“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
I checked my watch as I stood by the side of the road, worrying about a dinner reservation and waiting for my bus to arrive. While I had enjoyed exploring the many different neighborhoods of San Francisco on my first visit to the city, I was astonished by the inefficiencies of its transportation system. "Who's going to fix this?" I thought to myself. I found myself answering, "It's me. I should fix this!"
What began as a fleeting frustration developed into a larger passion for improving passenger transportation systems. Done well, transportation greases the wheels of the economy. Done really well, it also encourages physical activity, builds community, and protects the environment. With the global urban population projected to nearly double in my lifetime, transportation solutions will be fundamental to relieving congestion, increasing productivity and improving the health of cities and citizens for the long term.
To address the transportation needs of tomorrow, I cannot stand idly by the side of the road today. I must effect change so that people can rely on their transport, take pleasure in the journey . . . and arrive right on time for dinner with an old friend.
What began as a fleeting frustration developed into a larger passion for improving passenger transportation systems. Done well, transportation greases the wheels of the economy. Done really well, it also encourages physical activity, builds community, and protects the environment. With the global urban population projected to nearly double in my lifetime, transportation solutions will be fundamental to relieving congestion, increasing productivity and improving the health of cities and citizens for the long term.
To address the transportation needs of tomorrow, I cannot stand idly by the side of the road today. I must effect change so that people can rely on their transport, take pleasure in the journey . . . and arrive right on time for dinner with an old friend.
— Emily Stapleton