Latest Blogs

Active Transportation

By Ms. Alyssa Rodriguez P.E., PTOE posted 08-01-2021
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Bicycle commuting should be part of my week, but I have yet to commit. Currently, my primary excuse is trail bridge construction. Once it is finished, however, it will be an exceptional improvement. That particular crossing traverses a six-lane arterial at-grade and creates significant delay. Several attractive route alternatives exist, particularly once I cross into the Henderson, NV, USA jurisdiction. On the other hand, it is hot. In general, my trips to the grocery store also involve a car despite the fact that the store is less than a mile away, and many of my trips retrieve only a few items. I live in a rural preservation area, so there are no sidewalks, ...
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A Wealth of Technical Knowledge

By Mr. Jeffrey Paniati P.E posted 08-01-2021
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Throughout its history, ITE has been known for the technical knowledge we bring to the profession. This knowledge sharing takes many different forms—from conferences and meetings to technical reports and publications. Recognizing that different people consume knowledge in different ways, we have diversified our offerings so something is available for everyone. In addition to our traditional Annual Meeting, we have added a virtual spring Technical Conference. Moving beyond our robust webinar program we have added blended-learning certificate programs and unstructured drop-in sessions. In addition to the monthly ITE Journal we have our biweekly Spotlite and ...
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The Hidden Cost of Hiring the Wrong Employees

By Bernard Fournier posted 07-29-2021
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Hiring the wrong employees can be very detrimental, particularly if the employee is in a leadership position. A poor hiring decision means that company resources are spent inefficiently and this can be particularly devastating for a small business.  Some of the costs are easy to calculate, whilst others are not as obvious. Paying a salary to someone who does not perform up to expectations is an obvious cost but the cost in other areas such as productivity and employee morale is indirect and harder to calculate.  Effect on employee morale A poor hire can have a bad effect on employee morale. Employees could lose faith in a company for placing someone ...
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Setting a New Course for the MUTCD

By Mr. Jeffrey Paniati P.E posted 06-30-2021
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The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) may be the singular most influential transportation publication in the United States. This Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)-issued publication applies to all roads open to public travel in the United States. From the moment you leave your house—by car, by bike, scooter, or on foot—your travel is influenced by the MUTCD. A number of organizations have been making this point when responding to the current Notice of Proposed Amendments (NPA) to update the Manual for the first time in 11 years, which resulted in more than 25,000 comments to the docket. Compared to the approximately 2,000 responses received ...
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Professional Development

By Ms. Alyssa Rodriguez P.E., PTOE posted 06-30-2021
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When I worked in the Traffic Engineering Division at the City of Henderson, my new administrative assistant gave me a copy of a Shel Silverstein poem: Signals When the light is green you go. When the light is red you stop. But what do you do When the light turns blue With orange and lavender spots? I keep it pinned on the wall at my desk even now that I work in an entirely different department. It is a great reminder that work (and other parts of life) rarely fit neatly into the categories or situations we learned about in school. When hiring staff, we consider the question of experience: does 20 years of experience mean repeating the same thing ...
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Keep Pace with the Growing Demand with Your Business

By Bernard Fournier posted 06-17-2021
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E-commerce’s upward trajectory has been accelerated during the pandemic. In a world where people can go online, click to shop and receive products in a day, convenience is a major driver of growth.  This fast-paced growth and the growing competition can be quite daunting for e-commerce business owners. More opportunities often come with more challenges. Here are some ways to stay resilient and keep growing your e-commerce business.  Minimize your risks Cyberattacks and loss of data can be a serious threat when you have an e-commerce business. You will have access to sensitive customer data and technical issues from a security breach can scare them ...
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Planning the Mexico RV Trip With Your Family

By Bernard Fournier posted 06-17-2021
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There is much more in this beautiful part of the world than the obvious fixes, tequila, tacos, sombreros, and Aztecs. RVing in Mexico is also one of the best experiences you and your family can have, which guarantees you an alluring blend of contemporary arts, Mesoamerican culture, and Spanish tradition.  It is critical to plan ahead of your RV trip to Mexico, especially if you want to visit remote areas and have the best experience possible. Here are the top 5 tips to ensure you have a lifetime RV experience in Mexico. Safety  While some people traveling with an RV to Mexico have safety concerns, RVing in Mexico is highly safe if you follow some ...
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Public Transport Improvement on Agglomeration and Its Effects in Transport Project Assessment: A Review of Relevant Literature

By Mr. Khalid Mohammed posted 06-16-2021
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Abstract This research investigates how agglomeration affects transport research assessment.  Improvements of Public transport would increase economic productivity if they enable the cities densification and growth. This may thus increase economics of agglomeration economics. It has been claimed that the potential agglomeration advantages are large and thus understanding them better could be beneficial in making proper funding decisions concerning public transport improvements. This study has reviewed theoretical and empirical literature about effects of agglomeration on evaluating project assessment. The study also reviews some studies about transportation ...
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Making the Most of the ITE e-Community

By Mr. Jeffrey Paniati P.E posted 06-01-2021
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One of the biggest benefits of being an ITE member is access to the ITE e-Community, ITE’s internal social media network. The e-Community provides a place to share with all ITE members through the All Member Forum, or a narrower interest area through the more than 87 available forums. More than 12,800 of ITE’s 16,000 members are registered for one or more forum. Most choose to get a daily feed that summarizes posts from the last 24 hours and lands in your inbox in the early morning. I often start my workday by scanning through this summary to see what new discussions have been started, or what replies have been added to existing threads. A powerful aspect of ...
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Designing for Safety

By Ms. Alyssa Rodriguez P.E., PTOE posted 06-01-2021
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In the 1990s as a new neighborhood developed in west Las Vegas, NV, USA, the city approved the installation of several roundabouts on major thoroughfares. Depending on the source, they are considered the first modern roundabouts in the United States. The first office I worked in following my move to the valley was located just down the street from them. As we’ve all experienced, some of the first feedback we hear when designing a roundabout is that people do not understand how to drive them and lots of crashes occur. Certainly, I have witnessed a couple unique behaviors from motorists at these roundabouts: reversing through the roundabout after missing a turn ...
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Test

By Ms. LiLi Liang P.E., PTOE, PTP posted 05-25-2021
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Test
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COVID-19: One Year Later

By Mr. Jeffrey Paniati P.E posted 04-17-2021
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It is hard to believe we have been at this for a year—and yet what a long year it has been. As I reflect back to just before the pandemic, I was at a Washington Nationals Spring Training game, blissfully unaware of what was about to hit our organization, country, and the world. While it is encouraging to see vaccines roll-out and COVID-19 rates dropping, we have a ways to go to return to a life even close to the one we knew. But it finally feels like we are on the way. The past year was a time of challenge and loss, but it has also been a year of creativity and innovation. At ITE, as throughout our industry, we have adapted on the fly to a virtual world, successfully ...
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Las Vegas as a Microcosm

By Ms. Alyssa Rodriguez P.E., PTOE posted 04-17-2021
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It’s difficult to project the long-term effects of the pandemic on transportation and our communities. While Las Vegas, NV, USA is a rather unique place, with its primary reliance on gaming and hospitality, there are trends and factors that may be relatable to other communities as we emerge from the pandemic. Despite an unemployment rate well above the national average, the Las Vegas housing market is on fire. Inventory is low and prices continue to climb. According to a January 2021 article in Forbes, Zillow reports more than 60 percent of searches for Las Vegas homes come from outside the valley, and of those, about a third come from the southern California ...
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Old School, New School

By Mr. Jeffrey Paniati P.E posted 03-06-2021
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This month, ITE will either be reviving our prior tradition of hosting Spring Technical Conferences or bringing you our first-ever virtual Spring Technical Conference. I guess both are true. For a number of years, ITE regularly convened conferences in the spring, often with a technical focus. They were typically held in Florida or California, USA to provide those from cooler climes the opportunity to enjoy some warmer weather. As District meetings have filled up the spring months, the Spring Technical Conference fell by the wayside. However, the desire for learning among ITE members and the industry remains strong. One of the takeaways from our very successful ...
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Innovating the Organization

By Ms. Alyssa Rodriguez P.E., PTOE posted 03-06-2021
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A colleague and I recently completed a webinar for city supervisors focused on innovation. The City of Henderson, NV, USA has been working to document employees’ efforts during the pandemic, capture successes and lessons learned, and maintain momentum. Necessity prompted a lot of change, not only to adopt technology, but to revamp processes. Possible parallels exist to ITE as an organization, as well as similar potential for innovative transformations. As the world emerges from the pandemic, organizations will not be returning to pre-COVID status quo, and it is possible to harness the crisis-mandated energy and flexibility. Virtual is likely here to stay. Audiences ...
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From a Childhood Fascination with Tunnels and Bridges to a Career as a Transportation Professional (National Engineers Week 2021)

By Mr. Adam Greenstein PE, PTOE posted 02-24-2021
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The highest reward for me in transportation engineering is being able to provide services that directly help communities.  Almost all of the projects in which we participate originate from a need directly affecting the traveling public, often stemming from a request from an individual citizen, community group, business owner, or elected official.  Our projects can solve many problems that people experience in transportation, whether it is related to safety, congestion, accessibility for pedestrians and bicyclists, or environmental issues.   The transportation network is the backbone of a working economy.  Transportation professionals, including engineers, have ...
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Follow Your Passion (National Engineers Week 2021)

By Mr. Anthony Mariani P.E., PTOE, RSP1 posted 02-22-2021
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I grew up as a “normal” kid.  I spent my childhood going to school, doing my best to get good grades (especially in math), and playing with my friends.  Pretty standard stuff for any kid raised in the New Jersey suburbs. One thing that I can distinctly remember most from my childhood though was my love for toy models. I spent hours building, dissembling, re-building, and trying to different ways to assemble these models.  So, naturally, when I grew up, I wanted to be an…..ARCHITECT! Wait a second…what?  You must be wondering how the heck I ended up being a Transportation Engineer.  Well, as I got older, a few key events helped to really shape my ultimate ...
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Keeping Your Dog Safe While Walking Him in the Park

By Frederick Tartt posted 02-18-2021
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Walking man’s best friend isn’t only good for your pet, it’s therapeutic for you too to get out into the fresh air. A good walk offers lots of health and social benefits for you and your pet, lowering blood pressure, decreasing stress, and strengthening both muscles and heart.    Resolutions for pets   Obesity in pets is associated with a host of health issues, and exercising your pet can ward off obesity and keep him healthy in body and mind. Of course, if you go for a walk in the park, he’ll need to be on a leash.    A leash is both a walking- and a training tool and something that you will use every day for your pet. You don’t want ...
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Overcoming Mental Health Setbacks from a Car Accident

By Frederick Tartt posted 02-15-2021
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After being involved in a motor vehicle accident, the immediate concern lies with your physical health. You may have sustained injuries from the impact, including whiplash, spinal injuries, or cuts and contusions to your face and body.  What few people consider is the mental and emotional toll an accident can take on those who were involved, whether or not they caused it or sustained any physical injuries. Here are some of the mental health consequences of a car accident and how to deal with them: PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) Few people will want to label their experience as traumatic, thinking this term is only reserved for sexual assaults, ...
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The Top Human Foods that Your Dog Can Eat

By Frederick Tartt posted 02-15-2021
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Your 4-legged member of the family is your best buddy. Sometimes you forget that he’s just a dog because he is your best friend after all.    Sometimes when he looks up at you with his beautiful brown eyes and wags his tail because he loves you so, it is so easy just to pop a piece of chocolate or a piece of pizza into his mouth. But should you be doing that? Are human foods alright for your canine friend?   Human foods safe for your canine friend   Most of us have at some time or other fed our pets the scraps of food leftover from our meals. While it can be a delicious treat for your dog, the truth is that some of these human foods can ...
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