Whether exploring a city or roaming the countryside, I love to move at bicycle pace. Fast enough to get me to work or out of town, but slow enough to allow me to see, smell and feel the place around me. As we create space for bicycling and walking, we are really building the space where community happens. It’s this kind of transformation that I look forward to in my work at Alta.
Shannon Simms has been an avid cyclist ever since moving to Boston eight years ago, and has been working in the bicycle and pedestrian field for the past four years. She began in advocacy and research at the Pennsylvania office of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, later doing research for the national Rails-to-Trails Conservancy office based in Washington, D.C. She has worked for the City of Cambridge Bicycle Program in Cambridge, MA. She recently completed a master's degree in Landscape Architecture at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, and has joined Alta's New England Office.
Recent Projects
- Charles River Basin Pathway and Bridge Master Plan, MA
Shannon Simms is part of the team, led by Halvorson Design Partnership, developing a plan that addresses the needs of pedestrians and cyclists along the eight-mile stretch of the Charles River Basin. This effort includes recommendations for new trails and improved open spaces along the river, as well as enhanced pedestrian and bike connections at ten bridge locations. - Mascoma River Greenway, NH
Teamed with ORW Landscape Architects and VHB Engineering, Alta is developing a conceptual design plan for a four-mile rail-trail project adjacent to the Mascoma River in Lebanon, NH. Shannon has been involved in the conceptual design of trail connections through an active industrial area, a rail trestle overpasses with adjacent at-grade trailheads and through a 500'-long tunnel below downtown Lebanon. - Emerald Necklace Conservancy
Shannon worked as Program Assistant, coordinating efforts with Boston and Brookline city officials, state officials, and citizen groups concerned with the Emerald Necklace Parks. She assisted with advocacy alerts, and organized a GIS data library. She also coordinated and managed volunteer events, including soil amendments and invasive plant removal. - City of Cambridge Bicycle Program
Shannon assisted the Bicycle Coordinator with planning and installation of municipal bicycle racks. Tasks included creating a GIS database of existing city bicycle racks and their condition, and writing text and graphics for City of Cambridge Bicycle Parking Guidebook. She compiled and analyzed data on bicycle ridership and bicycle crash incidents. Field work included traffic counts and filming. - Rails to Trails Conservancy
Working as Policy Assistant, Shannon researched policy and funding for bicycle and trail projects in 10 northeastern states. She researched over 60 U.S. city candidates for Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program expansion in 2010 Federal Transportation bill. She also compiled and analyzed Federal Highway Administration data for a study on transportation funding, collaborating with the Harvard School of Public Health.
