RSG’s Corey Mack is to present today at the Vermont Society of Engineers (VSE) annual meeting in Killington, VT. His presentation will discuss RSG’s work on the Burlington Waterfront Skate Park, exploring the unique challenges and solutions sought to bring a world-class skate facility to Burlington, VT.

The Institute of Transportation Engineers, in cooperation with FHWA, the Congress for New Urbanism (CNU), and the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), is working to produce a new “Practitioners Guide to Context Sensitive Solutions in Thoroughfare Design.” RSG’s Steven Gayle has been invited to participate in the Technical Advisory Committee for the project as a representative of the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO). He is joined by representatives from AASHTO, Smart Growth America, the US Access Board, Owner Operators Independent Drivers Association, the National Association of Development Organizations, and the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals. The report is expected to be finalized in early 2017.

RSG’s Ellen Rovelstad co-authored the article “Indicators and Standards of Quality for Viewing the Night Sky in the National Parks,” which was published in the latest issue of Park Science. With night skies recognized as an important park resource, this research identified the indicators and standards for stargazing and identified a range of standards of quality for light pollution.

Since the research was conducted in Acadia National Park in 2011 and 2012, the park has replaced all the lighting in Acadia’s Blackwoods Campground with respect to good lighting practices.

RSG’s Ellen Rovelstad co-authored the article “Indicators and Standards of Quality for Viewing the Night Sky in the National Parks,” which was published in the latest issue of Park Science. With night skies recognized as an important park resource, this research identified the indicators and standards for stargazing and identified a range of standards of quality for light pollution.

Since the research was conducted in Acadia National Park in 2011 and 2012, the park has replaced all the lighting in Acadia’s Blackwoods Campground with respect to good lighting practices.

RSG’s Peter Plumeau authored a chapter in the American Planning Association’s new publication, “On the Horizon: State of Transportation Planning in 2016.” Peter’s chapter is titled, “The Evolving World of Freight and Goods Movement: Implications for Transportation Planning and Community Design.”

RSG’s Dr. Erica Wygonik co-authored the article “Deliver It All” in the March/April 2016 issue of Supply Chain Management Review. The article explores whether home delivery is greener than sending full truckloads of goods to stores and then customers driving to them. Erica co-authored the article with two former University of Washington colleagues.

RSG Senior Engineer Erica Wygonik and Project Engineer Corey Mack are attending the 2016 Vermont Walk/Bike Summit in Rutland, VT today. Erica will also be giving a presentation on engaging users to increase public involvement in bicycle and pedestrian planning in their communities.

The 2016 Vermont Walk/Bike Summit will be the second annual statewide event of its kind, attracting community members, employers, planners, and researchers throughout Vermont for in-depth sharing on current efforts, new ideas, and networking to advance more livable communities. RSG is proud to be a sponsor of this event.

RSG Director John Hinckley will be attending the 2016 Northeast Biomass Heating Expo in Burlington, VT today. He will be moderating a session dedicated to addressing air quality, titled “PM and Public Health, Fact from Fiction/Biomass Air Quality.”

The Northeast Biomass Heating Expo is one of the fastest growing biomass thermal energy conferences in the US, attracting nearly 2000 attendees to build a comprehensive knowledge base of biomass thermal heating.

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Kay Axhausen to the RSG team as a senior advisor. Dr. Axhausen is a professor specializing in transport planning at the Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) in Zurich. He brings 30 years of experience in travel behavior modeling and management.

Dr. Axhausen will serve as an advisor and collaborator on a range of projects and innovation efforts at RSG including our ongoing development of rMove™, our travel survey research and our long distance travel demand modeling.

BART Perks, the Bay Area’s pilot program to address the transit system’s overcrowding, was recently featured in the San Francisco Chronicle. The program is described as “a loyalty program melded with elements of gaming and social networking,” and is an alternative to congestion pricing. RSG is working with the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA) to evaluate the impact of the BART Perks pilot program.