Transportation Planning
VAI provides a full complement of Transportation Planning services for public and private sector clients. These include: traffic studies; feasabillity 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.
Traffic Impact and Access Studies
One of the most challenging aspects of Land Development projects today is understanding and addressing community concerns as they relate to traffic impacts, safety and congestion, in addition to non-motorized modes of travel such as pedestrians and bicyclists. VAI’s professional and unbiased reputation with developers, land use attorneys, communities and State agencies allows our engineers to work on some of the most challenging projects in New England. VAI understands that traffic studies must start with sound engineering principles, address community concerns with cost effective and implementable mitigation strategies, and must be presented to municipal boards, permit granting authorities and state agencies in an effective, clear and concise manner to gain support and community consensus. VAI has successfully permitted over 4,000 development projects through the New England Region ranging from small residential subdivisions to mixed-use and transit oriented development projects of over two million square feet in both urban and suburban settings.
Traffic Feasibility and Sizing Studies
Given the limited availability of land in New England and the challenging and complex traffic issues facing land development projects, developers are frequently engaging VAI early in the development phase to assist in properly sizing projects and developing permitting strategies. An early understanding of site access requirements, potential off-site improvements and costs, community concerns and an assessment of alternative development scenarios assists the development team to formulate permitting strategies early in the site assessment phase and serves to streamline the permitting process for the project. VAI has assisted developers in sizing many commercial and mixed-use projects allowing for optimal site development and the successful integration of projects into a community.
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.