How Sustainable Transportation Shapes Our Future
With accelerating urbanization across many regions of the U.S., especially in states like Texas and Florida, traditional transportation systems are under increasing pressure. Congestion, rising infrastructure maintenance costs, and environmental concerns strain local resources. In response, policymakers and planners are turning to sustainable transportation strategies to address these challenges. While optimizing existing systems is essential, long-term solutions will also require investing in mass transit, active transportation, and innovative road design.
Expanding Active Transportation
Active transportation—walking, biking, using mobility devices, and riding mass transit—is gaining momentum nationwide. Given growing urbanization and environmental challenges, the U.S. Department of Transportation is committed to increasing these trips by 50% from 2020 levels. This commitment is driving investment in safe, more accessible infrastructure that supports all users of the transportation system.
A central component of active transportation planning is intersection design. Enhancing safety at intersections can significantly reduce collisions between vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Effective strategies include bike boxes, high-visibility crosswalks, median refuge islands, dedicated bike lanes, or combined bike/turn lanes.
For instance, at the South Texas Medical Center in San Antonio, Pape-Dawson contributed to a sustainable mobility project involving 17 intersection upgrades. The San Antonio-based civil engineering company consulted on preliminary and final designs to improve mobility for the area. These enhancements are part of a broader network of trails and sidewalks connecting medical facilities, residential areas, and the City’s master-planned bike network, making it safer and easier for people to choose non-motorized travel.
Roundabouts: A Smart, Sustainable Alternative
Roundabouts offer a range of environmental and traffic benefits and are also a proven solution to provide increased safety performance. Roundabouts can contribute to a reduction in fatalities, injuries, and overall crashes, and they can also effectively decrease travel speeds throughout the roundabout influence area, and those lower speeds provide safer crossings and larger, more usable gaps in traffic flow for both vehicular and non-vehicular users.
In addition to the important safety benefits for both drivers and pedestrians, roundabouts offer environmental benefits by improving traffic flow, minimizing idling, and reducing the number of acceleration/deceleration cycles. Their compact design can also reduce land use, and central islands can be landscaped with native plants and trees for added ecological value.
Roundabouts support the growth of urban areas by keeping traffic moving smoothly. A single-lane roundabout can accommodate up to 22,000 vehicles per day and up to 2,200 vehicles per hour at peak times, making them an efficient alternative to signalized intersections.
Hamilton County Engineering Department chose RaganSmith, a Pape-Dawson company, to provide prime contract management, surveying, engineering design, and utility coordination services for the Ooltewah-Georgetown at Mountain View Road Roundabout project. This intersection had a history of high crash rates, with many injury-related crashes and even a fatality.
Supporting Mass Transit Infrastructure
The growing use of mass transit is another key factor in sustainable transportation design. Effective design includes prioritizing street space and resources for bus and rail systems through dedicated lanes, transit signal priority, and safe pedestrian access to transit stops. These features can significantly improve the reliability and convenience for commuters, reducing dependence on personal vehicles and lowering overall emissions.
This design strategy is proving effective in improving the VIA Rapid Green Line in San Antonio. A 12-mile Advanced Rapid Transit (ART) project along San Pedro Avenue, this project is being developed as part of the City of San Antonio’s “Keep SA Moving” initiative. The line will connect the San Antonio International Airport to the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, with continued service to the Brooks Transit Center.
Designed to improve mobility, equity, and safety, the Green Line will feature dedicated bus lanes, 26 new rapid transit stations, upgraded intersections, and enhanced pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. With service every 10 minutes on weekdays and every 15 minutes on weekends, the Green Line will provide fast, reliable transit while supporting economic development along the corridor.
A Path Forward
A Path Forward As U.S. communities continue to grow and evolve, sustainable transportation solutions will play an increasingly vital role in the future of mobility. By embracing a balanced strategy that includes active transportation, roundabouts, mass transit investments, and highway improvements, communities can enhance mobility, reduce environmental impact, alleviate congestion, and improve overall quality of life for all residents.
About Pape-Dawson
Pape-Dawson delivers comprehensive transportation engineering services designed to enhance mobility, safety, and efficiency within communities. We recognize the critical role of multi-modal transportation in fostering connectivity and accessibility. Our team specializes in transportation planning, roadway and corridor design, and traffic engineering for highways, urban streets, and transit systems.