Western Transportation Institute

Located in the southwestern tip of Colorado, the Durango area is nestled in the Animas River Valley surrounded by the San Juan Mountains. The Durango area is an active outdoor community rich in western history, Victorian architecture and Native American Culture. The transportation scholar selected will be living in this pristine historic culture from June 2013 thru March 2014. The purpose of this project will be contributing to an Integrated Regional Public Lands Alternative Transportation Plan with the Tres Rios BLM office. This project will require studying transportation issues, making recommendations to address current needs and producing deliverables described in the attached application. The selected scholar will also be giving assist the San Juan National Forest with developing the long-term transportation plan for the newly appointed national monument, Chimney Rock. Throughout the ten month assignment the selected scholar will be working closely with District Rangers and Forest Engineers with Civil Engineering degrees along with other engineers/employees on the San Juan National Forest and Tres Rios BLM staff. Housing will be in the Durango area and will be shared through the summer season until the temporary employees leave. The scholar will be required to have a car for personal use. For more information please see the attached unit application.

• Chimney Rock National Monument and Tres Rios Bureau of Land Management Application (pdf )
• Transportation Scholar Valerie Hermanson’s Bio (pdf)
• Transportation Scholar Todd Johnson’s Bio (pdf)
• Valerie Hermanson/Todd Johnson’s 2014 TRB Poster (pdf)
• Valerie Hermanson’s 2014 Final Report (pdf)
• Valerie Hermanson’s Blog: http://durangoscholar.tumblr.com/

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (USFWS) – Elisa Kropat, June 2013-April 2014

Captured as the “Gateway to Nature and Space”, Titusville is the place for nature, history, and space. Titusville is located on the eastern shore of Florida about an hour from Orlando. The most pristine and beautiful beaches in Florida are within minutes of Titusville. Living two miles away from Canaveral National Seashore, the selected transportation scholar will working within this perfect landscape from June 2013 thru March 2014. The selected scholar will be working with the Merritt Island refuge and local governments to help develop a small sustainable transit program utilizing the refuge bus. The scholar will explore potential partnerships with local established mass transit programs to determine if their buses or trolleys could be utilized to provide increased access to the refuge to a broader group of citizens and tourists. Additionally, the Transportation Scholar will work with local and state agencies to address increased safe access to the refuge to bicyclists by assisting with planning efforts to connect the refuge to regional bike paths as well as developing print, broadcast, and digital materials promoting refuge access by transit and bicycle. The selected scholar will also be responsible for deliverables that are listed in the attached application. The housing is located on the refuge and is a four bedroom bunkhouse that is shared with interns and researchers throughout the year. The scholar will be required to have a car for personal use. For more information please see the attached unit application.

• Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge Application (pdf)
• Transportation Scholar Elisa Kropat’s Bio (pdf)
• Elisa Kropat’s 2014 TRB Poster (pdf)
• Elisa Kropat’s 2014 Final Report (pdf)
• Elisa Kropat’s Blog: http://merrittislandscholar.tumblr.com/

Sawtooth National Recreation Area (USFS) – Andrew Besold, June 2013-April 2014

Redfish Lake Recreation Complex is located in the stunning mountain landscape of the Sawtooth Mountains filled with dense forests, rushing rivers, and ice cold lakes. Redfish Lake is at the headwaters of the Salmon River, whose waters flow north to meet the Snake River and continue to the Columbia River and Pacific Ocean. Living within a quarter mile of the Stanley Ranger Station the selected transportation scholar will be working within this pristine landscape from June 2013 thru March 2014. The purpose of this project will be to complete comprehensive transportation planning within the Redfish Lake Recreation Complex and between the complex and Stanley, Idaho. The transportation scholar selected for this project will work closely with a landscape architect and outdoor recreation planner to evaluate the transportation needs in the Redfish Lake Recreation Complex and a connecting trail to the City of Stanley. Work will include field observations and surveys, studying previous planning documents and findings, establishing data gaps and ways to fill those gaps, analysis of existing facilities and needed facilities, coordination with Forest Service employees and partners, and general project management duties. Housing will be shared through September or October until the temporary employees leave and the scholar will be required to have a car for personal use. For more information please see the attached unit application.

• Sawtooth National Recreation Area Application (pdf)
• Transportation Scholar Andrew Besold’s Bio (pdf)
• Andrew Besold’s 2014 TRB Poster (pdf)
• Andrew Besold’s Blog: http://stanleyredfishscholar.tumblr.com/