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Alta staff teaching pedestrian
safety to 2nd graders. |
Alta Launches Special Projects Team for Marketing and Programs
Alta staff teaching pedestrian safety to 2nd graders.
For nearly two decades, Alta's main work has been to plan, design, and implement trails, bikeways, and sidewalks. The results of our work are thousands of miles of on-the-ground facilities around the country. In other words, we've been helping clients build the "hard" infrastructure for walking and biking. Now, we'll be able to help them bring more people to the path, the bike lane, and the sidewalk through "soft" programs.
As Alta grows, we are proud to announce that we have launched a new Special Projects Team to assist clients with projects like:
- Personal Travel Encouragement programs (based on the successful SmartTrips model)
- Marketing (modal shift programs; trail marketing; newsletters, logos, and communications)
- Promotion, outreach and education programs
- Bicycle/pedestrian safety media campaigns
- Bicycle-friendly business programs
- Curriculum development
- Program grant writing
- Seeking Bicycle Friendly Community status
Our new department is headed up by Jessica Roberts, a longtime bicycle advocate and planner. Jessica most recently completed five years on staff of the well-known Bicycle Transportation Alliance and has represented Oregon bicyclists at the National Bicycle Summit as well as part of a city delegation to the Netherlands. Jessica looks forward to applying her grassroots organizing and community education experience to Alta’s growing number of "soft" projects.
Joining Jessica is Susan Peithman, who previously worked both at the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation and the Chicago Department of Transportation. Susan coordinated the Junior Ambassador Program, a skills training program that taught bicycle repair, urban riding, and bike safety leadership training to 50 Chicago teens.
Jessica and Susan offer Alta’s clients unparalleled knowledge about successful program models, cost/benefit analysis, program evaluation, applicable research, and funding sources for special projects. Please contact
Jessica Roberts to discuss your program needs and explore how Alta can help you reach more people, more effectively.
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New Regional Offices
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| Joe Gilpin, Alta's new branch manager in Bozeman. |
Alta is growing! We're pleased to announce the opening of a new Western states office in Bozeman, Montana; a Southern California office in San Diego; and an addition Eastern office in Arlington, Virginia.
Joe Gilpin is joining Alta to head up the new Western branch. With a background in traffic engineering, planning, and transportation advocacy, Joe has specialized in bicycle and pedestrian planning since 2001. He also has the unique experience of having worked at length in the private sector, the public sector, and the nonprofit sector. Some of his past hats include bicycle/pedestrian nonprofit Executive Director, multi-modal planner at RRM Design Group, and Bicycle Coordinator of a Metropolitan Planning Organization. Joe has lived in the Bozeman area on and off for over 20 years, and he’s excited to work with communities he’s known since childhood.
Alta’s new Western office will serve the intermountain west, offering bicycle and pedestrian expertise to communities in Montana, Idaho, Utah, and beyond. Alta’s services include trail planning and design, Safe Routes to School programs, non-motorized elements of larger transportation plans, and ADA/disability assessments.
Contact
Joe Gilpin to find out more about how Alta can make your community better for walking and biking.
Our San Diego office offers expertise in Pedestrian Master Planning, Bicycle Master Planning, Trail Planning and Feasibility Studies, and GIS. Sherry Ryan joined Alta in 2007 to head up the new Southern California office. She has a background in transportation planning and GIS, and holds graduate degrees in Civil Engineering and Transportation Sciences from U. C. Irvine. In addition to leading several pedestrian master planning projects, she is a professor at San Diego State University in the Graduate Program in City Planning, where she teaches transportation and land use planning courses. She is a native of San Diego and has worked for more than 10 years in the region as a professional planner.
Contact
Sherry Ryan for information about pedestrian and bicycle improvements in the Southern California region.
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Charlie Denney, Alta's new
branch manager in Arlington.
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We're excited to announce the opening of a new office in Arlington, VA, located just across the Potomac River from Washington, DC. The office is led by Charlie Denney, a professional planner with over 15 years of experience in bicycle and pedestrian planning and design. Charlie has worked in the public, private and non-profit sectors, most recently serving as the Bicycle & Pedestrian Program Manager for Arlington, VA, a national leader in creating a truly multi-modal community. Charlie worked on projects throughout the US as a consultant and, as a Planner for the Bicycle Federation of America, he delivered training courses on bicycle and pedestrian planning and design around the country. Charlie is excited to join Alta and to have the opportunity to work with communities interested in becoming more walkable and bikeable.
The Arlington office will primarily serve clients in the Middle-Atlantic and Southeastern States focusing on trail planning and design, municipal bicycle and pedestrian planning, complete streets projects, safe routes to schools, and marketing and programs. Contact
Charlie Denney to talk about how Alta can help your community.
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Professionals from across the West attended the
Trail Design continuing education course offered
by IBPI (Joe Gilpin (left), ALTA/Bozeman,working
with Rick Root (standing) of Bend, OR) |
Alta principal George Hudson, ASLA, along with senior landscape architects Steve Durrant, ASLA and Mike Rose, ASLA, conducted a day-long continuing education course on trail design for the Institute for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation in Portland on October 19th. Thirty professionals from northern California to Vancouver, BC, and Bozeman, MT. attended the 9 hour session. After a fast paced classroom session, the class spent four hours in the field and another three in small groups developing and discussing their own solutions to a very difficult gap in Portland's Willamette River Greenway.
One participant comment at the end of the day: "This was the best CE course I've ever attended, it was really relevant to our own challenges. I wish it was longer."
The Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation, located in the Center for Transportation Studies at Portland State University, is a collaborative partnership with the Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management at the University of Oregon, and the College of Engineering at Oregon State University.
A vital part of IBPI's mission is providing educational opportunities for students and practitioners to enhance their knowledge and expertise in all facets of policy, policy development, design, and programs that advance bicycle and pedestrian travel and safety. IBPI is offering professional development courses, and working with academics and professionals to create new courses and course curricula at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Contact: Lynn Weigand.
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In the News...
- Portland, Oregon recently received national attention for its budding bike industry and the culture it’s cultivating. The New York Times consulted Alta’s own Mia Birk on the city’s bike-related business growth including Alta as a firm supporting cycling.
- Mia also weighed in on the economic benefits of Portland's bicycle infrastructure in a recent Willamette Week article.
- The Clackamas Review featured an interview with Alta Landscape Architect Mike Rose about his work on the North Clackamas Community Park Plan.
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Tony Powers, Senior Associate - Berkeley, California
Tony Powers has over twenty years of experience in planning, design and construction of transportation projects, with particular emphasis on transportation structures, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and transit. He has extensive experience on projects involving coordination with Caltrans and Class I railroads. Tony has been an avid bicycle commuter and tourist for over twenty years, is a certified League of American Bicyclists safety instructor (LCI) and has been actively involved in bicycle and pedestrian advocacy in Sacramento and Folsom since 2000.
Brooke DuBose, Senior Planner - Berkeley, California
Brooke DuBose joined the Alta team in November 2007. Prior to Alta, Brooke was a planner for Transportation Alternatives, New York City’s leading advocate for walking, biking and sensible transportation. She provided technical assistance to communities throughout New York City to help design safe and livable streets. While working towards a Masters degree in urban planning, she worked for the Highway Safety Research Center in North Carolina, where she researched current applications of engineering, design, and planning techniques for walking and bicycling. She also worked on smart growth initiatives and comprehensive corridor schemes for Project for Public Spaces in New York City. Her experience includes traffic calming design and public space revitalization, placemaking methodologies, and community-based planning.
Joshua Poppel, Planner - Loudonville, New York
Joshua Poppel is a planner and an advocate who has been dedicated to the bicycle and pedestrian cause for the past decade. His initial exposure to bicycle and pedestrian planning was through a cross-country bike trip to raise awareness about the renewal of ISTEA. Since that time, he has been an avid bicyclist, actively involved in the promotion of bicycling and walking. He continues that commitment through not only his planning projects but also the education and outreach efforts as a League Cycling Instructor and Safe Routes to School Trainer.
From 2005 - 2007, Joshua served as the Executive Director of the New York Bicycling Coalition, managing the statewide non-profit and leading their safety and advocacy campaigns. Prior to that, he was the Assistant to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator at the Vermont Agency of Transportation. During his time with the Agency, he helped develop the application guidelines for Transportation Enhancements projects. His experience from both the non-profit and governmental point of view enables him as an effective coalition builder.
Gabriel Amadeus Tiller, Graphic Designer - Portland, Oregon
Gabriel Tiller has 6 years of experience in the graphic design field, including many projects focusing on outdoor activities. His work with Alta includes report writing, editing, and design on bicycle, pedestrian, and trail master plans and rail-with-trail feasibility studies, as well as design and production of brochures, proposals, logos, mailers, and other marketing materials.
Soon after relocating to Portland in 2003, Gabe quickly immersed himself in the bicycle scene and frequently does volunteer work for the bicycling community at large as well as leading rides and promoting events for SHIFT, a local bike-fun group. In his free time Gabriel builds a variety of creative bikes and occasionally teaches graphic design classes at the Independent Publishing Resource Center.
Susan Peithman, Project Assistant - Portland, Oregon
Susan Peithman has several years of experience working with pedestrian and bicycle programs. Her work with Alta includes support for Safe Routes to School and personal travel planning programs. She assists senior staff in project and proposal research, writing, editing, layout and production. Susan is also responsible for assisting project managers with pedestrian and bicycle encouragement and safety projects which includes document production of newsletters and reports as well as management and execution of public meetings.
Susan relocated from Chicago, Illinois to Portland, Oregon in the fall of 2007 to pursue her career in non motorized transportation. Her previous experience working both as an employee of the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation and as a consultant located at the Chicago Department of Transportation has given her a valuable perspective on municipal and contractor relations and coordination. Susan enjoys spending her free time being a bike racer, riding very fast in road and stage races.
Julie McDougal, Administrative Manager - Portland, Oregon
Julie McDougal has six years of experience in the bicycle retail industry, where she encouraged people to ride more often and learned about the needs and goals of various cycling communities. Her work with Alta includes office management, directing workflow, project assistance, schedule coordination, as well as providing support in many capacities to the remote offices. If she is not participating in some form of bike-fun, she enjoys spending her free time playing guitar in a band.
Brie Becker, HR & Finance Manager - Portland, Oregon
Brie Becker has four years of experience in the financial management field. At an engineering and design firm in Boston, MA, she implemented numerous new processes to increase the sales and efficiencies of the company. Her work with Alta includes providing financial recommendations for the quickly growing company, implementing a new project management system, and making Alta a fantastic place to work through various Human Resources initiatives. She is excited to help Alta continue to grow.
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