Kicking Off Transportation YOU 2021-2022
By Barbara Moreno, WTS-DC
October 2021
On October 26, over 30 of Dunbar High School’s National Academy Foundation (NAF) Academy of Engineering students gathered in their gleaming wood-paneled auditorium for the first WTS-DC Transportation YOU event of the 2021-2022 academic year, and the first-ever hybrid event. Laura MacNeil, Transportation YOU volunteer, kicked off the event with a quick introduction to the WTS Transportation YOU program and future WTS scholarship opportunities. Then Transportation YOU chair Barbara Moreno launched into an interactive game (using Kahoot!) to quiz students on their knowledge of electric car companies and road-pricing concepts—topics tied to their program’s sustainability focus this semester. Students with the top two scores received Starbucks gift cards as their prize.
In keeping with the sustainability focus, the Transportation YOU committee invited two speakers with experience in sustainable transportation to speak about their work, how it relates to sustainability, and how they made their way into the transportation field. First up was Angela R. Fogle, Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives Program Manager at FHWA Office of Operations. Fogle explained how FHWA’s Value Pricing Pilot Program aims to support congestion pricing and travel demand strategies, reduce traffic congestion, and improve air quality. Next, Cher Griffith Taylor spoke about her career path and how she leveraged her education, interests, and international background to become a Senior Programs Specialist at the Electrification Coalition. As an electric vehicles program professional, Taylor advises local governments, including the District, regarding electric vehicle adoption.
To wrap up the event, Moreno provided an overview of her work at DDOT’s transportation demand management program, goDCgo, and its goals to promote sustainable transportation modes for students, commuters, and residents in the District. Attendees were treated to: goDCgo hand sanitizer, erasers, and mini-wallet keychains (with the website included for more details).
Many thanks go to Ms. Griffin-Davis, Director of Dunbar’s NAF Academy of Engineering, for organizing and hosting this event at Dunbar on behalf of WTS-DC's Transportation YOU program.