The Route to Success W

The Route to Success
The Rhode Island Chapter Newsletter
Volume 6, Issue 2
Summer 2012
2012 Annual Member/
Sponsor Breakfast
By Katherine Trapani, Quonset Development Corporation
W
e all know how transportation and economic
development are inherently linked.
The
construction of the interstate highway system
caused explosive growth in suburban America, growth that
many bemoan today as “sprawl.” The city of Providence
now has a unique opportunity for urban growth and
development due to the relocation and demolition of a
stretch of Interstate 195 in the downtown area. The
redevelopment of the 20 acre ribbon of land that is freed up
from the removal of the highway was the subject of the
speaking program at the 2012 WTS-Rhode Island Member/
Sponsor Breakfast held at CAV Restaurant in the
Providence Jewelry District.
The new Executive Director of the I-195 Commission, Colin
Kane, spoke to members and corporate partners about the
challenges faced by this new quasi-public agency in this
redevelopment project. The commission intends to buy the
property from the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (at fair market value as required by Federal Highway
Administration regulations) as it addresses environmental
remediation, stormwater, “re-knitting together” the street
grid and infrastructure, and re-energizing the waterfront.
That is no small task. The land will then be re-sold for
development in a logically sequenced way using a
transparent, public process. Patience in finding the right
mix of uses and jobs is more important than acting hastily.
WTS-Rhode Island members and corporate partners enjoy the
breakfast at CAV Restaurant.
Colin has no fantasies about transit oriented development
and reliance on streetcars and buses. While transit,
walking, and bicycling have a role to play, the district will
not be successful without structured parking (which in turn
is not likely to be successful without some type of public
subsidy). He expects that he and his commission will be
working closely with the city, governor, General Assembly,
and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation on
this redevelopment over the next several years. We wish
them luck!
Also at the breakfast, WTS-Rhode Island President Jenn
Hupp acknowledged and thanked the chapter’s members,
corporate partners and board of directors for their
continued support of the chapter. Kudos to the Membership Committee and Programs/Professional Development
Committee for (yet again!) choosing a unique and
interesting venue at the CAV Restaurant. Where else can
you find 2 inch thick French toast?
IN THIS ISSUE
2012 Annual Member/Sponsor Breakfast ........... 1
Member News ..................................................... 2
Joint Dinner Meeting ........................................... 2
Member Spotlight ................................................ 2
Pawtucket Bridge 550 Construction Tour............ 3
Upcoming WTS Events ............................ 4
June Luncheon......................................... 5
Corporate Partners................................... 6
Wickford Junction Opening ...................... 7
In Memory of Marybeth Murphy ............... 8
WTS-Rhode Island
is on Facebook!
f
Click the
image to see it.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Member News
WTS-Rhode
Island
extends
congratulations to Christine Ann
Palmer, P.E., PTOE, who recently
joined McMahon Associates as a
project manager in its New England
Transportation Design Department.
Ms. Palmer, a resident of Greene, RI,
draws on over 25 years of professional
experience
with
expertise
in
transportation and traffic engineering.
Her engineering experience includes design of roadway
reconstruction and rehabilitation projects in both urban and
rural settings.
These projects range from complete
reconstruction of arterials, including drainage and
intersection geometric and signalization improvements, to
pavement rehabilitation projects.
If you are a current member of WTS-Rhode Island and
would like to share professional news, such as a recent job
change, promotion, or publication, please email the
information to Dara Clough, WTS-Rhode Island Director of
Newsletter/Publicity at [email protected].
ASCE/WTS-Rhode
Island/SAME/SEARI
Joint Dinner Meeting
By Dara Clough, Bryant Associates, Inc.
WTS-Rhode Island co-sponsored a dinner at the Squantum Association in East Providence on May 17, 2012 with
the Rhode Island chapter of the American Society of Civil
Engineers, the Society of American Military Engineers,
and the Structural Engineer Association of Rhode Island.
Over 100 people attended the dinner to see W. Gene Corley, Ph.D., P.E. give a presentation on the engineering
analysis of the 9/11 attacks. Dr. Corley was the principal
investigator on the Federal Emergency Management
Agency’s (FEMA) “World Trade Center Building Performance Study.” In his presentation, Dr. Corley discussed
how the attack impacted certain structural elements of the
buildings. Identification of specific building columns that
were damaged was crucial to determine what caused the
collapse of the buildings. It was determined that impact
alone was not enough to bring down the buildings. The
fire protection on the steel members was damaged so that
the ensuing fires weakened the steel enough to result in
the ultimate collapse of the buildings.
WTS-Rhode Island 2012 Summer Newsletter
MICHAEL
DESMOND
1. Who do you work for and what is your job position?
I work for Bryant Associates, Inc. where I am vice
president and regional transportation manager.
2. What are the duties/functions/responsibilities of
your job?
I am in charge of all transportation work for the firm
(highway and traffic engineering projects) and I assist
our Senior Vice President, George Monaghan in the
administration of our Rhode Island office.
3. How did this field of work interest you?
As strange as it sounds, as a young person, I was intrigued by how highway interchanges came to be.
How could someone design connections of roadways
at different elevations so that an interchange could
actually be built and function. I found out that civil engineers did that kind of work and the rest, as they say,
is history.
4. Why did you become involved in WTS?
WTS-Rhode Island is an enthusiastic, well organized,
technical society which runs great meetings and has a
committed membership which I felt was worth joining.
5. What rewarding experiences have you had since
you joined WTS?
Aside from the benefits of membership (meeting new
people, hearing good speakers, etc.), I thoroughly enjoyed working on the scholarship committee and having the opportunity to introduce an outstanding young
woman like Sarah Thomas and present her with a
scholarship check which will help her continue her
engineering education.
6. Tell us something most people do not know about
you.
I played lacrosse at Notre Dame when they were still
using wooden lacrosse sticks.
7. If you could go anywhere in the world, where
would you go and why?
I would always like to be able to go wherever my
grandchildren are currently living. Being a grandfather
is awesome.
www.wtsinternational.org
Volume 6, Issue 2
2
Pawtucket Bridge 550
Construction Tour
By Deb Loiselle, URS
The construction tour of Pawtucket Bridge 550 began at
RIDOT with a presentation by Anthony Pompeii, RIDOT
Resident Engineer and Robert Faraj, Project Manager,
RIDOT Bridge Design. WTS-Rhode Island would also like
to thank Jim Primeau, RIDOT Resident Engineer for
preparing the presentation, as he could not be there on the
day of the tour.
On Tuesday, April 24, 20 WTS-Rhode Island members
and guests enjoyed a construction tour of the Pawtucket
Bridge 550. The Pawtucket Bridge 550 is infamous in
Rhode Island for its 18 ton weight restriction and the
perpetual police presence ticketing trucks over that limit
that cross the bridge. The bridge weight limit has been in
place since 2007.
The original bridge was built in 1958 as part of the
Interstate Highway System. The bridge carries traffic over
the Seekonk River, Taft Street, and Pleasant Street. The
original bridge was built for 60,000 vehicles per day, but
today it handles 172,000 vehicles per day. It is a five
span, two girder, pin and hangar (suspended cantilever)
steel bridge.
The bridge consists of two separate
structures (one for northbound and the other for
southbound). The overall span of the bridge is 694 feet.
A view of the new and old bridge spans from underneath.
WTS-Rhode Island members and guests attend the construction
tour of the Pawtucket Bridge 550.
The new bridge will consist of three single span steel arch
structures spanning 350 feet (connector bridge,
northbound and southbound). Mechanically stabilized
earth (MSE) walls fill in the majority of the difference
between the original span length and the new span length,
with prestressed concrete single span bridges for the
streets being overpassed.
The massive concrete
substructure is made up of 16,000 cubic yards of cast-inplace concrete. Inspiration for the bridge design came
from other structures in Pawtucket built during the Great
Depression. The artistic elements are of the Art Deco
style, with the wings of the eagles from Pawtucket City
Hall mirrored on the pillars adjacent to the abutments.
LED lighting fixtures will be installed to accent the bridge.
In addition to the Pawtucket Bridge 550, nine other bridges
will be replaced as part of this $81 million dollar project.
WTS-Rhode Island 2012 Summer Newsletter
The timing of the construction tour was just after the
opening of the new connector bridge and the shifting of the
northbound lanes to the new bridge. The tour group was
able to see the first phase bridge as well as the old bridges.
The new abutment forms were in place for the next phase
and the massive forms demonstrated the incredible amount
of work necessary to build this bridge. Eventually, after
construction of three new bridges, the northbound and
southbound traffic will be on the same alignment, with the
first bridge remaining as a connector road. The tour group
was also able to view the elegant 1877 Division Street
stone arch bridge to the south of the Pawtucket Bridge 550,
and see the juxtaposition of three bridges from three
different eras.
A view of northbound traffic traveling over the new bridge.
www.wtsinternational.org
Volume 6, Issue 2
3
BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND
COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
Jennifer Hupp, PE, PTOE
BETA
Vice President
Colleen Medeiros, PE, LEED AP
McMahon Associates
Secretary
Srilatha Ranganadham
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS
Fundraising
Maureen Chlebek, PE
McMahon Associates
Membership
Margaret Florio
Rhode Island Department of
Transporta on
Shana Gare, EIT
CDM Smith
Treasurer
Chris ne Ann Palmer, PE, PTOE NewsleƩer/Publicity
Dara Clough, PE
McMahon Associates
Bryant Associates, Inc.
Immediate Past President
Lisa Sherman , PE, PTOE
Deanna Peabody
CDM Smith
TrafInfo Communica ons, Inc.
UPCOMING WTS EVENTS
WTS-Rhode Island
Professional Development Webinar –
Roundabout Construction
Thursday, July 12, 2012
11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
RIDOT Maintenance Training Room
Warwick, RI
East Bay Bike Path Ride
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
East Bay Bike Path
East Providence, RI
Golf Event
August – TBD
For more information about WTS-Rhode Island events,
Director
Programs/
contact Diane Baxter at [email protected].
Diane Baxter, PhD, PE, LEED AP Professional Development
GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.
Diane Baxter, PhD, PE, LEED AP
GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.
Director
Maureen Chlebek, PE
McMahon Associates
Lucelene Almeida
Bryant Associates, Inc.
Director
Dara Clough, PE
Anita Marshall, PE
Bryant Associates, Inc.
Rhode Island Department of
Director
If you would like to submit ar cles or provide feedback
Transporta on
Michael Desmond, PE
on the newsle er please contact Dara Clough, WTSBryant Associates, Inc.
Judith Zimmerman-Reisch, PE,
Rhode Island Director of Newsle er/Publicity at 401-722Director
PTOE
7660 X2216 or [email protected].
Margaret Florio
RAB Engineers
Rhode Island Department of
Student Outreach
Transporta on
Michael Desmond, PE
Bryant Associates, Inc.
We would like to hear
from you!
Welcome to our chapter!
Patricia Steere, PE
Steere Engineering, Inc.
NEW WEBSITE
WTS-Rhode Island is excited
to launch the new WTS website!
Check it out at: www.wtsinternational.org/rhodeisland/
WTS-Rhode Island 2012 Summer Newsletter
Nelleen Chandler Knight
Rizzo Associates, Inc.
Allison Luff
McMahon Associates
For information about becoming a member of WTSRhode Island, please contact Margaret Florio, WTSRhode Island Director of Membership, at 401-2225826 X4186 or [email protected]
www.wtsinternational.org
Volume 6, Issue 2
4
JUNE LUNCHEON
Complete Streets
By Pam Sherrill, Town of Johnston
Dara Clough, Bryant Associates, Inc.
“Complete streets” are a hot topic in the transportation
field. No longer is the emphasis on level of service at the
expense of pedestrian, transit, and bicycle use of our
roadways. States, cities, and towns are asking their
planners and engineers to build roads that are safer, more
accessible, and easier for everyone to use. On June 7,
2012, 45 attendees at the WTS-Rhode Island June
Luncheon heard from a panel of experts regarding the
importance of designing our streets to accommodate safe
access for all users, regardless of age, ability or mode of
transportation.
Center contractor, described the process that led to a
complete rewrite of the Massachusetts Highway
Department highway design manual as the 2006
Massachusetts Project Development and Design Guide.
A 28-member task force including many highway
department critics representing public health, historical,
conservation, elderly, pedestrian, and bicyclist interests
was convened with the mission “tell us what we can do
right.” The outcome established nine “settings” with
different transportation needs. What resulted is a toolbox,
not a cookbook that emphasizes the importance of
bringing in concerned stakeholders as the first step in
project development. Start your design from the layout
line to the center line to accommodate all users; do not
start at the center line with a focus on vehicular traffic with
a nod to any other users that can fit.
Left to right: Lou DiLucchio, Joe Giordano, and Frank Romeo at
the Complete Streets June Luncheon.
Complete streets panel of speakers. Left to right: Bob Smith,
Jennifer Hupp, WTS-Rhode Island President, Luisa Paiewonsky,
Barbara Breslin, David Sousa, Jason Hellendrung.
Barbara Breslin, a planner and Program Development
Team Leader with the Federal Highway Administration
(FHWA) Rhode Island Division, spoke about the changing
emphasis of FHWA since June 2009 when the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD),
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Department
of Transportation (DOT) joined in a partnership to protect
the environment by improving the livability of our
communities. For FHWA, this means support of transit
oriented development at the Warwick Station at T.F.
Green Airport or through the Aquidneck Island Transportation Study policy statement to support sustainability/
livability. Most recently FHWA has been involved in
pedestrian safety initiatives through zoning changes and
implementation of design standards.
Luisa Paiewonsky, former MassDOT Highway Division
Administrator and current Volpe Transportation Systems
WTS-Rhode Island 2012 Summer Newsletter
Bob Smith, Deputy Chief Engineer at the Rhode Island
Department of Transportation (RIDOT), spoke about how
roadway design has evolved over his career. Recently
RIDOT worked closely with the American Association of
Retired Persons (AARP) to introduce legislation that is
close to passage regarding the complete streets initiative.
He stressed that the needs of all roadway users including
pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit should be considered
from day one to assure that user needs are balanced
equally, even if it lowers the level of service for vehicular
traffic flow. He cited projects on East Main Road in
Portsmouth, Main Road in Tiverton, the Pell Bridge ramps/
JT Connell Highway in Newport, Route 2 in East
Greenwich, and Route 6 in Foster as examples of how
complete street needs have evolved. Often a complete
street approach can be a more cost-effective treatment
with solutions such as road diets.
David Sousa, Senior Planner/Landscape Architect for
CDM Smith, followed with an overview of some of the
components of complete streets. These components
include enhanced crosswalks using a different pavement
colors or the installation of bumpouts to reduce the
crossing area. The narrowing of travel lanes by re-striping
or creating a median with pedestrian refuge helps with the
www.wtsinternational.org
See JUNE LUNCHEON, page 6
Volume 6, Issue 2
5
JUNE LUNCHEON, continued from page 5
perception of space for the roadway users. The creation
of bicycle lanes is another component, or the creation of
cycle tracks, which are bicycle lanes that are separate
from the travel way. Other components include enhanced
transit, one-street parking and street trees, and landscaped medians. A project that CDM Smith was recently
involved with was the Euclid Avenue corridor in Cleveland,
Ohio. Euclid Avenue connects the Cleveland Central
Business District of Cleveland to University Circle. A Bus
Rapid Transit (BRT) system, which has been shown to be
beneficial to cities and encourage commerce, was
installed on Euclid Avenue. Historically, Euclid Avenue
was a complete street and it has now been restored to its
former state.
Jason Hellendrung, Principal at Sasaki Associates, Inc.,
was the final panel member to provide additional
information regarding the Euclid Avenue project. Euclid
Avenue, which was once of the main areas of Cleveland,
with large department stores and theaters, had become
rundown and vacant. Euclid Avenue historically had street
cars until the 1950’s, then a subway, then light rail, and
now the BRT. The project consisted of a full reconstruction of the roadway from building face to building face.
The BRT was installed with exclusive lanes and a platform
in the median. Street trees were planted throughout the
project. A public art program was instituted as part of the
project which allowed eight different artists to design
crosswalks, pavement, benches, and planters. Tax credits
were given for the restoration of the historic buildings
within the project limits. The project encouraged a funding
partnership between two hospitals who are donating
money to maintain the corridor. The three takeaways from
the project was that the installation of the BRT doubled the
number of passengers using Euclid Avenue’s transportation corridor, $5.8 billion of economic development
resulted with public and private investment of new
construction and rehabilitation projects, and the quality of
life was improved for the users of Euclid Avenue.
Newsletter Committee
Dara Clough, Co-Chair
Deanna Peabody, Co-Chair
Lisa Andrews
Alessandra Keller
EXECUTIVE
BETA
CDM Smith
PATRON
Garofalo & Associates, Inc.
GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.
McMahon Associates
Parsons Brinckerhoff
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
SPONSOR
Bryant Associates, Inc.
Construc on Industries of Rhode Island
Gordon R. Archibald, Inc.
Pare Corpora on
Prime Engineering, Inc.
SMALL BUSINESS
Automated Counts & Traffic Surveys, Inc.
Birchwood Design Group
D’Amico Engineering Technology, Inc.
Gates, Leighton & Associates, Inc.
Steere Engineering Inc.
United States Veterans Offered Free
Membership to WTS International
WTS International has initiated a new membership drive
campaign allowing United States veterans to join free of
charge for one year. The membership drive is valid from
July 1, 2012 until December 31, 2013. It was created to
recognize veterans and their increasing employment challenges and to move our organization forward on its mission to bring more diverse leadership to the transportation
industry.
This announcement was driven by industry discussions
regarding the future of the United States’ infrastructure,
President Obama’s “Win the Future” initiative, high unemployment rates, and the high number of open positions
within the transportation industry for skilled and experienced management roles. This offer is for both male and
female veterans and is for new memberships only.
James Marsland
Sophia Narkiewicz
Christine Ann Palmer
Jon Skaarup
WTS-Rhode Island thanks Bryant Associates, Inc. for
graphics and layout services.
WTS-Rhode Island 2012 Summer Newsletter
2012 CORPORATE
PARTNERS
For more information, click here.
www.wtsinternational.org
Volume 6, Issue 2
6
Wickford Junction, a
Commuter Rail Station
Once Again!
corridors like this one in Southern Rhode Island,” said
Secretary LaHood. “Extending this commuter rail service
will help reduce area congestion while opening the door to
jobs and economic opportunity for South County’s shoreline
communities.”
By Pam Sherrill, Town of Johnston
Commuter rail service from Wickford Junction is up and
running after 15 years of planning, environmental
assessment, engineering, and construction that involved
many WTS-Rhode Island members. On April 23, 2012,
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Governor
Lincoln Chafee, members of the congressional delegation,
Rhode Island and Massachusetts transportation officials,
North Kingston council president, and Bob Cioe, owner
and developer of the site spoke at the grand
opening.
Through the Rhode Island Department of
Transportation’s (RIDOT) first design/build contract, the
project was completed utilizing one team to design and
build the job, shortening the schedule due to concurrent
activities.
A view of the platform at the new station.
"This is an historic day and the culmination of years of hard
work by many people, including the Cioe family. I am
pleased to have secured nearly $33 million in federal
funding to bring commuter rail to South County. This new
rail line is a smart investment that will help create jobs and
put Rhode Island on track to long-term, sustainable
economic growth. Even people who don't take the train will
benefit from less traffic and better air quality along the busy
I-95/Route 1/Route 4 corridor," said Senator Jack Reed.
"Today's opening marks a huge milestone in public
transportation in Rhode Island," said RIDOT Director
Michael P. Lewis. "The continuation of commuter rail into
North Kingstown should bring some much-needed
congestion relief to the heavily traveled South County
corridor. In addition, thanks in part to our innovative
contracting approach; the project was completed ahead of
schedule and under budget."
Secretary LaHood speaks at the Wickford Junction Station opening celebration.
"Infrastructure projects such as this make Rhode Island
more economically competitive, create short-term and long
-term jobs, relieve congestion on our heavily traveled
roads, and improve quality of life,” said Governor Lincoln
Chafee.
“This is a truly outstanding public-private
partnership."
The station received $59 million in federal funds, including
$25 million from the Federal Transit Administration’s New
Starts Capital Program and more than $4 million from the
American Resource Recovery Act. It will be served by ten
northbound and southbound trains on weekdays and is
expected to carry as many as 1,500 riders a day.
Commuters will have access to an on-site garage with bike
racks and ten charging stations for electric and hybrid
electric vehicles.
Secretary LaHood, having spoken at the groundbreaking
for the Wickford Junction Station in 2010, returned for the
opening celebration. “President Obama is advocating an
all-of-the-above energy strategy that includes bringing
more sustainable public transportation choices to urban
WTS-Rhode Island 2012 Summer Newsletter
www.wtsinternational.org
Volume 6, Issue 2
7
Get involved!
In Memory of
Marybeth Murphy
The following is a list of regularly scheduled monthly WTSRhode Island commi ee mee ngs. Mee ngs are open to
members and non-members. See the contacts below for
more informa on if you would like to a end.
By Pam Sherrill, Town of Johnston
Those of us who knew and appreciated the quiet support of
Marybeth Murphy were deeply saddened to hear of her
passing at the age of 50 last fall. Marybeth, a former
landscape architect with Terrasphere in Worcester,
Massachusetts was a great cheerleader for the formation of
the Rhode Island Affiliate of WTS-Boston as it evolved from
the Central West Affiliate of the Boston chapter.
2003 marked a transition year for the Central-West Affiliate.
After seven years of activity, with significant participation by
Massachusetts Highway Department staff, membership
had dwindled. Many active members had transitioned to
new careers outside of transportation, leaving a core of
participants outside the Worcester area. During that year
the Central-West Affiliate focused its efforts on expanding
WTS to Rhode Island, a move which began in 2001 with
the first event in Rhode Island. This culminated with the
formation of the Rhode Island Affiliate in August 2003.
Marybeth was with us every step of the way from 2001 with
our first event, a ferry tour to Newport, through 2006 with
the formation of WTS-Rhode Island.
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Board of
Directors
Mee ng
12:00 PM
Newsle er/
Publicity
Mee ng
12:00 PM
Programs/
Professional
Development
Mee ng
12:00 PM
Membership
Conference
Call
12:00 PM
Student
Outreach
Conf. Call
10:00 AM
Board of Directors MeeƟng
First Thursday
12:00 PM @ RIDOT Transporta on Management Center
Contact Jennifer Hupp: [email protected]
NewsleƩer/Publicity MeeƟng
Second Tuesday
12:00 PM @ GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.
Contact Dara Clough: [email protected]
Programs/Professional Development MeeƟng
Third Tuesday
12:00 PM @ GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.
Contact Diane Baxter: [email protected]
Rhode Island-Central West holiday reunion at Viva Bene, Worcester in December 2005.
Left to right: Ingeborg Hegemann,
Marybeth Murphy, Pam Sherrill, Sara Capps, Diana Walden, Mona Monachi, Jen Shemowat, Christine Ann Palmer.
Marybeth was instrumental in arranging the Central-West
Affiliate’s annual golf mentoring day at local par-3 courses
as a way of giving women confidence to compete in the
many high-price golf tournaments that are part of our
industry. This is a tradition that the Rhode Island chapter
continues to this day.
WTS-Rhode Island 2012 Summer Newsletter
Membership Conference Call
Fourth Monday
12:00 PM Call-in # 218-330-3600
Pass code: 207775#
Contact Margaret Florio: [email protected]
Student Outreach Conference Call
Fourth Thursday
10:00 AM
Contact Michael Desmond: [email protected]
Fundraising
Not Regularly Scheduled
Contact Maureen Chlebek: [email protected]
www.wtsinternational.org
Volume 6, Issue 2
8