Avery Thorpe

Transportation connects communities. The role of public transit and mobility serves as a  fundamental foundation for getting from one point to the next.

Our systems — including railways, roads and campus infrastructure — are critical to revitalizing communities and enabling campus success. Students at UT rely on various forms of transportation, yet many face issues that permeate campus.

For this forum, we asked members of the UT community to discuss their perspectives on transportation systems, accessibility and how different communities envision an equitable way of connecting our campus. 

In this forum project:

Seung Jun Choi, a doctorate student in Community and Regional Planning department, illustrates the structural inequities in our transit choices and amplifies the call for a collective approach to reforming Austin’s transportation system.

Miriam Schoenfield, a philosophy associate professor at UT and board member for Rethink35, a highway expansion opposition organization, argues that we must end car dependency and create transportation systems that support thriving and sustainable communities.

Yefu Chen, a doctorate student in the Community and Regional Planning department, with a concentration in transportation infrastructure and location affordability, illuminates the importance of transportation and the avenues towards sustainable solutions in Austin. 

Ethan Chandra, feasibility studies lead for Texas Guadaloop, discusses the student organization’s efforts to develop sustainable hyperloop technology to make a trip from Austin to Houston in 25 minutes possible.

The forum team consists of forum editors Ellie Monday, Tommy Wan and editor-in-chief Lucero Ponce. As always, if you have any thoughts on this topic or any other, please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected].