'It has been quite a year of celebration for us at NTH as we have been recognized as a Cool Place to Work by Crain's Detroit, a Detroit Free Press Top Workplace, a Metro Detroit’s Best and Brightest Companies for 2022, and just this month, the National Association for Business Resources named NTH a 2022 Best and Brightest Company to Work for in the Nation! For these awards, nominated companies were assessed by independent research firms regarding criteria such as HR practices, Employee Enrichment, Communication, Diversity and Inclusion, Work-Life Balance, and more, both via company applications and anonymous employee evaluations. More specifics on how we achieved these awards is below.
 
Top Workplaces Award: The process was based on a scientific survey of employees who rate their workplace culture and give company insights about what makes them unique. The winners were named in three categories, small, midsize and large and were celebrated in videos streamed online, which can be viewed here.
 
The Best and Brightest Companies to Work For®: This competition identifies organizations that display a “commitment to excellence and employee enrichment that lead to increased productivity and financial performance.” Companies are scored regionally, and those regional winners are then entered into the National Competition. This national program celebrates those companies that are “making better business, creating richer lives and building a stronger community.” Best and Brightest National honored winning organizations from across the country. A full list of the winners can be found here.
 
Crain's Cool Places to Work: The employers provide details about benefits and policies; and then employees answer questions about our workplace culture, company leadership and other aspects of work in a confidential survey. You can see the full list of winners here.

We are always on the lookout to bolster our team with new talent. ​If you are interested in finding out more about our company culture and how you can join our Best, Top, and Cool Place to Work, please visit our Career Page.

​Have you heard the buzz around Renewable Natural Gas in our Great Lakes State? This past September, Michigan Public Service Commission’s RNG study reported that RNG has increased nearly six-fold in the last five years for its use as a transportation fuel. In fact, there are over 15 RNG facilities in operation or expected to be operational in Michigan by 2023.
 
Renewable Natural Gas converts waste-derived landfill gas or digester gas (biogas) into a source of clean and reliable energy; RNG is nearly identical to conventional natural gas and can be used as a transportation fuel or to heat and power homes and businesses. 

RNG Market Growth
Having grown up on a small dairy farm in southwest Montana, I have found that advancements in technology and markets related to agriculture are near and dear to me. Large dairy farms are often sought-after as a feedstock for generating carbon-neutral, or even carbon-negative, RNG projects. But RNG expands beyond agriculture, into resource recovery opportunities in the municipal, energy, and industrial sectors, including wastewater treatment processes, food waste, and landfills. One of the first and largest RNG projects in Michigan, and in the U.S., was commissioned in November 2017 for upgrading landfill gas to RNG at the Woodland Meadows Landfill located in Wayne County.

Our state and country, as well as the companies that we work with, work for, and support as customers, are becoming laser-focused on progressing toward low or zero carbon pertaining to the energy, industrial, and transportation markets. Demand for alternatives to traditional fossil fuels provides opportunities to divert methane from landfills, dairy farms (animal waste), wastewater treatment plants, and food operations to repurpose into a green energy source. Michigan’s MI Healthy Climate Plan emphasizes transitioning away from fossil fuels towards a carbon neutral economy. In addition to electrifying vehicles and other resources, alternative low-carbon fuels are necessary to decarbonize not only our daily commute, but the way we do business. 

In recent years, the federal U.S. EPA Renewable Fuels Standard, as well as state-specific low carbon fuel standards, including California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, have created a significant shift in the biogas market from electric generation to upgrading of biogas to RNG for pipeline injection. Unlike biogas, comprised of approximately 50-60% methane, RNG is a nearly-pure methane fuel and virtually identical to conventional natural gas; can be derived using readily available gas upgrading technology; and can be burned in place of conventional fossil fuels without modifications to infrastructure, natural gas vehicles, or other end users. 

Advancing state and federal regulatory drivers monetize reductions in carbon intensity by capturing methane for use as an alternative fuel. These federal and state mandates, as well as pending legislation at the utility level, will continue to fuel the RNG and biofuel markets. RNG requires approval through Michigan permitting and regulatory programs.

Next Up: ​Clean Air Act Permitting for RNG

MDOT Research Administration recently launched a new Partners in Research website to highlight the diverse group of universities, consultant groups, and transportation leaders who have recently completed, are currently working, or have interest in MDOT research partners with their office. The website is intended to be a resource for public and private transportation stakeholders interested in MDOT's research partners and their specific expertise.

NTH's Pavement and SUE expert, Tyler Dawson, Ph.D., P.E. was recently featured as a research partner on the new MDOT site. You can learn more about Dr. Dawson by visiting our transportation market page here.​

Back in 2018, NTH Consultants, Ltd. completed geotechnical investigations and site/civil engineering plans for the award-winning Livernois Streetscape project in the City of Detroit. Despite the complete reconstruction of the right-of-way, the Covid-19 pandemic, and current inflation issues, construction was completed in the Summer of 2020, and now this area of Livernois Ave is a vibrant area with several thriving local businesses.

For those not familiar, a little background on this project: together, with Spackman Mossop Michaels (SMM) as the landscape architect, NTH designed a new streetscape across the entire width of the public right-of-way on Livernois Ave in Detroit from 8 Mile to just south of 7 Mile. This project turned the previously high-speed section of roadway into a more walkable and bikeable streetscape by adding expanded sidewalks, larger outdoor patio areas, protected bike lanes, and rain gardens to promote sustainable stormwater management. The City of Detroit’s goal with this project was to rebuild this section of Livernois as a Complete Street. The city initiated this project due to the area’s history as a hotbed of locally owned clothing stores, boutiques, and other businesses, which earned this area of Livernois Avenue the nickname, Detroit’s “Avenue of Fashion.”

Since the project has since been completed, engineers from NTH had the opportunity to go on a walking tour of the area with the Michigan Chapter of the American Planning Association (MAP) on June 23, 2022. The tour was hosted by MAP representatives, as well as Kim Tandy and James Hanning from City of Detroit, who led our group as we walked up and down the Avenue of Fashion. Kim Tandy grew up in the area and still lives nearby, so her firsthand knowledge of the history of the Avenue of Fashion helped put the importance of this streetscape renovation into context. During the tour, she and James Hanning encouraged business owners to tell their stories and share their experiences on Livernois Ave. We sampled desserts at the award-winning Good Cakes and Bakes bakery, saw local artists’ work at Jo’s Gallery, and checked out some new clothes at a local boutique called Simply Casual. These business owners each described how they feel connected as part of the historic Avenue of Fashion, and they are optimistic about what the future holds for this area!

As we looked around on our walking tour, we saw several new businesses, apartments, and offices opening up, as well as existing businesses renovating their storefronts, and a few of us commented on the fact that there were only a few vacant properties. Our tour ended at Good Times on the Avenue, a local restaurant which had a large outdoor dining area that was very busy on this Thursday night. This area was originally added to promote safe outdoor dining during the Covid-19 pandemic, but now serves as a pleasant, covered patio to enjoy good food and drinks with friends.

This streetscape renovation shows how strategic investment in public infrastructure can be a boon to economic activity and development in an area. The trees along the street and rain garden vegetation, which were part of the 2018 design plans, had been planted during construction and are now growing and thriving, like to the Avenue itself. It was very satisfying to see the work that NTH had completed, as it truly helped to make this area of Livernois Avenue what it is today. As the tour ended, they encouraged us to #shoplocal and continue to support these businesses.

For more information, see the Avenue of Fashion Business Association’s website:  https://www.avenueoffashion.com/ 
​

As a result of recent failures in the City of Detroit related to the bulk storage of materials, the City recently codified an ordinance related to Waterbody Barriers within the City to ensure that existing shoreline systems are stable based on the current surface grades, land use and condition of the existing shoreline system. The ordinance, entitled, Certificate of Registration of Water Barrier, Detroit City Code, Article XV, Division 4, Subsection C became effective on July 1, 2022. The new ordinance requires an inspection of existing shoreline systems by a licensed professional engineer to evaluate its condition and stability with respect to adjacent surface grades as well as current site usage. The ordinance further requires the investigation of subsurface conditions and evaluation of site stability by a qualified geotechnical engineer.

More recently, as a result of a ground failure associated with a stockpile load that resulted in the extended closure of Dearborn Street as well as damage to various utilities within the public rights-of-way, Detroit is drafting an additional ordinance that will require the engineering evaluation of any site where material stockpiles result in an equivalent surface surcharge loading exceeding 360 pounds per square foot (psf). The draft ordinance, to be added as Section 8-15-144 to Division 4 of the Detroit City code, will require that owners who stockpile any material on their site that exceeds the 360 psf threshold perform the following investigation and engineering evaluation:
​

• Conduct a geotechnical investigation of the site to characterize ground conditions and engineering parameters of the existing soils. As drafted, the ordinance stipulates the minimum number of test borings at one test boring per acre of the premises being used.
• Review the site for the presence of and the determination of conditions related to existing retaining walls.
• Perform an engineering evaluation of the site based on the results of the geotechnical investigation to document permissible site loading such that a minimum factor of safety of 1.5 is achieved for all potential modes of failure.

​At the present time, the proposed ordinance has been finalized by the Detroit Building Safety Engineering and Environmental Department, is out of Committee, and will be brought to the City Council for consideration in the near future.

With more than 54 years of geotechnical expertise in the Detroit area, NTH staff are very familiar with the ground conditions throughout the City. If the proposed ordinance becomes codified, NTH staff have the expertise to perform the necessary geotechnical investigation and analysis so that site owners will be in compliance with the new regulation requirements.

If NTH can assist you with this or any other site design or use compliance issues, please feel free to contact Jason Edberg, P.E. at (313) 237-3941 or jedberg@nthconsultants.com.

NTH congratulates Senior Vice President, Rick Burns, for his induction into the ESD College of Fellows at the Engineering Society of Detroit's 2022 Annual Dinner! 

NORTHVILLE, MI — NTH Consultants, Ltd. (NTH) today announced that Craig R. Johnson rejoined NTH to take on the role of Strategic Market Executive for the Energy Initiative. Previously at NTH, Mr. Johnson worked at both the Detroit and Lansing offices from 2004 to 2010 where he was instrumental in the geophysical investigation to select the location of the Gordie Howe International Bridge. He also led the company’s geophysical service lines and introduced NTH to the carbon sequestration and underground gas storage markets. 
 
For the past 12 years, Craig has gained valuable experience in the Energy Market, holding engineering and operations manager and director roles at Consumers Energy, and serving as Director of Gas Operations at Black Hills Energy in Wyoming. More recently, he has gained hands-on experience in electrical power generation as Plant Manager of a coal-fired generation plant for Alliant Energy in Wisconsin.  With Alliant, Craig also led gas and electric distribution operations and helped develop utility scale, community, and customer-hosted solar projects for the utility. 
 
“The Energy Market faces almost continuous pivots as the industry reacts to climate change, renewable energy mandates, reliability, power grid resiliency, vehicle electrification, decarbonized fuels, and green hydrogen technology,” said Jason Edberg, Senior Vice President. “To meet these challenges, we must expand our expertise, grow our team, and lean forward into the future of energy. We are excited to have an experienced professional like Craig to lead the way.”
 
With his 21 years of experience in regulatory compliance, enterprise-wide utility engineering, geological engineering, geophysics, underground natural gas storage, and operations leadership, Mr. Johnson will work with our knowledgeable team of infrastructure and environmental experts to help our clients face the challenges of ensuring safe, reliable, and affordable energy. He will also work to maintain our strong brand in the market, increase our client base, and provide new opportunities for NTH.
 
About NTH Consultants, Ltd.
NTH Consultants, Ltd. (NTH) has been providing professional engineering consulting services to the water, energy, transportation, industry, and community development markets since 1968. From a small, Detroit-based, geotechnical engineering firm, our company has grown significantly, providing a wide range of services in civil, geotechnical, environmental engineering, and facilities engineering. For more than 54 years, NTH has helped our clients address some of the most challenging and complex issues facing our environment today and provides innovative and creative approaches for each project it undertakes. NTH is constantly exploring new technologies and solutions that are safe, well-developed, and cost effective for its clients. NTH is headquartered in Northville, MI and serves its diverse client base from five offices throughout Michigan.  

NORTHVILLE, MI — NTH Consultants, Ltd. (NTH) today announced that Kathleen Anderson has joined the company to lead the NTH Environmental Services Unit, overseeing NTH’s Air Quality, Due Diligence, and Civil Design disciplines. She brings her 30 years of experience in environmental permitting and agency negotiations, compliance, enforcement resolution, hazardous materials management, and environmental health and safety training to the firm. She will focus on strengthening the various environmental service offerings and will facilitate growth to meet the needs of our clients.
 
Prior to joining NTH, Kathleen was President of Axis Environmental Consulting Corp. for 20 years where she provided environmental consulting services for asphalt manufacturing, concrete manufacturing, sand and gravel operations, bulk terminal storage and highway paving operations. She is highly experienced in local, state and federal permitting for new and existing manufacturing and her expertise also spans site civil engineering, structural engineering, and geotechnical disciplines.
 
“Kathleen is an important strategic hire for us due to her remarkable combination of environmental experience and decades of effective team building and leadership,” said Jeffrey Jaros, President and COO. “Her experience as a consultant and her vast knowledge of the environmental programs affecting businesses will help us grow our team and capabilities. Kathleen is a natural fit for our ‘Best and Brightest’ and ‘Cool Place to Work’ culture as she is a respected professional, enthusiastic leader, and energetic mentor.”
 
Kathleen received her Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial and Environmental Health Management with an emphasis in Hazardous Waste Management from Ferris State University in 1993 and holds several certifications from various agencies, such as EGLE and U.S. DOT. Over her tenure, Kathleen has gained the trust of not only the regulated community but also of the regulatory agencies.
 
Ms. Anderson will lead our team of knowledgeable professionals to ensure their environmental compliance needs are met. She will also work closely with our market executives to elevate our already strong brand in the market and provide new opportunities for NTH.
 
About NTH Consultants, Ltd.
NTH Consultants, Ltd. (NTH) has been providing professional engineering consulting services to the water, energy, transportation, industry, and community development markets since 1968. From a small, Detroit-based, geotechnical engineering firm, our company has grown significantly, providing a wide range of services in civil, geotechnical, environmental engineering, and facilities engineering. For more than 54 years, NTH has helped our clients address some of the most challenging and complex issues facing our environment today and provides innovative and creative approaches for each project it undertakes. NTH is constantly exploring new technologies and solutions that are safe, well-developed, and cost effective for its clients. NTH is headquartered in Northville, MI and serves its diverse client base from five offices throughout Michigan.  

The American Council of Engineering Companies of Michigan (ACEC/M) recently honored firms for engineering and surveying excellence during the association’s annual Engineering and Surveying Excellence Awards Gala. The ACEC/M Awards Program recognizes outstanding efforts of professional design firms to solve clients’ needs through exceptional projects and offers the opportunity to showcase the year’s best engineering and surveying achievements to an audience of peers, clients and decision makers at all levels. NTH received a Merit Award for Engineering at the award ceremony for their work on the "Landfill Leachate PFOA and PFOS Statewide Study" report. 

In 2019, Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) launched the Industrial Pretreatment Program (IPP) PFAS Initiative to identify, reduce, and eventually eliminate discharges of certain Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to surface from industrial sources (including landfill leachate) that may pass-through water resource recovery facilities (WRRF) and impact surface water resources. In response, the Michigan Waste and Recycling Association (MWRA) contracted NTH to conduct a first-in-the-nation, statewide study of PFAS in leachate from 32 member landfills discharging to multiple WRRFs s in Michigan. This important project was completed in collaboration with EGLE and the Michigan PFAS Response Action Team (MPART).

According to J. Kevin Kendall, President of MWRA, "the MWRA members believe that the work NTH provided was critical to understand the “PFAS cycle” to help identify all societal sources of PFAS that discharge to WRRFs (i.e., landfills, other industries, commercial operations, and residential properties). NTH also assisted in developing Best Management Practices to reduced concentration and mass of these “emerging contaminants” ultimately discharged to surface water resources."

NTH’s report is now being used as a model nationwide for similar statewide projects to expand knowledge of the impacts of PFOA and PFOS in landfill leachate on WWRF influent. 

In the past 20 years, the desire to improve safety and useability of roadways in communities has come to the forefront of all agencies, identified as Complete Streets. A Complete Street may include sidewalks, bike lanes (or wide paved shoulders), special bus lanes, comfortable and accessible public transportation stops, frequent and safe pedestrian crossing opportunities, median islands, accessible pedestrian signals, curb extensions, less or narrower travel lanes (with acceptable Level of Service maintained), roundabouts, and more. 

What does a Complete Street look like?
A Complete Street in a rural area will look quite different from a Complete Street in a highly urban area, but both are designed to balance safety and convenience for everyone using the road.  Every Complete Street Location is unique and responds to its community context

What are the benefits of Complete Streets?
Complete Streets make it easy to cross the street, walk to shops, jobs, and schools, bicycle to work, and move actively with assistive devices. They allow buses to run on time and make it safe for people to walk or move actively to and from train stations. They are designed and operated to prioritize safety, comfort, and access to destinations for all people who use the street, not just as originally planned in the past as routes for vehicles.

Why are we talking about Complete Streets?
In a new report submitted to Congress, the Federal Department of Transportation is aiming to prioritize the safety and health of multiple users of a typical 21st century roadway. With approximately one-third of U.S. traffic fatalities being people outside of vehicles (motorcyclists, bicyclists, pedestrians, etc.) the goal is to provide safe roadways and streets for these users such as riders of public transit, electric scooters, and even to Uber rideshare pickups and people delivering goods.

Recently (See Washington Post Article, Buttigieg tells states to consider safety for road projects), Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, has announced an initiative approved by President Joe Biden for Surface Transportation Infrastructure to do more than widen roads: The protection and safety of pedestrians and bicyclists will be considered in the allocation of Highway and related transportation funds. 

“A Complete Street is safe, and feels safe, for everyone using the street,” said Stephanie Pollack, the deputy head of the highway administration. “We can’t keep people safe on our roads if we don’t have safer roads and roads that slow down drivers to safe speeds and provide protection to the non-motorized vehicle users. (from the Washington Post Article, March 2, 2022). 

Will this impact State and Community Federal Funding?
Funding of Infrastructure is always a key concern for owners and users of transportation infrastructure. Over the past half-century, a partnership between the States (including Counties and Cities) and the Federal Government to provide funding for the safe, efficient, and reliable means of transportation, has been established through user fees and primarily taxes on the sale of gasoline and diesel fuel. The use of these funds for roads, bridges, public transit, and airports has always involved compliance with Federal Regulations and Laws about design of these facilities (loads, dimensions, materials, life-cycle costs) but has evolved to also include responsible stewardship of the environment, communities, and other associated elements beyond the traditional roadway infrastructure.

States and other entities have had to adapt their strategies and programs for their transportation infrastructure to comply with these newer “mandates” to remain eligible to receive funding or reimbursement for their projects. Projects such as bike paths and traffic roundabouts, enhanced sidewalks, pedestrian pathways to bus stops and transit lanes will be favored in the distribution of funds (per the Washington Post Article). This is a change from a longtime precedent by the states to direct federal money toward adding lanes to relieve congestion and speed motorized vehicle traffic flow, not necessarily focusing on other users or stakeholders in the communities living next to these busy roadways.

How can a community adapt to compete for the Federal funding for their roadway network while meeting Complete Street goals?
Communities and others who are seeking a portion of the Federal Highway Funding for their roadways need to strongly consider their projects with the Complete Streets directive firmly included in the overall Scope of Service.  Often, streets and roads designed over 50 or more years ago have seen significant changes, especially in an urban core, that would lend to the application of Complete Streets practices to their facilities. 

As an example, the City of Indianapolis recently reduced many of their one-way inner urban core streets which were often 6 lanes of traffic in a one-way configuration with parking lanes also in the mix, to 4 lanes of traffic and were able to use the other lanes to become dedicated, separate bicycle lanes and separate pedestrian sidewalks. This permitted more installation of rain gardens, landscaping features, lighting, protected crossing locations for pedestrians, mini-park settings with benches and a host of other desirable attributes for a “livable & workable” community. The combined investment by the City and other partners resulted in less traffic involved pedestrian accidents, no decrease in Level of Service for vehicular users, an increase in property values, and the desire for people to live in the downtown area that used to be sparsely populated. This is the potential result of incorporating Complete Streets practices in a community.

Let NTH help your community compete for this Federal funding!
Closer to home, NTH Consultants, Ltd. (NTH) partnered with an award-winning Landscape Architectural Design Firm to transform 1.3 miles of Livernois Avenue in the City of Detroit to a “Complete Streets” concept  improving pedestrian walkability, increasing bicycle access, and calming vehicular traffic flow on this portion of Livernois Avenue from Margareta Street to 8 Mile Road. Nicknamed the “Avenue of Fashion”, this areas’ original roadway was a 4-lane divided boulevard, configured as two lanes of traffic in each direction, separated by a concrete median and center-turn lane while posted for a moderately-high speed limit.

NTH was responsible for the preparation of the contract documents and specifications for the reconstruction of the entire corridor within the right-of-way limits. The scope of services included new roadway design (reduction of travel lanes), utility upgrades, widening of the existing sidewalks, and the addition of separated bicycle lanes. Maintenance of Traffic and Phasing with detours for the construction activities was also a key component of NTH’s design responsibility. This $17M construction project was complete from design to construction closeout in 2 years and received an Award of Merit for Engineering from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Michigan.

NTH has from our founding, worked on being current with the initiatives/ requirements our clients face on their operations and infrastructure.  Let us help with your infrastructure project!

Contact:
Philip Rasor, Jr., P.E.
Transportation Market Leader
517.702.2957
prasor@nthconsultants.com