Wake County Leaders attend Transportation Leadership Academy Team one of three selected nationwide to participate in workshops aimed at addressing public transit needs RALEIGH, NC -­‐ Last week, seven Wake County business, civic and community leaders participated in the Transportation Innovation Academy for 2015, an intensive 2-­‐day program of workshops and online trainings focused on developing the improved public transit the local economy needs. Operated by two national organizations, Transportation for America andTransitCenter, the Academy’s goal is to prepare participants to advance transportation plans within their own communities while plugging them into a dynamic national network of like-­‐minded leaders. “The Academy comes at an especially relevant time for Wake County and the Triangle because our communities are in the process of developing a Wake transit plan to plan for growth into the coming decades,” said Karen Rindge, Executive Director of WakeUP Wake County and the lead member of the Wake County team. Wake County is currently leading 12 municipalities, Research Triangle Park, NC State, the airport authority, business and community leaders in a several month planning process to develop a plan to expand and improve transit in the county. “Wake County was selected for the Academy because of the growing momentum in the region for a more comprehensive transportation network that can sustain future growth and quality of life,” said James Corless, Director of Transportation for America. “Cities around the country are in essence competing with each other to improve their public transit systems and bolster their economic advantages. Raleigh is gearing up to be a leader in that race and we are excited to help,” added David Bragdon, Executive Director of TransitCenter. In addition to Karen Rindge of WakeUP Wake County, Raleigh team members include: ·∙ Matt Calabria, Wake County Commissioner; ·∙ Bonner Gaylord, a Raleigh City Councilman and General Manager of North Hills; ·∙ Asa Fleming, a Realtor for Coldwell Banker Advantage; ·∙ Sheila H. Ogle, Owner of Ogle Enterprises, LLC; ·∙ Courtney A. Crowder, Principal of Crowder Consulting Co.; and ·∙ Michael J. Munn, President of the John R. McAdams Co. The Academy also hosted teams from Indianapolis and Nashville, who were chosen to participate after a rigorous nationwide selection process. The teams participated in an intensive program of workshops and online trainings, covering topics such as designing transit networks, putting together funding and financing packages to pay for them and measuring performance to ensure accountability. Faculty members included national experts as well as representatives of peer regions who will share their first-­‐hand experiences and lessons learned. Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane and Jeff Mann, Deputy Secretary for Transit at the North Carolina DOT, addressed the Academy on Thursday, reiterating the need to create a dynamic, multi-­‐faceted transit system that addresses the desires of current – and future – residents. “A multi-­‐modal approach to transportation is key to our future. With population doubling, we can’t have twice as many cars on the road,” said Mayor McFarlane to attendees. “We need to make sure our city continues to be a place people want to live.” For more information about the Academy, please contact Karen Rindge, WakeUP Wake County. 919-­‐637-­‐4271, karen@wakeupwakecounty.org ### Transportation for America (T4America) is an alliance of elected, business and civic leaders from communities across the country, united to ensure that states and the federal government step up to invest in smart, locally-­‐driven transportation solutions — because these are the investments that hold the key to our future economic prosperity. TransitCenter is an independent civic philanthropy dedicated to sparking innovations and supporting policies that improve public transportation. TransitCenter believes new approaches are needed to change the urban landscape and empower communities, policymakers, businesses, and riders to take action. TransitCenter works through research, convenings, collaborations, and publications that inform and improve the practice of planning, financing, and operating transit that bolsters the overall vitality of our cities.