Environment, Planning, and Economics Team

About the team:

The Environment, Planning, and Economics Team focuses on ways to protect the environment, preserve cultural resources, support Virginia’s multimodal transportation system, and maximize the benefits of Virginia’s transportation investments. 

Environmental and history research encompasses stormwater best management practices; ecology, including mitigation of animal-vehicle collisions; endangered species; waste management in VDOT maintenance operations; and the identification and management of historic and cultural resources in VDOT right of way, especially structures.

Planning research encompasses transportation planning at the state, regional, and local levels; socio-economic forecasting; access management; trip generation; transit research; bicycle and pedestrian studies; performance measures, and innovative planning practices.

This team is supported by two Research Advisory Committees (RACs).  Members of both committees regularly provide guidance to VTRC and contract researchers during the course of studies, review study findings and recommendations, and participate in the development of implementation plans for study recommendations.   

The Environmental Research Advisory Committee (ERAC) works to minimize impacts of transportation on the environment, developing and prioritizing research topics related to current and future environmental concerns arising from VDOT’s construction, maintenance, and operations activities.

The Transportation Planning Research Advisory Committee (TPRAC) works on issues of interest to federal, state, regional, and local planning organizations in the areas of socio-economic forecasting; access management; trip generation; transit research; bicycle and pedestrian studies; freight studies; performance measures, and innovative planning practices.

Current Environment, Planning, and Economics Projects

Team Leader

Team Members