| MIRAI + TP&E = GREAT TEAM |
Fall 2006 |
The Mirai difference
Suncadia Resort in Roslyn provided a quiet refuge for our team of twenty to reflect on the past year and
plan for the coming year. Reviewing the past year, Principal Tom Noguchi said that the merger with Transportation Planning & Engineering (TP&E) added people
and skills creating more opportunities to help our current clients, and introduced us to a new set of clients.
Since our start in 1998, Mirai has worked almost
exclusively with cities and public agencies throughout the Northwest.
In contrast, last year nearly 25 percent of our revenues were derived from clients in the private sector.
Led by Vic Bishop and Dave Enger, Mirai staff completed traffic studies for leading developers in the region and provided designs for roundabouts, traffic
signals, intelligent transportation systems (ITS), pavement markings, traffic signing and street lighting.
Our afternoon session focused on quality -
quality work, quality people. Our commitment to providing insightful and pragmatic solutions for each client is based on three strongly held beliefs:
- Accomplishing successful projects is
the result of a strong partnership with
our clients
- Our technical skills will support our
client's vision
- We deliver results that will work for
our clients
Challenges for 2006
Several state, city, and county agencies have chosen Mirai to lead or assist with more than a half dozen major new projects in 2006. Mirai’s work on these projects ranges from local area planning to studies addressing regional issues and new approaches to reducing congestion. We have always worked hard to retain our clients; nearly 80 percent of our work last year was with repeat clients.
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New projects in 2006 |
| Redmond Overlake Sub Area Plan |
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| Portland Transportation System Development Charges |
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| City of Tacoma - S 56th Street |
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| Kent Transportation Master Plan |
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| Snohomish County ITS |
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| UW Tacoma Campus Expansion |
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| Bainbridge High School |
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| Snohomish County ITS Architecture |
Our projects keep us challenged...
Our recent projects have focused on looking at future transportation needs in the Puget Sound region. Don Samdahl is the project manager for two Transportation
Master Plans - one for the City of Monroe and the other for the City of Kent. Monroe's plan deals with traffi c and lifestyle issues in
this fast growing ex-urban area. The Kent plan is the City's first comprehensive review of transportation in 20 years and looks at accommodating freight traffic, commute
traffic throughout the City, and ways to increase the use of alternative modes.
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Central Avenue, Kent |
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US 2, Monroe |
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148th Ave NE, Redmond |
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CTIP Stakeholder Meeting |
SDOT Project Manager Tony Mazzella and Mirai's Tom Noguchi recently received
accolades from the project stakeholders for their work on the Northgate Coordinated Transportation Investment Plan (CTIP). CTIP is a blueprint to guide public and
private transportation investments through 2030. As new development brings more urban density to the Northgate Urban Center, CTIP's projects will bring a
more balanced transportation system that improves non-motorized options, begins to reconnect Northgate's neighborhoods, and keeps autos, freight, and bus transit moving
safely.
Mirai is providing construction traffic analysis as part of the preliminary engineering for the City of Renton's Rainier Avenue/Hardie Avenue project. As a subconsultant
to KPG, Dave Enger is leading the design of four traffic signals associated with this project. The project will implement the Phase 1 recommendation from Mirai's
Rainier Avenue Transportation Corridor Study using a combination of Sound Transit and City funding sources. It will improve transit speed and reliability, as
well as, traffic safety and overall transportation mobility within this busy transportation corridor.
The City of Redmond recently selected a Mirai-led team to update its Overlake
Neighborhood Study. Transportation investments will support transformation of Overlake's shopping and mixeduse area from an auto-dominated retail to a pedestrian-oriented Urban Center
supported by residential developments. The Overlake area also presents an attractive and viable location for light rail service. Tom Noguchi, the project leader says the
Overlake Neighborhood Plan Update will establish signifi cant direction for the City of Redmond's future.
WSDOT projects have provided us with several challenges. We are finishing an
analysis of traffic impacts related to the proposed widening of SR 522 to Monroe. We are also leading a study called Urban Congestion Relief Analysis that is
examining how the use of tolls and HOT lanes could improve congestion in the Puget Sound Region. This very interesting study includes several enhancements to the
regional travel model to better forecast the effects of tolls on travel behavior. John
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Before Hardie Avenue After |
Davies is providing traffic analysis to Wasatch Management & Development,
LLC, for the Washington Square project on 10.5 acres in downtown Bellevue. The project could eventually include $1 billion worth of development and cover the entire
"superblock" north of NE 8th Street between 106th and 108th Avenues.
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SR 522 in Monroe |
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Congested Freeway |
Fully built, the project will include 900 condominiums and town houses, a hotel, office tower and
restaurants in five high-rise towers and lowrise buildings clustered around them. Mirai is leading a team to develop a Countywide Intelligent Transportation
Systems (ITS) Plan for Snohomish County.The Plan identifies a set of ITS projects...
...In Puget Sound and beyond
...that address the traffic management needs of stakeholders throughout Snohomish County. The County will be able to incorporate these advanced technology
projects into future comprehensive planning efforts and budgeting. Dave Enger and Don Samdahl are leading Mirai's efforts in coordination with HNTB. Finally,
Mirai is currently part of Sound Transit's East Corridor Planning Team that is evaluating high capacity transit options between downtown Seattle, Bellevue and Redmond. Our role includes
analysis of transit operations for various rail alignments. CH2M Hill is the project lead.
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Mirai doubles in size
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Celebrating Mirai/TP&E Merger |
During the past two years we have almost doubled in size. Our new staff have come from all over the world bringing a set of skills that strengthen our engineering
and planning expertise. Visit our website to learn more about our staff.
Janet Hall, PE joined us en-route from Nepal. She has lived in Alaska, the east coast and the southwest - Janet has roller blades
and often rides her husband's motorcycle.
John Davies, AICP leads many of our major planning studies - he rides his bike from the Phinney Ridge Neighborhood on
sunny days (he has an electric motor on the bicycle for the numerous hills).
Naveen Juvva, one of our outstanding traffic engineers, has tried skiing, snowshoeing and even mountain climbing this year.
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Snowshoeing |
Neha Rathi graduated last year with a Masters from Rutgers University - she is a budding travel demand modeler and loves
the cool weather.
Mike Ekshtut, PE leads many of our traffic impact studies and recently returned from his second deployment to Iraq as a chaplain's
assistant in the Air Force Reserves.
Gwen Allen cheerfully handles the phones and invoices - she deserves the red badge of courage for valiantly struggling with traffic
each day to reach our office in Kirkland from her home in Auburn.
Jenny Pearson is a recent UW civil engineering graduate and commutes regularly on her bicycle from neighboring
Finn Hill.
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Trail Clean Up at Gold Creek |
Brad Dain joined Mirai this summer as a graphic artist and Computer-Aided-Design operator - he enjoys outdoor sports and
living in the Northwest.
Dave Enger, PE, PTOE brings many years of Puget Sound experience in traffic engineering design and studies - he holds
medals for orienteering throughout the United States and rides his bicycle to work.
Vic Bishop, PE is a legend in his own right - he recently reduced his work load to 20 hours a week to enjoy some time off
now that he is 65 - he continues to tend to his clients and encourage our younger engineers.
Office Snapshots
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At the summit of Mt. Whitney.
From left; Don, Tom, Jana |
The Washington State ITE chapter proclaimed February 17th Don Samdahl Day. In 2005 Don received ITE's Outstanding Service Award.
The Seattle City Council appointed Howard Wu to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Board. His term is for two years. Howard also received his AICP certifi cation this Spring.In July, he rode the STP (Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic). Mikhail Ekshtut, PE recently received his Professional Engineer registration as a Civil Engineer.
Lise Northey is on the City of Bellevue transportation commission while Don Samdahl serves a similar role for the City of Kirkland.
In early June Tom Noguchi, Don Samdahl and Jana Janarthanan summited Mt. Whitney in California. Mt. Rainier and Mt. Baker were previous challenges. What
could be next? Mt. Kilimanjaro? In August, Yukari Bettencourt successfully competed in the Danskin Women's Triathlon, and Janet Hall skated 25 miles
in the "Skate for MS" charity event.
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