The Road Less Traveled

The Road Less Traveled
Working with rural communities, we understand the need for cost-effective approaches to address transportation analysis requirements while complying with legal and technical expectations, such as the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Recent CEQA changes have expanded expectations for transportation analysis related to wildfire evacuation and vehicle miles of travel (VMT). These are challenging subjects to analyze for any agency, and even more so, for those without advanced data, the models needed, or the specialized expertise to apply them.
So, how can rural agencies close the gap between the new transportation planning expectations and their resource reality?
Fehr & Peers aims to remove the anxiety and complexity from the analysis, and instead offer simple, effective, and scalable solutions for practitioners working in rural communities. As such, we have prepared the following cost-effective web resources for rural planning.
Evacuation Analysis
Wildfire Evacuation Impact Checklist
Description | Beginning with a straightforward checklist, this resource hones in on the most critical questions and evidence needed for an evacuation analysis. |
Cost | Free |
Set Up Time | Ready for immediate use |
Agency Investment | Typically 2-4 hours of staff time |
VMT Analysis
VMTIndex
Description | This ArcGIS map-based tool finds VMT for community or project scale impact screenings and assessments using big data from Fehr & Peers/StreetLight. |
Cost | Free |
Set Up Time | Ready for immediate use |
Agency Investment | Typically 2-4 hours of staff time |
To get started, reach out to our experts below.
share this article
Contributors
Ian Barnes
Principal
PE
Email Me
Jason Pack
Principal
TE
Email Me
Ron Milam
Forecasting Practice Leader
AICP, PTP
Email Me
Chelsea Richer
Principal
AICP
Email Me
Explore More
Hugh Louch Joins Fehr & Peers as a Principal
Based in our Oakland office, Hugh brings decades of experience in transportation safety and systems planning.
2025 Staff Promotions
We’re excited to recognize our team members who were promoted in 2025. Thank you for all you do!
Join Us at ITE Western 2025 | June 29-July 2
We are looking forward to joining peers across the region at the 2025 ITE Western District Annual Meeting to share ideas, practical tools, and approaches that support safer, more inclusive transportation systems.