Inspired transportation solutions for a complex world
At High Street, foresight is the essence of our philosophy. We help transportation practitioners understand emerging issues, solve problems, and deliver the best possible future for their constituents. We provide insight and innovation that no other company can through our dedication to seven essential attributes.
The core values we strive for:
Excellence: We always give clients timely, high quality, and innovative solutions
Grit: We bring passion, perseverance, and unwavering standards to ensure we always deliver our best
Diversity: Our diverse backgrounds bring many perspectives that lead to stronger products
Collaboration: We work as a supportive team, both internally and externally, that leverages each other’s strengths
Self-Learners: We routinely teach ourselves new skills, approaches, and knowledge to find better solutions for our clients
Dependability: We reliably do what it takes to produce for our clients, our partners, and each other
Balance: We take time to reward ourselves for a job well done
Measure design, target setting, dashboards, performance-driven project scoping, predictive performance tools, risk management, and results communication.
Performance-informed, stakeholder-focused, and scenario-driven statewide plans, developed through innovative approaches, which help agencies make better decisions about resource allocation, program structure, and policy changes to improve future transportation system performance.
State-of-the-art trade-off analysis tools and processes that use data to help agencies improve outcomes by optimizing allocation of resources among competing objectives.
Mining transportation data sets with machine learning, analytics, and advanced statistics to provide powerful insights, predictions, and correlations that help transportation agencies improve efficiency and effectiveness.
Artfully compelling visualizations, infographics, and dashboards that concisely reveal trends and patterns that shape our transportation world, and help agencies understand and share their data.
Expert advisory services for transportation leaders who seek guidance on policy development and direction, program design, and legislative changes that can help them build and manage next-generation transportation systems.
Plans and analyses to inform funding, financing, and delivery decisions for transportation projects, policies, and programs across all modes.
Insightful business process, data maturity, and management practice reviews coupled with development of creative solutions that provide agencies with both a broad understanding of the organizational challenges they face and clear road maps for addressing them.
Pragmatic solutions for sustainable transportation approaches through systematic integration into agency plans, projects, policies, and operations.
High Street Consulting Group is a small firm of experienced professionals who work in the disciplines of planning, finance, data analysis, policy, economics, and communication with the goal of helping clients plan, finance, and deliver transportation projects, policies, and programs. We are always on the lookout for professionals with a strong interest in these themes. If you are interested in working on these issues in a collaborative and stimulating environment, please contact us at careers@highstreetconsulting.com expressing your field of interest.
Immediate - Senior Freight Transportation Planner/Project Manager
Nebraska
240.252.5111 Ext. 102
As High Street’s CEO, Kyle Schneweis is responsible for overall management of the company. Kyle joined High Street after serving for more than five years as Director of the 2,100 person Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT). During his tenure at NDOT, Kyle spearheaded merging the former Departments of Roads and of Aeronautics to create a multimodal Department of Transportation. Other major efforts he led while at NDOT included streamlining the environmental review process to accelerate project delivery; developing performance measures and other analytical and operational tools that have improved the agency’s business and decision making; and managing through the most extensive natural disaster in the state’s history in the 2019 floods after which NDOT restored 200 miles of roadway and 27 bridges in just 11 months. Before becoming the Director of Nebraska Department of Transportation, Kyle held several leadership positions at the Kansas Department of Transportation, including as Chief of Government Affairs where he played a key role in passing the state’s $8 billion, 10-year T-WORKS infrastructure investment program.
Kyle earned a civil engineering degree from the University of North Dakota. He lives in Lincoln, Nebraska where he and his wife Laurel are raising two boys, Mazlo and Karver.
Pennsylvania
240.252.5111 Ext. 101
Joe Crossett is a full-time transportation thinker who works hand-in-hand with state DOTs that seek to innovate. Joe knows the value of transforming transportation data into good decisions. He co-founded High Street to help transportation agencies separate the signal from the noise when it comes to finding the best ways to plan, build and operate infrastructure. When he is not at work, you can often find him cooking for the family or crashing his mountain bike on the single track around Pittsburgh, PA
Colorado
240.252.5111 Ext. 103
Craig Secrest is a big picture thinker who enjoys exploring and developing solutions to the organizational, institutional, policy and process challenges that prevent transportation agencies from achieving their full potential. Craig is a founding Partner of High Street and has over 25 years of transportation experience, including early career positions with FHWA and the Colorado DOT. During his 20+ years as a consultant, he has provided strategic, business process, policy development, and organizational management consulting services to a diverse range of clients that include FHWA, TRB, State DOTs, MPOs, and international development agencies. Craig’s forte is developing comprehensive yet simple frameworks for considering and explaining the often complex and confusing array of considerations that drive transportation investment decision-making. In his spare time, Craig can be found playing squash, biking and skiing with his two sons, or enjoying the solitude of fly-fishing the Colorado River, preferably followed by a good bottle of wine.
South Carolina
240.252.5111 Ext. 109
Jeff Carroll understands that while transportation is a simple idea, today’s vast, interconnected and multimodal transportation network demands forward-thinking to keep people and goods moving efficiently. Jeff is among those at the forefront in driving state DOTs and MPOs to develop innovative plans, projects, programs, and policy solutions. Jeff recognizes the value of innovation - that through innovation we can develop new and creative solutions. Jeff’s national perspectives on innovation combine proven disciplines with fresh, nimble techniques. From framing the challenge, uncovering and synthesizing policy impacts to developing and creating innovative ways to analyze data, Jeff’s acuity, creativity, passion, and expertise elevate both the experience and the results of the projects he delivers. Outside of work, Jeff enjoys golfing, deer hunting, and spending time with his wife and two teenage daughters.
Florida
240.252.5111 Ext. 105
Karin DeMoors is an accomplished financial analyst who has focused her over 20-year career on assembling the puzzle pieces of financial plans for a range of public infrastructure projects. As a Partner with High Street, she serves local, state, and national governmental clients in identifying, evaluating, and implementing revenue streams and financing approaches for transportation investments. In a prior career position, she expanded her expertise in capital project finance and actively assisted municipal clients with bond issuance execution, debt management, and credit analysis. Karin finds her greatest motivation in finding financial solutions that advance our transportation system and improve communities. When not analyzing dollars and cents, Karin can be found working with dog rescues or dreaming of her next foreign excursion.
Nebraska
240.252.5111 Ext. 132
Mackenzie wants to take your ideas and make them look good. She has a passion for strategic communication, excellent design, and innovative thinking. She enjoys problem solving and finding the best way to tell your story.
Before joining High Street, Mackenzie spent six years with the Nebraska Department of Transportation where she oversaw the agency’s strategic messaging, media campaigns, digital marketing, publications, website, and social media. She has a degree in Advertising and Public Relations from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Outside of work, you can find Mackenzie spending quality time with her husband and two daughters, watching Husker volleyball, and planning her next home improvement project.
Pennsylvania
240.252.5111 Ext. 106
Anna Batista wants to help you make sense of the endless information coming at you. Whether it's to select and implement solid performance measures, comply with the minutiae of government regulation, pick the best projects, build the best plans, or get your stakeholders to take notice of your successes, she's ready to dive into data, reports, and technical details to unearth valuable knowledge.
Anna is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon’s quantitatively driven Heinz School of Public Policy, and has worked for federal, local, and private sector employers. Anna's favorite parts of life at High Street are getting creative with Excel visuals, landing on that just-right performance measure, and answering your questions about federal performance management regulation. Outside of work, Anna can be found on the monkey bars with her children, advocating for good governance, Tweeting at local politicians, and hosting brunches with her husband.
Pennsylvania
240.252.5111 Ext. 127
Alice enjoys working with colleagues and partners to identify the heart of any transportation issue and develop innovative, evidence-based solutions to get results. She brings a wide variety of public and private sector experience and policy expertise to her role at High Street, including research on public transportation and access to economic opportunity. Alice’s experiences include bridging the gap between state government and community agencies to implement energy assistance programs, managing the operations of an international sustainability firm, and conducting policy research, oversight and technical assistance with the Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General.
Most recently, Alice completed her Master of Science in Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University where she focused on quantitative methods for policy analysis, geographical information systems, and decision-making frameworks.
Outside the office, Alice likes exploring Western Pennsylvania’s parks, attempting to spot and identify birds and wildlife, and taking road trips to visit friends, family, and beautiful places.
Missouri
240.252.5111 Ext. 138
Rebecca loves a challenge. She excels at taking a blank document and a bit of data and turning it into something that’s clean, organized, and understandable.
Rebecca graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia where she earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism. She’s worn a lot of hats in her career such as a news reporter, photographer, graphic designer, social media coordinator, event planner, and marketer.
When she’s off the clock, Rebecca enjoys reading, building LEGO sets, and spending time with her husband and two dogs.
Illinois
240.252.5111 Ext. 131
Ashton is a graduate of the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy where she earned a Master's degree in Public Policy. The multifaceted world of transportation and mobility is where her passions lie. She loves to always learn and is often reading transportation-related articles or listening to mobility and urban planning podcasts.
Ashton enjoys applying her quantitative and design-based skills to the transportation sector by creating maps, performing data and statistical analyses, and creating meaningful data visualizations. Before joining High Street, she worked for the Chicago Transit Authority's Strategic Planning department, the Metropolitan Planning Council in Chicago, and completed a GIS Fellowship at the University of Chicago. Ashton is excited to promote data-driven methods and design solutions that are easy to use and understand, no matter how complex their methods.
Outside of work you can find her exploring Chicago neighborhoods, finding new music, working out, or curling up with her cat and a good book. When it's warm in Chicago, she loves hanging out and taking a swim in Lake Michigan.
Pennsylvania
240.252.5111 Ext. 110
Brittany Gernhard likes to translate numbers into plain English. She knows the value of using data to inform action and has used her quantitative training in public policy to help clients make difficult decisions. She saw wildly imaginative possibilities in transportation safety and efficiency become reality while working at Carnegie Mellon University's Transportation Center. In 2015, she joined High Street and is thrilled to be supporting clients as they leverage data to reach lasting solutions for the transportation systems they manage. Outside of work, Brittany can be found road tripping with her husband and son, cooking something reckless in her kitchen, and singing to her brand new son.
Colorado
240.252.5111 Ext. 133
Damon has over 20 years of experience managing complex studies and collaborative projects for a variety of transportation organizations and state and federal agencies. He is a national thought leader in sustainable transportation and infrastructure, with experience leading projects covering transportation electrification, infrastructure resilience, emission reduction strategies, innovative vehicle technologies, energy resources, and social equity. Prior to his career in consulting, Damon was Program Manager for Environment at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Before that, he supported the Chief of Staff in the Director’s Office of the Oregon DOT, where he conceptualized, designed, and implemented the nation’s first structured state DOT sustainability program. Damon is a master organizer, inspiring team leader, and highly effective program manager, with a successful track record implementing high-level policy and program initiatives as well as in-depth research and technical analyses. He has an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Nottingham in England, a graduate degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Oregon State University, and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Outside of work, Damon enjoys skiing, snowboarding, camping, and hiking in the mountains of Colorado with his wife and two young kids, and before moving to Colorado was a motorcycle safety instructor for the State of Maryland.
Montana
240.252.5111 Ext. 114
At High Street, Mark is leading the way in bringing the best of private sector data mining and data science techniques to the transportation world, helping agencies extract insights from data using machine learning, statistical methods, and interactive visualizations in novel application areas. His recent work includes developing a travel time reliability forecasting methodology with multiple state DOTs, helping a client DOT attract more bidders to its projects through statistical analysis of historical bid data, and supporting and promoting cross-asset performance-based planning.
A former operations executive and entrepreneur, Mark pivoted to data science via a master's degree program in business intelligence and data analytics at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College, named by INFORMS as the top analytics education program in the world.
From his home base in Bozeman, MT, Mark is an active ultrarunner and ski mountaineer.
Illinois
240.252.5111 Ext. 115
Although it may be because of his alleged Chicago accent, people often wonder if Kevin’s true first language is data. Dr. Ford has spent his career empowering customers to make data-informed decisions, optimize performance outcomes, and effectively communicate the implications of different strategic policies. With a background in performance-based planning & programming, engineering, and asset management, and having worked in both professional services and software development, Kevin brings a unique perspective to his customers while always striving to advance the state-of-the-practice. Over his career, Kevin has helped publish guidebooks for the National Academies, developed custom analytical tools based in data science principles, and led various long- and mid-range transportation plans by leveraging his subject matter expertise in predictive performance modeling, project prioritization, and cross-investment resource allocation. When not changing diapers or battling with his two rescue dogs for bed space, Kevin can be found running around the neighborhood or attending soccer matches with his better half and baby girl.
Illinois
240.252.5111 Ext. 143
Jason Biernat attacks problems from multiple angles. As a ‘plangineer’ he understands the big picture but can dive into the details and pinpoint key pieces of information. Jason uses this information to enrich decision-making at every level and step along the way. Through his experience, he recognizes that making connections to wider organizational goals is often the key to success.
Variety best describes Jason’s extensive public sector experience prior to joining High Street. He has worked at the state, regional, and local levels covering everything from policy development to construction. This variety has led to Jason’s Swiss army knife skill set which he now incorporates into his data analysis approach.
Jason spends much of his free time with family and friends or tinkering on home improvement projects. Despite always being cold, he never misses out on an ice fishing trip to northern Wisconsin.
Pennsylvania
240.252.5111 Ext. 104
With experience that combines engineering design and construction with transportation planning and policy, Erin Dean brings a unique understanding of transportation to High Street. She has worked with private consulting firms for over 13 years, providing support on projects from plan development through the construction of projects. Specific experience includes highway design, stormwater management design, long range transportation plans and freight plans. Erin enjoys using her technical expertise and understanding to help inform plans and bring a sense of practicality to the planning process and strives to assist clients with meeting their transportation system goals. When she’s not working, Erin enjoys the art of dance, bicycle rides with her family and quality time with her three children.
Georgia
240.252.5111 Ext. 117
Peter enjoys connecting the insights of data analysis with transportation decision making. With nearly 10 years in the field, he focuses on understanding cause-and-effect relationships connecting trends and decisions with system-wide outcomes. Peter combines policy and on-the-ground experience as a civilian Army logistician with an analytical focus from his Georgia Tech research background. He has examined transportation from the scale of a single project to national and even global phenomena, and his past work has included clients such as state departments of transportation, city governments, private companies, and federal research programs. Peter is particularly fascinated by the paradigm changes that alter fundamental assumptions about travel. As one example, he investigated transformations in logistics networks precipitated by the growth of e-commerce, as well as suitable forecasting methods and data collection efforts. When not studying transportation and reading up on trends, he loves cycling, studying history, and learning how to cook foreign cuisines.
Florida
240.252.5111 Ext. 118
Rodrigo is a passionate freight transportation planner and project manager that understands the value of establishing working relationships with diverse stakeholders for mutually beneficial solutions. He is a Civil Engineer with doctoral and master’s degrees in transportation engineering and infrastructure systems. His Ph.D. is from Purdue University.
With more than 14 years of experience in transportation planning, data analytics, and freight logistics, he recognizes the importance of integrating multidisciplinary approaches into strong solutions that are intuitively communicated to their final users.
While his skillset includes several industry-relevant digital tools, Rodrigo is autodidactic and innovative. He has co-authored multiple transportation papers in research journals, developed technical documentation for diverse agencies, delivered technical insights and information at transportation conferences and meetings, and developed training materials on advanced transportation subjects for future STEM professionals.
Outside work, Rodrigo enjoys designing thrilling road trips for his family to exotic locations, reading non-fiction literature, discovering experimental arts, playing guitar, supporting his wife’s entrepreneurial endeavors, and spending quality time with his son.
California
240.252.5111 Ext. 137
Itai Intrater is a GIS Analyst with a focus on automation and network analysis. He has experience in both the public and private sectors, having worked as a Transportation Specialist Intern at the Federal Highway Administration and as a GIS Technician at Apple. He holds a Master of Science in Geospatial Information Sciences and Cartography from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Public Affairs from the University of California, Los Angeles. He has a strong background in developing web and desktop applications and deploying innovative digital solutions. He also has experience working on walkability and network analysis, specifically using ArcGIS API for Python to redistrict school attendance zones to minimize walking distance.
In his free time, Itai enjoys playing Ultimate Frisbee and exploring the beautiful parks in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Pennsylvania
240.252.5111 Ext. 144
Ngani Ndimbie is a highly motivated transportation professional experienced in policy analysis, legislative strategy, organizational strategy, and communications. Her expertise lies in translating ideas and values into actionable policy. Ngani is passionate about solving emerging problems in transportation and bringing dignified, reliable mobility to all. As a policy specialist at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Ngani helmed conversations related to electric bicycles, electric scooters, personal delivery devices, electric vehicles and even hyperloop technologies.
The foundation of Ngani's career is in working with underinvested communities as an organizer and in bike and pedestrian advocacy. Ngani has more than 15 years of experience in leading diverse stakeholder groups to tackle pressing issues and their intersections with pervasive social problems. Her work steering PennDOT's Dismantling Systemic Racism and Inequities Report and integrating consideration of disability accommodations into transformational technologies was recognized by a PennDOT Star of Excellence Award.
When not working, Ngani can be found biking to and from farmers markets, friends' houses, and visits with family.
Texas
240.252.5111 Ext. 140
Crystal is a transportation performance analyst with a passion for transforming data into useful information to advance the integration of performance-based planning and programming principles. Crystal uses transportation planning, data analytics, GIS and spatial analysis to develop tailored solutions for local transportation agencies. She also has a knack for creating visualizations to communicate analysis results and inform action through information graphics, data dashboards, and interactive tools.
Before joining High Street, Crystal used her data analysis skills in Engineering Education to increase the number of STEM-degree students at The University of Texas at El Paso. Crystal then went on to earn a Master’s in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, where she helped develop a decision framework for PennDOT to optimize the allocation of maintenance funds for bridge replacement. When she is not crunching numbers, Crystal is probably playing with her dog, crafting the perfect cup of coffee, or experimenting in the kitchen. She is also an avid reader in three languages.
Georgia
240.252.5111 Ext. 120
Rebecca Van Dyke grew up in the “V States.” She’s originally from the Blue Ridge Mountain region of Virginia, but has spent most of her adult life in Burlington, Vermont. She recently moved back to the South to attend the School of City and Regional Planning at the Georgia Institute of Technology where she just earned her Master’s degree. Rebecca serves as the Region II Representative on the American Planning Association Student Representatives Council Executive Committee, a position she will hold through December 2019.
Rebecca is a planning generalist with a special love for equitable and sustainable transportation. She got her start at a small car-sharing non-profit where she developed a passion for helping people get around. She joined High Street in June 2018 and is excited to meet with clients near and far while applying her recently acquired R, GIS, and data visualization skills.
Rebecca is a mountain biker, artist, dancer, explorer, and cook with extreme wanderlust (love, actually). Her current list of favorite things include tomato and mayo sandwiches, sharp pencils, Zadie Smith, roaming cities, and talking to strangers.
Virginia
240.252.5111 Ext. 125
Ashley Bott comes to High Street with a background in financial management, project control, human resources, and customer service. Much of her experience lies within government contracting and she has worked with clients from many branches of the military and the aerospace industry. Her most recent role was in local government managing the town’s finances. One of her biggest accomplishments there, was identifying and implementing a new financial management software and automating processes that vastly improved the overall accounting functions. A graduate from George Mason University, majoring in Finance, her passion is exploring the complexities of financial software, spreadsheets and analyzing numbers.
When she is not working, she loves volunteering and rescuing animals, singing in the Praise team at her church, and chasing after her two boys and two rescued fur babies. She is the proud wife of a Military Veteran!
Virginia
240.252.5111 Ext. 124
Chapman has spent his career building tools and analyzing data. After working for a financial software company on an application development team, Chapman pivoted towards the transportation industry. Before High Street, he worked for the Idaho Transportation Department, starting as the Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) coordinator and eventually leading a team of developers and analysts as the departments Data Analytics Manager. Chapman brings both private and public sector programming, analysis, and database experience to High Street where he is part of a highly talented data analytics team.
Chapman loves to build tools that help the transportation industry operate more efficiently and make data-informed decisions while continuing to build out his own programming repertoire.
Living in Boise, Idaho with his wife and son, Chapman can be found riding his mountain bike in the foothills, playing with his kid at the park, and attempting to build stuff in his shop.
Georgia
240.252.5111 Ext. 130
Lauren has over seven years of experience in accounting, with over four of those in government contracting. She enjoys utilizing her strengths in time management and attention to detail to ensure accuracy, efficiency, and timeliness in all financial processes. She is actively working to complete her degree in Accounting from Colorado State University.
Outside of working hours, Lauren enjoys spending time with her husband and four dogs. She also enjoys reading, going on walks, and exploring new places. Her desire to always learn something new has helped her grow in both her personal and professional life and she hopes to continue this growth through her work at High Street Consulting.
Georgia
240.252.5111 Ext. 122
Bryce is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of City and Regional Planning where he studied transportation planning and the nature of megaregions. Bryce is fascinated by connections between everything from transportation design to local agriculture to science fiction philosophy, and his bookshelf reflects that wide range of interests. In general, Bryce has spent his academic and professional career working to understand the trends emerging in our local communities from our global economy.
Before coming to High Street, Bryce worked for the Atlanta Regional Commission developing strategic models and visualizing regional metrics for staff, elected officials, and the public. Now, he is excited to be working with communities of all sizes to improve quality of life through data-driven narratives and storytelling.
In his free time, Bryce loves spending time with family, exploring the Atlanta food scene, practicing on his “new” spinet piano, or playing table-top and board games with friends. If the weather’s right and there’s time to kill, you might even find him in a hammock out in the woods.
Pennsylvania
240.252.5111 Ext. 136
Brian strives to make transportation safe and accessible for everyone whether they travel by car, bike, foot, or scooter. He is very interested in data focused transportation analysis used to pinpoint troublesome areas and make targeted transportation improvements to enhance the quality of life for residents. Brian has experience with traffic engineering, planning, GIS, and data analysis.
Brian earned his Masters of Science in Civil Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University where he focused on Advanced Infrastructure Systems (AIS) that centered on utilizing data to identify trends that enable policy makers and engineers to make more informed decisions.
Outside of tackling transportation issues, Brian likes trying out new restaurants, visiting new places, and the outdoors. Most of all, he loves making things and can most likely be found at the makerspace in his free time.
Illinois
240.252.5111 Ext. 139
Yousef Dana uncovers meaning in transportation data to solve complex planning and safety issues. He has experience assessing statewide transportation needs with predictive safety analysis, performance-based planning, forecasting, and data-driven project prioritization. Yousef focuses on delivering strategic approaches intended to produce measurable results. He often expresses that we live in a data revolution and it's his ethical responsibility to use data to advance transportation safety and planning.
Over his career, Yousef has worked on projects as a transportation engineer and data scientist with various government DOTs and private clients. He utilizes his knowledge and experience in Python, R, GIS, and SQL. Yousef holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
You can also find Yousef appreciating the grain of concrete outside of transportation through his passion for skateboarding. Although he has sustained three fractures so far, he found success through creating a community skateboarding start-up through a mobile tech application that had over 25,000 users.
Minnesota
240.252.5111 Ext. 126
Ryan Loos has spent his career in the transportation industry with an emphasis on freeways, system evaluation, and economic analysis, aiding public agencies to make decisions on the infrastructure they improve and maintain. To continue being a leader and meet client demand for data driven decision making and performance-based planning, Ryan obtained his master’s degree in data science from the University of La Crosse – Wisconsin. Ryan has emphasized understanding client needs to establish the optimal analytical approach to ensure that outcomes provide real business value in the form of cost savings and customer satisfaction. Ryan prides himself on being able to use interactive visualizations to communicate analysis results to stakeholders to help build confidence and consensus between stakeholders as they strive to make decisions. His unique intersection of transportation domain knowledge, machine learning and statistical analysis methods, and visualization skills make him uniquely suited to assist agencies in optimizing their systems.
When not diving into data projects Ryan can be found flexing his green thumb, hitting the Twin Cities biking trails, or corralling his two corgis.
Illinois
240.252.5111 Ext. 116
Yazan completed his PhD in Transportation Engineering from Iowa State University. Yazan has transportation engineering experience ranging from asset management, traffic safety, analysis, GIS analysis, traffic simulation, and transportation planning.
Before joining High Street, he worked as a Graduate Assistant at the Institute of Transportation at Iowa State University supporting a variety of projects and serving as a Teaching Assistant. His PhD thesis was “Operations Research and Data Mining Applications in Pavement Management”. He has also published articles on “Traffic Safety in Developed and Developing Countries” and “Connected Vehicles: An Innovate Transport Technology”.
Prior to obtaining his PhD Yazan has worked as a transportation planner / traffic engineer and a site engineer.
Virginia
240.252.5111 Ext. 129
Renee is an experienced accounting and finance professional. Over the span of her career, she has worked in various industries including airport administration, healthcare, manufacturing, and service & retail. She is a graduate of Christopher Newport University where she received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting. She is an established Certified Public Accountant and enjoys using her talents to provide meaningful analysis to manage the financial well-being of High Street’s growth. Most recently she has volunteered and served as Treasurer for a local non-profit organization for two years. One of Renee’s proudest accomplishments is being a mother to two young men, one is a Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps and the other is an active teenager. Renee enjoys spending time with her family, cultural events, and relaxing and working in her yard.
Washington
240.252.5111 Ext. 137
Lauren specializes in geospatial technologies and is inspired by cutting-edge tools used to analyze, manipulate, and visualize spatial data. Through the use of GIS, she finds creative ways to mitigate challenges faced in the management of resources and utilities. Before High Street Consulting, Lauren worked in National Parks and Forests spanning from California to Alaska. During her most recent term as a geoscientist in Yosemite, she transitioned projects to the most current GIS platforms and supported national scientific efforts through field data collection, sampling, and testing. Other projects she worked on included improving the internal pipeline for adding contractor-collected information to federal datasets and developing offline mobile applications to aid in the protection of sensitive resources in remote locations. In addition to her background in the public sector, Lauren has also worked in the private sector, aiding in the implementation of new GIS workflows for a navigational mobile application produced by a Fortune Global 500 Company.
When away from work, Lauren can be found stand-up paddle boarding, climbing peaks in Washington’s Cascade Range, or hitting the trail with friends. From desk to dirt, Lauren has a sense of curiosity that pushes her to go the extra mile, both on the clock and in the backcountry.
Kentucky
240.252.5111 Ext. 134
Ahjung is a geospatial developer with a special interest in automation tools and web GIS. Before joining High Street Consulting, she worked at Kentucky transportation cabinet and more recently, in consultancy. In both sectors, she served as a GIS developer, in which she developed web and desktop applications and deployed innovative digital solutions. She also provided enterprise GIS support while serving as a subject matter expert for multiple sub-categories of GIS and enjoyed mentoring junior individual contributors.
When she is not online, she can be found running or cycling around with her dog in beautiful parks of Louisville, KY, or browsing in vintage vinyl record stores or picking up a new book about language, technology, science and writing.
Pennsylvania
240.252.5111 Ext. 135
Sydney is a policy and data analyst who is dedicated to translating qualitative and quantitative analysis into actionable insights that help create community change. She is passionate about developing data-driven, culturally competent solutions that address inequities across racial, gender, and socioeconomic lines.
Sydney earned her Bachelor’s degree in Government and Psychology from Claremont McKenna College, where she conducted research on social policy, poverty alleviation, and conflict management. She had the good luck of graduating during the 2018 midterm elections, and returned to her hometown of Pittsburgh to work on political campaigns. Sydney then went on to earn a Masters in Public Policy Management and Data Analytics from Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy. Before joining High Street, she worked for the Allegheny County Department of Human Services’ Office of Analytics, Technology, and Planning.
Outside of work, you can find Sydney spending time with her dog, going to concerts, and doing home renovation projects.
Colorado
240.252.5111 Ext. 141
Donna comes to High Street with over 20 years of accounting experience across various industries, including government contracting. She possesses a strong ability in account reconciliations, policy and procedure improvements, and has worked with various government and tax audits. Pursuing a career she was passionate about, Donna earned her Master’s Degree in Accounting and Financial Management. Originally from Springfield, Missouri, she has called Colorado home for many years. She is a big football fan and takes turns rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos. Donna has two grown children (one in the LA area and the other in Phoenix). When not working, she enjoys gardening, reading and spending time with her grandkids. She can be found relaxing on their boat, while her husband fishes.
Pennsylvania
240.252.5111 Ext. 142
Grace typically describes herself as a human swiss army knife and has spent her career customizing her skills to adapt to organizational needs, while exploring different areas of interest.
A graduate of Kutztown University, Grace moved to Park City, UT after College and started as an Event Planner for a local Celebrity Chef, working on such notable events as the Sundance Film Festival.
While out West, she moved into the field of Executive Assistance and spent 15 years developing and expanding her career, becoming a strategic partner to C-Level executives.
Through her passion for problem-solving and her people-oriented nature, Grace began exploring the field of Human Resources and moved into a combination role that married executive support with HR management.
Before joining High Street, Grace worked for the Pennsylvania Institute of Technology in one of those combo roles, where she formalized and managed the College’s first Human Resources department.
Outside of work, Grace and her husband Joe are kept busy running after their three children, Logan, Harper, and Cooper, and their Bulldog Ruby.
California
240.252.5111 Ext. 123
Amy Link loves helping leaders deliver meaningful results through policies that are both well-crafted and well-explained. A good idea that no one understands or a bad idea that everyone does… will meet the same poor fate. Amy specializes in engaging with audiences thoughtfully and creatively to implement strategies that improve people’s lives.
Before joining High Street, Amy served as the director of strategic initiatives at the Kansas Department of Transportation where she helped launch the Kansas Infrastructure Hub, which allows for statewide collaboration of all infrastructure sectors to better deliver Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act projects and aids communities seeking additional grant dollars. She led communication strategies resulting in the passage of a $10 billion statewide Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program, the administration of $1 billion in CARES funding in under six months, and the passage of the $8 billion Transportation Works for Kansas program. Amy has served as a speechwriter for Governors, DOT Secretaries, and community leaders helping them promote accomplishments, navigate crises, and build consensus for positive change.
In her free time, Amy loves taking adventurous and leisurely trips with friends and family and enjoying all Los Angeles has to offer.
District of Columbia
240.252.5111 Ext. 121
Ryan Caro is passionate about using data to make positive change. Ryan holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of California Los Angeles. While at UCLA, Ryan focused on transportation planning, data visualization, and GIS. He worked with the University of California Institute of Transportation Studies to research transit agencies’ responses to homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic, and his thesis focused on using data science to automate equity analyses at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). Before studying at UCLA, Ryan worked as a data analyst in the Customer Experience Department at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in Boston.
Ryan also holds a BA in linguistics from Yale University. He speaks Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish, and Italian, and is often teaching himself a new language.
High Street has helped Maryland DOT’s State Highway Administration (SHA) prepare for and implement federal transportation performance management requirements. Our work included analysis of rule language, creation of a ‘road map’ to guide critical activities, coordination of internal staff responsibilities, assistance with data handling, aid in coordination with Maryland’s MPOs, many of which cross state boundaries and production of brochures, newsletters, and website content to assist in information sharing. High Street also provided data analytics assistance for use of congestion data (NPMRDS) in setting baseline measures and targets for federal travel reliability measures.
This guidebook and a companion digital performance benchmarking platform prepared by High Street for NCHRP show transportation practitioners how to use benchmarking to help continuously improve their agencies by comparing performance outcomes among peers via compatible measures and data as part of a wider organizational culture that embraces performance management. Benchmarking gives valuable context to individual agency performance results. Done right, it reveals noteworthy improvement opportunities and motivates group-wide advances in performance. A web tool companion to the guidebook helps agencies find appropriate peers, compare performance across selected measures, and most importantly, connect with other practitioners to share what works for improvement.
High Street assisted ALDOT with calculation, target setting, and reporting for the state’s FAST Act highway system performance measures. Our work included writing and implementing processing scripts and statistical methods to calculate ALDOT’s performance measures (combing five data sources and 100m+ rows of travel time data), and pioneering a new methodology for forecasting future performance based on planned capital program investments.
High Street developed three guidebooks for state DOTs and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) that support implementation of transportation performance management. The guidebooks are bridge for helping states and MPOs understand FHWA’s 2017 rule language on pavement and bridge condition measures; and for system performance, freight movement and air quality (CMAQ) measures with established state and MPO-led performance management, long-range planning, and programming practices. They provide a mix of practical insights, best practices, tips and case studies.
The High Street team gathered nearly 200 environmentally focused measures after extensive research and discussions with transportation practitioners. All measures were evaluated against a set of six criteria to identify those with the most promise. The measures spanned five major focus areas that included Air quality, Energy and climate, Materials recycling, Stormwater, Wildlife and ecosystems.
Each of the report’s recommended measures was tested with real data from state DOTs across the country, and further evaluated against four additional criteria. The result is a suite of core environmental performance measures designed to help state DOTs better understand and communicate the impacts of transportation on the environment.
High Street helped Missouri DOT and its freight stakeholders tell fresh, interesting, and data driven stories about the how the economic viability of several Missouri-based industries – from agriculture to manufacturing – depend directly on transportation. Please click on the image to read about the results of our work.
High Street conducted a full economic assessment for each of FHWA’s three separate performance measure rules that analyzes the potential costs and benefits of the rule.
High Street developed written materials, data analysis, summaries, fact-sheets, and graphics all designed to streamline performance reporting at FDOT by using cleaner, simpler words and charts to convey critical messages buried in data.
As part of the preparations for the round table, High Street developed a read-ahead white paper that defined the steps of performance-based planning and programming and presented a straw man approach for how FHWA and FTA would need to change their roles and policies with respect to each step. High Street also facilitated several elements of the round table discussion and supported the development of a round table proceedings document.
High Street compared the performance of 39 state DOTs in delivering transportation construction projects within their originally anticipated cost and schedule. The study examines each state’s performance track record for all projects finished over a period from January 1, 2001 to June 30, 2010. Typical projects included in the analysis span the full range of a DOT’s activities including operations work, such as installation of ITS devices or traffic signals; maintenance activities, such as guard rail installation or striping; pavement preservation work, such as resurfacing; bridge preservation work, such as deck replacement; and capacity additions. A major work product of the study is a user-friendly web database that participating states can use to review their results.
In this project for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), High Street developed a series of web-based training sessions (WBTs) and ‘TPM Essentials’ Videos to explain core TPM principles and requirements to practitioners at state and local transportation agencies. WBT and videos provide an effective and accessible format to learn more about new or complex topics. The format of these media is more engaging than simple fact sheets and presentations yet can be viewed at the pace and time-frame available to the user. These formats also allow the participant to hear directly from FHWA staff, other experts, or peer agencies, and often provide a richer context for information than static materials.
Link to Web-Based Training
Link to Videos
High Street recently completed the Arkansas LRITP, which is the state’s first performance-based long range plan. Performance-based planning will help the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT) as it evaluates and prioritizes projects and programs, and develops performance reports to track progress.
The LRITP is a comprehensive document that details goals, objectives, policies, investment strategies, and performance measures which will guide future transportation investments to move Arkansas forward. It examines all aspects of the state’s multimodal transportation system, including highways, bridges, public transportation, rail, bicycle, pedestrian, ports, waterways, and aviation.
The LRITP identifies and explores the potential outcomes of four alternative future scenarios. The four alternative future scenarios reflect different priorities, expected outcomes, and investment levels based on the 25-year baseline revenue forecast. Four alternative future scenarios were selected to understand the trade-offs, consequences, and outcomes of potential planning scenarios representing changes in travel and investment decisions. Comparison of these alternative future scenarios helps the Department better prepare to meet the strategic goals of stewardship, quality of life, and economic development.
The final outcome of the LRITP is a plan and process that will provide the framework for ArDOT to move forward in concert with the Department's Strategic Plan to set priorities through a performance-based, data-driven decision making process.
High Street recently completed the 2040 Arizona Long Range Transportation Plan named What Moves You Arizona (WMYA). Development of the plan included research on trends and issues affecting transportation in Arizona, refinement of Arizona’s transportation vision and goals, an assessment of current state highway system (SHS) conditions, quantification of 25-year investment needs to maintain and improve the SHS and provide state support for non-highway modes, and a forecast of expected revenues over the planning horizon. The planning process also included an extensive engagement process that provided Arizona residents and transportation stakeholders across the state multiple opportunities to offer input into development of the plan. Most importantly, the plan provides a Recommended Investment Choice (RIC) that defines how the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) will strive to allocate its limited resources to different types of highway investments.
ADOT sought to expand the consideration of anticipated system performance in the development of WMYA 2040 policies and to involve stakeholders in the analysis of investment trade-offs. To do so, High Street conducted a technical workshop in that used a cutting edge software application called Decision Lens to facilitate a discussion about what the WMYA 2040 RIC should look like. The findings from the workshop influenced the development of a draft investment strategy, based on insights from a diverse body of transportation agency experts. Workshop participants provided an important perspective on how ADOT should allocate its resources among the investment categories of preservation, modernization and expansion. The plan is intended to drive future refinements to ADOT’s performance-based project selection processes and inform decisions about state highway investment levels associated with system preservation, modernization and expansion.
High Street led the technical tasks associated with updating Missouri Long Range Transportation Plan. The 2018 LRTP update is different from past LRTPs in three important ways. First, it utilized online public outreach methods to gather input. This approach was a cost-effective and generated significant feedback. Secondly, it confirmed the accuracy of previous goals and added a new goal. Finally, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) convened a statewide conversation on the impact of future technology and what it might mean for important factors like safety and infrastructure investments.
MoDOT has a long history of involving citizens in making decisions about the state’s transportation system. This public outreach process involves citizens from start to finish and the approach has earned MoDOT recognition as a national leader in public involvement and several industry awards. During the development of the 2018 LRTP, 7,700 Missourians and transportation planning partners across the state, provided input which will inform future transportation decisions.
High Street helped Maryland DOT and their stakeholders - from the Eastern Shore to Baltimore and through to the Western Appalachians - create a forward thinking 20-year transportation plan that will help guide the state’s transportation executives manage the opportunities and threats of a changing world. Please click on the image to read a pdf of 2035 Moving Maryland Forward Plan.
To gain a clear understanding of how to integrate performance measures into the ODOT’s structure and process, High Street interviewed key ODOT staff in the core disciplines of safety, infrastructure, system operations, environment, modal planning, and asset management, and we reviewed and assessed relevant data sources to assess quantitative gaps. Based on this coordination, we focused our attention on measure definitions, methodologies, potential targets, applications, and data sources and aligned the measures with the 2040 LRTP goals and objectives to ensure consistency with MAP-21 and Oklahoma’s values.
High Street supported a stakeholder-driven process to evaluate the current status and future needs of all modes of the Kansas transportation system. High Street had an instrumental role in developing a new transportation decision-making process for balancing investment in preservation and capacity needs. High Street staff also led the development of the financial forecast and funding options analysis. In a related effort, High Street provided staff support for the Kansas DOT in preparing a 2008 report to the Governor on critical transportation needs.
The T-LINK report provided input to the Governor and the State Legislature as they debated the focus and scale of the state’s transportation program. High Street continues to work on developing analytic tools and decision-making processes for evaluating economic development impacts and community concerns within an expanded project selection process. The process was pilot-tested by KDOT in the fall 2009 and is being used to evaluate about 200 potential projects annually in the development of annual transportation programs.
High Street was part of the team that assisted ODOT in developing performance measures, needs forecasts, and revenue scenarios as part of the development of Access Ohio 2040. The firm also developed and evaluated investment scenarios and innovative finance strategies to support plan finalization.
High Street also supported a related initiative to update the scoring system used for prioritizing major projects over $12 million. The project teams’ recommended changes enabled Ohio’s Transportation Review Advisory Council (TRAC) to better account for local economic development initiatives, investment in complementary programs, and equitable treatment of distressed areas in the project selection process. The project included national best practice research on state DOT programming processes and creation of new ways to develop and apply technical travel model and transportation performance measures within the context of an economically meaningful prioritization approach.
High Street played a key support role in the development of What Moves You Arizona, a 25-year statewide multimodal transportation plan for Arizona. The project included visioning, creation of a planning framework and process, revenue forecasts, needs determinations, scenario-building, and identification of alternative investment choices. It had a heavy performance measures component, which will help drive ADOT’s capital programming process and will be a key consideration in this project. High Street led the creation of goals, objectives, and performance measures to both drive plan development and support its implementation. The firm also conducted a diagnostic review of ADOT’s current programming processes, provided recommendations on to better link planning and programming, and supported development of both investment scenarios and financial forecasts.
High Street is leading the development of the New Mexico 2045 Plan, New Mexico DOT’s long-range transportation plan update. The New Mexico 2045 Plan will create a new 25-year transportation vision for New Mexico and will consider the Department’s role in the Governor’s Climate Change Executive Order. The Phase 1 effort for the New Mexico 2045 Plan includes:
• Identification of trends and issues affecting New Mexico’s future transportation system;
• Identification of the multimodal system needs and NM DOT forecasted revenue;
• Engagement of stakeholders through the use of a website, online survey, and stakeholder workshops; and
• Development of the vision, goals, and objectives for the New Mexico 2045 Plan.
Through the stakeholder workshops, High Street will be exploring different future scenarios and working with stakeholders to understand the investment priorities given the impacts of the future scenarios on transportation. High Street is also coordinating efforts of a subconsultant in a resiliency analysis and plan for NM DOT as part of this effort. High Street will use the information and development of Phase 1 of the New Mexico 2045 Plan to continue in Phase 2 of the New Mexico 2045 Plan which will include establishing policies and recommendations to guide future investment decisions, mechanisms for tracking performance, and plan implementation.
Link to project
High Street is on a team that is developing Michigan Mobility 2045. During Phase I, High Street led efforts to identify national best practices in statewide planning, infrastructure conditions, performance measures, scenario planning, and impacts of new technologies on the transportation system. High Street also led the Scenario Planning task where we worked with MDOT and its partners to develop four exploratory scenarios to examine further in Phase II. In Phase II, High Street worked with MDOT leadership and stakeholder in developing the 2045 vision, goals, objectives, performance measures, and strategies that will guide the implementation of the LRTP. High Street is also leading the Modal Needs task that will identify 25-year multimodal needs and leading the Scenario Planning task where we will explore the quantitative and qualitative impacts of the four scenarios developed in Phase I. High Street will conduct a scenario planning workshop with MDOT and its partners to discuss and explore consequences and trade-offs to help answer key questions like, what type of transportation system are needed in each scenario and what new investment strategies or policies are needed in each scenario.
Link to project
High Street led the development of the Oklahoma 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan. The 2045 LRTP is a policy document that will guide ODOT in the development, management, and operation of a safe and efficient transportation system for the next 25 years. The planning process included working with ODOT and its modal stakeholders to update the vision, goals, objectives, and performance measures. High Street identified 25-year modal needs, developed a 25-year revenue forecast, and explored funding options that would help close the funding gap. The 2045 LRTP establishes transportation policies and strategies for various modes of travel and commercial freight movement in the state including highways, passenger and freight rail, public transit, bicycle and pedestrian travel, ports and waterways and airport access.
Link to project
In response to the 2005 Texas Bicycle Tourism Trails Act (Texas Transportation Code § 201.9025), TxDOT collaborated with its Bicycle Advisory Committee to investigate the development of a statewide bicycle tourism trail network. High Street was contracted to develop an objective prioritization methodology to inform its development. The tool current has three prioritization scenarios. The Signature Segment scenario results in groups or clusters of segments that score similarly based on nearby attractions and existing and potential demand. The safety and Bicycle Level of Service scenario tends to result in scattered priority scores across the example network with fewer clusters. Scores are largely driven by measures at the intersection-level including potential for conflict and documented crashes. The top scoring segments in the low hanging fruit scenario are grouped along planned TxDOT projects and prioritized by lower cost and windows of opportunity for development.
High Street provided ten-year forecasts for the state-of-repair for assets in Dominica including pavement, bridge, culverts, earthworks, and road furniture. An app was created that displays future asset conditions. The app allows users to determine the total budget and the budget for each asset type. Results are updated based on budget.
High Street used data to find over $50 million in cost savings for Oklahoma DOT (ODOT) by identifying projects with low performance impacts due to over-scoping. In the past, ODOT would take departmental project requests and try to divide up the resources with as much equity as possible between the regions. When ODOT’s programming team asked High Street to evaluate the underlying data in order to make more informed decisions, the impact of one policy became very clear. What High Street found was that ODOT had a tendency to try and update one major corridor every couple of years. But in so doing, they were reconstructing several miles of pavement that were still in a good state-of-repair. While it was simpler to manager corridors in this way, what they decided to do was to re-scope the project to only fix the problematic areas and use those additional resources to fund other areas of deficiency.
Comparative benchmarking is a powerful performance management strategy, but requires both effective processes and tools. To equip NCHRP research users with a great benchmarking tool, High Street created the TPM Benchmarking Portal. The web-based tool provides a robust platform for state DOTs to perform benchmarking, including functionality to quickly and easily define meaningful peer groups, compare performance, and share insights and noteworthy practices. The platform includes a complete administrative back-end, allowing the non-technical platform administrator to create new measures, manage permissions, and maintain benchmarking data. Explore for yourself at [http://benchmarking.tpm-portal.com].
Under this groundbreaking initiative, High Street is helping Nebraska DOT meet pressing operational challenges by marrying Nebraska DOT's data with advanced statistical, machine learning, and visualization techniques. Through this engagement, High Street has helped NDOT measure the effectiveness of its materials testing and contractor incentives policies; design lettings that attract more bidders; and better understand the complex relationships between traffic volumes, design standards, and pavement deterioration rates—all through agile, iterative, and highly cost-effective tasks.
Tasked with developing performance targets for new federal performance measures with limited historical data, MDOT SHA turned to High Street for support. Through an active collaboration, High Street developed and implemented a segment-level reliability forecasting model to forecast future performance with respect to Maryland's expected growth in traffic volumes and programmed capacity and ITS improvements. The resulting forecasts provided a basis for MDOT SHA's PM3 performance targets, while simultaneously demonstrating the performance impacts of MDOT SHA's investment program. The methodology provides both a forecasting tool, and a tool for evaluating project-level performance impacts.
High Street served as external management and policy advisors to the MDT director and deputy director. Activities included interviews with MDT senior staff to identify strategic, organizational, and administrative issues, planning/facilitating annual leadership team and bureau chief retreats, facilitating the development of unit business plans, and research on various management topics such and enterprise risk management and DOT administrative budgeting practices.
High Street’s report for NCHRP on alternative organizational models for state DOTs provided a big picture snapshot of why and how DOT leaders are re-designing their organizations. It includes a discussion of the primary drivers of these changes, characterizes the current state of DOT organizational design, describes the prominent organizational adaptations DOTs are making or plan to make, presents a new organizational ideal for DOTs, and offers observations about key success factors for initiating meaningful organizational change.
High Street provided support to the Northeast Corridor Commission (NEC) executive committee and agency senior staff to help them identify and address organizational, institutional, and procedural issues that create barriers to greater NEC success and productivity. The effort has included developing a diagnostic review of current organization business processes and facilitating a series of retreats to revamp several key agency decision-making approaches.
High Street developed a set of web infographics and YouTube videos that explore how changing economic opportunities are driving new types of transportation needs. The web video and infographics products are designed to help transportation practitioners in every state face the challenge of finding compelling ways to engage their stakeholders on the economic importance of making the next generation of investments that will sustain America’s prosperity. The stories are designed to show how transportation is intimately linked with some of today’s most interesting and compelling economic transformations. Click here to view the website
High Street helped support the Governor appointed Commission on the Future of Transportation in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to develop recommendations on transportation policy across the state in response to disruptive changes like electrification, an aging population, and autonomous vehicles. The consultant team used information about key ‘driving forces’ as building blocks for a set of distinct stories that distill voluminous data into a digestible set of plausible directions the future might take.
High Street conducts financial capacity assessments on FTA Capital Investment Grant (New Starts, Small Starts, Core Capacity) projects including the evaluation and rating of the project against the grant program’s financial criteria. Through review of the applicant’s financial plan and models for the proposed project, system operating and capital budgets, annual financial reports, and other documents, High Street analyzes the ability of the applicant to deliver its non-federal share of funding, operate and maintain its core transit services, and complete project construction by the revenue operations date, including cash flow and timing of receipt of funds. Projects for which High Street has completed assessments include Orlando SunRail, Boston MBTA Green Line Extension, San Diego MidCoast Corridor, Fort Worth TEX Rail, Arlington Columbia Pike Street Car, Santa Ana OCTA Streetcar, Chicago CTA Red Purple Line Modernization, Durham and Orange Counties GoTriangle Light Rail Transit, and Indianapolis Bus Rapid Transit.
High Street played an integral role in the development of TRB's NCHRP Research Report 873: Guidebook to Funding Transportation Through Land Value Return and Recycling. The Guidebook presents guidance on ways to mobilize some portion of property-value increases to fund maintenance and operations as well as investment in the infrastructure. Local government typically has authority to deal with matters related to land use and land-related revenue-generating mechanisms, therefore access to land value return and recycling—a subset of real estate–based value capture methods—may require enabling legislation or partnering with local agencies. This report includes examples of applications of land value return and recycling as well as model legislation and institutional structures to facilitate the strategy.
High Street develops long-range revenue forecasts for the state DOTs and MPOs which include all sources of transportation revenue and take into account projected changes in demographics, driving behavior, vehicle mix, and fuel efficiency standards and region-specific factors. The forecasts evaluate scenarios of existing revenue sources as well as potential new or increased revenue sources and other funding options. Each client’s preferred use and approach to debt financing also is factored in to analysis of the available resources for transportation investment.
High Street helped develop a report for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) which provides policy recommendations in response to China’s Fuel Tax Reform. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) implemented a “Fuel Tax Reform” in 2009 that made significant changes to the way the country funds and delivers its “ordinary road” program. High Street provided policy recommendations for the following issues:
• The lack of a mechanism to regularly adjust tax rates for inflation and other factors;
• The need for additional revenues to meet planned ordinary road maintenance and construction targets;
• Use of debt financing for ordinary roads;
• Long-run feasibility of fuel taxes as a road funding source;
• Rationalization of roles and responsibilities of different levels of government;
• The need for a new national-level programmatic approach to road development and management;
• Improved fund management and allocation processes;
• The need for enhanced organizational capacity; and
• Development and application of performance management practices in the sector.
High Street created a report as part of NCHRP Project 20-24(83). The report provides a big picture snapshot of why and how DOT leaders are re-designing their organizations. The report breaks down the primary drivers of these changes and characterizes the current state of DOT organizational design. New organizational ideals for DOTs are presented along with observations about key success factors for initiating meaningful organizational change. Find a link to the full report here:
High Street supported the Director’s Office Business Plan for Montana DOT, which included facilitation for the office’s vision, goals and strategies. High Street helped maintain continuity between the Office Business Plan and MDT’s 20-Year Plan, Financial Status Reports, and their Agency-wide IT plan.
High Street interviewed industry leaders in innovation and synthesize their finding in an online report, NCHRP 20-108 Effective Practices for Creating and Maintaining an Innovation-Delivery Culture within Departments of Transportation. The report is a guidebook that features a set of practical tactics that encourage department of transportation employees to remain inspired and empowered to innovate. Included in the guidebook is a self-assessment to help DOTs determine where their agency falls in the continuum of innovation efforts, a getting started guide to help jump start your efforts, and an examination of the five building blocks to build and sustain a culture of innovation.
High Street executed the process for identifying roadway vulnerability to flooding hazards under alternative futures with different levels of hazard severity. The process considered three hazards (i.e., storm surge, sea-level rise, and inland riverine flooding) under three high, medium, and low severity levels, based on impact probabilities. Vulnerability for road ways and bridges was assessed at the segment and structure level based on exposure to these hazards under each severity level, as well as the infrastructure’s sensitivity and ability to adapt to disruptions. Sensitivity depends on infrastructure type (e.g., asphalt vs concrete pavement), infrastructure condition, as well as other factors such as historical weather-related damage or closure. Adaptive capacity depending on traffic volumes, functional classification or bridge importance factors, the presence of a navigable waterway under a bridge, whether or not the road or structure is part of a hurricane evacuation route, and presence on major interregional corridors. High Street developed guidance for the website team to use to develop an interactive online tool that allows users to adjust the weights of components of vulnerability and recalculate the vulnerability score.
High Street developed a cost estimate and plan for introducing electric vehicles into the fleet of eight rural and small urban transit providers in Oklahoma. The final deliverable included a preliminary plan and high-level assessment of the feasibility, benefits, and costs of EV vehicles, maintenance, and infrastructure to help the agency work with state legislators to obtain and apply funding.
As part of a planning on-call contract, High Street developed a resiliency analysis methodology for the New Mexico DOT. The resiliency analysis methodology identified the ways in which highway system assets will be considered vulnerable based on threats associated with climate change including forest fires, flooding, and rockfall. This methodology also defined a process to determine the criticality of high-risk highway segments so a future analysis may identify portions of the system that warrant the greatest attention for risk mitigation and/or recovery plans. The High Street team developed the methodology based on the collection and review of available data as well as deep engagements with NMDOT staff. It is anticipated that High Street continue to work on the resiliency analysis through the NMDOT Climate Change Planning On-Call contract.
High Street is developing an active transportation plan inventory tool which will create a centralized, map-based online inventory of all active transportation plans in Texas to enable easy access to these planning documents, appropriately incorporate bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure into project planning and scoping and facilitate the development of safe bicycle and pedestrian networks. The Active Transportation Plan Inventory is comprised of three components: 1) an online submission portal, 2) a management portal where TxDOT staff can approve or modify plans, and 3) the tool’s public-facing website where users can search, filter, and browse active transportation plans in Texas.
High Street developed the financial model used in an analysis of transition to an all-zero emission vehicle (ZEV) transit fleet in Colorado. The analysis examined cost differentials between traditional and ZEV transit vehicles, anticipated time to cost parity, cost of associated charging infrastructure, assumptions on vehicle replacement, and varying adoption rates and condition scenarios.
Drawing on High Street’s experience implementing multimodal performance measures, High Street created for the Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC) a GIS-based analytical tool that allows the agency and its planning partners to calculate changes in regional accessibility for individual candidate transportation investments. Accessibility is quantified in terms of Access to Opportunity (ATO) which measures how well residents can access jobs, or how well employers can access the labor force. The solution leverages Esri ArcGIS’s Network Analyst to sum the distance-discounted number of households and jobs reachable within a defined travelshed. Projects are simulated via changes to the underlying network and assumptions on impedance values. ATO impacts are estimated for roadway, transit, active.
High Street worked closely with the Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment (OIPI) to develop and execute an original process to use research findings to estimate the long-term impacts of macrotrends on the Virginia system. High Street considered a range of alternate futures including high, low, and most likely configurations of macrotrends. Macrotrends included technological changes, economics, and environmental factors, and the impacts are estimated with metrics aligned to the state’s long-term goals. Notably, this method did not require time-consuming model outputs such as those from travel demand models or asset management models, but instead used research to estimate the scale and direction of changes to these metrics based on high-quality research findings associated with the transportation effects of each macrotrends. Finally, High Street identified risks to and opportunities for Virginia’s transportation system associated with each macrotrend.
The screenshot shows the Interact VTrans website (Click here to go the site) with jurisdiction-level results of the analysis showing relative changes in the tailpipe emissions index by 2045 for Virginia localities under the “high” scenario.
High Street developed an objective prioritization methodology to inform the development of a statewide bicycle tourism trail network in Texas. The tool allows planners to view overlapping planned highway projects where bicycle infrastructure could be coordinated with other construction activities. Parks, historic sites, population centers, and other cultural locations can be viewed in relation to the planned 8,000-mile bicycle network. Documented cyclist crashes can be viewed in clusters of hotspots and at the block and intersection level to help diagnose safety concerns.
