Scott O. Kuznicki , P.E.

Scott O. Kuznicki, P.E., is a business strategy leader, technical facilitator, and project manager with extensive experience developing and deploying transportation infrastructure, mobility, logistics, and energy sustainability solutions. He is a traffic operations and safety engineer, human factors scientist, and transportation technology research and policy luminary. He leads collaborative efforts spanning the mobility revolution, successfully working with colleagues in corporate, managerial, and development roles to drive engagement from the infrastructure, automotive, technology, policy, and venture capital spaces.

His work with the ACES Northwest Network spurred the growth of the organization's reach and influence. Now, through the Transportation Future Program at the Discovery Institute in Seattle, Scott currently serves as the program's chief executive, planning and delivering events, conducting outreach, engaging with donors, and directing the administration of the program's budget. Scott has led cross-functional teams at all levels, including policy development, planning, design, construction, and operations. His management skillset includes employee development including personal mentoring and strategies addressing successful retention and professional growth.

Scott's comprehensive knowledge of all aspects of transportation system management and operations has led to internationally-recognized expertise in vehicle-highway automation and machine vision system interactions, including invited speaking engagements with the International Road Federation and the global Automated Vehicles Symposium. He is considered a leading expert in the development, design, fabrication, installation, maintenance, and evaluation of traffic control devices. Scott commands extensive experience and credibility in the design of motorway signing, pavement marking design, and the application of traffic control devices in conjunction with human factors analysis. His broad expertise is an asset to clients around the globe and he is a vital partner in the ongoing work of numerous transportation policy and research organizations.

His areas of expertise include

  • Traffic Engineering Design and Operations
    • guide sign design, software training, and policy development
    • pavement marking standards and design
    • traffic operations for motorways and arterials
    • traffic calming and neighborhood-area planning
  • Emerging Mobility and Transportation Energy
    • new mobility services, with particular emphasis on leveraging private capital
    • behavioral human factors in transportation mode choice and vehicle operation
    • physiological and functional human factors, addressing capabilities and limitations
    • machine vision interactions with infrastructure for self-driving transportation systems
    • autonomous shuttle planning and vehicle characteristics
    • autonomous shuttle integration on public roadways
    • electric vehicle characteristics, systems, and conversion
    • battery storage systems and grid integration
  • Policy and Regulatory Affairs
    • policy development for public law, CFR, and State and local administrative codes
    • policy development for mobility services and cooperative/automated transportation
    • policy development for funding of transportation improvements, public transit, and mobility services

Building on experience in these areas of expertise, Scott has developed new practice areas in transportation engineering, including non-monetary pricing of transportation capacity, the Consistency Principle for the evaluation of traffic control device placement and use, and a framework for road assessment systems for self-driving transportation. He developed the Mobility Marketplaces concept in 2018 during the course of conducting global scan tours during several self-directed sabbaticals. Scott is also working with colleagues in the industry to deliver new technologies that promise to revolutionize the use of deprecated electric vehicle propulsion batteries.

Scott is currently the President and Managing Engineer at Modern Traffic Consultants, where he specializes in private client practice and assisting public agencies with difficult urban design and planning work. Scott's 25 years of professional experience in transportation engineering and project management work includes both public sector employee and consulting appointments, leading to relationships throughout multiple industries and in the academic sector. His academic experience includes the ongoing position of Adjunct Lecturer in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Departments at both the University of Washington in Seattle and the University of Wisconsin - Platteville, his alma mater. He is a member of the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and serves the Transportation Research Board and Institute of Transportation Engineers through multiple committee appointments and task force roles.

Interested in Scott's work experience, education, and specific recent project accomplishments? Download his general professional résumé (PDF, 189 KB), which references this professional curriculum vitae (What is this?), outlined in detail below.




Positions
Certifications
Publications
Lecture Courses
Presentations
Professional Activities
University Activities
Projects



Current Positions

President and Managing Engineer
Modern Traffic Consultants
Transportation Futures Program Director
Discovery Institute
Associate Director
ACES Northwest Network
Founder
International Motorway Association
Adjunct Lecturer
University of Washington
Co-Founder and CEO
Battery Renewal Systems
Lead Instructor, Course Development
Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium
PacTrans Workforce Development Institute
Chief Pilot
Green Hippo Drones



Certifications

  • Registered Professional Engineer
    • Wisconsin (6-38377)
    • Washington State (43074)
  • Washington State Commercial Driver's License with current DOT Medical Card
  • FAA Private Pilot Certificate
    • Airplane Single-Engine Land
    • Instrument Rating
    • G1000 and Turbo qualified (Civil Air Patrol)
    • Cirrus Certified
    • Third-Class FAA Medical Certificate
  • FAA Unmanned Aerial Systems Remote Pilot Certificate
  • FAA Advanced Ground Instructor Certificate (PENDING)
  • Certified Instructor, National Highway Institute



Publications

  • Katz, B., Kuznicki, S., Tantillo, M., (editors) Journal of Traffic Control Device Research.
    National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. Phoenix, Arizona, January 2023.
  • Kuznicki, S. Six Years of Reading the Road Ahead: Supporting Roadway Automation with Traffic Control Devices.
    Road Vehicle Automation 9, Lecture Notes in Mobility. Springer Press. Switzerland, 10 July 2022.
  • Kuznicki, S. and Harmsworth, M. Mobility Marketplaces
    Everett Herald. Everett, WA, 25 November 2018.
  • Kuznicki, S. Using Gamification to Provide Transport Behavior Incentives.
    State of Transportation Planning. American Planning Association, Chicago, IL, July 2018.
  • Hamood, F., Kuznicki, S., Perry, L. Ramp Terminal Crosswalk for San Diego Airport, Terminal 1.
    Proceedings of the Western District Meeting of the ITE. San Diego, CA, June 2017.
  • Katz, B., Kuznicki, S., Miller, S., Kehoe, N., Jackson, S. Enhancing Safety and Operations in Complex Interchanges Final Project Report.
    Publication FHWA-HRT-17-048. FHWA, Washington, DC, 2017.
  • Katz, B., Kissner, E., Kuznicki, S., Shurbutt, J. Evaluation and Recommendations for Design Consistency of Guide Signs.
    Paper 17-04477, Proceedings of the 96th Annual Meeting of the TRB. Washington, DC, 2017.
  • Kuznicki, S., Katz, B., Shurbutt, J., Kehoe, N., Cobb, D. Using Unmanned Aerial Systems in Transportation Operations Research.
    Paper 17-00709, Submitted for the 96th Annual Meeting of the TRB. Washington, DC, 2017.
  • Katz, B., Kuznicki, S., Kissner, E. Designing for People: Unlocking Human Behavior to Build a Better Transportation System.
    ITE Journal. Part 2 of 2, August 2016.
  • Miller, S., Kuznicki, S. Designing for People: Unlocking Human Behavior to Build a Better Transportation System.
    ITE Journal. Part 1 of 2, May 2016.
  • Kuznicki, S., Ibarguen, B., Symoun, J., Pavao, P. Highway Safety Improvement Program Final Report.
    FHWA-SA-16-024, Washington, DC, April 2016.
  • Kuznicki, S. and Katz, B. Designing for Consistency: Matching Applications to Scenarios in the Use of Traffic Control Devices / Signing.
    Paper 163 (Slides), Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Highway Geometric Design. Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2015.
  • Kuznicki, S. and Katz, B. Designing for Consistency: Matching Applications to Scenarios in the Use of Traffic Control Devices / Pavement Markings.
    Paper 164 (Poster), Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Highway Geometric Design. Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2015.
  • Kuznicki, S. and Avery, R. Database-Driven Implementation for Future Editions of the MUTCD.
    Paper 14-0448, Proceedings of the 93rd Annual Meeting of the TRB. Washington, DC, 2014.
    Presented at the 93rd Annual Meeting of the TRB
    Presented at the July 2014 Joint Meeting of the Western and Midwestern Districts of ITE
    Presented at the January 2015 meeting of the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
  • Kuznicki, S. Getting Around to Signing.
    Roundabouts Now. Richmond, BC, April 2012.



Lecture Courses

  • Kuznicki, S., Understanding and Applying the MUTCD (Course Syllabus)
    PacTrans University Transportation Center, Workforce Development Institute, Seattle, Washington, April 2021 (initial offering).
  • Kuznicki, S., Traffic Engineering Fundamentals (CEE 410) (Student Guide Course Offerings)
    University of Washington, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Seattle, Washington, Winter 2023.
  • Kuznicki, S., Transportation Capstone (CEE 441) (Student Guide Course Offerings)
    University of Washington, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Seattle, Washington, Winter 2023.



Presentations

  • Kuznicki, S., The Future of Transportation Safety (Cascadia Center)
    Discovery Institute at T-Mobile 5G Hub, Bellevue, Washington, 14 November 2023.
  • Kuznicki, S., Keynote Presentation and Keynote Panel (Highways USA)
    Presented at Highways USA, Dallas, Texas, 4 October 2023.
  • Kuznicki, S., ACES Research Report: Washington State EV Charging Network for Heavy Vehicles (TVW Recording)
    Presented to the Washington State Transportation Commission, 19 July 2022.
  • Kuznicki, S., Pishue, B. ACES Research Report: Puget Sound Travel Trends. (Slides)
    Presented at The Future of Commuting, an ACES Northwest Network Seminar Series Event
  • Kuznicki, S., Corbin, J., Carlson P. Reading the Road Ahead: Global Efforts Toward Assessing Infrastructure's Ability to Support ADAS and HAV Operations
    Organizing and Presiding Officer, Workshop Session (4 hours), Automated Vehicles Symposium #AVS20, AUVSI and TRB. San Diego, CA, July 2020.
  • Kuznicki, S. Using Gamification to Provide Transport Behavior Incentives.
    Presented at the Joint Western and Mountain Districts Annual Meeting of the Institute of Transportation Engineers. Honolulu, HI, June 2020.
  • Kuznicki, S. Road Assessment System for Self-Driving Transport (Annotated Slides)
    Presented at the 26th Annual Intelligent Transportation Society World Congress of ITS-International. Singapore, 22 October 2019.
  • Kuznicki, S. Reading the Road Ahead: The Automated Vehicles Symposium's Machine Vision Research Perspective on Infrastructure Readiness. (Slides)
    Presented at the International Symposium on Traffic Signs and Pavement Markings of the International Road Federation. University of Zagreb, Croatia, 4 October 2019.
  • Kuznicki, S. Using Gamification to Provide Transport Behavior Incentives.
    Presented at the Transportation and Communities Summit of the Transportation Education and Research Center at Portland State University. Portland, OR, 19 September 2019.
  • Kuznicki, S., Smith, K., Carlson P., Chrysler, S. Reading the Road Ahead: Preparing Infrastructure for ADAS and High Automation (Lead Presentation, Agenda)
    Organizing and Presiding Officer, Workshop Session (4 hours), Automated Vehicles Symposium #AVS19, AUVSI and TRB. Orlando, FL, 16 July 2019.
  • Kuznicki, S. Launch Pad with Rob Coneybeer on SiriusXM 132, Wharton Business Radio, Seattle, Washington, 10 July 2019
  • Kuznicki, S., Agnew B., Marshall, S. ACES Northwest Network Signature Event: Lawrence Burns, Author of Autonomy.
    Event Organizer and Host. Bellevue, Washington, April 2019.
  • Kuznicki, S. Charting a Course for Sustainable Transportation in the Pacific Northwest
    Presented at the Beyond Initiative 1631 Conference of the Low-Carbon Prosperity Institute. Mercer Island, WA, 28 November 2018.
  • Kuznicki, S. Ambiguous Infrastructure: Using First-Order Logic Models to Ensure Consistent Applications of Traffic Control Devices.
    Proceedings of the European Road Conference, Special Session on Traffic Signs & Pavement Markings: International State of the Art on Policies & Research. Dubrovnik, Croatia, October 2018.
  • Kuznicki, S., Watson, B. Reading the Road Ahead: Infrastructure Readiness.
    Organizing and Presiding Officer, Workshop Session (4 hours), Automated Vehicles Symposium #AVS18, AUVSI and TRB. San Francisco, CA, July 2018.
  • Kuznicki, S., Agnew B. ACES Northwest Network Community Forum: Autonomous Shuttles for Local Mobility.
    Event Organizer and Host, Mercer Island, Washington, October 2017.
  • Kuznicki, S., Agnew B. Cascadia Innovation: The I-5 Autonomous Vehicles Corridor
    Invited Presenter, Washington State Transportation Commission, Olympia, Washington, October 17th, 2017.
  • Kuznicki, S. Reading the Road Ahead: Infrastructure Readiness.
    Organizing Official and Presiding Officer, Workshop Session (4 hours), Automated Vehicles Symposium 2017, AUVSI and TRB. San Francisco, CA, July 2017.
  • Kuznicki, S. Ambiguous Infrastructure: When Signing and Pavement Markings Don't Make Sense to Drivers or Machines.
    Presentation Session, Automated Vehicles Symposium, AUVSI and TRB. San Francisco, CA, 2016.
  • Kuznicki, S. Rural Road Safety Research: Practical Applications.
    Organizing Official and Presiding Officer, Session 516, 96th Annual Meeting of the TRB. Washington, DC, January 2017.
  • Kuznicki, S., Giancola, A. Rural Road Safety Research: Practical Applications.
    Organizing Official and Presiding Officer, Session 211, 95th Annual Meeting of the TRB. Washington, DC, January 2016.
  • Kuznicki, S. Evaluating Pavement Marking and Signing Characteristics and Asset Management Approach for Traffic Sign Maintenance.
    Presiding Officer, Session 261, 90th Annual Meeting of the TRB. Washington, DC, 2011.
  • Kuznicki, S. Challenges in Design, Selection, and Placement of Traffic Control Devices.
    TRB Human Factors Workshop Series. Workshop Organizer and Chair, 89th Annual Meeting of the TRB, January 2010
  • Kuznicki, S. Signing of Option Lanes on Freeways and Expressways.
    Presented at the 89th Annual Meeting of the TRB to the Traffic Control Devices Committee (AHB50), January 2010 (updated 2014)



Professional and Civic Activities

Transportation Research Board
Individual Affiliate
  • Member, Traffic Control Devices Committee (ACP 50)
  • Member, Subcommittee on Signing and Marking Materials
  • Member, Joint Sub-Committee on Rural Road Safety
    Policy, Programming, and Implementation
  • Friend, Committee on Vehicle-Highway Automation (ACP30)
  • Friend, Operational Effects of Geometric Design Committee (AHB65)
  • Invited Presenter, European Road Conference (in association with TRB)
Institute of Transportation Engineers
Fellow of the Insititute
  • Graduate of the 2015 LeadershipITE program
  • Executive Board Member, Transportation Forensics and Risk Management Council
  • Member of the Advocacy Committee
  • Member of Traffic Engineering Council
  • formerly Scribe of Washington Section (2015-2017)
  • formerly Treasurer of UW-Platteville Chapter of ITE (1997-2000)
National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
Council Delegate
  • Technical Member, Regulatory and Warning Signs Technical Committee
  • Member, Research Committee
  • Member and Co-Chair, Joint Task Force on Automated Vehicles
  • Member, Toll and Managed Lanes Task Force
  • Member, All-Electronic Tolling (AET) Task Force
  • Member, Pedestrian Task Force
  • Liaison to the Committees of the Transportation Research Board
American Society of Civil Engineers
Member
Civil Air Patrol
Retired Commander of the Renton Composite Squadron
  • Air Force-certified Mission Pilot, Mission Observer, Mission Scanner
  • Cadet Orientation Pilot and AFJROTC Orientation Pilot
  • Certified in National Incident Management System (NIMS)
  • Mission Staff Assistant for Incident Command Systems (ICS)
  • Former Assignments
    • Assistant Washington Wing Director of Operations
    • Aerospace Education Officer, Renton Composite Squadron
    • Operations Officer, Renton Composite Squadron
    • Former Public Affairs Officer, Sioux Falls Composite Squadron



University Lecture Activities

University of Washington
Adjunct Lecturer
University of Wisconsin — Platteville
Invited Lecturer (Annual Series)
University of Belgrade in Serbia
Invited Lecturer



Projects and Programs

Scott's experience as a task manager, project manager, and program manager includes work on projects for numerous clients and long-term relationships with several public agencies and private-sector clients. In the list below, an asterisk (*) indicates that Scott held a leadership role on a project and most leadership roles involved serving as the project manager.

General Project List
  • Contracted NHI Instructor for Introducing Human Factors in Roadway Design and Operations*
  • Contracted NHI Instructor for Signing and Marking for Complex Freeway Interchanges*
  • Regional Airport Baseline Study* (Puget Sound Regional Council, Seattle, WA)
  • SR 85 Bus Rapid Transit Planning Study* (Valley Transportation Authority, San Jose, CA)
  • Greater Amman Municipality Smart Cities Plan* (Amman, Jordan)
  • Qatar Parking Master Plan* (Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Doha, Qatar)
  • Mobility for the Future: ACES Northwest Network 2018 Strategic Plan* (Discovery Institute, Seattle, WA)
  • Congestion Trends Reports for New York City, San Francisco, and Chicago* (Lyft, San Francisco, CA)
  • Electric Bus Vehicle Needs Analysis* (Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Port of Seattle)
  • Honolulu Light Rail Transit Program *(City and County of Honolulu, Hawai'i)
  • Sounder Commuter Rail Extension, D St to M St in Tacoma* (Sound Transit, Seattle, WA)
  • I-75/575 Express Lanes Interchange Justification Report and Signing Plan (Georgia Department of Transportation, Atlanta, GA)
  • Guidance for Development and Management of Sustainable Enterprise Information Portals (Report 865, NCHRP 20-103)

Private Client Practice
  • Bellevue Connection: Autonomous Shuttles for Local Mobility
  • Future of Mobility in San Francisco
  • Indiana Toll Road Truck Traffic Study
  • Market for AV Shuttles

Expert Witness Practice Areas
  • Intersection Analysis
  • Uniform and State Vehicle Code Analysis
  • Sign and Monument Code Analysis
  • MUTCD and Tort Liability
  • Agency Policy Review
  • Motorcycle Safety and Operations
  • Mitigation for Multi-Modal Projects

Federal Highway Administration (Washington, DC, USA)
  • Highway Safety Improvement Program Scan Tour (Office of Safety)
  • Enhancing Safety and Operations in Complex Interchanges (Office of Operations Research and Development)

Roads and Transport Authority (Dubai, UAE)
  • Enterprise Command and Control Center (Subject Matter Expert)
  • Dubai Taxi Operations and Control Center (Assistant Project Manager)
  • Sheikh Zayed Road Congestion Management Strategies (Project Manager)
  • Smart Parking Project (Construction Documentation Engineer)
  • Smart Parking Management Project (Conceptual Report Author)

Washington State Department of Transportation
  • Preparing for Cooperative Autonomous Transportation (Project Manager and Report Author)
  • SR 99 Tunnel Request for Proposals (Senior Reviewer)
  • Active Traffic Management Program Concept of Operations (Lead Traffic Engineer)
  • I-405 Renton Design-Build (Work Zone Design Manager)
  • Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Program (Program Lead Traffic Engineer)
    • Waterfront Scope Development
    • Holgate to King Street, Phase II
    • Holgate to King Street, Phase I
    • Battery Street Tunnel Retrofit
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Early Utilities Relocation (Design Engineer)
    • Transit Mitigation Program
    • Tunnel Signing Technical Memorandum, Signing (Lead Author)
  • General Engineering , Toll Division (Subject Matter Expert)
  • SR 202 at SR 520 Direct Access and HOV Project (Traffic Designer)

City of Mercer Island
  • Sound Transit Bus Intercept Concepts Evaluation (Expert Consultant)
  • Light Rail Mitigation Planning and Community Transportation Safety Analysis (Project Manager)
  • City of Mercer Island vs. Sound Transit (Expert for Harrigan Leyh Farmer & Thomsen, Seattle, WA)

City of Seattle
  • Madison Street Bus Rapid Transit Design (Senior Reviewer)
  • Delridge Way Bus Rapid Transit Design (Senior Reviewer)
  • Adaptive Traffic Signal Program, Mercer Street Corridor
  • Transit Mitigation Projects and Cost Estimation (Traffic Engineer)
  • Transit Speed and Reliability for Metro RapidRide Planning (Traffic Engineer)
  • Bicycle Master Plan (Contributing Author, Editor)

Illinois Department of Transportation
  • Kingery Expressway Reconstruction Program (Plan Review, Alternative Technical Concepts)
  • Dan Ryan Expressway Reconstruction Program (Pavement Marking Design, Plan Review)
  • I-290 Expansion Project, Schaumburg (Traffic Signing Design)
  • Illinois Route 1 at Crete-Monee Rd Intersection Reconstruction (Traffic Signal Design)
  • Illinois Route 126 Rehabilitation (Contract Plans Project Manager)
  • Pavement Patching and Bridge Patching Contracts (Contract Plans Project Manager)
  • Bridge Inspection and Asset Management Program (Bridge Inspector, Data Management)
  • Asset Management for Signing, Pavement Markings (Data Collection, Data Management, Planning)
  • Signing and Pavement Marking Maintenance Program (Field Engineering, Work Orders, QA)



CONTACT Scott via electronic mail using sk AT moderntrafficconsultants.com

This page is © 2019-2008, Scott O. Kuznicki, P.E.