Nearly 20 staff from Transportation for America and Smart Growth America attended TransportationCamp DC. While it’s hard to understand just how special TCamp is unless you’ve been there, some of these reflections from staff can help paint the picture.
Special thanks to our underwriting sponsor, Arnold Ventures, and our local sponsors, Coalition for Smarter Growth and Greater Greater Washington, for making the day possible.
For our full recap of TransportationCamp DC, read this blog.
On TCamp being the most optimistic, forward-looking transportation gathering:
“Despite the headwinds that transit and multimodal transportation have faced this past year, attendees did not hesitate to bring forward countless new and innovative ideas for sessions about how to make transportation work better in the future.” – Corrigan Salerno, Policy Manager, Transportation for America
“This was my second TransportationCamp. Our world has changed significantly since the first one I attended in 2024, but where you might expect folks to be discouraged by the many barriers to creating equitable and healthy communities, the opposite was felt. Everyone at TCamp this year seemed not discouraged by the obstacles we’re facing, but instead brought even more energy and dedication. Anyone who attended TransportationCamp left feeling empowered to go do the important work of creating systems that work for everyone.” – Coutney Cole, Program Associate, Thriving Communities, Smart Growth America
“This was my first time at TransportationCamp. The thing that surprised me most was the fun and joy! Despite the rain, early start time, and heavy topics, people seemed genuinely happy and excited to be together.” – Dustin Robertson, Program Manager, Thriving Communities, Smart Growth America
“This was my first TCamp, and you really have to be there to understand and appreciate the idea of an “unconference”. Seeing so many transit enthusiasts and advocates come together on Saturday to pitch their sessions and enthusiastically discuss and teach feels so communal. I loved how creative each individual period and workshops were, it gives me hope and keeps the momentum going on transit advocacy, which always feels like an uphill battle.” – Elisa Ramirez, Policy & Outreach Associate, Transportation for America
On TCamp bringing people together, and how new voices helped set the tone:
“My favorite session at TCamp was led by two high school students who reviewed what makes transit work well, how it is working in the Washington, DC area, and how we could improve it. What impressed me was how two young people, untrained in transportation and urban planning, were able to discuss what makes transit work and do so in a way more connected to the outcomes we seek than professionals do. They also pushed the rest of the attendees, most of whom were transportation professionals, to think bigger.” – Beth Osborne, President and CEO, Smart Growth America
“There’s always been a feeling at TCamp that it’s predominantly full of “regulars,” a tight crew of people who know what TCamp is and attend almost every year. And while that may have been the case in years past, one of my favorite things about this year’s camp was just how many first-timers we had. In the morning, while going through instructions for the day, I asked everyone in the auditorium to raise their hands if this was their first TCamp. And it felt like at least 60 percent of the room raised their hands! That not only shocked me, but I found it very encouraging, because bringing in new people and new voices is precisely at the heart of what TCamp is all about.” – Steve Davis, Interim Director, Transportation for America
“The best thing about Transportation Camp DC is the spontaneity and sense of fun that all the attendees bring with them. We had what seemed to be a record number of new attendees, and with it, new ideas for sessions. Despite the headwinds that transit and multimodal transportation have faced this year, attendees did not hesitate to bring forward countless new and innovative ideas for sessions about how to make transportation work better in the future. Leading a session at TCamp is a great opportunity to share your thoughts, work, gripes, and creativity in a fun, low-stakes environment with others passionate about better transportation.” – Corrigan Salerno, Policy Manager, Transportation for America
On some standout sessions at TCamp:
“My favorite session of TransportationCamp was a session on jargon. As an attendee before I got my job at T4America, I remember being overwhelmed by the intense use of acronyms by attendees. Now that I’m on the other side of things, it was great to have a reminder that avoiding jargon is not dumbing things down…it’s communicating clearly. The session consisted of people explaining their jobs. The host honked a clown horn every time a contestant used an acronym or an industry-specific term without explanation. As the session went on, people got better at explaining the specifics of their jobs without falling back on their usual speech patterns. I would really enjoy it if most transportation professionals had to do something like this every few months.” – Jaibin Mathew, Policy Associate, Transportation for America
“helped lead a debate about this important question: Is the concept of Complete Streets still useful, or has it run its course? It was a great conversation among a diverse group of transportation professionals, fans, and nerds from across the country. The conversation was serious (based on years of experience and data), fun (the word “sexy” was used at least 4 times), and inspirational (as we thought together about what the future of transportation can and should look like).” – Dustin Robertson, Program Manager, Thriving Communities, Smart Growth America
“I am partial to the workshop that Raveena John (SGA Senior Program Associate, Thriving Communities) and I hosted. We provided maps of streets in Tennessee, Texas, and Florida, and supplied groups with markers and cut-outs of bus stops, benches, bushes, and parks. Groups would then design green and complete streets, and we received so much positive feedback! “I feel like a kid again” was my favorite comment. It is awesome to get creative juices flowing and to imagine how we can improve our streets simply by a few design choices.” – Elisa Ramirez, Policy & Outreach Associate, Transportation for America
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