Photograph of riders on CATS LYNX light rail in Charlotte, NC
Riders on CATS LYNX light rail in Charlotte

Three Oaks knows there is no one-size-fits-all approach to transit planning.

We understand from our decades of planning experience that each community is unique. Transit planning solutions must address the distinctive transportation needs, mobility goals, and values of the community.

Our team of planning and engineering professionals work with our clients to develop a tailored approach that achieves project goals, reflects community values, and meets client expectations.

people waiting for buses at GoDurham station
Buses at GoDurham Station

Three Oaks offers a wide range of transit planning services, including:

Environmental Planning

GoDurham route 12 bus with bike on front
GoDurham bus

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) / State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) documentation and compliance

  • Categorical Exclusion (CE) / Documented CE (DCE)
  • Environmental Assessment (EA)
  • Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
  • FTA Re-evaluation Checklists
  • Supplemental environmental documentation
  • NEPA Streamlining

Resource-related environmental technical analyses:

  • Traffic Analysis
  • Visual Impact Assessments
  • Community Impact Analysis
  • Environmental Justice Analyses
  • Public Parklands
  • Section 4(f) / Section 6(f)
  • Natural Systems and Aquatic Resources
  • Agency coordination and consultation

Transit Planning

CATS LYNX light rail train at 7th Street Station in Charlotte, NC
CATS LYNX light rail train at 7th Street Station in Charlotte, NC

Short, mid-range, and long-range planning documents

  • Countywide transit plans / short-range system-level plans
  • Corridor studies / feasibility studies
  • Alternatives Analysis
  • NEPA Analyses
  • Long Range Planning Studies
  • Transit station area planning

Transit operations – service development and facility planning

  • Route-level planning
  • Bus-rail integration planning
  • Bus stop inventories
  • Bus stop and rail station access review

Survey Design

  • Origin-destination intercept survey design
  • Transit preference survey design

Title VI and Environmental Justice analyses

bus for GoRaleigh
GoRaleigh bus

Policy Analysis and FTA Transit Grant Programs

  • Agency peer reviews
  • Industry best practices
  • Transit policy analysis
  • Grant proposal development
  • FTA transit programs
Pop-up outreach event with Spanish translation support
Spanish translation support at pop-up outreach event

Public Involvement & Community Engagement

  • Public involvement plans
  • Equitable engagement plans
  • Community engagement and public outreach
  • Physically-distanced outreach and virtual-based outreach
  • Limited English Proficient (LEP) plans and language-focused outreach
  • Spanish translation and interpretation
Outreach at bus stop handing out flyers and talking to riders
Outreach at bus stop, handing out flyers and talking to riders

Recent Project Examples

GoDurham route 12 bus with bike on front

GoDurham Better Bus Project

Durham, North Carolina The City of Durham Transportation Department seeks to evaluate transit access and service issues along GoDurham bus… Continue Reading

Assistance at an outreach event

Wake Bus Rapid Transit (BRT): New Bern Avenue BRT Project

Raleigh, North Carolina The City of Raleigh proposes to add 5.1 miles of BRT service along New Bern Avenue to… Continue Reading

cover of report on CATS Lynx project

Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS): Silver Line Light Rail Project

Charlotte, North Carolina CATS proposes to add approximately 26 miles of light rail service between the City of Belmont, Uptown… Continue Reading