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Alta staff teaching pedestrian
safety to 2nd graders. |
Alta Launches Special Projects Team for Marketing and Programs
Alta staff teaching pedestrian safety to 2nd graders.
For nearly
two decades, Alta's main work has been to plan, design, and implement
trails, bikeways, and sidewalks. The results of our work are thousands
of miles of on-the-ground facilities around the country. In other
words, we've been helping clients build the "hard" infrastructure for
walking and biking. Now, we'll be able to help them bring more people
to the path, the bike lane, and the sidewalk through "soft" programs.
As Alta grows, we are proud to announce that we have launched a new Special Projects Team to assist clients with projects like:
- Personal Travel Encouragement programs (based on the successful SmartTrips model)
- Marketing (modal shift programs; trail marketing; newsletters, logos, and communications)
- Promotion, outreach and education programs
- Bicycle/pedestrian safety media campaigns
- Bicycle-friendly business programs
- Curriculum development
- Program grant writing
- Seeking Bicycle Friendly Community status
Our
new department is headed up by Jessica Roberts, a longtime bicycle
advocate and planner. Jessica most recently completed five years on
staff of the well-known Bicycle Transportation Alliance and has
represented Oregon bicyclists at the National Bicycle Summit as well as
part of a city delegation to the Netherlands. Jessica looks forward to
applying her grassroots organizing and community education experience
to Alta’s growing number of "soft" projects.
Joining Jessica
is Susan Peithman, who previously worked both at the Chicagoland
Bicycle Federation and the Chicago Department of Transportation. Susan
coordinated the Junior Ambassador Program, a skills training program
that taught bicycle repair, urban riding, and bike safety leadership
training to 50 Chicago teens.
Jessica and Susan offer Alta’s clients unparalleled knowledge about
successful program models, cost/benefit analysis, program evaluation,
applicable research, and funding sources for special projects. Please
contact
Jessica Roberts to discuss your program needs and explore how Alta can help you reach more people, more effectively.
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| Joe Gilpin, Alta's new branch manager in Bozeman. |
Alta is growing! We're pleased to announce the opening of a new Western states office in Bozeman, Montana; a Southern California office in San Diego; and an addition Eastern office in Arlington, Virginia.
Joe
Gilpin is joining Alta to head up the new Western branch. With a
background in traffic engineering, planning, and transportation
advocacy, Joe has specialized in bicycle and pedestrian planning since
2001. He also has the unique experience of having worked at length in
the private sector, the public sector, and the nonprofit sector. Some
of his past hats include bicycle/pedestrian nonprofit Executive
Director, multi-modal planner at RRM Design Group, and Bicycle
Coordinator of a Metropolitan Planning Organization. Joe has lived in
the Bozeman area on and off for over 20 years, and he’s excited to work
with communities he’s known since childhood.
Alta’s new
Western office will serve the intermountain west, offering bicycle and
pedestrian expertise to communities in Montana, Idaho, Utah, and
beyond. Alta’s services include trail planning and design, Safe Routes
to School programs, non-motorized elements of larger transportation
plans, and ADA/disability assessments.
Contact Joe Gilpin to find out more about how Alta can make your community better for walking and biking.
Our
San Diego office offers expertise in Pedestrian Master Planning,
Bicycle Master Planning, Trail Planning and Feasibility Studies, and
GIS. Sherry Ryan joined Alta in 2007 to head up the new Southern
California office. She has a background in transportation planning and
GIS, and holds graduate degrees in Civil Engineering and Transportation
Sciences from U. C. Irvine. In addition to leading several pedestrian
master planning projects, she is a professor at San Diego State
University in the Graduate Program in City Planning, where she teaches
transportation and land use planning courses. She is a native of San
Diego and has worked for more than 10 years in the region as a
professional planner.
Contact
Sherry Ryan for information about pedestrian and bicycle improvements in the Southern California region.
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Charlie Denney, Alta's new
branch manager in Arlington.
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We're
excited to announce the opening of a new office in Arlington, VA,
located just across the Potomac River from Washington, DC. The office
is led by Charlie Denney, a professional planner with over 15 years of
experience in bicycle and pedestrian planning and design. Charlie has
worked in the public, private and non-profit sectors, most recently
serving as the Bicycle & Pedestrian Program Manager for Arlington,
VA, a national leader in creating a truly multi-modal community.
Charlie worked on projects throughout the US as a consultant and, as a
Planner for the Bicycle Federation of America, he delivered training
courses on bicycle and pedestrian planning and design around the
country. Charlie is excited to join Alta and to have the opportunity to
work with communities interested in becoming more walkable and
bikeable.
The Arlington office will primarily serve clients in
the Middle-Atlantic and Southeastern States focusing on trail planning
and design, municipal bicycle and pedestrian planning, complete streets
projects, safe routes to schools, and marketing and programs. Contact
Charlie Denney to talk about how Alta can help your community.
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Professionals from across the West attended the
Trail Design continuing education course offered
by IBPI (Joe Gilpin (left), ALTA/Bozeman,working
with Rick Root (standing) of Bend, OR) |
Alta
principal George Hudson, ASLA, along with senior landscape architects
Steve Durrant, ASLA and Mike Rose, ASLA, conducted a day-long
continuing education course on trail design for the Institute for
Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation in Portland on October 19th. Thirty
professionals from northern California to Vancouver, BC, and Bozeman,
MT. attended the 9 hour session. After a fast paced classroom session,
the class spent four hours in the field and another three in small
groups developing and discussing their own solutions to a very
difficult gap in Portland's Willamette River Greenway.
One
participant comment at the end of the day: "This was the best CE course
I've ever attended, it was really relevant to our own challenges. I
wish it was longer."
The Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian
Innovation, located in the Center for Transportation Studies at
Portland State University, is a collaborative partnership with the
Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management at the University
of Oregon, and the College of Engineering at Oregon State University.
A
vital part of IBPI's mission is providing educational opportunities for
students and practitioners to enhance their knowledge and expertise in
all facets of policy, policy development, design, and programs that
advance bicycle and pedestrian travel and safety. IBPI is offering
professional development courses, and working with academics and
professionals to create new courses and course curricula at the
undergraduate and graduate levels. Contact: Lynn Weigand.
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Tony Powers, Senior Associate - Berkeley, California
Tony 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. Tony 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.
Brooke DuBose, Senior Planner - Berkeley, California
Brooke DuBose joined
the Alta team in November 2007. Prior to Alta, Brooke was a planner for
Transportation Alternatives, New York City’s leading advocate for
walking, biking and sensible transportation. She provided technical
assistance to communities throughout New York City to help design safe
and livable streets. While working towards a Masters degree in urban
planning, she worked for the Highway Safety Research Center in North
Carolina, where she researched current applications of engineering,
design, and planning techniques for walking and bicycling. She also
worked on smart growth initiatives and comprehensive corridor schemes
for Project for Public Spaces in New York City. Her experience includes
traffic calming design and public space revitalization, placemaking
methodologies, and community-based planning.
Joshua Poppel, Planner - Loudonville, New York
Joshua Poppel is
a planner and an advocate who has been dedicated to the bicycle and
pedestrian cause for the past decade. His initial exposure to bicycle
and pedestrian planning was through a cross-country bike trip to raise
awareness about the renewal of ISTEA. Since that time, he has been an
avid bicyclist, actively involved in the promotion of bicycling and
walking. He continues that commitment through not only his planning
projects but also the education and outreach efforts as a League
Cycling Instructor and Safe Routes to School Trainer.
From
2005 - 2007, Joshua served as the Executive Director of the New York
Bicycling Coalition, managing the statewide non-profit and leading
their safety and advocacy campaigns. Prior to that, he was the
Assistant to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator at the Vermont
Agency of Transportation. During his time with the Agency, he helped
develop the application guidelines for Transportation Enhancements
projects. His experience from both the non-profit and governmental
point of view enables him as an effective coalition builder.
Gabriel Amadeus Tiller, Graphic Designer - Portland, Oregon
Gabriel Tiller has
6 years of experience in the graphic design field, including many
projects focusing on outdoor activities. His work with Alta includes
report writing, editing, and design on bicycle, pedestrian, and trail
master plans and rail-with-trail feasibility studies, as well as design
and production of brochures, proposals, logos, mailers, and other
marketing materials.
Soon after relocating to Portland in
2003, Gabe quickly immersed himself in the bicycle scene and frequently
does volunteer work for the bicycling community at large as well as
leading rides and promoting events for SHIFT, a local bike-fun group.
In his free time Gabriel builds a variety of creative bikes and
occasionally teaches graphic design classes at the Independent
Publishing Resource Center.
Susan Peithman, Project Assistant - Portland, Oregon
Susan Peithman has
several years of experience working with pedestrian and bicycle
programs. Her work with Alta includes support for Safe Routes to School
and personal travel planning programs. She assists senior staff in
project and proposal research, writing, editing, layout and production.
Susan is also responsible for assisting project managers with
pedestrian and bicycle encouragement and safety projects which includes
document production of newsletters and reports as well as management
and execution of public meetings.
Susan relocated from
Chicago, Illinois to Portland, Oregon in the fall of 2007 to pursue her
career in non motorized transportation. Her previous experience working
both as an employee of the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation and as a
consultant located at the Chicago Department of Transportation has
given her a valuable perspective on municipal and contractor relations
and coordination. Susan enjoys spending her free time being a bike
racer, riding very fast in road and stage races.
Julie McDougal, Administrative Manager - Portland, Oregon
Julie McDougal has
six years of experience in the bicycle retail industry, where she
encouraged people to ride more often and learned about the needs and
goals of various cycling communities. Her work with Alta includes
office management, directing workflow, project assistance, schedule
coordination, as well as providing support in many capacities to the
remote offices. If she is not participating in some form of bike-fun,
she enjoys spending her free time playing guitar in a band.
Brie Becker, HR & Finance Manager - Portland, Oregon
Brie Becker has
four years of experience in the financial management field. At an
engineering and design firm in Boston, MA, she implemented numerous new
processes to increase the sales and efficiencies of the company. Her
work with Alta includes providing financial recommendations for the
quickly growing company, implementing a new project management system,
and making Alta a fantastic place to work through various Human
Resources initiatives. She is excited to help Alta continue to grow.
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