During the afternoon breakout sessions of the 2023 Vision Zero Conference there are three panels to choose from: Looking Back to Look Ahead: A Retrospective of Philly’s Vision Zero; Environmental Justice on Route 291; and Neighborhood-Scale Vision Zero Programs.
Our first afternoon breakout session, Looking Back to Look Ahead – A Retrospective of Philly’s Vision Zero, will focus around the history of Vision Zero here in Philadelphia and its planning and implementation efforts looking ahead beyond this election year. Juan Restrepo, Senior Organizer at Transportation Alternatives, will share key insights from his experience during New York City’s recent mayoral transition and its effect on their Vision Zero programming. Rosanne Lubeck, Principal and Strategist at Connect the Dots Insights, will share her perspective working at Chicago DOT at the end of the Rahm Emanuel administration.
This breakout session also features Jeannette Brugger, Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordinator at oTIS, Jackie Weidman, Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordinator West/South District at oTIS, and will be moderated by Marco Gorini, Vision Zero Program Manager at oTIS.
The second afternoon breakout session will delve into Route 291 in Chester. Route 291 is a five-lane arterial highway that runs through the heart of Chester, providing access to riverfront industrial properties. In a community where 35% of households do not have access to a car, the highway’s size, traffic speeds, and lack of multimodal infrastructure create a barrier for residents to access the Delaware River waterfront. Local officials have been working to transform the corridor, including the addition of a significant section of the East Coast Greenway. Hear about their progress toward environmental justice in Chester.
This breakout session will be moderated by Tara Hofferth, Transportation Engineer, Kittelson Associates, and will feature speakers Francis J. Hanney, Assistant District Executive-Operations (acting) at PennDOT, Elaine Paul Schaeffer, Council Member for Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Rodney Robertson, Public Works Deputy Director for the City of Chester, and Barron Lacy, Executive Director at 9th Street Youth and Community Center.
The final afternoon breakout session explores grassroots-level approaches to Vision Zero. Various neighborhood representatives around Philadelphia will discuss their efforts, offering personal experiences and strategies to leverage local and regional resources available for organizers seeking to make streets safer for all users.
This breakout session will be monitored by Casey Ross, Complete Streets District Manager at oTIS, and will feature Carlton Williams, Commissioner at the City of Philadelphia Streets Department, Anthony Murphy, Executive Director for the Town Watch Integrated Services, Managing Directors Office, Kurt Lituma, at East Trenton Collaborative, and Donna Price, Community Leader of 10th Memorial Slow Zone Project.
View the full conference schedule.
Register to attend the 2023 Vision Zero PHL Conference.
The 2023 Vision Zero PHL Conference is made possible with major support from AARP Pennsylvania, Jacobs, AECOM, Hayden AI, jawnt, Michael Baker International, and WSP. Additional support provided by Bicycle Transit Systems, Boles Smyth Associates Inc., the Emily Fredricks Foundation, Econsult Solutions Inc., HDR, Johnson Mirmiran & Thompson, K’Far Cafe, Kimley-Horn, Kittelson & Associates, McMahon a Bowman company, NV5, Pennoni, Pexco, RK&K, Sam Schwartz, STV Incorporated, Traffic Planning and Design Inc., Transportation Alternatives, TranSystems, Urban Engineers, and Verra Mobility, among others.
Attendees are encouraged to stay for the 2023 Better Mobility Mayoral Forum that will start at 4:00pm, presented by the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, AARP Pennsylvania, and Every Voice Every Vote. All Philadelphia Mayoral Candidates are invited to participate in a panel discussion moderated by Daniel Pearson, Inquirer Editorial Writer, that will give the mayoral candidates a chance to express their vision for making Philadelphia a more accessible, sustainable, and equitable city. The candidates will be asked a set of questions guided by a mobility platform sent to them in advance.
The Mayoral Forum is free and open to the public, though reservation is required. Register here.