Technical Program

The 2018 Technical Program is still being finalized, but we have included a rough outline and description of the presentations to be offered. There are 1.5 PDH credits pending for each technical session, which we will finalize before the meeting. Below is a list of the technical sessions we have on the schedule thus far:

Session 1A – Transportation Equity

Congestion Pricing – Transportation Efficiency or Regressive tax?

Presenters: Sayeeda Ayaz, Scott Levine

This proposed panel discussion will focus on the “equitability” of congestion pricing schemes. The idea of congestion pricing dates to the early twentieth century when Pigou recommended a tax be levied on any market activity that generates negative externalities. Vickrey proposed a time-varying toll that could eliminate queuing delay, and thereby maximize system efficiency. Despite its theoretical appeal, congestion pricing continues to be a hard sell to people. Major proposals have been rejected by public or political opposition. For example, cordon tolling schemes for Edinburgh and Manchester in the UK were rejected by public referenda (2005 and 2008). A cordon toll plan for New York City was stopped by the New York state legislature (2008) when it declined to vote on the proposal. A wide range of factors make it difficult to design both efficient and publicly acceptable congestion pricing schemes. “Equitability” is one of the most cited. Congestion pricing sometimes is characterized as a “regressive tax” (Small, 2007) in that high-income travelers who usually have a high value of time could benefit at the cost of low income travelers’ loss.

Session 2A – Complete Streets

What can Complete Streets learn from international approaches?

Presenter: Frank Wefering

This session will explore how new perspectives from around the world could advance the Complete Streets approach in the US. The international approaches include Healthy Streets (UK), Moving Beyond Vision Zero Sweden), Sustainable Urban Neighborhood Plans (SUNP), and Lab van Troje / Living Street – a living lab experiment from Gent, Belgium.

Complete Streets: A Healthy Road Diet for Every Community?

Presenters: Michael Morehouse, PE, and Matthew Skelly, PE, PTOE

This presentation examines the feasibility of road diet implementation in the context of location, involvement, and analysis. The Town of West Hartford identified two locations as having high incidents of crashes, but differing in their usage and attributes. After opinions and data were weighed, the outcomes were different. How could two areas in the same town experience such differing conclusions? Black Road Turnpike in Fairfield is another similar road, but is very different in context. Here, drone video analysis was used to understand and communicate the complex vehicular operations of the existing road, resulting in accurate modeling of the road diet concept.

Freight and Emergency Vehicle Considerations in Complete Streets Design

Presenter: Dr. Alison Conway

The presentation will introduce a new comprehensive guidebook that details freight and emergency vehicle considerations for multi-modal street design. While freight and emergency vehicles play a critical role in the health, safety, and economic prosperity of communities, they also present unique challenges for the design and operations of multi-modal streets. Solutions are needed to ensure continued freight and emergency vehicle access while maintaining the safety and community livability benefits that complete streets provide.

Session 2B – Future of Freight

FreightNYC – A Vision for Freight in New York City

Presenters: Amir Rizavi, PE and Ryan White

Trade, both domestic and international, is the backbone of New York City’s (NYC) strong economy. Conducting and sustaining this trade requires a robust freight infrastructure that is modern and sustainable. FreightNYC is a transformative vision plan for freight in New York City which aims to create an ambitious multimodal strategy over a 30-year period. The presentation will provide insight into the FreightNYC planning process and share the details of the various initiatives that enable FreightNYC achieve the overarching goals of a sustainable, safe, equitable, efficient, resilient, and connected freight network in New York City.

New York State Freight Plan

Presenter: Steven Gayle, PTP

This presentation will explain the importance of safe, efficient, and reliable freight movement to the state’s economy. The goals, development of the State Core Freight Network and critical facilities in each mode will be described, and identified needs, project prioritization, and recommended projects, actions, and strategies will be discussed.

Session 3A – Connected Vehicles and Drones

Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment Program in New York City

Presenter: Samuel Sim, PE

The New York City (NYC) Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment (CVPD) project aims to improve driver and pedestrian safety while supporting NYC’s ongoing Vision Zero initiative to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities from crashes. NYC was one of three sites selected by United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) to deploy connected vehicle (CV) technology.

This presentation highlights the technical aspects and the safety benefits of CV technology in NYC. It affords an opportunity to see the impact of CV technology in the real world with numerous vehicular interactions. And with NYC’s high density of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, it will serve as a base model for future CV deployments in large-scale environment.

Traffic Signal Upgrades to Enable a Connected Vehicle Test Bed in Somerville, Massachusetts

Presenters: Sushma Srinivas, Rachel Burckardt, and Stephen Buckley

In mid-2017, Somerville will offer the first Connected Vehicle test site in Massachusetts, consisting of three signalized intersections in the congested, complex Union Square district. Signal phase and timing information will be broadcast over the air and available for onboard computing systems to access. This presentation provides specific examples of the equipment required to upgrade a traffic signal to support USDOT-prescribed over-the-air messaging, as well as public agency procurement strategies and capacity-building required to effectively collaborate with industry and academic partners.

Applications of Unmanned Aircraft in Transportation

Presenter: Michael Plotnikov, Ph. D.

This presentation will discuss the results of a study conducted by a team of researchers at the University of Massachusetts Transportation Center on the current state of the practice of applications of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in State Departments of Transportation (DOTs). The study found the majority of State DOT current and planned UAS activities fall into the following categories: asset management, construction, disaster management, environmental monitoring, infrastructure inspection, surveillance, and traffic operations.

Session 3B – People, Places, and Data

Plaza33: Putting the Plaza in Penn Plaza

Presenters: Aviva Laurenti, PE, PTOE and Daniel Schack, AICP, PTP

Penn Station is the busiest transit hub in North America, with 650,000 people walking through the station every day – more than the population of Boston. Although the area around Penn Station boasts some of the highest concentrations of pedestrians in Manhattan, it is severely lacking in pedestrian amenities and had no central gathering place for thousands of area office workers and shoppers.

The presentation will describe the complex process of creating a complete street in a bustling area of Midtown Manhattan, focusing on the traffic analyses, coordination with multiple agencies and various stakeholders, addressing the needs of deliveries for One Penn Plaza and events at Madison Square Garden, and the value of working with an area property owner to champion the project.

Route 9 Gateway Project, Creating Harmony Through Complete Streets

Presenter: Edmund Snyder, III, PE

This presentation will outline the complete street approach for a corridor that has not been altered since the late 60’s. US Route 9 (Canada Street) serves as a primary link/gateway to the Town and Village of Lake George. The existing roadway did not include pedestrian and bicycle access facilities, was not ADA accessible, generally lacked the aesthetic qualities to the areas picturesque environment, and did not complement the many businesses along the corridor. This “Complete Street” project incorporated features such as improved pedestrian access and safety, access management, traffic calming, stormwater collection and treatment, energy efficient lighting, and a Park and Ride Lot.

Techniques for Leveraging Mobile Data Collection Applications and Web-Based GIS technology to Provide Transportation Solutions

Presenter: Larry Spraker

This session will educate attendees on techniques for implementing mobile, GIS data collection applications such as Esri’s Collector and Survey123 along with web-based GIS technology such as ArcGIS Online to provide a robust platform for capturing spatial data in the field, managing the incoming data, and viewing/analyzing the data to address a variety of transportation needs. The session will feature live demonstrations, including a solution developed for NYSDOT in which Uncontrolled crosswalks and Signalized intersections are being inventoried across the State in support of their Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PSAP).

Session 4A – ITE Leadership Town Hall Meeting

An opportunity for members to hear from and share their views with ITE International Leadership. ITE’s President Michael Sanderson and other Executive Committee members will share details about specific initiatives and look for feedback from members on these initiatives as well as other issues. Included in this session may be a Coordinating Council representative who highlights key Council activities and solicits feedback on transportation equity or another emerging initiative.

Session 4B – Student Poster Session

Student posters will be set-up during this session and attendees will get to meet students and discuss poster topics.

Session 5A – Safer Streets

Implementing Complete Street Measures to Satisfy New York City’s Vision Zero Initiative

Presenter: Chris Mulé

In 2014, Mayor Bill De Blasio announced the launch of Vision Zero in the five boroughs of New York City. The goal of Vision Zero is to increase pedestrian and vehicle safety through a variety of measures to lower the number of crashes and not accept that a traffic fatality is inevitable. As part of the Vision Zero initiative, the speed limit on local roadways and arterials was lowered from 30 to 25 miles per hour across all five boroughs. In 2017, the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC), on behalf of the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT), proposed to reconstruct the service roads and the mainline of Grand Concourse between East 175th Street and East Fordham Road in the Bronx, New York to improve safety for all users. This presentation will discuss the various Complete Streets measures that were implemented to achieve Vision Zero goals on one of the busiest corridors in New York City and the obstacles that were overcome.

Connecticut Complete Streets: Merging Safety and Design

Presenters: Natasha Fatu, PE, PTOE and Ted DeSantos PE, PTOE

When we think about the idea of a Complete Street, we generally focus on the aesthetics and functionality of it. But the additional opportunity is safety. This presentation will allow attendees to look for opportunities to merge safety into Complete Streets design.

Safety must be addressed as an opportunity in complete streets projects. Safety measures can be incorporated into specific project designs, or, as is happening CTDOT’s Safety Engineering Unit, be implemented systemically. The systemic approach to safety engineering addresses crash types across an entire roadway system and implements proven safety measures according to risk factors, not just crash data. The goal is to be proactive and prevent crashes before they happen, rather than just addressing existing crashes.

Session 5B – Transit Innovations

A Selection Approach for BRT Parking Lots – Nicolls Road Corridor Parking Study

Presenter: Chirantan Kansara, PE

Mass transit projects like BRT connect neighborhoods to community assets, such as education, economic centers, and regional transportation hubs, to reduce the dependency on automobiles. For success of such projects, it is essential to provide the supporting infrastructure like parking and even more vital – rightly placed and planned parking. This presentation focuses on the Nicolls Road corridor, which is one of the three preferred Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors identified within the Suffolk County BRT Feasibility Study. The purpose of this study was to identify potential parking areas for motorists at the planned BRT stations along the proposed Nicolls Road BRT route to support BRT ridership, and reduce parking demand at the Ronkonkoma LIRR train station.

Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (VNB) Bus/HOV Lane – Planning, Coordination, and Implementation

Presenter: Patrick O’Mara, PE, PTOE

The presentation will highlight key lessons from the planning, coordination, and implementation phases of the VNB bus/HOV lane project. The VNB Bus/HOV lane was the missing link in a 12-mile integrated system that includes bus/HOV lanes on the Staten Island Expressway and connections to New Jersey to the west and the Gowanus and Prospect expressways to the east. Implementing the VNB bus/HOV required an extensive multi-agency coordination effort that involved detailed planning to establish daily operational and setup procedures that had to be carefully orchestrated between agencies and contractors to safely provide this managed lane to commuters each day.

Session 6A – Signs and Signals

Application of Vibration Mitigation Device to Reduce Signal Support Structure Size in an Urban Setting

Presenter: James Ford, PE

Urban centers particularly in the Northeast are often faced with narrow sidewalks and rights of way in which to locate traffic signal support structures. Due to current structural standards the size of such supports has grown significantly larger. Foundations are similarly often significant construction efforts.

The presentation will describe the process followed and alternatives studied, when the City was confronted with an improperly constructed foundation. The solution was to use a vibration mitigation device to enable reduction of the size of the structure. This process involved experts from the University of Connecticut as well as the pole manufacturer. The application of the Vibration Mitigation, first in Connecticut, resolved loading concerns. Subsequent testing which was performed in cooperation with UCONN demonstrated the performance of the device. Because of this experience the City is considering application of these units to reduce support costs while complying with structural standards applicable to these supports.

Adaptive Traffic Control Systems: A Solution for Capacity Constraints

Presenters: Marissa Tarallo and Maureen Kuinlan

Adaptive Traffic Control Systems (ATCS) have proven to be beneficial for corridors and roadway networks that would otherwise require frequent signal retiming due to recurrent fluctuations in traffic demand. However, one myth surrounding ATCS is the system’s inability to work well in fully saturated traffic conditions. This presentation describes case studies of NYS Route 17 in Sloatsburg, and U.S. Route 6 in Cortland where ATCS was evaluated for corridors with fully saturated roadway conditions.

The objectives of both studies were to determine what, if any, improvement an ATCS can offer to avoid increasing roadway capacity using standard methods (i.e. roadway widening) which deter from many of the goals of Complete Streets and can be cost prohibitive for development projects. Delay and travel time improvements, lessons learned, as well as pros and cons of both systems will be discussed.

Speed Limits vs Curve Warning Signs

Presenter: William Lambert

This presentation discusses the relationship between speed limits and horizontal alignment signing and other traffic control devices. The character of the road is the prime factor in vehicle speeds, rather than the posted speed limit, and attendees will understand how credible speed limits can influence highway safety, even when higher than existing posted speed limits.

Additionally, there will be a 3-hour technical workshop on Monday before the first session. This workshop is optional and will require separate registration and $40 fee (see meeting registration form to sign up). Lunch will be provided for all workshop attendees.

Technical Workshop: Introduction to Performance Based Planning (3 PDH pending)

Instructor: Steven Gayle, PTP, Director, RSG

With the passage of MAP-21 in 2012, State DOTs and MPOs were informed that they would be required to adopt a new approach to planning. Performance-based planning and programming would result in greater transparency, as transportation agencies looked at the outcome of their project investments through the eyes of the user. Over the past year, a series of rules have been finalized, identifying 17 performance measures across safety, pavement and bridge infrastructure, and system performance. Timelines have been established for setting targets as a means to measuring progress.

This workshop will provide an introduction to performance-based planning, including a review of the Federal rules, and methods for target setting, performance monitoring, and reporting. The intended audience includes planners, and engineers who will be developing projects to meet performance targets.

Steven Gayle is a certified instructor for the National Highway Institute. He teaches courses on performance-based planning and programming and steps to effective target setting.

Technical Walking Tour: Lake George Transportation & Recreational Improvements (Up to 2.0 PDH pending)

Facilitator: Christina Doughney, P.E., PTOE

Over the past 5 years, there have been several transportation and recreational improvement projects in Lake George within the immediate vicinity of Fort William Henry. From porous pavement and multi-use recreation to parking facilities and storm water management, these projects have transformed this area that acts as a hub of tourism in Lake George. During this session, we will go on a guided walking tour and hear from project sponsors and designers about the planning, design and construction elements of the projects.

Projects will include:

US Route 9 Gateway
West Brook Conservation Initiative
- Charles R. Wood Park
- Festival Commons at Charles R. Wood Park
- South Parcel Storm Water Treatment
West Brook Porous Asphalt Parking Lot
West Brook Road Sidewalk
Million Dollar Beach Reconstruction
Beach Road Reconstruction

Topics will include: