VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED (VMT)

State of California Senate Bill 743 (SB 743), made effective in January 2014, requires the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research to change the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines regarding the analysis of transportation impacts. Under SB 743, the focus of transportation analysis will shift from driver delay to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), creation of multi-modal networks, and promotion of mixed-use developments. As a result, Gibson Transportation Consulting is currently assisting public agencies with the development of new analysis methodologies designed to quantify and assess traffic impacts related to VMT and is providing transportation demand management expertise and multi-modal design guidance to private clients at the project level in order to reduce VMT and associated transportation-related GHG emissions.

TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT (TDM)

Gibson Transportation Consulting has considerable experience assisting clients with the preparation of detailed VMT plans, which are typically formulated to help reduce overall VMT, vehicle trips, and related parking demand through the identification and implementation of multi-modal alternatives to the single-occupant vehicle. The TDM plans are unique for each client and are crafted to allow our clients to meet the operational and fiscal requirements of the project while respecting the trip reduction goals and objectives of the local jurisdiction.

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

In accordance with the vision of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation Complete Streets Design Guide and similar multi-modal guidelines in other jurisdictions, Gibson Transportation Consulting assists development projects with achieving safe integration between vehicular and non-vehicular mobility by providing a detailed assessment of pedestrian and bicycle linkages, evaluation of circulation conflicts, and recommendations for accessible passages proximate to transit/destination corridors. The ultimate goal is to develop both short-term and long-term strategies to encourage alternative and/or multi-modal travel behaviors, such as ride share and bike share, in order to reduce conflicts through the creation of safer and more navigable environments.

NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

Gibson Transportation Consulting works in coordination with neighborhood associations, local council offices, and local jurisdictions to develop neighborhood traffic management plans that serve the transportation, parking, and safety needs of the residents. These plans include the evaluation of traffic management and traffic calming measures such as speed humps, stop signs, intersection reconfigurations, edge markings, corner curb extensions, speed feedback signs, and pedestrian enhancements. Gibson Transportation Consulting conducts technical analyses to support the recommended measures and field observations to identify areas for further evaluation.

FREEWAY OPERATIONS / CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

Gibson Transportation Consulting works closely with multi-disciplinary teams to develop effective solutions to complex traffic flow problems and prepare the technical studies required to implement these solutions. These Traffic Engineering Performance Assessments, Intersection Control Analyses, and other analyses (typically incorporated into Project Study Reports and Project Approval and Environmental Documents) include the analysis of freeway mainline segments, on-ramps and off-ramps, queuing, merge and diverge, weaving maneuvers, and collision history and safety, as well as Intersection Control Analyses and signal warrant analyses at ramp intersections

TRANSIT PLANNING

Gibson Transportation Consulting has considerable experience assisting transit agencies in the development of transit routes and in the planning of transit terminals and mobility hubs. We prepare conceptual design and operational plans for bus transfer stations and rail stations, participate in the design of bus, shuttle, and rideshare facilities for event centers, theme parks, and large mixed-use developments, and help develop shuttle bus systems to deliver employees to/from work or to better connect employment centers to transit service.