WPTI returns from Washington

Once again, the WPTI team has returned from a successful trip to Washington, D.C. for the annual Transportation Research Board conference. Papers from two WPTI students were presented at the conference this year. Veronica Sullivan’s work was featured during a lectern session titled “Transit Fare Policy: Passes and Promotions”. Her research based on a case study in Kingston, Ontario investigated whether free transit passes for high school students could lead to travel independence. Janelle Lee’s work with the World Bank was also presented during a poster session. Her project looked at public-private partnerships for transportation infrastructure and developed strategies to improve project financing schemes for bus rapid transit systems in Mexico.

Of course, the trip would not be complete without some sightseeing in D.C. Students were able to explore the downtown area and visit landmarks and museums including the National Mall and the Smithsonian.

The team looks forward to returning to Washington and presenting new research at next year’s conference! For those interested in reading Veronica’s and Janelle’s work, citations for both papers are included below:

• Sullivan, V., Casello, J.M., Muresan, M. Free Transit for High School Students: Can it lead to independence? Paper No. 18-04972. Paper presented at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.
• Lopez Dodero, A., Hoyos Guerrero, A., Lee, J., Casello, J.M., Vargas, A. Improving Project Financing for Public Transportation Projects in Mexico: Lessons for Developing Countries. Paper No. 18-04344. Poster session presented at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.