| Principal Investigator | Jason Jackman, PI |
| Final Report (DOI) | View Final Report |
| TRID | View TRID – 1850069 |
| Policy Brief | View policy brief |
SOW Y2 TBCAT
Abstract
Public involvement in local transportation decision making is key to achieving a safe, equitable and sustainable transportation system that meets the needs of all system users. Meaningful participation in the transportation decision-making process is best achieved when citizens are empowered with information and knowledge to help them navigate complex topics like transportation policy, multimodal planning best practices, budgeting, and the layered organizational context in which these decisions are made. With new transportation projects being planned and constructed throughout the Tampa Bay region, more education is needed to guide citizens toward a better understanding of how they can engage in the process and how projects can and are being shaped to advance important issues, such as transportation safety, community return on investment, active mobility for public health, and creating more sustainable cities. This course will introduce citizens in the Tampa Bay region to the information they need to be effective ambassadors for projects that achieve a safe, equitable and sustainable transportation system in the community. It is designed for local citizens, advocates, transportation enthusiasts, and people involved or working in transportation.
Year One Students
Yleana Baez
Yleana Baez is a Ph.D. student in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of South Florida. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Civil and Industrial Engineering from Jose Maria Vargas University (UJMV), Caracas, Venezuela. She obtained her master’s degree in Science of Engineering Management and Civil Engineering from USF in 2013 and 2014. Her main research interest is connected autonomous vehicles.
Taylor Dinehart
Taylor Dinehart is a research assistant at the Center for Urban Transportation Research at the University of South Florida. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in public health from USF and holds a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Taylor is passionate about the intersection of urban planning and public health. She has a one-year-old baby boy and three English setters for whom she wants to make the world a better place, one street at a time. Taylor’s experience in TB-CAT has provided her with many valuable takeaways that are useful to her future career. One key takeaway is that both a wide-angle and narrow-angle lens is needed when considering potential solutions to transportation issues.
Fatima Elkott
Fatima Elkott is a student in the University of South Florida’s Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) program. Through her fellowship at Plan Hillsborough, she was able to perform community outreach and work with the Transportation Planning Organization where she learned about the pressing need for effective transportation in her community. Since then, she has been involved with multiple efforts that focus on improving the overall quality of life for residents through community organizing and advocacy. Through the TB-CAT program, she was able to enhance her communication, research, and presentation skills, which will help her serve her community throughout her future endeavors.
Claire Kennedy
Claire Kennedy is a graduate student in the School of Architecture at the University of South Florida. She has skills in AutoCAD, Rhino, InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Revit, and social media SEO. Many urban-focused studios pose the question “How can we make the specific neighborhood/site we are working with better?” Answering this question, she has learned that transportation is a key component of successful urban design. Through her courses and her participation in TB-CAT, she has had the opportunity to explore transportation and intends to apply additional transportation considerations in her designs and projects throughout her coursework and in her career.
James Harrison Lewis
James Lewis is a Master of Public Administration student at the University of South Florida. He is a graduate of the Public Policy and Administration program at St. Petersburg College and is passionate about urban planning, social services, and sustainability. James believes that urban and regional planning is key to creating a healthy, safe, and sustainable world. His interest in programs and strategies that empower and engage citizens to increase equity and sustainability in transportation motivated him to pursue the opportunity to participate in TB-CAT.
Riyza Jose Morales
Riyza Jose Morales is a graduate student at the University of South Florida where she is completing a master’s degree in Global Sustainability Policy with a Graduate Certificate in Community Development. She currently serves as Network Coordinator with the Southeast Sustainability Directors Network, an organization dedicated to building the capacity of Sustainability offices in local governments throughout the Southeast. TB-CAT highlighted the importance of communication between residents and local governments to fulfill the real-world needs of their shared communities. Administering safe, effective, and accessible transportation infrastructure is a critical component of any sustainable and equitable environment. Equipped with an intensive academic and professional profile in nonprofit organizations and intercultural engagement, Riyza intends to continue her career focusing on identifying policy-based solutions that drive sustainable community development change in both urbanized and developing areas around the world.
Mari Nicole Rosales
Mari Nicole Rosales is a Master of Public Administration (MPA) student at the University of South Florida. Having received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, she is experienced in marketing, communications, and research, specifically within nonprofit organizations. Passionate about the power within local communities, she is interested in learning more about transportation because it affects everyone’s lives. Mari Nicole helped with TB-CAT specifically because the work done by the course facilitators activates local Tampa citizens as they support and advocate for their communities. Striving to work in the public administration field, Mari Nicole is eager to learn more as she finishes her MPA.
Daniel Woodhouse
Daniel Woodhouse is a graduate student at the Patel College of Global Sustainability at the University of South Florida. He is pursuing a Master of Arts in climate change and sustainability and recently received his graduate certificate in energy sustainability. Prior to his graduate studies, Daniel was a secondary English teacher in the Peace Corps. Daniel received his Bachelor of Arts at the University of North Florida, located in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. He was interested in participating in TB-CAT because he believes in both promoting civic engagement between local governments and their constituency and helping to develop sustainable transportation solutions for our communities.
