THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE featuring
SANDY RECOVERY EFFORTS
FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION OVERSIGHT
Copyright 2013, Urban Engineers, Inc. All rights reserved. This article is protected by United States copyright and other intellectual property laws and may not be reproduced, rewritten, distributed, re-disseminated, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast, directly or indirectly, in any medium without the prior written permission of Urban Engineers, Inc. For permission to reprint any portion of this publication; to notify us that you have received more than one copy; or to be removed from the mailing list, please contact us at cblowry@urbanengineers.com or (215) 922-8080. Formulating ExcellenceŽ is the trademark of Urban Engineers, Inc. registered in the United States. Other marks, names, and logos contained herein are the property of their respective owners. Although reasonable effort has been made to present current and accurate information, Urban Engineers, Inc. makes no guarantees of any kind. The reader’s use of the information provided is at his or her own risk. In no event shall Urban Engineers, Inc., its officers, employees or agents, be held liable for any special, incidental, or consequential damages, whatsoever arising from the use or inability to use the information contained in this publication. Some links within this e-newsletter, or within the Urban Engineers, Inc. web site, may lead to other sites owned and operated by third parties. Urban Engineers, Inc. is not responsible for their content and does not necessarily sponsor, endorse or otherwise approve of the materials appearing in such sites. In addition, linked sites may be subject to terms of use and/or privacy policies of their owner/operators, and anyone who uses such a link is responsible for checking what those terms/ policies are for themselves. Furthermore, the opinions expressed in materials transmitted from this e-newsletter or the Urban Engineers, Inc. site are the opinions of the individual authors and may not reflect the opinion of Urban Engineers, Inc. or any of its principals, employees and/or agents.
Founded in 1960, Urban Engineers is a privately-owned (ESOP), ISO 9001:2008-registered, multidisciplinary design, construction management, construction inspection, planning, and environmental consulting firm. urbanengineers.com
Fall 2013 / Issue No. 5
people
clients The T Selects Urban
pg. 2
America has to invest, work, and compete.
pg. 1
Training Institute Reaccreditation pg. 13
Patty Robles, EIT
One Year Later
pg. 3
Rebuilding and resiliency in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
Bill Thomsen, PE, SVP, General Manager
Urban’s presence continues to grow in North Texas.
Think About the Future
Executive Perspective
projects
pg. 7
pg. 11
Urban and US Airways partner at Greenbuild International
pg. 8
Sea Isle Stroll
pg. 23
®
Faces of Formulating Excellence
Eric Sailer, PE
pg. 27
Faces of Formulating Excellence®
Diane Purdy, PE
pg. 33
Urban welcomes Ms. Purdy to lead central Pennsylvania operations.
Improving a beachfront community’s main gateway.
CMAQ Funds Help pg. 31 Communities Go Green
Contributors Authors
Photographers
Videography
Design
Editors
Cody Lowry Orla Pease, PE, PTOE William Thomsen, PE
Luke Cloran Dave D’Alba Cody Lowry Andrew Ludewig
Urban Video Productions
Luke Cloran
Luke Cloran Andrew Cushman Cody Lowry Bruce Wagner
Director Special Thanks
Andrew Cushman
Josh Sawislak, AICP Margarita Gagliardi
In this photo: Light rail comes to Denver International Airport
Executive Perspective BILL THOMSEN, PE, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, GENERAL MANAGER
One year ago, Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on the Atlantic coastline regions and made people realize that our current infrastructure has much room for improvement. Today, the storm gathering is one of disregard for our growing infrastructure problems. Many of our public leaders are ignoring the problem in favor of the more popular news of the day. Neglected infrastructure is becoming a real threat to our families, communities, and this country’s ability to continue as a world economic leader. China has constructed over 2,000 miles of high-speed rail in the last decade, as well as numerous highways, high-rise buildings, and other infrastructure that will pay huge dividends for their country. They do this while Americans are struggling to pass a long-term transportation bill that would be the first step in resuscitating our ailing infrastructure. Reading our “Invest, Work, Compete” article on page 13 reassures me that our clients are thinking about the future and, as such, are committed to making significant investments in their systems. These MEGA transit projects require skilled program management professionals if major infrastructure advancements are to continue to be planned, built, and funded in a successful manner. We, in the engineering community, have to get involved in discussions with our local leaders, professional societies, and community organizations. Wise investment now will allow for continuous growth and help all areas of our country continue to move forward. Progress on this front depends on everyone’s participation. Let your voices be heard!
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The T SElects Urban
The T is developing a commuter rail from southwestern Fort Worth to Dallas-Fort Worth Airport planned to start in 2016.
The Fort Worth Transportation Authority
and railroad crossing upgrades.
The T provides quality public
(The T) awarded a three-year contract
The two firms are currently working
transportation to Tarrant County
to Urban’s team to provide professional
with The T to create a quiet zone in
and the North Central Texas region.
engineering services as part of an
Colleyville, Texas.
Annually, The T provides nearly nine
Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract. Under terms of the contract, The T will issue task orders for individual projects that could require project management, field surveying, environmental assessment, civil and structural engineering, and architectural and railroad crossing services. Urban will serve The T as the prime firm with CTC providing support for work at railroad crossings, particularly quiet zone design
million passenger trips on buses,
As Urban continues growing in this region, we are thrilled to have an opportunity to provide transportation solutions to The T on this important contract and work again with CTC. - Ken Fulmer, PE, CCM, Vice President and Director of Transit and Passenger Rail
vanpools, and the Trinity Railway Express, which it jointly owns with Dallas Area Rapid Transit. The T is developing commuter rail service from southwestern Fort Worth to Dallas-Fort Worth Airport planned to start in 2016.
Contact Urban’s Fort Worth office: Mark Mathis, PE 817.654.5142 jmmathis@urbanengineers.com
clients / 2
O NE Y EAR LAT ER
IN THE MIDST OF ANOTHER HURRICANE SEASON, THE QUESTION REMAINS : ARE WE READY?
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&A Q
An exclusive interview with Josh Sawislak, AICP, Senior Advisor for Infrastructure on President Obama’s Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force.
In December 2012, the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force was created by President Barack Obama to achieve two goals: first, to help ensure that the $50 billion of emergency aid is spent as efficiently and effectively as possible; and secondly, to develop guidelines to safeguard the impacted region against future storms and the effects of climate change. The Task Force was chaired by United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan and included the heads of 23 cabinet level departments, agencies, and White House offices. It was supported by experts from across government and industry, including the group’s Senior Advisor for Infrastructure, Josh Sawislak, AICP, who brought to the role more than 25 years of experience managing multi-billion dollar acquisitions in construction, real estate development, international trade, telecommunications, and information technology. Mr. Sawislak has worked extensively on transportation and management issues, such as infrastructure development, national security, public transit planning and development, and environmental policy. He recently sat down for an exclusive interview with friend and colleague, Margarita Gagliardi, Urban Engineers’ Vice President of Transit Planning. For the past year, Ms. Gagliardi has been extensively involved in the Sandy recovery effort. She led a team of Project Management Oversight Contractors (PMOCs) in support of the Federal Transit Administration’s efforts to validate repair, recovery, and resiliency costs associated with damage caused by Sandy. We are excited to bring you the transcript of this discussion with Mr. Sawislak and his unique perspective on the Task Force’s efforts.
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MG: Can you bring us up to speed on the Task Force’s efforts? JS: The Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force was created by President Obama because of the scope and scale of this disaster and because it was the first full roll out of the national disaster recovery framework (NDRF). An effort of this magnitude required cabinetlevel oversight to ensure that we were cutting red tape and coordinating closely with local political leaders. In compliance with the Executive Order, there was a sixmonth clock to issue a report on the rebuilding strategy for the region. Following the release of the strategy in August 2013, we had two months to complete some implementation planning and close down the task force before sunset on September 30, 2013. Each of the recommendations in the strategy has an owner, or owners, in various federal agencies who will be responsible for implementation. We are currently in the hand-off phase where these owners begin applying the recommendations.
MG: What is the Task Force’s game plan moving forward? JS: While the role of the Task Force was to give
This was a lesson learned from previous disasters, as well as examples from other countries.
MG: How did you define resiliency? JS: Since all the programs have different needs and requirements, we created a set of Infrastructure Resilience Guidelines. These seven guidelines require agencies to examine their programs and see what they can do to point their efforts in the same direction. Rather than attempting to define ‘resiliency,’ we outlined its attributes because the concept varies with the context in which it is being used. For instance, a small town businessperson is going to define resiliency differently than somebody who operates in New York City. Nationally, there were agencies not involved in the Sandy process, i.e. agencies dealing with other disasters, such as seismic or wildland fire events. So, one of the recommendations is to also look at these guidelines from a policy perspective to see whether they could be applied nationwide.
MG: What were the challenges in developing the seven guidelines? JS: Getting people on the same page, understanding that this all has to work together, was
this high-level cabinet view of national policy, the
challenging. We wanted a manageable number of
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had
guidelines that could be implemented and not sit on the
a very important role in coordinating the response and
shelf, which meant that a lot fell out in the process. To
recovery effort. FEMA led an interagency team working
do this, we had to break the guidelines down to what
directly with the communities and individuals, non-
was most important. Because each agency, and even
profits, and others available to conduct the assessments
programs within agencies, have different requirements,
and get a program in place. We were coordinating with
it was hard to find the least common denominator and
FEMA doing the 40,000-foot update and getting folks in
keep the guidelines substantive. We undertook this
the room talking to each other. What we realized early
effort in partnership with the Office of Infrastructure
on was that money was going through different channels
Protection at DHS. They have a lot of experience
- FEMA, HUD, DOT, US Army Corps of Engineers, and
building policy around critical infrastructure and were
others, all without broad, top-level coordination. So, we
key to keeping the focus on getting to a consensus
set up a regional process that encourages the agencies
policy. But this was really an all-agency collaboration to
and the jurisdictions to coordinate their programs better.
go from idea to agreement among the principals in less
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The Urban-led PMOCs assisted the FTA in validating cost estimates to inform funding decisions by the White House, Office of Management and Budget, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Transportation, and Congress, among others. Photo by: MTA
than six months. The end goal was getting less than 10
other impacts. In one sense, Sandy made a lot of
guidelines. I wanted five. And we got seven, but I think
people realize that they are not as safe as they
it’s a major accomplishment and I am very proud to
thought they were. The tide is turning, but there is till
have been part of the process.
a lot of work to do. Building a culture of resilience in the country needs to be our focus.
MG: What happens next? JS: There clearly needs to be a culture shift in the country. People need to understand that resiliency must
For more information, contact:
be part of the thinking in decision-making, especially
Margarita Gagliardi
related to where and how they live in certain places.
212.736.9100
We believe that planning is a local responsibility, and
mdgagliardi@urbanengineers.com
the best way to do that is to help local communities understand the issues and help them develop the technical capacity to deal with these issues. Prevention is much cheaper than repair. For every dollar spent in mitigation, we can save four dollars in recovery. That is just purely bricks and mortar damage, and does not include loss of community, the human cost, and
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TRAINING INSTITUTE ReAccredited The International Association for
construction management, municipal
evaluation of its programs. Urban has
Continuing Education and Training (IACET)
engineering, scheduling, cost estimating,
pledged its continued compliance with the
has awarded reaccreditation status to
and many other topics. Since 2010,
Standard, and is now authorized to use the
Urban Engineers. IACET Authorized
the Training Institute has provided more
IACET name and Authorized Provider logo.
Providers are the only organizations
than 9,000 CEUs to participants. “We
In addition, Urban is linked to the IACET
approved to offer IACET Continuing
are pleased to continue our relationship
web site and is recognized as offering the
Education Units (CEUs). The accreditation
with Urban as an Authorized Provider,”
highest quality continuing education and
period extends for five years.
said Michael Todd Shinholster, President
training programs.
of IACET. “Urban’s programs have been “We are proud of our Training Institute
vetted by third-party experts in continuing
programs, which educate approximately
education to ensure the highest possible
600 participants each year on important
standards are met.”
engineering topics,” stated Carol Martsolf, PE, LEED® AP, Urban’s Vice President and
In order to achieve Authorized Provider
Manager of Training.
accreditation, Urban completed a rigorous application process, including a review
Urban’s Training Institute covers a variety
by an IACET site visitor, and successfully
of technical and professional development
demonstrated adherence to the ANSI/
areas, including stormwater management,
IACET 1-2007 Standard addressing the
ethics, pedestrian facility design,
design, development, administration, and
Led by Carol Martsolf (center) The Training Institute® received the 2010 IACET Exemplar Award for Internal Training. Martsolf is supported by: (L:R) Bruce Mundorf, Darlene Carmichael, Michele Gambino, and Kate Mundie. 7 / urbanengineers.com
For more information, contact: Carol Martsolf, PE, LEED® AP 215.922.8081 x1218 ccmartsolf@urbanengineers.com
Urban and US Airways Partner at Greenbuild International Conference
Urban Engineers (Urban) is collaborating
Systems; John DiValentino, Jr., PE, LEED®
with US Airways and the Sheward
AP, Deputy Director of Facilities Construction
Partnership to bring the success story of
Management; and Adam Shelly, LEED® AP
®
US Airways’ LEED Silver Ground Service
BD+C, Sustainability Project Manager.
Equipment (GSE) Facility to the annual Greenbuild International Conference
US Airways’ GSE Facility at Philadelphia
and Expo in Philadelphia. Greenbuild
International Airport (PHL) set the precedent
is the world’s largest conference and
in sustainability for the GSE industry and the
expo dedicated to green building. This
airport. The project began as a concept to
year, it is expected to attract 30,000
improve economic efficiency and became
industry leaders, experts, and frontline
a comprehensive, environmentally friendly
professionals dedicated to sustainable
solution contributing to PHL’s green initiative.
building.
The 57,220-SF repair and maintenance
James Brewer, manager of the GSE facility, speaks to guests about the building during a recent tour.
facility is located in Cargo City, directly The GSE presentation is one stop
south of the airport terminal and adjacent
on a full day of tours with the theme
to the airfield. It enables US Airways to
“Philadelphia: Manufacturing Center
reduce ground fleet down time and decrease
for the World.” Leading this tour on
baggage delivery times, supporting the
Urban’s behalf are Jim Bilella, PE,
airlines’ efforts toward better operational
Vice President and Director of Building
efficiency for its 435 daily flights.
For more information, contact: John DiValentino, Jr., PE, LEED® AP 215.284.3119 jdivalentino@urbanengineers.com
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VIDEO
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Join the conversation #USAirwaysGSE
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LE A R N T O CHOOSE YO U R MO ME NTS AND ME T H O D S OF DE LI VE RY.
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FACE S O F F o r m u l at i n g exc el l en c e®
PATTY ROBLES RESIDENT ENGINEER
October was busy for Patty Robles, EIT, who celebrated substantial completion of two of her projects in New York: the $1.2 million Poughkeepsie Transit Hub, for which she assisted in design; and the $1.8 million restoration of New York City Department of Parks and Recreation facilities in Brooklyn damaged by Hurricane Sandy, for which she was the Resident Engineer. Not bad for an engineering graduate in the early stages of her career in the Big Apple. Getting to this point, however, wasn’t easy. The daughter of immigrant parents from the Dominican Republic, Robles learned at an early age the value of determination and dreaming big. “My parents immigrated to Jersey City with nothing and worked hard to give me and my siblings the possibility of a great future. They showed me that anything is possible and no dream too absurd.” Robles began thinking about a career in the Architecture/Engineering/Construction industry while in high school. Her father was an agricultural engineer and her uncle was a civil engineer in the Dominican Republic, so they knew the industry. “Knowing that they supported me with any decision I made, made it a lot easier for me to succeed and follow those decisions through,” she said. Robles worked hard in high school, graduating in 2004 from James J. Ferris High School in Jersey City. She soon began classes at the New Jersey Institute of Technology with help from the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), which provides state funds to New Jersey students wanting to learn architecture, science, and business. Then in 2006, she had to take time off for her newborn daughter. “It was tough being a single parent going back to school. I decided to take the challenge head on and attended classes year round. It took me seven years to finish, but with all the support I received I pushed through.” She remained active in the EOP by tutoring in physics and math and being a Summer Coordinator for the Academic Tutoring
Program. “The EOP staff became an extended family throughout my college career and I heavily relied on their support,” Robles said. “There were many nights that she stayed late in their office studying for exams or working on projects. The EOP recognized her perseverance with an award. “It reassured me that they saw the effort I put into everything I did - from parenting, to my studies, to the dedication I had in working for the program. It was unexpected and an awesome way to end my undergrad and to begin life in the ‘real world’ with my confidence sky high.” Unfortunately, Robles’ experience with the ‘real world’ after college was a job that constricted her of professional growth and a two-hour daily commute that robbed her of time with her daughter. Determined to have the life she always dreamed of, she took matters into her own hands and made a career change. After seeing an online advertisement for Urban Engineers, asking for an engineering graduate for its New York City office, she decided to apply. She didn’t have a lot of experience, but knew that with the right fit, she would be successful. Going into the interview, Robles wanted not only to determine if she was a good fit for Urban, but to make sure Urban was a good fit for her and her family. By all accounts, it has been. “Urban allows you to mold your career the way you want to rather than getting pigeon-holed into one role for the next 30 years,” she said. “The people here encourage you to grow and move your career forward in a way that you’re enthusiastic about.” As Robles moves into her third year at Urban, she is looking forward to even more interesting projects where she can make a difference and learn more about the profession. To get ready for future field assignments, she is taking graduate courses online at Drexel University for a master’s degree in construction management. “Civil engineering has so many career paths that it can be quite overwhelming,” she said. “If I could, I’d do it all.”
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THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE
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AMERICA must
INVEST WORK COMPETE Urban has provided expert Project Management Oversight services to vested stakeholders in California (LACMTA’s Westside Subway Extension Project), New York (MTA’s East Side Access and Second Avenue Subway Projects), and Colorado (RTD’s FasTracks Program). These “mega projects” represent four of the largest transportation infrastructure projects in the country.
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Photo by Steven Damron
LOS ANGELES, CA to public transportation. According to a report by the Brookings Institution, 99.1 percent of no-car households in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana area have access to public transit. Unfortunately, only 36 percent of zero-vehicle households can get to their place of employment in 90 minutes or less (that figure includes areas not served by Metro). The region’s dispersed job centers - Downtown, Culver City, Beverly Hills, and elsewhere - make it difficult for transit to connect commuters to a single central business district.
Getting residents to opt out of the car and in for public transportation is a major challenge facing the Metro.
Fast Times Out West An old adage says the only people who take public transportation in LA are those too young, too old, or too poor to drive. Yet, LA residents have begun to recognize the need for better mass transportation options and have shown they are willing to invest in their future. In 2008, an overwhelming majority of county residents approved Measure R, a half-cent sales tax that helps fund transportation projects for 30 years. One of the key recipients of this funding initiative is the long-awaited LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (Metro) Purple Line Subway Extension to the west side of LA, the first section of which will break ground in 2015. It is anticipated that the full nine-mile project will bring fast, reliable mass transit to some of LA’s busiest destinations, including Miracle Mile, Beverly Hills, Century City, Westwood, UCLA, and the Veteran’s Administration Hospital. Construction of the Purple Line Extension is projected to generate 52,500 jobs within the region and cost $6.3 billion based on a three-phase funding schedule. The question remains – will the investment make a difference in LA, which continues to be plagued by jammed highways and sluggish commutes? Is Diesel Done? This year, LA’s infatuation with the automobile landed it the unwanted distinction of being America’s most congested city. According to INRIX, a leading international provider of traffic information and driver service, the average LA driver wasted approximately 60 hours in traffic in 2012. Among the most congested roadways in America, LA has five of the busiest roads in the country and four freeways in the top 10. To its credit, of all major metropolitan areas in the country, LA does the best job of giving people without cars access 15 / urbanengineers.com
Showtime Worthy The Purple Line Extension, however, is expected to significantly address this sluggishness. Rain or shine, commuters will be able to travel entirely below ground in just 25 minutes between downtown LA and Westwood. Close to 49,000 people are projected to board the train at one of the seven new stations. Even more new transit riders will be able to board the growing Metro Rail System in other places to travel into the Westside with simple connections. The Extension will also provide Westsiders with convenient access to many destinations across the region. With total completion not expected until 2035, it is hard to be patient. The Metro continues to evaluate all funding sources for the full build-out. In the meantime, Metro is pursuing a variety of activities to prepare for construction. These include: acquiring properties needed for station construction and station entrances; conducting advanced utility relocations; constructing a 75-foot-deep exploratory shaft to gather further information about the special ground conditions near the La Brea Tar Pits; and pursuing federal “New Starts” matching funds.
Photo By: Buchanan-Hermit The La Brea Tar Pits recently celebrated 100 years of smelly, gooey excavations.
INVEST Los Angeles County (LA) is investing over the long-term in its mass transit infrastructure, attempting to change its car-centric culture in the process.
For more information, contact: John Holak 215.922.8081 x1210 jholak@urbanengineers.com clients / 16
WORK Billions and billions are being spent in the Big Apple, more than $7.2 billion for East Side Access (ESA) and $4.4 billion for the initial phase of the Second Avenue Subway (SAS). These massive efforts are two of the largest public works projects ever built. The SAS is the first new subway in New York City in more than 50 years.
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NEW YORK CITY, NY When completed, the SAS and ESA are expected to spur economic development and expansion throughout New York City. These mega-transit projects will reduce overcrowding and delays of mass transit and provide the region with a more well-balanced transportation system. Urban was a key contributor in obtaining approval for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) entry into the $2.65 billion Full Funding Grant Agreement for these projects, the largest ever granted by the Federal Transit Administration. East Side Story Urban has been providing Program Management Oversight (PMO) services for the ESA Project since 2003. The “East Side,” in this case, refers to the borough of Queens and all of Long Island. Upon completion of the ESA, residents will be connected to the “other” east side - that of Manhattan - in a one-seat ride via the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to Grand Central Terminal. This is LIRR’s first major expansion in over 100 years. Currently, LIRR patrons travel to and from Manhattan via Penn Station, located on the west side. Reaching the east side of Manhattan requires taking a walk, subway, or bus ride, which requires an additional 25-30 minutes. By 2020, the ESA Project is expected to provide a more convenient ride and shorter travel times for the 160,000 daily trips taken by LIRR passengers to mid-town Manhattan. The Line That Time Forgot Originally proposed just prior to the Great Depression, the SAS was dubbed “The Line That Time Forgot” from the many false starts that delayed commencement. Today, the SAS is boring its way through the New York City underground. The project, to be completed in four phases, will provide rapid transit service for a corridor neglected for more than half a century and will relieve overcrowding and delays on the Lexington Avenue Line. Urban is currently performing PMO services for the design and construction of the $4.4 billion Phase I of the new SAS. Phase I provides an Initial Operating Segment from 96th Street to 63rd Street that will connect with the existing Broadway Line that extends to Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. Subsequent phases will extend the line northward to 125th Street and to the southern terminus at Hanover Square in Lower Manhattan.
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DENVER, CO
The 12.1-mile West Rail Line opened April 26, 2013. Mile High on Rail FasTracks is RTD’s voter-approved, multi-billion dollar transit expansion program that has become a model for the nation during times of anemic infrastructure investment. It includes building 122 miles of new commuter rail and light rail, 18 miles of bus rapid transit, 21,000 new parking spaces and bike amenities at 57 new light rail and bus stations, and enhanced bus service for easy bus-to-rail connections across eight different Colorado counties. Valued at more than $7.4 billion, it will provide a reliable and safe regional transit option that will significantly shorten commute times to and from downtown Denver, help reduce vehicular emissions, spur economic growth, and create jobs. At the height of construction, FasTracks is expected to create more than 10,000 construction-related jobs. Current construction includes four rail lines, Bus Rapid Transit, and Denver Union Station. RTD claims that for every $1 invested in the transit infrastructure, $4 will be injected into the economy over 20 years. Competitive Advantage The 12.1-mile West Rail Line is the first completed line of RTD’s ambitious FasTracks Program. The new line features 11 new stations, six Park-n-Rides, and three new Calln-Rides. For Denver-area residents, this means better access to jobs, education, and services. Urban provided PMO services for the preliminary engineering and final design of the West Rail Line and risk assessment services for RTD as the organization prepared for a federal grant application. Since 2007, Urban has been providing independent assessments of the FasTracks’ Annual Plan for the Denver Regional Council of Governments, the metropolitan planning organization for the greater Denver area. Urban’s scope of work has encompassed an independent and objective evaluation of RTD’s financial plan, including capital and operating cost assessments, revenue and financing assessments, and an overall evaluation of the plan.
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COMPETE The mile-high region of Denver is excited about The Regional Transportation District’s (RTD) FasTracks program, which is providing jobs and economic development opportunities to Denver-area residents.
The Denver area is currently home to 2.8 million people, and that number is expected to grow to 4.2 million by 2035.
For more information, contact: Ken Fulmer, PE, CCM 215.922.8081 x1559 krfulmer@urbanengineers.com
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VIDEO
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For more information, contact: Ken Fulmer, PE, CCM 215.922.8081 x1559 krfulmer@urbanengineers.com
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SEA ISLE S T R O L L
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The project enhanced Sea Isle City’s main entrance to the popular beachfront destination.
strolling from the beach to the bay in Sea Isle is something the community can do for years to come, thanks to this $4.1 million Gateway improvement project. Smile…You’re in Sea Isle City. That’s how
For Urban, what began as a roadway
Cape May County Freeholder and Sea
project to address aging infrastructure
Isle Mayor Leonard C. Desiderio closed
and poor drainage became a “Complete
his speech at the early June ribbon cutting
Streets” solution that transformed the
of the $4.1 million John F. Kennedy (JFK)
entrance to the Central Business District.
Boulevard Roadway Improvement Project. During the design process, Urban And smiles were everywhere in appreciation
learned of the recurring flooding history
of the work done to beautify Sea Isle
and saw first hand the impacts of coastal
City’s main gateway. The project, initiated
storms.
by Cape May County and designed by Urban Engineers, was the cornerstone
“We heard at our public meeting
to the five-year Beach to Bay Corridor
that flooding was a major concern of
Enhancement Program, which included
local officials and the community,”
several capital improvements from new
Adam Brown, Urban’s Lead Project
facilities at the promenade near the beach
Engineer said. “That is why, in addition
to a redeveloped marina on the bayside with
to providing a solution that promotes
a new welcome center in between.
mobility and safety, the profile of JFK projects / 24
Boulevard was raised substantially to counter tidal storm events.” While flooding may still occur during major events, the goal of the design is to reduce the likelihood of impacts from heavy tidally influenced storms, and to keep the roadway traversable for longer periods of
(L:R) The project team featured George Savastano, Sea Isle City Business Administrator; Don Potter, Project Manager, Asphalt Paving Systems; Steve Locke, Urban; Andy Previti, Sea Isle City Engineer, Maser Consulting; Dale Foster, Cape May County Engineer; Steve Renzi; Curtis Shugars, Pennoni Associates; and Adam Brown, Urban.
time when critical situations, such as evacuations, are necessary. As a shore community, tourism drives the economy. Cape May County Engineer Dale Foster mandated that the design support a construction staging that could start in the fall and be substantially complete prior to the start of the summer season. To accomplish the aggressive schedule and avoid delays, the project team conducted coordination meetings during construction to address utility relocations, expedite material and equipment needs, and plan for winter tourism events, such as the Polar Bear Plunge. Thanks to the incredible synergy of the key stakeholders, the project was successfully delivered on time and within budget for the Summer 2013 Season.
For more information, contact: William P. McGarrigel, PE 856.663.5550 x2626 wpmcgarrigel@urbanengineers.com
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The “Complete Streets” solution extends to the beachfront promenade.
What stands out about this project is how the city, county, and project team came together in a truly collaborative fashion to deliver a product that will benefit the Sea Isle community and its many visitors for years to come, - Steve Locke, Pe Urban Project Manager
Improvements included new traffic signals, beautifying the island’s main gateway, adding new walkways, and modifying sidewalks to make the road easier and safer for pedestrians to cross.
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ERic Sailer
The re i s s o m u c h pote nti al to gr o w.
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FAC ES O F F o r m u l ati n g exc el l en c e®
ERIC SAILER
DEPUTY OFFICE MANAGER AND DIRECTOR OF CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, WESTERN NY Judging by the number of cranes dotting the
of private spending on the horizon. “The
Buffalo skyline, there are good times ahead
uptick in construction has been a long time
for construction workers in western New
coming in the Buffalo-Niagara region,” he
York. Urban’s Eric Sailer, PE, is determined
said.
to get a part of the action. With his recent promotion to Deputy Office Manager and
Like other Rust Belt cities, Buffalo has had
Director of Construction Services in the
its share of hard times. But new proposals
region, he will have his chance.
and renovations are numerous, especially in the downtown core. “We don’t have the
Sailer has spent 16 years managing and
scale that New York City has, but there is
inspecting construction projects. Since
so much potential to grow,” Sailer said.
2011, he has been the Project Engineer and
Buffalo is the second largest city in the
Field Office Engineer/Inspector for the New
state and has great attributes - its people,
York State Department of Transportation’s
architecture, waterways, and transportation
replacement of I-190 bridges over Buffalo
infrastructure. Among Buffalo’s tightly knit
Avenue in the City of Niagara Falls. Urban
construction community, there is optimism.
has been kept busy with transportation construction during the last decade, but
“Buffalo has been depressed for a long
Sailer is excited that the firm will find more
time, but is just recently starting to resurge,”
diverse opportunities given the amount
said Sailer. “We can only go up from here.”
people / 28
VIDEO
29 / urbanengineers.com
For more information, contact: Charles F. ‘Chuck’ King, PE 212.736.9100 cfking@urbanengineers.com
people / 30
THAT’s GOOD TIMING CMAQ funds helP communities go green The poorly timed and maintained traffic signals across the United States received a score of “D+” in the latest Traffic Signal Report Card, a study prepared by the National Transportation Operations Coalition (NTOC) in 2012. While this is an improvement over the “D” grade received in 2007, it still leaves plenty of room for improvement. There are more than 300,000 traffic signals in the United States, owned and operated by state, county, and local transportation and
For more information, contact:
public works agencies. As with all roadway
Scott Diehl, PE, PTOE 856.663.5550 x2990 sjdiehl@urbanengineers.com
infrastructure, there is a need to manage,
Orla Pease, PE, PTOE 215.922.8081 x1097 ohpease@urbanengineers.com
investment at a time of limited infrastructure
operate, and maintain these traffic signal systems for the traveling public, requiring funding. Timing traffic signals to meet specific operational objectives, which includes improving flow, reducing the number of times a
31 / urbanengineers.com
Ever wondered why the signal was red when nobody else was there?
Ever travelled down a roadway stopping at red light after red light?
vehicle has to stop, and therefore, reducing
government programs to help meet the
or even maintain information on whether or
vehicular emissions, is a proven low-cost
requirements of the Clean Air Act. CMAQ
not they are operating efficiently. Information
solution that returns substantial value. The
projects can include retiming intersections,
on applying for CMAQ, or other types of
U.S. Department of Transportation Intelligent
new signal equipment, adaptive traffic signal
funding, is usually available through local
Transportation Systems Joint Program Office
controllers, bike trails, and improving public
maintains a benefit-cost database that
transit.
planning agencies or metropolitan planning organizations.
documents traffic signal studies conducted by various agencies. According to the
Urban recently worked with the New Jersey
database, a program of regular signal timing
Department of Transportation (NJDOT) to
updates has a benefit-cost ratio between
improve signal timing operations on a highly
20:1 and 55:1, with significant estimated
congested corridor into one of New Jersey’s
annual user savings in the tens of millions of
shore communities. Before this project, the
dollars. Providing this low-cost, high-return
typical length of time it took for a driver to
signal retiming solution, Urban is working
travel the last eight miles to the shore was in
on projects for multiple states, agencies,
excess of 45 minutes, or an average speed
and municipalities, many using CMAQ
of 10 mph. After optimizing and re-timing
(Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality
the signals, the travel time was reduced
Improvement Program) funding.
to only 15 minutes. Even on Labor Day weekend, travel onto the island only took 18
Created in 1991 under the Intermodal
minutes. These results represent a 66 percent
Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA),
improvement in travel time!
Urban’s Recent CMAQ and Signal timing-related projects include: - Retiming 170 signals for the City of Philadelphia Streets Department - Retiming over 150 signals for NJDOT - Redesign and timing of 10 traffic signals for the City of Norwalk, CT - Designing an adaptive traffic signal system for the Town of Greenwich, CT
the CMAQ Program has grown to more than $2.2 billion per year under MAP-21,
Some agencies own thousands of traffic
and is available in grants to state and local
signals, making it difficult to maintain them, projects / 32
URBAN WELCOMES
DIANE PURDY, PE
S E NI OR P R OJE CT M AN AG ER Diane Purdy, PE, has joined the firm’s central Pennsylvania operation. A senior project manager and bridge engineer, Ms. Purdy has 25 years of experience managing and designing transportation projects, bridges, transit facilities, and building structures. Her role with Urban includes client development, strategic teaming, and staff growth in central Pennsylvania. While Ms. Purdy continues settling into her new central Pennsylvania office, we caught up with her to get her thoughts on joining Urban.
Why Urban? DP: Urban has an outstanding reputation for the quality of its people and
How will you apply your previous experience to Urban? DP: My past experience with regional
projects. From many of my past working
office setup and daily operations will
relationships with Urban’s staff, I knew it
be beneficial for assisting with the
would be a great place to work.
expansion of Urban’s central Pennsylvania
international design firm. With a few other gigs along the way, I’m now back to a firm of excellence. I truly have come full circle, and am happy to be part of the Urban team.
regional clients, such as the Pennsylvania
What is your essential professional approach?
DP: Participating in the Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation and
DP: Do more than what is expected and put
Turnpike Commission’s (PTC) award-
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, and
client satisfaction first.
winning $101.5 million Replacement of
I’ve participated in an array of projects
the Lehigh River and Pohopoco Bridges
ranging from small bridge replacements
Words to live by?
in Carbon County was a rewarding
to large river crossings, and interstate
DP: Anyone who has never made a mistake
experience. It was a great opportunity to
design projects to limited-access facility
has never tried anything new.
work with outstanding professionals at the
reconstruction projects. I’ve worked for a
PTC, as well as Urban, the construction
small engineering/surveying firm while in
manager, and Walsh Construction, the
college (Penn State, woop! woop!) and
contractor.
then started my professional career at an
What project are you proud of?
33 / urbanengineers.com
operations. Additionally, I’m familiar with
Contact Diane Purdy: 717.796.0624 dppurdy@urbanengineers.com
formulating
clients + people + projects
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