After COVID: Future Travel and Land Use in the National Capital Region
By Katie Kraft, WTS-DC
August 2021
On August 11, a lively crowd of members and friends of WTS-DC, the Transportation Research Forum (TRF-DC), and Young Professionals in Transportation (YPT-DC) gathered together for the 12th annual WTS-TRF-YPT summer event. The virtual event featured 45 minutes of “break-out room” networking followed by a moderated panel discussion.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. saw some of the sharpest changes in travel patterns in our nation's history. Almost overnight, personal daily driving declined by 45% and transit ridership declined by more than 90%. As Americans were forced to stay home and social distance, everything from paper towels to office chairs were in short supply, making the nation's logistics industry more important than ever. At the same time, virtual (or remote) work exploded, and living patterns in urban and suburban areas began to change. Against this backdrop, the panelists discussed the many issues and impacts brought about by the country’s adjustment to life during a pandemic. They also fielded questions about what we might expect in the National Capital Region as travel patterns and land use trends shift to accommodate our post-pandemic reality.
The participants were pleased to hear from panelists Miriam Brodie and Alan E. Pisarski. Brodie is Vice President of National Private Clients at Kimley-Horn. She co-chairs the firm’s National Private Client Committee, partnering with project managers on strategies, developing and promoting best practices, delivering results to clients, and creating new opportunities for Kimley-Horn. She also serves as a Board Director with Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) DC, providing strategic oversight, insight, guidance, and connections. Brodie contributes substantially to CREW DC’s focus and progress on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Pisarski is an independent writer and consultant in the fields of transportation research, policy and investment analyses. He served in the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation. He has been honored as an Academy Associate of the National Academy of Sciences and by the Transportation Research Board as the Distinguished Lecture in 1999 and with the WN Carey Award in 2007 for Lifetime Distinguished Service and Leadership in Transportation Research. John Hillegass, Manager, Regional Mobility at Greater Washington Partnership, moderated the conversation.