projects

Interesting Projects in Our Work Histories

Izmir Transportation Study

The first study of transportation in the Izmir Metropolitan area took place in 1973-74. Jamieson Mackay & Partners of London was hired by the World Bank to build a model and forecast travel demands for the future. Many of the improvements recommended in the study have been implemented and others, e.g. a metro system using existing rail lines are still being studied. Roger Sharp was the project engineer. See also Japan Railway & Transport Review No. 38 (pp.26–29)

Suez Canal Zone Regional Plan, Egypt

At the end of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, the Suez Canal formed the de-facto military border between Egypt and Israel. The three Canal towns, Port Said, Ismailia and Suez had been abandoned by the civilian population. With the cessation of hostilities following the 1973 war, the military border was moved to 10 km east of the Canal. This allowed the Canal to reopen to shipping in 1975 after war damage had been repaired. It also allowed the populations to move back to their homes and businesses. UNDPcontracted with the Planning Advisory Group (PAG) from London to perform a regional planning study of the Suez Canal Zone. (At that time it was largest planning project ever undertaken by the U.N.) The project was headed by Jac Smit who is frequently referred to as the “Father of Urban Agriculture,” Jamieson Mackay & Partners, one of the members of PAG, assigned the transportation element of the study to Roger Sharp. The entire infrastructure had been damaged significantly during the war years and as the population retuned, major infrastructure repairs and improvements were necessary. At the same time, the population and car ownership were rising rapidly and provision had to be made to accommodate these changes.

Bristol area Land Use Transportation Study

In 1976-77, Roger Sharp joined the Bristol Office of Jamieson Mackay & Partners to undertake a study of the potential effects of controlling private non-residential parking in the Bristol metropolitan area with a view to reducing peak-period travel demand by automobile. The study showed that this approach was not feasible and the idea was not pursued.

Libyan National Transportation Study

In the late 1970s the population of Libya was growing steadily due mainly to immigration and guest workers. Economic prosperity and car ownership were rising rapidly. Polytechna-Harris of Milan was awarded a contract by the Libyan Government to prepare a national transportation plan for the country including, roads, transit and ports. We also studied the development of a railway system to carry bulk freight and passengers. The report was cited in 1974 World Highways by International Road Federation in 1974

Southern Perimeter Road, Lesotho, Southern Africa

On June 20 June 1978 the Kingdom of Lesotho signed agreement with USAID for reconstruction of the Lesotho Southern Perimeter Road from Mohale's Hoek to
Qacha's Nek. Frederic R. Harris was awarded the contract for planning and design of the project. Roger Sharp was responsible for collecting existing traffic data, developing long-term projections and a vehicle-weighing program for use in pavement design. The on-site measurement of axle loads for highway design studies in developing countries is nexessary as standard tables which give the number of "standard axles" per 100 vehicles have been used. These tables do not take sufficient account of the variations in vehicle loading characteristics which occur from one country to another. Click here to see report. The first section of the southern perimeter road was completed in 1983 with aid from the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, and in 1984 the EC agreed to finance the remaining stages to complete the project.

Copans Road Ft Lauderdale, FL

Roger Sharp was the project engineer for the design of Copans Road from NW 46^th Avenue to Powerline Road for Broward County, FL. The project included a new bridge carrying the Florida Turnpike over Copans Road. The intersection at Powerline Road already had a signal that could be modified. New signals were required at NW 46^th Avenue. The project was designed as a four-lane divided roadway. It has subsequently been widened.

Jacksonville Urbanized Area Transportation Study 2010 Update

As Chief of the Transportation Planning Division for the City of Jacksonville, Roger Sharp was responsible for supervising the development of the 2010 update to the Jacksonville Urbanized Area Transportation Study. This involved developing entirely new networks and socio-economic data for base-year calibration and future year forecasts. This also involved the first use of personal computers in running the area-wide models. (Earlier the models were developed to run on UTPS on main-frame computers.) The study made a number of recommendations for improvements that have subsequently been implemented. Click here to see report. Subsequent updates have been undertaken for the North Florida TPO.

Greater Arlington-Beaches Area Transportation Study (Jacksonville, FL)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the transportation problems and issues resulting from the rapid population growth within the Greater Arlington area and to forecast future transportation demands and potential problems and to recommend improvements to the roadway system to accommodate the travel demand with an acceptable level of service in 1995 and 2005. Specifically, the study recommended construction of the Wonderwood Connector and Atlantic Blvd./Mayport Rd. flyover. Click here to see report.

Jacksonville Skyway

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority's "Skyway" is one of five urban "people mover" systems that were built beginning in the U.S. beginning in the 1970s. (The other four are in Detroit, Michigan; Irving, Texas; Miami, Florida; and Morgantown, West Virginia.) It is an automated system, 2.5 miles long, that uses two-car trains running on an elevated monorail guideway. Roger Sharp developed the Financial Plan and supervised the re-evaluation of the Environmental Impact Statement. He also supervised a feasibility study for extension of the system to the Sports Complex east of Downtown.

Atlantic Blvd./Mayport Road Flyover (Jacksonville, FL)

The Greater Arlington-Beaches Area Transportation Study identified the interchange at Atlantic Blvd. and Mayport Road as a bottleneck particularly for east-to-north movements in the morning peak hour. The Mayport Naval Station and the many businesses that support it are approached from Mayport Road. Severe congestion was observed daily that was particularly bad when an aircraft carrier was in port. Roger Sharp supervised the planning and design of this project. The south-to-west movement was also improved by providing a free-flow ramp. This project generated considerable public opposition because of fears of noise and light intrusion into adjacent neighborhoods.

Regency Bypass Ramps (Jacksonville, FL)

The project was developed by Roger Sharp, when working for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority as part of the Wonderwood Corridor project to provide better access to the Beaches from Downtown. Elevated ramp connections between the Arlington Expressway and the Southside Connector in both directions enable users to avoid the delays associated with the confluence of the Arlington Expressway, Atlantic Blvd. Monument Road and the Regency Square Shopping Center. The project involved modifying the interchange at Regency Square Blvd. N. and construction of a roundabout on the Arlington Expressway north access road. Replacement of a box culvert under the Arlington Expressway was added to the project at the request of the FDOT.

Monument Road Improvements (Jacksonville, FL)

Monument Road is an important arterial road running through the center of the Arlington Area of Jacksonville from Atlantic Blvd. to the Wonderwood Connector. As part of the study for the Wonderwood corridor study, Monument Road was identified as needing improvement. It was at that time a two-lane rural road with left turn lanes in places. The Wonderwood traffic study was indecisive in determining whether four or six lanes would be needed once the remaining vacant tracts in east Arlington have been built out. It was decided to design and permit the road for six lanes, but build only four with a wide, landscaped median that will be available for roadway widening if needed in the future.

Volusia County MPO Long-Range Plan Update

A key component of developing the 20-year Plan for Volusia County MPO involved a pro-active citizen input process. To accomplish this, Roger Sharp, working for Ghyabi & Associates modified a "game”, called Strings and Ribbons for citizens to provide their input. The Strings and Ribbons game is played with between 4-8 people, where players develop a 20-year plan. Each group is given a blank map, and each player a sum of money such that the total for the group is equivalent to 20 years’ spending on transportation infrastructure. They “spend” the money and develop a plan.

San Sebastian Bridge, St. Augustine, FL Project Development & Environmental Study

As Senior Project Manager for Bergmann Associates, Roger Sharp was the Project Manger for the development of a PD&E study to replace the ageing bridge that is showing signs of structural deficiency. The study examined three different roadway and bridge alignments. The vertical alignment was constrained by the close proximity of intersections both north and south of the bridge.

City of Jacksonville Roadway Classification Update

Bergmann Associates was retained by the City of Jacksonville to update the City’s roadway classification system. There are three different classification systems in use, defined by the City, the MPO and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The study recommended a new classification system more in line with that used by FDOT. It also defined a procedure for modifying the classification of individual roads as the need arises. The study also involved digitizing roadway characteristics from Pictometry photographic data. Roger Sharp managed this project for Bergmann Associates.

City of Apopka, FL, Impact Fee Ordinance Update

As authorized by the State’s growth management law, the City of Apopka charges impact fees to developers to pay for the cost of new public facilities that provide future capacity needed to accommodate new growth and development. The need for new public facilities is based on the City’s adopted level of service. The fees cannot pay for existing deficiencies in level-of-service for the public facilities or normal maintenance and repairs. The fee charged to each development is based on the development’s proportionate share of the new facilities.

To update the road impact fees, the City contracted with Ghyabi and Associates to develop a new rate schedule based on the current costs of public facilities and on projections of future population and vehicle trips. Roger Sharp was the Project Manger.

US-17 /Eastport Road Overpass, Jacksonville, FL

The Better Jacksonville Plan, approved by voters in 2001, was a $2.25 billion comprehensive growth management program for road and infrastructure improvements called for an interchange at US-17 (Main Street) and Eastport Road. The purpose of the improvement was to alleviate the delays caused by slow moving trains blocking both US-17 and Eastport Road. The number of trains blocking the intersection was expected to increase as the Jacksonville Port Authority expanded its facilities at Blount Island and Dame Point. Roger Sharp, while working for Ghyabi and Associates, was responsible for the development of traffic projections, accident analyses and selection of the various alternatives for consideration.

Beach Blvd./University Blvd. Interchange, Jacksonville, FL

The Better Jacksonville Plan also called for an interchange at Beach Blvd. and University Blvd. At peak hours the interchange is a serious impediment to the movement of traffic on both major roads. Roger Sharp, while working for Ghyabi and Associates, was responsible for the development of traffic projections and accident analyses. Click here to see report.

Wonderwood Connector (Jacksonville, FL)

The Wonderwood Connector was one of the projects identified in the Greater Arlington-Beaches Area Transportation Study. Roger Sharp, working for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, was responsible for supervising the planning, preliminary engineering and design of the new facility. It is a nine-mile corridor of new and improved roadways from SR-9A to SR-A1A. A medium-level bridge carries the road over the Intracoastal Waterway. The project involved significant public involvement, complex drainage issues and extensive wetland impacts. The segment of the alignment from Monument Road to Girvin Road was built as a four-lane divided arterial with a median wide enough to allow for widening the roadway to six lanes. Drainage and permitting was developed for the full six-lane section. The Wonderwood bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway opened in July 2004.

City of Jacksonville Downtown DRI Monitoring

Ghyabi and Associates was retained to monitor the current traffic and air quality conditions in Downtown Jacksonville. Such monitoring is required under the development orders that established the three Developments of Regional Impact (DRIs) for Downtown Jacksonville. The purpose of the DRIs was to facilitate flexibility of development within the DRI boundaries. When the DRIs were approved in the early 1980s, Downtown Jacksonville was poised for considerable redevelopment. In addition, the City of Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority and the Florida Department of Transportation were planning major roadway improvements that would serve the Downtown area. Roger Sharp was the Project Manager for this study. Click here to see report.

Waterborne Transportation Study—Jacksonville Urbanized Area

While working for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Roger Sharp was responsible for developing a study of waterborne transportation. The St. Johns River bisects the Jacksonville Urbanized Area and would provide a natural thoroughfare for a transportation service. The study showed that the operation and maintenance costs would exceed the benefits and that no peak-period travel time savings could be achieved.

Wallgreens Land Development Traffic Assessment (St. Johns County, FL)

A Walgreens pharmacy with drive-through was planned for the northwest quadrant of SR A1A South and Ocean Trace Road in St. Johns County, Florida. Roger Sharp performed the required traffic analyses to determine the effects on the County’s highway system and to ensure that the concurrency requirements had been met. The analysis showed that the development could take place without placing any significant burden on the County’s highway system. Click here to see report.

NS Mayport Main Gate Traffic Study

Ghyabi and Associates was asked to undertake a traffic survey and queuing analysis at the Main Gate of the Mayport Naval Station. All vehicles entering the base during the morning peak-period had to pass through one of three lanes for a security check. People who live and work at NS Mayport experienced considerable delays entering the base. The purpose of the study was to determine whether an extra inbound lane operating in the morning peak-period would reduce the queuing delay significantly. The analysis showed that the delay could almost be eliminated by the addition of a fourth lane through the checkpoint. Roger Sharp conducted this analysis. Click here to see final report.

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