By: Cerasela Cristei

Every year a large group of women and men who work in the transportation field get together for three days of learning, networking, and camaraderie. Whether we are engineers, planners, attorneys, or other professionals, we all share a passion: promoting women in transportation careers and while we work on this, we boldly plan the future of transportation on the ground, in the sky or on/under water.

This year we met in New Orleans, a city that is lively as it is colorful and passionate and hotter and more humid than Washington, DC, if that is possible. The streets are mostly multi-modal, and the sidewalks are as wide as the ones in Las Vegas. Jazz is nicely woven in the air we breathe as we walk around, and the historic buildings seem to smile at us from underneath fresh coats of colorful paint. The Mississippi River meanders slowly through the historic neighborhoods and submits to the engineering features that hold it within its banks – most of the time. This is a perfect hub for our Conference.

While the green streetcars are gliding through the neutral zone (aka median), always full, and pedicabs are pedaled through noiselessly, there is still a good volume of cars. There is a continuous buzz, and it is normal, expected. There are taxis and Uber and Lyft cars with multiple occupants but then there are the ubiquitous single occupancy vehicles. And I am usually in one of those.

Going back a few years I remember walking everywhere and taking the bus or the train for longer trips. The bus was always or almost always full to the point that people’s personal spaces were crushed to non-existent, but politely smiling and apologizing to each other. The train had somewhat more room for that personal space unless it was the beginning or the end of the school session. Automobile rides were saved for long family vacations and were almost weird.

Today I value my automobile and my alone time to the point that I have to prepare myself for the days when I decide to take the metro or the train to my destination. Technology makes it possible for me to plan my trip to the minute and I get a very good estimate for the departure and arrival times. The metro cars are spacious and comfortable, and they have been safe for me so far and I hope to keep that trend. The main conditions are met, yet I only do this 10% of the time I could.

It is the American Dream to become prosperous and own at least two cars, one for each family member who is of driving age.  Most cars have a single occupant. It is how we live.

As an immigrant I know that I longed for and I believe I fulfilled my American Dream, and in the process, I changed my travel mentality. It is now second nature to take my car keys and go. I have to make a conscious effort to think about and take the metro to my office. And I am not alone. I believe that so many Americans find it far more convenient to travel by automobile, even if sometimes slower than a marathon runner.

How do we change this mentality? That was one of the hot topics in New Orleans.

Here is my take on it.

Planning.

Every time I am stressed, I realize it is because I do not have a plan. I am not prepared. I fix that by planning my months at the end of the previous month, and I plan my weeks on Friday nights or over the weekend. I envision each day and what I need to do to fit all I want to do in the hours I have, and then some, because I live in the DMV area and that is how we function here. Plan my Trip – this is literally the name of the website that all but takes me to my train and carries me to my office. I do have to drive to the station and park my car but with good timing I can catch my train and be on the planned trip schedule. I envision how my day will look and prepare for it. It is work. It takes time. But it may save the planet if I do it more often and I inspire other people to do it too.

When it comes to inspiring other people I must work with my fellow planners and my colleague engineers. Starting with conveniently located stations, continuing with accessible routes for all modes of transportation, safe parking for vehicles, bicycles and other devices and inviting facilities and trains and topping it all off with wayfinding and smart informational signage and panels and smart apps for the smart card and I think we will get much closer to higher transit users and fewer single occupancy cars on the roads.

I challenge you, my fellow planners and colleague engineers, to create your inspirational vision about making public transit a more appealing mode of transportation in the DMV.

P.S. Biking is my next vision, but I am saving it for another time.