Public Spaces
Rest Areas
New York

The LA Group is adept at providing attractive welcoming centers and rest areas sensibly designed for the traveling public, tourists, as well as commercial trucks and buses. Our designs focus on public safety by carefully integrating circulation control that is intuitive and easy to understand. The abundant use of indigenous plantings, picnic areas, meandering walkways and sitting areas provide a pleasant respite for the weary traveler. We work with a site’s natural features, the vernacular of the region, and the area’s history, culture, and ecology to help create a sense of place.

Our project team won three “Excellence in Highway Design Awards” from the Federal Highway Administration for our work at the following NYS Department of Transportation Rest Area facilities: Allegany River Rest Area Facility, the Rehabilitation of Two Rest Areas in the Adirondack Park, and the Chautaugua Lake Rest Area.

The LA Group has extensive permitting, environmental analysis, site design, and engineering experience with numerous government agencies, including the New York State Department of Transportation. We have managed and designed various Transportation Enhancement and Locally Administered Pass Thru Projects. The LA Group is well versed in the various factors and considerations associated with creating an inviting and safe public space environment: including pedestrian and vehicular circulation; lighting; sidewalks and curbing; traffic signalization; parking facilities; landscaping; amenities; signage, etc.

We also are intimately familiar with the coordination of SEQRA, NEPA, and the many aspects of environmental and regulatory permitting. Our firm has performed extensive environmental assessment studies, designed alternative routes, performed viewshed analyses, successfully prepared permit, SEQRA and other approval applications, delineated wetlands and designed mitigation wetlands, identified plant and animal habitats, provided right-of-way management plans and turf management programs using computer modeling, and identified and tested soils.