“I’m a transportation engineer for the City of Littleton. I work on our goals of increasing bicycle and pedestrian safety and comfort, but I also work on larger projects like intersections and corridor improvements, and making sure new development is held accountable to our goals and standards. I’ve helped design and implement projects like the Euclid Complete Street, and the raised pedestrian crossings in Downtown Littleton.
The biggest constraint in public works engineering, of course, is funding. There are also limitations around the availability of materials and maintenance capabilities. We also balance the needs and wants of the public — we never sacrifice in terms of safety, but we want to align with community desires.
I want people to have as many feasible transportation options as possible. Bike and pedestrian projects aren’t about being anti-car, but about making it convenient to use other modes for shorter trips. One positive outcome is a reduced vehicle load on our transportation system. In a metro area, we’re capped on space, and roadway widening is a very expensive response.
I think Littleton is being forward-thinking with bicyclist and pedestrian safety. Our heart and vision are in the right place. It’s a complicated subject — there are lots of differing opinions out there. In some ways, we’re still at the start and refining our processes, figuring out what works best.
The world always changes. Technology changes. There’s no finish line. It’s a constant adaptation to the world, but you can’t move the goalposts every few months. That’s why a Transportation Master Plan is so important, and why I’m excited to work with the community to update ours. You can always do things better.
It’s funny, I work on bike and pedestrian infrastructure, but I also love cars – NASCAR, Formula One, all of it. I’ve got a 1990 Mazda Miata I’ve turbocharged and take to the track. I love speed, but in the appropriate setting!”