|
IN THE NEWS
The 2007 Florida Legislature unanimously approved the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority, a 7-county regional transportation entity with an emphasis on creating multimodal solutions to address the West Central Florida region’s growth and mobility needs. The Governor signed the bill into law and TBARTA held its first meeting on August 24, 2007. Whit Blanton of Renaissance Planning Group played an important role in the creation of this new regional transportation agency under contract to the Tampa Bay Partnership, which championed the legislation. Whit provided research on best practices and lessons learned from other regional transportation authorities, and assisted the Partnership by exploring and recommending a governance structure, funding options and other implementation steps, many of which were incorporated into the TBARTA legislation. The Florida Department of Transportation is serving as staff to the agency and is now spearheading a major transit initiative to expand mobility in Tampa Bay.
David is a registered landscape architect with over 24 years experience in planning and design. He has worked on a wide range of projects, including development of multi-use PDs, large-scale land inventory and site feasibility studies, roadway alignment, development of commercial and industrial parks, private and public recreational facilities, and golf course design. He has also been involved in eminent domain work, military projects, erosion and sedimentation control design and implementation, and construction coordination. David has a Bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Georgia. KAREN KISELEWSKI, AICP, Senior Planner/Project Coordinator contact info Karen is a generalist senior planner responsible for providing professional services on a variety of the firm's transportation, land use, and community visioning and planning projects. Her project experience is in municipal issues, comprehensive planning, growth management, public participation, and special studies. Karen possesses strong analytical skills including data collection, analysis, and problem solving for complex issues and her excellent communication skills will assist in the establishment of community consensus and effective public policy. Karen holds a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from Florida Atlantic University and bachelors and masters degrees from the California Institute of Technology and Ohio State University. ALAN STEINBECK, AICP, Project Manager contact info Alan has 10 years of experience as a planning and design professional overseeing projects and programs that involve transportation, land use and design. He has successfully managed the completion numerous projects including corridor and area plans, community plans, and visioning efforts. Alan has worked extensively with local governments, MPOs, and transportation agencies in developing policies and standards for roadway design, land use and urban design. He has gained a thorough knowledge of transportation issues at the local and regional level and can effectively create solutions for roadways and transit. His background in architecture and urban design provides a unique understanding of the built environment and its effect on travel behavior and quality of life. Alan is a two time graduate of Georgia Tech, holding a Master of City Planning and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture. BRAD SHEFFIELD, Project Manager contact info Brad serves as a project manager for the firm’s new office in Tallahassee and also as a company-wide resource for transit planning. He provides technical assistance for transit planning for a wide range of projects and clients. Brad’s solid understanding of practices, procedures and standards of the urban and rural transit market, along with his real-world experience, are invaluable to Renaissance’s multimodal transportation planning and transit oriented development approach. Brad has nine years of experience ranging from regional/rural transit program development and coordination to urban transit service design and supportive land use development. He has focused his career on transit development for sustainable growth and community connectivity. SUSAN SEMPLE, Production Coordinator/Tampa Office Administrator contact info Susan is an experienced marketing and production coordinator with a unique blend of communication and organizational skills. Detail oriented, she serves as a composer and editor of a wide variety of the firm’s marketing and project documents. She is versed in most all desktop publishing applications and uses her skills to convey a professional and creative appearance for Renaissance documents. NEW PROJECTS Tampa Bay Regional Goods Movement Study Partnering with URS Corporation, Renaissance will be supporting the Florida Department of Transportation, District Seven to develop a framework for addressing freight mobility in the Tampa Bay region. The study will identify the current and emerging future needs facing goods movement in the region. A process for identifying and implementing short-term strategies will be defined, and a strategic plan for improving freight mobility in the region, while preserving community and environmental assets, will be developed. The project will begin in the spring of 2008. Florida Department of Transportation, District One ETDM Support Services Renaissance has been selected by the Florida Department of Transportation, District One to support the Environmental Management Office with the implementation of the Efficient Transportation Decision Making (ETDM) and Sociocultural Effects (SCE) Evaluation Process. Through our continuing services with the Department, we will be evaluating the potential effects of transportation projects to communities and identifying context sensitive solutions. We will also be guiding and supporting the Metropolitan Planning Organizations in southwest Florida to comply with the new environmental planning provisions of SAFETEA-LU as they update their Long Range Transportation Plans. Our support to District One will begin in March, 2008. Lakeland Comprehensive Plan Transportation Element Update Renaissance has been selected by the City of Lakeland, Florida, to update the City’s Transportation Element of its Comprehensive Plan. The project entails creation of a city-wide Pathways Master Plan, refinements of the city’s functional classification map, analysis of future growth and redevelopment, and exploring transportation concurrency alternatives for its redevelopment areas. Lakeland is a growing city of nearly 100,000 residents located between Tampa and Orlando. Work began in September 2007 and will continue through 2008. Bradenton/Palmetto Downtown Mobility Study The City of Bradenton has selected and approved a contract with Renaissance Planning Group to conduct a Downtown Mobility Study for Bradenton and Palmetto. The study will be jointly managed by the two cities, whose downtowns are located south of Tampa Bay on opposite sides of the Manatee River, linked by two highway bridges and a railroad bridge. Both cities have completed downtown redevelopment master plans, and are bisected by major state roadways. Renaissance will be working with local stakeholders, the public and state agencies to balance regional mobility needs with making downtown more livable and pedestrian friendly for desired redevelopment. The nine-month study will be completed in 2008. City of Oldsmar Pattern Book Renaissance has been selected by the City of Oldsmar in Pinellas County, Florida, to prepare an urban design Pattern Book to guide redevelopment in the city of 25,000. The city wants to retain the Old Florida look and its small town feel, and its current pattern book of development regulations and policies are ambiguous. Renaissance will prepare illustrations/pictures that will help enable desired development, enhance the development approval process and clarify expectations. Hillsborough Countywide Visioning The Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission and Hillsborough MPO have selected Renaissance Planning Group to lead the countywide visioning effort known as Vision Hillsborough. The work entails creating a set of unified growth expectations, guiding principals and implementation strategies, and builds upon our firms work on recent projects such as the Hillsborough MPO Transit Study and Timing of Growth Study for the Planning Commission. The project will begin in the fall of 2007. |