The Modern Mobility Podcast

Ep. 34: 6 Steps to Developing Better Planning-Level Transportation Project Cost Estimates

Episode Summary: Listen to national experts and certified planners, Keli Kemp, Kirsten Mote, and Matt Reeves with Modern Mobility Partners, talk about what planners can do to develop better planning-level transportation cost estimates. Listeners will learn the following in Episode 34:

• How better planning level cost estimates help in the transportation planning process, including:
  • Reduce time needed to develop cost estimates through a reliable and standardized methodology
  • Instill confidence in long-term programming of transportation plans
• General overview of steps to developing a planning-level cost estimate process, including:
  • Review national best practices and current internal procedures
  • Analyze historical costs and beta test the process
  • Apply cost estimates and incorporate USDOT Benefit-Cost Analysis Guidance

Links:

• Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) offers a wealth of knowledge on best practices for processes, guidance, and additional resources for cost estimation of major projects. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/majorprojects/cost_estimating/
• National Highway Construction Cost Index (NHCCI) includes an interactive dashboard and pricing index that can be used to analyze historical cost trends associated with highway construction projects. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/otps/nhcci/
• United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) Benefit-Cost Analysis Guidance for Discretionary Grant Programs provides an overview of how to calculate benefit-cost ratios of major transportation projects, particularly when applying for federal grant opportunities. https://www.transportation.gov/mission/office-secretary/office-policy/transportation-policy/benefit-cost-analysis-guidance
• Federal Transit Administration (FTA) also offers guidance for establishing reliable baseline cost estimates for major capital transit project delivery. https://www.transit.dot.gov/regulations-and-guidance/cost-estimation-fta-funded-transit-projects
• United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) provides general guidance on key considerations for developing cost estimation processes and a 12-step methodology for implementation. https://www.gao.gov/assets/710/706933.pdf

Co-Hosts:

• Keli Kemp, AICP, PTP has 25 years of experience in transportation planning and consulting and co-founded Modern Mobility Partners in early 2018 with Jennifer Zhan. Keli holds a M.S. degree in Urban Planning from Texas A&M University.
• Kirsten Mote, AICP has 15 years of experience in transportation planning and is certified by MIT Media Lab’s Beyond Smart Cities program. Kirsten is an Associate Vice President and Director of Smart Mobility Planning with Modern Mobility Partners. Kirsten holds a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Guest Speaker:

• Hunter Abel, AICP has seven years of experience in transportation planning with previous experience in developing cost estimation tools for state DOTs and transit service planning. Hunter is a Transportation Planner with Modern Mobility Partners and holds a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Modern Mobility Partners is an Atlanta-based women and minority-owned transportation planning and traffic engineering consulting firm.  Service areas include smart mobility and transportation planning, demand modeling and traffic engineering, and data analytics and visualization.

If you are interested in learning more about Modern Mobility Partners, please visit www.modernmobilitypartners.com. 

To obtain AICP CM credits, search for “Modern Mobility Partners” in the https://planning.org AICP CM portal to find all episodes.

Ep. 33: USDOT Discretionary Grant Applications…This…Not That (10 Strategies for a Successful Grant Application)

Episode Summary: Listen to national experts and certified planners, Keli Kemp and Kirsten Mote, both with Modern Mobility Partners, talk about the best practices planners need to know about USDOT grant applications. Listeners will learn 10 strategies to apply to the following components of grant writing in Episode 033:

• How to identify a grant program for which a project is best suited.
• How to ensure that a project has enough preliminary documentation to be ready to apply for federal funding.
• How to write strong project narratives.
• How to maximize information within a grant application’s page limit.

Links:

• USDOT’s Discretionary Grants Dashboard. https://www.transportation.gov/grants/dashboard
• Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool for Justice40 data. https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/en/
• MMP’s IIJA Funding Cheat Sheets. https://www.modernmobilitypartners.com/iija-funding-cheat-sheets

Co-Hosts:

• Keli Kemp, AICP, PTP has 25 years of experience in transportation planning and consulting and co-founded Modern Mobility Partners in early 2018 with Jennifer Zhan. Keli holds a M.S. degree in Urban Planning from Texas A&M University.
• Kirsten Mote, AICP has over 14 years of experience in transportation planning and is certified by MIT Media Lab’s Beyond Smart Cities program. Kirsten is an Associate Vice President and Director of Smart Mobility Planning with Modern Mobility Partners. Kirsten holds a M.S. degree in City Planning from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Guest Speaker:

• Amber Berg, AICP, RSP₁ has five years of experience as a transportation planner, specializing in active transportation, visual communication, and roadway safety. She has a master’s degree in Regional and Community Planning from Kansas State University.

Modern Mobility Partners is an Atlanta-based women and minority-owned transportation planning and traffic engineering consulting firm.  Service areas include smart mobility and transportation planning, demand modeling and traffic engineering, and data analytics and visualization.

If you are interested in learning more about Modern Mobility Partners, please visit www.modernmobilitypartners.com. 

To obtain AICP CM credits, search for “Modern Mobility Partners” in the https://planning.org AICP CM portal to find all episodes.

Ep. 32: Has the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Moved the Needle on Equity?

Episode Summary: Listen to national experts and certified planners, Keli Kemp and Kirsten Mote, both with Modern Mobility Partners, talk about what planners can do to approach transportation decision-making with an equity mindset. Listeners will learn the answers to the following questions in Episode 32: 

• How does the Biden Administration define equity? 

• What is Justice40, and why should transportation planners care about it? 

• How are these equity initiatives included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law? 

• Has the BIL moved the needle on equity? 

• What else can be done to advance equity in transportation? 

Links: 

• The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (colloquially the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law or BIL) allocated $1.2 trillion for transportation and infrastructure spending, with $550 billion for new investments and programs. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bipartisan-infrastructure-law/  

• The Biden Administration’s Justice40 Initiative is a commitment that 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. https://www.whitehouse.gov/environmentaljustice/justice40/  

• The Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) is a useful tool for decision makers to use to identify projects in disadvantaged communities. https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/en  

• USDOT’s Equitable Transportation Community (ETC) Explorer tool allows decisionmakers to identify projects in disadvantaged communities, with an emphasis on transportation burdened communities. https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/0920984aa80a4362b8778d779b090723/page/ETC-Explorer---Homepage/  

• Check out USDOT’s Equity webpage to see how the Federal government is prioritizing equity across policies and programs, with the aim of reducing transportation-related inequities nationwide. https://www.transportation.gov/priorities/equity  

Co-Hosts: 

• Keli Kemp, AICP, PTP has 25 years of experience in transportation planning and consulting and co-founded Modern Mobility Partners in early 2018 with Jennifer Zhan.  Keli holds a M.S. degree in Urban Planning from Texas A&M University. 

• Kirsten Mote, AICP has over 14 years of experience in transportation planning and is certified by MIT Media Lab’s Beyond Smart Cities program.  Kirsten is an Associate Vice President and Director of Smart Mobility Planning with Modern Mobility Partners. Kirsten holds a M.S. degree in City Planning from Georgia Institute of Technology. 

Guest Speaker: 

• Yasamin Khorashahi has over two years of experience in planning and local government decision making, and over five years of experience researching equity issues in STEM. She has a B.S. in Public Policy and a Master of City and Regional Planning, both from Georgia Tech. Yasamin joined Modern Mobility Partners as a Transportation Planner in January of 2024. 

Modern Mobility Partners is an Atlanta-based women and minority-owned transportation planning and traffic engineering consulting firm.  Service areas include smart mobility and transportation planning, demand modeling and traffic engineering, and data analytics and visualization. 

If you are interested in learning more about Modern Mobility Partners, please visit www.modernmobilitypartners.com.   

To obtain AICP CM credits, search for “Modern Mobility Partners” in the https://planning.org AICP CM portal to find all episodes. 

Ep. 31: 8 Steps to Conducting a Regional Transit Development Plan

Episode Summary: Listen to national experts and certified planners, Keli Kemp and Kirsten Mote, both with Modern Mobility Partners, talk about what planners can do to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of existing transit services using a Transit Development Plan (TDP). Listeners will learn the following in Episode 31:

1. The importance of establishing the context of where a TDP is developed to make a plan that is customized for the study area
2. How to approach public and stakeholder involvement to integrate community voices in the TDP
3. How to shape the vision and goals of the TDP to have clear direction and actionable goals to help ground practical solutions
4. The importance of establishing existing conditions that review demographics and transit demand to understand gaps in transit service
5. How to assess needs to identify overlaps with the community goals and gaps in transit service
6. How to develop alternatives through potential scenarios that could help address community needs
7. Where to look for funding opportunities for transit service improvement projects that meet specific funding criteria
8. How to develop recommendations and implement final project ideas

Links:

• Georgia’s current vision for regional transit development in the state: https://regionaltdp-gdot.hub.arcgis.com/

Co-Hosts:

• Keli Kemp, AICP, PTP, has 25 years of experience in transportation planning and consulting and co-founded Modern Mobility Partners in early 2018 with Jennifer Zhan, AICP, PTP. Keli holds a M.S. degree in Urban Planning from Texas A&M University.
• Kirsten Mote, AICP, has over 15 years of experience in transportation planning and is certified by MIT Media Lab’s Beyond Smart Cities program. Kirsten is an Associate Vice President and Director of Smart Mobility Planning with Modern Mobility Partners. Kirsten holds a M.S. degree in City Planning from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Guest Speaker:

• Malavika Murali has recently begun her career in the transportation planning industry and has been a part of the Modern Mobility Partners team since 2022. Malavika holds dual M.S. degrees in City Planning and Geographic Information Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Modern Mobility Partners is an Atlanta-based women and minority-owned transportation planning and traffic engineering consulting firm. Service areas include smart mobility and transportation planning, demand modeling and traffic engineering, and data analytics and visualization.

If you are interested in learning more about Modern Mobility Partners, please visit www.modernmobilitypartners.com.

To obtain AICP CM credits, search for “Modern Mobility Partners” in the https://planning.org AICP CM portal to find all episodes.

Ep. 30: 3 Things to Know About FRA's Corridor ID Passenger Rail Program

Episode Summary:  Listen to national experts and certified planners, Keli Kemp and Kirsten Mote, both with Modern Mobility Partners, talk about how the Corridor ID program is progressing the future of high-speed rail in the US. Listeners will learn the answers to the following questions in Episode 30:

• How the Corridor ID program started and why it is important?
• What are the different selection criteria for the Corridor ID program
• What are the three steps in the Corridor ID program and what is required for each step?
• Where does the funding for the different steps come from?
• What comes after the Corridor ID program?

Links:

• The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (colloquially the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law or BIL) allocated $1.2 trillion for transportation and infrastructure spending, with $550 billion for new investments and programs. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bipartisan-infrastructure-law/
• The Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) Program is a comprehensive intercity passenger rail planning and development program that will help guide intercity passenger rail development throughout the country and create a pipeline of intercity passenger rail projects ready for implementation.  https://railroads.dot.gov/corridor-ID-program
• The new Corridor Identification Program is managed by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). It will be the pathway to federal financial support and technical assistance for new or improved intercity passenger rail routes across the country. https://https://www.hsrail.org/blog/corridor-id/
• Notice of Solicitation of Corridor Proposals and Funding Opportunity for the Corridor Identification and Development Program

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/20/2022-27559/notice-of-solicitation-of-corridor-proposals-and-funding-opportunity-for-the-corridor-identification

• FY22 Corridor Identification and Development Program Selections

https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/fy22-CID-program-selections

Co-Hosts:

• Keli Kemp, AICP, PTP has 25 years of experience in transportation planning and consulting and co-founded Modern Mobility Partners in early 2018 with Jennifer Zhan. Keli holds a M.S. degree in Urban Planning from Texas A&M University.
• Kirsten Mote, AICP has over 14 years of experience in transportation planning and is certified by MIT Media Lab’s Beyond Smart Cities program. Kirsten is an Associate Vice President and Director of Smart Mobility Planning with Modern Mobility Partners. Kirsten holds a M.S. degree in City Planning from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Guest Speaker:

• Yu Lin is a Transportation Planner with Modern Mobility Partners with over 2 years of professional experience. He graduated from New York University with a M.S. degree in Transportation Engineering/Planning. His interests include Sustainable Transportation, Micro-mobility, and Intelligent Transportation Systems. 

Modern Mobility Partners is an Atlanta-based women and minority-owned transportation planning and traffic engineering consulting firm.  Service areas include smart mobility and transportation planning, demand modeling and traffic engineering, and data analytics and visualization.

If you are interested in learning more about Modern Mobility Partners, please visit www.modernmobilitypartners.com. 

To obtain AICP CM credits, search for “Modern Mobility Partners” in the https://planning.org AICP CM portal to find all episodes.

Ep. 29: 6 Ways Planners Need to Consider Artificial Intelligence in Transportation Planning

Episode Summary:  Listen to national experts and certified planners, Keli Kemp, Kirsten Mote, and Matt Reeves with Modern Mobility Partners, talk about what planners can do to utilize Artificial Intelligence in Transportation Planning. Listeners will learn the following in Episode 29:

• Non-technical use cases for AI in the planning process including:
  • Background information and report drafting
  • Public engagement and education
• Technical use cases for AI in transportation planning including:
  • Existing conditions mapping
  • Safety
  • Transportation modeling
• Impact of AI on transportation infrastructure

The show ends with a high-level discussion highlighting some of the limitations and caution for planners using Artificial Intelligence. 

Links:

• PSMJ A.I. Meets AEC provides a detailed review of what A.I. is and how it is currently used and its potential in the AEC industry. The guidebook provides a review intended for business executives to better prepare for A.I.
• ChatGPT and other text-based AI tools can be used to quickly learn about new transportation topics, draft narratives, and discover new ideas for consideration in transportation planning. https://chat.openai.com/
• UrbanistAI allows for a collaborative designing process using AI to visualize changes to the urban landscape. https://www.urbanistai.com/
• ESRI is using Artificial Intelligence to detect land uses, impervious surfaces, and track environmentally sensitive areas from aerial imagery. https://www.esri.com/en-us/artificial-intelligence/overview
• IBM’s AI tools can use lidar imaging to map trees and estimate how much carbon is captured. https://www.fastcompany.com/90655986/ibms-new-ai-tool-figures-out-exactly-how-much-carbon-each-tree-can-capture
• Streetlight uses AI to process large amounts of traffic data from GPS devices, smartphones, and sensors, analyze travel patterns, and to build predictive and scenario models for transportation. https://www.streetlightdata.com/transportation-modeling
• GM’s Safety View utilizes AI processing capabilities to provide a dynamic dashboard and near real-time data to pinpoint dangerous roads, prioritize high-impact solutions, and create actionable plans for accelerated implementation. https://futureroads.gm.com/site/us/en/gm-future-roads/home.html
• AI is a small autonomous and contactless delivery robot that uses sidewalks to make short-distance deliveries. https://delivers.ai/
• Waymo is considered the leading passenger autonomous vehicle in operation which uses AI processing to predict movement behavior of the surrounding cars, cyclists, pedestrians, and more. https://waymo.com/
• Via’s proprietary algorithms for route planning and demand-response transit services are changing the needs for transit infrastructure and how people move through communities. https://ridewithvia.com/
• Research on Preparing Infrastructure for Automated Vehicles highlights transportation infrastructure and policy considerations to enable safe and efficient implementation of autonomous vehicles. https://www.itf-oecd.org/preparing-infrastructure-automated-vehicles

Co-Hosts:

• Keli Kemp, AICP, PTP has 25 years of experience in transportation planning and consulting and co-founded Modern Mobility Partners in early 2018 with Jennifer Zhan. Keli holds a M.S. degree in Urban Planning from Texas A&M University.
• Kirsten Mote, AICP has 15 years of experience in transportation planning and is certified by MIT Media Lab’s Beyond Smart Cities program. Kirsten is an Associate Vice President and Director of Smart Mobility Planning with Modern Mobility Partners. Kirsten holds a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Guest Speaker:

• Matt Reeves, AICP has 4 years of experience in transportation planning with previous experience in software development and database management. Matt is a Transportation Planner with Modern Mobility Partners and holds an M.S. degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Modern Mobility Partners is an Atlanta-based women and minority-owned transportation planning and traffic engineering consulting firm.  Service areas include smart mobility and transportation planning, demand modeling and traffic engineering, and data analytics and visualization.

If you are interested in learning more about Modern Mobility Partners, please visit www.modernmobilitypartners.com. 

To obtain AICP CM credits, search for “Modern Mobility Partners” in the https://planning.org AICP CM portal to find all episodes.

 

Ep. 28: 6 Things to Know about Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles

Episode Summary:  Listen to national experts and certified planners, Keli Kemp and Kirsten Mote, both with Modern Mobility Partners, talk about Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles. Listeners will learn the following in Episode 028:

• How do fuel cell vehicles work using Hydrogen?
• What is the efficiency and range of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles?
• What is the refueling time of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles?
• What are the impacts of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles on public health and the environment?
• What are the current market and models?
• Are there laws and incentives?

Links:

• Hydrogen fuel cells generate electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, producing electricity, water, and heat.

https://www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/fuel-cells 

• Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) are more energy-efficient than traditional internal combustion engines and offer ranges comparable to gasoline vehicles, often exceeding 300 miles on a single fill-up.

https://afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/how-do-fuel-cell-electric-cars-work 

• One of the major advantages of hydrogen FCVs over battery electric vehicles (BEVs) is the quick refueling time. Filling a hydrogen tank usually takes around 3-5 minutes, similar to refueling a gasoline car.

https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2015/07/f24/fcto_fcev_infographic_0.pdf 

• Emissions from gasoline and diesel vehicles—such as nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and particulate matter—are a major source of this pollution. Hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicles emit none of these harmful substances—only water (H2O) and warm air.

https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/hydrogen-benefits

• Several automakers, including Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai, have developed hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Models like the Toyota Mirai, Honda Clarity Fuel Cell, and Hyundai NEXO are available in select markets with established hydrogen refueling infrastructure.

https://www.caranddriver.com/toyota/mirai

• Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) are supported by various laws and incentives aimed at promoting clean energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These incentives include tax credits, grants, and rebates at federal, state, and local levels. Additionally, policies often support the development of hydrogen refueling infrastructure, research and development, and public-private partnerships to accelerate the adoption of hydrogen technology.

https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/laws/HY 

Co-Hosts:

• Keli Kemp, AICP, PTP has 25 years of experience in transportation planning and consulting and co-founded Modern Mobility Partners in early 2018 with Jennifer Zhan. Keli holds a M.S. degree in Urban Planning from Texas A&M University.
• Kirsten Mote, AICP has over 14 years of experience in transportation planning and is certified by MIT Media Lab’s Beyond Smart Cities program. Kirsten is an Associate Vice President and Director of Smart Mobility Planning with Modern Mobility Partners. Kirsten holds a M.S. degree in City Planning from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Guest Speaker:

• Ran Xu has over five years of experience in transportation engineering and modeling. Ran holds PE, PTOE, and RSP1 licenses. Ran has a M.S. degree in Transportation Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Modern Mobility Partners is an Atlanta-based women and minority-owned transportation planning and traffic engineering consulting firm.  Service areas include smart mobility and transportation planning, demand modeling and traffic engineering, and data analytics and visualization.

If you are interested in learning more about Modern Mobility Partners, please visit www.modernmobilitypartners.com. 

To obtain AICP CM credits, search for “Modern Mobility Partners” in the https://planning.org AICP CM portal to find all episodes.

Ep. 27: Post NEVI Plan… Where Are They Now?

Episode Summary:  Listen to national experts and certified planners, Keli Kemp and Kirsten Mote, both with Modern Mobility Partners, talk about what planners can do to support the ongoing NEVI plan through siting electric charging stations, planning the sites, and designing infrastructure around the stations. Listeners will learn the following in Episode 027:

• Understand the goals of the NEVI plan, minimum requirements for project funding, and planners’ roles in implementing it
• Explore the creation of the Alternative Fuel Corridors and how they are used in NEVI requirements
• Understand equity considerations of the NEVI plan and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program
• Explore what the NEVI plan looks like in action by following its progress to date in Georgia
• Discover what kinds of projects planners can expect to be a part of that are both directly funded by NEVI and resulting from NEVI projects

Links:

• Full text of NEVI standards and requirements in the Code of Federal Regulations, February 28, 2023 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/02/28/2023-03500/national-electric-vehicle-infrastructure-standards-and-requirements
• NEVI as it first appeared in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (SEC. 11401) https://www.congress.gov/117/plaws/publ58/PLAW-117publ58.pdf
• Most recent National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program Guidance. June 11, 2023 https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/nevi/formula_prog_guid/90d_nevi_formula_program_guidance.pdf
• Joint Office of Energy and Transportation homepage https://driveelectric.gov/
• Map of EV charging stations and other alternative fueling stations across the United States. https://driveelectric.gov/embed-stations-map
• Map of ready and pending Alternative Fuel Corridors across the United States: https://hepgis-usdot.hub.arcgis.com/apps/5c4d9e173301473688468fc7cf6dbe19/explore
• Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure growth https://driveelectric.gov/stations-growth
• EV-ChART information page https://driveelectric.gov/evchart
• EV Charger Types and Speeds https://www.transportation.gov/rural/ev/toolkit/ev-basics/charging-speeds
• National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program Annual Report: Plan Year 2022-2023 https://driveelectric.gov/files/nevi-annual-report-2022-2023.pdf
• Georgia NEVI program homepage: https://nevi-gdot.hub.arcgis.com/

Co-Hosts:

• Keli Kemp, AICP, PTP has 25 years of experience in transportation planning and consulting and co-founded Modern Mobility Partners in early 2018 with Jennifer Zhan. Keli holds a M.S. degree in Urban Planning from Texas A&M University.
• Kirsten Mote, AICP has over 15 years of experience in transportation planning and is certified by MIT Media Lab’s Beyond Smart Cities program. Kirsten is an Associate Vice President and Director of Smart Mobility Planning with Modern Mobility Partners. Kirsten holds a M.S. degree in City Planning from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Guest Speaker:

• Ansley McKenzie is a GIS analyst with three years of experience and a transportation planner with one year of experience. She holds two master’s degrees, one in city planning and one in GIS, both from Georgia Tech.

Modern Mobility Partners is an Atlanta-based women and minority-owned transportation planning and traffic engineering consulting firm.  Service areas include smart mobility and transportation planning, demand modeling and traffic engineering, and data analytics and visualization.

If you are interested in learning more about Modern Mobility Partners, please visit www.modernmobilitypartners.com. 

To obtain AICP CM credits, search for “Modern Mobility Partners” in the https://planning.org AICP CM portal to find all episodes.

 

Ep. 26: 5 Steps to Estimating Planning Level Transit Ridership

Episode Summary: Listen to national experts and certified planners, Keli Kemp and Kirsten Mote, both with Modern Mobility Partners, talk about what planners should know about estimating transit ridership. Listeners will learn the following in Episode 26:

• How transit planners use ridership forecasts
• How ridership forecasts change in different planning situations
• Potential data demands for ridership estimates
• Differences between estimating service change and new service ridership
• Considerations to make when comparing ridership in different locations
• The importance of understanding the community when evaluating forecast outcomes

Links:

• NextGen NHTS National OD Data - https://nhts.ornl.gov/od/
• Fixed-Route Transit Ridership Forecasting and Service Planning Methods (TCRP 2006) - http://nap.nationalacademies.org/14001
• Policy recommendations for a transition to sustainable mobility based on historical diffusion dynamics of transport systems (B. D. Leibowicz 2018) - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2018.04.066

Co-Hosts:

• Keli Kemp, AICP, PTP has 25 years of experience in transportation planning and consulting and co-founded Modern Mobility Partners in early 2018 with Jennifer Zhan. Keli holds a M.S. degree in Urban Planning from Texas A&M University.
• Kirsten Mote, AICP has over 14 years of experience in transportation planning and is certified by MIT Media Lab’s Beyond Smart Cities program. Kirsten is an Associate Vice President and Director of Smart Mobility Planning with Modern Mobility Partners. Kirsten holds a M.S. degree in City Planning from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Guest Speaker:

• Freyja Brandel-Tanis is a Transportation Planner and Engineer with Modern Mobility Partners. She holds M.S. degrees in City and Regional Planning and Civil Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and was a 2022 Fulbright Grantee to Norway.

Modern Mobility Partners is an Atlanta-based women and minority-owned transportation planning and traffic engineering consulting firm.  Service areas include smart mobility and transportation planning, demand modeling and traffic engineering, and data analytics and visualization.

If you are interested in learning more about Modern Mobility Partners, please visit www.modernmobilitypartners.com. 

To obtain AICP CM credits, search for “Modern Mobility Partners” in the https://planning.org AICP CM portal to find all episodes.

Bonus Episode: 12 Things that Make the Chattanooga MPO 2050 RTP Special

Episode Summary:  Listen to national experts and certified planners, Keli Kemp and Kirsten Mote, both with Modern Mobility Partners interview guest speakers Melissa Taylor and Julia Billings about the innovative strategies used in the Chattanooga MPO’s 2050 Regional Transportation Plan. Listeners will learn about the following topics in this Season 4 Bonus Episode:

• Identifying innovative strategies for public and stakeholder engagement
• Incorporating safety, equity, and resilience throughout the long-range planning process
• Conducting social equity analysis for use in the plan
• Identifying electric vehicle opportunity areas and incorporating them into the plan
• Identifying smart corridors and incorporating them into the plan
• Identifying freight clusters and incorporating them into the plan
• Conducting Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) and early NEPA analyses
• Assessing different alternatives or scenarios for different packages of projects
• Developing innovative approaches to project selection and prioritization, focusing on plan goals
• Identifying funding set-asides aligned with key themes
• Including actionable policy recommendations with clear steps for implementation
• Developing a digital plan document that is reader friendly, highly visual, and includes links to supplemental resources and story maps throughout

Links:

• Chattanooga-Hamilton County/North Georgia MPO 2050 Regional Transportation Plan document: https://www.chcrpa.org/project/2050-rtp/
• Chattanooga-Hamilton County/North Georgia MPO 2050 Regional Transportation Plan website: https://2050rtp-chcrpa.hub.arcgis.com/
• Story maps: https://2050rtp-chcrpa.hub.arcgis.com/pages/Map%20stories

Co-Hosts:

• Keli Kemp, AICP, PTP has 25 years of experience in transportation planning and consulting and co-founded Modern Mobility Partners in early 2018 with Jennifer Zhan. Keli holds a M.S. degree in Urban Planning from Texas A&M University.
• Kirsten Mote, AICP has over 14 years of experience in transportation planning and is certified by MIT Media Lab’s Beyond Smart Cities program. Kirsten is an Associate Vice President and Director of Smart Mobility Planning with Modern Mobility Partners. Kirsten holds a M.S. degree in City Planning from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Guest Speakers:

• Melissa Taylor is the Director of Transportation Planning and MPO Coordinator for Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency (RPA) & Chattanooga-Hamilton County/North Georgia MPO where she oversees transportation planning for the City of Chattanooga, Hamilton County, and the 19 jurisdictions of the MPO. She was the Project Manager on the agency or client side for the 2050 RTP.
• Julia Billings, AICP has over 12 years of experience in transportation and land use planning. She was Deputy Project Manager on behalf of MMP (the lead consultant) for the 2050 RTP, leading the day-to-day of the entire plan on the consultant side.

Modern Mobility Partners is an Atlanta-based women and minority-owned transportation planning and traffic engineering consulting firm.  Service areas include smart mobility and transportation planning, demand modeling and traffic engineering, and data analytics and visualization.

If you are interested in learning more about Modern Mobility Partners, please visit www.modernmobilitypartners.com. 

To obtain AICP CM credits, search for “Modern Mobility Partners” in the https://planning.org AICP CM portal to find all episodes.