I am from Colombia, South America... not Carolina. During my undergraduate studies, I lived in Bogota, a city of over 8 million where less than 27% of the population owns a car and yet it is stilled plagued by traffic congestion. Bike lanes and sidewalks create equity for the millions of people who can't afford a car.
While I lived there Antanas Mockus and Enrique Peñalosa, serving succeeding terms as mayor, implemented reforms and infrastructure changes that included street performers who educated drivers about stopping at lights and keeping the city clean, "Pico y Placa" a restriction that allows only half the cars on the road during peak hours based on the last digits of their license plates, the removal of thousands of parking spots impeding sidewalks, "Ciclorrutas" - one of the most extensive dedicated bike path networks of any city in the world, and the "TransMilenio" bus rapid transit system.
While living there I regularly participated in Ciclovia, an event that every Sunday closes hundreds of kilometers of streets to create a temporary greenway. Bogota has been recognized worldwide for these cost-effective, efficient, and unique solutions. Being a part of this change inspired me to further my education and pursue a career in transportation. I am ecstatic to be working for Alta, a company that focuses on an element of transportation that I believe is fundamentally important and often overlooked.
Andrea Garland joined Alta in 2010 as a planner in the San Diego office. Her professional background and experience include a master’s degree in Civil Engineering and projects in traffic engineering and transportation planning. These projects include traffic impact analyses, traffic operation analyses, regional transportation studies, transportation demand management, GIS and CAD design experience, and community development. Andrea is known in her community for her involvement with bicycle advocacy issues, as well as promoting bicycle-related events and encouragement programs.
Recent Projects
APBP Women Cycling Project*
Andrea collaborated with the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals staff in analyzing several of the written answers from the national survey “Writing Women Back into Cycling”. As an outcome of this analysis, Andrea produced three reports that were presented at the ProWalk/ProBike Conference in Chattanooga, TN, in September of 2010.
Jamison and Bullitt Streets Corridor Study, Roanoke, VA*
Jamison and Bullitt streets are two one-way connectors between downtown Roanoke and the town of Vinton in southwest Virginia. The goal of the corridor study was to identify the best phasing plan to efficiently coordinate the traffic lights along the two corridors in order facilitate the traffic flow of vehicles during rush hours. Andrea was responsible for all the traffic simulation analysis, assessing the phasing recommendations for the city, and producing the final report.
Park-and-Ride Regional Study, Roanoke Valley & New River Valley, VA*
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the existing park-and-ride facilities throughout the Roanoke Valley and New River Valley planning regions, and develop a plan to identify and address existing and future needs and to ensure a continuous and adequate supply of parking from rideshare commuters. Andrea was responsible for updating the database of facilities throughout the region, designing the facilities inventory questionnaire, GIS data analysis, and writing the report
*Completed while working for another firm.
Publications/Presentations
Andrea Garland. “Contemporary Network Theory: Concepts and Implications from Transportation Infrastructure Management,” Paper presented at the Transportation Research Board annual meeting, Washington, DC, January 21-25, 2007.
Andrea Garland, Steve Hall, “Demand-Response Transportation Services,” Poster session presented at the Public Mobility Summit 2006, Roanoke, Virginia, May 4, 2006.
