pacific nw transportation consortium region 10 Pactrans

Organized by

The Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium (PacTrans)
USDOT University Transportation Center for Federal Region 10

Presentation Title

The Case for Engaging in Public Policy – Your Projects Depend on It!

Abstract

This year, we will see several important decision points about infrastructure at the federal level, including how to fund transportation projects with a dwindling Highway Trust Fund.  In addition, state and local governments are grappling with how to fund major infrastructure programs, with proposals at the ballot box ranging from raising local sales taxes to state infrastructure banks. Nearly every infrastructure project is affected by decisions made by government and often non-engineers.  How do we engage with decision-makers, and why should we care?  Learn about the current status of infrastructure funding for 2015, how the American Society of Civil Engineers has engaged in the policy debate, and best practices for becoming a trusted resource on infrastructure issues in your community.

Speaker

Emily Feenstra is the Director for Infrastructure Initiatives of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and leads infrastructure policy research and advocacy initiatives for the Society. Her recent projects include ASCE’s Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, the Failure to Act economic study series, and a study on the use of life cycle cost analysis in transportation planning. Prior to joining ASCE, she worked with the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, the Washington State Transportation Center at the University of Washington, and as a consultant for the Washington State Department of Transportation. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a Master’s of Public Administration from the University of Washington.