Past Talks:
November 20, 2020 | COVID-19 Impacts on Public Transit
Dan Currier
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all of our lives and public transit operations and ridership is no exception. Dan Currier, a public transit coordinator and the Manager of Go! Vermont will share how public transit is operating during the pandemic and the impacts on ridership Statewide.
Dan started his State government career in 2020 after 15 years of working for a regional planning commission in Vermont. He first joined the Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission in 2003 and contributed to land-use policies, stormwater design, and transportation planning before joining the Vermont Agency of Transportation in 2020 to become a Public Transit Program Coordinator and the Go! Vermont Program Manager. The combination of regional planning, environmental, and transportation experience contributes to his passion and understanding of public transit and transportation demand management (TDM) projects and opportunities.
November 13, 2020 | How Montreal Revolutionized their Transportation System
Marianne Giguere
A portrait of the Montreal landscape from an urban cyclist's point of view, from the beginning of the advocating movement to the explosion of the last 10 years, with an emphasis on the exponential last two years. A discussion about the gains, the needs, and the difficulties, also from a political point of view.
Marianne Giguere was elected city councilor in 2013, when they formed the opposition in Montreal city hall, then elected again in 2017 as the green political party gained power for the first time. Since then, she took the charge for Active Transportation for her administration. She chose politics as a means to an end, having worked for many years with groups demanding traffic calming measures and promoting active mobility. Her interest in urban planning and transportation issues have bloomed and grown during her university years in different geography departments, where she would go every day riding my bike, all year round.
November 6, 2020 | Amtrak in Vermont: Lessons from the Vermonter and the Montrealer.
Carl Fowler
Carl Fowler, past Vice-Chair of the Rail Passengers Association and a member of the Vermont Rail Advisory Council Will review the history and evolution of rail passenger service in Vermont and northern New England. The program will look at already pending improvements and new opportunities in the years ahead to create a multi-state/nation truly integrated multimodal network
October 30, 2020 | Health Benefits of the TCI
Dan Quinlan
States throughout the Northeast are considering whether to join the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) as a way to help cut down carbon pollution from the transportation sector. Part of the process involves looking at the public health benefits of TCI. This presentation will cover how that modeling is being done - including where the modeling is strong and why the current methodology is inherently underestimating the health benefits considerably.
Dan Quinlan is an independent consultant who works on projects at the intersections of climate change and health. He works for entities in the US and beyond - including NGOs and health care systems. Dan is also the founder of SolaVida, a 501(c)(3) that works on emerging topics related to climate change.
October 23, 2020 | Accelerating Vehicle Electrification in Vermont - Policies and Programs
Michele Boomhower and Dan Dutcher
Acceleration of the vehicle electrification in Vermont will be needed to meet to State’s climate and energy targets. Acceleration efforts to date include a purchase and lease incentive program for new electric vehicles, charging station grant program, consumer education and outreach, changes to public utility laws to benefit consumers and the charging industry, ongoing work to establish a fair and efficient system of highway user fees for electric vehicles, and continuing efforts to electrify transit and school buses. Vehicle electrification will have numerous benefits for Vermonters, including cost savings, cleaner air, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, along with the performance, comfort, and convenience of electric motoring. The State is working to help bring the benefits of electric vehicles to all demographics by providing extra purchase and lease incentives for lower-income brackets, funding charging infrastructure statewide and at workplaces and multi-unit dwellings, and working to electrify public transit.
Michele serves as the Division Director of Policy, Planning & Intermodal Development for the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans), where she oversees programming for Policy, Planning, Permitting, Research, Mapping, Aviation, Rail, Public Transit, and Public Outreach; a Division of 100 staff with a budget $100 million. She is the key Agency contact in the Vermont legislature leading the development of the agenda and coordination of both state and federal transportation policy. Michele served as the Agency representative to the Governor’s Climate Change Commission and is an appointed representative to the Transportation Climate Initiative Leadership Committee made up of 11 states developing a framework for a cap and invest system to reduce carbon emissions from the transportation sector. Michele’s career has focused on public service including over 20 years in regional planning with 15 years at the Executive level; prior to joining VTrans five years ago, Michele served seven years as the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization Director for the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission serving the greater Burlington area.
Dan is the Senior Environmental Policy Manager at the Vermont Agency of Transportation, a position he has held for the last four years. Dan previously worked as an Assistant Attorney General for VTrans and has also worked at Clean Energy Group, the Vermont Natural Resources Board, the former Vermont Water Resources Board, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Dan received his B.A. from Ithaca College, his J.D. from Cornell Law School, and his Ph.D. in forest science from Penn State.
October 16, 2020 | A Conversation with Lt. Governor David Zuckerman and City Councilors Jane Stromberg and Jack Hanson
In this talk, Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman will discuss transportation in Vermont with City Councilors Jane Stromberg and Jack Hanson.
October 9, 2020 | Challenges to Sustainable Transportation in Vermont
Dr. Gregory Rowangould
Dr. Gregory Rowangould is the new Director of the UVM Transportation Research Center. He will discuss some of the sustainability challenges facing transportation in Vermont and its many small and rural communities and then discuss how the UVM Transportation Research Center’s research and outreach programs can help.
Dr. Gregory Rowangould is the Director of the Transportation Research Center and an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Vermont. He specializes in modeling transportation systems, transportation policy evaluation, and mobile source air quality analysis. His research focuses on understanding how the design and operation of transportation systems and transportation policy affect the sustainability of communities, public health, and equity. Since moving to Vermont, he has focused greater attention on the transportation needs of smaller cities and rural communities where there are unique challenges to sustainability and economic development. Dr. Rowangould is also a member of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies standing committee on Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Mitigation.
Dr. Rowangould was previously the Director of the New Mexico Local Technical Assistance Center and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at the University of New Mexico. He was also a Science Fellow at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in Los Angeles, California where he conducted research to support state and federal sustainable transportation policy initiatives and worked with disadvantaged communities seeking to improve air quality, transit access, and active travel opportunities. Dr. Rowangould holds a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Davis, a MS in Resource Economics and Policy from the University of Maine, and a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Maine.
Dr. Rowangould teaches graduate and undergraduate courses at the University of Vermont in transportation engineering, planning, and policy.
October 2, 2020 | People for Mobility Justice and Bicycle Education
Lena Williams
People for Mobility Justice is a Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) collective that seeds critical consciousness about mobility justice across all communities. Lena Williams is the Bicycle Education Manager of the collective and will speak to the Bicycle Education program and the work that is done.
Lena Williams is a bike/community organizer, and pet care expert from Orangeburg, SC. Since moving to Los Angeles in December of 2016, Lena has worked for building community in the South LA neighborhood of Leimert Park. She is a co-owner of South LA’s first pet care cooperative, To Be Loved. She also has particular expertise in cultivating, planning, and leading bike tours for communities of color. She has biked over 1,000 miles across the South in Georgia, Louisiana, and South Carolina. Lena is an advocate for Black Lives Matter, cyclist of color, queer communities of color, and working-class communities. In her free time, she enjoys trying out new recipes and hanging out with her family and friends.
September 25, 2020 | Inside the internship; My experience as an Intern Working in Transportation
Josh Katz
Josh will dive into the duties of his past and present internships in transportation, giving insight into the “exciting” world of a transportation intern.
Josh Katz is a Senior Environmental Studies Major at UVM, a former intern for STVT, and current intern for the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission. He is especially passionate about building more sustainable communities through improved alternative modes of transportation.
September 18, 2020 | Cars, Culture, and Media
Rob Williams
In this talk, Rob Williams discusses how for a century, cars have profoundly shaped US civilization. He will also discuss what the21st-century holds for US automobility?
Dr. Rob Williams is an environmental historian, journalist, and publisher of www.VermontIndependent.Net, exploring how to make 21st century Vermont more resilient and independent. A teacher since 1990, he has published many books, including Most Likely To Secede, Media Education For A Digital Generation, and The Post (Truth) World. He has taught a wide variety of UVM courses over the years in the CALS, CAS, and Rubenstein Schools, including the cross-school elective CARS, CULTURE, AND MEDIA.
September 11, 2020 | Transportation as the Cause of the Crisis: Transportation as the Solution
James Kunstler
In this conversation, legendary author and social critic James Howard Kunstler (Geography of Nowhere, The Long Emergency, and many more) see https://kunstler.com/ talks about how transportation is part of the crisis facing America today from overbuilt roadways to streets that ignore the people that actually live on them. And how a new way of thinking about transportation as people walk, bike, and drive less may be the way out.
James Howard Kunstler is the author of over twenty books, including The Geography of Nowhere, The City in Mind, The Long Emergency, Too Much Magic, and the World Made by Hand novel series. He writes a twice-weekly blog — Mondays and Fridays — at www.kunstler.com and does a monthly podcast as well. He lives in Washington County, New York.
September 4, 2020 | Stephanie Kaza: Portland & Sustainable Transportation
Stephanie Kaza
In this talk, Stephanie Kaza will discuss Portland’s leading role in reducing our transportation footprint and living in Portland at this moment in the Trump era.
Stephanie Kaza is the former director of the Environmental Program at UVM, who moved back to her native Portland in 2017.
August 14, 2020 | Food and Fuel
Hannah November
In this talk join Hannah November discuss the not so subtle overlaps between the food system and transportation. This presentation and discussion will highlight the role of transportation in our food system in relation to access, equity, and overall sustainability. Together, we will assess what these overlaps look like right here in the Burlington community, as well as more rural areas of Vermont.
Hannah is a rising senior at the University of Vermont. She is majoring in Environmental Science with a concentration in Ecological Design and a minor in Community and International Development. Hannah has developed a special interest in sustainable and ecologically focused food systems.
August 7, 2020 | Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, Transportation, and Food
Bob Farnham
Tune in on August 7th to hear Bob Farnham discuss and reflect on where Vermont is on renewable energy, energy efficiency, transportation, and food, how we got here and where we need to go.
Bob Farnham is the digital age's equivalent of a charismatic itinerant preacher blended with Johnny Appleseed. Bob effectively uses his considerable skill for leveraging the power of digital media to "spread the word" and his timeless dedication to "showing up" at any event or gathering where there might be the opportunity to gently bend someone's ear about the value of clean renewable energy. Through his own effort, he has become knowledgeable in all the latest green technologies and he can talk about them in plain compelling language that wins over even the most skeptical. Bob is fearless in talking to anyone and absolutely committed to doing everything he can to promote the widespread adoption of conservation, energy efficiency, sustainability, and ending our reliance on fossil fuels.
July 31, 2020 | Keeping people on bikes beyond COVID-19
Ian Klepetar
Got a sticker on your helmet that gets you discounts at area businesses? Tune in on Friday, July 31st, 2020, at 12:00 PM to hear Ian Klepetar discuss the history of Bicycle Benefits, why it matters, and the related projects which aim to bring biking to the forefront of communities and storefronts around the country.
Ian Klepetar is the founder of Bicycle Benefits.
July 28, 2020 | Vermont Gubernatorial Candidates Forum on Sustainable Transportation
In this talk, three candidates running for Vermont Governor: David Zuckerman, Rebecca Holcombe, and Patrick Winburn will discuss issues related to sustainable transportation and answer questions proposed by the host and viewers.
July 24, 2020 | Debating Sustainable Transportation Policies
STVT Interns
July 17, 2020 | Working Together for Transportation Agility & Positive Behavior Change
Deb Sachs, CEO, EcoStrategies, LLC, and Director, Net Zero Vermont
The shared mobility curtain dropped March 24th with the Governor’s stay at home order. For many serving the mobility needs of Vermonters, the spotlight shifted quickly on the way we experience, behave, and think about transportation and the work-life balance. As safety measures, rules and procedures become practice and Vermont re-opens it's economy and schools, it's a good time to take a holistic view of the transportation ecosystem? This is our opportunity to be proactive for the next climate, economic, and health crisis.
Deb will speak about her work collaborating with a network of transportation experts committed to public safety and the efficient movement of goods and people. She'll highlight recent projects that demonstrate agility for a resilient and seamless system of low-carbon transportation options. Join us for Q&A and a dialogue about how the big picture might drive and inform decision-makers to leverage and enhance investments to electrify and integrate our system of buses, trains, bikes, and expanded incentives for choosing to travel green as opposed to continue subsidies of the fossil fuel car culture.
Debra Sachs is a native Vermonter, a graduate of UVM, and has more than 25 years of experience advancing transportation efficiency, climate action, and sustainable development. She has been a contractor for Go! Vermont since 2012, providing technical assistance to advance the State's mission to reduce the cost and environmental impact of transportation. Among other renewable electricity and sustainable development projects, Deb collaborates and coordinates with more than a dozen entities to encourage transportation efficiency across Vermont and beyond, in her capacity as CEO of EcoStrategies and Director of Net Zero Vermont. https://www.netzerovt.org/
July 10, 2020 | Intro to VBike + How We Move on This Earth & Why That Matters
Dave Cohen
Join an exploration into VBike and its work to reboot bicycle mobility in Vermont with innovations in bike technology and design, such as electric-assist systems and e-cargo bikes. Also, learn about VBike's vision into how our mobility choices fundamentally shape our perceptions and worldviews and ultimately our communities and our environment. Taking a deep dive into the dynamics of our bodies and our essential human capacities to sense and interact with the ecological and social places we inhabit, we'll explore the often overlooked magic of what happens when we are in the act of transportation.. We'll also consider how the automobile has largely subverted our embodied connections to the world and compromised our ability to respond to climate change and why "rebooting the bike" in Vermont is so crucial in this particular moment.
Dave Cohen is an integrative psychotherapist in Brattleboro, (davecohencounseling.com), specializing in approaches in mind/body modalities and ecopsychology. He is also the founder and director of VBike (vbikesolutions.org), an advocacy group dedicated to promoting new bike design and technologies for everyday bicycle transportation in Vermont.
July 3, 2020 | The Future of Transportation a conversation with Becca White
Becca White
In this talk, Becca White will reflect back at the legislative session and discuss is next in the realm of transportation.
Becca White is a Vermont State Legislature on the House Transportation Committee.
June 26, 2020 | Low Cost Improvements to Make Walking and Bicycling More Safe
Jon Kaplan
In this talk, Jon Kaplan will discuss how bicycling and walking can be safer at a low cost.
Jon Kaplan is the Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Manager at The Vermont Agency of Transportation
June 19: Trains and More...
Rick Moulton
In this talk, Melinda and Rick Moulton will discuss the history of Burlington's waterfront and how it has come back to life, the role of Main Street Landing, and the future of passenger rails.
Melinda is the co-owner of Main Street Landing and Rick Moulton is a producer/director.
June 12, 2020 | Unlawning America
Brian Collier
In this talk, Brian Collier will be discussing ways individuals can help save the environment by doing less. Unlawning America is an art and ecology project designed to increase visibility and dialog about the dominance of the mowed lawn in our built environment. The primary goal is to help contribute to a cultural shift away from large expanses of unused mowed lawn areas.
Brian Collier is an artist, educator, and re-naturalist. Brian is also the Founder and President of the Society for a Re-Natural Environment and is in the process of becoming a Vermont Master Naturalist.
ResearchLive | Driving while black and brown in Vermont
Wednesday, June 3, at 12:00 PM
Driving While Black and Brown in Vermont
In this conversation Dr. Stephanie Seguino discusses research she has done on racial disparities in policing in Vermont with co-author Prof. Nancy Brooks of Cornell University. This work is based on an examination of over a half million traffic stops in the state. Dr. Seguino is a professor of economics at the University of Vermont and Fellow at the Gund Institute for the Environment. Her work examines the effects of economic inequality, race, class, and gender, on the macroeconomy. She is president elect of the Association for Social Economics, and has been an advisor or consultant to numerous international organizations including the World Bank, United Nations Development Program, the Asian Development Bank, and US AID, and publishes regularly in a number of economic journals, including World Development, Journal of Development Studies, and Feminist Economics.
May 29, 2020 | How to Make Downtowns Work
Kelly Stoddard-Poor, Director of AARP's Livable Community Initiative
In this talk, Kelly Stoddard-Poor, Director of AARP's Livable Community Initiative, talks about how to make Downtowns work for all members of a community.
May 22, 2020 | Discussing Transportation Bill H.942
Robb Kidd, Conservation Program Manager at Vermont Sierra Club
In this talk, Rob Kidd, Conservation Program Manager at the Vermont Chapter of Sierra Club discusses Transportation Bill H.942.
May 15, 2020 | Climate Change & COVID-19
Jack Hanson, Transportation Leader, Sustainable Transportation Vermont
Jack Hanson is the leader of STVT’s Outreach and Advocacy and coordinates the student interns, and TDM projects. Visit Jack's website.
May 8, 2020 | Legislative Action on Transportation
Curt McCormack, Chair, House Transportation Committee
Curt McCormack is Chair of the House Transportation Committee.
May 1: Motivating People to drive Less - Incentives & Paying for Parking
Abbie Dillon, TDM/STVT Leader, UVM
Abbie Dillon is a graduating ENVS senior at UVM.
April 24: Public Transportation - The Future after COVID-19
Stephen Falbel, Steadman Hill Consulting
In the talk Steve will discuss the impact of COVID-19 on public transportation in Vermont and elsewhere and some key trends that may emerge if and when the pandemic declines.
Stephen Falbel is President of Steadman Hill consulting, a Montpelier-based consulting firm that provides transportation planning services, with a particular focus on public transportation in northern New England. Most recently, Stephen was the lead consultant on the VTrans’ Public Transit Policy Plan and NHDOT's Statewide Strategic Transit Assessment.
April 17: Bikes as Essential Service
Laura Jacoby, Old Spokes Home
Laura Jacoby will talk about bikes as an essential service, and cycling and cycling infrastructure and support during the pandemic.
April 10: Telecommuting – is it here to stay?
Jon Slason, Resource Systems Group
Jon Slason will share the latest research on trends in telecommuting and latest thinking on whether some part of it is here to stay and what the impacts are on our transportation system.
Jonathan Slason, PE is a Director of Future Mobility Planning at RSG in their Burlington, Vermont office. He provides professional engineering and planning consulting services to public and private clients focused on the emerging big issues in transportation. His interest is on how we can leverage emerging technologies to improve our world with a growing population, funding challenges, aging infrastructure, and the changing climate all while creating thriving and desirable places for us to live, work, and play.
April 3: Recreation During the Pandemic
Cindi Wight, Director, Burlington Parks, Recreation & Waterfront
In this talk, Cindi looks at what is happening with biking and walking and the use of the greater outdoors as a cooped up nation strives to get outside.
Cindi Wight is the Director of Burlington’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Waterfront and has held similar positions for Rutland City.