The Future of Transportation with Beneeta Mary Jose

Joe DeAngelis [00:00]: Welcome to the 2025 Trend Report podcast, a multipart miniseries from the American Planning Association in partnership with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. This series focuses on new and emerging trends and their potential impacts on our communities and the practice of planning. My name is Joe DeAngelis, research manager at the American Planning Association and your host. Today, I'm happy to be joined by Benita Mary Jose. Benita is a recent planning graduate from the University of South Florida and currently works as a transportation planner at Fehr & Peers. She also holds a bachelor's degree in architecture from India. Her main areas of interest are transportation, youth and planning, and resilience. She serves on the APA Student Representative Council, and in 2023 was named Student Planner of the Year by the APA Florida Chapter. She's also a LEED Green Associate. Today, we'll be discussing the future of transportation, specifically the role of young people and emerging planners in the future.

Benita, how are you doing today?

Beneeta Mary Jose [00:48]: I'm doing great. How is everything going with you?

Joe DeAngelis [00:51]: Pretty good, I can't complain. So for the last few years, APA's Trend Report has highlighted some major trends, signals, shifts within the transportation field, things like micromobility, electric vehicles, pedestrian and road safety, all the different disruptions of COVID on commuting and travel habits, things like that. We've got a long list from the last few years. Can you talk a bit about what you see as some major emerging trends in transportation today and what they might mean for the future?

Beneeta Mary Jose [01:25]: I would like to start by saying how incredible APA Trend Report is. Back in school, this document was my go-to for understanding what's happening in transportation. The sections like Act Now, Prepare, Learn are just amazing tools for grasping trends and seeing what's ahead as planners. How do we understand what's happening in the field? It's still my reference today, and I'm always energized by the insights it brings.

But out of the emerging trends and things happening in the field, one of the most exciting trends right now is micromobility. Like e-scooters, bike sharing, cargo bikes, you name it all, they are all making waves, especially in the urban areas. These cities are putting real effort into integrating these options into the traditional transit networks, making it easier and also seamless to switch from a bus to a bike or scooter, that first mile, last mile connectivity. This shift is just not about getting around places, but it's also a major step towards flexible, user-centered transportation that's efficient and sustainable.

But if you think, you know, "Oh, everything is good about micromobility" and stuff, there's a flip side to it as well. Like, transportation inequality is a big challenge right now. Micromobility is great, but the reality is without safe and accessible infrastructure, these options are inequitable. Rising traffic deaths, lack of protective infrastructure, highlighting how essential it is for planners to focus on designing safer streets first and then these infrastructures.

And also we know that micromobility means a cultural shift, right? It brings a different change and perspective to people rather than moving. Initially, we had a notion where we all wanted to own a car, have settled family, buy houses, own a car. It's like a main goal that we would set. But right now, it's shifting from that ownership of vehicles. So especially that cultural shift where you go around bikes and e-bikes within your neighborhood in areas where there's solid bike lanes, these options, infrastructure available, you feel more safe and accessible. But in regions without these infrastructure, especially in an underserved area where you don't have enough money and investments in those areas, these are risks and inconvenience. So to me, this shows that building out these systems is not just about convenience, but an equity issue as well. So everyone deserves a safe and reliable option to get around. We would right now need to understand how do we bridge that gap between these underserved populations and also bring that infrastructure together.

Another fascinating thing I would say is about electrification. I love electric vehicles, and it's taking center stage right now across all modes of transportation, from cars to buses to delivery trucks to planes, even planes have, so many things. There's so many articles that talk about how EV is growing. And we see the groundwork being laid for EVs, right. We see policies shift happening to accommodate the infrastructure change. We see rethinking in taxation from gas to mileage. You name something, there's so many policies and things happening in the field.

I believe this movement is bigger than just like transportation. It's about public health, clean air, and also creating cities where people can thrive. So if you ask me about the emerging trends in transportation, I would say it's less about technology alone. It's more about cultural shift that we are moving towards to create inclusive, accessible, and sustainable cities. These trends reflect a future where transportation is just not about moving people. It's about fostering community, equity, and resilience in every journey we take.

Joe DeAngelis [05:22]: I think that that's a really good transition, I think, to our next question here, which is along the lines of there's a lot of changes happening within the private sector, and the ability of the public sector to actually catch up with that. There's definitely a rapid pace of change, driven primarily within the private sector, potentially leaving planners and regulators in the public scrambling a little bit to catch up in some cases. Do you think that this is true, where planners and regulators are only applying these guardrails after the fact, after the private sector is making moves in the area? Or is there maybe a sense in the field, as someone within the field, that transportation planning is at times able to be a little bit more proactive in these types of circumstances?

Beneeta Mary Jose [06:07]: I think it's a very relevant question for today, especially when there's an accelerated pace of technological improvements and advancements happening in the field. We need to keep pace with it. With this acceleration, we have micromobility options coming up. There's EVs, there's automated vehicles, drone delivery, you name them, and then you see our planners have to make sure that they are safely and equitably within our communities. It has to be safe within our communities before they are employed.

But if you ask me, it's more about balance between pro-action and reaction. If you say reaction, reaction is, of course, like new technology is coming up. But the time you react to it, it's already been evolved, especially because in the public sector, if you see, we have to follow a procedure, a standard where you need to have necessary oversight, community input, regulatory requirements, all of these things. So it takes a little bit of time. But when you know that there's things happening, and then you start responding to it, that's when pro-action happens. Let's say, for example, in reaction, you say there's a drone delivery happening and urban air mobility. These are all emerging things happening right now with technological advancements. So some cities have already been trying to set a framework for airspace regulations and noise control and all of those things. It's more like a trial and error method because we don't know when these new technologies come up, what are the best course of action. So you're just trying and testing it out. And then once you know, okay, this is the best course of action, then you come up with policies and framework for it. 

But proactive planning is also something that we as planners are doing right now, where we know we are looking ahead in the future and then coming up with frameworks and regulations to address that. Looking into current numbers, as planners, we love numbers and data and all those things. So we look into the numbers, we look into the forecast and see what's the trend and how do we plan for it. To achieve this proactive planning, we need to engage, I believe, with the private sector earlier in the design stage and implementation stage. If you say, "Okay, private sector is different, public sector is different," and then you just see them as two different identities, it wouldn't work. The planning doesn't work. So integrating both of them together.

And at the same time, I think we can do much more better planning rather than just disregarding them as private institutions. And I think one good example for that would be the micromobility as a service, like the mask thing, too. If you provide them with cohesive networks where you can connect them with public transit and micromobility and all of those things, it kind of serves as these private-style services entering the market, but also serving the public, right? So ultimately, I think it's moving towards a more integrated, resilient approach where planners aim to be in between adaptability and flexibility. So it's a balance. I would say it's a balance between proactive and reaction.

Joe DeAngelis [09:20]: Absolutely. Earlier, you talked a little bit about the Act Now, Prepare, Watch and Learn, that 10-, 20-, 30-year time frame. Many of the young professionals who are entering the transportation planning field today are going to be leading the field over those time frames. They're the ones who are going to be experiencing and planning for for that future. Can you talk a bit from your own perspective? Because I know you're not speaking for all young professionals in the field today, but can you talk from your own perspective about young professionals in the transportation planning sector, what their interests and priorities are amidst all of these disruptions that you've already talked about?

Beneeta Mary Jose [09:59]: Being a young planner myself out of grad school, I think my fellow friends, at least the people that I know, and of course, me, myself, I hope for a future that's more accessible in terms of... I have the famous three Cs, which I say, connectivity, community, and collaboration.

So it's like, how do you connect, not in terms of physical infrastructure, but also engage communities and foster that inclusivity, right? Creating transportation that's accessible and equitable for poor as well, where we have an option to switch to public transit. If right now, because of the landscape and the urban environment that's around us, we are forced to own a vehicle and drive around. But if given an opportunity, me and my friends, of course, we would take a public transit because it's much more convenient and it's easier and safe as well. And you can meet people in the bus. There are so many different things happening when you take a public transit. So many different characters, so many different events. It's like a family, a community when you use this public transit. So if given an option, we would switch. But since we don't have an option, people who really don't want to drive are forced to drive and own a vehicle.

Me as a new transportation planner, entering the field with so much excitement and purpose in my life, where it's about changing mindset. We're bringing a mindset where car ownership is no longer the default, and instead, we're focusing on creating cities that are connected and accessible for everyone. It's inspiring to see. One of the articles that I was reading about Gen Zs and car ownership and all those things. They actually prefer using public transit or bikes over owning a car. For us, transportation is not just about getting from point A to point B. It's about building the communities and creating systems that serve people better, and equitably with smallest footprints on our planet.

What excites me most is how collaborative and innovative this field has become right now. The real commitment among young planners to listen, engage, and make happen in partnership with the communities we serve. We are not afraid to think big and make bold decisions, even though we get pushback at times about certain proposals or improvements that we're making. We're still not afraid to take that challenge and convince the people that we're talking to that this is an important step. And I think we take challenge as an opportunity and not as a setback.

So the vision we have is to create a public space that brings people together and break down barriers, not just physical ones, but like social, economic, you name it, and then breaking all those together. And looking ahead, I feel it's hope you can achieve all of those things. These are just like we are reimagining transportation to be more shared, seamless movement across cities. There's a lot of work ahead, but we as planners, young planners, can do it. And I think we are moving towards that positive goal as of now.

And we love digital. We are from the digital world. We love digital tools. So seeing all of that, how do we integrate those digital tools to make sure that we have a safe environment is something that we also like to leverage and start working with. Ultimately, as young professionals in transportation field, today or not, just today and in future, we are trying to adapt to these disruptions, but also trying to help them in some way or another.

Joe DeAngelis[13:30]: Yeah, I think that that's a really good transition for us for my next question here, which is really around the actual use of the transportation network among young people and also among children. Streets, traffic, public transit, safety, things like that. I have two young kids. Their experience is relatively constrained to where we walk in the neighborhood, where we drive in the neighborhood, the routes we take to school and other places, where there's crosswalks, things like that. But again, today's young people will very much be living in the world that we're planning for them. From your perspective in the field, is there a focus or any attention paid to actually incorporate the unique perspectives of children and young people into transportation planning?

Beneeta Mary Jose [14:13]: I absolutely love talking about children, and that's my favorite area of planning, I would say youth in planning. It's one topic I can talk for hours and hours and still not get bored. But yes, there is increasing attention paid to incorporating these perspectives of children and young people into transportation planning. Though it's a relatively new focus, I believe, it's getting more attention in the planning field right now.

Traditionally, planning transportation systems are designed with adult commuters in mind, right? How do we get them from point A to point B in a lesser time frame and much more easier, convenient way? But now as planners, we try to recognize the importance of having a safer, more accessible and inclusive environment for all age groups, say from small kids to working professionals to older adults as well. So there's a growing emphasis on ensuring these transportation systems serve the needs of younger population.

If I go back to my childhood coming from a very car-centric country, I've seen the difference in how environment shaped the way people interact with the communities. Growing up, I had a very strong sense of community and belonging. So people would take over the streets, and I remember walking and biking freely late at night or returning or maybe going to restaurants and places with my friends, freely without any concern on my food.

But if you ask me right now if I would send my kid or a sibling, a younger sibling, I would think twice. And it's the landscape that frightens me, and its shape highlights just how the built environment matters for safety and mobility. In the past, planning was more focused on adults, so designing systems that made it convenient for them to travel. But today, we are trying to shift to include children, older adults, underrepresented groups as well. I believe we made a very positive stride in that direction. As young people, they increasingly feel that their opinions are valued.

For example, recently, I remember I did a community meeting where we had different alternatives for a particular road. And the design, there were 12, 15 alternatives, and then we did a public outreach. And I remember kids from, say, 8 to 12 years of age would come in, put so much sticky notes and post-its on certain alternatives, which had bike lanes and sidewalks and all those things. And curious enough, I went and asked them, "Why do you think this alternative is better than the other one?" And they said, "We need proper bike lanes. We need sidewalks. I can't ride my bike on a sidewalk where people are walking. But I need a proper protection because cars are too fast, too."

So you know they shape the future, and you know they feel that their opinions are going to be valued, which is why they're coming up and telling you all these things, right? So it's just amazing to see how these kids are also involved in the planning and how we are creating a space where they feel that they are valued.

And also right now, if you see, there are so many programs and policies right there, like Safe Routes to School and all those things where you are making an environment where children feel safe to go to school by biking or walking or say whatever they feel like using. And today's youth are also very digitally active. So as planners, we are finding ways to integrate these tech solutions with transportation so that their parents also feel safe sending the children alone, but also children has that option where they know how to get from a place to another.

Another element is also about we're moving from a car. Like I said, I love about micromobility and things, so I am away from vehicular ownership and all of those things. So one thing that we are thinking about right now is reducing the vehicle size, right? If you see a large SUV, and you've seen so many news and cases where people hitting over small children in SUVs because they don't see it in their blind spot. So we're making policy changes. We're asking car dealers and producers to make vehicles that are much smaller so that you see these people on the street.

And in short, I would say a transportation plan today is increasingly incorporating the voices and needs of young people, right? Whether it's through safer streets, more accessible transit, or active transportation, planners are recognizing the system we build now will shape their future. So by prioritizing safety, accessibility, inclusion, we are creating a future transportation network that meets the needs of all users, but also we are trying to incorporate all people together.

Joe DeAngelis [18:52]: So most of the conversation today, we focused on the future. I'd like to talk a little bit about your own particular perspectives and visions for the future. You're an emerging professional in the transportation field. Can you talk a bit about what that vision is for transportation in 20, maybe 20 or so years going into the future?

Beneeta Mary Jose [19:12]: I see a future that's much more seamlessly integrated, all in one place and everyone can use it, highly affordable and highly reliable. And also where I have an option rather than just public transit or vehicle, I have an option where I have different modes to choose from based on my trip and based on my liking for that particular day. 

With that, also reduce the impact on the ecosystem. I know we, as a transportation planner, each decision that we make, we are creating creating an impact on the environment. So how can we reduce it and make it a place for future generation to come and thrive?

Also, I see streets designed and shaped by people. Like I said, I love a street that's taken over by people, where it's low speed, more like a 15-minute city. Everything is accessible by foot or by biking or other kind of transportation modes. Everything is within 15 minutes of your house. Transportation as a community experience is something that I'm looking for, not thoroughfares for cars. Maybe like 20 years from now, I hope to see a transportation network that's more sustainable, equitable, and human-centric. I see our future is bright, and I'm very much happy to shape it.

Joe DeAngelis [20:28]: Well, I think that's a good, hopeful note on which we could end our discussion today. Thank you, Benita, for joining us for really what I think is an excellent conversation. We really appreciate your time.

Beneeta Mary Jose [20:39]: Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Joe DeAngelis [20:43]: For more on this topic, an adapted version of this discussion, and many other collected trends and signals, please check out APA's 2025 Trend Report, which is available at planning.org/foresight. To hear previous episodes, visit us at planning.org/podcasts. You can also subscribe at Apple podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.