Micro-Mobility, the Scooter, and Chicago’s Infrastructure

James McDonough has spent his career serving the community in various capacities. James McDonough is a former CEO and chairman of McDonough Associates, Inc., a Chicago-based firm that assists with planning and designing of infrastructural projects.

In recent years, Chicago’s infrastructural problems have come to the forefront of city conversations, namely improving the city’s roads. However, another conversation related to introducing scooters into the various transportation options residents has many hoping for the adoption of what has come to be a very popular mode of transportation in the city.

While the scooter pilot program that was launched last year was, for the most part, successful, city leaders are not completely convinced the program will be good for all residents. One of the weaknesses in the pilot is that it did not place scooters in all parts of the city. Another weakness is that the study could determine not whether or not the program would be attractive to older adults.

Despite the pilot’s findings, those who participated in the pilot the scooters would stay, in addition to others who find using scooters an easier way to get around the city. At one Active Trans meeting, 75 percent of the attendees said they would support a long-term plan.

While the city’s pilot program had a few shortcomings, city planners are doing more research into determining the cost-effectiveness and appropriateness of the program for Chicago residents. A few factors up for consideration, among many, include retrofitting the city’s current road infrastructure to accommodate for this new class of vehicle.

One of the issues that came up during the pilot program was the number of scooter-related accidents that occurred. According to Chicago’s Streets Blog, there were 34 emergency-related events associated with scooters in the first seven weeks of the pilot. To increase safety on the city’s roads, the city would have to dedicate funds to safe streets infrastructure.

A Look at the Construction Planning Process

James McDonough celebrates an accomplished career that includes more than two decades as an employee of the City of Chicago and subsequently as CEO and chair of engineering consulting company McDonough Associates. In this role, James McDonough oversaw the firm’s construction planning activities for public developments across Chicago.

Construction planning is a vital aspect of any new development project. Like any other form of project management, it enables those overseeing the development to facilitate a safe, cost-effective construction process and ensure an ideal result.

In all, organizations should approach construction planning from three main angles. The first, strategic planning, establishes the primary objectives for the project. This analysis also helps sponsors and owners determine how well the project and its goals complement their business strategy.

The second is operational planning, which looks at the specific ways in which the construction project will reach its objectives. During this step, project teams must look at their existing resources and decide if they have all that they need to achieve a successful outcome. The Project Initiation Document (PID) can be a helpful tool to this end, as it allows teams to clearly outline the amount of materials and manpower needed for the construction project.

Lastly, construction planning requires a schedule. Organizations must establish a detailed timescale for their development projects, with clearly established goals leading up to the finished product. This is one of the key performance indicators that will help keep the project on track.