Peyton Jane Gibson

Peyton has found her niche community with WTS Colorado! She has been active within civil engineering organizations since I undergrad, but she shares a lot more in common and “speak the same language” (of transportation) as WTS members. It’s also great to be part of an organization that uplifts and respects her voice as a woman.  Peyton fell into transportation accidentally but she is so lucky she did! Her favorite Master’s courses have been Sustainable Transportation and Economics and Public Finance. She’s also quite excited to work on her thesis this semester (tentatively titled Sidewalks vs. Roads: How American cities fund and maintain them differently and why it matters)! Her dream job would be US Secretary of Transportation. She would love to shift funding focuses towards transit/bike/ped projects and integrate land use into transportation planning and thinking. Peyton’s preferred mode of transportation is walking. She has been car-less for over a year now! She is most excited to travel between the destinations using ferries and high-speed trains, see the community-oriented urban planning in Helsinki, the medieval structures still standing in Tallinn, and the Moscow Metro! Peyton is already working full time, so she will likely stay at the National Academies working on federal infrastructure policy for a bit until she figures out where she wants to go with her career. She’s currently exploring opportunities working on transportation and community economic development policy on a local or regional level. She’s also interested in pursuing another Master’s or PhD in Regional, Urban, or Transportation Economics.