How long have you been with the University?

10 years

What department and/or unit are you in?

Department of Safety & Security

What is your education or training?

I have twenty years of experience in the commercial property, parking, transportation, and facilities management fields. Prior to coming to the University of Chicago, I was at Kennesaw State University, where at first I was the Director of Parking. Then I became the Director of Parking & Transportation after we created a shuttle program to reduce the usage of single occupancy vehicles due to increasing traffic and sustainability concerns.

At UChicago, I oversee Parking & Transportation operations, including garages and lots, paid visitor parking, virtual metered parking, RideSmart by Via, charter and event services, evening bus routes, day and medical center routes, University-sponsored CTA routes, and the programs for Dial-a-Ride, Injured Student, and Metra Pass. I hold a BA from the University of Georgia Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

How does your job relate to sustainability?

A big part of Transportation & Parking operations is Transportation Demand Management (TDM). This involves promotion and programmatic creation of alternative modes of transportation (outside of single occupant vehicles), incentivizing carpool and occasional parking programs, car sharing, daily permit options, and pricing permits to match market demands to manage single occupancy vehicle usage as much as possible.

One recent example of implementation of TDM strategies was the decision to eliminate the Lyft program for students and replace it with the RideSmart by Via program. Lyft did not offer a shared use option and had no plans to reintroduce one in the Chicago market. RideSmart by Via is a micro-transit solution that essentially provides point to point rides along an algorithmic ‘route’ that demands maximizing the shared ride aspect of this solution. With this new solution, we can provide many more rides for the students, in a much more sustainable way.