At Nelson\Nygaard, we understand that transportation is not an end in itself.  Instead, we work to support our clients’ larger goals, including economic development, quality of life, ecological sustainability and social equity.  A fully multi-modal approach, drawn from the real world experiences of industry specialists, is a hallmark of every Nelson\Nygaard project.

Our 60 planners and engineers include recognized national experts in every mode of transportation, on the relationship between transportation and land use, in tools to reduce vehicle traffic, and in the role of transportation in reducing CO2 emissions. 

Our work covers nearly all 50 US states, plus ongoing international projects throughout Canada and on five continents.

At Nelson\Nygaard, it’s our job to provide our clients with creative, technically sound, holistic and cost effective solutions to their problems.  We recognize that it is not possible to build our way out of congestion.  In fact, it may be more effective to invest in a Bus Rapid Transit line rather than a highway widening, or to reduce the sources of transit delay than to add more service, or to implement a pricing strategy than to build a new parking structure.  To ensure unbiased advice for our clients, we do not offer civil design services, even though we are staffed with engineers and architects.  We are a planning firm, and our task is to compare the range of construction and management solutions for meeting our clients’ goals.  We routinely team with design and civil engineering firms to ensure a smooth project all the way through the design and implementation process.