Deep Dive with Allie Velleca, TDM-CP
Our Deep Dive series features our technical experts who give you an inside look at how we are solving complex infrastructure challenges for our clients from across the world.
This week, we are highlighting a project manager from our Transportation business in the U.S. East and how she and her team used their skills to develop Tennessee Department of Transportation’s (TDOT) Carbon Reduction Strategy.
Alongside her current decarbonization work with TDOT, Allie has worked in the transportation demand management (TDM) industry for over ten years. She has performed hands-on outreach providing custom trip plans for commuters, telework implementation plans for employers, and strategic plans for regional and statewide TDM programs. Allie was recognized by the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) as an Emerging Leader in 2021 and as a 40 Under 40 award recipient in 2016. She is the current Chair of ACT’s Telework and Alternative Work Arrangements Council.
Tell us about a project that has been a major highlight of your career.
I’m currently working with TDOT to develop their state-wide Carbon Reduction Strategy (CRS) by November 2023, as required by Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Carbon Reduction Program (CRP). Created through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the CRP will fund projects designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from on-road transportation sources.
Working closely with a project advisory committee, including representatives from TDOT, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and FHWA, we’ve created eight focus areas and multiple potential carbon reduction strategies to align with each focus area. These strategies will inform the funding of future projects and outline emissions reduction policies and processes for the state and municipalities to consider adopting in their own operations. The set of strategies will also serve as a guide for the MPOs and other entities eligible to receive CRP funds. The overarching goal of TDOT’s CRS is a cleaner, healthier, and safer environment for future generations of Tennesseans.
To help TDOT decide which projects to target for funding, we developed a project prioritization tool that weighs qualitative factors based on existing project information. We’re also providing the tools needed to quantify and measure the effectiveness of each project in reducing emissions. Since the CRS needs to be updated every four years, the current iteration will provide TDOT with a framework to build on and fine-tune going forward based on the effectiveness of these early projects.
In addition, we developed a CRP dashboard to illustrate to the public how funds are allocated to different projects across the state. The dashboard, which will be publicly available on the TDOT website, is a digital tool that displays key project information such as funding amount, location, population category, focus area and project type.
These strategies will inform the funding of future projects and outline emissions reduction policies and processes for the state and municipalities to consider adopting in their own operations.”
What was a key challenge you faced while working on this project? How did you solve it?
The CRP was a brand-new federal initiative when TDOT brought us in to help respond to it. Each state is responsible for developing its own strategy for lowering emissions under this extremely broad program, which covers everything from transit, bike, and pedestrian infrastructure to electrification of freight vehicles or personal cars, highway congestion reduction, and many other types of eligible projects. Since we didn’t have a specific roadmap, before developing TDOT’s CRS we needed to figure out whether zooming in or zooming out would make the biggest impact for Tennessee.
Early in the project, we conducted a peer review of carbon reduction best practices and completed an existing conditions report to set a baseline for carbon reduction efforts across the state. Our reporting showed that emissions reduction had historically been a by-product of, rather than a driving force behind, TDOT projects. Instead of narrowing the focus of the CRS, we began thinking holistically about all the ways TDOT can influence emissions in Tennessee’s transportation sector, including through changes to its internal policies and processes. The project advisory committee guided the development of eight focus areas — each with multiple potential carbon reduction strategies — around the specific needs of urban and rural populations of Tennessee.
The focus areas include transit, green construction and maintenance, active transportation, freight, fleets and facilities, alternative fuels, transportation system management and operations, and travel demand management. To flesh out carbon reduction strategies related to each of these focus areas, we’ve tapped AECOM’s subject matter experts (SMEs) across disciplines and specialty areas. These specialized capabilities have been key to the success of TDOT’s CRS. The SMEs have enabled us to zoom in and zoom out.
We are envisioning the big picture for transportation decarbonization in Tennessee while taking a close look at the technical requirements and effectiveness of individual projects eligible for CRP funding. Early projects for consideration include new greenways for pedestrians and bicyclists, transit equipment upgrades for greater sustainability and energy-efficient roadway lighting.
Our reporting showed that emissions reduction had historically been a by-product of, rather than a driving force behind, TDOT projects. Instead of narrowing the focus of the CRS, we began thinking holistically about all the ways TDOT can influence emissions in Tennessee’s transportation sector.”
How has this experience shaped your approach to future work?
My background is in transportation demand management, focusing on how businesses, individuals and communities can influence how people travel to and from work or other places, and reducing the number of trips and single occupant vehicles on the road. While transportation demand management is an obvious strategy for carbon reduction, decarbonization is not my area of expertise. This project gave me a chance to expand my knowledge about decarbonization and to hone my project management skills.
When I took over this project it was already in progress, but it felt like it needed more technical expertise. By finding the holes and enlisting the right people within AECOM to fill the gaps, I was able to bring change quickly to help TDOT get where it needs to be on its decarbonization journey. We have the resources within AECOM to explore and refine virtually any potential carbon reduction strategy our client is interested in. When the next opportunity presents itself to manage a project outside of my wheelhouse, I’ll call on our SMEs to help meet the client’s needs.
While transportation demand management is an obvious strategy for carbon reduction, decarbonization is not my area of expertise. This project gave me a chance to expand my knowledge about decarbonization and to hone my project management skills.”