Before getting too far into planning a major infrastructure project, take a step back and think about the bigger picture for your community. Are there other goals that could be factored into the project? What improvements will be most beneficial for the future? Taking a holistic approach could lead to cost savings and open the door to additional funding opportunities. Widseth’s engineers and planners will ask you strategic questions to help discover solutions that address more of your community’s needs and goals while minimizing costs to the city, assessments to property owners, and time spent coordinating successive projects. Together, we’ll look at:
- Your city’s goals for future projects.
- Typical design elements like streets, sidewalks, curb and gutter, storm sewers, and utilities. Are they needed for every project?
- Related projects that might have additional, alternative funding options.
When sections of Deerwood Drive and Agnes Boulevard in the City of Alexandria were slated for conversion from rural roads to city streets, concerned property owners had many questions and concerns. To address these apprehensions, Widseth worked with the City of Alexandria to weigh the costs and benefits of several possible solutions. We looked for approaches that would meet the immediate needs, incorporate some “wish list” items, and reduce assessment costs.
Widseth developed a conversion plan for both projects that provided safe pedestrian connections to the city at a lower cost to the abutting property owner. Rather than providing a standard curb-gutter-sidewalk on both sides of the street, the final design features a trail on one side of each roadway. The trails are maintained by the city, minimizing maintenance responsibilities and assessment costs for the landowners.
The trails have become a popular community asset, attracting walkers, runners, and cyclists, and neighborhoods are connected to areas they weren’t previously. The trails are valuable amenities for the entire community. This project demonstrates the benefits of taking a holistic approach to infrastructure planning, looking beyond the immediate project to identify opportunities that enhance connectivity, improve quality of life, and deliver broader community benefits.
Every community contends with multiple, sometimes changing, needs. When it’s time to tackle one of your projects, Widseth will help you approach it with a holistic mindset and find creative solutions that could check a few items off your wish list.
