Urban roadways:

Designing a roadmap to community transformation

MSA’s urban transportation experts play a significant role in urban redevelopment. An important part of this is looking at factors like environmental impact and governmental procedures. Communication and good project management are key on these large and diverse team-oriented projects. We work with the stakeholders to define the vision and goals for the corridor. The wants and needs may include streetscaping, Americans with Disabilities Act concerns, or pedestrian and bike enhancements, but overall it’s about community sensitive design.

We also look at the bigger impact of our projects when we plan traffic staging. Traffic flow is about more than just vehicles—pedestrian and bike access can make all the difference for businesses during construction projects. We work with the affected businesses to minimize the impact of the construction process, whether in terms of traffic flow or timing of utility work. Meeting those needs is what makes these projects great.

We specialize in downtown high profile, high-traffic projects with sanitary sewer, water main, storm sewer, pavement, bike and pedestrian paths, curb and gutter, and sidewalks. Projects require environmental documents, permits, right-of-way documents, and street and utility plans. An urban plan involves coordination among many different stakeholders. When everything comes together, it can transform an entire community.

Our services include:

• Community sensitive design and stakeholder involvement
• Streetscaping, aesthetics, and lighting
• Utility coordination and conflict resolution
• Traffic engineering
• Construction staging and pedestrian access
• Designing the road from building face to building face, including sidewalk and entrances
• Pavement marking, permanent signing, and wayfinding
• Environmental documentation, including hazardous material investigation
• Railroad coordination

Three Eagle Bike Trail, Three Lakes, WI

Three Lakes and Eagle River, Wisconsin wanted a pedestrian/bike trail that connected the two communities. MSA obtained the permits and designed an environmentally sensitive route that partially traverses wetlands. Now there’s a peaceful way to enjoy this part of the Northwoods.