EVENT DETAIL

Greg Sommer, West Hartford Town Engineer 

Greg Sommer serves as the Town Engineer for West Hartford, bringing over 22 years of experience in both the public and private sectors with a strong focus on traffic engineering and transportation safety. Greg has been deeply involved in shaping the Town’s approach to safer, more sustainable streets. He was instrumental in developing and implementing West Hartford’s Complete Streets Policy in 2015, creating a foundation for designing roadways that accommodate all users—drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders alike. 

As a member of West Hartford’s Vision Zero Task Force, Greg played a key role in crafting the Town’s Vision Zero Action Plan, which sets the goal of eliminating serious injuries and fatalities on local roadways by 2033. He also serves on the Capitol Region Council of Governments’ Vision Zero Task Force, where he helps advance regional collaboration on traffic safety initiatives. 

Greg looks forward to sharing insights from West Hartford’s Vision Zero and Complete Streets efforts, as well as lessons learned from implementing real-world safety improvements, at today’s CSCE event.

Joseph Balskus, P.E., PTOE, RSP1, Director of Transportation Systems, VHB

Joe Balskus is an Associate and Director of Transportations Systems in VHB’s Wethersfield, CT, USA office. For more than 36 years, Joe has been leading the technical design and managing progressive transportation systems and championing innovative traffic and safety accommodations in local communities. Joe believes in continuing education and that professional certification is a testament to ongoing learning in the profession. He is a certified Professional Traffic Operations Engineer (PTOE) since 2001 and a Roadway Safety Professional Level 1 (RSP1). He was appointed Chair of the ITE Roundabout Standing Committee for 2024 after serving as Vice Chair since 2021. For complete streets, Joe was appointed by the Connecticut Legislature in 2013 to serve on the Connecticut Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, the state’s Complete Streets advocacy quasi-public board, where he has served as Secretary since 2015. Joe has received numerous project and professional awards, including many for his continued ITE service, including as Chair of the ITE Northeastern District, and for participation in the ITE section and local chapter levels. He served as President of the ITE Connecticut Chapter and New England Section of ITE, as well as President of the Intelligent Transportation Society of Connecticut, and served as board member and Treasurer of the New England Parking Council. He served as Co-Chair of the Northeastern Districts 2013 and 2019 Annual Meetings, and in 2019 he was awarded the Harvey Boutwell award, the District’s highest award for dedicated service. Joe has moderated/presented at TRB International Roundabout Conferences in Seattle, Green Bay, and Monterey. He has also presented at ITE National and District Annual meetings. Locally, Joe spends his time exploring sustainable transportation and new technologies with his students at the University of New Haven where he serves as an Adjunct Professor teaching Traffic and Highway Engineering since 2017. He also serves on the CCSU Civil Engineering Advisory Board for the last 15 years, his alma mater where he was twice awarded Outstanding Alumnus of the Year. Joe walks the walk and bikes the routes that he studies and designs. He is an avid swimmer and cyclist, riding year-round on the lake (hyrdo bike), on the road and off road as well. He has completed numerous triathlons and half Iron Mans. And ridden his bike twice from Miami to Key West. He would rather not run but must to keep in shape.