Transportation Engineer / Project Manager
EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATIONS
- B.S.Civil Engineering, University of Virginia 1994
- Professional Engineer VA and MD, PTOE Certification from ITE
- Affiliations: Institute of Transportation Engineers
BIO
Charles has over 20 years experience in traffic engineering and transportation planning, serving as a municipal traffic engineer and as the lead traffic engineer with transportation consulting firms. He has been involved in a variety of transportation projects, including corridor studies, long range/regional plans, integrated land use and multimodal plans, bike/ped planning, arterial roadway projects, interchange projects, and ITS projects. In addition, Mr. Smith has extensive experience in the areas of traffic engineering, operations and analysis to include traffic impact analysis, traffic signal design, signing and marking design, traffic signal timing, operational analysis, and simulation. As a professional traffic operations engineer leading the traffic analysis discipline of transportation firms, Charles’ technical focus has been applying traffic engineering principles to various transportation issues to develop context sensitive, sustainable solutions. As a traffic operations expert, Charles is highly efficient with traffic theory, design standards and industry software applications.
Example Projects
Dulles Rail Corridor Environmental Impact Statement, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
The proposed Dulles Rail Corridor is slated to include numerous new station areas around the Tyson’s Corner area (one of the nation’s largest office/commercial areas) and the Dulles Access Road. As part of the environmental documentation effort, Charles was responsible for the technical traffic analyses along the heavily congested Tysons Corner arterial networks as well as several station areas. This included a careful assessment of shifts in travel patterns, potential impacts to station area neighborhoods and access, access by pedestrians and bicycles, and arterial impacts.
Traffic Engineering On-Call Services, City of Charlottesville, VA
Charles has provided traffic engineering assistance to the City for the past twelve years. Assignments have included a citywide signal system evaluation, signal system timing optimization, traffic operations analysis, neighborhood traffic calming, various pedestrian/bicycle planning studies around the historic downtown/pedestrian mall area and the University of Virginia, traffic study review, and assisting with the update to the City’s long range transportation plan.
Virginia Beach Convention Center And 19th Street Corridor Study, City of Virginia Beach, VA
Charles was the lead traffic engineer on a large team tasked with developing the site design plans for the new Virginia Beach Convention Center. This also included the development of a corridor study for the 19th Street corridor that connects the Convention Center to the oceanfront. The studies included redesigning access to the project area, planning for a state of the art permissive pedestrian crossing, and evaluation of multimodal connections to the resort area.
Laskin Road Resort Gateway, City of Virginia Beach, VA
Charles was the lead traffic engineer for this project to revitalize and improve a major gateway to the Virginia Beach resort area. Charles developed several traffic simulation models to evaluate the best use of parallel corridors entering the area that provides the best mix of multimodal use.
Bridgeport Intermodal Center Study and Design, Bridgeport, CT
Charles was a lead traffic engineer as part of a team to plan and design a major intermodal transportation center and transit garage in Bridgeport (modes include Amtrak, commuter rail, interregional bus, local bus, and ferry). Tasks included demand analysis, transportation planning, traffic analysis, parking analysis, and traffic circulation (including bus routings).
Spotsylvania Countywide Safety and Movement Study, Spotsylvania, VA
Charles served as the lead traffic engineer for the analysis of 50 intersections throughout Spotsylvania County. The goal of this study was to identify short and mid term safety and capacity improvements that could be implemented with relative minimal costs. Using an innovative aerial based reporting format, the supporting traffic volume and safety data was reported graphically and mitigation measures shown in a functional design format. The County has since implemented many of the measures recommended in the study. As part of this same study, a standalone document consisting of a toolbox for Traffic Demand Management measures was also provided to the County.
Hampton Roads Tolling Alternatives Study, Hampton Roads Region of VA
In an effort to identify feasible transportation funding solutions to relieve congestion in the Hampton Roads region, the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) initiated a study to examine alternative strategies for tolling major arterial facilities in the region. Charles served as the lead transportation engineer providing analysis of key roadway links for each tolling strategy developed. Each strategy resulted in a varying set of volume projections and shifts in travel origins- destinations along the key corridors. The results were mapped in GIS to show shifts in travel patterns and expected future levels of serve along each corridor within the study area.
Richmond Road Corridor Study, Staunton, VA
Charles served as the lead traffic engineer on this land use and transportation study. The study goal was to assist the community with developing a vision for the potential future of the corridor for the purpose of integrating land use and transportation within a context that is feasible but still meets the objectives. Charles led the trip generation exercises related to the scenario planning as well as the simulation modeling and analysis components.
VA Route 360 Corridor Preservation Study, Amelia, VA
Charles served as lead traffic engineer for an analysis of the Route 360 corridor in Amelia County, Virginia. The study’s goal was to preserve the capacity, safety, and rural character of the corridor into the future. Amelia County is traditionally a rural farming community. However, due to suburban sprawl in Chesterfield County to the east, growth rates are starting to increase and the development proposals have begun to impact the character and function of the County’s main arterial facility. The recommendations included a mix of access management strategies, new connector roadways, and recommendations regarding strategies for implementing land use guidelines.
On-Call Services, Lynchburg, VA
Charles has been working with the City of Lynchburg for the past ten years performing traffic engineering and transportation planning services. Assignments have included traffic operations analysis, signal timing optimization, signal warrant analyses, circulation studies, detour design, as well as developing traffic impact studies for private developers per the recommendation of the City.
Liberty University Transportation Plan
Charles served as the lead traffic engineer for the update of the University’s Transportation Plan. The update was based on examining transportation system needs required for increasing enrollment 50%, from 10,000 to 15,000 on-campus students. The study examined all modes of travel including vehicular, pedestrian, bicycle, and transit and resulted in a prioritized schedule of improvements.
Massaponax Corridor Study, Spotsylvania County, VA
Charles served as the lead traffic engineer for this 10+ mile study in a corridor that parallels I-95 with tremendous development potential. He developed the traffic operations models to evaluate potential near and long term arterial, intersection, and interchange improvements.
I-95 Commuter Shoulders Study, Connecticut DOT
Charles served as a technical resource engineer for this study to oversee the complex simulation exercises. The study goal was to document the potential operational impacts of allowing motorists to travel on the shoulder during peak periods. The interchange area analyses were the key measure of effectiveness as the shoulder use changed the available geometry at the ramp junctions.