Newsletter_Summer 2023_FINAL for web

President’s Column

local, regional and national transportation systems. The study evaluated independently-running ATS vehicle technologies; assessed innovative options for wireless electric vehicle charging technologies, with a focus on dynamic charging; and developed modular guideway infrastructure design guidelines using the latest advances in technologies. NCTCOG’s efforts to evaluate emerging technology innovations are focused on achieving economies of scale through developing a modular infrastructure that is paved for use by any independent running vehicle. To reduce long-term risks of infrastructure obsolescence, while providing maximum opportunity to use any current and future vehicle technology, the guidelines for grade separated (elevated) guideways structures were developed to be utilized by various types of ATS vehicles within specific size parameters. The ATS vehicles assessed for this study can traverse a simple, paved guideway without relying on guideway-mounted equipment for propulsion or vehicle guidance that would be technology-specific to each vehicle. This type of system, smart vehicle and paved guideway infrastructure, permits the integration of future technology advances in ATS vehicles without sacrificing the infrastructure investment. Two example operating environments were used in developing the basis of this study and assessing the applicability of the concepts. The manufacturing operating environment involves the transportation of cargo/goods within a manufacturing complex. The passenger operating environment focuses on transporting passengers in a dense urban environment. To ensure the applicability of these ATS guidelines to a wide range of passenger or cargo/goods movements, the study considered two specific potential pilot systems and two retrofit applications of existing people mover systems within the region. The pilot locations used for the study were the Dallas International District and the General Motors manufacturing facility located in Arlington. The retrofit projects considered were the Las Colinas Urban Center Area Personal Transit and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Skylink APM. The guidelines developed during this study are intended to be used as a roadmap for future first and last mile connectivity projects in the region.

Celebrating 50 years of moving people

When they wanted to retire, the founders of Lea+Elliott, Inc. could

easily have sold our firm to an outside company for a tidy profit. Instead, they found a way to pass Lea+Elliott on to its employees by adopting an Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP). I have always been grateful for that; and as we celebrate our 50-year anniversary, I feel, more than ever, the importance of maintaining that legacy to pass on to future leaders. It’s been an amazing ride over these past 50 years. Being in the airport and transit markets, we experienced significant ups and downs with 9/11 and the pandemic. But we have weathered those storms and prospered and continued to grow by paying attention to our priorities and staying flexible in our approach. Throughout our firm’s history, Lea+Elliott has maintained a corporate culture that is based on respect, recognition and innovation among the members of our employee-owned firm. We care deeply about each other and our clients. Our performance reviews assess how well we treat each other and those we serve. For us, being a family is more than a corporate phrase. It’s something we truly live. Lea+Elliott’s integrity is unquestioned—it comes from our founding principals and is maintained with pride by our leadership team and staff. We truly appreciate our staff and the types of professionals that we have been able to recruit and retain. Culture is very important to us and a big reason for who we hire and how we treat our employees. They make us proud each and every day and it shows in how we support our clients. We have very low turnover and over half our staff members have been with us for over 15 years. Lots of longevity. And thanks to all our fantastic clients—of course without them, celebrating 50 years wouldn’t be possible. We have incredibly long-standing relationships with several clients— some have been with us since the very beginning. These relationships are a testimony to the service we provide and the confidence they’ve placed in us. Contract after contract, year after year, these kinds of relationships are the cornerstone of our firm. So, thank you to all our friends, clients and employees who have made this milestone possible. We truly appreciate your support over the years and look forward to our on-going relationships.

Jack Norton

Conceptual image of ATS Passenger Operating Environment Image credit: NCTCOG

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Vol. 30 No 1