Event Date
The Many Benefits of Reducing Car Dependence
Many Americans live in communities in which driving is a virtual necessity for getting to most destinations. But while cars provide an unparalleled level of mobility, they also have many negative financial, public health, environmental, and social impacts. This presentation will synthesize existing research on the many household- and community-level benefits of reducing car dependence, especially when it is done through land use and transportation planning that promotes alternative travel modes.
Speaker
Dr. Susan Handy is the Director of the National Center for Sustainable Transportation and a Professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Handy's research focuses on the relationships between transportation and land use and on strategies for reducing automobile dependence. Her recent work includes a series of studies on bicycling in Davis, including an exploration of the formation of attitudes towards bicycling, a study of factors affecting bicycling to high school, and the use of electric-assist bicycles.
Guest Respondent
Jeanie Ward-Waller is the Caltrans Deputy Director for Planning & Modal Programs, and oversees planning, rail & transit, aeronautics, research & data systems, and local assistance divisions. She previously served as the Acting District 2 Director and the Sustainability Program Manager at Caltrans. She is a licensed Civil Engineer in California. Jeanie earned a Master of Philosophy degree in Engineering for Sustainable Development at the University of Cambridge. She received a Master of Engineering degree in civil engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering at Brown University. Jeanie is well known as an effective advocate for active transportation, health, and equity in California. She is the former policy director of the California Bicycle Coalition and the former senior California policy manager for the Safe Routes Partnership.