What does a fruit have to do with engineering? Well, in this case, it’s one of the first steps in the preliminary engineering process.
The Advanced Planning, Programming, and Logical Engineering (APPLE) program is administered by the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham (RPCGB). The goal of the program is to assist local governments in the transportation project development process by providing the appropriate resources needed to make decisions. In other words, a study performed through the APPLE program is a feasibility study aimed at bridging the transportation planning and engineering processes. The APPLE program requires a 20% local match for funding, with the remaining 80% cost covered by funds administered by the RPCGB.
Ten years ago, on April 18, 2013, Sain Associates received its first task order to perform an APPLE study. Since then, we’ve worked with 13 municipalities on 17 studies through the APPLE program. We have witnessed a lot of value created for local governments who take advantage of the program.
I have worked on 11 APPLE studies since joining Sain Associates in 2017, so I’ve finally graduated from needing to look up what the APPLE acronym stands for before each meeting! All jokes aside, performing APPLE studies has become one of my favorite practice areas within our firm.
Sain’s very own COO, Becky White, PTP, was one of the original architects of the APPLE program. A common problem in the project development process occurs when a programmed project encounters significant issues in the design or construction process that results in budget overruns. Becky and her peers saw this issue play out time and time again across the state and worked with the RPCGB to establish a program aimed at vetting project ideas during the planning stage for potential red flags.
Many ideas during the planning stage sound wonderful, but a thorough evaluation of any proposed transportation improvements is necessary to budget well for future projects and be good stewards of public funds. No two transportation projects are the same – each presents its own set of challenges to overcome throughout the project life cycle.
Examples of APPLE studies we’ve performed include intersection analysis, corridor operations analysis, sidewalk or trail master planning, greenway evaluation, crash data analysis, environmental screening, alternatives analysis, and bicycle and pedestrian improvements. Upon completion, the study reports are posted on the RPCGB’s website for viewing.
Let us know if you have an idea for an APPLE study in your city or county! We’d love to walk alongside you in this critical stage of the project development process. If you have any questions about the APPLE process, we would be happy to answer them.