Tuesday, May 5 · 4:00 – 6:00 PM
Walking Tour
Explore pedestrian-safe design and infrastructure in Austin’s Mueller neighborhood the day before the Forum!
Tour details →Parking & Directions
Find recommended garages, parking costs, transit and driving directions, and the route to the Zlotnik Family Ballroom.
Parking details →Wednesday, May 6
AICP CM Credits Available — AICP members can earn Certification Maintenance (CM) credits for activities at this event. CM credits are noted at the end of each session description. More information about AICP’s CM program can be found at planning.org/cm.
Arrive at the AT&T Conference Center, check in, and pick up your badge before the Opening Keynote begins.
Speakers
- Ben Ettelman, Research Scientist, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
- David Palmer, Director, Behavioral Traffic Safety, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
- Kathy Sokolic, Co-Founder, Central Texas Families for Safe Streets
The Human Factor at Crosswalks: Why Behavior Matters as Much as the Device
This session explores how pedestrian and driver behaviors—particularly device actuation and driver yielding—interact to influence safety outcomes at crossings with pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHBs) and rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs). Drawing on both large-scale crash analyses and detailed observational and survey data, the research highlights how factors such as geometry, traffic conditions, and waiting times shape real-world use of these devices. Findings point to actionable strategies, including improving actuation rates and optimizing design features like pedestrian refuges, to maximize the safety effectiveness of pedestrian traffic control devices.
AICP CM 1.0
Speakers
- Raul Avelar, Senior Research Engineer, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
- Boni Kutela, Associate Research Engineer, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
- Moderated by Jacki Kuzio, Research Scientist, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Working Together for Safer Streets: Law Enforcement and Pedestrian Safety
Law enforcement plays a critical role in improving pedestrian safety, from targeted enforcement to community engagement. However, law enforcement professionals face challenges in resources, priorities, and public perception. This session will explore both the opportunities and constraints shaping enforcement efforts today, highlighting real-world experiences and strategies that work. The session will feature a panel discussion on how law enforcement can more effectively partner with transportation agencies and professionals to advance safer streets.
AICP CM 1.0
Speaker
- Katie Alexander, Law Enforcement Liaison, Texas Municipal Police Association
- David Palmer, Director, Behavioral Traffic Safety, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
- Moderated by Emmy Shields, Transportation Researcher, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Using Walking Audits to Identify Safety Needs and Spark Action
Walking audits are a practical, hands-on tool for identifying pedestrian safety issues and understanding how streets and public spaces function in the real world. This session will provide an overview of walking audits, highlight successful use cases, and share tools and approaches that can help agencies and communities put them into practice effectively. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how walking audits can inform planning, design, and safety improvements.
AICP CM 1.0
Speakers
- Dexter Handy, Chair, Citizens’ Transportation Coalition, Greater Houston Coalition for Complete Streets
- Matthew Moreno, Regional Transportation Planner, Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
- Moderated by Josh Peterman, Principal, Fehr & Peers
Safe Routes in Action: Austin’s Comprehensive Approach to School Safety
Creating safer, healthier, and more equitable environments is key to increasing walking and biking to school. This session highlights how the City of Austin’s nationally recognized Safe Routes to School Program integrates crossing guards, education, engagement, and infrastructure to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety in partnership with planning and engineering efforts by Toole Design Group. Attendees will gain practical insights into implementing a comprehensive, community-focused approach that supports safer routes for students.
AICP CM 1.0
Speakers
- Ben Magallon, Senior Planner, Toole Design
- Rhonda Bolick, Education and Engagement Manager, City of Austin Safe Routes to School
- Leticia Richardson, Crossing Guard Manager, City of Austin Safe Routes to School
- Moderated by Coleen Gentles, Infrastructure Project Manager, City of Austin Safe Routes to School
Better Together: How Planners and Engineers Can Advance Pedestrian Safety
Pedestrian safety is strongest when planners and engineers work together rather than in silos, bringing complementary perspectives on design, context, function, and community needs. This session will explore how each discipline can better inform the other, why collaboration matters, and how stronger partnerships can lead to safer, more effective outcomes. Following a brief presentation, participants will engage in an interactive discussion using real-world street and public space examples to identify opportunities, constraints, blind spots, and the different responses each perspective brings to the table.
AICP CM 1.0
Speakers
- Carly Haithcock, Associate Principal Engineer, Nelson/Nygaard
- Michael Keil, Program Manager, City of Austin
- Nicholas Samuel, Senior Regional Planner, Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
- Moderated by Ben Ettelman, Research Scientist, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Enhancing Pedestrian Safety and Walkability Through Neighborhood Partnerships
Creating safer, more walkable neighborhoods starts with listening to the people who know them best. This session will highlight how AAMPO works closely with neighborhood associations to identify barriers to walking and bicycling, convene partner agencies, and turn community input into practical infrastructure recommendations. Attendees will learn how walking audits, workshops, and interactive GIS tools can strengthen neighborhood engagement, support coordination with local partners, and build a foundation for future safety improvements and funding opportunities.
AICP CM 1.0
Speakers
- Salomon Mendoza, Multimodal Transportation Planner, Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
- Wendy Dodson, GIS Analyst, Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
- Moderated by Carl Seifert, Active Transportation Planner and Project Manager, Jacobs
Keynote: The Pedestrian Safety Crisis in America: Why It’s Happening, What We Can Do About It, and Why We Haven’t Done It Already
More than 7,000 pedestrians are getting killed every year on American streets, representing an enormous 70 percent increase since 2010. Angie Schmitt, the author of the book Right of Way: Race, Class and the Silent Crisis of Pedestrian Deaths in America (Island Press, 2020) will talk about the perfect storm of social trends that are putting people at increased risk as well as offer some solutions and reasons for optimism.
AICP CM 1.0
- Angie Schmitt, Principal, 3MPH Planning
- Moderated by Jay Crossley, Executive Director, Farm&City
Automated Vehicles and the Future of Pedestrian Safety
As the proliferation of automated vehicles on the streets of Texas continues, understanding their impact on pedestrian safety is more important than ever. This session will provide an overview of how AV technology is impacting pedestrian safety, with an overview of up-to-date research and data from deployments in Texas cities. Attendees will gain insight into early safety outcomes and what these findings mean for future policy and practice.
AICP CM 1.0
Speakers
- Amanda Ventura, Public Affairs Manager, Waymo
- Jay Crossley, Executive Director, Farm&City
- Moderated by Angie Schmitt, Principal, 3MPH Planning
From Prioritization to Implementation: Advancing Pedestrian Safety Through Road Safety Assessments
Many Texas communities have identified High Injury Networks through Safety Action Plans, but the real challenge is moving from system-level analysis to corridor-specific projects that can advance into implementation. This session will highlight Fort Worth’s two-stage approach to pedestrian safety, beginning with a data-driven corridor prioritization framework and progressing to detailed Road Safety Assessments that apply FHWA Proven Safety Countermeasures to real-world conditions. Attendees will gain insight into how technical analysis, benefit-cost evaluation, and interdepartmental coordination can help translate safety findings into capital programming and funding decisions.
AICP CM 1.0
Speakers
- Nan Jiang, Data Science Practice Lead, Toole Design
- Chelsea St. Louis, Senior Capital Projects Officer, City of Fort Worth
- Moderated by Kaylyn Levine, Research Scientist, Toole Design
Linking Public Health, Emergency Medical Services, and Crash Data to Enhance Pedestrian Safety
Professionals from the Department of Health and Human Services (DSHS), emergency medical services, and transportation agencies will discuss current efforts to link data from Texas’ trauma registry, EMS patient care data, and data from Texas crash records to better understand how factors like vehicle type, roadway conditions, and user characteristics influence injury severity and outcomes for pedestrians.
AICP CM 1.0
Speakers
- Jia Benno, Injury Prevention Director, Department of State Health Services
- Courtney Edwards, Director of Trauma Community Outreach and BioTel EMS, Parkland Health
- Eva Shipp, Senior Research Scientist, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
- Moderated by Emily Martin, Associate Research Scientist, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Planning at Scale: Regional Coordination and Data-Driven Strategies for Pedestrian Safety
Improving pedestrian safety on major corridors and across Texas’ metropolitan regions requires more than isolated project reviews—it demands large-scale planning, strong interagency coordination, and data-driven decision-making. This session will explore how transportation agencies, metropolitan planning organizations, and transit agencies are using tools such as crash analysis, simulation, operational modeling, and scenario testing to better understand pedestrian risk, prioritize investments, and plan for safer multimodal access during both project development and implementation. Attendees will gain practical insight into how collaborative, cross-agency approaches can strengthen regional safety initiatives, improve communication among partners, and support more proactive strategies for protecting vulnerable road users.
AICP CM 1.0
Speakers
- Alberto Ponce, Senior Transit Planner, Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO)
- Rachael Die Montenegro, Senior Planning Program Manager, Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO)
- Taylor Hunter, Regional Data Planner, Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO)
- Moderated by Greg Reininger, Planning Lead, Texas Department of Transportation
Collaborating for Impact: Advancing Youth Pedestrian Safety in Texas
Cross-sector collaboration is key to creating safer, more effective transportation systems. This session highlights how partners in Texas are leveraging shared expertise and lived experience to enhance youth pedestrian safety and improve the built environment. A brief presentation will precede a moderated discussion on lessons learned and strategies for sustaining and scaling these efforts.
AICP CM 1.0
Speakers
- Nancy De La Fuente, Safe Routes/Active Transportation Coordinator, Harris County Public Health
- Chris Whaley, Senior Planner for Regional Multimodal Planning, Houston-Galveston Area Council
- Scott Barker, Planning Manager, Harris County Office of the County Engineer
- Moderated by Gaby Kolodzy, Assistant Research Scientist, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Managing the Impact of E-Bikes and E-Scooters on Pedestrian Safety on University Campuses
University transportation networks have long been designed around two speeds—fast-moving vehicles and slower-moving pedestrians—often leaving bicycles and other medium-speed modes without appropriate space. As e-bikes and e-scooters become more common on campuses, this gap has created growing conflicts with pedestrians and underscored the need for safer, more multimodal infrastructure. Drawing on findings from recent campus mobility planning initiatives, this panel will explore the planning, design, and policy strategies universities can use to better accommodate medium-speed travel while improving pedestrian safety.
AICP CM 1.0
Speakers
- Jackson Archer, AICP, Principal Transportation Planner, Nelson\Nygaard
- Sarah Hyden, Senior Associate Transportation Planner, Nelson\Nygaard
- Veronica Castro de Berrera, Lead Campus & Mobility Planner, The University of Texas at Austin
- Moderated by Tracy McMillan, Principal & Co-lead, Cities & Streets, Nelson\Nygaard
Texas Pedestrian Safety Coalition · Texas A&M Transportation Institute · 505 E Huntland Dr, Suite 455, Austin TX 78751