Alternative Transportation with RIDE

Panelists: Christy Straight, Ken McCloud, Kali Kasper, Cat Woodson, Mark Laity-Snyder, Moderator John Hopkins
Time: 3:30 pm
Presentation Length: 30 mins
Location: Panel

This presentation revolves around the latest innovations, trends, and behavioral changes regarding alternative transportation. This will include, but is certainly not limited to, electric bikes and scooters, shared micromobility, ride sharing and autonomous vehicles.


Christy Straight
Ride Solutions @NRVRC

Christy Straight has been with the New River Valley Regional Commission and served as the NRV Coordinator for RIDE Solutions since 2008. Christy comes to the New River Valley by way of Seattle where she became of fan of mass transit and other sustainable transportation options. Now, through RIDE Solutions, she taps into that passion by promoting transportation choices that are sustainable and money-saving.


Ken McLeod
League of American Bicyclists’

Ken McLeod leads the League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly State program and data.bikeleague.org, provides technical assistance to advocates working on state and local initiatives, and manages policy initiatives to improve bicyclist safety through vehicle technology and other traffic safety advances. He moved to Roanoke, VA in 2018. When he is not working you can find him walking his husky mix, Russy, or going on road, mountain, or gravel rides in the Roanoke area.


Cat Woodson
ROAM NRV (Gotcha powered by Bolt)

Cat is the operations manager for the ROAM NRV regional bikeshare program here in SWVA and have been with this bikeshare for two years. I am car free and have been commuting via alterative and active transport methods for at least the past 13 years, logging an average 2,000 miles a year by bike alone. In 2020 I covered at least 1,000 miles on foot and 5,000 on bike in my commutes. I have been working in the alternative transportation field for the past six years, particularly with active modes, and have been in Micromobility for the past four.


Mark Laity-Snyder
REEVA, Generation 180

Mark Laity-Snyder is a Mechanical Engineer and Solar and Electric Vehicle enthusiast. He is the vice president of the Renewable Energy Electric Vehicle Association. They do projects to help people install solar for the cost of materials.


Kali casper
Assistant Planning Director for the Town of Blacksburg, Virginia

Kali has been working in local government planning for over 10 years and has a passion for sustainability and transportation planning.  She commutes by electric vehicle and e-bike whenever possible. 

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