Ellen is a transportation planning engineer with nearly a decade of experience. She has worked on a variety of projects ranging from cycling infrastructure development for “All Ages and Abilities” to micro- and macro-traffic models. Her technical expertise is complemented by her strength in community engagement, through which she has identified safety and traffic issues for all modes of travel.
Ellen recently became a certified Road Safety Professional (Level 1), administered through the Transportation Professional Certification Board, whose purpose is to “recognize road safety as a profession, to establish a recognized level of practice and knowledge, and to incentivize safety education.”
Why did you choose engineering? What do you like about it?
Becoming a transportation engineer was a series of happy accidents. When I shadowed my civil engineer father for “Take Your Kid to Work Day” in Grade 9, I was adamant that I would never become an engineer. You do math all day long? I don’t think so! But, in high school, I recognized my strengths in math and science and, after paleontology was ruled out as a viable career option, engineering seemed like a good fit. I was committed to transportation when I took my first pavement structures course, and my first year on the job was focused on urban and rural road construction.
Early on in my career, a mentor must have seen something in me, and introduced me to transportation planning, traffic engineering, and road safety. I was immediately captivated and intrigued by the ways humans knowingly and unknowingly interact with the cities and spaces around us: how we shape and are shaped by the built environment.
What does engineering mean to you?
City planning and traffic engineering have a long history of discriminating against marginalized communities in North America. For instance, Robert Moses, who ordered New York engineers to build parkway bridges with low clearance to prevent people using the bus (Moses was particularly biased towards Black and Puerto Rican communities) from accessing historically wealthy and White beaches / parks, the racist legacy of urban expressways, and the demolition of Halifax’s Africville – to name just a few. Those decisions led to a very car-centric way of thinking and planning that we still see today.
Engineering is my way of giving back to the community and addressing the harm done by our predecessors. Our work helps move commercial goods and services, addresses response times for emergency services, removes barriers for people with limited mobility, and reconnects people to one another. Most importantly, engineering can make us aware of the connection between social equity, health, city planning, and our choice of transportation mode.
What do you find most rewarding about your work?
Transportation engineering is one of a few fields of practice where nearly every person consciously interacts with our designs. This can result in neutral or negative interactions with “armchair experts,” folks with strong opinions who are unwilling to engage with evidence-based or data-driven solutions that run counter to their beliefs.
Conversely, it can result in extremely positive interactions! When people meet me and learn about my job, it sparks curiosity and genuine conversations about the way we move in our communities. I am convinced that a population with land-use planning literacy is a crucial part of our sustainable future, especially when it comes to generating political will to make change. A population that understands the relationship between zoning bylaws, minimum parking requirements, and our current car-reliant culture is a population that can demand change from our policymakers and leaders.
When I joined CIMA+ in 2023, I did so hoping to focus my attention on three things: road safety, active transportation, and traffic modelling. I’ve been blown away by the support I’ve received to pursue these types of projects! This support has allowed us to secure numerous projects that align with my focus areas.
Which CIMA+ project did you find the most challenging? Why or why not?
I’ve found two projects quite challenging, each for very different reasons.
College Drive and Wiggins Avenue In-Service Road Safety Review was a challenging project from a personal perspective. This safety review came in the wake of a fatal collision between cyclist Natasha Fox and the driver of a concrete truck. While all collisions are preventable through safer roads, safer vehicles, safer speeds, and safer land use planning, this particular collision resonated with me. Natasha and I shared a lot of characteristics: both women in our early thirties, avid cyclists, and University of Saskatchewan alumnae. When I visit Saskatoon, I routinely bike the same route she took that day. The project was a stark reminder that Vision Zero and the Safe Systems approach for improving road safety for all users’ needs to be taken seriously, and that our financial investment in road safety should be proactive rather than reactive in the aftermath of a fatality.
Saskatoon Link Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) was also challenging from a technical perspective. CIMA+ is responsible for the detailed design of Saskatoon’s first BRT system. As part of this project, we developed a microsimulation model in PTV Vissim, a traffic forecasting tool, to emulate and visualize the impacts to drivers, pedestrians, and transit users following the implementation of dedicated transit lanes on College Drive. The modelling work required me to very quickly expand my knowledge of Vissim, from fairly basic functions to complex signal timing, transit preemption, and pedestrian activity at transit stations. This self-taught experience was extremely gratifying and wouldn’t have been possible without the support of folks in our Ontario offices.
What do you see as the area with the most potential for the future?
Saskatchewan is only just beginning to invest in medium-to-large-scale transportation projects that focus on active transportation, transit, and road safety. Past projects have included aspects of these elements, but we are seeing more and more opportunities that focus wholly on sustainable and safe transportation. Recent projects include the Vision Zero Road Safety Framework in Regina, Saskatoon BRT Link, and a handful of bike lane and shared-use path projects. It is my hope that Saskatchewan continues to make gains in these areas.
What’s your hobby to unwind? What do you do to take your mind off things during the weekend?
My passion for transportation planning spills over into all aspects of my life. I just started my term as the President of the Institute of Transportation Engineers – Saskatchewan Section (ITE-SK) after volunteering on the board for five years. I also volunteer with Bike Regina, our local commuter cyclist advocacy group, leading workshops, group rides, and public outreach to reduce barriers for safe cycling in the city.
I’m a real “Renaissance man” when it comes to hobbies. I play the upright bass in a community orchestra, I’m teaching myself to embroider, we recently acquired a pinball machine, and my Halloween costumes are prize worthy!
And last, but not least, the tried-and-true way to enjoy the Prairies (especially the winter) is to find a sport for every weather conditions. Warm and windy? Go wing foiling. Cold and windy? Go snow winging. Warm and calm? Go for a bike ride. Cold but calm? Go cross-country skiing. We have it all!