Otak Blog

This past weekend (February 13th) marked the 4th Annual Otak and Friends 10K Run. Twenty Otakians and friends set out in NW Portland for a 6.2-mile loop (unofficial) along the Portland waterfront. Everyone finished without injury, and despite the gloomy weather, spirits were high. Afterwards the group enjoyed lunch and beers at a local neighborhood pub. If you’re interested in joining us for the next 10K, please e-mail sheryl.walsh@otak.com. Folks at all running levels are encouraged to participate, as well as walkers, bicyclists, or just plain beer drinkers. All are welcome!

On January 5, Kirkland’s Otak office sponsored a blood drive for the Puget Sound Blood Center. We had 30 registered donors (which equates to blood products for 90 western Washington recipients). Thirteen (43%) of those that registered were first time donors! Great job donors (and no one passed out)!

Last Saturday morning a group of Otakians and friends spent two hours volunteering at the Oregon Food Bank. Tasks ranged from packaging canned foods and discarding smashed cans to constructing cardboard boxes and loading them onto pallets. As the conveyor belt turned, hands reached out for the food that would help feed hungry Oregonians. Our group packed 12,872 pounds of food (this is enough food to provide 9,901 meals to those in need). Each individual put 330 meals on the table. The rewarding experience left us all feeling like we were “riding on a cloud” for the rest of the day.

Last week at the annual awards banquet, the American Council of Engineering Companies – Washington awarded Otak with two silver awards.

The first award was given to the Swift BRT project in the “Complexity” category. Otak led station design for this BRT project in Lynnwood, Edmonds, Everett, Shoreline, and Snohomish County. Otak provided a design/manufacture package detailing 30 shelters, and a station site construction package for 30 station locations. This provided the design for platform paving and detailing, shelter installation and railing, an iconic tower that provided station identity, ticket vending machines, and passenger information signing. Otak has been working on this project since 2007.

The second award was given to the Boeing Creek Basin Infrastructure and Park Improvement project in the “Social, Economic, and Sustainable Design Considerations” category. This multi-phase project was completed for the City of Shoreline and integrated better stormwater management with park, streetscape, and landscape improvements. These included improvements to the stormwater facility at Boeing Creek Park and three segments of drainage improvements in the Boeing Creek Basin — 3rd Avenue NW Drainage Improvements, Boeing Creek Park Stormwater Improvements, and PanTerra Pond and Pump Station. This project spans approximately nine years of effort for Otak and the City.