CH2M HILL

Resolving Utility Conflicts

CH2M HILL's light-rail transit (LRT) services range from project planning and development to the final design of complete LRT systems and their interface with other transportation modes and utilities. Our professionals routinely evaluate LRT lines around the country to share lessons learned with our clients. For example, controlling corrosion caused by stray current in the area of LRT systems often requires significant mitigation efforts. CH2M HILL maintains expertise in stray current and corrosion control, and routinely works with local utilities to minimize the impact of stray current on in-ground equipment and infrastructure.

Addressing Local Concerns

CH2M HILL supports public communication strategies by developing the forums and formats that are most conducive to meaningful, cooperative planning. At each stage of project development, we provide the most appropriate public involvement and communication strategies and tools. We support project planning, design, and implementation with effective tools and techniques to identify and involve the affected public, including community members, elected representatives, and regulatory agencies. We assess key community issues to define the most appropriate communication tools and approaches, build trust, identify new alternatives, and screen out unacceptable alternatives. We respond to community concerns and provide timely notification of project changes and decisions. We provide quality information materials and presentations that communicate complex technical issues in language and images that are easily understood by the general public.

CH2M HILL public involvement specialists are trained in decision making techniques, meeting facilitation, and dispute resolution to assist in reaching consensus with the public. We assist in preparing and implementing a project development approach that includes the appropriate alternatives development and evaluation tools, such as the Nominal Group Technique (a structured decision making technique used to rank alternatives through criteria identification and weighing of issues). We build trust with the community by listening carefully and responding to expressed concerns—tracking those concerns throughout the project.

Innovative Intersection Design

As part of a design/build contract, CH2M HILL was asked to lead the design team that implemented an east-west UTA TRAX light rail line (LRT) from downtown Salt Lake City to the University Medical Center on the University of Utah campus. TRAX runs through the center of the University Campus and crosses a major intersection at the entrance to the campus, posing a significant traffic flow problem with the existing "T" configuration of the intersection. Using computer analysis and simulations, the CH2M HILL team determined that the most effective design for the intersection would be a roundabout, combined with the LRT running right through its center on the east-west axis. The solution permitted smooth flow of heavy traffic without any major interruption in TRAX scheduled runs. The best signal option (with dual left-turns) was estimated to experience twice the delay of the roundabout option in afternoon peak traffic periods, and three times as much delay during the morning peak traffic periods.