Northstar Golf Resort is a development of nearly 1,290 acres in southern Delaware County, Ohio, near the interchange of I-71 with US 36/SR 37. The original development plan called for building approximately 900 single-family homes, 270 multi-family dwelling units, 200 Tennis & Swim Club Villa units, 860,000 square feet of office development, an 18-hole golf course, and a passive recreation park with approximately 36 acres reserved for elementary and middle schools. The 2005 development plan included the improvement and realignment of Wilson Road between North Galena Road and Carters Corner Road – along with the extension of Wilson Road west of North Galena Road and south to a new intersection with US 36/SR 37.
SERVICES PERFORMED
Traffic Studies – Data Collection and analysis, access and circulation studies, traffic signal warrants.
Design – Concept design alternatives for interchange, traffic signal design.
Transportation Planning – Site access and circulation planning, intersection design, roadway design concepts.
Trans Associates is the prime engineer on this one mile widening project in Delaware County, OH. With development increasing in the area, the County wanted to widen the roadway to 24′ with safety shoulders, improve drainage and realign an S-curve to meet a 45-mph design.
SERVICES PERFORMED Transportation Study – The study phase in 2018 determined the most effective storm water management system which informed roadway design.
Roadway Design – Design covered one mile of roadway which included a tie-in point on Steitz Road 450’ north of the project area to match a separate roadway design project underway by others.
Pavement Design – With the exception of potential curve widening along the improved S-curve midway through the existing alignment, TA utilized the existing alignment and profile with a variable-thickness resurfacing course to minimize excavation. The location of longitudinal sawcut lines were determined through an evaluation of the existing pavement condition with the intent to salvage existing pavement where feasible.
Drainage Design – The corridor is located directly along a drainage basin ridge between the Olentangy and Scioto Rivers, creating a lack of drainage outlets for roadway stormwater. TA worked closely with the DCEO to identify and locate existing field tiles that would ultimately be the only positive outlets available to the corridor. A standard ditch section was determined to encroach excessively into residential front yards, and was successfully replaced with a full-length storm sewer system designed with minimal grades to avoid deep trenches. Stormwater BMP’s will be designed to provide water quality and volume.
Georgesville Road is a major north-south corridor on the West side of Columbus serving the Westland Area. Trans Associates was retained by Franklin County Engineer’s Office (FCEO) to provide equipment inventory, safety evaluation, timing and phasing recommendations for four intersections along Georgesville Road adjacent to the Hollywood Casino.
The study intersections control the access driveways to Westland Mall and the Hollywood Casino. The Hollywood Casino is located just south of West Broad Street (US 40) along Georgesville Road. The signalized intersections in the area are all are part of the COC Central System, but are controlled by four different entities – the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), the City of Columbus (COC) and the Franklin County Engineer’s Office (FCEO). The intersection of Georgesville Road with West Broad Street is controlled by ODOT.
SERVICES PERFORMED Asset Inventory – Document equipment used at each intersection, Trans Associates identified failed detection equipment and failed coordination timestamps from the Central System during the field inspection. These failures were causing unnecessary delay to the traveling public.
Timing and Phasing Study – Trans Associates identified failed detection equipment and failed coordination timestamps from the Central System during the field inspection.
Safety Analysis – Evaluated the signal equipment and perform capacity analysis. Recommended safety and capacity improvements for the corridor. Trans Associates also identified lane use and phasing changes that would reduce delay and improve the safety of the intersection. A recommendation was made for dual left turn lanes to be restriped as single left turn lanes, so left turns could be permitted, not only protected, which reduced intersection delay.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) of Pittsburgh received TAP* funding to enhance pedestrian safety in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The goal was to improve pedestrian safety and promote Safe Routes To School in the vicinity of Faison Elementory. Trans Associates provided transportation engineering and design services for the project as a prime contractor to the URA.
The pedestrian needs study to identified and prioritized improvement recommendations. Public meetings were held to present findings and confirm work scope. The PennDOT project development process was used to finalize design plans and prepare documents for bidding on PennDot’s ECMS system.
Design Improvements Included
ADA ramp designs and new sidewalk/curb replacements
Flashing School Speed Limit Warning Devices by Faison Elementary
Improved LED Lighting under the busway and railroad underpasses
New thermoplastic pedestrian crosswalks and signage plan
Street furnishings including benches, bike racks, trash receptacles, tree pits
Traffic calming on Finance Street which included speed humps
Pedestrian scale lighting
* Transporation Alternatives Program funding from PennDOT
In 2015, Trans Associates Engineering Consultants, Inc. (TA) was tasked by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) under an open end contract to complete a Systemwide Truck Parking Improvement Study. The purpose of the study was to identify measurable and implementable short term strategies to improve truck parking capacity along the PTC. Key amenities for potential parking sites were lighting, availability of restroom facilities, trash disposal services and ITS systems.
TA began with initial document research related to existing studies and facilities in other states, a review of applicable legislation, available funding and ITS options for notification of parking availability. A total of 38 locations were initially identified although more than half were quickly dismissed through identification of obvious constraints.
Data collection was performed for each remaining site and included field views and photographs, an evaluation of Right-of-Way plans, environmental documentation required by each site, mapping research, property ownership and zoning, historical construction costs and PASDA aerial mapping for topography. This process eliminated 4 additional sites from consideration. The remaining 14 sites were then rated and ranked independently via both point system (ranking need, cost and constructability), and by subjective poll of participating PTC staff. Six sites were selected for final consideration and the development of conceptual design plans and detailed concept level estimates.
The PTC ultimately selected the Lawn Service Plaza for development and Trans Associates was subsequently selected as prime consultant for the Auxiliary Truck Parking Lot Design.
Pine Creek Road was the township portion of road that remained after PennDOT relocated Route 19 and built McKnight Road. This segment of road in McCandless Township became an unofficial connection between the two major arterial roadways. Over time, the two lane road was experiencing congestion and delays in both the AM and PM, and as development increased in the area, improving the intersection became a priority.
Challenges for this project included widening an existing two lane arch bridge over Pine Creek that was structurally sound although functionally obsolete. Ultimately a cast-in-place foundation with adjacent pre-cast box beams proved to the the most effective way to widen the existing concrete arch and still support the concrete barrier loading. Utility conflicts were also a significant challenge including a conflict discovered with the existing sanitary sewer line which was encased in a mass of concrete preventing the necessary working clearances between the temporary shoring wall and construction of the foundation for the bridge widening. To limit disturbance to the existing facilities, chemical splitting and partial removal of the encasement was performed to provide for the required foundation.
SERVICES PERFORMED The project included: • Widening Pine Creek Road (S.R. 4086) to three lanes to provide a center auxiliary turn lane from Route 19 (Perry Highway) to McKnight Road (S.R. 4003) • Replacement of the existing traffic signal at Pine Creek Road (S.R. 4086) and Route 19; • Full Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) investigation including the relocation of two (2) natural gas lines and adjustments of sanitary sewer and water facilities; • Extensive Right-of-Way investigation including property acquisition and negotiations for the required improvements; • Minimization of drainage features including the use of overland swales, upgrading existing detention facilities, and the installation of an underground storage and infiltration facility within an unused infield area which also allows for a future rain garden installation; • Pedestrian accommodations including sidewalks and ADA accessible curb ramps.
BACKGROUND Trans Associates was initially retained by Hampton Township to complete transportation analysis studies and concept level alignments to address capacity and alignment issues at the intersection of Route 8 and Duncan Avenue. Our firm was then selected by the Township to complete the design plans and documents as part of a PennDOT Partnership project.
SERVICES PERFORMED The project included: • Widening for northbound and southbound left turn lanes on Route 8; • Realigning Duncan Avenue and widening for an eastbound right turn lane; • Installation of a new traffic signal with optimized timings and phasings; • Design of a specialty caisson foundation behind an existing wall for a signal pole; • Providing ADA accessible curb ramps, sidewalks and crosswalks which are physically constrained by an existing retaining wall on the east side of Route 8; • Providing a park-and-ride lot to accommodate Myers Coach Line buses with access drives from Route 8 and Duncan Avenue.
The project area had several physical constraints and challenges such as the bridge carrying Route 8 over Pine Creek south of the intersection, a concrete retaining wall along the eastern side of Route 8, the BP gas station along the western side, and the Duncan Avenue bridge over Gourdhead Run. A regional storm water management project eliminated some physical constraints by replacing the existing Duncan Avenue stone arch bridge with a concrete pre-cast culvert. There were also significant utility coordination issues including avoiding major fiber optic duct banks on both sides of Route 8 and relocating an existing waterline and gas line on the western side of the roadway.
Trans Associates was involved in all aspects of the roadway improvement activities including extensive coordination with PennDOT and Hampton Township, roadway design, drainage design, environmental permitting, right-of-way investigation, coordination and plans preparation, traffic signal design, and construction consultation.
Bakery Square mixed-use development broke ground at the depth of the Great Recession in 2008 in the City of Pittsburgh’s East Liberty/Larimer section. Fast forward to 2019 and Bakery Square became one of the premier locations at the center of Pittsburgh’s Innovation District.
Trans Associates was retained by developer Walnut Capital to perform the traffic and parking studies required to meet City permitting requirements. Trans Associates studied in detail the traffic, parking, loading, site access, pedestrian access and safety aspects of the site.
Work Tasks Included:
Trans performed data collection, a transit assessment, and projection of future traffic volumes. Assessments were made for traffic operations and pedestrian access and safety. Bicycle facilities, loading access and operation as well as parking garage operation were also evaluated. Recommended improvements included pedestrian signals at intersections, addition of more than three dozen bicycle parking spaces, intersection turn lane improvements and traffic signal optimization.
Trans Associates also provided a Maintenance and Protection of Traffic (MPT) plan for the construction phase of the project. The MPT plan was developed to meet PennDOT and City of Pittsburgh Standards. There were two phases of construction covered in the plan. Work scope included creating a Temporary Bus Stop Access plan for paved access to a relocated bus stop.
College Township wanted to address an increase in the number of students crossing a windy township road on the way to and from school. The residents desired the added visibility that a school zone flasher could provide.
Trans Associates conducted a field survey and prepared base mapping for the preliminary design in accordance with PennDOT Publication 149M Traffic Signal Design Handbook and Publication 148 Traffic Standards Signals.
The flasher was designed with solar power which reduced the installation expense for the project. The flasher features LED lighting for additional energy savings and lowered maintenance costs.
The South 18th Street corridor, in Columbus, Ohio, traverses the eastern portion of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital campus. Since employee and visitor parking was on the east side of 18th and the hospital was on the west side, pedestrian traffic was heavy crossing this street. Pedestrians struggled to find a large enough gap in major road traffic to safely cross during peak hours and there had been numerous near-hits in the area. As the hospital was consistently receiving reports of the difficulties in crossing South 18th Street, adminstration officials determined to alleviate these pedestrian safety issues and prevent any potential crashes in the future.
The hospital engaged Trans Associates to perform an evaluation of safety issues along the corridor. The study identified possible crossing hazards and proposed several mitigation techniques to improve safety and reduce the possibility of future pedestrian-related crashes along the South 18th Street corridor. Many of these suggested improvements and modifications were incorporated into the City’s plan for widening 18th Street and enhancing the pedestrian systems throughout the corridor.