After a significant increase in fatal crashes in 2020 and 2021, the United States is starting to see fatalities resulting from crashes trending down. Crash fatalities have declined for the fourth straight year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There were an estimated 36,640 traffic fatalities in 2025, a 6.7% decrease over 2024,…
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If you’re looking for ways to improve travel times, reduce traffic crashes and congestion, preserve property values, and protect the long-term capacity of our roadways, one strategy rises to the top: access management. Access management is the planning, design, and implementation of strategies that balance land use needs with roadway function. It aims to maintain…
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At Sain Associates, we understand that every state DOT and municipality faces unique traffic challenges. Their leaders often require flexible and efficient solutions, and that’s where on-call traffic engineering contracts come into play. An on-call contract is a partnership between a state DOT or municipality and our engineering firm. Instead of procuring services for each…
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In recent years, my research has focused on enhancing traffic safety at partial cloverleaf (parclo) interchanges, particularly addressing the persistent issue of wrong-way driving (WWD). Parclo interchanges, designed to manage traffic flow between highways and arterial roads, unfortunately exhibit a higher incidence of WWD events compared to other interchange types. Wrong-way driving poses significant risks,…
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As engineers, we take great pride in making a difference in communities. Being part of the Marketplace at 17 Springs project in Millbrook, Alabama has been nothing short of exhilarating. The project not only showcases our expertise in master planning, traffic engineering, and site design, but it also reflects our commitment to providing clients with…
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Within the past year, the State of Alabama has been transitioning from CUBE Voyager to TransCAD. These Travel Demand Model (TDM) software packages are typically used for statewide models and large urban areas with Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs). MPOs and states typically develop Long Range Transportation Plans (LRTP) with these software packages; Sain has experience…
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At Sain Associates, we continually work with municipalities and local agencies to implement transportation safety initiatives, programs, and strategies. While prioritizing safety is not a challenge, navigating the appropriate regulations and terminology can be. Today’s blog dives into some of the most common acronyms and newer initiatives you might hear related to the new Bipartisan…
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For this week’s blog, we asked Mike “Kaz” Kaczorowski, the Principal Planner of Transportation for the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham (RPCGB), to dive into their APPLE program and its success story. Under his leadership, the program has made significant strides in supporting local governments and improving infrastructure across the Greater Birmingham region. APPLE,…
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In January 2023, construction of a new roundabout was completed at the intersection of Sportsplex Parkway and West Point Parkway in Opelika, Alabama. The transformation of this intersection into a roundabout is a great example of how a city can roll up its sleeves and efficiently take an important project through conceptual planning, engineering design,…
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In 2021, Sain Associates undertook a comprehensive operations and safety analysis along a 7.7-mile stretch of US-31, spanning from South Colonial Parkway in Alabaster to Amphitheater Road in Pelham. This study included 19 signalized intersections as well as 69 unsignalized intersections. We reviewed roadway geometry, traffic control equipment, crash trends, planned developments in the area,…
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