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Meridian General

Study Shows Sandy City Reduces Amount of Crashes by 40 Percent

By News and Updates

Our Transportation Manager, Ryan Nuesmeyer, performed a study (while with his previous engineering firm) to help Sandy City quantify the reduction of vehicle crashes along one of their major arterial roads. Since Ryan joined Meridian, the article has been published in the April 2016 ITE Journal, pages 34-39.  Click the link below to see the study.

https://mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?i=295245

DCIM100MEDIA Abstract: Crash analyses are often completed prior to the design and construction of safety improvement projects to help identify the most appropriate safety improvements based on the crash history. The effects of those safety improvements are rarely quantified by transportation engineers following the completion of construction. However, Sandy City, a suburb of Salt Lake City, UT, USA, wanted to forgo the usual and instead conduct a before and after crash analysis to better understand the return on investment of the safety improvements that they constructed along one of the city’s major arterial roadways, 1300 East (see Figure 1). The findings of the study showed that the addition of raised medians, median barriers, right-turn lanes, street lighting, pedestrian access ramps, signs with improved retroreflectivity, bicycle lanes with bicycle safe catch basin grates, and more visible signals, among other improvements, reduced the severity and number of crashes by 40 percent per year along the 5-mile corridor.

Take a Virtual Picture Tour of a Bryce Canyon Hike

By News and Updates

Last month, a couple of Meridian Engineering employees attended the 2016 UGIC (Utah Geographic Information Council) Conference in Bryce Canyon to further their GIS skills and get in touch with some vendors and clients. During the conference, there was a geologic tour and hike of a popular hiking trail, the Queen’s Garden. Take a look at how you can turn some geotagged photos, from a smartphone, into a nicely presented Story Map using the tools of ArcGIS Online from Esri.

To see this map in a separate browser tab, click here: http://arcg.is/1Wt7nPX. How can GIS help your organization become more transparent and help present ideas in a more spatial way? Please contact us!

Meridian Engineering is Growing

By News and Updates

RNuesmeyer_1

Increasing our ability to better serve our clients.

Ryan Nuesmeyer, PE recently joined Meridian Engineering! Ryan has experience with all aspects of roadway design ranging from freeway interchange design, roadway reconstructions, traffic signals, and multi-use trail facilities. Ryan has worked with private entities, municipalities, and UDOT to complete several recent projects. Ryan is also experienced with traffic modeling and crash analysis and recently co-authored an article in the April 2016 ITE Journal, discussing the effectiveness of safety improvements on a local arterial facility in Sandy, Utah. Merging his experience as a former UDOT engineer with his consulting experience, Ryan understands our clients needs and will proactively work to find solutions.

We welcome Ryan to Meridian as another well-qualified professional ready to serve your needs!

Meridian’s Survey Manager is Headed to Jerusalem!

By News and Updates

Meridian’s Survey Manager Mike Nadeau, has been selected by the Utah Valley University (UVU) selection committee to study abroad at the Beit Lehi archaeological site, located 22 miles south of Jerusalem, Israel. Mike, who is finishing up his Bachelor of Science degree in Geomatics from UVU, is among four students selected to work at the site in late May into early June. Mike’s specific strengths in surveying will be utilized on this trip, while the other students have other unique talents such as Engineering Design, Construction Management, and Digital Media.

Watch this Youtube video to learn about the history of this site:  Beit Lehi, Israel (Translation: The House of Lehi)

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HISTORY: The Beit Lehi site was found in 1961 when Israeli soldiers unearthed a cave that had inscriptions and drawings, including the oldest known Hebrew writing of the word “Jerusalem” dated to approximately 600 B.C. The drawings depicted men who appeared to be fleeing and two ships. Inscriptions included, “I am Jehovah thy Lord. I will accept the cities of Judah and I will redeem Jerusalem” and “Absolve us oh merciful God. Absolve us oh Jehovah”. In 1983, Hebrew University secured permission and funding to excavate the site. By noon of the first day, archaeologists found an ancient village and well-preserved mosaic floor of a Byzantine era chapel. Since that time, “hewn subterranean installations, including columbaria, olive presses, water cisterns, quarries, a stable, and hideaways,” have been discovered along with pottery and other items suggesting that the area had been populated from 600 B.C. until the Mameluke period of 1500 A.D. In 1986, the site was covered to protect it until additional funds could be raised and the conditions were right to continue future excavations. In 1994, the site was re-opened and many groups have visited the site and participated in the excavation.

beit_03                                                                                  beit-lehi-site-map2

Mike will now be a part of a group from UVU to participate in the excavation of this historic site using the technology of today. Surveys will include setting up a primary control network GLONASS equipped GPS receivers, OPUS adjustments, and 3D point cloud acquisition using LiDAR (Light Detecting and Ranging). This survey technology of today will bring the history of yesterday to life.
Overall, the Beit Lehi archeology project will be a priceless and engaging experience for Mike. Meridian is excited for his new adventure and wishes him safe travels in this trip of a lifetime.

 

Meridian projects in the news

By News and Updates

Meridian is excited to part of the teams for these great improvements to a critical roadways!

Bangerter Highway: http://www.ksl.com/?sid=38123892&nid=148

Clearfield:   http://www.standard.net/Government/2016/01/12/udot-clearfield-project-i15-650-north-open-house.html