Tim Rusteika, PE, Director of Engineering based out of VHB’s Boston office, has worked extensively with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and other transportation agencies throughout New England during his 15 years at VHB. We spoke with Tim to learn more about how he and his team deliver multidisciplinary services that add value to transit projects from start to finish.
VHB: What project scopes and stages does VHB’s Transit & Rail team support?
Tim: I’ve led multidisciplinary teams for bus, light rail, commuter rail, freight, and station projects from early planning through construction. These projects often include roadway, traffic, structural, or grade crossing components.
For the Downtown Transit Center in Burlington, Vermont, we conducted an alternatives analysis during the planning phase to evaluate cost, capacity, and bus operations for more than 30 sites. We then completed final design and supported Green Mountain Transit and the contractor through construction at the selected site.
For the MBTA’s Ruggles Station, we participated in early planning, preliminary and final design, and construction phase services for the new Commuter Rail platform and existing busway under the headhouse. When early soil test pits during construction came back with unexpected results and utilities were found that we weren’t aware of, we proactively coordinated with the MBTA to identify solutions, revise the design, and minimize the cost and schedule impacts to construction. Also for the MBTA, we are currently identifying improvements like traction power system and signal system upgrades and track work to bring the Red Line Braintree Branch right-of-way up to a state of good repair.
VHB: What is VHB’s approach to designing transit improvements in urban and dense suburban environments?
Tim: We balance safety, accessibility, community needs, and environmental impacts by engaging stakeholders and the public early in the design phase. As a project manager, I engage VHB staff from across our service lines to cultivate a comprehensive understanding of client and stakeholder needs and integrate them into a design that best meets the project’s goals.
VHB: What role does technology play?
Tim: We use drone imagery, LiDAR, and GIS for data collection, mapping, and 3D modeling to better understand project area existing conditions and inform our designs. For multiple MBTA projects, we have used a wearable NavVis LiDAR scanner to create a model with 360° photos that will help assess the existing conditions of stations on the Red, Orange, and Blue Lines and develop recommendations for state-of-good-repair improvements.
VHB: How are improvements and new transit systems safely implemented?
Tim: Signage is a huge safety factor. Through involvement in the Railroad and Light Rail Technical Committee of the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, I gather insights for designing grade crossing signage for pedestrian, cyclist, and motorist safety from experts across the country.
For the Burlington Downtown Transit Center, we installed extensive signage around the facility’s complicated roadway configuration to protect pedestrians and keep cars out of the transit right-of-way.
VHB: How does VHB’s operations modeling benefit projects?
Tim: Our Transit & Rail team includes operations analysts who model transit systems to identify bottlenecks and propose infrastructure that would provide more reliable and efficient transit and rail service. Through their work, we’re able to streamline schedules, save clients money, and reduce commute times for passengers. For the MBTA’s Pawtucket Commuter Rail Station, our model showed the station could be built on mainline tracks without impacting Amtrak operations on the Northeast Corridor, the country’s most heavily traveled rail line. This saved the owner from constructing additional siding tracks at a significant cost.
VHB: How does VHB’s team collaborate to enhance projects?
Tim: Our 100-person Transit & Rail team collaborates across offices to support projects requiring special skills or additional resources. I’ve helped our Vermont team with projects for Vermont Rail Systems (VRS), our Maine team with projects for the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (NNEPRA), our New York team with projects for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), and our Atlanta team for projects with the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA). As a project leader, I’ve pulled in transit and rail professionals from other regions, as well as specialists in site design, structures, signals, operations, and environmental. This collaboration allows us to share solutions and approaches to problems, enabling us to best serve our clients’ needs.
