I grew up in Connecticut and came out to California to attend UCSB where I got my degree in Environmental Studies. I moved to Santa Cruz after graduation and after a while I worked at Life Lab Science Program helping to usher in their new national science-based gardening program. After a few years, I took a job at the Regional Transportation Commission as a transportation planner and that launched my career in transportation planning. I started in TAPS in 1996 and have focused on developing great sustainable transportation programs for our campus community ever since. I have worked on programs, studies, plans and policies on virtually every mode of travel for campus: transit, bikes, walking, carshare, bikeshare, vanpools, parking policies, campus planning issues, etc. It is always changing and the campus needs always change, so it has kept the work challenging and interesting. I was responsible for bringing Zipcar car share to campus starting in 2007 after years of convincing campus planners and leadership that car share would provide service to students in particular so they didn’t need to bring a car to campus but could still have access to one at times.
2. What does Sustainability mean to you?
Sustainability to me means living and working within our environmental means so that we leave the planet and its resources in a healthy condition to support future generations of humans and natural resources as well. I have also tried to work and support an equitable focus so that all communities have the resources they need to live a happy and healthy life that also maintains a natural balance for the planet as well.
3. Having taken advantage of Carbon Fund grants, you were able to accomplish multiple projects with them. Can you give us examples of the ones you enjoyed the most?
Our most recent grant to support our TAPS Maintenance Unit to convert all of its equipment to electric was great because it limits our staff’s exposure to fossil fuels each day, reduces greenhouses gases and the staff all appreciated the new equipment as well. Even these small grants can make a big difference in our overall goals of greening our operations! Another fun project which was funded through the Sustainability Office was our Walk to Class Challenge from 2014 and 2015.
(Teresa Buika and Jessica Pearson tabling at the "Walk to Class Challenge")
4. Through your role as Senior Transportation Planner at TAPS, you have been very committed to improving the bike infrastructure on campus. Can you share more about biking infrastructure improvements and grants that the campus has received?
Most recently, I was able to garner two State Active Transportation Grants and a local Regional Transportation Grant for just under $2M to fully reconstruct our main great meadow bike path in two phases and to develop a strong bike safety and bike culture SlugBikeLife program. Our existing bike locker program was fully grant funded through a defunct Bicycle Transportation grant program as well and we have received additional RTC funds to add to our regular bike rack program on campus. And while not grant funded, I have been working diligently with our regional partners to bring electric bikeshare back to the county region including UCSC in the near future.
5. How was your experience chairing the UC Sustainable Transportation Working Group? What were the biggest challenges and successes?
I have been an active member of our UC Sustainable Transportation Working Group for years now and chaired it for three years. This is a fabulous group of very dedicated and talented UC Transportation, Fleet and Sustainability staff across the system that share best practices, raise concerns, create policy and generally share research on new and emerging technologies, pilot programs etc. Especially for our smaller campuses, having the wealth of experience and knowledge from the larger UC campuses to lean on is incredible. It also helps to consider when we can leverage systemwide agreements for programs like carsharing that can benefit all of our UC affiliates statewide. Based on the success of this group, TAPS also participates in a relatively new working group staff from Bay Area campuses like UCB, Stanford and SJSU as issues in Northern California can be somewhat unique.
6. Is there anything else about the work you do that you would like to share?
I think the overall focus on sustainability brought new excitement to our work in transportation over a decade ago as it allowed for more collaboration with other units and other teams to work together to solve some of our pressing campus and climate issues.
I am also excited to share that after 26 years solely in the UC transportation field, I am branching out and have just started a new position as a Contracts and Grants Writer for UCSC (under Real Estate and Contract Service) with one of my tasks being to assist other operational units seek grants for new projects, many of them with a sustainability focus. I am excited to learn about new topics and further extend the great work so many on campus do.
7. Lastly , what do you do for fun outside of work?
I love to see live music and actually met my husband at a Grateful Dead show in 1984. We saw the Dead over 200 times together along with hundreds of other rock and roll and jam band shows. My favorite touring bands of late are the Tedeschi Trucks Band and Billie Strings of which we have many shows on the books for this spring and summer. (Check them both out!) I love hiking and being outdoors (I am proud to be a bonafide tree hugger) and love working in my garden as well. I also love working with fabrics and do some quilts from time to time and I am an avid SF Giants fan as well.
