April 22 – Transportation Planning Division – Applications in Transit Planning

Jon Sigall will discuss ways in which multi-modal transportation planning can help achieve equitable transit outcomes. Socio-economically disadvantaged groups face barriers to mobility and accessibility that higher-income demographics don’t. Constraints range from inequitable or cost-prohibitive fares to inadequate and unreliable service. He will describe various efforts across the country to close the mobility and accessibility gap, such as improved and expanded bus service, new rail nodes in underserved areas, and so-called “freedom fares” that give riders the option to use the best transit mode for a given trip.  Then Amber Blake will discuss ways in which multi-modal transportation planning can engage and educate the community to create a comprehensive implementation focused plan and the development of incentive programs to encourage mode shift.  She will describe Durango’s (a rural community in SW Colorado) approach to implementation focused planning and the extremely successful incentive program that gets people out of their cars and into more sustainable active modes of transportation.