Executive Director's Blog

Empowering Communities: Protecting Young Cyclists on California's Roads

May 2023

San Jose and San Francisco are among the most bicycle-friendly cities in the country, and although cyclists in rural areas may not have the same infrastructure, interest in bike-riding—both as a hobby and as transportation—is high in rural communities as well. Let’s take a moment this National Bike Month to dig into the latest details about bikes in California and to highlight the importance of bike safety.

Many efforts to educate about the importance of wearing a helmet, as well as efforts to distribute helmets to children, have been successful—as reflected in the lower child cyclist fatality data. One such program, delivered this spring by Walk and Bike Mendocino and sponsored by the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) using funds from CA Senate Bill 1, educated 4th and 5th grade students at Nokomis Elementary School in Ukiah, CA about the importance of wearing a helmet and other bike and pedestrian safety issues.

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Six individuals featured in the project (clockwise from top left): Maria Cortez, Oscar James, Javier Rodriguez, Faye Wilson Kennedy, Ivory Chambeshi, and Rocina Lizarraga.

Building Equitable Communities: Righting the Wrongs of the Planning Past

A Year in Review

February 2023

December 2022

How far you need to travel to obtain fresh food, check out a library book, swim at the community pool, or stroll through a park depends on where you live. But where you live is often influenced by factors out of your control and, sometimes, by historical systemic discrimination. Transportation and city planners have, in the past and often inadvertently, been a part of systems that contribute to inequitable circumstances; today, they are rising up to take responsibility to right these wrongs in our communities. In one such effort, the California Planning Roundtable (CPR) collaborated with the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) to uplift six unique voices to identify how past planning practices have impacted communities of color in the words of those who have experienced the impacts.

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I hope we helped make 2022 the best year yet through our continued efforts to empower our communities through transportation. By improving the safety, efficiency, accessibility, and convenience of our nation’s transportation system, we connect the world and increase mobility for all. 

Now, let’s look back at the most memorable moments of 2022 and see what we’ve achieved together.

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Workforce Development: A Community and Family Affair

It’s the Little Things: How Seemingly Small Choices Affect Safety on the Road

September 2022

April 2022

Addressing the transportation industry’s critical workforce gap is an important issue for transit agencies, educators, local and state governments, and more—but sometimes it’s also a family affair.

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With most Americans tucked into home offices and sheltered in living rooms during the height of the pandemic, stretches of highway and neighborhood roads were quiet. No bustle of cars, trucks, buses, or bikes. Empty. And yet, 38,680 people died in vehicle crashes in 2020—the highest traffic-related death count since 2007. Why did traffic fatalities spike with fewer drivers on the roads? 

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The Power of Privilege: How to Be a Champion for Women in Transportation

Professional Development’s Role in Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

March 2022

February 2022

Women have been driving—literally and figuratively—the U.S. transportation industry since the beginning. In recent years, women like Sally Ride, Ph.D., the first U.S. woman in space, and Bessie Coleman, the first African American (male or female) to earn a pilot’s license, have been recognized for their significant accomplishments as industry professionals and trailblazers. Still, many others remain relatively unrecognized or even lost to history. Today, the transportation industry still struggles to attract and retain women. Men remain the majority and retain most of the authority, too. Thus, our industry cannot successfully advance diversity and equity without the support of male allies, mentors, and champions. 

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As we shift away from virtual meetings with neat, non-hierarchical squares, and return to in-person meetings at a table with c-suite designated spaces, we take a hard look at who has a seat at that table. What do they look like? Are they representative of their organization? What steps did they take to reach that chief officer position? How can we, the transportation industry as a whole, ensure that we are creating equitable opportunities to ensure those seated at the table reflect the communities our transit agencies serve and the people they employ?

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Holiday Travel in the Era of Omicron

Stroll and Roll Back to School Safely: Reviving Commuter Awareness about Pedestrian Safety

December 2021

October 2021

With the holidays on the horizon, how will people be traveling—and how will their travel be affected by the transportation industry’s pandemic status? It is possible to travel safely for the holidays by making smart, informed choices. The nation has already taken enormous strides in overcoming the challenges of living while combating a pandemic—traveling safely and enjoying this holiday season will be one more.

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The days are a little cloudier, the skies a little darker, and pedestrians wrapped in coats and obscured by the fall gloom may be a little harder to see. Rain and frost, too, can increase the risk of traffic dangers. And speeding and distracted driving can contribute to injury and even death. It’s National Pedestrian Safety Month, but how can we keep pedestrians safe?

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Freight Rail: Keeping America Moving

Driving Women’s Suffrage Straight to the Polls

September 2021

August 2021

Rail keeps America moving. Even amid an unprecedented global health crisis, the nation’s goods continued to arrive at stores and on our doorsteps—demonstrating the notable resiliency of the rail industry during the trials of the COVID-19 pandemic. A new report by Northwestern University Transportation Center (NUTC) gives insight into how invaluable freight made its way across the nation in one of the most trying moments of our lifetimes.

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The automobile driven by Alice Burke and Nell Richardson could not be ignored. Bright suffrage yellow and adorned with “Votes for Women” banners and flowers, the car carried the suffragist leaders across the nation in 1916. In their Golden Flyer, the pair drove from New York to San Francisco to garner support for suffragist delegates attending national political conventions. Because women were expected to remain in the home, cars became a symbol of the movement. Driving broke stereotypes and enabled freedom, mobility, and independence.

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Fueling a Future Free of Fossil Fuels

Getting LGBTQ+ PRIDE Month Rolling with Capitol Leaders and Allies

July 2021

June 2021

With pandemic restrictions being lifted, kids released from academic obligations, and American flags proudly waving in the summer breeze, it is no wonder July is often associated with freedom. Among those nostalgic feelings of liberty, MTI is taking a moment to reflect on a different freedom that will benefit generations to come—the freedom from fossil fuels and the threat of climate change.

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On June 1st, 2021, President Biden wrote in his proclamation on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Pride (LGBTQ+) month of the uprising at the Stonewall Inn in 1969. Commonly referred to as the Stonewall Riots, the movement was led by trans, gay, and queer women of color like Marsha “Pay It No Mind” Johnson. This rebellion against violence enacted on the LGBTQ+ community grew into decades of LGBTQ+ advocacy and the Pride movement. 

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Denouncing Asian Hate while Celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Women Marching to the Top of the Transportation Industry

May 2021

March 2021

Embracing diversity and acknowledging both positive and painful history brings us closer as Americans and world citizens. This Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, let us recognize and celebrate the contributions of individuals with Asian and Pacific Islander heritage. 

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From the desk of MTI's E.D. Dr. Karen Philbrick, we honor this Women's History Month by taking a hard look at the the obstacles keeping women out of the transportation industry.

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Celebrating Black History Month and Inventor Garrett A. Morgan

Full Steam Ahead with MTI's Distance Learning Programs

February 2021

October 2020

In honor of #BlackHistoryMonth, join us as we celebrate the inventor, entrepreneur, and hero Garrett A. Morgan by participating in the Garrett Morgan Sustainable Transportation Competition!

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From the desk of MTI's E.D. Dr. Karen Philbrick, "Full STEAM Ahead with MTI's Distance Learning Programs" offers a look at workforce development programs that not only get kids and teens interested in STEAM learning, but also addresses a critical infrastructure need in our nation.

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