raSmith’s Transportation Engineers Provide Diverse Transportation Design and Traffic Services

raSmith has one of the most experienced and diverse transportation design and traffic practices in the state of Wisconsin. Our passion lies in completing projects that enhance communities and improve the safety and efficiency of transportation systems.

I'm John Elkin, Director of Transportation at raSmith. I've been with raSmith for 35 years, straight out of college. At raSmith, our transportation division is comprised of over 25 people, including licensed design engineers and traffic engineers. We've worked with a variety of clients over the years, including State Departments of Transportation, county governments, municipal governments, as well as private interests like private developers.

We play a pivotal role in the implementation of transportation advancements by combining technical knowledge and creative thinking. raSmith's transportation, design, and traffic experts work to uncover the issues, delve into the challenges, and create the best solution for project stakeholders.

You know, there's so many reasons when I look at our division as to what makes us stand out. I think part of it is our size. We like to consider ourselves a medium-sized group, and that allows us the flexibility to work on some of the largest, most complex projects, but also nimble enough to work on some of the smallest, as well.

As a leading transportation engineering firm, raSmith's engineers provide a variety of design services, including corridor studies and transportation planning, traditional intersections and roundabouts, urban streets, rural highways, freeways and interchanges, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Our traffic engineers provide services that include intersection and corridor traffic analysis, safety evaluations, access and site circulation studies, parking studies, traffic calming, traffic impact analysis or TIA studies, and traffic signal design.

The thing I like the most about transportation and traffic engineering is that it's a blending of an art and a science that involves data and engineering judgment. And each project is very different from the last.

Numerous award-winning projects are a result of the staff's innovative and cost-effective solutions, commitment to quality, and responsiveness. raSmith's transportation division takes a holistic approach to our projects, bringing added value to our clients. We understand our clients’ challenges and opportunities related to infrastructure spending and public engagement and work with them to help navigate a path for a successful project.

Our approach goes far beyond designing projects to move traffic safely and efficiently. For example, on recent urban reconstruction projects such as the award-winning Calhoun Road in Brookfield and WIS 20 in downtown Waterford, we designed transportation facilities for all uses including bike paths, sidewalks, and parking lanes. Using the most advanced tools and techniques, we delve deep into safety, drainage, and the aesthetics of our projects to ensure the results fit the needs of the communities in which we work.

You can see this approach in many of our recent roundabout designs, such as County CB, Oak Ridge Road in Winnebago County, and the WIS 59/I-39 Interchange in Rock County. Analyzing the current and future capacity needs of these intersections, raSmith thoughtfully designed these roundabouts to be expandable. Our foresight demonstrates that we are always thinking about ways to deliver less costly projects to our clients. To continue bringing value to our clients, raSmith is always adding talented personnel and exploring new services.

I think our transportation division is different than others in the industry just by the quality and the expertise of the people that we have in our group. I think the most rewarding thing for me in my role is to watch our team grow, develop, and flourish. The company does everything it can to help develop our staff. I think that really helps propel our staff to a higher level in their careers and ultimately with the goal of having them retire here, which has always been Rick Smith’s founding principle of hire to retire.

As an industry leader and an employer of choice, raSmith provides numerous opportunities for employees to grow their skills and advance their careers. I got lucky because I have a great team at raSmith. I always feel like they give me great energy to keep asking questions, and communication is the key for everything. I think they’re great at communicating.

Thanks to raSmith’s strong leadership, longevity of its senior staff, and team commitment, raSmith has been voted by its employees as a top workplace for over ten years. Mentoring and investing in the next generation is a priority at raSmith. Our goal is to prioritize development of our younger staff so our valued clients get to know and work with them, build rapport, and establish a level of trust.

You know, when I think about mentorship, it starts at all different levels. It's not just me mentoring the younger staff. It's mentoring up and down the chain. It's a neat dynamic to work with someone that's a couple years less experienced than I am or five years more. What I really try to do and focus on is just listening to each person and understanding where they're coming from and where they need help.

The staff in transportation has helped me be really successful because everyone there from the project managers to the other designers to the technicians, has a really strong skill set and a really broad knowledge base. And not only this, but they've been able to share those skills with me, teach me those skills, share that knowledge, which has allowed me to apply those to my projects, to try new things, and to produce better designs and higher quality projects for our clients.

raSmith's transportation division has a solid reputation and consistent track record for successfully completing projects. Our passion lies in listening to and understanding our clients’ needs, developing solutions to very complex challenges, and prioritizing safety and efficiency. We are proud of our success, including numerous award-winning and first-of-their-kind projects that have only been possible because of our people.

As we look to remain leaders in the industry, raSmith will continue to add talent to our team and help them succeed in their careers.