EVENTS | itswa

Current EVENTS

WEBINAR:

Equitable Planning and TSMO

Implementing the Equity Decision Tree

Live Date: September 16, 2021 | Recording.

In this webinar, examples from Washington and Oregon illustrate how Transportation System Management and Operations (TSMO) has extended beyond freeway management to encompass all modes and all people. At Oregon Metro, building regional equity into TSMO began with the development of an equity decision tree which establishes the lens through which the equity of a particular goal or objective could be examined. WSDOT has taken a multimodal approach in defining TSMO to align with the department’s efforts to provide all citizens of the state equitable access to reliable and affordable transportation options. In Lane County, Oregon, the Lane Council of Governments conducted a regional transportation planning effort that combined the use of ITS infrastructure alongside traditional transportation improvement projects to ensure equitable outcomes for historically excluded communities.

Moderator: Lisa Ballard, WSDOT

Speakers:

Pamela Vasudeva, WSDOT [Download Pamela's Presentation]
Caleb Winter, Oregon Metro [Download Caleb & Chris's Presentation]
Chris Grgich, Fehr & Peers [presentation with Caleb's]
Kelly Smith, DKS [Download Kelly's Presentation]

Speaker Bios:

Pamela Vasudeva, WSDOT
I am the acting Statewide TSMO Traffic Engineer at WSDOT. In my current role I am responsible for developing the state’s TSMO program plan that supports WSDOT’s multimodal network. I have been in the transportation industry for over 15 years in Washington and California, in both the private and public sectors. My responsibilities have included policy development, long-term planning, and the early design phase of project implementation. Throughout my career I have been committed to solutions that improve the operations and efficiency of multimodal transportation systems. My overarching goal has and continues to be to provide safe, reliable, and resource-efficient options for those that walk, bike, take transit and use trip alternatives such as telework.

Caleb Winter, Oregon Metro
Caleb Winter is a Senior Transportation Planner for Metro, the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the greater Portland, Oregon region. Seeing the high costs of an imbalanced transportation system with dependence on privately owned vehicles, he focused his career on finding efficient and sustainable travel for all. Starting with Transportation Demand Management in 1996, he expanded his work with Transportation System Management and Operations in 2014. His work includes partnership with community based organizations to increase transportation options and convening transportation system engineers to deploy connected vehicle traveler information and next generation Transit Signal Priority. Caleb leads the region's 10-year implementation strategy that brings together regional policy to advance racial equity, improve travel-time reliability, reduce climate-changing emissions and operate safely through collaboration and new technology.

Chris Grgich, Fehr & Peers Transportation Consultants
Chris is an Associate Traffic Engineer at Fehr & Peers, and past President of ITS WA. He has just over 15 years of experience in Traffic Operations and Transportation Design, focusing on ITS and Traffic Engineering. In his spare time throughout the pandemic he’s been expanding his sewing skills to go beyond just bowties, and learned to cross stitch and embroider. He’s been out hiking as much as possible in the state and national forests and parks, and recently made it to the edge of the Mount Saint Helens Crater. When sitting at home, you’ll likely find him rewatching old Episodes of Golden Girls or King of Hill.

Kelly Smith, DKS Associates
Kelly is a Transportation Planning and Engineering Associate at DKS Associates working out of Spokane Valley, Washington. She graduated with her Master's in Civil Engineering from Portland State University, where she learned how integrated transportation is with the health, equity, and livability of a community. Kelly works with the Operations and Planning groups at DKS, developing strategic TSMO and ITS Planning documents tailored to the needs of a diverse set of communities and collaborating with jurisdictions to conduct short and long range planning studies that prioritize equity in long term transportation investments. She values the importance of continuous learning and exploring the intersections of different disciplines and their relationships to the transportation system.