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The 2018 Florida Commuter Transportation Summit, sponsored by the Florida Department of Transportation, and hosted by the Center for Urban Transportation Research, was held on May 8 and 9, 2018 at the Turnbull Conference Center at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida.
The Summit is an annual event that includes innovative presentations on Transportation Demand Management topics and updates from the FDOT districts. Recipients of the Florida Travel Choices Awards and Commuters Choice Certificate Graduates were recognized, as well as a recognition of the Florida Best Workplaces for Commuters members for 2018. Use the links below to download PDF copies of the presentations.
Monday, May 7, 2018
Complete Streets Workshop
DeWayne Carver, FDOT’s Complete Streets Program Manager, led the discussion and group walking tour of Gaines Street to experience “Complete Streets” in real time. Mr. Carver reviewed FDOT’s Complete Streets program and the roles Commuter Assistance Programs, FDOT Districts, and local partners can play in this important effort.
Tuesday, May 8, 2018
Summit
The Re-Urbanization of Tallahassee
Tallahassee is seeing incredible growth within its urban core, thanks in large part
to local planning policies and partnerships. Learn how the City of Tallahassee is
spearheading these efforts and what impacts it is having on transportation planning
efforts, particularly among Tallahassee’s 60,000 university students.
Presentations:
Cherie Bryant, Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Department
Matt Inman, Florida State University Transportation & Parking Services
Andrea Rosser, StarMetro, City of Tallahassee
TDM Initiatives in Florida: Program Perspectives
Florida is home to several robust transportation demand management programs – all of
which are working to address congestion, air quality, workforce mobility, and a host of other
challenges. This session will provide an overview of what is happening across the state.
Presentations:
Courtney Reynolds, reThink Your Commute (FDOT District 5)
Michael Case, Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority (FDOT District 7)
Jim Udvardy, South Florida Commuter Services (FDOT Districts 4 & 6)
The Resilience Advantage
Managing the demands of our fast-paced world is challenging. Resilience—
the ability to adapt to, and bounce back from, adverse conditions—is an
essential tool to not only survive, but thrive. Fortunately, it can be learned!
Mary Barley shares the latest research on cultivating resilience in our
organizations, and in ourselves.
Keynote Speaker:
Mary Barley, Leon County Government / Working Well
Presentation
Innovative Sales Strategies for Public Transportation Professionals
Marketing TDM and public transit services is heavily dependent on strong marketing skills,
particularly sales. This session will explore current research in marketing strategies and how
they can be applied to the TDM and public transit industry.
Presentation:
Cinthia Satornino, PhD, Professor of Marketing, University of Connecticut
Reaching Priority Groups Through Segmentation
Market segmentation is a critical tool in effectively shifting travel behavior. This session will provide an overview of strategies and current research that can assist TDM professionals allocate limited resources to the most receptive target markets.
Presentations:
Luke Hopkins, DBA, Professor of Marketing, FSU College of Business
Amy Lester, PhD, Center for Urban Transportation Research, USF
Mobile Tours:
Florida Capitol Complex Tour and Bicycle Tour
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Summit
Opening Session — “State of the CAP”
What does the present and future look like for Florida’s commuter assistance programs? FDOT and CUTR will provide an overview of policies impacting CAP funding and operations, including an overview of new taxation laws governing commuter benefits.
Presentation:
Mike Wright, Statewide CAP Program Manager, Florida Dept. of Transportation
Phil Winters, Center for Urban Transportation Research, USF
Rural Mobility in Florida: Opportunities & Challenges
Florida has some of the largest and fastest growing urban areas in the country, but rural communities still comprise a significant but often overlooked portion of the Sunshine State. This session will examine current efforts to address rural mobility in the state.
Presentations:
Jeff Horton, Institute for Applied Business Research, FSU College of Business
Shawn Mitchell, Big Bend Transit
Caitlin Cerame, West Florida Regional Planning Council
Two Wheels; One Stone — The Cross-Benefits of Commuter & Recreational Cycling
Cycling programs often target different markets for different purposes, but the
physical and behavioral infrastructure they create facilitates shared benefits. This
session will explore how seemingly different bicycling programs complement one
another.
Presentation:
Karen Kress, Tampa Downtown Partnership
2017 Commuter Choice Certificate Graduates
Sarah Cushman
Transportation Planner, Educator, & Consultant
Cushman Transportation Consulting, LLC
Sarah Cushman helps people have happy commutes. As a transportation planning consultant and former auto mechanic, she works for transportation options that improve the quality of life of commuters and the livability of communities. Sarah loves seeing how each of us connects more with the people and places around us when we walk, ride a bicycle, share a car ride and hop on the bus (or ferry or train).
Kristin Gladwin
Statewide Transportation Coordinator
Safe Mobility for Life Coalition
Pepper Institute on Aging and Public Policy
Florida State University
Kristin has a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from a University in Sweden (Jönköping University) and a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning with a specialization in Transportation Planning from Florida State University. Kristin is a former StarMetro intern, and since graduating from FSU Kristin has worked for FDOT’s Public Transit Office. In her current role as the Statewide Transportation Coordinator for the Safe Mobility for Life Coalition Kristin assist older adults with staying safe and mobile, and provide them with resources on other modes to help them transition from driving. This coming Fall Kristin will begin her PhD in Urban and Regional Planning at FSU, focusing on matters related to transportation planning and older adults.
Laura Manuel
Highway Safety Specialist
State of Hawaii Department of Transportation Highways Division Traffic Branch
Laura Manuel a Highway Safety Specialist for the State of Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) has been the TDM coordinator for 15 years and a member of Association for Commuter Transportation for 14 years. In her 28 years in HDOT her most rewarding has been in her current position. She considers herself a newbie in TDM because of her various roles in HDOT. For a couple of years, she was the Safe Routes to School Coordinator along with her TDM duties and Traffic Records Role in administering contracts for vendors requesting data. She has finally been able to concentrate more on TDM and is in the process of revamping the program. Being a part of the Commuter Choice Program was an integral part and she is happy to complete the program.
Best Workplaces for Commuters – Florida Outstanding Partners
Commuter Services of Southwest Florida
2018 Travel Choices Awards
Marketing Excellence Award
CarFree Key West
South Florida Commuter Services
Jim Udvardy
South Florida Commuter Services, in partnership with the City of Key West and District 6, developed the CarFree Key West campaign that supports pedestrian and bicycle safety within the city, and also created branding of for the start of the new downtown circulator, the Duval Loop. Efforts including the development of a website, online bicycle and pedestrian map, and collateral materials to support the campaign. To make this a true community effort, SFCS and the City outreached to businesses, organizations, etc to become partners spreading the word about the effort. To-date, there are over 75+ partners. In the first three months of operation, the Duval Loop had a 300% increase in ridership. The second phase of the campaign is to work with local employers to promote the use of transit and encourage commuters to download the on-demand carpool application, RideFlag.
Innovative Program Award
Micro-Transit Service
Tampa Downtown Partnership
Karen Kress
After five years of planning, on October 20, 2016 the Tampa Downtown Partnership launched an innovative micro-transit service to complement the existing downtown mobility options. Made possible through the generous support from both the public and private sector, this mobile app-based, on-demand free ride service, Downtowner, was quickly adopted by workers, residents, visitors and students. Within the first month of being launched, nearly 13,000 riders were served and over 7,840 miles were covered using the Downtowner app. By its first anniversary, Downtowner announced a ridership of more than 180,500 while eliminating 164 tons of CO2 emissions by using fully electric vehicles in Tampa’s Downtown. Almost one and a half years in, the service carries over 500 passengers per day and has become a reliable service many Downtown workers and residents count on to get across the urban core without getting into their cars. The main transit hub is always in the top 3 pick up and drop off locations. The budget is approximately $1 million annually and has been sourced from federal, state, city and 15 private sector funders.
Leadership Award
Jill Hamilton Buss
Executive Director, Healthy Central Florida
As Winter Park’s most fervent advocate for healthy living, Jill Hamilton Buss talks the talk, walks the walk and even runs the run. For the past five years, Buss has been executive director of Healthy Central Florida, a partnership of Florida Hospital and Winter Park Health Foundation. Her mission: get residents of Winter Park, Maitland and Eatonville off their sofas, out of their cars and into more active pursuits. Under Buss, HCF has organized all manner of walking and biking events, and pushed for sidewalks and bike lanes.
Buss, a former marketing VP for Heart of Florida United Way, says walkable, bikable communities aren’t just healthier. They’re also more successful economically, because they enhance home values and retail spending while attracting millennials. Buss says HCF is making progress; its own studies show a significant increase between 2011 and 2014 in the number of residents using a park or trail at least weekly, for example. But she knows that expensive structural changes will come only as attitudes evolve. “You have to stay at the table and keep working at it. We need to design roads for walkers, bikers and children going forward,” says Buss, who envisions a less auto-centric city for the next generation.
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