1. Baltimore’s
Transportation
Planning Group
on the Grow
By Marta J. Mills, marketing editor, Baltimore
Leading the Transportation Planning and Policy
Practice is Sam Minnitte, in front. In the middle, from
support for the Maryland The ability to help clients write and
the left are Jamie Lake, Christy Mainley, Kevin Quinn,
Transit Administration manage transportation grants for public
and John Gasparine. In the back, from the left, are
(MTA). John assists the agencies has been a key contributor to
Michael Helta and Charles Penny. John Manzoni
MTA with its grants and the group’s growth. Congress passed the
from the Philadelphia office and Cody Christensen in
many of its federal report- American Recovery and Reinvestment
Fairfax are not pictured.
ing requirements, while Act (ARRA) in early 2009, which created
Michael provides capital a flow of $275 billion in federal contracts
When STV brought Sam Minnitte aboard programming support and coordinates and grants.
in December 2007, the plan was for him to with local Metropolitan Planning Orga-
“Getting grants has become very com-
build a transportation planning and policy nizations. Jamie Lake serves as regional
petitive. No longer is it a matter of fi lling
practice in the Baltimore office where one planning staff support at Maryland De-
out a form — now strategy is essential to
did not previously exist. And, by all mea- partment of Transportation (MDOT) and
handle the complex grants and reporting
sures, he’s doing that, growing the staff is involved in the National Environmental
requirements,” said Kevin Quinn, a certi-
to eight-strong as their services evolve to Policy Act process of the Purple Line,
fied planner brought into the group for his
help meet clients’ changing needs. a proposed 16-mile light rail system in
grants management and transit-planning
Maryland connecting Montgomery and
While transportation planning is a dis- expertise.
Prince George’s counties.
cipline that can be found company-wide
One flagship project the group reeled in
across many STV offices, the Baltimore Charles Penny thrives on the wide range
came in 2009, when STV supported an
group in addition to a transportation/ of projects and the new opportunities
MTA federal high-speed intercity pas-
transit practice has found a niche focusing the job brings every day. In addition to
senger rail grant application targeting
specifically on the policy end – assisting writing transit-operations assessments,
preliminary engineering and environmen-
clients with the federal grants and funding Charles also manages a MDOT Office of
tal documentation for a new train station
processes that are one of the main precur- Real Estate contract that involves policy
at the Baltimore/Washington Interna-
sors for a project to be designed and built. analysis, freight rail consulting and land-
tional Airport and nine miles of a fourth
Overall, the Baltimore group offers clients use planning.
track along the Northeast Corridor. The
turnkey services, including project man-
While traditional transit planning remains MTA was awarded the $9.4 million grant
agement, operational assessments, evalu-
a primary focus for the group, they also six months later. STV is now leading the
ation of economic and environmental
help clients address challenging issues that preparation of a National Environmental
impacts, resolution of government regula-
arise in the process. For example, John Policy Act Environmental Assessment
tions and neighborhood concerns, as well
Manzoni, a team member in Philadelphia, to meet Federal Railroad Administration
as traditional transit planning services.
with assistance from Christy Mainley in requirements. Once in place, this new sta-
The team works hard to involve other
Baltimore, tackled a snow removal plan tion and track will address rising demand
STV disciplines to compete for a variety
for the MTA, identifying high-priority ar- and will better connect rail commuters to
UUUUUUUUUU
of projects and expand their client base.
eas for ice and snow removal along transit intercity service throughout the Northeast
Nearly 40 percent of the group’s time is routes. STV assisted the MTA in research- and southeastern United States.
spent on-site with clients. John Gasparine ing operational costs and comparing those
and Michael Helta provide on-site staff to sister agencies.
10 dialogue
