Jun 23, 2020 (Transportation): DDOT Bus Priority Program
Registration information coming soon.
Almost as many District residents ride Metrobus as Metrorail each day. However, over the last decade, average bus speeds have declined. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is working to improve bus travel speeds and reliability across the city through the development of a Bus Priority Program. The Program seeks to systematically advance transit planning, engineering, operations, and policy work across the agency. As part of the Program initiation, DDOT is using a data-driven approach to rank seventeen high-ridership corridors, which will feed into a pipeline of bus priority projects. In order to streamline project delivery, DDOT is also developing a toolbox of context-sensitive bus priority improvements, including bus lanes, transit signal priority, and queue jumps. The presentation includes a discussion of:
- Bus Priority Plan
- Corridor ranking analysis Toolbox
- Program development (project delivery, organizational structure, etc)
- Current projects
- H and I Street NW bus lanes
- 14th Street NW bus lanes
- 16th Street NW bus lanes
- K Street Transitway
- Pennsylvania Avenue SE corridor study
Join us at the Transportation Committee meeting where Megan Kanagy, DDOT's Bus Priority Program Manager shares insights about the program.
WHEN: Tuesday, June 23, 2020, 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
WHERE: Online webinar (See registration information above)
COST: $0 (no cost)
Attendees will receive (1.0) Professional Development Hour (PDH).
About the speaker: Megan Kanagy is the Bus Program Priority Manager with the DC Department of Transportation.
Feb 18, 2020 (Transportation): Understanding and Harnessing Smarter Mobility for Smarter Cities
Click HERE to register.
Increases in urbanization and car dependence have contributed to daily traffic congestion problems for millions of people across the country. These problems are now being addressed with technological advances and innovative ideas that will have a significant impact in the future. These future improvements will encompass developing smarter mobility solutions to create smarter cities.
- What is smart mobility and how does it factor into a smart city?
- How do smart mobility solutions increase safety while reducing traffic congestion and pollution?
- What are the top 10 issues in preparing for automated vehicles and shared mobility?
Join us at the Transportation Committee meeting where Neil J. Pedersen, Executive Director of the Transportation Research Board, shares thoughts on what smart mobility means for smarter cities.
WHEN: Tuesday, February 18, 2020, 11:45 AM - 1:15 PM (Sign-in and catered lunch begin at 11:45 AM, with speaker at 12:00 PM)
WHERE: WSP USA, 1015 Half Street, Suite 650, Washington, DC 20003
COST: $20 per person (ASCE member) $25 (nonmember)
Attendees will receive (1.0) Professional Development Hour (PDH).
About the speaker: Neil J. Pedersen, has been the Executive Director at the Transportation Research Board (TRB) since 2015. He is responsible for TRB's technical activities, including an annual meeting attended by more than 12,000 transportation professionals, 200 technical committees, conferences, and publications. Previously, he was the Deputy Director for TRB's Strategic Highway Research Program. He spent 29 years at the Maryland State Highway Administration, where he became the Administrator and Governor's Highway Safety Representative. During his career, he has been in volunteer leadership roles for both TRB and AASHTO. He earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering and Urban Studies from Bucknell University and a M.S. in Civil Engineering from Northwestern University.
Oct 22, 2019: Post-Hurricane Maria: Puerto Rico Roadway and Bridge Assessments
Click HERE to register with credit card, or pay at the door. Online registration closes Monday, October 21.
Hurricane Irma passed near San Juan, Puerto Rico, on September 6, 2017, and though the island missed the worst of that storm, it brought heavy rains and wind gusts up to 100 miles per hour, leaving two-thirds of the island without electricity and one-third of the population without clean water. As the island was still coping with the aftermath of Irma, Hurricane María made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017. The storm had already caused widespread destruction throughout the eastern Caribbean as a Category 5 storm, and it alternated between Category 4 and 5 as it approached Puerto Rico. When María reached the island, it was a Category 4 storm. As the eye of the storm passed over Puerto Rico, the intense winds broke and uprooted trees, severely damaging 95 percent of their cell towers thereby cutting off nearly all cell phone communication, destroying what was still functioning in Puerto Rico's electrical grid after Irma, and leaving all residents across the island without power.
Over 48 hours, María dropped 15 to 20 inches of rain in most areas, with some locations receiving even higher amounts. High velocity water washed out roads, bridges, culverts, and low water crossings; caused landslides and mudslides; and damaged other ancillary road elements on facilities owned, operated, and maintained by the Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTOP). In conjunction with FEMA and DTOP, the Federal Highway Administration Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division (EFLHD) initially performed emergency repairs to reestablish critical transportation links, and is currently managing a program to continue the repair process on hundreds of roadway and bridge locations throughout the island. The goal of this project is to restore roadways and bridges damaged by Hurricane Maria to their pre-disaster conditions, and where applicable, to identify additional improvements that will help mitigate damage caused by future hurricanes or other natural disasters.
WSP is leading one of the four teams assisting EFLHD with this recovery process, and at the October 22nd Transportation Committee meeting, Robert Kalbach, WSP's program manager, will discuss the overall program and WSP's experience on the project.
WHEN: Tuesday, October 22, 2019, 11:45 AM - 1:15 PM (Sign-in and catered lunch begin at 11:45 AM, with speaker at 12:00 PM)
WHERE: WSP, 13530 Dulles Technology Drive, Suite 300, Herndon, VA 20171
COST: $20 per person (ASCE member) $25 (nonmember)
Attendees will receive (1.0) Professional Development Hour (PDH).
About the speaker: Robert Kalbach, PE, ENV SP, manages the civil department in WSP's Herndon, Virginia, office. Additionally, he is this year's Chair of the ASCE NCS Transportation Committee. Mr. Kalbach has diverse experience in program/project management and engineering design, developing projects from the planning phase through final construction documents. He is focused on providing a big picture perspective to effectively balance project needs and requirements with the challenges imposed by existing conditions and political/funding constraints. He has a degree in civil/structural engineering from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and has been working for WSP in Herndon for over 24 years. NOTE: Representatives from EFLHD's Sterling, Virginia, office may also be available for the presentation, though that confirmation is still pending.
Sep. 24, 2019: VDOT Wilson Blvd Bridge Replacement in 54 Hrs!
Click HERE to register with credit card, or pay at the door. Please register by Monday, September 23!
In the busy Seven Corners area of Fairfax County, over the weekend of August 2nd through 5th, the bridge carrying EB Wilson Boulevard over US Route 50 was replaced in a span of 54 hours. A traditional superstructure replacement project would have caused weeks, if not months, of significant traffic impacts in one of the busiest, most complicated intersections in Northern Virginia.
The original 87-foot long bridge was constructed in 1958. Like so many bridges of its age, the continuous exposure to the environment and to de-icing chemicals (chlorides) have caused the superstructure concrete to deteriorate over time. The bridge deck was rated “Poor” and required a superstructure replacement. To minimize the impacts to the traveling public, VDOT chose to use an accelerated bridge construction (ABC) approach to this project, with three new superstructure pre-constructed units (PCU) assembled and stored near the bridge site to allow for a quick installation following the demolition and removal of the existing bridge superstructure. In addition, the project incorporated improvements in the design including upgraded railings, new sidewalk and curb, and new concrete end walls on the southwestern approach.
At the September 24 Transportation Committee meeting, representatives from the VDOT NOVA District Structures and Bridge staff, along with members of WSP’s design team, will discuss the design and construction of this highly successful project.
WHEN: Tuesday, September 24, 2019, 11:45 AM - 1:15 PM (Sign-in and catered lunch begin at 11:45 AM, with speaker at 12:00 PM)
WHERE: WSP, 13530 Dulles Technology Drive, Suite 300, Herndon, VA 20171
COST: $20 per person (ASCE member) $25 (nonmember)
Attendees will receive (1.0) Professional Development Hour (PDH).
About the speakers: Gary Runco (NOVA District Bridge Engineer), Edmund Okerchiri (NOVA District Asst. Bridge Engineer), Vicente Valeza (VDOT's Design PM), Saeed Joulapour (VDOT's Construction Engineer), and Kelly Guild (WSP Lead Bridge Designer).
Feb 26, 2019: Purpose and Scope of VDOT Local Assistance Program
Register HERE with credit card, or pay at the door. Please register by Monday, February 25!
The Local Assistance Division (LAD) of VDOT develops policy and provides guidance for special funding programs that impact projects delivered by localities. Whether you are a transportation consultant or a local government transportation agency, your work on local projects may be subject to federal and state stewardship and oversight obligations.
Join us to learn about the guidance, policies and tools LAD has developed for use on local projects. The overall value of the projects that fall under the oversight of LAD in NOVA is $1.6 billion, with 200 projects in design development and 50 in active construction. Even though a transportation project may be administered by a local government agency, VDOT is still responsible for oversight to ensure the funds provided are appropriately spent in accordance with the contract documents. Learn what VDOT audits and how to "Start Right" and "Stay Right" on local transportation projects.
WHEN: Tuesday, February 26, 2019, 11:45 AM - 1:15 PM (Sign-in and catered lunch begin at 11:45 AM, with speaker at 12:00 PM)
WHERE: WSP, 13530 Dulles Technology Drive, Suite 300, Herndon, VA 20171
COST: $20 per person (ASCE member) $25 (nonmember)
Attendees will receive (1.0) Professional Development Hour (PDH).
About the speaker: Leonard (Bud) Siegel, Jr. PE is the Local Assistance Program Manager with VDOT NOVA District. He has been with VDOT for over 21 years, of which the last four and a half have been in his current role as LAP Manager. His 39-years of combined experience in design, construction, and project management has focused on land development and transportation project engineering and delivery. In his current role he is responsible for the design, construction and fiscal oversight of locally-administered transportation projects. Presently, NOVA's locally-administered program consists of over 250 projects with an estimated value of $1.6B for engineering, right-of-way, and construction.
