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MRSC Webinar: Increasing Transportation Options and Access: Local Success in Washington’s Cities
Tuesday, June 28, 2022, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PDT
Category: External Event

MRSC Webinar - Increasing Transportation Options and Access: Local Success in Washington’s Cities

Webinar Overview

In 2021, the Washington State Legislature directed the Washington State Department of Commerce and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to develop guidelines to help cities and counties integrate climate mitigation and resiliency goals into local comprehensive plans, and to develop a process for establishing reduction targets for local vehicle miles traveled (VMT).

Although greenhouse gas emissions and VMT are at the front of planners’ minds with upcoming comprehensive plan updates, the public rarely thinks in those terms; people want to travel easily and safely to get to the activities they want. Cities across Washington have long incorporated transit, active transportation, and demand and system management strategies into their comprehensive plans, all of which reduce VMT. This session will discuss local examples of success in incorporating VMT into plans, implementing strategies to reduce VMT and emissions, and communicating about VMT in ways that resonate with the public.  

This training is eligible for 1.0 hour AICP CM credit from the American Planning Association (Course # 9247799)

Learn More
Cost to Attend: $35
Registration closes on Monday, June 27 at 5 PM

Presenters

  • Alon Bassok, PhD, Planner, WSDOT. Alon is a planner with WSDOT’s Multimodal Planning and Data Division. Alon’s focus is on vehicle miles of travel reduction and target setting. Earlier at WSDOT, Alon worked on the Commute Trip Reduction program. 
  • Michelle Swanson, AICP, Associate Planner, City of Olympia. Michelle is an Associate Planner for the City of Olympia Public Works Department (Transportation Division). In addition to plan development, she’s worked on collision analyses, grant writing, and GIS. She especially enjoys using GIS to communicate with people who are interested in transportation, but aren't technical experts.
  • Shauna Harshman, Manager of Neighborhood Connectivity Initiatives, City of Spokane. Shauna is currently the land use and transportation policy advisor for the Spokane City Council, serving as the Manager of Neighborhood Connectivity Initiatives. Prior to this role Shauna worked as a transportation planner with Spokane Regional Transportation Council where she oversaw agency communication planning and community engagement strategy and was the Title VI and Environmental Justice Program Manager. She also has experience with long-range planning and nonprofits.
  • Tansy Schroeder, Planner, City of Stanwood. Tansy Schroeder has been a Planner with the City of Stanwood for two years. They graduated from WWU in 2018 and have been working in planning for four years. They are incredibly excited and grateful for this opportunity to present to all of you the cumulation of decades of Stanwood’s economic development efforts resulting in the city’s beautification plan.
  • Jeff Churchill, AICP​, Long Range Planning Manager, City of Redmond. The Long Range Planning Team works with the community and City leadership to review, update, and implement policies that support the community’s vision as articulated in the Redmond Comprehensive Plan. Prior to his current role, Jeff worked in transportation planning, focusing on regional transportation policy and the extension of light rail to Redmond.
  • Lisa Pool (Moderator), AICP, Public Policy Consultant, MRSC. Lisa joined MRSC in June 2021 after serving as a senior planner for the City of Bellingham, where she focused on long-range planning. Over her 19-year career, she’s worked on sustainability, transportation, and land use planning issues at the city, county, and regional scales. At MRSC, she conducts research on emerging issues and answers questions from local governments on a range of policy and planning issues.