WMATA SafeTrack Surges – Impact on The Regional Transportation System

Recording: https://connectdot.connectsolutions.com/p28n6khtb8lj/ 

Session Description:

The U.S. Department of Transportation is required by law to implement a performance based approach to transportation planning. The Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration are currently working with State Departments of Transportation, Metropolitan Planning Officials, and public transit providers nationally to assess how investments in infrastructure and facilities impact regional performance targets for transportation system reliability, congestion, safety, economic vitality, freight, and environmental outcomes. Does re-investment in the public transit system have benefits for transportation system reliability and congestion? To determine this, Office of Planning undertook an evaluation of the WMATA SafeTrack system shutdowns by comparing 2015 transportation system riders, volumes, and travel times and compared them with similar dates during the 2016 WMATA SafeTrack shutdowns. Based upon the analysis of actual changes in travel mode use, travel times, transit ridership, pedestrian and bike use, and auto counts, there were impacts to the Washington D.C. metropolitan area transportation system reliability and congestion. 

Presenters: 

Dwayne Weeks - Director, Office of Planning, Federal Transit Administration

Mr. Weeks has over 25 years of experience in transportation planning at the Federal, State, and local levels of government and in consulting.   He is current the Director of the Office of Planning and is responsible for the oversight of the metropolitan and statewide planning program nationally, the oversight of travel forecasts, performance evaluation of projects, geographic information systems, planning methods, and the implementation of the performance based planning.   He works closely with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) regional offices, the Federal Highway Administration, and state and local and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) nationally to improve advance performance based planning.

Nazrul Islam – Community Planner/Transportation Specialist, Federal Transit Administration

Nazrul Islam has more than 25 years of experience in the field of transportation planning, travel demand forecasting, congestion management and mitigation, Title VI of the Civil Right Act, geographic Information System, and air quality analysis. He has managed numerous transportation planning, traffic engineering, and policy studies across the country. Dr. Islam developed or updated transportation models and plans in more than 10 States. He holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering with a major in Transportation from Utah State University, and a registered professional engineer (P.E.) from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.