Focus Area: Mobility and Public Transportation
In the News: Streamline Bus Service Celebrates Three Million Rides
The Streamline Bus Service in Bozeman achieved a major milestone in August – 12 years of service and three million rides! KBZK Channel 7 visited the community barbecue hosted by the Human Resources Development Council (HRDC), which operates Streamline, and interviewed WTI’s David Kack on the history and growth of the service over the years. Watch the full news story with David’s interview on the KBZK website.
The Pop-up Traffic Calming Projects, featured in the last issue of Newswire, are also “popping up” in the local news. KBZK Channel 7 traveled to the Bozeman projects locations last week to film the installations in action, and to interview WTI’s Dani Hess (in the rain!). This news clip is available on the KBZK website. The Bozeman Daily Chronicle also featured the story on the front page of the Sunday September 2, 2018 issue.
WTI helps NW Bozeman neighbors bring their vision for safer streets to life!
Related News Story: AARP Highlights Bozeman Traffic Calming Project in National Publication
Summer Postcards: Alternative Transportation Takes Many Forms Around the World
Even while on vacation, WTI staff members can’t help but notice new and interesting ways that people travel from place to place. Check out David Kack’s photos from Denmark, where the bicycle is a very well-established mode of daily commuter travel, and where boats provide taxi service. Lisa Hughes and Neil Hetherington shared photos and video from San Diego, Los Angeles and Barcelona, where electric scooters and dockless bikes are rapidly growing in popularity. Anyone else have transportation photos to share from summer travels?
Shared electric scooters provide an easy way to get around cities.
Society of Women Engineers selects WTI Researcher to lead workshop at Annual Meeting
Each year, the Society of Women Engineers receives more than 1000 submissions to present at its Annual Meeting, known as the “The World’s Largest Conference for Women Engineers.” WTI Researcher Natalie Villwock-Witte and her research partners at Minnesota Department of Transportation and Bike Minnesota were selected to lead a presentation entitled “Bicycles and Pedestrians: Advocacy, Planning, and Research” at the upcoming Annual Meeting in October. Congrats, Natalie!
Summer Postcards: Researchers on the Road
AARP Highlights Bozeman Traffic Calming Project in National Publication
In 2017, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) awarded a Community Challenge grant to WTI and the City of Bozeman to purchase a mobile Pop-up Project Trailer, which neighborhoods and local groups can use to work towards safer multimodal streets. WTI and the City, in partnership with volunteers from Big Brothers and the community, used the trailer to install the Tamarack/Tracy traffic calming demonstration project last fall.
The project is now highlighted on the AARP website, as part of a feature showcasing what the grant winners achieved with their funding. It is also included in AARP’s 2018 publication Where We Live: Communities for All Ages — 100+ Inspiring Examples from America’s Local Leaders.
The traffic calming installation was one component of the Transportation Demand Management partnership between WTI, the City of Bozeman, and Montana State University.
Going forward, the trailer will be available for use by other neighborhoods and local groups who want to take the first step in working towards safer multimodal streets in Bozeman.
Update: See how the trailer will be used next. WTI helps NW Bozeman neighbors bring their vision for safer streets to life!
Student Success: Two WTI students join Professional Staff
When WTI hires and mentors great students, it is a win-win for the organization and for aspiring young professionals. WTI’s two most recent hires both started as part-time student employees while pursuing their undergraduate degrees at Montana State University.
Kelley Hall has been part of the WTI family since 2014. She started as a Student Administrative Assistant, staffing the front desk and helping out in the Business Office. She progressively added more responsibilities, including assistance on various projects. After graduating from MSU with a B.A. in Political Science, she joined WTI as a Research Assistant. She currently serves as a Project Assistant in the Road Ecology program, focusing on the Wildlife-Vehicle Collision Data Coordination project for the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In addition, she serves as a Research Associate for the Center for Health and Safety Culture (CHSC), managing technology transfer activities and providing support to several projects on traffic safety culture, seat belt use, and underage drinking.
A native of Sheridan, Wyoming, Kelley moved to Bozeman in 2012 as an MSU freshman. In addition to juggling her many responsibilities at WTI, she loves outdoor sports (both summer and winter) and photography. Somehow, she has even found time to begin classes toward a Master’s in Public Administration!
Danielle (Dani) Hess was recently named a Project Assistant for mobility projects with the Small Urban and Rural Livability Center and the Small Urban, Rural and Tribal Center on Mobility. Dani first joined WTI in February 2016 as a student assistant in the Mobility program, helping with community outreach for the Bozeman Commuter project and other local initiatives. In early May, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Community Health (with Highest Honors!) from MSU and was promoted to a full-time WTI employee. She will now be able to continue her work on the Transportation Demand Management project with the City of Bozeman and the “pop-up” traffic calming projects on local roads.
Dani grew up in Helena, Montana, and has lived in Bozeman for the last five years. When she is not encouraging people to walk, bike, or take the bus to work, you will probably find her enjoying the outdoors, most likely on her mountain bike. This summer, she is looking forward to coaching kids with Bozeman Youth Cycling’s summer mountain biking program.
David Kack Named “Business Person of the Year” by Big Sky Chamber of Commerce
Congratulations to WTI’s own David Kack, who was honored with a Big Sky Chamber of Commerce Award at the Chamber’s Annual Dinner last week. David was selected for the “Business Person of the Year” Award, in recognition of his 15 years of work to establish and grow the Skyline bus service, as well as his more recent leadership efforts in partnership with the Chamber and other stakeholders to successfully secure a $10 million federal TIGER grant for improvements to the transportation network in the Big Sky region. The Awards dinner was also featured in today’s issue of Explore Big Sky.