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| News & Events |
Wells + Associates periodically highlights announcements, press releases, and articles.
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Chapter 527 - New VDOT Traffic Impact Guideline and Regulations
The Virginia General Assembly unanimously approved legislation (Senate Bill 699, Chapter 527 of the 2006 Acts of Assembly) to enhance the coordination of land use and transportation planning. To that end, Governor Kaine recently announced a formalized role for the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) in reviewing the traffic impact of local land use proposals (http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/chapter527/527release.pdf). The Governor’s plans included the adoption of a new set of Traffic Impact Study Guidelines, administered by VDOT, which will be implemented in a phased approach statewide starting July 1, 2007. These guidelines and regulations will affect comprehensive plans, amendments to comprehensive plans, rezoning proposals, subdivision plats, site plans, and other plans of development. We anticipate these new standards will significantly affect the design, building, and development industries throughout the state and within incorporated towns and cities.
Wells + Associates, Inc. (W+A) (www.mjwells.com) attended virtually all of the information sessions recently conducted by VDOT in the Salem, Richmond, and Northern Virginia Districts. The information disseminated at these various meetings was consistent. VDOT emphasized the transparency, regionalism, and uniformity of information regarding the traffic impacts of proposed land use decisions to local decision makers and citizens. VDOT submission requirements, timelines and the review process were discussed at length.
The basic elements of the new guidelines generally follow those outlined in the Land Development Manual. However, the new regulations are much more stringent and require the submission of detailed traffic data and analyses related to existing and proposed transit, pedestrian, and bicycle facilities. It may also require a discussion and analysis of Transportation Demand Management (TDM) measures, if proposed. Some of these areas are not currently required in the preparation of a standard traffic impact study. Additionally, an initial application fee of up to $1,000 will be imposed by VDOT for the review of the study and additional fees for subsequent submissions.
The new standards will further provide public agencies with the ability to limit or deny land use applications or seek expanded proffered commitments. The application of these standards to land use applications will likely result in the need for additional infrastructure improvements in order to satisfy level of service criteria for vehicle, pedestrian, transit, and bike facilities.
W+A has prepared many of these types of studies locally and nationally and is familiar with the complexity of the analysis assumptions, procedures, methodologies, and techniques required.
In summary, the newly adopted Chapter 527 legislation will add significant time and costs to the preparation of a traffic impact study, and will likely require additional infrastructure improvements to meet the new criteria and get project approval.
The new regulations can be reviewed at http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/chapter527.
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Wells + Associates is pleased to announce the opening of our latest satellite office in Novi, Michigan.
The office will be staffed by Michael J. Labadie (Principal Associate), Kelly K. Ferencz (Senior Associate), and Timothy J. Likens (Associate).
“We are thrilled about adding several very talented traffic engineers to our staff”, says Martin J. Wells, President of Wells + Associates. “This increases our capacity to serve existing clients around the country, support our Midwest practice, and add new clients to our expanding practice.”
Mr. Labadie has 30 years of transportation planning and traffic engineering experience. He has consulted with many private real estate developers (including Richardson Development Group, Meijer, Regency Centers, Grand/Sakwa Properties, and Ramco-Gershenson) and public agencies (including the City of Birmingham, Bloomfield Township, Van Buren Township, and the Road Commission for Oakland County, Michigan).
Wells + Associates are nationally recognized traffic engineering and transportation planning experts. We offer knowledgeable, state-of-the-art services to private real estate developers, public agencies, corporations, and institutions nationwide. Wells + Associates has offices in McLean, Leesburg, and Manassas, Virginia; Annapolis, Maryland; Wexford, Pennsylvania; and, now, Novi, Michigan.
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Wells + Associates is now an Employee-Owned Company
On April 11, 2007, Martin J. Wells, President, and Terence J. Miller sold their stock in Wells + Associates to the Wells + Associates Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Messrs. Wells and Miller will continue to serve as President and Vice President, respectively, of Wells + Associates, Inc. Mr. Wells, Mr. Miller, and John Carmen, former President and CEO of Rodgers Consulting, Germantown, Maryland, will serve on the Board of Directors of the new company.
"Terry and I are thrilled with the successful transfer of ownership to our valuable employees. This will ensure that our company continues to grow and excel for many years to come. This is a real Win-Win situation", said Mr. Wells.
Merri Ash, Vice President, First Bankers Trust Services, Inc., represented Wells + Associates employees in this transaction. "The ESOP enables employees to share in the growth and prosperity of the company and provide for a secure retirement," said Ms. Ash. |
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