Kevin Dooley Turns Transportation into an Art Form
January, 2021
Transportation to many is simply the process of getting from one place to another. However, for the growing transportation team in Otak’s Colorado office, it is much more. Creatively combining the perceptions of “what is known” and “what could be” these engineers and designers turn standard transportation designs into engineering wonders.
One individual bringing exceptional creativity and technical know-how to the transportation group is Kevin Dooley, senior project engineer, and project manager. Kevin has spent about 12 years with Otak, although he took a year away to give life on the east coast a try. Despite his exodus from the west and Otak, he has been welcomed back with open arms.
“Kevin’s choice to return to Otak was hugely beneficial for the company for a number of reasons,” Chris Bisio, regional manager for Otak’s Colorado office explains. “First, as a seasoned Otakian, he was familiar with Otak, our people, clients, and culture, making his return and reintegration into the team seamless. Second, Kevin is an outstanding transportation/civil engineer with an uncanny ability to quickly engage in a project and figure out exactly what needs to be done. Kevin’s departure left a big hole in our Transportation Engineering Group that could only be filled by… Kevin! Otak is stronger with an engineer and person of Kevin’s caliber.”
Kevin breaks the mold of the engineer who carries a slide rule and calculator in his pocket and can’t see beyond the numbers. His co-workers call him a “renaissance man” who fishes and rafts, then turns around and breaks out his guitar or banjo. He can be counted on to know what music event is happening at any given time and if he can’t find music, he plays it.
That artistic aptitude and passion for the outdoors is something Kevin brings to all of his projects and something he says he is free to do in working for Otak. “We don’t work on run-of-the-mill transportation projects,” he asserts, adding that “none of us are typical engineers as we’re thought of. We think outside the box, pay close attention to aesthetics, and come up with cool ideas because we love what we do. We use the trails we design so we’re invested in making sure they come out great.”
A background in construction management where he was in the field daily, seeing firsthand how things were built, has given him a strong understanding of how contractors think and interpret plans. This understanding guides his approach to design and enables him to relate well to the people who put his plans to the pavement.
He’s currently working on two projects that allow him to help beautify areas he frequents. The first is the Paepcke Transit Hub Project in Aspen, CO. that includes an updated bus shelter, more accessibility for pedestrians, and safety and drainage improvements. Otak is the project lead working with a large team in a tight urban corridor with a design and character that is vehemently protected by the community. Extensive public outreach has been required to ensure all opinions were heard and the end result will be a source of community pride. Kevin sees the project as adding beauty to the area and loves that he gets to see Otak’s handiwork when he’s around town.
Kevin is also project manager for the 30th Street and Colorado Avenue Underpass project for the City of Boulder, CO. which has just gone under construction. It’s a double underpass for the nearly 1,500 pedestrians and bicycles that use the intersection daily. The project will provide safety, accessibility, mobility, and drainage improvements to the community of Boulder and students at the University of Colorado. “It’s a once in a lifetime project. There just won’t ever be another project like this,” he commented.
However, with Kevin’s creativity and passion for designing unique, fully functional, and beautiful transportation corridors, he may be wrong that he’s already experienced his “once in a lifetime” project. As Otak continues to grow, Kevin will further cement himself as a foundational building block for the Colorado transportation team.