Home
Webinars
Transportation
Planning for Innovative Urban Mobility in Jersey City

Planning for Innovative Urban Mobility in Jersey City

Sponsored Webinar

Access to frequent and reliable transit has long been a challenge outside the downtown core in Jersey City, New Jersey. Although the tristate area is generally known for comprehensive mass transportation infrastructure, these fixed lines have not always served all Jersey City residents equally. In 2020, Mayor Steven Fulop and his team at City Hall experimented with a new solution to this critical issue of equity and access using tech-enabled microtransit: a mode that differs from buses and subways by facilitating shared rides you can book on-demand from your smartphone, or by phoning a call center.

But launching a new transit mode doesn’t happen overnight. That’s why Mayor Fulop and his team partnered with TransitTech company Via to tackle the problem — which involved strategic planning and data-driven analysis to ensure equity goals are met without poaching riders from existing fixed routes.

Join Michael J. Manzella, Director of Transportation Planning at the City of Jersey City, Elias Guseman, Senior Transportation Planner at the City of Jersey City, and Daniel Berkovits, VP of Via Strategies, as they explain what has made this public-private partnership — which recently celebrated its two-year anniversary — so successful, discuss the history of their collaboration, and share learnings and recommendations for urban leaders looking to pursue similar partnerships.

Speakers

${image:alt_text}$

Michael J. Manzella, Director of Transportation Planning, City of Jersey City

Mike Manzella has served as the Director of Transportation Planning for the City of Jersey City since March 2022. In the five years prior, Mike served as the Director of Transportation for the City of Asbury Park. During that time period, the City implemented its Complete Streets policy by adopting a bicycle and pedestrian master plan, installing over 10 miles of bicycle facilities, launching the Jersey Shore’s first bike share and scooter share programs, and developing several Open Streets programs, among other initiatives. Mr. Manzella is a proud MCRP alum from the Bloustein School at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ and studied undergraduate engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ.

${image:alt_text}$

Elias Guseman, Senior Transportation Planner, City of Jersey City

Elias Guseman is a transportation planner with the Jersey City Division of City Planning where he focuses on Jersey City’s Vision Zero, micromobility, and transit planning efforts. Elias earned a B.S. in Urban Planning and Design and Master of City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University.

${image:alt_text}$

Dan Berkovits, VP of Via Strategies

Dan is a Vice President at Via and leads Via Strategies, Via’s dedicated planning and consulting team. He works to develop and apply strategies for cities and public agencies to increase the quality, breadth, and accessibility of mobility networks. He brings extensive experience working in and for the public sector to solve complex challenges related to planning for and implementing new infrastructure. Prior to joining Via, Dan managed a variety of interdisciplinary consulting engagements for public and private-sector clients at AECOM; led an award-winning, participatory long-term recovery and resiliency program to address the impacts of Hurricane Sandy and other natural disasters, and worked as a land-use lawyer.

Sponsor