ITE Talks Transportation

You are a long time member of ITE. Describe how you first got involved with ITE and why ITE has remained your organization of choice.

Leslie Richards, general manager of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), joins the ITE Talks Transportation podcast for a conversation on leadership, the inextricable link between community and transportation, and managing a multimodal transportation system. Richards, who recently wrapped up her tenure as secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, is the first transportation planner to lead SEPTA. She discusses the opportunities and challenges faced by the agency, which provides 300 million trips per year.

What is your vision for ITE? Where would you like to see the organization 4 years from now after you have finished your presidency?

ITE CEO Jeff Paniati introduces Randy McCourt. Randy is focusing on his theme of "shape your community" and has shared a few words for 2020.

Curbspace is in higher demand than ever before, with ride-sharing companies, freight delivery vehicles, vendors, and more attempting to share the scene. Meghan Mitman and Steve Davis with Fehr & Peers discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by this space, and share examples of dynamic way agencies and municipalities are managing the curb. They also talk about their work on the ITE Curbside Management Practitioners Guide.

Valerie Lefler, Executive Director at Feonix - Mobility Rising, joins us on the ITE Talks Transportation Podcast to explore issues around Mobility as a Service/Mobility on Demand (MaaS/MOD). She highlights ways to ensure that under-served communities are not overlooked as the MaaS/MOD market continues to grow, the challenges and opportunities presented by new mobility options, and how to navigate regulations, policies, and data in the process.

ITE Honorary Member Marsha Anderson Bomar discusses the various benefits that professional development can have on building one’s career. She touches on mentoring, soft skills, developing leadership capacities, and building connections to make the most out of your career path.

Sam Schwartz, P.E. (F), longtime New York City, NY, USA traffic engineer and CEO of Sam Schwartz Transportation Consultants, joins the ITE Talks Transportation Podcast to discuss how congestion pricing is being implemented in NYC. He explains how the pricing may help drive congestion relief in New York City, steps the city is taking to set rules and regulations around the new surcharge, and where the funds generated by congestion pricing might be directed.

Roger Millar, Secretary of Transportation at Washington State DOT in Olympia, WA, USA highlights how the state is innovating when it comes to mobility as a service/mobility on demand and collaborating with partners across various municipalities and regions. He also addresses accessibility and equity issues, and provides an update on the SR99 Viaduct Replacement, one of this year’s largest transportation engineering projects in the United States.

Sam Zimbabwe (M), Director of the Seattle, WA, USA Department of Transportation, discusses how the city and surrounding region have incorporated Mobility as a Service, as well as how they are addressing equity and accessibility gaps in the transportation system.