.

Nearing the end of this decade, 1958 turned out to be a record year for construction in Georgia as $136 million was spent on construction and improvement of roads in the state.

By 1958, establishment of rest areas on the interstate system began. These rest areas would include paved parking, water, and a bulletin board with maps. They were planned to be spaced 25 miles apart. In 1959, Georgia’s first inter-

By 1958, public hearings were held on any roadway project bypassing or going through a city, town, or village to solicit the recommendations of local citizens in the final location of the roadway. With an increased need to inform the public of the impact of our projects, the Division of Public Relations was formed in 1956. This division would soon organize the largest road dedication ceremonies in Georgia history. During this decade, several changes were made to personnel policy including the In-Service Training Program (1950) for civil engineering graduates/trainees to transfer from unit to unit. By 1958, a new electronic computer was being used by the Division of Road Design, the Division of Bridges, Division of Urban Projects, and the Division of Finance and Audits. Design, payroll, and highway cost analysis were some of the functions that were mechanized. 27

The official opening of Interstate 285 was held on October 15, 1969 at the south end of the I-285 bridge over the Chattahoochee River near Bolton Road in Fulton County. After speeches by Governor Lester Maddox and other dignitaries, the governor led a motorcade to DeKalb County.

1960s...

The Golden Age of Roads Meets the Dawning of the Age of Aquarius This decade has been called the Golden Age of Roads in Georgia and throughout the nation. Interstate construction had moved forward at a record pace, but this success, along with other upheavals of the times, caused an examination of the purpose of transportation. By the end of the 1960s, transportation decisions were not only aimed toward economic growth, but 28

they also considered social impacts, beauty of highways, and protection of the environment. At the beginning of the 1960s, the national press frequently reported claims of corruption and inefficiency in the implementation of the interstate program. Controversy surrounding the lack of coordination between urban renewal efforts and freeway

construction plans in urban areas also developed. At a time when society was embracing so-called slum-clearance projects, the interstate program would also displace many residents. Both efforts devastated many historic neighborhoods populated by citizens with lower incomes. As the interstates began to run through blighted areas where right-of-way costs GEORGIA EnGInEER

were low, the Civil Rights Movement was gaining momentum, illuminating this inequity. Even as construction of the Interstate System continued, another financial crisis threatened to derail it. In response, the Federal Highway Act of 1961 made the 4-cent gas tax that was set to expire in 1961 permanent and adjusted other excise taxes to provide the revenue needed to complete the Interstate System. With state matching funds, the legislation accounted for $27 billion to fund the remainder of the federal program through 1972. This was the same amount that Congress had thought in 1956 would be the total cost of the program. The Golden Age of Roads could also be called the beginning of the golden age of environmental law making as legislative ef-

forts were made to protect natural resources, involve communities in transportation decision making, and protect individual rights. The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1962 which took effect July 1, 1965, included two provisions of note. First, the 3C process directed only projects based on cooperative, continuing and comprehensive transportation planning to be approved in areas with a population of 50,000 or more. In Georgia, this mandate would apply to cities such as Albany, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon and Savannah. Second, Section 5 provided relocation advisory assistance for individuals, businesses, farms or nonprofit organizations displaced by federal aid projects. Two pieces of important legislation aimed to address preservation

On January 25, 1963, the SHB was reorganized once again to be composed of ten members with a chairman and vice chairman elected by the board. The act also created the Director of the SHD, who was employed as a full-time public official and served as the chief administrative officer of the Department. The director had authority over the operations of the SHD while the board had authority to formulate broad highway policy. The first five Interstate System rest facilities, located on I-75 in Lowndes, Cook and Dooly counties, opened in 1963. Welcome stations had been opened in Hart County (I-85) and Catoosa County (I-75). Restroom facilities were also installed in the roadside parks built in the 1950s. In 1964, there were 254 roadside parks and rest areas with ten more under construction. The Division of Utilities was established in 1964 although the work had previously been part of the responsibilities of the Division of Road Design. This division would also serve as liaison with railroads.

APRIL | MAY 2016

Rules and regulations governing the prequalification of contractors were developed and published in June 1965. The Appalachian Development Act of 1965 was created by Congress for the construction of new highways and to improve inadequate sections of existing highways in the Appalachian region. Georgiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s portion of the Appalachian Corridor consisted of 86.4 miles of new and/or improved roadway extending from I-285 north of Atlanta to the North Carolina line. The Highway Beautification Act was signed into law on October 22, 1965. The goal of the act was to control the erection and maintenance of outdoor advertising adjacent to the Interstate System. On August 28, 1965, Congress passed the Highway Safety Act of 1966 to provide financial assistance to the states to address highway traffic safety programs. This marked the first major effort at the federal level to reduce the number and severity of highway-related

and protection of the natural and built environment had a significant impact on transportation planning. In 1966, the National Historic Preservation Act aimed to protect historical and archaeological resources from impact by federal undertakings. In 1969, the passage of the National Environmental Policy Act required that the responsible official of any proposed federal undertaking consider the environmental impacts of the proposed project. This legislation would require that highway builders adjust to an evolving public awareness that meeting transportation needs had environmental and societal consequences, as well as congestion relief, economic development, safety, and other traditional factors.

crashes, although the Department had been involved in safety efforts since its inception. The U.S. Department of Transportation enabling act in 1966 established the new, cabinet-level Department of Transportation, which assumed a multi-modal responsibility linking highways, railways, airways, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation. Federal Highway Administration was formed in 1966 under the U.S. Department of Transportation Act, which merged functions of the Department of Commerce and the Interstate Commerce Commission. In 1966, a Landscape Design Section was added to the Division of Road Design. The section employed three landscape architects and a draftsman. The Bridge Inspection Program began in 1969 and was aimed at extending the usable life of bridges through routine maintenance.

In 1977, Interstates 20, 75, 85, and 95 were completed and this image was used on internal and external bulleting commemorating the event. GDOT archives

1970s...

Challenge, Controversy, and the Year of the Interstate

By the early 1970s, American oil consumption was rising even as domestic oil production was declining, leading to an increasing dependence on oil imported from abroad. Despite this, Americans worried little about a dwindling supply or a spike in prices. In 1973, an oil embargo led to fuel shortages and skyhigh prices throughout much of the decade. In an attempt to decrease demand, a national speed limit was imposed and daylight saving time was adopted year-round for the 30

period of 1974-75. The energy crisis also impacted the state’s transportation. Georgia received $6 million less revenue from the federal highway fund while the cost of highway building materials climbed by more than 25 percent in two years. The crusade to protect the environment from toxic industrial waste, dangerous meltdowns at nuclear power plants, and highways cutting through city neighborhoods accelerated during the 1970s and increased public scrutiny of roadway

projects. Americans celebrated the first Earth Day in 1970, and Congress passed the National Environmental Policy Act the same year. The Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act followed two years later. The ‘mighty network of highways’ planned by Congress and President Eisenhower was to be completed by October 1, 1972. On that date, 75 percent of Georgia’s proposed 1,150 mile Interstate System had been constructed and opened to the motoring public. Between November GEORGIA EnGInEER

22 and December 23, 1977, Interstates 20, 75, 85, and 95 were completed, making 1977 the ‘Year of the Interstate’ in Georgia. In 1978, Interstate 16 was opened to traffic, completing the original Interstate System in Georgia. This decade saw a change in name and expanded function for the Department. The Executive Reorganization Act of 1972 transferred all powers from the

SHD to the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), which inherited a number of other state agency functions including airports, aviation, landing fields, and other aviation facilities; inspections of motor vehicles, size, and weight permits; and some public transportation activities. At this time, the former divisions became offices, a purely organization distinction. The State Highway

To meet the needs of the 1970s, the General Assembly had increased the motor fuel tax in Georgia to 7 ½ cents per gallon in 1969. The DOT implemented the ‘Motorist Aid Program’ in 1972. This was later abolished due to the Department’s efforts to cut costs. Between 1970 and 1975, Georgia DOT spent $12 million in safety modifications and improvements. By 1976, Georgia ranked in the top 15 states in overall safety. Just ten years earlier, the state had ranked 48th in the nation. From 1970-75, due to improved roads and safety features, along with the new 55 mph speed limit, there was a 39 percent decrease in traffic fatalities. The Federal Highway Act of 1974 provided a uniform speed limit of 55 mph to decrease gasoline consumption, more stringent controls on outdoor advertising, a new funding category, and changes in the weight allowance for trucks in order to protect infrastructure on the Interstate System. Federal highway funds were released to the states in early 1975. In 1975, Tom Moreland was elected commissioner. This marked the first time since 1919 that a professional engineer would serve as executive head for the Department. During his first months as commis-

APRIL | MAY 2016

sioner he initiated an innovative reorganization of the department’s five operating divisions by reshuffling them along functional lines. The five divisions—planning and programming, administration, operations, preconstruction and construction— represented the linear progression of any road building project, regardless of size, from beginning to end. In 1974, the first lady of Georgia, Rosalyn Carter, established the Wildflower Program as a partnership between GDOT and the Garden Club of Georgia. By 1994, 10,000 miles of roadway would be enhanced by trees, shrubs, and wildflowers. Permanent weigh stations were planned with the first station to be located in Monroe County near Forsyth. Georgia’s Local Assistance Roads Program (LARP) debuted in 1978 with $31 million spent on 259 projects covering 2,100 miles of resurfacing. More than $14 million was spent on LARP’s sister program, Local Assistance Bridge (LAB) program to replace 200 bridges off the state highway system, primarily on school bus routes. These projects helped cities and counties alleviate serious road maintenance problems due to severe winters and insufficient funding.

Board was renamed the State Transportation Board with the same number of members. Thomas Bertram (Bert) Lance would become the first Commissioner of GDOT in 1972. Lance would not only implement Governor Jimmy Carter’s transportation policy priorities, but he also served as one of the polarizing governor’s chief lobbyists and boosters across the state.

YEAR OF THE INTERSTATE The crusade to protect the environment from toxic industrial waste, dangerous meltdowns at nuclear power plants, and highways cutting through city neighborhoods accelerated during the 1970s and increased public scrutiny of roadway projects.

Following the accelerated postwar/pre-interstate hiring, the Department reduced the workforce from approximately 9000 employees at the beginning of the decade to 6509 by the end of the decade. In September 1979, I-185 was completed connecting Columbus to I85 for a total cost of $83 million.

Reconstruction of the Downtown Connector for Freeing the Freeways project ca. 1982. GDOT archives

1980s...

Freeing the Freeways and the GRIP Program The impact of the oil crisis was still being felt in the early 1980s. Drastic price increases, fuel-efficient vehicles, and fuel shortages negatively affected motor fuel tax revenues. Spiraling prices for all petroleum products took their toll on the Departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expenses as resurfacing costs doubled from 1975 to 1980. Clearly, the revenues from motor fuel tax alone could not support maintenance, resurfacing, safety improvements, and capacity expan-

sions. The General Assembly passed legislation which would effectively increase motor fuel tax and earmark interest earnings from the investment of these funds for highway use. Nearing the completion of interstate construction, emphasis immediately began to shift to reconstruction and rehabilitation of the existing infrastructure. A massive reconstruction program called Freeing the Freeways took aim at widening the maturing interstate system

in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The six or eight-laning of I-20, I-75, I-85, I-285, and the ten-laning of the I-75/I-85 Downtown Connector was underway in 1976 and continued throughout the 1980s. The plan included 127 miles at a cost of $1.4 billion. Interstates 985 (1984), I-675 (1986), and the Athens Perimeter Highway (1987) were completed during this decade. The Athens Perimeter Highway opened after 28 years of work, making it GEORGIA EnGInEER

the second circumferential highway in Georgia. Among rural counties, those on the interstates had seen better economic growth due to improved access to employment and the relocation of industry and distribution centers. Wherever there was growth in the state, it was almost without

Energy Efficient Mobility for Georgians (EEMG) provided citizens with alternative ways to deal with the continuing fuel shortage. Plans included building more Park and Ride locations, expanding the rideshare program statewide, constructing High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV) lanes, aiding the expansion of the existing intercity bus system,

question near an interstate. At the end of this decade, the Governor’s Road Improvement Program (GRIP) was initiated to economically assist counties not located along interstate routes. Composed of sixteen corridors totaling 2,500 miles, the GRIP system would convert existing pri-

mary routes and truck-connecting routes to multi-lane highways. When completed, the system would place 98 percent of Georgia’s population within twenty miles of a multi-lane highway, and provide access for oversized trucks to all cities having populations above 2,000.

and increasing public transit accessibility.

SPAGHETTI

In 1987, the replacement of the Talmadge Memorial Bridge was underway in Savannah harbor. The cable-stayed bridge would be completed in 1991.

The Tom Moreland

The Tom Moreland Interchange (I-

JUNCTION Interchange (I-85/I-285) opened in 1987. Construction of the five-level, stack interchange had begun in 1982.

8 8

APRIL | MAY 2016

85/I-285) opened in 1987. Construction of the five-level, stack interchange had begun in 1982. The interchange’s colloquial name of ‘Spaghetti Junction’ is immortalized in an eponymous song by the Atlanta-based hip-hop group Outkast in their 2001 album Stankonia. In 1988, the seat belt law passed and rural interstate speed limits increased to 65 mph. Georgia’s Adopt-A-Highway Program was initiated in 1989, and continues to enlist citizen volunteers’ help to remove litter from state roadsides. While saving taxpayer dollars, the program provides recognition for participating companies and organizations, brings the environmental and monetary costs of littering into public awareness, and promotes civic responsibility and pride

A ca. 1990 view of construction of the new Talmadge Memorial Bridge crossing the Savannah River while traffic flow is maintained on the old bridge. GDOT archives.

1990s...

Intelligent Transportation

By the late 20th century, transportation broadened beyond construction and maintenance of highways to focus on management and enhancement. Congestion and safety, along with the transport of freight, became big concerns, and construction began on numerous bypasses around cities and small towns in Georgia. However, the economic impact of such diversions was largely negative, and more modern solutions were sought for the state as a whole. Advanced Transportation Management Systems (ATMS), or In34

telligent Transportation Systems, which focused on the processing of transportation data, new technology, quick responses, and the dissemination of public information, was at the forefront of the Department’s efforts to ‘keep Georgia on the move.’ State and national partnerships, and public-private partnerships continued to bring innovation to complement the Department’s initiatives. In 1990, Atlanta was selected to host the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. The state’s excellent transportation system was

widely regarded as having been an integral part of the city’s winning bid. After half a

century of building a national transporta-

tion infrastructure almost exclusively fo-

cused on accommodating automobiles,

cities across the country began to shift

course, redesigning streets and public

spaces for pedestrians and cyclists. In

1997, the Georgia Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan was adopted by the State Transportation Board.

GEORGIA EnGInEER

8 8

8 8 8

Georgia DOT was recognized for having the best maintained and most scenic roads in the country in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, and 1998. NAVIGATOR was initiated in 1991 as the world’s first Advanced Transportation Management System to integrate management of the Interstates and arterials. ‘Let’s Keep Georgia Peachy Clean’— Georgia’s first anti-littering awareness campaign was inaugurated.

In 1991, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) established the National Highway System (NHS) to serve as a network of highways linking different modes of transportation such as public transportation, airports, intermodal facilities, and major shipping ports.

Transportation Enhancement and National Scenic Byways programs were established as part of ISTEA. In 1993, the federal gas tax rose to 18.4 cents per gallon.

and media attention ever experienced by GDOT. The roadway included a 500-foot tunnel built beneath the existing 18-story Atlanta Financial Center. GDOT also introduced Automatic Vehicle Identification (AVI) technology using a device known as the Georgia Cruise Card. The card could be used by motorists to automatically pay the road’s toll without having to stop. Summer 1994 floods from Tropical Storm Alberto that took lives, left 22,000 residents homeless, crippled South Georgia’s transportation system and closed I-75 below Macon. GDOT mobilized more than 2,000 personnel from all Districts to help with the recovery effort. In 1995, the Transportation Management Center opened, housing the NAVIGATOR system with a fiber optic network along 63 miles of I-75, I-85 and I-285 with 41 Changeable Message Signs, almost 380 cameras, more than 130 elec-

tronic traveler information kiosks and 12 Highway Advisory Radios. In 1996, the Summer Olympic Games were held in Atlanta. It was widely agreed that the traffic and transportation plan was the best managed of any Olympic venue to date. The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1999. This law authorized federal surface transportation programs for highways, highway safety, and transit for the six year period 19982003. It was the largest public works bill in history and authorized nearly $218 billion in federal funding. The law guaranteed funding amounts for highway and highway safety programs and tied it to actual Highway Trust Fund (HTF) highway account receipts, to be used for projects eligible for funding under the highway and highway safety portions of TEA-21.

In 1994, Georgia DOT began its first strategic planning initiative with the creation of a mission statement, vision statement, and identification of strategic goals and implementation projects. In November 1994, High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes were introduced to metro Atlanta on the east side of I-20. Also in November 1994, Georgia DOT launched the Highway Emergency Response Operator (HERO) program. The Georgia 400 Extension was completed in the summer of 1993. This project was marked by some of the most intense public scrutiny

APRIL | MAY 2016

Atlanta view of International Boulevard Bridge. Photo credit: Shutterstock.

2000s...

Investing in Tomorrow’s Transportation Today At the beginning of the 2000s, Georgia DOT’s greatest challenge continues to be finding a sustainable source of funding while accomplishing its mission and vision to maintain and improve mobility for Georgians. During this decade, more than half of the state’s transportation budget came from federal funds and with the diminishing value of the gas tax, the greatest challenge continues to be funding. As a result, the Department focused

on innovative and creative ways to manage assets, as well as seeking operational improvements that could provide the greatest bang for the buck and continue to provide mobility for the system’s users. This clearly reflected in the Department’s strategic goals of: • Planning and constructing the best set of mobility-focused projects on schedule;

• • •

Making safety investments and improvements where the traveling public is most at risk; Making GDOT a better place to work will make GDOT a place that works better; and

Taking care of what we have in the most efficient way possible. GEORGIA EnGInEER

In 2002, the Traffic Incident Management Enhancement (TIME) task force was launched to address critical issues related to incident management in the Atlanta metro area. The new and improved Sidney Lanier Bridge, located on US 17 in Glynn County opened to traffic April 7, 2003. In November 2003, Georgia DOT funded the state’s first Safe Routes to School (SRTS) project in metro Atlanta to improve safety and increase the numbers of children, parents and school staff who walk and/or bicycle to and from school. In 2004, three ramp meters were introduced on Atlanta’s Downtown Connector. By 2009, the program was expanded to all metro Interstates in an effort to enhance safety and relieve congestion on metro Atlanta Interstates. Construction of flyover ramp on Northwest Corridor Express Lanes project in 2015. Photo: Cedric Mohr/Georgia DOT

In April 2004, Governor Sonny Perdue announced the Fast Forward transportation plan - a sixyear, $15.57 billion state transportation investment strategy to relieve traffic congestion and expand economic development in urban and rural Georgia. In 2004, legislation allowed Georgia DOT to solicit and receive unsolicited proposals for Public Private Initiatives (PPI). In 2009, the legislation was revised to allow GDOT to only solicit proposals on specific projects. This allowed the Department to explore the concession alternative for the first time. Ultimately, the State decided to go with the Design Build Finance (DBF) approach which allows

APRIL | MAY 2016

GDOT to customize the financing needs of a project based on cash flow and available funding for the project. Current projects being done under this method include the Northwest Corridor Express Lanes project and the I-285/GA 400 improvement project. In 2005, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) was signed into law by the president. The law required every state to develop Strategic Highway Safety Plans. Georgia’s plan was completed the following year. In 2007, 511 service was introduced, placing traffic and travel information a phone call away, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In December 2007, Gena Abraham was hired as the first female Commissioner of the Georgia DOT. In June 2008, Governor Sonny Perdue announced Investing in Tomorrow’s Transportation Today (IT3), designed to bring Georgia DOT, Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, the General Assembly, local partners and the executive branch together to formulate strategies to improve transportation infrastructure throughout the state. This resulted in a Statewide Strategic Transportation Plan in 2010. In 2009, Georgia DOT received $931 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) dollars. These funds were invested in nearly 2,500 safety, new capacity, maintenance and enhancement projects and bridges. This provided work in economically distressed areas of the state and maximized job creation.

Also in 2009, the General Assembly created the Director of Planning position that is appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the General Assembly transportation committee. Todd Long, a Georgia DOT employee, was tapped to become the first Director of Planning.

IN 2007, 511 SERVICE WAS INTRODUCED, placing traffic and travel information a phone call away, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In October 2011, Georgia opened its first Express Lanes (Managed Lanes) on I-85 in DeKalb and Gwinnett counties. 2012 saw Georgia open the state’s first Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI), at I-285 and Ashford Dunwoody Road interchange in DeKalb County. Beginning in 2012, GDOT increased its focus on short-term operational improvements to address congestion and safety with minimal costs – like flexible shoulder lanes and auxiliary lane conversions into continuous thru-traffic on GA 400. In 2012, the Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Referendum was passed by Georgia voters in the regions of Central Savannah River Area, Heart of Georgia Altamaha and River Valley. These three regions implemented a one percent regional sales tax over a ten year period to fund transportation im37

The Sidney Lanier Bridge in Brunswick, Georgia. Photo credit: Shutterstock.

provements. Georgia DOT is responsible for management of the budget, and schedule, execution and delivery of all projects contained in the approved investment lists. In 2013, Georgia’s managed lane network advanced with the Northwest Corridor (NWC) express lanes anticipated to open in 2018 and the I-75 South express lanes scheduled to open in early 2017. In 2013 and 2014, GDOT’s Quick Response Program improved the State Road system with low cost operational improvements requiring short construction times. Extended or added turn lanes, improved drainage, and concrete islands were completed across the state. The Transportation Funding Act of 2015 provides an estimated $830 million to $1 billion in annual additional revenues. This investment will allow the Department to work through a backlog of capital maintenance projects and to do routine maintenance that is ineligible for federal funds. The state funding allows the Department the ability to move federal funding to less complex projects; allowing projects to be potentially delivered faster and more economically. An increase in roadway fatalities in early 2015 resulted in the launch of DriveAlert ArriveAlive, a campaign to alert the public about the dangers of distracted driving. The campaign implores motorists to buckle up, stay off the phone and drive alert. The year ended with over 220 fatalities more than 2014 —the first annual increase in a decade. v

All photos in this article are courtesy of the Georgia Department of Transportation’s Office of Communications and District Offices unless specifically noted otherwise. 38

GEORGIA EnGInEER

APRIL | MAY 2016

Affordable Care Act Traps for the Unwary (and not) Employer: Tips to Comply and What to Avoid By Douglas A. Smith | Arnall Golden Gregory LLP | Atlanta, Georgia Hopefully, most employers that are applicable large employers (ALEs), i.e., employers that averaged 50 or more full-time employees (including full-time equivalents) in the prior calendar year, now have their game plan in place for complying with the ‘employer mandate’ of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Nevertheless, there still are ACA-related hoops and ladders to deal with that may catch the unwary (or even the wary) employer off-guard. This article briefly addresses several such obstacles, which seem to continue to develop and pop up on the ACA compliance landscape. Employee and Hours Counting; Employee Classification

There are several general ‘catches’ that employers need to be aware of in counting and classifying employees for purposes of the ACA employer mandate, including the following: (1) In determining ALE status, have you properly taken into account employees of controlled group members and of entities under common control? (Focus generally is on 80 percent or more owned entities, with some specific tricky ownership attribution/exclusion rules that may apply.) (2)

Are you counting hours of service properly in the case of employees who are paid during periods in which no duties are performed, e.g., due to vacation, holiday, illness, disability, leave of absence, and military duty?

(3)

Are you properly classifying and

which it cannot be determined at their start date whether they will be full-time (30 or more hours/week)) and ‘seasonal employees’ (i.e., employees who customarily work for 6 months or less in approximately the same part of each year)? (4)

Are you misclassifying workers who actually are common law employees as independent contractors? (Of course this issue has broader implications than just the ACA!)

ACA Reporting for 2015

Douglas smith

measuring hours for ‘variable hour’ employees (i.e., employees for

Although the IRS extended the deadline for ACA information reporting and disclosure for ALEs for 2015, the extended deadlines basically now are upon us. The Internal Revenue Code requires annual information reporting and disclosure by

GEORGIA EnGInEER

an ALE as to the group health coverage that the employer offers, if any, to fulltime employees, generally using an IRS Form 1095-C for each full-time employee (with a single transmittal Form 1094-C for the employerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s submission to the IRS). The IRS previously extended (i) from February 1, 2016 to March 31, 2016, the deadline for furnishing the Form 1095-C disclosure to employees for 2015; and from February 29, 2016 to May 31, 2016, the deadline for paper filing, and from March 31, 2016 to June 30, 2016, the deadline for electronic filing, of the Forms 1095-C (with the Form 1094-C transmittal form) for 2015 with the IRS. ALEs that do not comply with the extended reporting and disclosure due dates are subject to potentially steep penalties: Generally $250 for each affected (i) Form 1095-C disclosure to the employee and (ii) Form 1095-C fling with the IRS. The IRS has stated that for the 2015 reporting and disclosure, it will not impose applicable penalties on ALEs that show good faith efforts to comply with the ACA information and reporting requirements in furnishing and filing incorrect or incomplete information. But such relief does not extend to a failure to timely furnish or file the applicable Forms. Nevertheless, the $250 penalty for a late disclosure or filing is reduced to $50 in the case of a failure corrected within 30 days, and reduced to $100 in the case of a failure corrected after 30 days, but before August 1st. In addition, the IRS has the discretion to abate any such penalties with respect to a failure if the employer shows that such failure is due to reasonable cause. In this connection, the IRS will take into account whether an employer made reasonable efforts to prepare for the reporting and disclosure obligation, such as gathering and transmitting the necessary data to an agent to prepare for submission to the IRS, and the extent to which the employer is takAPRIL | MAY 2016

ing steps to ensure that it will be able to comply with the reporting and disclosure requirements for 2016. Some additional important things to remember about the ALE reporting and disclosure requirements: (1) If you qualify as an ALE, you must report and disclose even if you do not (a) sponsor a group health plan or (b) offer group health coverage to any employees. (2)

If you are an employer that averaged 50 to 99 full-time employees (including full-time equivalents) in 2014 and qualified for the mediumsized employer exception to offer-

ing group health plan coverage for 2015, you still qualify as an ALE and must report and disclose for 2015. (3)

Although all corporate controlled group members and entities under common control (e.g., parent and controlled subsidiary companies) are combined to determine if a group of related companies is an ALE, each such ALE member must do its own separate ACA filing and disclosures.

Cash Incentives to Employees to Opt out of Coverage

To avoid any penalties under the ACA, an

ALE generally must offer group health plan coverage to its full-time employees that is affordable and that provides minimum value. Coverage is affordable for 2016, if an employee is not required to pay more than 9.66 percent of his or her household income for self-only coverage. (The ACA also permits an employer to use ‘safe harbors,’ whereby the 9.66 percent threshold is determined based on the employee’s W-2 income or rate of pay, or the federal poverty line for a single individual.) If an employer unconditionally offers to employees a cash amount to opt out of the employer’s coverage, the IRS recently has made it clear that it views such ‘optout payments’ as part of an employee’s cost of coverage under the employer’s plan. So, for example, if an employer provides that employees who elect self-only coverage contribute $200 per month, but also offers employees $100 per month if they instead opt out of coverage (unconditionally, with no other requirement, such as proof of coverage under a spouse’s employer), that $100 opt-out amount should be added to the $200 contribution amount, for a total of $300 in testing employee “affordability’ under the ACA. While the IRS’s position is now clear in this regard as to such unconditional opt-out payments, the IRS has said that until its issuance of prospective final regulations addressing the matter, the IRS will not require employers that adopted unconditional opt-out arrangements prior to December 17, 2015 to include available opt-out amounts in the cost of coverage for purposes of determining affordability. Similarly, employers that offer conditional opt-out payments (e.g., only if employees provide proof of having other coverage, like through a spouse’s employer) are off the hook in this regard, at least until issuance of such final regulations. If an employer first adopts an unconditional opt-out arrangement after De42

cember 16, 2015, however, any such offered opt-out payment is required currently to be added to the cost of coverage in determining whether the employer’s coverage is affordable. Employer Payment Plans

As a result of the ACA, an employer cannot reimburse employees for the purchase by the employees of individual health insurance policy coverage (whether purchase is via the Health Insurance Marketplace or on the individual market), without subjecting the employer to steep excise taxes under the ACA ($100 per day for each affected individual, i.e., up to $36,500 per individual per year). This is the case regardless of whether the employer reimburses on a tax-free or on an after-tax basis, or whether the employer pays the employee’s individual insurance policy premiums directly or via reimbursement. The IRS views such ‘employer payment plans’ as group health plans that inevitably fail to satisfy certain ACA requirements applicable to group health plans and that therefore are subject to such excise taxes. As to whether there is any alternative arrangement that is permitted, an employer is permitted under the ACA to simply increase an employee’s taxable compensation without conditioning the payment of the additional compensation on the employee’s purchase of individual health insurance policy coverage; provided the employer does not otherwise endorse any particular policy, form or issuer of health insurance. In this regard, the employer should clearly communicate and document that the employee may use the compensation increase for any purpose the employee so chooses. Beware of ERIsA section 510 Claims if you are Reducing Employees’ Hours

Section 510 of ERISA (i.e., the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974)

prohibits an employer from discharging, disciplining or discriminating against an employee benefit plan participant for the

purpose of interfering with the attain-

ment of any right that the participant may become entitled to under the plan.

In a recent class action lawsuit

brought in federal court in New York

(Marin v. Dave & Buster’s Inc., S.D.N.Y.,

No. 1:15-cv-036081), the plaintiffs—cur-

rent and former employees of Dave &

Buster’s (D&B)--brought a claim against D&B alleging discrimination in violation

of Section 510 by reducing employees’

hourly work schedules as part of a company-wide effort to reduce costs under the

ACA employer mandate, resulting in a

loss of employee coverage under D&B’s

health insurance plan.

D&B moved to dismiss the com-

plaint, but in a recent ruling, the court al-

lowed the lawsuit to move forward,

holding that the lead plaintiff had alleged sufficient facts (including at least two

meetings held by store management with

staff explaining that D&B was reducing

work schedules because of ACA cost to

the company, and a public statement

made by a senior executive that D&B was

reducing its workforce to adapt to changes

associated with the ACA) to show that D&B violated ERISA Section 510.

While the court’s decision to allow

the case to proceed certainly does not

mean that the plaintiffs will prevail, it

highlights a risk in reducing employees’

schedules solely to avoid or reduce group

health coverage obligations under the ACA employer mandate.

Employers

should be aware of the latent risk in the

strategy of cutting employees’ hours to re-

duce ACA costs, and also, in particular,

should be careful as to communications regarding reductions in hours. v

GEORGIA EnGInEER

The Road to Autonomous Vehicles: The Role of Infrastructure

By Marwan Abboud | Senior VP for Traﬃc | Planning and Intelligent Systems Operations Manager | Arcadis in North America It’s time to take a ride to the future. Not the future of flying cars or time machine DeLoreans, but nearly as life-changing. It’s a soon-to-be-real world where the private auto takes a back seat to autonomous vehicles, on-demand ride-sharing services and a millennial generation indifferent to driving. While any expert considers complete transformation to autonomous vehicles (AVs) to be ten to 20 years away, these trends are already driving new ideas of what we as a society want from our mobility infrastructure. Many factors will play into the way these changes take hold, from the pace of technology advancement, to policy decisions to the acceptance of new funding models. Meanwhile, the vision urban planners and transportation leaders embrace now will have serious implications for transportation when we let go of the steering wheel. Self-driving vehicles have the potential to transform our entire transit infrastructure. Leading up to that day, automotive and technology manufacturers are driving the pace of change. That means over the next 10 to 15 years, the engineers of our transit infrastructure will need to find ways to anticipate these changes. What may be even more challenging, the organizational and funding infrastructure of planning, funding, construction and maintenance may prove less adaptable to this disruptive pace. Readiness will also depend on the psychological and financial adaptability of consumers and riders. This suggests a counterforce that could reduce the pace of change, resulting in several evolutionAPRIL | MAY 2016

Marwan Abboud

ary stages where the technology advances in steps. 1.

Who’s driving whom?

So here is a disruptive leapfrog question we have to start asking ourselves: If all you need is a vehicle to come pick you up and drop you off, what happens to the age-old concept of owning a car? Already, millennials see less value in owning or driving a car, preferring productivity to being masters of the road. On the other end of the spectrum, our aging population may find self-driving vehicles arrive just in time to help them maintain their independence and mobility. The world of technology isn’t waiting around to find the answer. Even now, disruptive services like Uber and Lyft have changed mobility in ways not envisioned even a few years ago. Already we see glimpses of the next phase of evolution, combining digitalization and automation. Other dynamics may also reduce the

need for owning a vehicle. Autonomous mass transit will produce rapid expansion of public transportation and multimodalism. There are already clear signs that the Atlanta region is leading the way in modality changes through connected and eventually autonomous vehicles. Speaking at a recent panel, MARTA CEO Keith Parker said MARTA is looking at how public transit like buses could connect to each other, the roadways and traffic signals through technology. Similarly MARTA leadership isn’t shying away from envisioning a system that includes autonomous vehicles that include mass transit, with self-driving cars to take riders to destinations on the last mile—all managed from a MARTA app. 2. How will vehicle connectivity affect highway infrastructure and land use?

Today, individual drivers compete for space, often working against each other’s interests. In a world of networked and eventually driverless cars, mobility and driving becomes a highly collaborative endeavor, with greater cooperation leading to greater traffic efficiency. Planning agencies nationally and internationally have initiated conversations on how big data and autonomous and connected vehicles could reshape parking needs, right-of-way needs, transit services, overall land use, bike and pedestrian trails and the resulting substantial positive and negative disruption it could have on cities, suburbs and rural areas. Smaller footprint for roads: Connected vehicles not dependent on human reaction times will be able to drive closer 43

together, controlled by their networked on-board computer. This could open the way for roads with narrower lanes and possibly even a smaller footprint. As the network will also be able to route vehicles for greatest efficiency, it may also be able to spread traffic over more roads, ameliorating the level of maintenance needed on today’s most-traveled routes. Signs of progress: Without human drivers to cause traffic jams, we’ll have less need for dynamic message signs, traffic sensors, closed circuit cameras or even conventional signage. Instead, the new systems will be ‘readable’ by the vehicles themselves through Wi-Fi dedicated short range communications (DSRC) or next generations of cellular networks. No parking: One of the most significant changes resulting from this accelerated trend could be a much reduced need for parking lots and spaces. According to a McKinsey & Company report, “Ten ways autonomous driving could redefine the automotive world,” AVs could open up 5.7 billion square meters of real estate for other uses. If roadways and the real estate needed for parking shrink—we may see a new era of adaptive reuse of land. Already cities are planning tax incentives or disincentives to accelerate these trends. No driver zones: Public agencies will play an important role in re-planning road use, such as designating some corridors or downtown areas as driverless-only routes. There are already ongoing pilots in cities like Tampa and New York that will accelerate trends in that direction. 3. Will data create a new ‘information highway?’

State and local governments and quasigovernmental agencies will increasingly take advantage of this new wealth of realtime data to improve mobility and efficiency, possibly improving the entire transportation experience. Connected and autonomous vehicles 44

could produce more and better data related to road use and transportation, with huge benefits for transportation planners. Even now, existing data from mobile technology provides substantial real-time data on traffic and road conditions. Drivers have come to depend on real-time traffic and incident updates. The next phase could use that data to create better models for reducing hazards and bottlenecks. 4. In what ways will autonomous vehicles affect safety and safety infrastructure?

Safety may be one of the most significant selling points for autonomous vehicles. Today, human error accounts for more than 90 percent of all motor vehicle accidents, with DUI and distracted driving topping the list at more than 33,000 fatalities and 2.0 million injuries a year at a cost of $300 billion. However, even though replacing the fallible human driver will lead to significant reductions in the number and cost of these crashes, we need to be realistic about our expectations. As much as we wish for the day we can achieve zero fatalities and injuries, the much needed improvement will come incrementally over the next 20 to 30 years as infrastructure builds on data and experience.

For our on-the-move culture, the promise of a world of connected, autonomous vehicles glitters as a prize worth winning. As the technology advances at a breathless pace, we will need to deliver an infrastructure ready to realize the dream of achieving a more productive, sustainable quality of life. About the Author Marwan Abboud, Arcadis senior vice president for traffic, planning and intelligent systems operations manager, has managed and engineered numerous Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), traffic engineering and planning projects in his 32 years in the fields of transportation planning, traffic engineering and highway design. He has extensive experience in the planning, design and timing of traffic signal systems, Advanced Transportation Management Systems (ATMS), Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) and Traffic Control Centers (TCC) designs and upgrades. He is an active member of ITS World Congress, ITS America, GRITS, ITS GA and other technical forums and committees. v

Conclusion

The transformation to a driverless transportation infrastructure still faces some serious headwinds, starting with America’s deep love of driving. Just from a manufacturing perspective, it could take 20 years to build a new fleet that approximates the one we have now. Despite this, the future holds much promise, starting with a game-changing benefit expected when self-driving vehicles free up billions of hours for other endeavors. Once the infrastructure is built, we could also see a net reduction in transportation costs, even as fewer crashes reduce needless injury and death. GEORGIA EnGInEER

WOOLPERT COnTRACTED FOR $5.6M DEKALB COUnTY sAnITARY sEWER InsPECTIOn PROGRAM The two-year project will include sewer assessment and rehabilitation of priority areas per a federal consent decree.

Georgia

Engineering

News

Woolpert has been awarded a $5.6 mil-

lion contract to assess, rehabilitate and reduce sanitary sewer overflows by the DeKalb County (Ga.) Department of Watershed Management. This project is being conducted through the Priority Areas Sewer Assessment and Rehabilitation Program (PASARP) and is part of a federal consent decree. DeKalb County is located on the east side of Metro Atlanta. Eric MacDonald, Woolpert project director, said the contract includes performing sewer system evaluation surveys (SSES), gaining access to sewer lines, easement clearing and road building, locating and raising manholes to grade, and performing point repairs and cured-in-place

Moffatt & Nichol Chairman and Former President Robert D. Nichol Has Passed Away

Moffatt & Nichol has announced with deep sadness the passing of Robert D. Nichol, the firm’s Chairman and former

APRIL | MAY 2016

pipe repairs to major defects located during the survey. “For this project, we’ll employ some of the latest advances in technology for inspection,” MacDonald said, “including CCTV (Closed Circuit Television Inspection), sonar, 2D and 3D laser and pipe penetrating radar.” Woolpert has been working on another project for DeKalb County, also as part of the consent decree, for the last three years. The national architecture, engineering and geospatial (AEG) firm is inspecting manholes and updating the county’s geographic information system (GIS). Darren Eastall, consent decree administrator for DeKalb County, said the

county has been so impressed with the quality of Woolpert’s work that it has been able to use the firm’s data to help facets of other departments. “The level of inspection is so high that we can use that information to help other modeling programs; not just sewer mapping,” Eastall said. “That’s been an unexpected benefit. We knew we’d get great GIS info from Woolpert, but once we saw what inspections they were providing, we could see how that could apply to other departments.” Woolpert’s initial field testing, inspection and surveying for the sanitary sewer rehabilitation began in January. The project is scheduled to be completed within two years. v President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Nichol has guided Moffatt & Nichol since he became the company’s second president in 1975, leading it to its global prominence in the engineering industry as a top maritime and transportation design and advisory firm. Until his retirement in 2006, Mr. Nichol directed the firm’s steady growth, building a reputation for innovation and integrity while positioning the firm as the premier waterfront consulting engineer45

ing firm in the marketplace. Mr. Nichol was a Commissioner of the National Commission of the U.S. Section at the Permanent International Association of Navigation Congress (PIANC). He served as a member of the National Research Council Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems and is a Fellow of the Society of American Military Engineers. He was conferred the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

Distinguished Member Award (2011), Outstanding Projects and Leaders Award (OPAL) Lifetime Achievement Award for Management (2010), and ASCE California Lifetime Achievement Award (2013). He also received the 2005 Golden Beaver Award for Engineering from The Beavers, a heavy construction organization. Mr. Nichol’s son, Eric Nichol, assumed the role of Moffatt & Nichol President and Chief Executive Officer in 2006

and continues to lead the company’s dayto-day business activities. He says his father will be deeply missed, but he will be remembered for his many professional contributions to the industry and will live on in the enduring culture that he established at Moffatt & Nichol. In addition to Eric Nichol, Robert Nichol is survived by his son, Douglas, wife, Georgia, and two grandchildren. He was 84 years old.v

McKim & Creed Inc. has won a Grand Award of Engineering Excellence from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) for its engineering work on the WaterHub® at Emory, an ecological water reclamation treatment facility at Emory University. The award was presented last evening at the ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards Banquet in Washington, DC. ACEC’s annual Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) competition honors the year’s most outstanding engineering accomplishments. A panel of 25-30 judges from around the U.S. who represent a cross section of industry, government, academia, and media, review and rate projects from around the world. The panel selected 24 top award winners—16 Honors Awards and eight Grand Awards—based on uniqueness and innovative applications; future value to the engineering profession; perception by the public; social, economic, and sustainable development considerations; complexity; and successful fulfillment of client/owner’s needs, including schedule and budget. “McKim & Creed is incredibly proud to be a part of such a phenomenal and unique project as the WaterHub at Emory,” said McKim & Creed Senior Vice President Tim Baldwin, PE, who accepted the award on behalf of McKim & Creed, along with

President and CEO John T. Lucey, Jr., PE. The first system of its kind installed in the United States, the WaterHub is a campusscale water reclamation system serving Emory University’s main campus in Atlanta, Georgia. The WaterHub utilizes an eco-engineered treatment process to recycle nearly two-thirds of campus wastewater production—reducing the use of potable water by up to 40 percent. This new system creates a more resilient campus and mitigates risk by generating an alternative supply for critical heating and cooling operations, while consistently providing significant cost savings for utility operations. The WaterHub at Emory was constructed at no capital expense to the end user under an innovative Water Purchase Agreement. Water savings produced by the project are used to pay off the cost of the facility. Since its commissioning in May 2015, the system has saved Emory over 40 million gallons of potable water. At full build-out, the WaterHub is capable of displacing 146 million gallons of water annually and is expected to save millions of dollars in water

utility costs for the university over a 20-year period. Gina McCarthy, administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency, toured the WaterHub at Emory last year, calling it “a model for us all.” The project has won numerous awards and accolades, including 2015 Project Achievement Award by Construction Management Association of America South Atlantic Chapter; 2015 Innovative Project of the Year by the WateReuse Association; 2015 Atlanta E3 Award (liquid assets category) by the Metro Atlanta Chamber; 2015 Superior Environmental Performance award by Georgia Safety, Health, and Environmental Conference and the Georgia Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers; 2015 Innovative Deal of the Year by Urban Land Institute—Virginia; 2016 Engineering Excellence Grand Award by the American Council of Engineering Companies North Carolina; and the 2016 inaugural Fulcrum Award by Southface. Magazines such as District Energy, Industrial WaterWorld, CE News, The Georgia Operator, and Sustainable Business Magazine have

McKim & Creed Wins National Award for Ecological Treatment System at Emory University

GEORGIA EnGInEER

published articles highlighting the WaterHub for its design as a replicable, sustainable wastewater management solution.

MBP is Pleased to Announce the Appointment of Four New Shareholders of the Firm

Leonard Morgan, Jr., CCM, CCP, PSP, LEED AP has been with MBP since 2002, holding such positions as Engineer, Lead Engineer, and Senior Engineer before assuming the duties of Project Manager. Leonard is currently working in our Chesapeake, VA branch and is frequently called upon to manage projects, along with performing constructibility reviews and cost estimates. Leonard is skilled in managing both vertical and horizontal construction projects, and has also played a key role in developing management processes for Commissioning. Leonard has a bachelors in Civil Engineering from Morgan State University and a masters in Civil Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park. He is an active member of the Construction Management Association of America, the U.S. Green Building Council, and AACE International. Gerry Timothy, PE, CCP, CBCP, QCxP has been with MBP since 2008. Since that time,

Leonard Morgan APRIL | MAY 2016

McKim & Creed served as the engineer on the design-build team for the WaterHub at Emory that included Sustainable Water

as the project consultant and Reeves Young as the contractor.v

he has served in various construction management and commissioning related roles to include Project Executive, Project Manager, and Commissioning Authority, and is currently overseeing MBP’S Philadelphia office as Branch Manager. Gerry has a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering Villanova University and a master’s degree in Leadership Development from The Pennsylvania State University. He is an active member of the U.S. Green Building Council, the Association of Energy Engineers, and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers.

struction Management Association of America and the U.S. Green Building Council.

Kay Jackson, CCM, GGP, GPCP has been with MBP for 12 years and is currently serving as Senior Project Manager for a local public school construction project. She has more than 20 years varied experience in the construction field including construction management, claims analysis/resolution, and project controls. Kay brings extensive on-site expertise in contract administration, scheduling and project phasing, design and constructibility reviews, cost analyses, and monitoring and inspections. Her project experience includes large federal compounds, K-12 and higher educational facilities, and heavy construction projects throughout the United States and abroad. Kay has a bachelors in English Education from Arkansas State University and a master’s degree in Project Management from Boston University. She is an active member of the Con-

Gerry Timothy

Kay Jackson

Kevin Wills, CCM, LEED AP has been with MBP for 15 years and has worked with both the Williamsburg and Roanoke branches as Senior Engineer, Project Manager, and currently, as Senior Project Manager. He has more than 30 years of experience in providing construction management, inspection, scheduling, cost estimating, and claims analysis services. Projects have included both waterfront and inland port facilities, buildings, heavy civil construction, environmental mitigation and remediation, and maintenance for new construction and renovation of existing facilities. Kevin is currently leading the Roanoke Branch’s building construction operations. He has a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Business Administration from Virginia Tech and is an active member of the Construction Management Association of America and the U.S. Green Building Council. “MBP’s Board of Directors are pleased to welcome this esteemed group of professionals to our ownership team and we look forward to further enhancing the value that they bring not only to the firm, but to our clients,” states MBP Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Charles E. Bolyard, Jr., PSP, CFCC, CCM.v

Kevin Willis 47

GEORGIA EnGInEER