Climate Chat: The Future is Microtransit: A Solution for Transportation, Equity, and Environmental Justice
2022-10-20T18:00:00-07:00
2022-10-20T19:30:00-07:00
When: October 20, 2022 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Where: Zoom
California
Contact: Peter Sloan

 

Join SanDiego350 for our October Climate Chat, on the topic of microtransit, an innovative transportation solution that provides shared rides at the neighborhood level to connect people to transit and other resources. The transportation team has produced a policy paper on microtransit and is campaigning for MTS, SANDAG, and NCTD to implement and fund pilot programs in environmental justice communities. This Climate Chat will feature transportation planners, elected officials, and transit riders discussing the environmental, social justice, and affordable housing benefits associated with microtransit, its potential to increase conventional transit ridership, as well as examples of successful implementation in other California cities.

Panelists

Jill Galvez, Councilmember, Chula Vista

Councilmember Jill Galvez has represented District 2, Northwest Chula Vista since December 2018.

Jill represents Chula Vista on the board of MTS, the Metropolitan Wastewater Joint Powers Authority, the SANDAG Bayshore Bikeway Committee and is MTS’s designated representative on the SANDAG Regional Planning Committee.

As a private citizen, Jill was appointed as co-chair of the US IBWC Citizens Forum (International Boundary and Water Commission) and is determined to ensure that the border sewage issue is swiftly addressed for the sake of our region’s health.

Jill’s biggest accomplishment for the residents of her district is the Chula Vista Community Shuttle that began June 13, 2022. 

Jill designed, found funding, and the city is now implementing a FREE, door-to-door electric vehicle shuttle service for seniors 55 and older in Northwest Chula Vista.

The Chula Vista Community Shuttle operates Monday – Friday, 7am-7pm in Northwest Chula Vista. Six vehicles (one ADA van and five electric sedans) are driven by Ride Circuit ambassadors. The service area includes microtransit service to two trolley stops in Chula Vista: the E Street and H Street Stations. 

Prior to her city council role, Jill served as a leader on several volunteer boards and committees in Chula Vista, including: the Chula Vista Heritage Museum, San Diego Junior Theater (Chula Vista), Crossroads II, The Chula Vista Downtown Business Association Design Review Board, the Chula Vista Historic Home Society and Historic Home Tours. She is an avid environmentalist and designed and planted a California Native planted landscape to replace her front lawn in 2006. She and her family raise 6 chickens on their half acre property.

 

Jennifer Williamson, Senior Regional Planner, SANDAG

Jennifer Williamson is a Principal Transportation Planner who oversees the transit development and service planning section for SANDAG. She has been working in public transportation for 25 years and has overseen corridor projects and studies such as the Purple Line Trolley study, the development of the South Bay Rapid project and the overall implementation of the Rapid network of services.

Most recently Jennifer has been the lead planner for the Airport Connectivity study and the Regional Vision. Jennifer holds a Bachelor and master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from San Diego State University.


Rani Narula-Woods, Operations Superintendent, Los Angeles Metro Micro

Rani Narula-Woods is the Founder of Metro Micro, the largest publicly operated rideshare service in the United States. Her work drives industry standards for user experience, customer-centered design, workforce practices, innovation in operations, and service delivery. 

Mrs. Narula-Woods is widely recognized as an industry leader regularly advising and guiding on the future of mobility. As the Sr. Director of Special Projects in LA Metro's Office of Extraordinary Innovation, the industry leader in Public-Private Partnerships in transportation, she operationalized the transit agency's New Mobility programming. 

Mrs. Narula-Woods has also served as an advisor to Seattle DOT on emerging mobility and led West Coast Programming for the Shared-Use Mobility Center.

Sanjiv Nanda, Transportation Team, SanDiego350

Sanjiv Nanda is an independent consultant and advisor on new mobility technologies and policy, and an advisor on 5G wireless technology. He is the lead author of the SanDiego350 White Paper: Microtransit Will Reduce Transportation Inequity and Boost Transit Ridership in San Diego. 

From September 2019 to March 2022, Sanjiv was Entrepreneur-in-Residence/Executive Strategic Advisor at SANDAG, where he participated as a technology expert on the SANDAG 2021 Regional Transportation Plan and the Five Big Moves, as well as on the SANDAG Digital Divide Task Force.

Prior to that, Sanjiv had a thirty year R&D career in wireless networking, systems engineering, and machine learning, at Bell Labs through the 1990s, and at Qualcomm since 2003. Among the diverse R&D programs that Sanjiv incubated and led at Qualcomm: 3G indoor femtocells, activity recognition on smartphones, and highly automated driving.

Sanjiv has lived in San Diego County since 2003. He has been active with the Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association (ABDNHA) learning about desert flora, fauna, and geology. He is a popular hike leader, writer, and a member of the ABDNHA board.

More information about Climate Chats:

To inform and engage its members, environmental allies, and the public at-large, SanDiego350 periodically offers “Climate Chats” on important topics linked to the environment. These virtual sessions of 90 minutes typically feature a panel of speakers from the environmental, governmental, scientific, and business communities, and include conversations among speakers as well as audience questions. These chats are also part of broader SD350 campaigns and often include a call to action.

Please register to receive updates and reminders.