OHM - Advancing Communities

Jonathan Kramer, OHM VP Named to Crain's 40 Under 40 List

advancingcommunities@ohm-advisors.com (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:55:00 +0000

Young, smart and fast - that's OHM's Vice President of Operations, Jonathan Kramer. At the tender age of 36, he's made history as the youngest person to be elected to the board of directors for OHM.

Crain's recognized Kramer for his achievements and his ambition. Kramer graduated from high school at 16, graduated from college at 20. This year, 2009, marks 20 years of employment with OHM. We're so much the better for it, Jon.

Improve Energy Efficiency & Get Some Green from Uncle Sam

advancingcommunities@ohm-advisors.com (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:20:00 +0000

A study recently released by consulting giant McKinsey estimates that an investment of $520 billion in energy-saving improvements could produce $1.2 trillion in savings on energy bills through 2020. According to the study, "if carried out over the next decade," the program "could cut the country's projected energy use in 2020 by about 23 percent." New York Times (7/30, B3, Galbraith)

Half a trillion dollars may be a staggering sum, but the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, passed in February, included $10 to $15 billion in spending on energy efficiency.

Some of the spending goes to the US Department of Energy (DOE), which issues Energy Efficiency and Conservation Community Development Block Grants (EECBG) to encourage investments in energy efficiency and conservation. The EECBG program is designed to assist US cities, counties, states, territories and Indian tribes in a number of initiatives, including reducing the total energy use of the eligible entities, and improve energy efficiency in the transportation, building and other sectors. The program includes a competitive grant component. Since OHM is focused solely on public use infrastructure and facilities, we'll list grant-eligible activities in that sector:

-Development of an energy efficiency and conservation strategy;

-Building energy audits and retrofits, including weatherization;

-Financial incentive programs for energy efficiency such as energy savings performance contracting, on-bill financing, and revolving loan funds;

-Installation of distributed energy technologies including combined heat and power and district heating and cooling systems;

-Installation of energy efficient traffic signals and street lighting; and

-Installation of renewable energy technologies on government buildings.

OHM is one of the DOE's certified Technical Energy Analysis(TEA)consultants. Tracie Williams, PE, describes the energy audit as the first step in increasing energy efficiency in a building. "The audit is like your benchmark; it tells you where you are currently, and what effect various changes could have on your energy usage."

The energy audit starts with an analysis of the building's existing energy costs, including infrastructure sytems and the envelope of the building.

Next is a report of existing conditions.

The third component of the audit is a list of energy usage improvements, which includes the improvement's cost to prioritize investment dollars.

The final piece of the audit lists the improvements with their associated payback period.

An audit may be necessary to pursue EECBG grants. We'll provide more information in future communications. In the meantime, contact OHM for any questions about energy audits or measures to increase efficiency and reduce costs.

Cost Effective Solutions for Congestion

advancingcommunities@ohm-advisors.com (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:18:00 +0000

A June story on the website Inside Science presents several innovative intersection designs as a solution to the rising problem of traffic congestion.

These unconventional intersection designs - continuous flow, median u-turn, and diverging diamond - share a common feature. They focus on reconfiguring the flow-stifling left turn. See the linked article for accompanying video that illustrates some of these

Can these designs prevent the $2.3 billion gallons of fuel currently wasted each year by vehicles idling at intersections? We don't know if it's The Answer, but we're working hard to be part of the solution, not the problem.

For more details on innovative intersection design, including the diverging diamond interchange, mark your calendar for Feburary 3, 2010. OHM's Stephen Dearing, PE, Professional Traffic Operations Engineer will present More, Better, Faster: Existing and Innovative Interchange Designs. The webinar is co-sponsored by ASCE's Transportation & Development Institute and ASCE Continuing Education.

Creative Commons Photo Credit: richardmasoner

TAUD Take Two: A Simple, Do It Yourself Asset Management System

advancingcommunities@ohm-advisors.com (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:58:00 +0000

By now most of the altruistic souls dedicated to public works know that our infrastructure - in the case of utility districts, water and sewer systems - requires a minimum level of annual maintenance to function. Asset mManagement is a philosophy that makes intuitive sense. It's like owning a car. You have to invest modest sums every so often to keep your vehicle in operating condition. Want to skip the oil changes, tire rotation and brake replacements to save a few bucks in the short term? We'll see you at the side of the road.

If asset management is a smart concept, why isn't everyone using it? One reason could be that asset management as it relates to finance's depreciation accounting (like GASB 34) is complex, time consuming and does not incorporate the condition of your infrastructure. We advocate an easy, do-it-yourself method of managing your community's biggest assets. With historic data and simple tools, you can benefit from the promise of asset management: to provide the level of service you wish at the lowest life cycle cost.

Asset Management for Infrastructure: Identification, Prioritization and Justification

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OHM Talks to TAUD about Declining Revenues

advancingcommunities@ohm-advisors.com (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:27:00 +0000

Last week, OHM principal Evan Pratt spoke to leaders in the Tennessee Association of Utility Authorities about a painful subject: declining revenues. While the recession hasn't hit Tennessee as hard as some of the original rust-belt states (Michigan, anyone?), Utility Authority leaders are still looking for ways to trim expenses and stretch those shrinking revenues a bit further. OHM's message? Utilities and municipalities must find a way to cut costs, but eliminating or postponing maintenance is not the answer!

Failing to invest in maintaining a community's billion dollar assets (its water, sewer and storm systems) is akin to buying a luxury car and driving it for 100,000 miles without changing the tires, brakes, or oil.

Municipal Utility Districts Declining Revenue OHM

View more documents from OHM Advancing Communities.

Civil Engineering Society Releases Criticial Infrastructure Guidance

advancingcommunities@ohm-advisors.com (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:08:00 +0000

ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) just published a report, Guiding Principles for the Nation's Critical Infrastructure. The purpose of the guide was to outline key attributes for "successful, safe, resilient, and sustainable critical infrastructure systems". The ultimate goal is to protect public safety, health and welfare to "prevent infrastructure disasters, such as levee breaks in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina and the collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis."

ASCE's website lists four fundamental guiding principles for the Nation's critical infrastructure systems:

1. Quantifying, communicating, and managing risk.

2. Exercising sound leadership, management, and stewardship in decision-making processes.

3. Employing an integrated systems approach.

4. Adapting critical infrastructure in response to dynamic conditions and practice.

The final 42-page report is available for download from ASCE's website: http://content.asce.org/files/pdf/GuidingPrinciplesFinalReport.pdf

Seoul, New York and Ann Arbor Expose Watery Havens

advancingcommunities@ohm-advisors.com (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:07:00 +0000

OHM is currently designing a low impact development (LID) stormwater management project for the University of Michigan and the City of Ann Arbor, on U of M's Arboretum property. The project includes step-pool dissipater structures, an intermittent watercourse, a "meadow" infiltration basin and restoration with native plantings. We're pleased to see that Michigan's Ann Arbor is in good company with Yonkers and Seoul, all seeking ways to combine environmental pursuits with urban energy.

Excerpted from the New York Times, July 16, 2009:

In New York State, a long-stalled revival effort for Yonkers’s ailing downtown core that could break ground this fall includes a plan to re-expose 1,900 feet of the Saw Mill River, which currently runs through a giant flume that was laid beneath city streets in the 1920s.

Cities from Singapore to San Antonio have been resuscitating rivers and turning storm drains into streams. In Los Angeles, residents’ groups and some elected officials are looking anew at buried or concrete-lined creeks as assets instead of inconveniences, inspired partly by Seoul’s example.

By building green corridors around the exposed waters, cities hope to attract affluent and educated workers and residents who appreciate the feel of a natural environment in an urban setting.

Environmentalists point out other benefits. Open watercourses handle flooding rains better than buried sewers do, a big consideration as global warming leads to heavier downpours. The streams also tend to cool areas overheated by sun-baked asphalt and to nourish greenery that lures wildlife as well as pedestrians.

Some political opponents have derided Seoul’s remade stream as a costly folly, given that nearly all of the water flowing between its banks on a typical day is pumped there artificially from the Han River through seven miles of pipe.

But four years after the stream was uncovered, city officials say, the environmental benefits can now be quantified. Data show that the ecosystem along the Cheonggyecheon (pronounced chung-gye-chun) has been greatly enriched, with the number of fish species increasing to 25 from 4. Bird species have multiplied to 36 from 6, and insect species to 192 from 15.

The recovery project, which removed three miles of elevated highway as well, also substantially cut air pollution from cars along the corridor and reduced air temperatures. Small-particle air pollution along the corridor dropped to 48 micrograms per cubic meter from 74, and summer temperatures are now often five degrees cooler than those of nearby areas, according to data cited by city officials.

New City in Florida to Run on Solar Power

advancingcommunities@ohm-advisors.com (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:48:00 +0000

You can probably guess by our tagline that OHM is a company that is pretty interested in communities. Here's a story that seems ripped, not from the headlines, but directly from a Star Trek episode. While there are some qualifications to the concept (it will rely on conventional power sources during the evening hours), the ideas sure sound intriguing. Here come the flying cars...

New City in Florida to Run on Solar Power
Originally printed in the Miami Herald (04/10/09) ; Dorschner, John

A developer named Kitson & Partners wants to create a city in Florida powered entirely by solar energy. The new city would be called Babcock Ranch and have about 19,500 energy efficient homes. The city would be built on 17,000 acres near Fort Myers, FL, and would feature the globe's biggest photovoltaic power plant, which would be operated by Florida Power & Light (FPL). FPL forecasts that the planned 75 MW solar generator will cost roughly $300 million and will add approximately 31 cents to its average customer's monthly bill. Kitson envisions that FPL's solar plant will generate more electricity for the state's power grid during daylight hours than the city will consume in 24 hours. Although Babcock Ranch will rely on conventional power sources during evening hours, its net impact will enable it to be considered a solar-only city. The plant's solar panels will be situated on 350 acres within the development. Kitson also said Babcock Ranch will have an integrated 'smart grid' allowing electricity users to track and control their power use. The Babcock solar project will be the fourth planned by FPL; the first three total 110 MW and were proposed after the state Legislature passed legislation for full-cost recovery of the projects.

Asset Management for Small Systems

advancingcommunities@ohm-advisors.com (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:28:00 +0000

Doing more with less.

It's the top priority for most business people today, but it's imperative for individuals charged with operating and maintaining municipal infrastructure. Declining property values, job losses and revenue sharing reductions strain a community's resources. Attendees at last week's American Water Works Association Small Systems Conference in Ionia, Michigan went looking for answers to a few of these herculean challenges. OHM's resident asset management guru, Dr. Murat Ulasir, joined EPA staffers to present concepts for creating an asset management program.

The takeways? Asset Management for community infrastructure systems serving less than 10,000 users requires a pragmatic and creative approach. Using basic data collection, a simple framework and free asset management tools, an operator can dramatically extend the useful life of the small system. There are several resources freely available for small system owners and operators, ranging from "the STEP guides" and free asset management software applications, such as EPA's CUPSS. For more information on these tools or getting started with asset management, contact Murat Ulasir at 734/522-6711.

Additional Resources
CUPPS Basic Information
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/cupss/basicinformation.html
CUPPS Software
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/cupss/software.html
Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP)
http://www.rcap.org

Asset Management for Small Systems - AWWA Conference

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First DDI Opens in the US

advancingcommunities@ohm-advisors.com (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:33:00 +0000

How did Missouri drivers fare with the nation's first diverging diamond interchange? Not bad, according to comments on KSPR's news article.

Diverging Diamond at I-44 & Kansas Confuses Some
By Natalie Swallow

Story Created: Jun 22, 2009

The nation's first diverging diamond interchange is now open at I-44 and Kansas Expressway in Springfield.

MoDOT says the diverging diamond should improve traffic flow at the busy spot, though the change has been confusing for a few folks as they try to head down the wrong side of the interchange.

Crews are still putting the finishing touches on timing the lights and have some concrete work left to do. MoDOT should finish the project by July 3.

Cost of for the project was about $3 million or one-third the price of a traditional interchange redesign.

MoDOT is putting in another diverging diamond at James River Freeway and National. http://www.kspr.com/news/whereyoulive/greene/48769012.html

Want to know more about DDIs? Learn the basics of a diverging diamond interchange and how it functions here: http://www.ohm-advisors.com/ddi/index.cfm.

Getting Our Green On in Tennessee

advancingcommunities@ohm-advisors.com (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:09:00 +0000

A team of OHMers just returned from the Tennessee Municipal League's 70th Annual Conference, where the buzz was green, green, green! We added our voices to the hum, too, with a workshop on Greening Your Streets: How to Fund $$ for Storm Water Infiltration. Since so many communities face the same challenge - finding ways to be green without spending too much green - we found lots of eager participants.

The presentation aimed to share simple tips to find and program funds to make water quality improvements, in conjunction with a community’s road projects. The workshop included photos of example projects and funding sources to demonstrate workable ideas, a simple planning/funding cycle process to follow and Q&A on porous pavement and other infiltration techniques. Can't wait to learn more? Take a peek at the presentation below.

Green Streets: Finding Funding for Stormwater Infiltration

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Retroreflectivity - Don't Get Caught in the Dark

advancingcommunities@ohm-advisors.com (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:11:00 +0000

Listin to our Podcast on Retroreflectivity

Audio is a podcast on iTunes. Listen.

How do you maintain the traffic signs in your community? Below is a simple self test. Choose the answer that reflects your standard practices:

We replace traffic signs only if they have been knocked down or if a resident complains about how poor they look.

On an irregular basis, during regular business hours, we sweep through parts of town and replace the traffic signs that seem the most faded or damaged.

At least once a year, we perform nighttime inspections to discover which traffic signs are no longer visible.

We track the age of traffic signs and replace all those that have reached a specific age.

We have a fancy instrument that measures the traffic sign face for minimum performance. We also have a schedule to routinely measure signs and replace those that are substandard.

If you checked answer 1 or 2, get ready for a change. In December 2007, the Federal Highway Administration published a new rule that requires minimum retroreflectivity for signs on public roads.
Retroreflectivity is the scientific term that describes the ability of a surface to return light back to its source. Retroreflective signs and pavement markings bounce light from vehicle headlights back toward the vehicle and the driver’s eyes, making signs and pavement markings visible to the driver.*

The key to compliance is to have a system in place. Essential elements of a compliant system include regularly inspecting signs and replacing those that no longer function adequately. If you checked answers 3, 4 or 5, in our self test, you have the makings of a management system. Your next step is to make sure that you know the new requirements, and then perform a quick review of your system to make sure that you are fully compliant. If you checked answer 1 or 2 in our self test, run (don’t walk) to your friendly engineering advisor and get help creating a system to manage this important asset. Deadlines for compliance will be here before you know it.

For help or advice interpreting the new requirements, or creating a plan to comply contact: Stephen Dearing, Manager of Traffic Engineering Services - 888.522.6711

ohm-advisors.com

GIS Sustainability - It's All the Rage

advancingcommunities@ohm-advisors.com (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.) — Thu, 21 May 2009 20:38:00 +0000

Actually, it's not. We just wish that it was. Then, communities would be able to gain all the fantastic benefits of having a GIS program. They'd take advantage of the GIS' ability to bring together data sets from all different corners of the community to save time, money, resources and even lives. Here are a few of the very useful uses of a sustainable GIS program:

Public Safety: Emergency Maps and Tools
Master Planning: Zoning, Land Use, Transportation
SWPPI Mandates: IDEP - Sampling, Tracking and Maintaining
Engineering Expenses: Maps and Analysis
Assessing: Lot Splits/Combinations, Tax Maps, Street Maps
Public Utilities: Asset and Maintenance Tracking, GPS

When a sustainable GIS brings this much value, you wonder why all communities don't use it. Visit this website for free forms to get your GIS back on the road to sustainability. http://www.ohm-advisors.com/GISsustainability/download.cfm

Michigan's Infrastructure Gets a "D"

advancingcommunities@ohm-advisors.com (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.) — Tue, 12 May 2009 21:02:00 +0000

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Report shows Michigan roads, dams, other infrastructure in poor shape
Tom Greenwood / The Detroit News

In a report released Tuesday morning, members of a national engineering society have given Michigan's crumbling infrastructure an overall grade of D, as in "dismal."

Based on an 18-month survey, the Michigan Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers said nine vital infrastructure systems -- aviation, dams, drinking water, energy, navigable waterways, roads/bridges, storm water treatment, wastewater collection and transit -- needed massive transfusions of money if Michigan's economic prosperity and quality of life are to be maintained.

Of the nine systems, aviation, wastewater collection and energy received an overall rating of C, while the remaining systems received a D rating. In 2005, the society gave the entire U.S. infrastructure an overall rating of D+.

"Reversing the decay of our aging infrastructure is essential to reviving Michigan's economy," said Ron Brenke, executive director of ASCEMI. "We hope this report card will serve to spark dialogue among local and state officials, policy makers to ... find solutions for Michigan's infrastructure needs."

Some of the conclusions reached by the survey included:

• Thirty-seven percent of Michigan's roads are in poor or mediocre condition.

• Thirty-nine percent of Michigan's major roads are congested.

• Michigan has $6 billion in wastewater infrastructure needs.

• Michigan's mass transit needs are growing, but the majority of transit funds are used for maintenance, not for expansion.

According to the report, Michigan's road and bridge system is deteriorating to the point where it could jeopardize the state's ability to compete in a global economy.

The six major reasons for the condition of the state's roads include: a history of underfunding, decline in fuel tax revenues, rising costs, rising demand, the diversion of funds and an aging infrastructure, according to the report.

For the complete "Not Making the Grade" report, go to www.michiganreportcard.com.
tgreenwood@detnews.com (313) 222-2023

Smart Roads. Smart Bridges. Smart Grids

advancingcommunities@ohm-advisors.com (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:47:00 +0000

From the Wall Street Journal online:

The tens of billions of dollars that will soon be pouring into infrastructure needs to be allocated wisely. "Smart" technology could assist the transportation industry with becoming more efficient and effective within the next few years. One of the first solutions being researched involves providing real-time traffic information to drivers in their cars. In order to do this, the transportation industry will need to stay more informed with regard to how many cars are on the road. Another solution is to predict traffic patterns. IBM is working on a software that can predict traffic up to 45 minutes into the future. According to Naveen Lamba of IBM, "You have to see into the future to minimize the impact of what's going to happen." Finally, attempting to better prevent and inform emergency medical services of traffic accidents through wireless communications should increase the adequacy of infrastructure. Smart technology is also assisting with making bridges safer. A number of companies are pursuing technologies similar to the one used on the Minneapolis bridge that replaced the collapsed I-35 structure, which is now equipped with more than 300 sensors that analyze corrosion, temperature fluctuation, and ice. Read the article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123447510631779255.html

Diamonds Just Might Be a Driver’s Best Friend

advancingcommunities@ohm-advisors.com (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:34:00 +0000

The Show Me state likes what it sees in the new freeway interchange design known as a Diverging Diamond Interchange. A congested intersection in Springfield, Missouri is vying to make history as the nation's first diverging diamond interchange (DDI). The $12.5 million project, which will convert the National Avenue-James River Freeway interchange to a diverging diamond design, is slated to begin this fall. Missouri is so bullish on the benefits of the DDI design that it has plans for three more.

Interest in the DDI is also growing in the Midwest. OHM, a Livonia, Michigan-based engineering advisory firm (owners of this blog!), has evaluated DDIs at two locations for the Michigan Department of Transportation.

One of the most compelling benefits of the DDI design is that it increases safety. It does so by eliminating left turns crossing opposing traffic. This can equate to as much as a 50% reduction in crashes. Here's how it works:

Drivers travel for a limited distance, then cross back to the traditional or right side of the road. This unconventional aspect promotes left turn movements and allows traffic to move from the freeway ramp to the intersecting roadway without ever turning across the path of opposing traffic. Traffic signals are installed at the crossovers.

Stephen Dearing, a professional traffic operations engineer with OHM, lists more benefits of the DDI:

▪ Moves traffic more quickly, because the number of places where traffic must stop is reduced.
▪ Increases capacity at an intersection, because the left turn lane/signal phase is eliminated.

Best of all in these financially challenging times, a DDI is typically cheaper than a conventional diamond interchange because it requires fewer lanes to provide the same capacity.

More about DDIs and how they work: http://www.ohm-advisors.com/ddi/index.cfm

Senate Budget Resolution Stiffs Transport Infrastructure

advancingcommunities@ohm-advisors.com (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:37:00 +0000

From the Architects, Engineers & Constructors Network, a Linkedin Group:

Congressional Budget Committees have finally filled in the numbers in the 2010 budget resolutions, and sent the bills to the floors of the respective houses for debate. Although budget resolutions lack the detailed breakdown of spending that appears in appropriation bills with their attached earmarks, we can see in the differences between the House and Senate budget resolution proposals a dangerous trend for heavy civil construction over the next five years.

Both committee resolution proposals have essentially the same numbers for 2009 spending authority and actual outlays, since they include the appropriations already made in the stimulus legislation. However, the Senate version lags way behind the House version in every year 2010 through 2014 with respect to the spending Senators expect to authorize for road, bridge, railway, transit and waterway construction projects. The Senate version of the resolution cuts down the spending authority provided in the House bill by $12.9 billion for 2010, by $13.7 billion for 2011, by $14.1 billion for 2012, by $15.1 billion for 2013 and by $16.1 billion for 2014. These cuts represent a total slashing of over $72.1 billion from surface transport construction over the next five years.

Of course, as the legislative process works its way forward, the final result will likely fall somewhere between the present House and Senate versions, but it is frightening that more than $72 billion in construction appropriations is now at risk in the legislative arena.

For more details follow James G. McConnell's blog at: http://chicagoconstructionlaw.blogspot.com/

The Six Myths of Asset Management

advancingcommunities@ohm-advisors.com (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:26:00 +0000

Reality Check: You don't have enough money to do all that you need for your infrastruture.

The Truth: Asset management can help. But you've got to avoid the pitfalls.

Perhaps hard times and deteriorating infrastructure haven't reached the hallowed streets and drainage systems of Jupiter Island, Florida (the most expensive zip code in America), but across the rest of the U.S. of A, we are trying to do more with less. Hence the lure of asset management.

Asset management does mean different things to different people, but the fundamental goal is to prolong the useful life of our infrastructure, as cost effectively as possible.

We believe in asset management. Not as an overblown, high dollar "solution", but as a practical, real world system for making decisions that stretch dollars and keep constituents happy.

This is not a primer on how to create an asset management system. It's a collection of our observations of the myths about asset management. We hope to save you from the lies, fallacies and half truths, so that you can reap the real and quantifiable rewards of asset management.

Avoid the Six Myths: http://www.ohm-advisors.com/web_files/com_id_59.pdf

ADA & Right-of-Way

advancingcommunities@ohm-advisors.com (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:11:00 +0000

When a community plans a roadway improvement project, the obvious right-of-way needs are usually considered, such as additional land needed to widen a road. However, the impact of ADA compliance on right-of-way needs is often overlooked.

Big mistake. Any intersection construction that is undertaken by, on behalf of, or subject to, the design standards of a public jurisdiction, must be accessible to pedestrians who have disabilities.* This means that all sidewalks, curb ramps, street crossings, and other pedestrian features at the intersection must be made fully compliant with current ADA requirements.

Building these ADA-compliant features may require right-of-way beyond what is needed solely for the intersection or roadway improvement. For example, on parallel ramps, landings must be at least 60 inches (1525 mm) long to avoid trapping the footrest of a wheelchair between opposing upslopes. Landings are considered “level” when their slopes in the two perpendicular directions of travel do not exceed 1:48 (2%).* If the existing landing area is less than the required 60 inches, additional right-of-way could be necessary to construct a compliant ramp.

It’s important to fully evaluate the impact of ADA compliance on right-of-way during project planning. Having to secure additional right-of-way after a project has been designed can create the painful penalties of delay and cost increases.

* http://www.access-board.gov/prowac/guide/PROWGuide.htm

Learn more about ADA compliance at intersections: click here for Q&A from OHM's Lunch & Learn, Access for All. http://www.ohm-advisors.com/web_files/ADA_Event_Documents.pdf

What is a Modern Roundabout?

advancingcommunities@ohm-advisors.com (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 18:35:00 +0000

A modern roundabout is a transportation management tool that moves traffic through an intersection without the aid of traffic signals. It involves one-way-traffic moving around a circular central island where entering traffic must yield to the traffic already in the roundabout. The objectives of roundabouts are to reduce traffic speeds and reduce the number and severity of crashes, while improving traffic flow. Roundabouts are designed to accommodate all sizes of vehicles.

A Roundabout is Not a Traffic Circle

Many people confuse modern roundabouts with traditional traffic circles or rotaries, such as those found on the East Coast. Three basic principles distinguish the modern roundabout from a traffic circle.

Safety Benefits of Modern Roundabouts

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, installing a roundabout typically results in:

76% reduction in injury-accidents
90% reduction in fatalities
40% reduction in pedestrian injuries

75% fewer “conflict points” compared to standard intersections

Why do roundabouts have such a good safety record? Conflicts are reducedWith fewer conflict points, roundabouts eliminate the potential for hazardous conflicts, such as right angle and left-turn head on crashes.

Speeds are reduced and are more consistent

Low speeds driven in roundabouts allow drivers more time to react to potential conflicts, thus helping to improve the safety of roundabouts. Since most drivers travel at low speeds (15-25 mph) through roundabouts, crash severity is reduced compared to traditional intersections.

Pedestrian friendly

Pedestrians need only cross one direction of traffic at a time at each roundabout approach, as compared with signalized intersections. The distance the pedestrian travels to cross traffic is also shorter than a traditional intersection.

Learn More

OHM's 40th Anniversary Story

advancingcommunities@ohm-advisors.com (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:37:00 +0000

OHM's 40th anniversary story and interview with OHM President Russ Gronevelt, P.E., by Tom Campbell on WJR, June 18, 2002

Audio is a podcast on iTunes. Listen.

Getting to Know Roundabouts - Road Commission for Oakland County

advancingcommunities@ohm-advisors.com (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:15:00 +0000

This video was created by the Road Commission for Oakland County and is the first part in a two part series on roundabouts, and the Northwestern Connector project .
The Northwestern Connector project is a cooperative effort involving the Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC), the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the Charter Township of West Bloomfield and the City of Farmington Hills. RCOC is the lead agency for the project.

Don’t Get Caught in the Dark

advancingcommunities@ohm-advisors.com (Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:55:00 +0000

New Rules for Retroreflectivity

How do you maintain the traffic signs in your community? Below is a simple self test. Choose the answer that reflects your standard practices:

We replace traffic signs only if they have been knocked down or if a resident complains about how poor they look.

On an irregular basis, during regular business hours, we sweep through parts of town and replace the traffic signs that seem the most faded or damaged.

At least once a year, we perform nighttime inspections to discover which traffic signs are no longer visible.

We track the age of traffic signs and replace all those that have reached a specific age.

We have a fancy instrument that measures the traffic sign face for minimum performance. We also have a schedule to routinely measure signs and replace those that are substandard.

If you checked answer 1 or 2, get ready for a change. In December 2007, the Federal Highway Administration published a new rule that requires minimum retroreflectivity for signs on public roads.

Retroreflectivity is the scientific term that describes the ability of a surface to return light back to its source. Retroreflective signs and pavement markings bounce light from vehicle headlights back toward the vehicle and the driver’s eyes, making signs and pavement markings visible to the driver.*

The key to compliance is to have a system in place. Essential elements of a compliant system include regularly inspecting signs and replacing those that no longer function adequately. If you checked answers 3, 4 or 5, in our self test, you have the makings of a management system. Your next step is to make sure that you know the new requirements, and then perform a quick review of your system to make sure that you are fully compliant. If you checked answer 1 or 2 in our self test, run (don’t walk) to your friendly engineering advisor and get help creating a system to manage this important asset. Deadlines for compliance will be here before you know it.

For help or advice interpreting the new requirements, or creating a plan to comply contact: Stephen Dearing, Manager of Traffic Engineering Services - 888.522.6711

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