Past Events

The Mineta Consortium for Equitable, Efficient, and Sustainable Transportation organizes or participates in numerous transportation-related events each year. Details about past events, including links to presentations and other relevant resources, when available, are listed below.

Dates	Events
May 1, 2024 to May 31, 2024	SVBC's Bike Month and Bike to Wherever Days Join Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition for Bike Month and Bike to Wherever Days! Whether you bike every day or once every couple of months — or want to learn how — you’re invited to join thousands in celebration of the humble bicycle. May is Bike Month, and we’d love to have you, your friends and your family pledge to ride with us for Bike to Wherever Days, Thursday - Saturday, May 16 - 18. Here’s how to get started: Pledge to Ride during Bike to Wherever Days. Your pledge is free. It supports healthy, safe and joyful community and biking. And we’ll help make your great rides happen. Bay Area Bike Challenge - 30,000 Miles for 30 Years of BTWD. Celebrate the 30th anniversary of Bike to Work Day by participating. Take the Challenge. Celebrate with our great lineup of free biking classes and rides in your area to help you roll, our events calendar, plus a free, specially designed Bike to Wherever Days 2024 tote bag, enthusiastic support from Energizer Stations in your neighborhood, and chances to win prizes from local bike shops. Spread the word of Bike to Wherever Days 2024 — see the media kit. We need you! We’re seeking Energizer Station hosts now and volunteers for bike-bag stuffing and distribution parties and more! *MTI was a proud co-sponsor of this event.
April 25, 2024	Winner Announcement: 2024 Garrett Morgan Sustainable Transportation Competition - Online In celebration of the 2024 Garrett Morgan Sustainable Transportation Competition, USDOT Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research, Development, and Technology's Director Dr. Firas Ibrahim and MTI's Executive Director Dr. Karen Philbrick hosted the annual winner announcement. Garrett Augustus Morgan (1877-1963) was one of seven children born in Kentucky to former slaves. After enduring the challenges of farming in the South and having to quit school to earn a living at the age of 14, he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. While working as a handyman in Ohio, Morgan hired a tutor to continue his education, influencing him to open his own business as a clothing manufacturer and start a successful newspaper. Garrett Morgan's innovative drive led him to obtain many patents, but one of his most prominent inventions, the three-way traffic signal, was designed to make roads safer for everyone, especially pedestrians. It is not only for his inventions, but for his innovative spirit and determination for continued education in the face of adversity that MTI is proud to honor this trailblazer through the Garrett Morgan Sustainable Transportation Competition. This year, competing teams were from California and Oklahoma, including the Hamlin School, Peter Hansen Elementary School, Julius Cordes Elementary School, Juan Cabrillo Middle School, Kennedy Middle School, Shawnee Middle School, Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council - Boy Scouts of America, Tom Matsumoto Elementary School, Troop 492 - Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council, Troop 492 - Cupertino Rotary Club, Thornton Middle School, William Hopkins Middle School, and Christa McAuliffe Middle School.
April 10, 2024	Garrett Morgan Competition Career Night - Online The Garrett Morgan competition teams and affiliated students joined MTI for insider insights into the excitement and challenges of cutting-edge transportation careers. Which subjects in high school pave the way for an exciting high-speed rail job? What are the toughest challenges faced by those working in autonomous vehicle technology companies? Two real-world transportation professionals discussed what it takes to tackle issues of sustainability, safety, equity, and more! Guest Speakers: Yaqeline Castro, Outreach and Student Engagement Specialist, California High-Speed Rail Authority (CAHSRA) Dan Pritchell, Policy Operations - Showcases Lead, Waymo View Recording. Yaqeline Castro, Outreach and Student Engagement Specialist, California High-Speed Rail Authority (CAHSRA) As the Student Outreach Specialist, Yaqeline Castro is responsible for stakeholder outreach and strengthening relationships with students and educational institutions statewide. In addition, she supports general stakeholder outreach and external event planning for the communications team and oversees the student I Will Ride program. Yaqeline first joined the Authority in 2019 as an Executive Fellow with the Capital Fellows program. During her placement year, she was mentored by the Chief of Strategic Communications. Prior to her time with the Authority, Yaqeline has worked as a policy intern at the US Department of Education strengthening Hispanic student pathways and opportunities in addition to serving three years with the Orientation Department at University of California Merced. Yaqeline studied anthropology at University of California Merced and has a graduate certificate in public policy from California State University Sacramento. Yaqeline is currently a graduate student at San Jose State’s Master of Science in Transportation Management with a concentration in High-Speed and Intercity Rail Management. Dan Pritchell, Policy Operations - Showcases Lead, Waymo Dan Pritchell serves as the Policy Showcases Lead at Waymo - formerly the Google self-driving car project - which makes it safe and easy for people & things to get around with autonomous vehicles. Previously he was the City and Community Engagement Senior Manager at Nuro, working with local governments in Arizona and California regarding Nuro’s autonomous vehicle testing and future services. Prior to joining Nuro Dan co-founded Sheprd, an ‘Uber for Kids’ child transportation startup in Boston, MA, as well as worked for a variety of political campaigns in federal, state, and local elections. Dan earned an M.B.A from UCLA Anderson and a B.A. in Political Studies from Pitzer College. Presenters: Yaqeline Castro & Dan Pritchell
March 26, 2024	Trailblazer Tuesday with Jennifer Homendy - Online In honor of Women’s History Month, the Mineta Transportation Institute hosted a series of virtual fireside chats with a diverse panel of women transportation leaders at the apex of success in academia, public and private industries, and the nonprofit sector. During the webinar, participants explored compelling personal narratives and leadership journeys and gained valuable insights into how these leaders balance assertiveness with emotional intelligence, overcoming stereotypes and dispelling misconceptions about perceived weakness. Featured guests also shared invaluable insights as we dove into the profound impact of reshaping perspectives and championing women in the transportation industry and beyond. Featured Guest: The Honorable Jennifer Homendy, Chair, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Moderator: Karen Philbrick, PhD, Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) 0.5 PDH credit available View the Recording. PDH Credit. About The Honorable Jennifer Homendy Jennifer Homendy [Pronounced: HAH-mendy] was sworn in as the 15th Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board in August 2021 after being nominated by the President and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Chair Homendy has served as the agency’s 44th Board Member since 2018. A tireless safety advocate, Chair Homendy has spent over two decades supporting the critical safety mission of the NTSB, the independent federal agency that investigates crashes in all modes of transportation, determines the probable causes, and issues recommendations to improve transportation safety. Recognized by Railway Age as a 2023 Woman-in-Rail, she serves on multiple national boards including the current Chair of WTS International and the APTA Executive Committee and has received numerous awards recognizing her success and advocacy including the 2022 American Public Transportation Association’s Business Member of the Year; 2021 WTS Northeast Florida Woman of the Year, 2019 Women of Color STEM Technology All-Star Award; and a 2019 Conference of Minority Transportation Officials’ Women Who Move the Nation honoree. Presenters:* Jennifer Homendy & Karen Philbrick, PhD
March 19, 2024	Trailblazer Tuesday with Jannet Walker-Ford - Online In honor of Women’s History Month, the Mineta Transportation Institute hosted a series of virtual fireside chats with a diverse panel of women transportation leaders at the apex of success in academia, public and private industries, and the nonprofit sector. During the webinar, participants explored compelling personal narratives and leadership journeys and gained valuable insights into how these leaders balance assertiveness with emotional intelligence, overcoming stereotypes and dispelling misconceptions about perceived weakness. Featured guests also shared invaluable insights as we dove into the profound impact of reshaping perspectives and championing women in the transportation industry and beyond. Featured Guest: Jannet Walker-Ford, Senior Vice President & Principal Director - National Transit & Rail Business Line Leader, WSP Moderator: Karen Philbrick, PhD, Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) View the Recording. PDH Credit. 0.5 PDH credit available About Jannet Walker-Ford Jannet Walker-Ford is a nationally recognized transportation industry executive with WSP USA, a leading engineering and professional services consultancy. A tireless advocate for equity in transportation and the power of public transit to transform communities, Walker-Ford has more than two decades of diverse expertise including management consulting, technology, mobility, and transportation systems. With a focus on equity, sustainability and community building she has served in executive leadership and strategic advisor roles on ground-breaking programs and projects for large transit and transportation agencies across the U.S. She regularly draws on her two decades of experience for national consultancy firms and as the Deputy General Manager/Deputy CEO and CIO at the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. In her role with WSP, she serves as the senior vice president & national transit and rail business leader, responsible for leading and growing the firm’s business in national transit and rail markets including the national practices for freight delivery, passenger rail, systems, technical project delivery, bus rapid transit and zero emissions. At every opportunity, Jannet leads with gratitude – continually recognizing her team, clients and industry partners for their contributions and accomplishments. Recognized by Railway Age as a 2023 Woman-in-Rail, she serves on multiple national boards including the current Chair of WTS International and the APTA Executive Committee and has received numerous awards recognizing her success and advocacy including the 2022 American Public Transportation Association’s Business Member of the Year; 2021 WTS Northeast Florida Woman of the Year, 2019 Women of Color STEM Technology All-Star Award; and a 2019 Conference of Minority Transportation Officials’ Women Who Move the Nation honoree. Presenters:* Jannet Walker-Ford & Karen Philbrick, PhD
March 12, 2024	Trailblazer Tuesday with Tilly Chang - Online In honor of Women’s History Month, the Mineta Transportation Institute hosted a series of virtual fireside chats with a diverse panel of women transportation leaders at the apex of success in academia, public and private industries, and the nonprofit sector. During the webinar, participants explored compelling personal narratives and leadership journeys and gained valuable insights into how these leaders balance assertiveness with emotional intelligence, overcoming stereotypes and dispelling misconceptions about perceived weakness. Featured guests also shared invaluable insights as we dove into the profound impact of reshaping perspectives and championing women in the transportation industry and beyond. Featured Guest: Tilly Chang, Executive Director, San Francisco County Transportation Authority Moderator: Asha Weinstein Agrawal, PhD, Education Director, Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) 0.5 PDH credit available View the Recording. PDH Credit. About Tilly Chang Tilly Chang serves as Executive Director of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority. The Transportation Authority's mission is to make travel safer, healthier, and easier for all. The agency plans, funds, and delivers transportation projects to improve travel choices for residents, commuters, and visitors throughout San Francisco. Ms. Chang oversees the Transportation Authority's administration of San Francisco’s half-cent transportation sales tax and other voter-approved funding programs. She also leads the agency's congestion management functions, including developing the San Francisco Transportation Plan, which is the blueprint for countywide transportation policy and investment. Ms. Chang is Chair of the Self-Help Counties Coalition and serves as Vice-Chair of the Transbay Joint Powers Authority's Peninsula Rail Program Executive Steering Committee. She serves on the boards of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, UC CONNECT Advisory Committee, and Self-Help for the Elderly. Prior to the Transportation Authority, she held posts with the World Bank, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and a wireless technology startup. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley and M.I.T. Presenters:* Tilly Chang & Asha Weinstein Agrawal, PhD
March 5, 2024	Trailblazer Tuesday with Veronica Vanterpool - Online In honor of Women’s History Month, the Mineta Transportation Institute hosted a series of virtual fireside chats with a diverse panel of women transportation leaders at the apex of success in academia, public and private industries, and the nonprofit sector. During the webinar, participants explored compelling personal narratives and leadership journeys and gained valuable insights into how these leaders balance assertiveness with emotional intelligence, overcoming stereotypes and dispelling misconceptions about perceived weakness. Featured guests also shared invaluable insights as we dove into the profound impact of reshaping perspectives and championing women in the transportation industry and beyond. Featured Guest: Veronica Vanterpool, Acting Administrator, Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Moderator: Karen Philbrick, PhD, Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) 0.5 PDH credit available View the Recording. PDH Credit. About Veronica Vanterpool Veronica Vanterpool is FTA’s Acting Administrator, assuming that role on February 24, 2024. Before that, she served as Deputy Administrator for 2 ½ years. She first joined FTA as Senior Advisor in August 2021. Ms. Vanterpool helps advance the goals of the Biden-Harris Administration related to equity, climate, innovation, safety and workforce development. Ms. Vanterpool helps oversee policy priorities and objectives along with day-to-day operations of the 700-person agency. She created FTA’s first Data Office, a new business line in the agency dedicated to data analysis, governance and communication. She also represents FTA on the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation and serves as a member of the White House Inter Policy Council on Puerto Rico. Ms. Vanterpool came to FTA from Delaware Transit Corporation, where she served as the agency’s first Chief Innovation Officer. Her previous roles include being the Deputy Director of the national Vision Zero Network, executive director of the New York City based Tri-State Transportation Campaign and board member of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Having served on a number of boards, commissions, task forces and working groups, Ms. Vanterpool has 17 years of experience in advocacy, policy, media communications, public outreach, coalition building and issue campaigns. She is co-founder and former president of the Delaware Chapter of WTS; a member of Latinos in Transit, and a 2023 Awardee of COMTO’s Women Who Moves the Nation. She was also selected to join the first cohort of the Biden Administration’s Presidential Leadership Workshop. She is a native New Yorker born and raised in The Bronx. Presenters:* Veronica Vanterpool & Karen Philbrick, PhD
February 6, 2024	Putting the Brakes on Rider Harassment: Research Tools, Community Partnerships, and Data-Driven Solutions - Online This event was co-sponsored by Stop AAPI Hate. Harassment is keeping riders from using transit and feeling safe. Taking on harassment on transit doesn't need to be a daunting task—it starts with data collection and setting up community partnerships to guide the process. Speakers, two transit operators and their community partners, discussed both qualitative data gathering approaches and a new passenger survey tool. How can these be used to make a difference in making public transit safer for everyone? Be a part of the conversation about putting the brakes on rider harassment.* This webinar was created for transit riders, operators, community-based organizations, advocacy groups, government workers, researchers, and anyone who wants to be a part of sharing insights and strategies to address rider harassment and fostering a safer and more inclusive public transit experience for everyone. MTI Survey Presenter: Asha Weinstein Agrawal, PhD, National Transportation Finance Center Director, MTI Moderator: Annie Lee, Esq., Managing Director of Policy, Chinese for Affirmative Action/Stop AAPI Hate Panelists: Chantal Hildebrand, Co-Executive Director, Alliance for Girls Meghna Khanna, Deputy Executive Officer, Mobility Corridors, LA Metro Alicia Trost, Chief Communications Officer, BART PDH Certificate. View List of Additional Resources. View Recording. View Slide Deck. Presenters: Asha Weinstein Agrawal, PhD, Annie Lee, Chantal Hildebrand, Meghna Khanna, Alicia Trost
January 26, 2024	Beyond the Tracks: High-Speed Rail Station Access and Development This event was co-sponsored by High Speed Rail Alliance. The City of San Jose and high-speed rail thought leaders discussed best practices and lessons learned from developing and running high-speed rail stations. They also explored the intricacies of planning, designing, and developing mixed-use station areas and multimodal passenger facilities that enable a safe, comfortable, and seamless travel experience. This webinar was created for planners, policymakers, transit managers, and others passionate about shaping the future of HSR and station areas. Agenda Highlights: Station Area Development First-/Last-Mile Connections Transit-Oriented Development Best Practices Discussions & Q&A Speakers: Eric Eidlin, Station Planning Manager, City of San Jose Ramses Madou, Division Manager of Planning, Policy, and Sustainability for the Department of Transportation, City of San Jose Moderator: Karen Philbrick, PhD,* Executive Director, Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) PDH Certificate View Recording Presenters: Eric Eidlin, Ramses Madou, & Karen Philbrick, PhD
November 30, 2023 to December 1, 2023	The Future of Automated Shared Mobility - San José, CA Link to register The Podcar City Conference for the Future of Automated Shared Mobility 2023 was held at City Hall, Council Chambers, and the Rotunda at the City of San José. The main goal of the Podcar City Conference is to encourage considerable improvement of mass mobility in all possible ways – conserve earth and human resources, improve equity and have an open dialog of planning for the future. For more information on the Program and speakers, head to the Conference's event website. The Podcar City Conferences is an initiative by 4Dialog AB, Sweden, in collaboration with the International Institute of Sustainable Transportation (INIST), USA. *MTI was a proud-co-sponsor of this event.