Spaceships get all the attention, but it occurred to me recently that the cities of science fiction tend to have unusually robust public transportation systems. Sci-fi movies, TV shows, and novels feature transit for the same reasons that other stories…
We’re the “People’s Choice”! At the 2023 Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Customer Segmentation project team won the People’s Choice award at the Transit Data Challenge workshop. I had the honor of presenting this work on behalf of our client, Catherine Vanderwaart at WMATA. In this effort, Foursquare Integrated Transportation Planning (Foursquare ITP) was…
It started as a mere suggestion when I was barely a consenting adult at age 18, a freshman in college. “I think you might like it,” he said. “You should try it,” my advisor suggested. So, I innocently tested the…
It’s important to consider equity in everything, including transportation planning. Daily movement is a fundamental need for everyone, meaning that access to transportation to get to work, school, and other places is a quality-of-life issue. That’s why planners at Foursquare…
This Thanksgiving season, I’m reflecting on new things to be thankful for. Since joining Foursquare Integrated Transportation Planning, Inc. (Foursquare ITP) in July, I am thankful to be able to contribute to our work in providing sustainable transportation. I am…
September 22nd was World Car Free Day. Though many more days in the year can be car-free, people set aside this day specifically to travel by other means, including bicycling, walking, and using mass transit. Some cities formally participate, even…
I became a planner because I wanted to have a positive impact on my community. As a transportation planner, my work focuses on providing access to affordable and plentiful transportation options that meet people’s daily travel needs. But planners cannot…
I didn’t know how to ride a bike for 26 years, despite growing up 106 yards from the Mount Vernon Trail! It wasn’t my parents’ fault—I have a twin sister who loves biking and even commuted on a bike when…
Some of the most rewarding work we do at Foursquare ITP is our collaboration with long-time clients. There are many situations where we are fortunate enough to establish long-term relationships with our clients where we feel like an extension of…
Transit agencies depend on rider surveys to understand who their customers are and where they are traveling. Data derived from on-board rider surveys is used to guide planning decisions and conduct equity analyses critical to implementing transit system enhancements in…
Fare-free transit is a topic that has been gaining momentum across the country for several years now. The pandemic and heightened public awareness of equity and racial justice issues have brought it even closer to the forefront of our industry,…
Have you noticed that there seem to be a lot of LGBTQIA+ people in urban and transportation planning? At Foursquare ITP, we have many valued members of our team who are queer. (We use “queer” in this post to be…
