Environment, Planning, and Economics Team

About the team:

The Environment, Planning, and Economics Team works to protect natural resources, preserve cultural heritage, strengthen Virginia’s multimodal transportation system, and maximize the value of the state’s transportation investments.

Its environmental and historical research covers stormwater best management practices; ecological issues such as reducing animal-vehicle collisions; endangered species protection; waste management in VDOT maintenance operations; and the identification and stewardship of historic and cultural resources within VDOT rights-of-way, particularly structures.

Planning research addresses transportation planning at state, regional, and local levels, including socio-economic forecasting, access management, trip generation, transit systems, bicycle and pedestrian mobility, performance measurement, and innovative planning methods.

The team is supported by two Research Advisory Committees (RACs) whose members guide VTRC and contracted researchers, review study results and recommendations, and help develop implementation plans.

The Environmental Research Advisory Committee (ERAC) minimizes transportation impacts on the environment through development and prioritization of research topics related to VDOT’s construction, maintenance, and operations activities.  Key research areas include:

• Management of historic and cultural resources
• Stormwater best management practices
• Mitigation of animal-vehicle collisions
• Identification of microplastics in stormwater runoff
• Influence of erosion control products on vegetation
• Determination of historic road orders
• Socioeconomic impacts of EV charging stations

The Transportation Planning Research Advisory Committee (TPRAC) supports Virginia's multimodal transportation system and seeks to maximize the benefits of Virginia's transportation investments through development and prioritization of research topics related to regional and statewide planning and economics.  Examples of research topics include:

• Access management impacts on safety and local businesses
• Pedestrian and trails studies
• Project prioritization processes for transit investments
• Long range socio-economic trends
• Impact of sight distance requirements in urban areas
• Application of performance measures
• Innovative regional freight planning practices

Current Environment, Planning, and Economics Projects

Team Leader

Team Members