Traffic Engineering is a unique branch of civil engineering that characterizes McMahon’s foundation since 1976. Unique in that it focuses on enhancement of transportation modes through various means directed at vehicle operators. On roads, traffic engineers focus on improved signing, pavement marking, and signalization to provide guidance to drivers. Drivers who understand how to get to their destination, in an orderly manner, produce the most “throughput” or “capacity” along the roadway. Other travel modes may be optimized similarly. For example, bicyclists can benefit from designated bicycle lanes denoted by pavement markings, buses can benefit from signal preemption systems, and pedestrians can experience safer roadway crossings with the addition of pedestrian signals and crosswalks. In these examples, McMahon’s traffic engineers provide the research, planning, and design capabilities to justify and implement these improvements.
Traffic Impact Studies
Before new development is approved, local, county and/or state officials often require Traffic Impact Studies to determine roadway changes required with the potential increased traffic. McMahon engineers estimate future conditions by measuring existing traffic and field conditions. They then use statistical data to project future conditions for the project’s opening year. Modeling software helps McMahon engineers project future conditions, with or without the proposed development, and any changes required to improve or maintain those conditions.
Area & Corridor Studies
As traffic increases along a transportation corridor or becomes congested in one area, governmental officials often call for a study of existing conditions, and recommendations for safety and capacity improvements. The recommended improvements are then balanced between cost and the need to maintain acceptable conditions with increasing traffic demand. Using skilled observation and professional training, McMahon engineers build a report based on signal optimization software, adding in field observations, recent crash data, and traffic counts.
Traffic Calming
Narrowing roadways, installing speed humps, and a host of traffic calming options can significantly reduce traffic in residential neighborhoods and walking-oriented retail districts. Furthermore, these design tools will trim down the area’s accident rate. If police enforcement is too expensive or just not working in your community, McMahon will tailor a traffic calming plan that includes new guidelines and follow-up studies. Contact McMahon for your personalized 24/7 assistance with traffic calming.
Transportation Impact Fee Studies
What is the true price for roadway improvements in a developing community? McMahon helped write state legislation that guides communities to establish the price based on new development, making our firm uniquely qualified to conduct Impact Fee Studies. The price is based on a cost per trip and assessed against estimate trips to be generated by potential development. McMahon examines the potential for development recognized in the approved Land Use Plan for the community, analyzing transportation levels of service at present and at the time of development build out, and determining a cost for the improvements necessary to maintain desirable levels of service in the future. These costs are then divided into a cost per trip and assessed against new development.
Traffic Engineering Reviews
Let McMahon be your expert when it comes to detailed traffic engineering reviews. After all, the specialized experience we have gained completing the traffic engineering requirement for government/public sector and commercial/private sector clients, gives us a keen eye and understanding of issues when reviewing work on client’s behalf. McMahon completes these services for municipalities on land development applications, involving engineering plans and/or study reviews of transportation related elements. We also peer-review these items in the commercial sector on behalf of developer or corporate clients, helping them to ensure efficient results in transportation product design and permitting. Additionally, you will often find McMahon on and open-end agreement with a state of county agency as a trusted advisor and extension of staff performing reviews.
Site Circulation & Parking Layouts
Many of our clients are faced with the issues of how best to move traffic through their development and how to provide parking for drivers. McMahon engineers are experienced in the performance of traffic circulation analyses and parking demand analyses. A well-designed parking area accurately estimates parking demand, meets vehicle movement requirements, and offers easily navigated parking spaces, in accord with local codes.
Access Management
Every new access point creates a traffic conflict between entering and through traffic. At intersections, right-of-way questions multiply: At a four-way, three lane intersection, who goes first? The essence of access management is to reduce the number of conflicting movements in a roadway, while allowing adjacent properties. Because we serve both government/public sector and commercial/private sector clients, McMahon engineers have a keen appreciation for this balance and take pride in achieving it for many, many clients. Contact us for examples that might fit your need.
Expert Witness Testimony
Many traffic engineering projects require public hearings where expert testimony is provided under oath. You can count on McMahon transportation engineers to stand up as well-versed, experienced public speakers who are prepared, knowledgeable, expert witnesses, able to think on their feet to present and then defend their findings against cross examination.