Time: 2:15pm to 3:30pm
Location: Concourse Level – Conference Rooms
Planning With, Not For, Communities
Effective community engagement is an ongoing practice, not just a project milestone. This session will explore how to shift from transactional to relational engagement, embedding equity throughout the planning process. Through case studies and a rich discussion, participants will examine different approaches to engagement, the impact of issue framing, and strategies for fostering long-term collaboration with communities. Join us for a dynamic conversation on rethinking engagement as a shared process that leads to more inclusive and equitable outcomes.
Location: Concourse Level – Queens (C198)
Empowering Communities: Expanding E-Bike Access
In recent years, cities nationwide have invested in initiatives to expand access to safe and affordable micromobility. This panel will examine strategies and programs that empower low-income communities by increasing access to electric bicycle (e-bike) ownership. Discussion topics will include the development of financial incentives, partnerships with community organizations and institutions, and efforts to address economic and informational exclusion. Speakers will also share insights on overcoming implementation challenges, such as structural access barriers, budget constraints, evolving regulations, and the rapidly shifting micromobility landscape. Through real-world examples and key lessons learned, this panel will provide valuable guidance on designing incentive programs that accelerate e-bike adoption while ensuring equitable benefits for residents of all income levels.
Location: Concourse Level – Staten Island (C201-202)
Moderator: Irene Figueroa-Ortiz, Senior Policy Advisor, NYC Department of Transportation
Equity Metrics: Measuring Success, Impact, and Outcomes
Designing transportation projects, programs, and services that achieve more equitable outcomes requires the use of key metrics to understand project outcomes and community impact. Setting metrics before implementation is crucial in determining what success looks like, including clear, measurable indicators. The successful identification of these metrics depends on having real conversations with key partners and community members to explore their goals and determine realistic project outcomes that support those goals. Through a series of discussions, speakers will share real-world examples of best practices, challenges they've overcome, and lessons learned in their efforts to design and plan transportation projects, programs, and services more equitably to improve mobility and the lives of people.
Location: Concourse Level – Manhattan (C203)
Moderator: KeAndra Cylear Dodds, Executive Officer, Equity and Race, LA Metro
Gender Equity, Mobility, and Leadership
Many transit systems are not designed to address the needs of all users. It is well documented that women (and those who identify as women) have very different experiences in safety, efficiency, and comfort while riding transportation infrastructure throughout the world. This session will examine groundbreaking studies in the US that provide deeper insight into the intersection of gender and mobility. To compliment this presentation, a panel of industry experts will discuss what it is like to advocate for more inclusive design and how their lived experience as women and gender minorities in transportation has shaped their decision making and professional development as leaders.
Location: Concourse Level – The Bronx (C204-205)
Moderator: Tiffany Ann-Taylor, Vice President for Transportation, Regional Plan Association