News Items

August 2024: You will find BPS team members working on projects all over Ohio this month! We are leading an effort to develop a Transportation Asset Management Plan for TMACOG in Toledo, and are supporting a Freight Plan process also for TMACOG. Additionally, we are kicking off the Ohio Department of Transportation’s statewide transportation plan update: Access Ohio 2050, and will begin outreach efforts for a MORPC study to assist communities with adapting to changes expected as a side effect of tech-industry presence.

July 2024: Look for us out in the greater Columbus area this month where we will be conducting outreach related to the Columbus Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Plan Development project and the Columbus Recreation & Parks Master Plan at community events and stakeholder meetings. You’ll also see us in Worthington working on a pilot project for implementation of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, and in Medina County for the I-71/I-271 Planning Study through the Ohio Department of Transportation.

June 2024: BPS will be on the road across Ohio this month with public and steering committee meetings in Cleveland Heights/South Euclid/University Heights, Gahanna, and Malta/McConnelsville for ongoing active transportation plans. Hazard mitigation plans are also keeping us busy in Darke, Hocking, and Montgomery counties.

June 2024: WE ARE HIRING! We are looking for a remote Senior Transportation Planner or Engineer, focusing on managing and working on our various transportation projects. Please click here – JOB AD – to see the full job advertisement, which also includes instructions on how to apply. We will be accepting applications through July 7, 2024.

May 2024: In the next few weeks, we are officially kicking off numerous projects here in Ohio: an active transportation plan for Pike County, and freight plan and asset management plans for the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments. You’ll also see us in the field in Obetz, Gahanna, and Worthington for school travel planning, active transportation planning, and pilot project efforts, respectively!

April 2024: We begin this month with our Multi-Modal Transportation Team starting a new active transportation planning project for Pike County, Ohio! Meanwhile, our Education and Public Engagement team is in the middle of steering committee and community meetings for all of our other active transportation plans and school travel plans, and they are working on updates to Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) e-learning modules. Our Environmental and Resiliency Planning team has also been out across Ohio holding public meetings for numerous hazard mitigation plans. Our Community Planning and Development team is wrapping up the Smart Mobility Ambassador project for ODOT, as well as a corridor plan for Urbana, Ohio. They are eager to get started on a few new projects next month!

March 2024: This month, we continue to dig deeper into some of our newer projects like the master planning and installation climate resilience planning efforts for the Ohio Army National Guard. Meanwhile, we’re kicking off a school travel plan for the City of Obetz and Hamilton Local Schools and a statewide economic impact study on the benefits of active transportation in Ohio.

February 2024: We are getting started on a few new exciting projects as we move into February: we are working on an e-Learning for the Ohio Department of Transportation to convert the in-person Multi-Modal Design Guide Prequalification training into a web-based asynchronous format. We are also kicking off a hazard mitigation plans for Darke County, Hocking County, and Montgomery County, and helping to facilitate workshops and write master plans for the Ohio Army National Guard. What a variety!

January 2024: A new year brings with it new projects! We are looking forward to kicking off some hazard mitigation plans, e-learning projects, land use plans, and more active transportation studies.

December 2023: This month, Burton Planning Services celebrates our 15^th anniversary! Representing our wide range of expertise and interests, we are kicking off three hazard mitigation plans (for Darke County, Hocking County, and Montgomery County), continuing work on an e-learning project, spending time in the field collecting data, running numerous analyses, facilitating stakeholder meetings, and scoping some new work! We wish you all happy holidays and rest & relaxation.

November 2023: We are in full swing this month with site visits, and stakeholder and public meetings! Our road trip will include stops in southeast Ohio (Malta & McConnelsville) and northeast Ohio (Cleveland Heights, South Euclid, and University Heights) where we will collect data and work with the locals to understand needs and gaps in active transportation infrastructure.

October 2023: In October, we are beginning two school travel plan projects on behalf of ODOT: Wilmington City Schools and Beavercreek City Schools. We are also underway with another ODOT project where we are leading and developing the purpose and need statement, social and economic resources report, and stakeholder and public involvement for a planning study in Medina County, Ohio focused on the area surrounding the I-71 / I-271 interchange.

September 2023: We are busy kicking off a multitude of project this month! These include: developing a Snow Removal Toolkit for ODOT to provide to Ohio communities as a resource, and active transportation plans for the Ohio communities of Gahanna, Cleveland Heights/University Heights/South Euclid, Malta/McConnelsville, and Perrysburg.

August 2023: We have kicked off another project with the City of Urbana, this time focusing on the North Main Street corridor. Over the next year, we’ll work with the City, its stakeholders, and members of the community to develop a plan for the corridor. The plan will focus on making recommendations to land use and the zoning code, regarding economic development and redevelopment, and the look and feel of the corridor.

July 2023: This month, we’re preparing for the first round of public meetings for the Huntington, WV, 14^th Street PATH project. We are working with E.L. Robinson to facilitate public engagement and a demonstration project along the study are corridor with the end goal of creating a safe and appealing pedestrian and bicycle environment.

July 2023: WE ARE HIRING! We are looking for a remote Office Manager to help us manage the day-to-day administration of the business. Please click here – JOB AD – to see the full job advertisement, which also includes instructions on how to apply. We will be accepting applications through July 24, 2023.

June 2023: Summer is upon us, and biking and walking is on the top of our minds! BPS is helping the City of Worthington evaluate the safety and feasibility of the recommendations in their Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan! Our work is focused on corridors in the City’s Street Maintenance Program and upcoming Capital Improvement Projects based on current conditions and constraints. In addition, BPS is developing feasible concept designs and cost estimates for bicycle and pedestrian improvements along those routes.

May 2023: This month, join us in welcoming our new team members! Bernard Ndeogo, Transportation Intern, has an interest in transportation system analysis and design, multimodal systems planning, traffic operations, and safety analysis. Jared Godwin, Assistant Planner, is focused on architectural studies, history, climate/hazard planning, public participation, accessibility, and land use planning. They are both expected to graduate within the next year. We are also kicking off a new contract to co-manage ODOT’s Active Transportation Academy. We are starting with coordinating a Complete Streets Policy Development Training for the Miami Valley Cycling Summit, and are updating the Creating a Vision Zero Action Plan workshop materials to reflect Safe Streets for All guidelines.

April 2023: We are kicking off a project with Cole & Associates this month to inventory and assess sidewalk and pedestrian facilities within public rights-of-way in the City of Gahanna. The BPS team will be conducting curb ramp inspections over the coming months to review general accessibility – wave if you see us out and about on the streets of Gahanna!

April 2023: We are kicking off a project with Cole & Associates this month to inventory and assess sidewalk and pedestrian facilities within public rights-of-way in the City of Gahanna. The BPS team will be conducting curb ramp inspections over the coming months to review general accessibility – wave if you see us out and about on the streets of Gahanna!

March 2023: BPS IS HIRING! We are looking for a transportation intern who is currently pursuing a degree in city planning, civil engineering, or a related field.  The intern’s work will focus on transportation planning and engineering tasks, such as field data collection, existing conditions inventories, data analysis, technical writing, mapping, corridor studies, active transportation plans, and other tasks as needed. Please click here – JOB AD – to see the full job advertisement, which also includes the instructions on how to apply.

March 2023: This month, join us in welcoming our new team members! Lee Reis, RSP₁, EIT, is a Senior Transportation Planner/Engineer with over 4 years of experience in the private sector, focusing on safety analysis and recommendations, active transportation planning, roadway conceptual design, and the transportation elements of environmental review. Prince Kwarteng-Crooklynn, AICP, is a Transportation Planner with 5 years of experience in transportation planning, sustainability, and economic development. He assists BPS with special assignments when he isn’t working his full-time job with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission. We are thrilled to have them both working with us!

February 2023: We are kicking off two NCHRP projects for the Transportation Research Board! As part of the consultant teams, we will be conducting research and facilitating stakeholder engagement activities for both efforts. The first project will aim to provide State DOTs and local agencies with timely insights into the current state of the UAS market while supplying practical planning guidance for UAS integration and multijurisdictional coordination. The second project will aim to identify the extent to which operational resilience is considered within State DOTs, determine operational resilience goals, and identify mechanism for integration operational resilience into systems management.

January 2023: BPS IS HIRING! We are looking for a transportation planner or engineer with a minimum of 4 years of experience to work on transportation planning and engineering projects and assist with GIS mapping. Please click here – JOB AD – to see the full job advertisement, which also includes the instructions on how to apply.

January 2023: This year, BPS is striving to further assist communities and entities as extensions of their staff, filling gaps in expertise related to planning and engineering. We are continuing to work with the City of Gahanna to provide engineering services, and with the Ohio Department of Transportation to manage the Active Transportation Academy. We have recently been awarded an opportunity to offer on-call planning services to the City of Greensboro, North Carolina.

December 2022: This month, we are busy with all things hazard mitigation planning. We wrapped up the public comment period for the Shelby County HMP, and have submitted the plan to the Ohio Emergency Management Agency for their review. The public comment period for the Miami County HMP has also concluded, and we have started the stakeholder engagement for both the Morrow County and Summit County Hazard Mitigation Plans.

November 2022: In the first few weeks of this month, we’re assisting the Buckeye Hills Regional Council (BHRC) with outreach related to the Appalachian Community Grant. This $500 million program provides planning and development grants for communities located in Ohio’s 32-county Appalachian region. The program is administered by the Governor’s Office of Appalachia within the Ohio Department of Development. We are presenting an overview of the program at meetings across the BHRC region and are available to answer questions and help communities strategize project ideas.

October 2022: We are kicking off two active transportation plans in partnership with Toole Design this month, one for the City of Dayton and one for Orange Township. Our efforts will start with review of data assets, and existing conditions analyses. We’re excited to work with the City of Dayton again, and to build new relationships with our neighbors to the northwest, Orange Township!

September 2022: This month we are beginning work for the Ohio Department of Transportation to develop trainings in e-Learning format to help local planning agencies better understand the legal requirements for and integration of best practices related to ADA and Title VI for their processes and programs. BPS will be leading the project, with assistance from Cole & Associates and Softek Services, Inc. The start of this project is well-aligned with our warm welcome to our new Educational Manager, Luz Marie Rodriguez, and our two new Instructional Designers, Charles Foster and Kevin Gowdy.

August 2022: This month we are beginning work for the Ohio Department of Transportation to convert construction equipment course manuals to an interactive eLearning format. BPS has in-depth experience with instructional design and eLearning content development, and has brought on STONE Environmental to provide subject matter expertise in construction equipment. The end goal of providing these courses in an asynchronous format is to make the information more easily accessible for those seeking to move into journey-level positions in the construction industry.

July 2022: BPS is teaming with Partnership for Innovation (PIE) to help DriveOhio deploy the Smart Mobility Ambassador Program across Ohio! Together, we will be working to recruit and train people interested in STEM (educators and other adults interested, as well as high school students) to deliver trainings and workshops to K-8 students to give them exposure to skills and careers that utilize drones, robots, coding and other smart mobility-related technologies and applications.

June 2022: We have kicked off another noise wall project for ODOT! This time we’re coordinating public involvement for the evaluation of aesthetic options for noise walls in Mahoning County along the eastern side of Interstate Route 680 from the State Route 170 Interchange to Nova Lane, and from Mathews Road to Tara Court in the City of Youngstown.

May 2022: This month, we’re busy with community-level planning initiatives! BPS is creating planning level cost estimates for proposed improvements on Brandt Pike in Huber Heights, Ohio, and is developing street network and land use concepts for a portion of the northeastern area of Urbana, Ohio.

April 2022: We are in the beginning steps of updating the Shelby County Hazard Mitigation Plan. This includes conducting public engagement activities, assessing existing conditions throughout the county, and identifying potential hazards. Later on in the process, we’ll review risk assessments and mitigation strategies, and support local communities through plan adoption.

March 2022: Our education and engagement offerings now include providing training to planning commissions and other community boards! We recently prepared and facilitated a training for the City of Westerville’s Planning Commission. We customized the content to include details pertinent to Westerville’s municipal governance structure, planning and zoning fundamentals, Planning Commission duties and meetings, and more. We facilitated the 2-hour workshop via Zoom, complete with lively discussion!

February 2022: We are thrilled to announce that Jacqueline Yeoman has joined our team as Planning Manager! Jackie is an AICP certified planner with 12 years of experience in land use, transportation, and sustainability planning. She is a problem solver and natural facilitator, and she has been recognized by her peers for her extraordinary commitment to asking questions and transparency in planning processes. Jackie is also a LEED accredited professional!

January 2022: Our e-learning endeavors are expanding this year! We have been selected to develop ODOT & DriveOhio’s Smart Mobility Ambassador Train-the-Trainer Program, which will include 3 e-learning modules that focus on how to recruit students and advisors, how to train students, and how to mentor students with regard to smart mobility technologies and industries. For another new ODOT contract, we will be developing 2 new UAS e-learning courses on types of UAS use and equipment.

December 2021: We are thrilled to announce that Kevin Buettner is joining us full time as the Sustainability & Resiliency Director! Kevin is an AICP certified planner with over 6 years of experience in transportation, sustainability, and resiliency planning, along with economic development and funding assistance. He has specific expertise in regional and rural planning. He is also an FAA-certified sUAS Operator, LEED accredited professional, and Air Force veteran!

November 2021: BPS is expanding its education and engagement experience! We have joined a team to assist with developing two new Complete Streets courses for the National Highway Institute and FHWA. The first course is focused on planning, and the second on design. Both courses will have a combination of web-based e-learning and instructor-led modules.

October 2021: We’re excited to be kicking off two projects that focus on active transportation and equity! We are serving as a subconsultant on the KYOVA 2050 MTP project, as well as the NOACA Lake Erie Connect project. For both projects, we’ll be analyzing demographic data and existing plans and facilities to identify gaps in multi-modal networks that are essential to local communities.

September 2021: Burton Planning Services is a new member of the International Economic Development Council! IEDC’s vision is “To make economic prosperity and sustainable economic development initiatives a priority in communities of all sizes and at every level of government…” Through our involvement with this organization, we hope to bring a wider variety of economic development strategies and resources to our clients through our staff’s professional development and networking opportunities.

August 2021: Did you know that BPS works on projects beyond Ohio? We recently completed the Livingston, Montana, Growth Policy Update which provides a comprehensive framework to the City on meeting the community’s future housing, environment, transportation, utility, economy, and land use needs. We then kicked off the West Virginia Region 1 Hazard Mitigation Planning process where we will perform GIS/Hazus mapping and analysis, data research, and public engagement to develop mitigation action recommendations. Both projects include a heavy focus on stakeholder and public engagement, both virtually and in-person, as we continually adapt to the changing public health landscape and our clients’ communication styles and preferences.

June 2021: Congratulations to BPS President Kimberly Burton, P.E., AICP CTP, LEED AP ND and her students from the Knowlton School at The Ohio State University who won the Student Project Award for Excellence from the American Planning Association’s Sustainable Communities Division! The Awards for Excellence honor projects, plans, policies, individuals, and organizations whose work is dedicated to supporting sustainable communities. Under the direction of Ms. Burton, students developed the Grove City Sustainability Plan for the City of Grove City, Ohio. Congratulations!

May 2021: BPS is pleased to continue providing hazard mitigation and resiliency planning to communities throughout Ohio! This month, BPS began work on Hazard Mitigation Plans in Brown and Cuyahoga Counties in Ohio. These plans will identify natural disaster risks and vulnerabilities that are common in each community, pinpoint projects that can mitigate that risk and vulnerability, and ultimately reduce loss of life and property by minimizing the impact of disasters.

April 2021: BPS plans for accessible transit options! This month, BPS completed the Scioto County Coordinated Transit Plan, which was adopted by Scioto County Commissioners. You can review the Plan online on the Access Scioto County’s website homepage. Additionally, we began work on the Highland County Coordinated Transit Plan. You can follow the progress of this Plan on our website here.

March 2021: Congratulations to our Planning Manager, Anna van der Zwaag, AICP for her recent certification with the American Institute of Certified Planners! As our Planning Manager, Anna manages a variety of projects for BPS, including hazard mitigation, economic development, and community engagement efforts. Congrats, Anna!

February 2021: Did you know that BPS is skilled at conducting noise studies & research? This month, BPS began work on a study to determine the “Acoustic Effectiveness of Vinyl Fence Noise Walls” for the Ohio Department of Transportation’s Office of Statewide Planning & Research. This study will help determine the advantages and disadvantages of using vinyl materials as a noise wall on freeway rights-of-way.  You can learn more about our noise analysis capabilities here.

January 2021: Happy New Year from BPS! BPS recently complete two eLearning courses for the ODOT Active Transportation Academy. The first course, Active Transportation Basics, introduces the concept of active transportation and how to effectively plan for active transportation facilities. The second course, Traffic Calming for Active Transportation, presents the concept of traffic calming as it pertains to active transportation facilities and users. Check out these courses and more here.

December 2020: This month, BPS is celebrating 12 years of bringing sustainable planning, engineering, and environmental solutions to communities across the United States! Thank you to all of you who have supported us over the years. We look forward to another year of serving communities near and far!

November 2020: BPS officially has a Certified UAS (Drone) Pilot on our team! We are excited to expand into the field of UAS and utilize this technology to enhance the services we provide to our clients. Congrats Kevin Buettner, AICP, LEED AP ND on passing your UAS Pilot Exam.

October 2020: BPS is excited to once again work with the Ohio Department of Transportation to provide active transportation courses and resources to communities across Ohio through the Active Transportation Academy! This year will bring more FREE workshops, eLearning courses, and webinars related to active transportation planning and programming.  To learn more about these free course offerings and webinars, visit the ODOT Active Transportation Academy website.

September 2020: BPS is pleased to announce the completion of the 2020 Village of Johnstown Comprehensive Plan! The Plan, which includes measurable goals, outcomes, and actions, was adopted by Village Council on September 1, 2020.  The Plan will provide general guidance to Village and public agencies, as well as private organizations as they prepare detailed plans, programs, and ordinances over the next several years. Visit the Village of Johnstown’s Planning & Zoning webpage to review the Plan.

August 2020: BPS is excited to share our recently completed work – the development of two Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) eLearning Courses for the Ohio Department of Transportation. The UAS Awareness eLearning course describes how UAS technology can be applied to transportation projects for planning, maintenance and other essential activities, and the UAS Remote Pilot Series (4 modules) provides fundamental knowledge needed in preparing for the UAS Remote Pilot Certification Exam. These courses are provided by the Ohio LTAP Center and are free of charge. You can learn more about these eLearning opportunities on the Ohio LTAP Center website.

July 2020: BPS is excited to announce that Ruchi Agarwal has joined the BPS team as an Associate Planner. Ms. Agarwal specializes in community planning and engagement. She also has experience managing projects, performing data analysis and mapping, and conducting sustainability, transportation, and land use planning. Welcome to BPS, Ruchi!

June 2020: BPS plans for resilient communities! This month, BPS began work on Hazard Mitigation Plans for Allen and Clinton Counties. The BPS team also saw the Fulton and Noble County Hazard Mitigation Plans receive federal approval from FEMA. You can learn more about our hazard mitigation specialty here.

May 2020: This month, both BPS President Kimberly Burton and Planning Manager Amelia Mansfield were published in the American Planning Association’s 2020 State of Transportation Planning! Ms. Burton’s chapter, “Transportation Energy Beyond Fossil Fuels: Reducing Vehicle Miles Traveled” explores methods to influence people to make fewer trips and/or to use alternative modes of travel. Ms. Mansfield’s chapter, “Training Wheels for Active Transportation,” which was co-authored by ODOT’s Jordan Whisler, showcases the ODOT Active Transportation Academy’s role in providing trainings and workshops to communities across Ohio to teach them how to plan and implement programs, projects, and policies related to providing safe and equitable active transportation options. While the 2020 State of Transportation is currently only available to APA Transportation Planning Division members, the report will eventually be released to the public – stay tuned!

April 2020: In April, BPS President Kimberly Burton was featured on the American Planning Association’s website with her blog post on “Leading Remotely in a Crisis”. If you and your team are still learning how to adapt to working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, check out her 10 tips on how to be a strong, flexible leader to a remote team.

March 2020: BPS is adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic by working with ODOT Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) office to bring you more eLearning courses through the Active Transportation Academy. You can access these courses online when it’s convenient for you! These courses will be made available through ODOT LTAP and can be found here.

February 2020: This month, BPS completed work on Hazard Mitigation Plan updates for Clermont, Crawford, and Marion counties in Ohio. Each of these plans received approval from state and federal level emergency management agencies! Read this to learn more about hazard mitigation planning and BPS’ mitigation services.

January 2020: Happy New Year from Burton Planning Services! In 2020, we are happy to share our education & e-learning specialty services with our clients. Our staff is exceptionally qualified to provide a variety of education, outreach, and e-learning materials and activities, including conversion of in-person training materials to online formats. Click here to learn more.

December 2019: Early in December, BPS is celebrating 11 years of bringing sustainable planning, engineering, and environmental solutions to communities across the United States. In this time, we have completed over 200 community-focused projects for a diverse range of clients. Later this month, BPS President, Kimberly Burton, and Associate Planner, Anna van der Zwaag, will be presenting on “Hazard Mitigation Planning: Best Practices in Assessing Risk” at the Emergency Management Association of Ohio’s Winter Conference.

November 2019: Burton Planning Services is pleased to announce our selection to assist the City of Belpre in developing an Economic Development strategy to evaluate the City’s potential for business development. The goal of the Economic Development Plan is to identify strategies for development that further the City’s vision for the future while at the same time making fiscal and financial sense for all stakeholders. You can learn more about all of BPS’ Economic Development services here.

October 2019: BPS is heading out west! We are excited to announce we will be working with the City of Livingston, Montana to update their Growth Policy, which will reflect the community’s goals for the future of development in the City. The update process will also involve a comprehensive public participation plan to inform and educate the public about the Growth Policy and the significant issues under consideration. Follow us on LinkedIn for more updates as the project progresses.

September 2019: BPS is now prequalified to perform Regulated Material Reviews through the Ohio Department of Transportation! Our staff are available to help your team review the management of materials that are detrimental to human health and the environment during the project development process. Visit our services page for a complete list of our ODOT prequalifications and services.

August 2019: BPS is pleased to announce they have won the ODOT Active Transportation Academy contract for a third year! Since 2017, BPS has helped facilitate over 30 active transportation-related courses around Ohio, developed or updated 17 course options, and converted in-person courses to an online e-learning format. We are excited for what this next year will bring for active transportation in Ohio!

July 2019: BPS is growing! This month, we welcomed Vedat Batu, Ph.D, P.E. to the BPS team. Dr. Batu is an engineer with over 40 years of experience in environmental engineering. He is an expert in superfund projects, environmental site assessments, hydrogeologic assessments, and landfill permitting. Welcome to BPS, Vedat!

June 2019: BPS is helping the City of Dayton celebrate its unique neighborhoods! Last month we began conducting research which will support the City’s Live Dayton project, working with the City to refocus efforts that market and highlight its inner-ring communities. BPS is excited to work on building a Live! campaign from the ground up.

May 2019: BPS is excited to have Anna van der Zwaag continue with us as a full-time Associate Planner now that she has officially graduated with her Master’s in City & Regional Planning from OSU! Anna has a background in public health, community planning, and public engagement, with expertise in hazard mitigation, sustainability, and active transportation planning & programming. Congratulations, Anna!

April 2019: BPS President, Kimberly Burton, is headed to San Francisco for the American Planning Association’s National Planning Conference! On April 13, Kimberly spoke to planners about “Technology’s Impact on the Planning Practice”. More information about this session can be found here.

March 2019: BPS has now established a presence in the Western Ohio/Dayton area by welcoming Susan Vincent to the team! Susan will be heading up our efforts in this region as a Senior Planner in Community and Economic Development.

February 2019: BPS is pleased to welcome Jim Lenner as our new Community & Economic Development Director! Mr. Lenner comes to BPS with 15 years of experience working with local governments. He has developed a wide range of skillsets in community and land use planning, downtown revitalization, economic development strategies, zoning and development regulations, park and recreation planning, and public finance and capital improvements. He is also experienced at managing a variety of programs, projects and teams. More information about Mr. Lenner’s experience and specialties can be found here. Welcome to BPS, Jim!

January 2019: Happy New Year from BPS! We are excited to kick off the year in Marion County, where we are preparing a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. Additionally, on February 6th, BPS President, Kimberly Burton will be speaking at the “Strong Women, Strong Places” event hosted by the Ohio State University’s City and Regional Planning Student Association. More information for the event can be found here.

December 2018: BPS is celebrating a decade of planning! December 2nd marks our ten-year anniversary as a firm committed to bringing sustainable planning, engineering and environmental solutions to communities around Ohio and the United States. Thank you to all who have been a part of our growth over the last ten years!

November 2018: BPS is headed to Bradford, Ohio! Located in western Ohio, the Village of Bradford’s Y-Yard site has a long history dating back to the mid-19th century when it was a major railroad hub. BPS will work with the Village to create a unique redevelopment plan for the 27-acre site that serves as a reflection of Bradford’s needs and vision for their future. Keep up to date on the Y-Yard Project as it progresses through the planning process on the BPS LinkedIn Page.

October 2018: BPS is happy to announce our latest project – the Urbana South Main Street Corridor Plan! BPS will provide a blueprint for development in the southern portion of the City of Urbana that results in a land use, circulation, and access management plan for the corridor. Using input from the City, its residents, and other stakeholders, BPS will develop a plan that will guide future land use, zoning, and infrastructure decisions. Stay tuned for updates on the Urbana South Main Street Corridor Plan!

September 2018: BPS plans for resilient communities! This month, BPS began preparing the Clermont County Hazard Mitigation Plan. Keep an eye out for updates as the plan progresses. BPS is also excited to share that BPS President Kimberly Burton will be speaking at the Ohio Transportation Engineering Conference (OTEC) next month (October 3) on the “Advantages and Challenges of Earthen Noise Berms.” You can find more information about the research BPS has done on Earthen Noise Berms here.

August 2018: BPS President Kimberly Burton was recently published in the American Planning Association’s 2018 State of Transportation Planning! Her chapter, “Transportation Energy Beyond Fossil Fuels: Using Low Carbon Fuels,” covers alternative fuel options, trends, infrastructure needs, and challenges and opportunities. She has also published chapters in previous years of the State of Transportation Planning reports.

July 2018: BPS continues to grow its active transportation expertise! This month, BPS won the ODOT Active Transportation Academy contract for a second year. Later in the month, BPS President, Kimberly Burton, presented at the Ohio Transportation Planning Conference on “Adapting Active Transportation for Rural Areas: Lawrence County Case Study.” Check out how BPS can help you bring free Active Transportation programs and courses to your community!

June 2018: BPS is happy to share our completed master plan for the County Road 25-A Special Planning Area in Miami County! This implementable plan was designed with a careful analysis of the unique characteristics of the study area, as well as a robust public participation plan. The final plan can be viewed on the BPS-developed project website here.

May 2018: BPS is pleased to announce that Amelia Mansfield, AICP will be joining our team as Planning Manager! Ms. Mansfield comes to BPS with over 10 years of experience at the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), where she worked as a Planning Manager on multi-modal transportation planning, land use, community, sustainability, and environmental planning.

April 2018: BPS has an exciting new project – developing an Online Comprehensive Plan for the Village of Johnstown! The final Comprehensive Plan will be converted to an interactive online format with live links to planning documents, mapping, and other data. Stay tuned for updates as the project progresses!

March 2018: BPS is working hard on a Sustainability Plan for the City of Dayton – ReNEW Dayton! We collected feedback from local community leaders and residents at a charrette and meetings to learn how this plan can best address their needs. There was an excellent turnout and it was great to see the vision the people have for their city!  Now we are assisting with developing strategies for plan.

February 2018: Congratulations to Michael Blau who published a paper in the International Journal of Sustainable Transportation: Driverless vehicles’ potential influence on bicyclist facility preferences. This month BPS also held the first group of trainings for the ODOT Active Transportation Academy with Columbus Public Health and City Schools.

January 2018: BPS is growing! We are happy to announce that Richard Roths and Anna van der Zwaag have joined BPS this month. Rich is a Senior Hazards Planner with over 40 years of experience in hazard mitigation planning, disaster recovery, and emergency management. Anna is an Associate Planner with a background in public health and community planning.

December 2017: BPS is celebrating its 9th anniversary! It has been our pleasure to work with a wonderful group of professionals and to serve communities over the past 9 years – and we look forward to many more. We are excited for you to explore our new, interactive website. Thank you for choosing BPS to help make your communities livable, healthy, and sustainable.

November 2017: Michael Blau, Transportation Planner for BPS, just passed his AICP exam, so he is now a certified planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners – congratulations Michael!

August 2017: BPS wins new projects! The firm was on the project teams that were recently chosen to complete two interchange studies, US-52 Interchange Study & US-23 & Monroe St/Alexis Rd Interchange & Corridor Feasibility Study (LUC-23-11.75). The firm also kicked off two additional projects this month, the Active Transportation Academy for ODOT and the Miami CR-25A Special Planning Area Master Plan.