Kittelson & Associates, Inc.

Transportation designers and planners can use 3D visualization technology to communicate projects to clients and the public more easily. 💻 For example, designers use roundabout simulations to incorporate different vehicle types into a design and understand how it would (or would not) accommodate varying sizes and types of vehicles. 🚜🚚 This technology is especially helpful for presenting and interacting with visual data. Allowing users to virtually walk or drive through the proposed design offers the non-engineering public the opportunity to grasp the nuances of proposed designs. 👩💻 In Kalispell, Montana, 3D visualizations helped us communicate the intricacies of a roundabout project. Our team developed a 3D visualization to address the community’s key concerns about hilly terrain and driver visibility. It included a view from the driver’s perspective. This visualization enabled the community to experience firsthand how easily a driver could spot oncoming traffic and pedestrians. 🚶♀️🚴

Today, transportation agencies have a large toolbox at their disposal for engaging with the communities they serve, including in-person, virtual, and hybrid approaches. When we combine pre-pandemic best practices with what we’ve learned about virtual outreach in the last few years, we can arrive at an effective blended outreach approach that includes both in-person and virtual ctivities. 📢 An example of an approach that blends the old and the new is the San Mateo Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP). Kittelson worked with our client to develop a meaningful hybrid public engagement strategy aimed atreaching as many people as possible in the targeted neighborhoods through:️ 🗺️ A project website with an interactive map that allowed community members to give location-specific feedback. 📊 A story map to provide information in easy-to-read language and graphics. 🎉 Two pop-up events to directly engage members of the community in places they were already spending time. 💼 Easy-to-carry business cards for access to the project website, providing a critical link between virtual and in-person outreach efforts. These combined efforts brought in more than 500 comments from community members online and more than 200 comments collected from the pop-up events!

“I love solving the puzzle of integrating new technology: how do we figure out how to help people adopt the technology, and how do we adapt the technology to work for people?” 🧩 Chris White has spent the last 20 years at the forefront of the shift to electrification and alternative fuels and we’re thrilled to welcome her to Kittelson as a senior principal planner. 💡 She will work with clients across the country on finding solutions related to community-based planning for charging and mobility hubs, freight electrification, policy development, charging and hydrogen infrastructure deployment, and resiliency planning. ⚡ Read more about embracing an electrified future with Chris White: 👇 https://lnkd.in/gdnyP7qq

Happy Friday! This summer we welcomed the biggest cohort of interns we've ever had! Today, we're introducing the last three interns in that 27-intern cohort. We're thrilled to have such talented and driven individuals on the team, ready to bring fresh perspectives. Welcome to Emilio Calderon, Sam Gregory, and Joshua Miller. ☀️ 

3D visualization involves creating several digital 3D shapes and combining them to form a virtual scene that includes textures, color, lighting, motion, and environmental effects. This process ultimately creates a visual narrative that closely mimics real-world scenarios. 🏡 3D visualization is used in architecture, civil engineering, interior design, medical visualization, product design, advertising, and gaming. But it’s also used in transportation! It’s particularly valuable for simulating transportation infrastructure improvements and presenting “before-and-after” scenarios. 💡 Some forms of 3D visualization use the same development tools as video games. Using this kind of gaming technology means designers can include animated elements, such as vehicles and pedestrians, in their designs. 🎮

Successful public engagement today is about merging the old and the new—blending traditional outreach approaches with new strategies learned during the pandemic to thoughtfully and equitably engage communities. Over the last few years, we’ve all learned a lot about running successful virtual events. One of the keys to making a virtual event engaging is to focus on user experience: look for opportunities to mimic the in-person experience many community members are used to. The Oregon City-West Linn Pedestrian-Bicycle Bridge project relied heavily on online tools and engagement strategies, including: 📍 A project website to make information, including project description, timeline, and map, easily accessible. 📰 Digital ads on the local newspapers’ website, reaching almost 60,000 impressions. 💻 An online open house and an accompanying survey that was available in English and Spanish. Participants engaged with an interactive 360-degree video of alignment options and virtual reality simulations. The open houses logged nearly 600 visitors and generated more than 750 responses! What are your best tips for making an online event engaging?

We had a great time gathering in Philadelphia last week for the ITE Annual Meeting! Thanks to everyone who gave insightful presentations, took time to connect with us, and to the students who attended our reception, “Which Transportation Path is Right For You?” Check out some of our highlights from the event: 👋 Jeff Riegner gives a welcome at the ITE Annual Meeting. 🎤 Gary Thomas, Ph.D., P.E. from Kittelson, LLC emcees the ITE Collegiate Traffic Bowl Championship event. 💬 Dr. Celeste Chavis (Morgan State University) and Kelley Yemen (City of Philadelphia) join Jon Crisafi, PE, PTOE and Jeff Riegner as panelists at our student event: "Which Transportation Path is Right for You?” ⭐ Tara Hofferth, PE and Bastian Schroeder at the student event. #ITEPhilly2024 #ITEAnnualMeeting

Three-dimensional (3D) visualization has emerged as a transformative tool capable of harnessing the power of gaming technology to create interactive and immersive simulations! 🎮 These digital representations of a 3D object or environment are not just about creating visually appealing models. 3D visualization is transforming how we design, analyze, and communicate complex transportation projects. 🚦 Find out how 3D visualization can power meaningful public engagement: https://lnkd.in/gAjTpbzh

Before 2020, public engagement in transportation projects primarily centered around open house meetings and workshops. In-person events could be structured in many ways, but relied on personal, face-to-face interaction with the community. COVID-19 forced agencies to pivot quickly to online events and strategies. 😷 Four years later, what have we learned—and what’s the state of public engagement today? Read how agencies are merging traditional approaches with successful online strategies learned during the pandemic to reach their communities in today’s hybrid world. 🌐 https://lnkd.in/gQ9_dZAU

It's Summer Intern Friday! Today, we're spotlighting John Thant Win, Cameron Dougal, and Lucas Fischer. These interns have been working hard all summer on some cool projects! Swipe right to learn more about them. ☀️