JMTE-Traffic-Engineer-NC

On April 13 USDOT released the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the 2021 RAISE Grants

The Integrated Mobility Division (IMD) has started exploring projects that would be strong candidates for RAISE.  IMD is particularly interested in identifying projects that increase multimodal access to opportunities and services for low-income communities.  Ultimately, IMD will work with a broader NCDOT team to determine which project(s) NCDOT will submit for the grant opportunity. 

We are seeking your assistance in identifying potential projects, programs of projects or combined projects that meet the eligibility criteria for the 2021 USDOT RAISE grants.  Please review the following considerations and submit potential candidate projects by COB April 26 that meet some or all of these conditions via the following Smartsheet survey:  https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/a22c920c0a304bf68ac9887f17336bd7

IMD is seeking multimodal projects that improve equitable connections with transit and bicycle & pedestrian facilities.  An ideal project is in a low-income area with populations that have low vehicle ownership rates.  The ideal project includes a multiuse path or greenway connecting to a complete streets project with multimodal accommodations, connecting to a mobility hub, multimodal transfer center, or transit station.  And ideally robust data is available to show how the project will improve access, enhance quality of life, and ensure safety.

Overall criteria for the evaluation of RAISE grants are similar to previous BUILD NOFOs and include the primary selection criteria of safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, economic competitiveness, and state of good repair.  The secondary selection criteria are partnership and innovation.  Projects should include components that reduce emissions, promote energy efficiency, increase resiliency, and recycle or redevelop existing infrastructure.  

Other project considerations:

  • Projects should be further along than the concept/planning stages to allow work to begin expeditiously after grant award.
  • Funding sources should be identified for the project.  NCDOT may be able to provide match for transit components or complete streets components that are already committed in the STIP.  Local match (non-Federal and non-state) would be required for independent bicycle & pedestrian projects. 
  • Projects can be combined into a program of projects, potentially covering a broader region, as long as each project has independent utility.

If you have projects that you think will meet some or all of these characteristics, please complete the Smartsheet survey no later than April 26.  Please reach out to Ryan Brumfield at rmbrumfield@ncdot.gov with any questions about this request. 

Southwestern Workforce Development Board
Southwestern Workforce Development and NCWorks Career Centers announced:
 
In 2019, we received 2 grants totaling $400,000 to expand our Business Services programs. Train Up is an incumbent worker grant that businesses can apply for up to a $10,000 reimbursable grant for training their current workforce and On-the-Job training grants that pay 50% to 75% of a new hire’s hourly salary (3 to 6 months) to help bridge any skill gaps. These grants are quickly nearing the end and we still have funding available. If you know of any business that could utilize this funding, please reach out to Linda Lamp (linda@regiona.org) to get further details. Help us keep this federal funding in our region helping our businesses!
 
J.M. Teague Engineering and Planning are here to help with your training needs in the following areas:
 

NCDOT Annual Statewide “Litter Sweep”

On Saturday, April 24, 2021, JMTE staff participated in NCDOT’s annual Litter Sweep campaign in Haywood County.  The morning began when several gathered for breakfast, dressed in JMTE safety vests and gloves provided by NCDOT Division 14 Maintenance Office, and attacked a quarter mile section of Waynesville’s South Main Street filling eight large NCDOT trash bags.  Suffice it to say, strange things exit the windows of vehicles along our state’s roadways.  It was a great day of service to the community and staff camaraderie.  Many local residents expressed their appreciation during the clean-up and Certificates of Appreciation were provide by the NCDOT Secretary for those participating. 

J.M. Teague Engineering and Planning

ENGINEERING HIGHLIGHT

The Town of Woodfin asked J.M. Teague Engineering & Planning (JMTE) to survey and rate the pavement condition of Town-owned public streets. A manual assessment of the existing pavement conditions on all Town-owned public streets, approximately 32.4 miles of paved roadway. The assessment was conducted in a similar manner as the standard NCDOT assessment which produced a rating score for each segment. The rating was based on factors such as pavement aging, cracking, ride-ability, bleeding, and surface type. A chart listing each section of roadway and the individual ratings it received is included in the report. Using the Pavement Serviceability Rating (PSR) and geospatial mapping, JMTE created a map highlighting the PSR of each roadway. The map showed seven classifications of pavement from best (like new) to worst (immediate need).
 
The Town of Woodfin asked JMTE to expand the report to include roads the Town had recently taken ownership of. JMTE rated the roadways and included them in the final pavement condition survey. The pavement condition survey will provide the Town with the information necessary to create an annual plan and budget to strategically replace, perform maintenance on, or preserve pavements in a manner consistent with budgetary constraints, driver safety, and NCDOT (Powell Bill) compliance.
 
Services JMTE provided in this project:
  • Pavement Assessment
  • Pavement Condition Rating
  • Consulting
  • Maintenance Database
  • Recommendations
  • Engineering Report