Silver Spring transportation expert Jennifer Toole will discuss separated bike lanes abroad, following January 20 session on collecting data for planning transit
Silver Spring, MD – The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, is holding the second session of its three-part Winter Speaker Series on Tuesday, February 16, 2016. This free event will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Planning Department headquarters (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring) to address recent approaches to suburban bicycle planning.
Jennifer Toole, president of the Silver Spring-based Toole Design Group, will discuss local examples as well as case studies from other countries. She will highlight bicycling culture in the Netherlands, where separated bike lanes are commonplace in suburban and rural areas, as well as in cities.
Session on January 20 Focused on Data for Transit Planning
The first session of the Winter Speaker Series, held on Wednesday, January 20, featured a presentation by transportation planner Nat Bottigheimer, DC Region Market Lead of Fehr & Peers DC. The session drew about 40 people, including Montgomery County Councilmembers Hans Riemer and Roger Berliner.
Bottigheimer titled his talk “Putting the Transition back in Transit” to emphasize the importance of the upfront planning required for surface transit projects – light rail, streetcars, bus rapid transit –so they can succeed. He revealed how data from cell phones, GPS systems and bus travel can be used to determine the potential ridership and viability of these transit projects.
View the video presentation of the January 20 session.
View the short video recap of the January 20 session.
Background on 2016 Winter Speaker Series
The 2016 Winter Speaker Series, titled Smart Moves: New Ideas about Bikes, Cars and Transit, addresses new approaches to cycling, transit, trails and other alternatives to cars. The ideas generated from the series will help inform the Department’s current plans and policies, including the Bicycle Master Plan and Subdivision Staging Policy update.
Free to the public and professionals, the Winter Speaker Series is held at the Planning Department headquarters (8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD) from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Members of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) attending the series can earn credit.
The third and final session of the Winter Speaker Series will be held on Wednesday, March 16 when transportation planner Jeffrey Tumlin of Nelson/Nygaard in San Francisco will talk about smart development in transitional suburban locations.
For more information about the Winter Speakers Series, go to Montgomeryplanning.org/smartmoves
Use #smartmoves
Speaker Bios
Nat Bottingheimer of DC-based Fehr & Peers is a transportation planner with a background in public policy and real estate economics. Until 2012, Nat was an assistant general manager at Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), where he promoted bike and pedestrian access, sustainability and bus priority investment. He has expertise in planning for rail station access, transit and land use, and is a recognized expert in transit-oriented development.
Jennifer Toole, president of Toole Design Group in Silver Spring, has a keen understanding of how to design streets that work for all users. She has been involved in numerous projects of national significance for the Federal Highway Administration, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In 2008, Jennifer was honored with the Professional of the Year award from the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals.
Jeffery Tumlin of San Francisco-based Nelson/Nygaard has led award-winning plans in cities from Seattle and Vancouver to Moscow and Abu Dhabi. He helps balance all modes of transportation in densely developed places to achieve a community’s goals and best utilize limited resources. He has developed plans throughout the world that accommodate millions of square feet of growth with no net increase in motor vehicle traffic. Jeff is the author of the book Sustainable Transportation Planning: Tools for Creating Healthy, Vibrant and Resilient Communities.