SILVER SPRING, MD – With interest growing among county leaders and residents in new transit options, the Montgomery County Planning Department has booked international expert and author Jarrett Walker for its next speaker series event on February 7.
The international consultant on public transit planning and policy will make the case for focusing on network design and maximizing the usefulness and reach of quality transit service. Walker will explore how to think differently about transit to create systems that are attractive because they fit the community’s needs.
Walker’s more than two decades of experience designing transit systems ranges from small towns to metropolitan areas, and his network designs have been implemented in many areas. His track record in transit planning and policy includes bus-rail integration and bus rapid transit.
Walker’s recently published book, Human Transit, addresses how public transit can address a range of community problems, from traffic congestion to economic development. He explains the “geometry” of transit and how to match technology with individual communities.
Examples of his work integrating transit with planning include designing comprehensive bus service in San Antonio, Boise, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Reno, Spokane and four southern California suburban areas. He also has managed transit projects in major cities throughout Australia and New Zealand.
His focus on the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand is not by accident. Communities in land-rich nations, developed recently compared to European and Asian communities, have grown in low-density, car-dependent patterns and now clamor for a congestion fix.
Walker is known for educating stakeholders about the choices that transit requires, building clear processes and helping organizations form coherent and implementable transit goals. His popular blog, Human Transit.org, has grown into an online collection of articles explaining key transit concepts and issues. Copies of his book will be available for purchase at the speaker series event.
The presentations are part of the Planning Department’s speaker series – free, informative sessions about ways to forge great communities. Continuing education credits (AICP credits) are pending for planning professionals.
Walker also will headline local events on Thursday, February 9: at the National Building Museum at 12:30 p.m. and an informal discussion and question/answer session at the Young Professionals in Transportation office at 6:30 p.m.
Who:
Montgomery County Planning Department, featuring transit consultant Jarrett Walker
What:
Human Transit: A mobility-based approach to transit decisions
When:
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Where:
Park and Planning Headquarters auditorium
8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring
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