My dad is a cyclist and I grew up watching him ride. Throughout my childhood I could never understand what inspired him to want to be on a bike. Not until I was in college did I see just why he enjoyed cycling so much. I used to co-direct a volunteer group that organized monthly beach clean-ups for students. My partner had the idea that we should organize a bike ride to the beach for those who didn't want to carpool. Seeing how many people chose this option made me think that I should start cycling, too. I started riding as a means of reducing my commute trips and was shocked to find how easy it was when adequate facilities were available. This made me realize what a big impact bicycle planning can have on increasing the number of people who ride. I am excited about my work at Alta because it allows me to create communities that people of all cycling abilities will feel comfortable and safe traveling in. Oh, and by the way... my dad and I now ride together and I've never been happier!
Jessie Holzer joined Alta in 2010 as a planner in the Los Angeles office. She brings a unique set of skills that come from her experience in both transportation planning and traffic engineering. These include traffic surveys and studies, traffic safety, transportation demand management, community plans, and alternative transportation plans. She also has extensive knowledge of public and non-profit sector planning.
Jessie’s interest in bicycle and pedestrian planning stems from a passion for all aspects of sustainability. She has volunteered with and worked for several environmental and social sustainability groups over the past seven years, including Cal Poly’s Student Community Services and the Sierra Club. She enjoys working to create walkable and bikeable communities that reduce the need for motorized vehicles.
Recent Projects
- Cal Poly State University Bicycle Circulation and Safety Study
This plan will encourage cycling on campus by creating safe and effective bike connections to the surrounding street system, as well as a clear bike path system on campus with convenient bike parking and storage. Jessie’s responsibilities include determining the adequacy of existing bicycle facilities, identifying opportunities and constraints of the bicycle network, analyzing strategies to improve bicycle safety, and recommending improvements for creating a comprehensive campus bicycle network for users of all cycling abilities. - South Bay Bicycle Master Plan
This plan will implement a bicycle master plan that will connect seven cities within the South Bay Region: Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Torrance, El Segundo, Gardena, and Lawndale. Jessie’s work on the project includes public outreach, establishing baseline data, and plan preparation. - City of San Luis Obispo 2009 Traffic Safety Report
The City of San Luis publishes an annual report to determine locations with the highest collision rates for all mode types, to analyze the effectiveness of previously implemented mitigation measures, to identify new locations that should be mitigated, and to determine if the types or locations of collisions have changed. For each mode, Jessie analyzed collisions that occurred in 2009 by type, location, and party at fault. She also compared the results with previous years to determine new trends in the city's traffic safety.
