PRESENTATION ARCHIVE

• Watch the video
• View the presentation slides

OVERVIEW

This study used a community-engaged interdisciplinary approach to assess the gaps between economic growth and transportation infrastructure development, and the impact of potential gaps on access to opportunities for environmental justice populations within North Central Texas, where population growth has increased over 100% since 2000.

The interdisciplinary team, comprised of social work and civil engineering researchers, in partnership with the regional homeless coalition, measured residents’ perspectives of:

• the economic growth in the area over the past decade,
• the extent to which transportation infrastructure has matched the economic growth, and
• the implications for access to affordable quality housing, employment, quality public education, as well as engagement in cultural and social activities.

The team utilized a mixed-methods (focus groups and survey data), exploratory design to collect responses from a diverse sampling frame. The study results produced an infrastructure profile for the region, in which increased infrastructure from toll ways have improved job and population density, but with major challenges for usage of public transit.

The results can inform public policies that support targeted transportation infrastructure development. Moreover, study results can inform the knowledge base regarding the relationship between economic growth and transportation infrastructure and how to improve their co-development, with a particular emphasis on the planning needs of environmental justice populations.

KEY LEARNING TAKEAWAYS

• Discussion about the concept of a suburban boomtown and application to Collin County Texas
• Geosystems mapping and profile of the transportation infrastructure growth over 10 year period in Collin County boomtown
• Differences and similarities in perspectives between residents facing environmental issues compared to those not
• Recommendations from participants on how to improve transportation infrastructure

THE RESEARCH

This webinar is based on a study funded by the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC) and conducted at the University of Texas at Arlington. Read more about the NITC research: Promoting Environmental Justice Populations’ Access to Opportunities within Suburban Boomtowns.

SPEAKER

Jandel Crutchfield, University of Texas at Arlington

Dr. Jandel Crutchfield is an assistant professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Arlington. Prior to her academic career, Dr. Crutchfield worked as a licensed clinical social worker in Mississippi and Louisiana schools. In addition she has served as a counselor in community mental health, in-home counseling, and residential treatment settings. Dr. Crutchfield earned her B.A. in Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis. She earned her Master of Social Work from the Florida State University College of Social Work. Dr. Crutchfield earned her PhD in social work from Louisiana State University. Her research focus is designed to understand the stagnation in disparities for vulnerable people of color by not only examining cases describing the lived experiences of vulnerable people of color, but also through examining institutional, societal, and individual level bias that contributes to disparities, and finally, the need for better training in cultural engagement for those professionals working in any system with vulnerable people of color. UT Arlington’s strategic focus on health and the human condition encapsulates my research focus as the goal is to better the lived experiences of vulnerable people of color.

Kate Hyun, University of Texas at Arlington

Dr. Kate Hyun is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). Her research centers on big data analytics using Intelligent Transportation Systems technologies for various applications including community mobility modeling, traffic monitoring and operation, freight transportation planning, safety, and travel behavior study. Dr. Hyun received her PhD from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at University of California, Irvine in 2016. As a part of her doctoral research, she used advanced sensor technology to better monitor traffics and operate highway systems.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This 60-minute webinar is eligible for 1 hour of professional development credit for AICP (see our provider summary). We provide an electronic attendance certificate for other types of certification maintenance.

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Image: Google Streetview, McKinney, Texas

This webinar is hosted by the Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University. The research was funded by the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC), a program of TREC and one of five U.S. Department of Transportation national university transportation centers. The NITC program is a Portland State-led partnership with the University of Oregon, Oregon Institute of Technology, University of Utah and new partners University of Arizona and University of Texas at Arlington. We pursue our theme — improving mobility of people and goods to build strong communities — through research, education and technology transfer.

PRESENTATION ARCHIVE

• Watch the video
• View the presentation slides

OVERVIEW

This webinar will demonstrate the tremendous value of GPS trajectory data in understanding statewide travel patterns and measuring performance. First, Dr. Markovic (U of Utah) will conduct visual exploration of GPS trajectories that capture about 3% of all the trips in Utah. He will briefly discuss the problem of scaling GPS trajectories to the population, and then focus on the use of scaled trajectories in computing origin-destination matrices, vehicle-hours delays, vehicle-miles traveled, and trip-based performance measures. Second, Dr. Franz (CATT Lab) will demonstrate a suite of visual analytics that enables transportation agencies to easily explore terabytes of GPS trajectory data. He will demonstrate different tools and share the experience of 5 state DOTs that are currently using CATT Lab's trajectory data suite.

KEY LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Trajectory data represents the most complete vehicle-probe data and provides unprecedented opportunity for transportation system analysis.
• Transportation agencies can easily leverage visual analytics to obtain insights in statewide traffic patterns and performance measures.

THE RESEARCH

This webinar is based on a study funded by the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC) and conducted at the University of Utah. Read more about the NITC research: Visual Exploration of Utah Trajectory Data and their Applications in Transportation.

SPEAKERS

Seth Miller, University of Utah

Seth Miller is a Ph.D. student and a graduate assistant in civil engineering at the University of Utah.

 Nikola Markovic, University of Utah

Nikola Markovic is an assistant professor of transportation engineering at the University of Utah. His research focuses on visual analytics and operations research. Before joining the University of Utah, he worked at the Center for Advanced Transportation Technology (CATT).

Mark Franz, University of Maryland CATT Lab

Mark is the Lead Transportation Analyst at the Center for Advanced Transportation Technology Laboratory (CATT Lab) at UMD where he is developing and improving online transportation performance measures, analysis tools and visualizations for public and private sector clients. Mark has 10+ years of experience in traffic safety and operations, big data, performance measurement, and data visualization.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This 60-minute webinar is eligible for 1 hour of professional development credit for AICP (see our provider summary). We provide an electronic attendance certificate for other types of certification maintenance.

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This webinar is hosted by the Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University. The research was funded by the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC), a program of TREC and one of five U.S. Department of Transportation national university transportation centers. The NITC program is a Portland State-led partnership with the University of Oregon, Oregon Institute of Technology, University of Utah and new partners University of Arizona and University of Texas at Arlington. We pursue our theme — improving mobility of people and goods to build strong communities — through research, education and technology transfer.

PRESENTATION ARCHIVE

• View the presentation slides
• Watch the video

THE TOPIC

This seminar is brought to you by the Oregon chapter of the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP), with support from TREC at Portland State.

Transit stops and stations are a confluence of complementary and competing activities - pedestrians accessing businesses, passengers boarding and alighting, and bicyclists zipping through to their destinations. People are moving in different directions, at different speeds, and need to be able to navigate this space safely and comfortably. A common point of conflict is the bus/bicycle interaction when a transit stop is adjacent to a bike lane. Designs for integrating pedestrian and bicycle facilities at high demand transit stops have advanced over the last decade, but often involve costly infrastructure which require generous right-of-way space, significant streetscape reconfiguration and/or expensive property acquisitions.

TriMet, in coordination with Alta Planning and Design, WSP, PIVOT Architecture and regional stakeholders developed a new station area typology for constrained locations along the Division Street corridor in Portland, OR as a part of the Division Transit Project (DTP) - the city’s first Bus Rapid Transit project. The team’s goal was to develop a concept that could be tested and applied across the corridor, connecting sidewalks and protected bike lanes, in an intuitive, safe station environment.

In the first session of the Spring term, Jesse Stemmler of TriMet and Derek Abe of Alta Planning + Design will be kicking off a joint presentation with the Oregon Chapter of the Association of Bicycle and Pedestrian Professionals (APBP) on their design process and outcomes toward the development of the new integrated station area typology.

SPEAKER

Derek Abe, Alta Planning + Design

Derek Abe is a transportation planner and project manager with a background in mechanical engineering, environmental science, and urban planning.  At Alta Planning + Design, he leads research and data analysis, policy analysis, network planning, and facility design on an array of projects including bicycle and pedestrian master plans,transit access plans, design standards and guidelines, and experimental facility studies. He is a leader in Alta's analytics, facility design, new mobility, and tactical urbanism service areas.

Jesse Stemmler, TriMet
Jesse Stemmler is the Lead Urban Designer for TriMet’s Division Transit Project – a new, high capacity bus project for the region that connects downtown Portland, Oregon to the City of Gresham. In this role, Jesse leads a team of urban design professionals in the design and development of enhanced transit station environments throughout the Division Street corridor.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This 60-minute seminar is eligible for 1 hour of professional development credit for AICP (see our provider summary). We can provide an electronic attendance certificate for other types of certification maintenance.

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The Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University is home to the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC), the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI), and other transportation programs. TREC produces research and tools for transportation decision makers, develops K-12 curriculum to expand the diversity and capacity of the workforce, and engages students and professionals through education.

PRESENTATION ARCHIVE

• Watch the video
• View the presentation slides

OVERVIEW

Connecting with cities and bike share operators from across the United States, Portland State University conducted a nationwide scan on what programs and initiatives were running to address equity in bike share. The report “National Scan of Bike Share Equity Programs” documents responses from over 70 bike share systems. This resource will help cities and operators navigate the range of actions that have been implemented to make bike share systems more equitable, examine successful strategies employed across the U.S., and understand how those successes (and challenges) are being measured and articulated. In doing so, we hope the report helps bike share systems learn from the experiences of others, innovate, and more quickly move toward greater equity. The research team will be joined by a bike share operator to discuss what they learned, best practices, and where they see the future of bike share equity programs headed.

THE RESEARCH

This webinar is based on a study funded by the Better Bike Share Partnership and the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC) and conducted at Portland State University. Read more about the research: Portland State University Releases Evaluation Of Bike Share Equity Programs.

SPEAKERS

John MacArthur, Sustainable Transportation Program Manager, Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC)

 John MacArthur is the Principal Investigator for TREC's electric bicycle research initiatives. His research also includes low-/no-emission vehicle infrastructure in Portland metro, as well as a climate change impact assessment for surface transportation in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Before joining the TREC staff, John was the Context Sensitive and Sustainable Solutions Program Manager for the Oregon Department of Transportation’s OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program. 

Nathan McNeil, Portland State University

Nathan McNeil is a research associate at the Center for Urban Studies at Portland State University. He conducts research around impacts of new bicycle infrastructure and programs on travel behavior and attitudes towards cycling, shared-use mobility programs including carsharing and bike-share, and the connection between land-use and transportation. Nathan received a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University, and studied history at Columbia University as an undergraduate. Prior to PSU, McNeil worked for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York City as a performance auditor where he evaluated capital programs and contractors. 

Adriel Thornton, Director of Marketing & Community Outreach, MoGo Detroit

 As Director of Marketing and Community Outreach, Adriel maintains the social media channels and messaging for MoGo, directs the creation and production of brand marketing collateral, creates targeted marketing campaigns and strategies, and leads the branding, promotional, and public marketing for the organization. He also utilizes his expertise in community relations to execute, with the other members of the MoGo team, community interactions, events, and representational opportunities that propel the MoGo brand forward. Adriel is a native Detroiter who loves cycling and nightlife.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This 60-minute webinar is eligible for 1 hour of professional development credit for AICP (see our provider summary). We provide an electronic attendance certificate for other types of certification maintenance.

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Photo credit: Ian Sane

This webinar is hosted by the Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University. The research was funded by the Better Bike Share Partnership; an initiative funded by The JPB Foundation as a collaboration between the City of Philadelphia, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) and the PeopleForBikes Foundation to build equitable and replicable bike share systems. A series of technical briefs to help practitioners implement the findings were supported by a technology transfer grant from the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC).

PRESENTATION ARCHIVE

• Watch the video
• View the presentation slides

OVERVIEW

Since 2005, Portland State University has periodically surveyed occupants of recently developed  higher-density and mixed-use projects near transit, often referred to as Transit-Oriented Developments (TODs). The general objectives of the surveys were to better understand actual transit use, among other factors, of residents in these buildings. Between 2005 and 2018, the research team surveyed residents of nearly 50 TODs. With funding from Metro and the National Institute for Transportation and Communities, the research team carried out a two-pronged study drawing on this wealth of data. First, we explore geographic differences within the Portland region in terms of travel behavior and attitudes of TOD residents, including differences between TODs within the city of Portland, in eastside suburbs, and in westside suburbs. Second, we conducted a second wave of surveys for select TODs to understand if travel behavior or attitudes changed over time, particularly as neighborhoods surrounding the buildings were built up. In this webinar, we will present select findings from both aspects of the study.

KEY LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Learn about the concept and goal of transit-oriented development
• Understand who lives in TODs, and how they get around
• Learn about the potential impact of TOD on travel behavior, including variations by location and over time.

THE RESEARCH

This webinar is based on a study funded by the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC) and conducted at Portland State University. Read more about the NITC research: Revisiting TODs: How Subsequent Development Affects the Travel Behavior of Residents in Existing Transit-Oriented Developments.

SPEAKERS

Jennifer Dill, Director of TREC and Professor of Urban Studies and Planning at Portland State University

Jennifer Dill is a professor of Urban Studies and Planning at Portland State University, and director of TREC, PSU’s Transportation Research and Education Center. She is also the director of the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC). Her research aims to understand people’s everyday travel decisions, with a focus on bicycling, walking, and transit. Dr. Dill is an internationally cited researcher on sustainable transportation. Among her research projects are Lessons from the Green Lanes: Evaluating Protected Bike Lanes in the U.S., Understanding Types of Cyclists Nationally, Pedestrian Observation and Data Collection Curriculum and more.

Nathan McNeil, Portland State University

Nathan McNeil is a research associate at the Center for Urban Studies at Portland State University. He conducts research around impacts of new bicycle infrastructure and programs on travel behavior and attitudes towards cycling, shared-use mobility programs including carsharing and bike-share, and the connection between land-use and transportation. Nathan received a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University, and studied history at Columbia University as an undergraduate. Prior to PSU, McNeil worked for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York City as a performance auditor where he evaluated capital programs and contractors.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This 60-minute webinar is eligible for 1 hour of professional development credit for AICP (see our provider summary). We provide an electronic attendance certificate for other types of certification maintenance.

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Image by RUBEN RAMOS/istock

This webinar is hosted by the Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University. The research was funded by the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC), a program of TREC and one of five U.S. Department of Transportation national university transportation centers. The NITC program is a Portland State-led partnership with the University of Oregon, Oregon Institute of Technology, University of Utah and new partners University of Arizona and University of Texas at Arlington. We pursue our theme — improving mobility of people and goods to build strong communities — through research, education and technology transfer.

PRESENTATION ARCHIVE

• Watch the video
• View the presentation slides

OVERVIEW

The National Street Improvements Study, conducted by PSU in conjunction with PeopleForBikes and consulting firm Bennett Midland, researched the economic effects of bicycle infrastructure on 14 corridors across six cities — Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Memphis, Minneapolis and Indianapolis. The study found that improvements such as bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure had either positive or non-significant impacts on the local economy as measured through sales and employment. In this webinar, lead researcher Jenny Liu will share the results of the investigation and the unique methodology for investigating these economic outcomes.

THE RESEARCH

This webinar is based on a study funded by the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC) and the Summit Foundation, and conducted at Portland State University. Read more about the research: Bike Lanes Can Provide Positive Economic Impact in Cities.

SPEAKER

Jenny Liu, Portland State University

Jenny Liu is an associate professor of urban studies and planning at Portland State University. She is an environmental and resource economist with a focus in transportation economics. Her research interests include the economics of alternative energy sources, links between transportation choices and environmental issues, the effects of physical infrastructure networks and social networks on the adoption of transportation technologies, and technology adoption and its effects on climate change, particularly within the urban and development contexts.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This 60-minute webinar is eligible for 1 hour of professional development credit for AICP (see our provider summary). We provide an electronic attendance certificate for other types of certification maintenance.

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Sign up for our newsletter to get updates on our events.

Photo by Michael Lander

This webinar is hosted by the Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University. The research was funded by the Summit Foundation and the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC), a program of TREC and one of five U.S. Department of Transportation national university transportation centers. The NITC program is a Portland State-led partnership with the University of Oregon, Oregon Institute of Technology, University of Utah and new partners University of Arizona and University of Texas at Arlington. We pursue our theme — improving mobility of people and goods to build strong communities — through research, education and technology transfer.

In response to the global pandemic, in person activities are restricted on the PSU campus. Until further notice, all live events hosted by TREC will be online only.

Friday Transportation Seminars at Portland State University have been a tradition since 2000. You can join us online at 11:30 AM. 

PRESENTATION ARCHIVE

• Watch the video
• View the presentation slides
• TREC Twitter thread

THE TOPIC

Neighborhoods of color tend to be the most dangerous places for cyclists and other road users, a result in part of historic disinvestment and failure to provide basic infrastructure. Safety efforts to reduce crashes, like Vision Zero, have called for both increased investment, a qualified benefit for disenfranchised communities, and increased traffic enforcement, a response that is likely to place people of color in even greater harm based on extensively documented police injustice.

• For more about the problems of policy and planning around 'bicycling while black,' check out a Sept 9, 2020 blog post by Jesus Barajas.

To what extent, then, do poor cycling conditions and inadequate infrastructure contribute to disparities in policing in Black and Brown neighborhoods? Using data obtained from the Chicago Police Department, I will present findings that show how street characteristics, cycling infrastructure, and neighborhood characteristics are associated with the number of citations issued for riding a bicycle on the sidewalk over the previous five years. I find evidence that fewer tickets are issued on lower-volume streets and on streets where bike facilities are provided. While the provision of bike lanes and paths do not eliminate racial disparities in policing, they do contribute to more comfortable cycling conditions and lower odds of getting a citation. I will end with a discussion how the findings inform planning and policy.

KEY LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Participants will learn about the role of policing in bicycle safety planning in the U.S. and the issues associated with it.
• Participants will learn how bicycle citations are distributed by neighborhood in Chicago.
• Participants will understand how inadequate transportation infrastructure contributes to inequitable policing for cyclists.

SPEAKER

Jesus Barajas, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science and Policy, UC Davis 

Jesus M. Barajas is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy and affiliated faculty with the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis. His research focuses on mobility justice and transportation equity. His work examines the role that planning and policy contribute to access to opportunity among historically marginalized populations, with a goal of informing policy agendas that remedy injustices. He holds a PhD in City and Regional Planning from UC Berkeley.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This 60-minute seminar is eligible for 1 hour of professional development credit for AICP (see our provider summary). We provide an electronic attendance certificate for other types of certification maintenance.

LEARN MORE

Sign up for our newsletter to receive monthly updates.

The Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University is home to the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC), the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI), and other transportation programs. TREC produces research and tools for transportation decision makers, develops K-12 curriculum to expand the diversity and capacity of the workforce, and engages students and professionals through education.

In response to the global pandemic, in person activities are restricted on the PSU campus. Until further notice, all live events hosted by TREC will be online only.

Friday Transportation Seminars at Portland State University have been a tradition since 2000. You can join us online at 11:30 AM.

PRESENTATION ARCHIVE

• Watch the video
• View the presentation slides
• TREC Twitter thread

THE TOPIC

Eastern Washington University's Small Urban, Rural & Tribal Center on Mobility (SURTCOM) focuses on the mobility needs and challenges faced by tribal communities. In this presentation, SURTCOM Associate Director Margo Hill will examine the accessibility of tribal communities to basic necessities. These necessities include:

• Interstate Onramps
• Micropolitan Population Centers
• Metropolitan Population Centers
• Indian Health Service (IHS) Facilities
• Grocery Stores
• Department Stores
• Fast Food Restaurants

Destinations were chosen based on observed health disparities within the American Indian population (Jones, 2006), and the importance of accessibility to healthy foods found throughout the food desert literature.

Professor Hill will also discuss Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. There are thousands of deaths and disappearances of Native women and girls in the U.S and Canada. These native women and girls vanish from tribal lands, rural communities and cities with no official accounting. Transportation and transit intersect with human trafficking and jurisdictional problems tribal people encounter. Native Americans have unique mobility patterns as they travel from rural tribal territories to urban centers. This session will discuss issues of risk factors, human trafficking and how the complicated jurisdictional scheme of Indian Country makes it difficult to protect native women. Lastly, we will discuss Federal Indian Law and the United States Supreme Court decisions on tribal issues and mobility.

KEY LEARNING OUTCOMES

Participants will learn about:

• The unique mobility patterns of tribal communities
• The accessibility of tribal communities to basic necessities such as health care, grocery stores and department stores
• Tribal sovereignty and how the United States Supreme Court has ruled on tribal mobility

SPEAKER

Margo Hill, Eastern Washington University

Margo Hill, JD, MURP, is a Spokane Tribal member and grew up on the Spokane Indian reservation. She serves as the Associate Director of Small, Urban, Rural and Tribal Center on Mobility (SURTCOM). Dr. Hill served as the Spokane Tribal Attorney for 10+ years and as a Coeur d’Alene Tribal Court Judge. In this capacity, she received letters of declination from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and worked to bring perpetrators to justice in the complex criminal law scheme of Indian Country. Margo Hill is faculty at Eastern Washington University where she teaches Planning Law and Legislation, Administrative Law, Community Development, Tribal Planning classes and American Indian Law.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This 60-minute seminar is eligible for 1 hour of professional development credit for AICP (see our provider summary). We provide an electronic attendance certificate for other types of certification maintenance.

LEARN MORE

Photo by SEASTOCK/iStock

Sign up for our newsletter to receive monthly updates.

The Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University is home to the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC), the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI), and other transportation programs. TREC produces research and tools for transportation decision makers, develops K-12 curriculum to expand the diversity and capacity of the workforce, and engages students and professionals through education.

In response to the global pandemic, in person activities are restricted on the PSU campus. Until further notice, all live events hosted by TREC will be online only.

Friday Transportation Seminars at Portland State University have been a tradition since 2000. You can join us online at 11:30 AM.

PRESENTATION ARCHIVE

• Watch the video
• View the presentation slides
• TREC Twitter thread

THE TOPIC

In 2019, the LADOT Vision Zero Division launched the Vision Zero Dignity Infused Community Engagement (VZ DICE) strategy with the intent to transform the way the City engages with local communities. This planning process intentionally and holistically incorporates the viewpoints, lived experiences, and perspectives of those most impacted by a planning project and seeks to restore and atone for historic, systemic, and institutional injustices. A team of community partners, advocates, social scientists, artists, everyday residents, and technical experts came together to reach community residents in ways that reflect the local social, cultural, and racial/ethnic identity of a neighborhood. The strategy was purposely multifaceted involving a local street team, small business partnerships, an anti-displacement resource kit, and a ground truthing process to assess how local projects can center community needs and reflect local values. Over 18,000 residents and counting have been engaged through the project so far and LADOT continues to apply this framework to other planning projects.

KEY LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Community engagement should be culturally relevant and reflect the community being served.
• Transportation projects can negatively impact communities if residents aren’t involved in the engagement process.
• Partner, build, and pay community partners as they are local experts.
• Community engagement requires building trust, starting with a willingness to innovate, intervene, and invest.

SPEAKERS

Caro Vera, Senior Transportation Planner, Fehr & Peers

Caro is a Transportation Planner at Fehr & Peers, a transportation planning and engineering firm devoted to creating solutions that improve communities. She specializes in bicycle and pedestrian planning, equity, and community engagement. Caro is born and raised in South Central Los Angeles and takes much of her inspiration for creating safer streets from her community’s experiences biking, walking, rolling, driving, and riding public transit. She has ten years of experience in community organizing and engagement with communities of color. Caro holds a B.A. in Ethnic Studies and Chicano studies from UC Berkeley as well as a M.A. in Urban Planning from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.

Kevin Ocubillo, Los Angeles Department of Transportation

Kevin Ocubillo is a planning assistant at the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT).

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This 60-minute seminar is eligible for 1 hour of professional development credit for AICP (see our provider summary). We provide an electronic attendance certificate for other types of certification maintenance.

LEARN MORE

Photo by MSPhotographic/iStock

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The Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University is home to the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC), the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI), and other transportation programs. TREC produces research and tools for transportation decision makers, develops K-12 curriculum to expand the diversity and capacity of the workforce, and engages students and professionals through education.

We are committed to making decisions that promote the success and well-being of our campus community. Like an increasing number of universities nationwide, Portland State is taking steps to respond to the global pandemic. Until further notice, all live events hosted by TREC will be online only.

Friday Transportation Seminars at Portland State University have been a tradition since 2000. You can join us online at 11:30 AM.

PRESENTATION ARCHIVE

• Watch the video
• View the presentation slides
• TREC Twitter thread

THE TOPIC

Transportation policies at the local, regional, state and national levels have a direct impact on urban land use and development patterns. Transportation intersects with multiple areas including public health, education, climate change, physical activity, health outcomes, build environment, violence, safety, social cohesion and the wellness of communities. For the health outcomes influenced by transportation, disparities exist by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status in Multnomah County. Disproportionate exposure to injury, air pollution, and noise contributes to inequitable burdens of injuries and chronic disease among race and ethnic groups. This is exacerbated by lack of access to safe places for active transportation and lack of safe access to destinations that support health such as jobs, schools, and healthcare. According to an analysis conducted by the Health Department, the REACH focus population faces safety issues from both traffic crashes and concerns for personal security. These exposures result in a disproportionate burden of injury and chronic disease. Black/African Americans residents in Multnomah county die from traffic crash injuries at higher rates than white residents, about 1.8 times higher from 2013-2017. Compared to their White counterparts, more deaths are observed from chronic diseases among African Americans than expected: 24% more from heart disease, 68% more from stroke, and 32% more from cancer.

The cost of health inequalities in Multnomah County is an estimated $442 million annually, including $332 million from premature death, $92 million in direct health care costs, and $18 million in indirect costs of illness. The Oregon Health Authority estimated that implementing Metro’s Climate Smart Strategy would avoid $100 million in treatment costs annually.

KEY LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Help transportation professionals measure progress toward equity in transportation safety
• Provide tools for public health and transportation agencies to collaborate
• Enhance knowledge of transportation professions and decision makers to connect health equity during transportation process, planning and designs
• Build awareness of personal and institutional action steps professionals can do to bridge racial equity, health equity and transportation equity

SPEAKER

Charlene McGee, Multnomah County REACH Program Manager

Charlene brings over 15 years of leadership working at the intersection of public health and healthcare systems to confront and change social determinants of health. She holds a Bachelors of Science in public health, health promotion and education, with a minor in community health from Oregon State University. She is currently pursuing an executive master’s in public administration at Portland State University. As a Liberian-Oregonian, her experience as a survivor of the Liberian civil war and Black immigrant heavily influenced her career in health equity, health policy and program development. She works closely with community partners to elevate lived experience and community wisdom in order to advocate for systems and policy improvements, and culturally appropriate interventions to promote health.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This 60-minute seminar is eligible for 1 hour of professional development credit for AICP (see our provider summary). We provide an electronic attendance certificate for other types of certification maintenance.

LEARN MORE

Photo by krblokhin/istock

Sign up for our newsletter to receive monthly updates.

The Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University is home to the National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC), the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI), and other transportation programs. TREC produces research and tools for transportation decision makers, develops K-12 curriculum to expand the diversity and capacity of the workforce, and engages students and professionals through education.