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What do transportation planners do? Ryan Faulker gives us a window into his work life
Ryan is a Transportation Planner whose been with CRCOG since 2021. He received his B.A. from the University of Connecticut in Economics and his M.S. in Geography from Central Connecticut State University. Ryan focused on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) while at Central also receiving a certificate in GIS. Ryan mainly assists the Transportation department with data analysis and GIS mapping projects. Watch his short video.
Ryan grew up in Granby Connecticut and now lives in West Hartford with his fiancé. He enjoys hiking and biking the various trails in Connecticut with family and friends. Ryan loves to travel and has a hobby in photography. He’s also a big Red Sox and UConn sports fan.
Q: What does a transportation planner do? Why did you pick this career?
A: A Transportation Planner works with our Transportation Planning and Community Development departments at CRCOG in partnership with our member towns, state agencies, stakeholders and the public to improve the region's transportation system.
Transportation planners help analyze various pieces of information (census data, land use, transit ridership, right of way, existing infrastructure, crash data, etc.) to understand what is currently on the ground and where new improvements are most needed. We then work with other planners and engineers to communicate our findings through in-depth reports and presentations. Throughout the process, we work with the public to hear their thoughts, ideas, and be sure we're not missing key information.
Most of our work revolves around identifying new transportation projects through our long-term planning studies. These studies often take a couple of years but result in projects that will improve our region's transportation system. These studies range from examining how we can improve transit service to expanding the region's multi-use trail system.
The projects our studies create not only make the transportation system more efficient and safer but also impact the region's quality of life and environment. That's a key reason why I chose this field. I've always had a calling for public service and to help the environment. My graduate studies solidified my interest in Transportation Planning when I learned that the transportation sector contributes almost 30% of greenhouse gases in America and is nearly as high as 40% in Connecticut. I saw going into transportation planning to help the environment by helping to make our transportation system more sustainable.
Q: What’s an interesting project you’re working on? How will it benefit residents of the region?
A: An interesting project I’m working on is a Regional Bike & Pedestrian Connectivity project. We’re exploring how to expand and connect our region’s multi-use trail system to a network of complete streets (safe and separated bike lanes on roads). Creating this network will connect our municipalities by bike-pedestrian travel. This way, people have another transportation option to get to everyday destinations. Whether they're traveling to work, school, transit stations, shopping centers, or a local park. A regional bike-pedestrian network will make our transportation system safer and can help to reduce CO2 emissions since more people can make some of their weekly trips via bicycle rather than a car. Once built, I think this network will be an incredible regional asset. As a millennial, people increasingly want bikeable and walkable communities. Many young people from Connecticut live in places that are more walkable and bikeable. I'm looking forward to working on this study so we can do our part to keep the region a desirable place to live, allowing us to stay competitive in the 21st century.
Q: What’s one thing you think the public should know about CRCOG?
A: The public should know that CRCOG exists. COGs are a key part of Connecticut’s transportation planning system. CRCOG does great work every day to assist our municipalities, saving them time, money and attracting new resources, as our successful Raise Grant demonstrated. We’ll receive roughly $16 million from the Federal government that will be used to offset state and municipal funds to design and build a multi-use trail in Plainville and New Britain. Excitingly, this will close the last gap in the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, connecting everything from New Haven to the Massachusetts border.
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