INFRA\TECTURE: The Letter E—Values in Transportation Infrastructure

How does a single letter define and influence the transportation industry? The letter “E” has been used to establish a system of values that has guided transportation infrastructure design for a century. The traditional tenets of Engineering, Education, and Enforcement (the 3 E’s) have been at the center of transportation design that has prioritized the vehicle as the primary mode of transportation. Can these tenets be properly recast to fit with the ambitions of Complete Streets and Vision Zero? Or, are new values required?

This presentation will describe the background and history of the 3 E’s and outline a new set of E’s that may be better positioned to meet today’s transportation challenges - Ethics, Equity, and Empathy. Interrogating long held assumptions in transportation may help to move past limitations imposed on planning and design so that transportation infrastructure can better meet the needs of today’s users.

Our guest speaker, Jason DeGray, is the Boston Office Director at Toole Design. He will share the philosophy behind the new E’s and his experiences in making these new values operational.

Click here for a full-color poster of the event flier.

1.5 LU AIA credits are available