It’s been a long road. I got my start in the non-motorized modes early – preschool, to be exact – when I was relegated to pedestrian status at the traffic safety class. All the pedal cars were taken! I’ve been walking and biking ever since? to elementary school, to deliver newspapers, to football practice, around campus in the snow, across America with my wife in 1994 (it’s about time to do it again!), to my job designing bridges for 16 years, and coming full circle, with my four children to day care and to their schools.
But it was a single bridge project on which I worked that got me both involved in advocacy and interested in planning and design for people-powered modes. Ten years later, joining Alta was a way to rearrange my two great passions, bridges and bicycling, focusing more on the latter, while continuing to stay involved in the part of the former I find most interesting, bridges for people and their bikes.
Having lived in eight different cities in my adult life, including the sprawling but bicycle friendly suburb of Folsom where we now reside, and having bicycled in more than half the states in the US and several foreign countries, I’ve seen the possibilities and the many missed opportunities for transportation systems that build stronger, more livable communities. With every job at Alta, I’m helping to build communities that embrace the possibilities and make the most of the opportunities. And that makes for an exciting ride to work in the morning!
Mr. 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. Mr. Powers 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.
Recent Projects
- Auburn to Cool Trail Crossing Feasibility Study
Mr. Powers was the Project Manager and lead bridge engineer for this recently completed, fast-track, feasibility study for the California Department of Parks and Recreation. This study investigated a new multi-use trail crossing of the North Fork American River near the Auburn Dam site in the Auburn State Recreation Area in Placer County. Preliminary alternatives included six new bridges at two sites, a new
“seasonal bridge” at the existing crossing site, and the potential use of one of two existing bridges. Further evaluation of the refined alternatives – including truss, suspension, stress ribbon and strutted
girder bridges with spans up to 700 feet – were based on assessments of structural feasibility, geotechnical considerations, hydraulics and scour analysis, aesthetics, durability, long-term maintenance costs, and construction cost estimates. - Safe Routes to Transit for Bicyclists Study
Mr. Powers was the Project manager and lead investigator for this study, performed for the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, of the safety and convenience of bicycle routes to twelve of the Sacramento Regional Transit District light rail stations. This project was done in collaboration with the Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates and utilized volunteer, bicycle-based labor for most of the field
investigations. The final report included model station design guidelines as well as specific recommendations for improving access for bicyclists to each of the stations investigated. - Weber Point Pedestrian Bridge
Project engineer for development of alternatives for a pedestrian bridge connecting Weber Avenue on
the south shore to Weber Point in the middle to the new Stockton Events Center on the north shore. The pedestrian bridge will cross over the Stockton and Fremont Channels in downtown Stockton.
Tasks included coordinating with the local stakeholders, performing preliminary engineering to identify feasible alternative structural schemes, evaluating and comparing those alternatives, preparing
renderings, recommending a preferred alternative for final design, presenting the alternatives to the stakeholders and city council, and preparing a Technical Memorandum.