Amber Berg Transportation Planning | Spatial Analysis | Graphic Design Selected Works 2017 - 2020
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CV
Amber Berg 785.341.6311 | bergamberg@gmail.com | linkedin.com/in/ambergberg
ABOUT ME Hi, I’m Amber. I’m a planner, graphic designer, and transportation advocate. My favorite way to explore my community is on foot or by bike, where I can notice the small details of a beautiful lawn and say hello to my neighbors. I believe that communities are most vibrant when each mode of transportation is just as convenient, fun, and safe, no matter someone’s identity or destination. I strive for solutions that are equitable and sustainable, even when it is not politically popular or easy to do so. I aspire to serve my community and continuously learn throughout my career through plans that are informed by robust public engagement, innovative research, and practical solutions. ii
Amber Berg | Selected Works 2017 - 2020
EDUCATION 2015-2020
Kansas State University Masters of Regional and Community Planning University Honors Program Minor in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies Certificate in Nonviolence Studies
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 2020-Today
Community Planner | Department Head Arkansas Economic Development Institute
2018-2020
Transportation Planning Intern II Flint Hills Metropolitan Planning Organization
2017-2019
Regional Planning Intern Flint Hills Regional Council
2019-2019
Schools & Neighborhoods Intern Seattle Department of Transportation
2017-2018
Rural Grocery Intern Center for Engagement and Community Development
PUBLICATIONS 2020
Incorporating Equity into Pedestrian Plans Transportation Research Record
ORGANIZATIONS 2021-Today
Little Rock Bike Friendly Community Committee
2020-Today
Arkansas Chapter of the American Planning Association
2020-Today
Association of Pedestrian & Bicycle Professionals
Content 2
Food Deserts of the Flint Hills
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Communities to Call Home
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Community Outreach in Rerouting Transit
8
Incorporating Equity into Pedestrian Plans
10
Kansas City Crosswalk Marking Policies
11
Connect 2040
12
Safe Routes to School
14
Junction City Active Transportation Plan
This portfolio is a selection of some of my favorite projects over the years. These include the development of outreach material, analysis of impacts of land use on transportation, and excerpts from planning documents I have produced. iii
Population Density and Food Access
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Amber Berg | Selected Works 2017 - 2020
GIS and Technical Work
Food Deserts in the Flint Hills Kansas State University | Environmental Land Planning & GIS Course | Fall 2017
The most widely-accepted definition of a food desert, set by the USDA, only considers 1-mile proximity to grocery stores and median income for Census tracts. The USDA’s definition alone does not consider other critical characteristics, such as transit access, therefore clouding whether food access should be a concern for local planners and transportation professionals.
For this project, I used ArcGIS to study Manhattan, Kansas and expand upon this limited view of food access. My project differed from the USDA approach to food deserts in the following ways: • Applied Network Analyst for a more accurate buffers • Included 0.5 mile buffer to account for walking distance • Examined bus stop access • Used block and block group level data
I mapped these variables and overlapped the buffers to reveal the low-income areas without food access via transit. This project illustrated the complexity of food access, indicating that access is especially restrained for those who don’t have access to car. The 20,059 people living in the areas indicated in the map below have to rely on a car or walk especially long distances to get their groceries.
Low-Income Neighborhoods living in Food Deserts
Median Household Income
Bus Stops Grocery Stores Bus Stop Access
Low-Income: Median Household Income is $40,000 or less 3
Web Design and Economic Development
Communities to Call Home Flint Hills Regional Council | Summer 2018
Communities to Call Home is a community marketing project that promotes towns in the region to prospective residents. This is an opt-in program where the Regional Council made connections with a representative from each community, who then provided the information and images that they wanted to include on their community’s webpage. I was responsible for creating the branding for this program, including: • The logo • Website • Intake forms • Community webpages • Community fact sheets • Interactive map of the cities • Maps and matrices of towns I aimed to display all of this information in ways that were consistent, easy to read, and attractive. The Communities to Call Home website can help all towns in the region promote their communities, even those who have fewer resources, and help people moving to the region find the right community for their needs.
Sample community profile page
Right: Interactive map and Community Selection page 4
Amber Berg | Selected Works 2017 - 2020
F L I N T
H I L L S
COMMUNITIES TO CALL
HOME Communities to Call Home logo
Towns within a 45-minute drive of the major cities in the Flint Hills: Manhattan, Fort Riley, and Junction City. 5
Outreach and Spatial Analysis
Community Outreach in Rerouting Transit
Flint Hills MPO | Spring and Summer 2018 In 2018, the Flint Hills MPO concluded its years’ long outreach plan to guide the development of Manhattan’s new bus routes. Through the use of various archival data, including meeting notes, survey responses, and geospatial information, I was tasked with creating a document that chronicled this outreach process from start to finish. I strived to capture community members’ genuine responses while also illustrating how the MPO made decisions based on the input they heard. Some of residents’ major concerns included wishing they could get to the grocery store and doctor by bus, and wishing that bus stops were more easily accessible. Because of these expressed needs, I used a walking distance buffer of one half-mile around each bus stop to compare the service of the old bus routes to the new proposed ones. I found that the new routes not only cost less money, but they served more residences, more businesses, and a greater number and variety of community amenities. I used maps and icons to illustrate how the new routes have a greater reach in the community and serve their needs more effectively.
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Residences Within Walking Distance of a New Bus Stop
Amber Berg | Selected Works 2017 - 2020
71% 71%
of survey respondents say that they would ride the aTa Bus more if there were more stops to destinations they want.
The Flint Hills Breadbasket and the Konza Prairie Community Health Center are the top two community services people want to access by transit.
71% 71%
of individuals said that a bus stop closer to their home would encourage them to ride the aTa Bus more
Desired community location
Desired community service
Where Survey Respondents Stated They Want to Take Transit To
Grocery Stores
Medical Centers
Community Services
Comparing Community Assets within Walking Distance of the Old and New Stops 7
Plan Analysis and Guidance
Incorporating Equity into Pedestrian Plans Kansas State University | Master’s Report | Spring 2020
Project Statement Cities are increasingly addressing transportation inequities, despite a lack of federal guidance for incorporating equity into their work. To address this absence of guidance, this research examines the equity considerations of recent Pedestrian Master Plans from 15 of the most populous US cities. It draws on these considerations and equity literature to propose the Three A’s of Equity, a tri-partite framework for better incorporating equity into a transportation plan from conceptualization to implementation.
The Framework: The Three A’s of Equity Element
Acknowledgement Recognizing equity as a value of the plan
s
Disparities
Accountability
This research grew out of an inductive process, which observed the equity considerations of 15 municipal pedestrian plans to propose a framework consisting of three elements and their associated equity components. The framework is built upon plans’ existing equity considerations, which helps demonstrate their feasibility in being measured and included in plans. The Three A’s are intended to guide the inclusion of equity throughout a plan’s entirety, rather than only mentioning the term or prioritizing improvements without explanation as to why.
Establishing a commitment to advance equity through the plan
I have had the pleasure of presenting this work at committee meetings, the 2020 TRB Annual Meeting, and the 2021 Walk Bike Places Conference.
Setting action steps to move towards equity
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Amber Berg | Selected Works 2017 - 2020
Mention Definition
Project Overview
I am currently working with my college professor to build upon this research to observe and make recommendations for including equity in planning documents in other topic areas, such as comprehensive planning and economic development.
Component
Outreach Goals Performance Measures
Application
Project Prioritization Policies Programs
The Sample Plans’ Equity Considerations Plan
Acknowledgement Ment.
Def.
Disp.
Accountability Outr.
Goal
P. Meas.
Application
Prior.
Polic.
New York City Chicago Philadelphia Raleigh San Francisco Fort Worth Washington D.C. San Diego Austin Charlotte Jacksonville Seattle Oklahoma City Milwaukee Portland Share of plans
Total
Progr.
33% 22% 11% 22% 22% 22% 56% 11% 11% 22% 44% 67% 33% 22% 100% 67%
7%
60%
20%
27%
27%
66%
7%
26%
33%
Note: 73% of plans included at least one Acknowledgement component; 40% included Accountability; 80% included Application
The equity considerations among the sample plans varies significantly. Some key Findings: • 4 PMPs included all 3 elements • 7 PMPs included Acknowledgement and one other element
Example Component: Definition “...inadequate pedestrian infrastructure and traffic safety concerns disproportionately impact low-income communities and people of color.” - Portland, OR This definition identifies who is impacted and how.
• 2 PMPs only included Acknowledgement • 2 PMPs only included Application • 4 PMPs considered race in their equity components The Three A’s of Equity can help cities consistently and thoroughly incorporate equity into their transportation plans.
Example Component: Outreach “We targeted our outreach to neighborhoods with low response rates, translated the survey, and held focus groups to reach non-English speaking residents.” Seattle, WA These actions made intentional efforts to reach residents who may not typically participate in outreach.
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Policy Analysis
Kansas City Crosswalk Marking Policies Kansas State University | Policy Analysis in Planning Course | Spring 2020 Crosswalk marking policies are concerned with the design, placement, and timing of installation of crosswalks. Typically, U.S. cities adhere to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices as the standard for their crosswalk marking policies, but this manual provides guidance that is geared toward automobile-oriented development and it does not account for budgetary constraints. The current crosswalk marking policy results in disconnected pedestrian networks with few opportunities to cross streets. An update to Kansas City’s crosswalk marking policy, potentially in conjunction with budgetary policy recommendations, is needed to achieve the city’s and the region’s transportation goals and make Kansas City a more walkable, connected, and safe community. With the support of stakeholder interviews and citywide plans, five evaluation criteria have been identified to support the identification of a policy alternative. Four policy alternatives are proposed: • Status quo; • Update crosswalk installation thresholds; • Opt-in fee for property owners; and • A Community Liaisons program. An evaluation of these proposed alternatives finds that no one policy satisfies all the criteria, but a combination of updated crosswalk marking thresholds and the implementation of a Community Liaisons program will best satisfy the evaluation criteria and achieve a safer, more walkable, and more accessible pedestrian network in Kansas City.
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Amber Berg | Selected Works 2017 - 2020
Evaluation Criteria for Assessing Policy Alternatives
Discussion of Policy Alternatives
Long-Range Planning and Graphic Design
Connect 2040 Flint Hills MPO | Spring-Summer 2020
The Flint Hills MPO recently produced Connect 2040, the long-range transportation plan for the region, which comprises the Manhattan metropolitan area, Kansas State University, and Fort Riley military base.
The Region’s Vision for 2040
During the development of this plan, I am responsible for collecting data and visualizing important concepts of the plan. Specifically, I have created: • Land use maps • Icons of the plan’s vision • Icons of development alternatives • A graphic of our region’s urban development gradient
Enhance Mobility
Strengthen Communities
Generate Prosperity
Development Scenarios
Through these graphics, I sought to easily communicate to the public how they might experience their communities differently, depending on how the region develops its land and transportation networks in the coming decades. Scenario 1: Sprawl
Scenario 2: Densification
The Relationship between Land Use and Transportation in the Region
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Plan Development
Safe Routes to School Flint Hills MPO | Summer 2018-Spring 2020 Over the last half-century, more children are being driven to school, and fewer students have adequate bicycle or pedestrian infrastructure to help them get to school safely. This is especially true in rural cities like Junction City and Wamego, where I completed my first two Safe Routes to School plans to help improve bicycle and pedestrian access to their schools.
These places are located along students’ routes to school:
38%
Playground
30%
Walking Path or Trail
The data showed that there are many real and perceived boundaries preventing children from walking and biking to school safely, including a lack of safe sidewalks and crossings. The SRTS plans laid out recommendations from the 5 Es to help the school district improve their bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.
17%
58% say sidewalks
don’t have any
only
45%
24%
Gas Sta�on
18%
Small Retail & Business
43% say all are
are separated from traffic by greenery
say sidewalks are well-maintained and clean
Park
53% of respondents say it is not convenient
58%
say sidewalks are wide enough for two people
26%
to walk their child to school
say their routes are well-lit
31%
say their routes are well-shaded by trees
To walk to school, children would have to cross...
65%
A road with busy traffic
45%
An intersec�on without a painted crosswalk
18%
An intersec�on without street signals or stop signs
13%
A highway or freeway
50%
only say school zones are well-enforced
21%
say their routes are quiet from cars, airplanes, factories, etc
Infographic of the Parent-Guardian Survey results.
Bike-ped counts for three of Junction City’s elementary schools
18 2
Grandview 12
say sidewalks are not free of obstruc�ons
on all streets
25%
To identify improvements, I conducted a parentguardian survey, bicycle and pedestrian counts, spatial analyses, and direct observation.
35%
only
35% have sidewalks
Amber Berg | Selected Works 2017 - 2020
69 2
Westwood
1 0
13 0
4 0
39 0
Sheridan
Grandview Elementary Sidewalk Recommendations
Wamego High School Recommendations
Existing intersection: Lincoln & 8th, Adjacent to Wamego High School Wamego High School
Lincoln Ave
8th St
Wamego High School
Lincoln St
Existing intersection: Lincoln & 8th
Pedestrian islandCurb ex
Sidewalk recommendations for Grandview Elementary
8th St
Recommendation: Sidewalks, pedestrian island, traffic calming at Lincoln & 8th 13
Outreach and Plan Development
Junction City Active Transportation Plan Flint Hills MPO | Spring and Summer 2020 The project that I was the most involved in with the Flint Hills MPO was the Junction City Active Transportation Plan. This document was the first plan for walking and biking in the city, which only had one bike lane not intended for recreational purposes. I began by graphically showing what active transportation is, how it differs from recreation, and what it might look like in this small Kansas town.
For part of the outreach process of this plan, I assisted with the installation of demonstration projects along 7th Street, which was funded by a Blue Cross Blue Shield grant. These installations, illustrated on the right, were ultimately adopted by the city to become permanent. I then mapped various transportation and land use characteristics, such as Environmental Justice populations,
traffic volumes, road widths, and existing bike/ped infrastructure. Other team members solicited public input via surveys and meetings, and I mapped out their responses regarding where they live, where they walk and bike to, and where they would like to walk and bike to. All these variables helped inform the network recommendations I made and how I prioritized them.
Walking and Biking: Transportation vs. Recreation
Walking and biking as transportation looks like:
1 1
2
2 3
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Walking to the grocery store
2
Biking to the park
3
Walking to work
Walking and biking for recreation looks like: 3
Amber Berg | Selected Works 2017 - 2020
1
1
Biking around town
2
Going on a walk in the neighborhood
3
Driving to a bike trail
7th Street Bike Boulevard Tactical Urbanism Projects
Bicentennial Manor
7th & Garfield
7th & Jackson
8th St, Geary County Schools
7th & Jefferson
7th & Clay
Proposed bike boulevard
7th & Adams
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Continued...
Junction City Active Transportation Plan Existing Network & Environmental Justice Areas
77
Spring Valley Rd
6th St
8th St 6th St Spring Valley Rd
8th St
Washington St
77
Washington St
Gr
an
Gr
an
tA ve
tA ve
Proposed Bike Network
Ash St
Ash St
70
70
77
77
Schools Lane 70
70
Existing transportation system
Environmental Justice areas
Bike boulevard / sharrow Multiuse trail 7th Street bike boulevard (in progress)
Streets
City limits
Bike paths and trails
Moderate
Potential corridor
High
Existing bike routes
Sidewalks
I strived to recommend a connected walking and biking network, but prioritized improvements to advance safety, equity, and connectivity. I prioritized them based on whether they served low-income, no-car, non-white households or were near crash sites. They were given an even higher ranking if they connected to destinations like grocery stores and doctors’ offices. 16
Amber Berg | Selected Works 2017 - 2020
Iterative Project Delivery
Bike Network Prioritization
Gr
an
tA ve
Existing Roadway
8th St
Washington St
Demonstration 77
Spring Valley Rd
6th St
Ash St 70
77
Semi-Permanent Schools
70
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 7th Street bike boulevard (in progress) Existing bike routes
Lastly, I illustrated our MPO’s “Iterative Project Delivery” process, shown on the right. This was intended to show the feasibility of making improvements, even if the city doesn’t have the budget for a major street redesign.
Final Construction 17