Growing up in Portland and making frequent visits to family in Vancouver B.C., I figured that all cities were fun places to walk and bike around, with vibrant street life and easy access to the outdoors. I thought cities were just built that way!
It came as a bit of a shock to find that most American cities were not designed with walking or biking in mind. But this discovery set me on my path to planning and designing infrastructure for active transportation, helping other cities to achieve the kind of livability that Portlanders take for granted. Streets and trails are the primary public spaces that most people use every day, and I love working to make them safe, accessible, and inviting for all people who wish to use them--be it to get to work or school, get some extra exercise, or get out into the countryside.
I am excited to be working at Alta. This is a place where I will continue to stretch and grow as I seek to understand how the world fits together, and how biking, walking, and great design can make it fit together better.
Erin brings a broad-based, interdisciplinary approach to her work in urban design and planning. Her skills include bikeway and multimodal street design, computer and hand-drawn graphics, GIS, and quantitative and qualitative research and analysis. These skills are complemented by extensive knowledge of geography, housing, public involvement, community development, environmental planning, the connections between transportation and public health, and other related fields.
Recent Projects
- Cully Main Street and Local Street Plans Project, Portland, OR
The Cully Main Street and Local Street Plans Project seeks to revitalize Cully Boulevard to serve as a vibrant neighborhood main street, and to improve the safety, accessibility and connectivity of unimproved residential streets. Erin worked on a wide variety of project activities, including public outreach and events; mapping existing conditions in the neighborhood; analyzing project needs, opportunities, and barriers; and researching innovative multimodal street designs for residential neighborhoods. - Santa Rosa Greenway Design Studio, Santa Rosa, CA
Erin designed a proposed 2-mile bicycle greenway in southest Santa Rosa that would connect existing regional trails and parks, and create new open space, restored creeks, and fish habitat. Coupled with local street improvements for cyclists and pedestrians, the greenway would also serve the local neighborhood by providing safe access to schools, downtown Santa Rosa, and other destinations. Erin also analyzed existing site ecology and hydrology, and the ease and safety of pedestrian and bicycle access around the site. - Bay Area 2013 Sustainable Communities Strategy and Regional Transportation Plan, San Francisco Bay Area, CA
The Bay Area’s 2013 Regional Transportation Plan will include a series of performance indicators and targets for improving Bay Area environmental health, public health, and equity, through transportation policy and projects. Erin developed and refined indicators, targets and benefit/cost analysis related to active transportation (walking and cycling) and public health. These measures will highlight the health benefits associated increased walking and cycling for transportation purposes, and the importance of better infrastructure to reduce serious bicycle and pedestrian traffic collisions. - Adeline Street Design Studio, Berkeley, CA
Erin helped develop a proposed street redesign for Adeline, a wide, inefficiently designed street near Ashby BART station in Berkeley, CA. The proposed design would improve safety and access for bicyclists and pedestrians, and improve the quality of public space in the area. Erin conducted a sidewalk inventory and collected data on traffic volumes and pedestrian crossing conditions, using these and other data to analyze the existing quality and safety of the walking and cycling environments. She helped develop a proposal that would remove underused traffic lanes and realign several intersections, freeing up space for a completed bicycle network, major pedestrian safety improvements, and several new parks and plazas.
