48 | Mass Transit | MassTransitmag.com | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018
modes (light rail, heavy commuter rail
and express bus systems) were not always
consistent with how the facilities
and systems were designed and constructed.
Th ese inconsistencies resulted
in ineffi ciencies and signifi cantly higher
operations and maintenance costs.
Seeking to bridge the gap, he assumed
a role within our operations department
serving as a conduit between our design
and construction and our operations and
maintenance teams.
comprehensive coordination with the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the alternatives
analysis and completion of the
environmental impact statement; managing
the design of the rapid bus alternative;
managing eff orts, including operational
plan for rail, rapid bus, and intercity bus
alternatives; and managing eff orts with
the program management and construction
management (PM/CM) contract.
Her diverse capabilities span beyond
planning and engineer design into alternative
delivery methods, as well. She
recently led an eff ort to package a commuter
rail station project for alternative
delivery, a project which would have
been a traditional design-bid-build for
the Pawtucket/Central Falls Commuter
Rail project in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
JUSTIN UMAGAT HAS MORE THAN
seven years’ experience in mechanical,
electrical, plumbing, control systems
and fi re protection engineering. Early in
his career, he was responsible for creating
calculations, specifi cations and designs
for high-performance buildings in the
both the private and public sectors. He
embraced the use of technology, including
the implementation and development
of building information models (BIM)
that digitally represented the physical and
functional characteristics of buildings.
One of his key contributions was on
the 14-mile East Link light rail extension.
Umagat recognized that a critical
smoke control permit, required by the
by one of four cities along the alignment
to downtown Bellevue had not
been acquired. Th is permit, issued by
the Bellevue Fire and Permitting Departments,
documents that the tunnel
emergency ventilation system, adjacent
station smoke control system designs,
and integrated test plans met jurisdictional
code requirements.
In 2017, Umagat realized that the
requirements for operating its various
NATASHA VELICKOVIC BEGAN HER
career at VHB as an intern and transferred
to the Transit & Rail group with
almost no rail or transit experience.
Th rough her drive and passion for her
projects, as well as her commitment to
her clients, she rose to manage projects
within a few short years. She now is a celebrated
thought leader instrumental in
growing the VHB transit practice.
Velickovic’s passion for the transit and
rail industry stems in large part from her
belief in providing opportunities for the
undeserved communities where she helps
build new transit connections.
Velickovic has managed complex
transportation projects for clients, including
the Massachusetts Department
of Transportation (MassDOT), Massachusetts
Bay Transportation Authority
(MBTA), Northern New England Passenger
Rail Authority (NNEPRA), and
the Rhode Island Department of Transportation
(RIDOT).
On the MassDOT/MBTA South Coast
Commuter Rail project, Velickovic has
served diverse roles in the planning
and engineering eff orts, including:
Fact:
Umagat is a
tremendous
asset in Sound
Transit’s intern
program, giving
freely of his time
to mentor interns
considering a
career in transit.
MassTransitmag.
com/12424835
“Working in public transit has provided me
with the unique ability to work with people from a
variety of sectors, industries and backgrounds — design
consultants, contractors, urban planners, maintenance
and operations staff, fire departments, city permitting
officials, and government relations to name a few. With
that said, working with such a diverse groups has given the
opportunity to hone my communicative skills. Whether its
negotiating the operations and maintenance agreements
for projects sites to be built or working with local fire
departments to obtain a smoke control permit, one must
know their audience, be effective commutators and
harness the power of influence in order to be effective.”
Fact:
Velickovic was
named one of
the Engineering
News-Record
New England’s
Top Young
Professionals in
2014. In 2013, she
was listed in the
Boston Business
Journal’s 40
Under 40.
MassTransitmag.
com/12424874
Velickovic is an active participant with the
American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) where
she served as co-chair of ACEC Programs Committee for
three years. Velickovic also contributed a chapter in the ACEC
sourcebook, “P3: Public-Private Partnerships and Design-
Build: Opportunities and Risks for Consulting Engineers.”
Justin Umagat
LEED AP BD+C,
DBIA Associate
Project Manager
- Design Review
Lead and
Capital Project
Management
Sound Transit
Natasha
Velickovic, P.E.
Principal
VHB
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