Jun. 28, 2023
LDA Engineering has received national recognition for the innovative WalknBike Plan in Nashville that paves the way to make the city more walkable and bikeable and deliver infrastructure projects faster and at less cost.
The Tennessee-based engineering firm, in conjunction with the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT), developed the plan, which earned the 2023 National Recognition Award at the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA) at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C., on June 13.
“Receiving the 2023 National Recognition Award is a significant achievement for our firm and Nashville,” LDA Engineering CEO Jason Brooks said. “We are honored to be recognized by such an esteemed organization and look forward to continuing our mission of making stronger, happier communities through our work. We also appreciate the partnership with NDOT that made this happen.”
Referred to as the Academy Awards of the engineering industry, the LDA Engineering and NDOT project was selected from a total of 179 submissions. At the ceremony, only 16 honor awards and eight grand awards were granted.
The NDOT WalknBike Plan is a multimodal transportation master plan to transform the sidewalk and bikeway networks throughout Nashville. As the prime program management consultant, LDA Engineering led public outreach and stakeholder engagement; used GIS mapping and data analysis; created conceptual planning and prioritization; delivered an implementable project plan; and provided oversight for design and construction management of network improvements.
Through the partnership with NDOT, LDA Engineering accomplished significant increases in efficiency in the delivery of sidewalks and developed the Alternative Delivery and Rapid Build Program, an innovative engineering, procurement and construction solution to quickly address infrastructure needs.
Planners can now better identify priority areas for sidewalks or bikeways. The program also reduced both time and money spent on these infrastructure projects – with 26% less cost and 58% faster project delivery. This surpassed the mayor’s goal of 50% faster with 20% less cost.
LDA implemented an extensive public outreach effort that yielded vital information in prioritizing construction of new sidewalks and bikeways. This included connecting new construction to existing networks and improving access to the community’s public transit, safety, and health and equity.
This work included a thorough social media campaign, staffed tables at public events and an online survey which produced more than 3,000 responses. The project team also followed guidance from a 16-member diverse focus group of bicyclists, walkers, transit dependent residents, persons with disabilities, students and persons from traditionally underserved communities.
ACEC is the business association of the engineering industry, representing more than 5,200 independent engineering firms and more than 600,000 professionals throughout the United States engaged in the development of transportation, water and energy infrastructure, along with environmental, industrial and other public and private facilities.
About LDA Engineering
For 40 years, LDA Engineering has worked to build stronger, happier communities through sustainable, creative and economic infrastructure solutions. The employee-owned civil engineering firm supports private companies, municipalities and contractors across the Southeast, with offices in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Tri-Cities, Nashville and Memphis. Through its LDA Services division, the company provides cutting-edge geomatics and surveying services and B2B contract implementation. The LDA Fiber division develops high-speed fiber systems for telecommunications and infrastructure clients to meet the need of public and private investments to expand the reach of dependable, high-speed internet. For more information about LDA Engineering’s community-first culture and services, visit LDAinc.com.
