DKS Associates is advancing transportation analysis in Oregon and throughout the west, to address the evolving challenges emerging in planning. Recent increases in gasoline prices, global warming and greenhouse gas concerns, funding constraints, and escalating costs of transportation improvements, affect how transportation engineering and planning are implemented. DKS is sensitive to these constraints and is the leader in providing cost-effective solutions that provide measurable results for transportation agencies. |
|
|
Transportation Funding 2009 – The federal reauthorization in 2009 may not follow the past trends of large funding increases. The complexity of transportation funding has become a cornerstone issue for most communities. A recent article published in the Institute of Transportation Engineers WesternITE, by DKS’ Randy McCourt highlights many of the future challenges. |
|
Transportation Economics – The vast size of many transportation corridor projects today (estimated to be billions of dollars) mandates the understanding of project benefits. Blending economic analysis with transportation planning, is becoming common place in corridor studies. DKS is working with ECO Northwest in Seattle on the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Project, to help guide the development of transportation data that will be utilized for economic analysis for WSDOT, City of Seattle and King County. |
 |
Travel Forecasting for Smaller and Rural Communities – Planning for the future by factoring traffic counts is a risky proposition in smaller and rural communities experiencing growth and congestion. DKS has pioneered applications for travel forecasting tools utilizing VISUM to enhance the ODOT Transportation Planning Analysis Unit (TPAU) guidelines in Sisters, Oregon. This involved use of actual land use data, limited origin/destination data and intersection counts. For communities with larger land use proposals, circulation modifications and/or congested corridors, the use of VISUM provides decision makers with enhanced tools to test future visions for their communities. TPAU has accepted this experimental application for forecasting in Sisters. |
|
Googling Transportation – Mining of information in transportation is a new frontier and DKS has collaborated with Portland State University (PSU) on concepts of how to best access information in the future – getting the right information, at the right time, to be more efficient. DKS co-authored an ITE award winning paper detailing a possible future data system with PSU staff and its students. |
|
Planning to Address Greenhouse Gases - With concerns for global warming, many transportation projects have been challenged to reduce greenhouse gases. DKS is working on the I-5/OR 99W Corridor Project in the Portland area, and has developed tools to quickly test carbon dioxide changes with project alternatives, based upon vehicle speed, vehicle miles traveled and research conducted by Matthew Barth, from the University of California, Riverside. This sketch planning test provides a quick check among alternatives utilizing common travel demand model information. |
|
New Funding Concepts for Traffic Signal Timing – DKS is advancing the concept of using carbon offsets to fund traffic signal timing and coordination, working with EcoSecurities and Climate Trust. A recent project DKS completed with the City of Portland was substantially funded this way. DKS can help to facilitate the funding and successful implementation of these projects, which produce substantial benefits to the public through reduced emissions, reduced delay, reduced stops and reduced energy consumption. |
|
DKS Staff Wins Award for Working with Students – ITE’s 2008 Technical Council Project of the year was awarded to DKS for its work with university students in the west (including Oregon State) and across the country on trip and parking generation projects. The Data Collection Fund project provides university students, advisors and mentors, grants to collect needed transportation information for the industry. |
DKS Associates |
|
