In+Motion_Fall 2020

President’s Column

550 sheets. The proposed communications system consists of one innerduct system with a 96-strand single-mode fiber optic cable for the PTC/ATC system, along with a spare set of innerducts. To allow for future commercial entity use, an additional innerduct system, including one 288-strand single-mode fiber optic cable, and a spare set of innerducts will also be provided essentially in the same trench. The awarded GEC contract is for Service Category 4 - Transit Oriented Development (TOD) projects and other discrete Capital Program needs, such as single discipline designs/reviews, peer reviews, value engineering, cost estimating, design and construction change order negotiations, resiliency studies/design, and constructability reviews. Project delivery-related assignments might include efforts to help with structuring joint development opportunities and other alternative project delivery methods, such as DB or Design-Build-Operate-Maintain. The proposal team of Larry Miller, Crystal Oczkowski and David Little began work in November 2019 assembling the team of professionals and preparing the proposal as the prime contractor for the January 2020 submittal. Working effectively from three separate offices, they produced a high quality proposal, largely due to Crystal’s creative and flawless work. Lea+Elliott looks forward to using the experience gained from this proposal and task orders to springboard to more opportunities to serve MBTA.

Let’s get to work When we look back on 2020, we will all have a story to tell. This has been such a crazy year. Let’s just hope we don’t have to put up with this pandemic much longer. I will say though, that I am very

proud of the Lea+Elliott team. Our business has operated efficiently and effectively with our folks working from home. We have all the IT tools we need and we have become adept at video conferencing. We really haven’t skipped a beat. Our planning and design activities are moving forward as normal and our clients are very comfortable with our work-from- home approach. One of our biggest challenges is getting the right resources on-site at project locations, but we have found some creative ways to meet those challenges as well. So now, with the election behind us, I hope the incoming leaders will move forward aggressively on a stimulus bill that will generate funds for infrastructure development. There are many highway, transit and airport projects that are shovel ready. Investing in those could stimulate the economy and bring about many new jobs. Getting people back to work should be a priority for our elected officials. And now, with encouraging results from vaccine trials, our clients can look forward to once again getting back to doing what they do best. Sadly, our airport and transit clients have been really hurt by the pandemic. It will be so great when they can begin to see a return to normal levels of travel. As we usher in a new year, let’s look forward to getting back to somewhat normal lives. While we have been challenged in so many ways and on so many levels, we have learned a lot about ourselves, our abilities and our resilience. Here’s to 2021 and to hope. May we all have a very good year.

Jack Norton President/CEO

Rapid Transit/Key Bus Routes Map Image credit: MBTA

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Vol. 27 No 2