Katja Bavendam
By Joshua Burd
GZA GeoEnvironmental Inc. has named a new project manager and leader for its growing transportation planning practice in New York and New Jersey.
The consulting firm, whose New Jersey team is based in Fairfield, said Katja Bavendam comes to the role as an accomplished traffic planner and with extensive site-civil engineering and permitting experience. She was a key member of the teams that prepared transportation analyses for the East New York rezoning in Brooklyn and East Harlem rezoning in Manhattan, as well as the traffic, parking and pedestrian access analyses for New York’s 23 ferry landings as part of a comprehensive environmental impact statement.
Additionally, Bavendam was part of the practice that provided civil engineering and permitting services for the final section of Brooklyn Bridge Park and the 775,000-square-foot Wildflower Studios in Astoria, according to a news release. She has also completed City Environmental Quality Review transportation analyses in New York City.
“Katja brings a tremendous depth of experience and expertise to her new position at GZA that will enable our firm to continue to provide superior service to our clients in the for-profit, government and institutional sectors throughout metropolitan New York and the tristate area,” said Patrick Sheehan, CEO and president of GZA.
Bavendam earned a bachelor’s from St. Francis College in Brooklyn and a masters in transportation planning and engineering from New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering. Before pursuing her career in engineering, she spent three years as a professional basketball player in Spain and Turkey.
