Beaubien Engineering is a
Transportation Design, Planning & Operations consulting firm. The firm offers services in the following areas of
Traffic Operations:
- Municipal Traffic Engineering
- Traffic Impact Statements
- Intelligent Transportation Systems
- Road Safety Audits
- Traffic Incident Management
Richard F. Beaubien, PE, PTOE is a
Professional Traffic Operations Engineer and Managing Director at Beaubien Engineering. He was previously Transportation Department Head at Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Consulting Engineers for more than 23 years. Mr. Beaubien's employment experience includes 5 years as a highway engineer with the Federal Highway Administration and 14 years as the traffic engineer for the City of Troy, Michigan.
Mr. Beaubien is a past International President of the Institute of Transportation Engineers and the past President of the Intelligent Transportation Society of Michigan. He currently chairs the Metro Detroit Traffic Incident Management Coordinating Committee.
Mr. Beaubien is the author of numerous articles on topics within his area of expertise including Managing Traffic Incidents, Intelligent Transportation Systems, and Traffic Safety. He has delivered presentation and seminars to such entities as the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Institute of Transportation Engineers. Mr. Beaubien is the recipient of the President’s Award, Intelligent Transportation Society of Michigan, 2003 and the Burton W. Marsh Award, Institute of Transportation Engineers, 1998.
View Richard Beaubien's Expert Witness Profile.
A motorist exiting a rural freeway was struck by a motorist on the intersecting State Route at the top of the exit ramp. At the westbound exit ramp from the Interstate freeway the State Route a stop sign is posted at the end of the ramp requiring exiting traffic to stop before entering the State Route. However, the eastbound off ramp traffic is not required to stop before entering the State Route. A stop sign is posted on southbound State Route at the ramp terminal. This is an unusual traffic signing pattern for interstate off ramps. Expert observations of the operation of this intersection showed that a large proportion of the eastbound off ramp traffic slowed down at the end of the ramp, expecting to stop at the State Route.
As traffic engineers we take care to plan, design, and operate our roads for all users. When we are working in a complex urban environment, we must consider pedestrians, wheelchairs, vision impaired, bicycles, buses, and trucks. When we add automated, connected, and self-driving vehicles to the mix the complexity becomes more complex. That is why the profession is challenging and interesting.
When I was a boy, playing in the sandbox or building with blocks, I dreamed of building cities. I feel fortunate to be in a profession which allows me to fulfill that dream. To enjoy your job is a more important measure of success than the amount of money in your bank account. My favorite definition of success is borrowed from Ann Landers:
At the 1981 ITE Annual Meeting in Boston a seminar was convened on the role of the urban traffic engineer. It featured some of outstanding veterans of the profession, and each offered their insights on the role of the urban traffic engineer. Speakers included Bill VanGelder from Seattle, Harold Michael from Purdue, and Bill Mc Grath who was once the Traffic Commissioner for the City of Boston.
The topic of Connected Vehicles and Autonomous Vehicles is not new, yet advances in computing power, wireless capabilities, and soft ware development are taking implementation predictions from the not-too-distance future and placing them in the here and now. Emerging vehicle technologies foreshadow a world in which sensors and soft ware will replace humans in the driver's seat.
