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Corporate News & Project Activities
What's New at W-Trans
2011
September 23, 2011 – Steve Weinberger presented at the League of California Cities annual conference in San Francisco on the topic, “Strategic Use of Roundabout Intersections” with Fritz McKinley, Building & Development Services Director for the City of Chico. The session included an educational summary of roundabout features and varying applications of roundabouts ranging from downtown gateways to freeway interchanges, followed by a discussion of the City of Chico’s experience with roundabouts since 2004. Felix Bachofner, Mayor of the City of Seaside, indicated, “This session (on the use of roundabouts) was one of the most useful presentations at this year’s conference.”
September 11-15, 2011 – Zack Matley attended the California APA Conference in Santa Barbara where he learned the latest about what’s happening in planning and enjoyed some social time with many of our urban design/environmental services colleagues and clients.
August 12, 2011 – Dalene Whitlock was in St. Louis, where she attended the ITE International Board of Direction meeting.
July 10, 2011 – Dalene Whitlock attended the Annual Board Meeting of the Western District of ITE in Anchorage, Alaska. Mark Spencer also attended the meeting to present two papers.
July 2011 – Mark Spencer joined W-Trans to open our new East Bay office. Whitlock & Weinberger Transportation, Inc. (W-Trans) is very pleased to announce that Mark Spencer has joined W-Trans as a Principal to oversee our new East Bay office. Mark has more than 20 years of traffic engineering consulting experience in the Bay Area and has been responsible for directing a wide range of traffic engineering and transportation planning services to both public agencies and private sector clients. (See more on Mark below).
W-Trans has been providing traffic engineering and transportation planning services out of our offices in the North Bay since 1995. Our leadership in Complete Streets, Pedestrian, Bicycle and Roundabout projects balanced with our successful Traffic Engineering Design and Operations practice has led to the demand for our services throughout Northern California. We are excited about the additional experience and knowledge we now offer by integrating Mark’s talents and experience with W-Trans’ so we can better serve clients throughout the greater Bay Area and beyond.
Mark earned his B. Eng in Civil Engineering from McGill University and his M.S. in Civil (Transportation) Engineering from UC Berkeley. He is a Member of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) and was recently named by the ITE San Francisco Bay Area Section as the 2010 Transportation Professional of the Year. Mark served as President of the South Bay Transportation Officials Association (SBTOA) in 2000, and as President of the San Francisco Bay Area Bay Area Section in 2003-2004. In 2010 he was the General Chair of the ITE Western District Annual Meeting, held in San Francisco.
Mark is a registered traffic engineer in California and has more than 20 years of traffic engineering consulting experience in the Bay Area. He has been responsible for directing a wide range of traffic engineering and transportation planning services, including environmental studies, school safety programs, traffic calming plans, airport ground access, downtown parking management plans, and BART's earthquake safety program. He has provided services to numerous public agency and private sector clients, and is recognized for his ability to present findings to both decision-makers and the general public in a clear and concise manner.
May 17-20, 2011 – Zack Matley attended the TRB International Conference on Roundabouts in Carmel, Indiana. The conference, held every three years, provides an opportunity to discuss state-of-the-practice roundabout expertise from throughout the United States and abroad. The conference also included a reception at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, jokingly referred to by the event’s participants as “the fastest roundabout in the world.”
May 13, 2011 – As part of a multidisciplinary group of civil engineers, Tony Henderson presented at Comstock Middle School’s annual career day. Presentations were made to two groups of seventh and eighth grade students about all aspects of civil engineering and any questions the students had were answered. The students also had the opportunity to view engineering plans, including plans for a roundabout and a traffic signal, and ask questions. Many of the students were intrigued to learn all that civil engineers do.
May 12, 2011 – In support of Bike to Work Day, W-Trans staff volunteered in multiple locations from 6-9 a.m. Mary Jo Yung and Corinne Rasmussen were in the SRJC area helping bicyclists find a relocated Energizer Station (a place where bicyclists can stop for refreshments, giveaways, and bicycling info or simply to be 'cheered on' by fellow participants). Steve Weinberger helped at the Santa Rosa City Hall Energizer Station on 1st Street.
May 10, 2011 – Steve Weinberger lectured at Cal Poly in the Sustainable Mobility class led by Professor Eugene Jud. The focus of the discussion was on Downtown Mobility. Issues relative to a number of complete street project examples throughout California were shown. Earlier in the day, Steve was part of a panel that critiqued the class’ project to develop recommendations for a sustainable Downtown San Luis Obispo.
May 2, 2011 – Mary Jo Yung reached her 5-year anniversary with W-Trans. Mary Jo is currently working on street design guidelines for the Town of Windsor that employ a “complete street” approach, and her alternative mode designs reflect her experience as a bicycle commuter as well as an understanding of the importance of vehicle travel efficiency. Mary Jo has also been managing the Sebastopol Bike Lane Feasibility Study which proposes adding bike lanes to all of State Highway 116 through the City of Sebastopol. For the last several years, “MJ” has been the team captain of the “Velo Vectors,” encouraging her co-workers to participate in the Team Bike Challenge as part of Bike to Work Month.
May 2011 – W-Trans continues to support National Bike to Work Month, and for the fifth consecutive year, employees formed a team to compete in the Team Bike Challenge. Go Velo Vectors! For more information check out the Velo Vectors Profile.
April 1, 2011 – Dalene Whitlock attended the ITE International Board Meeting and Spring Technical Conference in Orlando, Florida.
March 2011 – W-Trans, as part of the PMC team, was recently chosen to prepare the North Santa Rosa Station Area Specific Plan. We’re excited about working on this project with its goal of establishing policies that strengthen pedestrian, bicycle, and transit connectivity to the future SMART rail station, linking the station to major activity centers such as the junior college and transit-oriented development sites.
February 4, 2011 – Dalene Whitlock attended the ITE Western District Mid-Year Board meeting in San Diego in her role as an International Director.
January 28, 2011 – Steve Weinberger and Vanessa Aguayo attended the Cal Poly SCE/ENVE Career Fair in San Luis Obispo.
January 2011 – W-Trans celebrated its 16th Anniversary.
2010
November 21, 2010 – W-Trans made the front page! The Press Democrat ran a feature article about the Sebastopol Bike Lane Feasibility Study discussing the challenges of the study, including balancing the need for both parking and bike lanes on the existing narrow streets. Staff members Mary Jo Yung, Steve Weinberger and Josh Abrams recently conducted a public workshop to discuss the progress of the study and get feedback from residents. Topics included the history of the project, current bicycle facility standards, and alternative designs such as bike lanes, bike routes, and shared lane markings. Our presentation included recommendations for bike facilities throughout Sebastopol, including city streets and state highways, with most information provided graphically, on maps, worksheets, and drawings of various bike facilities. It was attended by about 20 people (on a dark and stormy night and when the Giants were playing in Game 2 of the World Series Game). This information will be used to update recommendations to be presented during a City Council study session in January 2011. Read the Press Democrat article.
October 21, 2010 – W-Trans together with Quadriga Landscape Architects received approval from the Windsor Town Council to move forward with a plan for the conversion of a half-mile section of Old Redwood Highway into a "Complete Street." The concept plan incorporates many traffic management tools such as roundabouts, reverse angle back-in parking, wider sidewalks, bicycle lanes and improved pedestrian crossings while preserving many existing mature oak trees and providing opportunities for new trees. The concept plan took a bold step by integrating landscaping and streetscape amenities into a transportation management plan. Read the Press Democrat article.
October 8, 2010 – Dalene Whitlock attended an International Board Meeting at the Institute of Transportation Engineers' new headquarters in Washington, DC, representing the Western District.
October 6, 2010 – Across Sonoma County more than 70 schools participated in International Walk and Roll to School Day, an annual event held to encourage students and parents to try walking and bicycling to school in the hope that it sticks long term. W-Trans Transportation Planner Josh Abrams helped to organize the event for four participating schools in the Twin Hills School District in rural western Sonoma County.
September 19, 2010 – Angela McCoy reached her 5th Anniversary with W-Trans. She was instrumental in getting W-Trans’ new website organized and populated with lots of new photos and project descriptions, and she dove headfirst into InDesign which has enhanced the look of W-Trans’ reports and proposals.
September 2010 – As a volunteer effort, Don Costa assisted the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition by providing input to local jurisdictions to improve bicycle detection at traffic signals. His work is featured in the Summer 2010 issue of "Bike Sonoma,” an SCBC publication.
August 13, 2010 – The Petaluma Argus-Courier quoted Josh Abrams in an article about the Petaluma Safe Routes to School Plan which was initially prepared by W-Trans in 2005. “We went to each school and conducted an inventory of traffic features within a 1,000-foot radius of each one,” explained Josh Abrams, transportation planner for W-Trans. “We looked at the conditions of the sidewalks, how the sidewalks network, the types of intersections, the infrastructure at those intersections, the volume of traffic and other factors at each school.” Read the Petaluma Argus-Courier article.
August 6, 2010 – Dalene Whitlock attended the ITE International Board meeting in Vancouver, Canada. She is an International Director representing the Western District, which encompasses the 13 states in the western US.
July 31, 2010 – Allan Tilton reached another great milestone – 10 years with W-Trans. We are grateful to Allan for all of his hard work, commitment and passion for the traffic profession. "Allan is our Go-To-Guy," said Dalene Whitlock.
June 27, 2010 – Josh Abrams reached his 5th anniversary with W-Trans. Josh specializes in bicycle and pedestrian planning projects including city, county, and regional plans, corridor studies, trail projects, and safe routes to schools efforts. Josh has had exceptional success acquiring grant funding for the projects he works on, helping local agencies secure well over $15 million in competitive source funds for the development of their projects.
June 8, 2010 – W-Trans attended a kickoff meeting and walking tour for the Windsor Station Area Plan. We were hired to assist Dyett & Bhatia in developing circulation and parking strategies for the area surrounding the downtown Windsor rail station, which SMART will begin serving in 2014.
June 2010 – W-Trans staff participated in the ITE Western District Annual Meeting. Dalene Whitlock, an International Director, attended the Board meeting on Sunday. Mary Jo Yung presented her paper on developing street design standards that mesh with context sensitive concepts, and Tony Henderson presented his paper on green house gases. Steve Weinberger also attended and assisted with registration.
May 26, 2010 – Dalene Whitlock attended the ITE Intermountain Section's 50th Annual Meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
May 17, 2010 – The Velo Vectors were out in force for Bike-to-Work Day 2010.
May 13, 2010 – Zack Matley was a guest-lecturer in the "Sustainable Mobility" class at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
May 2010 – Kick-off meetings were held for two new bicycle facility projects – the Napa County Bike Plan and Sebastopol Bike Lane Feasibility Study.
May 2010 – W-Trans supports National Bike to Work Month, and for the fourth consecutive year, employees formed a team to compete in the Team Bike Challenge. Go Velo Vectors! For more information check out the Velo Vectors Profile.
April 2010 – Artwork was installed in the center of the East Main Street/Idaho-Maryland Roundabout in the City of Grass Valley.
March 12, 2010 – Dalene Whitlock attended the ITE International Board Meeting in Savannah, Georgia.
March 4, 2010 – Allan Tilton assisted the State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors in the writing of the test for traffic engineers.
February 5, 2010 – Dalene Whitlock attended the ITE Western District Mid-Year Board meeting in Las Vegas in her role as an International Director.
January 2010 – W-Trans celebrated its 15th Anniversary.
2009
December 7, 2009 – W-Trans' work on the Skyway Corridor Study for the Town of Paradise was selected out of 90 submittals to be part of FHWA's national dialog about Context Sensitive Solutions. (The project was funded by the Butte County Association of Governments.) Steve Weinberger presented the results of the planning study at the workshop in Portland. Read about the CSS National Dialogue.
November 30, 2009 – SMART (Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit) will be opening a project office in Downtown Santa Rosa. Design and construction management staff members and consultants are set to occupy the space in February. W-Trans is part of the SMART civil/track/pathway design team led by HDR. Read the Northbay Business Journal Article.
November 5, 2009 – The League of American Bicyclists recognized the City of Sonoma as a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community due to the fact that eighteen of the City's 36 proposed bikeways and project priorities identified in the Sonoma Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan are currently in the process of being installed. W-Trans prepared the Sonoma Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan as part of a larger effort developing Plans for the County of Sonoma and eight of its cities in 2008.
October 23, 2009 – HDR won the initial contract with SMART (Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit) for design of the track and pedestrian and bicycle pathway that will be adjacent to the train right-of-way through much of the 70-mile route. W-Trans is the traffic engineering subconsultant on the HDR team. Read the Press Democrat Article.
September 23, 2009 – A Grand Opening Celebration was held for the East Main Street/Idaho-Maryland Roundabout in the City of Grass Valley. W-Trans led the team that designed the roundabout with assistance from Coastland Civil Engineers of Auburn.
September 14, 2009 – W-Trans' Conceptual Approval Report for the State Route 29/Silverado Trail Roundabout in the City of Calistoga was approved by Caltrans District 4.
July 2009 – Dalene Whitlock was elected to represent the Western District on the International Board of Direction for the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE). The announcement was made at the ITE Western District Conference. Ms. Whitlock begins her duties in January 2010 as one of 13 International Directors for ITE.
June 9, 2009 – Steve Weinberger and Josh Abrams attended the bicycle/pedestrian conference put on by the Alameda County Transportation Authority. Topics covered included pedestrian crosswalk policies, bicycle parking, separated bikeways and "Sunday Streets" in San Francisco.
May 21, 2009 – Steve Weinberger lectured at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo's Sustainable Mobility Class. His presentation focused on roundabouts, including types, benefits, relation to sustainability and air quality. The air quality discussion included a case study of W-Trans' roundabout design project for the City of Paso Robles.
April 2009 – "Vehicle Emissions and Level of Service Standards: Exploratory Analysis of the Effects of Traffic Flow on Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions," co-authored by Tony Henderson, was published in the ITE Journal. Completed through the Bonderson Project Based Learning Institute at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, the research explores the relationship between roadway level of service policy standards and their affect on greenhouse gas emissions. The research was originally presented at the 88th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board in January 2009.
April 6, 2009 – W-Trans provided initial traffic analysis of Santa Rosa's Old Courthouse Square reunification plan for the local business community. While the reunification is still in the planning stage, the first step in its construction will begin this summer. Read the Press Democrat Article.
March 2009 – W-Trans provided transportation analysis and design assistance as a subconsultant to RRM Design Group on the Santa Maria Downtown Specific Plan which recently received an APA Planning award. The project included development of street standards intended to improve pedestrian circulation and support transit-oriented infill development; coordination with Caltrans to incorporate context-sensitive components; and completing a truck traffic diversion study that examined alternative routes for semi trucks.
March 23, 2009 – Allan Tilton was quoted in an article about Forestville's roundabout on Highway 116 at Mirabel Road. When asked what the town intends to place in the center of the roundabout, he said, "That's a large chunk of real estate and you can really do something that is a statement of the community." Allan suggested the placement of redwoods or artwork in the center. Read the Press Democrat Article.
March 6, 2009 – W-Trans developed a roundabout interchange design for the Gilman Street interchange with I-80. Planning and coordination with Caltrans and the City of Berkeley continues. The project was featured in the San Francisco Chronicle.
January 2009 – W-Trans celebrated its 14th Anniversary.
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