Transportation Planning

VAI provides a full complement of Transportation Planning services for public and private sector clients. These include traffic studies; feasibility studies; environmental impact reports; peer review services; parking supply and demand studies; roadway, intersection and pedestrian safety studies; access planning studies; and transportation master plans. Our clients include real estate owners and developers, attorneys, state and municipal agencies, medical and educational institutions, and sporting and event facility owners and managers.

Environmental Impact Reports

VAI’s engineers have assisted in providing comprehensive transportation analyses associated with Environmental Impact Reports/Environmental Assessments as required by State and Federal agencies, either as the lead consultant or as a part of a development team. VAI has successfully completed numerous Environmental Impact Reports for private development projects throughout the New England Region. Our staff has a thorough and applied understanding of the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) thresholds, implementing regulations and the associated permitting process.

Peer Review Services

VAI has been retained by numerous communities, town boards, private citizen groups and developers to provide our technical expertise to better understand a project’s impact on the transportation infrastructure. Our reviews include a comprehensive assessment of the analysis methodology with regard to accepted Traffic Engineering and Transportation Planning practices, state and municipal standards and codes; roadway and intersection operations; access design and site circulation; safety; pedestrian and bicycle considerations; truck impacts; parking supply, demand and layout; and off-site improvement strategies. The goal of the review is to provide our clients with a better understanding of a project’s impact and to assist in developing strategies that are designed to accommodate the project in a safe and efficient manner, while minimizing impacts to abutting properties, neighborhoods and all roadway users.

Traffic / Highway Engineering

Highway and Roadway Design

VAI provides a full range of civil engineering services including corridor planning and feasibility studies, design and permit acquisition, right-of-way documentation, construction contract packaging and construction administration and observation. Our clients include private interests, municipalities and state agencies with projects ranging from local streets and intersections to major corridor and highway interchange improvements throughout New England VAI’s engineering and design experience involves the preparation of construction documents including horizontal and vertical geometry; drainage and stormwater management; grading, utility systems, pavement marking and signing, traffic signal systems, traffic management, construction sequencing, construction specifications and quantity and cost estimating.

Traffic Signal Design

VAI’s expertise in the specialized field of traffic signal design offers our clients a technical and technological resource. The design of an isolated traffic signal or a system of traffic signals begins with determining the need for the signal. This need can be the result of an existing capacity or safety concern, one that is created as a result of new development, or as part of a corridor improvement project. VAI’s traffic engineers have a thorough understanding of State and Federal design guidelines and standards including the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) which are integral to the design and installation of traffic signal systems. This expertise is used in determining the need for traffic signals, and in developing signal layout, sequence and timing plans for an isolated signal or for a coordinated network of intersections. VAI considers all aspects of design when evaluating traffic signal systems, including the various users of the roadways (vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians), peak hours, event conditions, safety, and aesthetics. State of the art computer models assess traffic operations and use animation to assess pre- and post-signal installation conditions to support proposed designs and to illustrate existing and proposed conditions to the client, state and municipal staff; and to the public.

State and Municipal Services

VAI provides a comprehensive suite of Traffic Engineering, Transportation Planning, Highway Design and Construction Services to municipalities to assist in community planning and transportation infrastructure investment.

• Traffic Signal Design for both new installation and improvements and modernization of existing traffic signal systems to comply with current design and accessibility standards
• Traffic Management Plans for construction activities and special events
• Construction Observation to ensure that improvements meet specifications and are consistent with construction documents
• Contract Management and Oversight approval of contractor pay requisitions, invoicing and completion of required forms for state reimbursement
• Project Planning and Administration to assist municipalities in identifying private/public partnering opportunities; preparing state funding applications (Massworks, etc) and contract and reporting forms; and supporting municipal staff with project management and design services, as needed.
• Expert Witness Testimony in support of municipal boards

Construction Services

As part of the firm’s comprehensive engineering services, VAI offers construction administration and observation services for highway, roadway and intersection improvement projects. This work is typically part of our total services and is contracted separately to both public and private sector clients. VAI’s construction services include contract documents, pre-bid conferences, bid evaluation, shop drawing review, RFI response, construction observation, pay requisition review, final inspections, punch list review and project closeout reporting. The firm’s inspectors are Registered Professional engineers and NICET certified.

Expert Testimony

VAI offers expert witness services in issues relating to transportation, land development, roadway/intersection safety, motor vehicle crash analysis, and site design. Expert testimony services offered by VAI include depositions, affidavits, court testimony and support services. VAI’s partners are qualified in the Superior, Land Court and Court of Common Pleas systems. They have rendered expert testimony before the courts, public boards, cities, towns, state and federal government agencies, and U.S. Senate Subcommittees on issues ranging in complexity from civil zoning and accident cases, to criminal proceedings for vehicular homicides.