The Empire State Trail: Talking Teamwork with Kristie Di Cocco

June 3, 2019

Blog 3 of 4 about the Empire State Trail When complete, the Empire State Trail will be the longest multi-use trail in the US. We caught up with Kristie Di Cocco, one of Alta’s senior engineering associates working on this project. Who are the key players? Are there other organizations or stakeholders that were involved […]

How Racial Justice Concerns Tie Into Vision Zero Policies

May 21, 2019

Last year, Alta Planning + Design supported a UCLA grad student, Rabi Abonour, in a research project to examine how racial justice concerns around enforcement practices tie into Vision Zero policies and projects. In his own words, he explains his research process and findings. By: Rabi Abonour As a street safety advocate, I have spent […]

Statewide Active Transportation Planning: Lessons Learned

May 15, 2019

Photo credit: Nancy Pierce, 2017 Statewide active transportation planning presents a unique challenge. How do you create a comprehensive, cohesive approach for biking and walking across numerous diverse and unique communities? It takes effective coordination and a depth of experience to develop an effective approach. From Alta’s experience completing numerous statewide active transportation plans across the […]

Designing the Empire State Trail: Explained by Bill Sprengnether

May 14, 2019

Blog 2 of 4 about the Empire State Trail By: Bill Sprengnether, Senior Design Associate, Alta Planning + Design The Empire State Trail (EST) will be the longest multi-use trail in the US. We caught up with Alta Senior Design Associate, Bill Sprengnether, to see how this first-of-its-kind project is being designed. Q: What’s your […]

3 Things You Need to Know About Bike-Transit Integration

May 8, 2019

By: Matt Pinder, Senior Designer, EIT, Alta Planning + Design A commuter rail system is only as good as its ability to get people to and from stops and stations, known as the first- and last-mile (FMLM), yet far too often we take this critical aspect of the system for granted. Heavy reliance on car […]

Celebrating a Life on Two Wheels

March 21, 2019

My father-in-law Leonard passed away a few weeks ago. As we were gathered with family and friends, the conversation turned to the ragtag collection of bikes in his garage, and someone remarked that his e‑bike had added years to his life. Leonard was in his 80s, and for years used a bike to get around. […]

The View from the Saddle — Bike Touring Through SE Asia

August 13, 2018

Blog 1 of 3 —Reflections on Bike Safety Between March and June, 2018, my wife and I bicycled nearly 5,000 kilometers riding through 6 countries in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Before the trip started, one of my fears was that the roads were going to be really dangerous and […]

Advisory Bike Lanes in North America

August 16, 2017

Despite being used successfully for decades in Europe, Advisory Bike Lanes (also known as advisory shoulders), are an emerging facility type in North America and can be an effective tool for communities to provide bicycle lanes on streets that are otherwise too narrow to accommodate them. Alta’s Innovation Lab has produced a white paper that […]

Level of Traffic Stress — What it Means for Building Better Bike Networks

August 10, 2017

Alta worked with Google to identify ways to decrease bicyclist stress and increase bicyclist comfort and connectivity to their Mountain View headquarters through a customized Bicycle Level of Traffic Stress Analysis. Measuring Bicycle Network Connectivity and Comfort Originally developed by researchers at the Mineta Transportation Institute, Bicycle Level of Traffic Stress (LTS) quickly assumed the mantle […]

Building Complete and Connected Networks

All Ages and Abilities Crossing of a Major Arterial from Atlanta Regional Commission Bike to Ride. Creating a Low Stress Bicycle Network We like to think that all people could potentially become bicyclists. A bicycle network will attract a large portion of the population if it is designed to reduce stress associated with potential motor vehicle conflicts […]

1 2