In+Motion_Summer 2018

metro, HSR and terminal designs. Facility spaces are also reserved in the Phase 1 APM design to connect to the Phase 2 APM extension to future terminals. Lea+Elliott is currently preparing system procurement document and assisting the Owner incorporate APM specification into Owner’s general specification. Construction of the Airport is underway, with Phase 1 slated to open at the end of 2021.

Construction at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport Image credit: China Hua Shi

Meet Melinda Ring

DALLAS/FORT WORTH – Dr. Melinda Ring is a transit planning specialist and manager of planning projects on the Lea+Elliott team. She has been active in transportation planning for 25 years and is an expert in the simulation, modeling and analysis of complex transportation systems. Her knowledge is influenced by her extensive education, which includes undergraduate and graduate degrees in industrial engineering from Purdue and a Ph.D. in engineering management science from King’s College, Cambridge University.

Melinda began working on the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) PHX Sky Train® 18 years ago, during her first year at Lea+Elliott. Today, she enjoys seeing the PHX Sky Train® enter its final stages of implementation. “I’ve been involved in determining its feasibility, doing the preliminary ridership and fleet requirements analyses, working on the procurement documents and reviewing the contract data submittals. PHX is different from other airports because of its unique seasonal peaking characteristics and the large rental car patronage. You can’t just use typical assumptions for this project. It is also special to me because it is the first project I’ve worked on to be implemented.” Melinda sees planning as a job like that of a detective, puzzling out all the evidence of a mystery. “A planner needs to sort through information to develop the best solution to meet a particular and unique need,” she says. “We’re piecing together all the data and information to determine who needs to ride an APM and where they need to go. Things like flight schedules, passenger trips, forecasts and parking projections provide clues that are all part of a larger story.” While transportation planning is her profession, Melinda is also a wife, bonus mom, dog mom, cyclist, Boilermaker, King’s man and cancer survivor. “Enjoying life is my main priority,” she says. “I bike ride - a lot,” she exclaims. “I enjoy beer rides on Tuesday nights, trips around the lake and the Hotter ‘n Hell 100, described as a Texas “ride” of passage in the scorching heat of North Texas in August. “Bike riding never gets old because there is always something new to see and it helps you count your blessings,” she adds. Growing up as the daughter of a couple committed to a Navy career, Melinda’s upbringing helped her become open-minded about people, places and ideas that are different from her own and gave her the willingness to try new things and the courage to face life’s challenges. “My family moved at least 10 times,” she adds. “The Navy experience gave me the confidence to explore the world on my own, whether it was to England to do my Ph.D. or to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. That confidence gave me the courage to endure the greatest challenge of all–the fight against cancer. Melinda considers perseverance as her best trait. “It’s what you need as a Navy dependent; but it’s also what you need as a transportation planner working on a new APM project for 18 years,” she says.

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