Our Team

Cross-trained engineers for every project

We believe that smart, error-free deliverables are non-negotiable. That’s why each member of the PY team is cross-trained to provide multiple traffic and transportation services, giving us a big-picture perspective of project designs, potential challenges, and solutions. And with over 30 staff members, we have the capacity to deliver both small and large projects with tailored solutions. Our key staff, highlighted below, are responsible for managing operations, projects, and junior staff members.

Dow Peters, PE

President

Dow is a Principal Roadway Engineer with a wide range of experience managing transportation projects for FDOT and other local agencies. This includes PD&E studies, horizontal and vertical geometrics, conceptual interchange design, utility coordination, roadway lighting design, and project cost estimating. He is FDOT certified in specification development preparation, Long Range Estimating (LRE), and advanced Maintenance of Traffic (MOT). In addition, Dow has experience reviewing and analyzing crash data to determine the safety benefits of proposed roadway lighting systems.

Years of Experience | Since 1998
Education | B.S., Civil Engineering, University of Florida

Russell Yaffee, PE, PTOE

vice President

Russell is a Principal Traffic Engineer with experience in both the public and private sectors. This includes the preparation of traffic impact studies, level of service analysis, signal design, signing and pavement marking design, and parking lot layout and design. Russell has a passion for safety and in recent years has shifted his focus to vulnerable road users through the design and implementation of Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB’s), Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons (PHB’s) and Mid-Block Traffic Signals. Additionally, Russell is a member of the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (NCUTCD), serving on the guide sign and motorist information technical sub-committee.

Years of Experience | Since 1991
Education | B.S., Civil Engineering, Tulane University

Sam Kadi, PE

traffic DEPARTMENT MANAGER

Sam has extensive experience designing and managing transportation infrastructure projects including lighting, roadway, maintenance of traffic, traffic signals, and signing and pavement marking. In addition, his expertise includes the execution of traffic studies, traffic signal warrant analyses, and lighting justification studies. Sam's decades of experience as a Project Manager and Project Engineer for public and private clients across Florida has given him a comprehensive understanding of stakeholder coordination and local agency processes. He is well versed in Microstation, AGI, SYNCHRO, and Guide Sign softwares.

Years of Experience | Since 1997
Education | M.S., Civil Engineering, University of Central Florida | B.S., Civil Engineering, Florida Institute of Technology

Wayne Petrone, PE

CHIEF traffic ENGINEER

Wayne has worked on thousands of projects involving traffic signal design, with expertise including ITS components, signing and pavement marking design, wrong way signing components, transportation planning, and operations studies including corridor, intersection, and signal warrant traffic studies. Wayne also has experience inspecting the installation of traffic signals. He is a member of the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE), as well as an expert with SYNCHRO and Guide Sign software.

Years of Experience | Since 1981
Education | B.S., Civil Engineering, University of New Haven

Rusty Snider, PE

Roadway Engineer

Rusty is a Transportation Engineer with experience delivering roadway and signing and pavement marking (SAPM) plans for FDOT, county, and city projects. His roadway experience includes the design of pavement, ADA, guardrail and barrier wall, concepts, drainage improvements, erosion control, and maintenance of traffic plans. His SAPM design experience includes resurfacing, reconstruction, and new construction projects, sign inventories, no passing zone studies, audible and vibratory treatment, guide sign design per the MUTCD for multi-posts and overhead signs, conceptual guide sign layouts, peer reviews of SAPM plans, and official FDOT reviews of SAPM plans. Rusty has been a member of the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (NCUTCD) since 2017 and serves as a technical member on the Guide and Motorist Information Signs Technical Committee.

Years of Experience | Since 2009
Education | B.S., Civil Engineering, University of North Florida

Austin Chapman, PE, PTOE, RSP2I

SENIOR TRAFFIC Engineer

Austin is a Traffic and Transportation Engineer specializing in traffic, safety, and planning studies. This includes traffic operations studies, signal and minor roadway design, safety studies, planning studies, and concurrency and permitting studies. His professional experience also includes transportation planning, roadway design involving new, reconstructed and existing corridors, signing and pavement marking design, signal design, and signal timing.

Years of Experience | Since 2006
Education | B.S., Civil Engineering, University of North Florida

Heather Watkins, PE

Senior ROADWAY ENGINEER

Heather is a Senior Transportation Engineer with experience in roadway design and plans production for new construction, widening, 3R and design build projects. Using Open Roads Designer, MicroStation, GEOPAK, and AutoTURN, she has developed roadway horizontal and vertical geometry, 3D models, cross sections, typical sections, and details for roadside design. Heather is also FDOT Advanced MOT Certified with experience performing Lane Closure Analyses and designing detours and Traffic Control Plans utilizing the FDOT Design Standards.

Years of Experience | Since 1996
Education | M.B.A., University of Miami | B.S., Civil Engineering, University of Miami

Jay Snyder, PE, PTOE

denver office leadER

Jay is a Transportation Engineer and PY's Denver Office Leader with broad experience in traffic and transportation engineering design services. This includes roadway and drainage design, ADA compliance design, school studies, traffic and safety studies, pavement maintenance, traffic control, and traffic calming. Jay’s experience in construction activities includes constructability reviews, project organization, budgeting, and scheduling. While working for the public sector, Jay supported projects from start to finish, including RFP development, contract development, and construction supervision.

Years of Experience | Since 2014
Education | B.S., Civil Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder

Whitney Anderson, PE

traffic engineer

Whitney is a Traffic and Transportation Project Engineer with experience delivering plans for roadway, signing and pavement marking, lighting, and signalization projects to both public and private sector clients. She is trained and experienced in FDOT electronic delivery, advanced Maintenance of Traffic plans preparation, Trans*port/ Designer Interface, and Long Range Estimating. In addition, Whitney is proficient in the use of Microstation, Geopak, AGI32, and the FDOT Bar Menu, as well as Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, Access, and Project.

Years of Experience | Since 2014
Education | B.S., Civil Engineering, University of Florida

Lauren Folk

traffic engineerING TECHNICIAN

Lauren is a Traffic Engineering Technician with diverse experience in transportation and pedestrian modeling, transportation planning, traffic studies, and emergency evacuation research. Her responsibilities have included travel forecasting, traffic volume analyses, school studies, delay and speed zone studies, traffic impact and capacity studies, traffic signal warrant studies, walkability studies, and economic feasibility and due diligence studies for major and diverse land development. Lauren has experience leading district-wide projects, managing task work order projects, designing signals and signing and pavement markings, and developing a database tool to easily track and allocate resources for multiple ongoing projects.

Years of Experience | Since 2019
Education | M.S., Civil Engineering,York University | B.E., Architectural Conservation and Sustainability Engineering,Carleton University

Eric Lanning, PE

TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT MANAGER

Eric is a Senior Roadway Engineer with experience as a Project Manager, Roadway and Temporary Traffic Control Engineer. He has managed individual contracts and also been contract manager on three different district-wide managing numerous task work orders simultaneously. He has worked on projects for a wide variety of clients on both the private and public sectors. His experience crosses all different types of delivery methods both traditional and alternative delivery (Design-Build, Low Bid DB, Progress DB, CMAR). He has worked on different types of projects to include: RRR, capacity projects, new alignments, sidewalk/trails, temporary traffic control.

Years of Experience | Since 2007
Education | B.S., Civil Engineering, University of Central Florida