SCYP projects have connected students to transportation priorities for areas served by LTD, including work with past and current SCYP partners, the cities of Eugene and Springfield. Several classes worked with LTD on key projects in the 2012-13 school year, but this year marks the first full partnership between the entities. This will be the second SCYP-transit agency partnership following the highly successful 2017-18 collaboration with TriMet, the Portland region’s nationally acclaimed transit agency.
As in past years, SCYP will connect existing UO classes across campus with applied learning opportunities working on partner projects. Five of the university’s colleges and schools – business, design, journalism, arts and sciences, and law – have contributed recommendations to partner cities and agencies in previous years. This year’s partnership will span projects related to transit connections to smaller cities in Lane County, integration of bikesharing with public transportation, and preparing for major events like the 2021 International Association of Athletics Federation (IAFF) World Championships, among others.
The partnership will officially launch in September with a kick-off event that will bring together LTD leadership, students, faculty, elected officials, SCI staff, and members of the public. This year’s kick-off event also marks the start of the tenth anniversary of the Sustainable City Year Program.