transportation/civil engineer reading suggestion

[HDGE]

I have been a transportation/civil engineer for 8 years and was lucky to have a very good training and work experience. I would like to take my knowledge to the next level with some serious learning. I would like to get some advices/suggestions/ideas on the best manuals/standards/guides/papers that you know of and would get your hands on earlier in your career in the areas below (also anything else you think would complement them well and make one a great transportation/civil engineer). I appreciate your time and help!
Both design and operation on: Roadway, pedestrian, hydraulics, site, traffic, mass transit, rail, ITS, project management

Thanks!

 

[ACtrafficengr]

This may seem odd, but start with The Design of Everyday Things by Norman. This engaging book should be mandatory reading for any engineer that designs anything that is used directly by people, whether it is a street or a suitcase.

My other suggestions would be Inviting Disaster by Chiles, and The Tower and the Bridge by Billington. Chuck Marohn's Strong Towns blog has some interesting and challenging ideas on transportation economics.

My first two suggestions will prepare you for the Highway Safety Manual. It's an emerging area of road and street design that hopefully will become an important part of the practice. Like the Highway Capacity Manual, it uses roadway geometrics to predict highway performance, only it predicts safety. Hopefully, this will counterbalance the emnphasis on roadway capacity and delay that has resulted in a lot of dangerous streets. The only problem is it's an AASHTO product with the corresponding AASHTO prices.

The NCHRP 500 reports are sort of an early version of the HSM that can be downloaded free, and the Interactive Highway Safety Design Model (IHSDM) is a computer program that implements the HSM, and that is free.

Measuring the Street: New Metrics for 21st Century Streets is another interesting viewpoint.

 

[HDGE]

Thank you ACtrafficengr! Appreciate it.