Miami Street Car Update March 21, 2007

MIAMI STREET CAR UPDATE
7 pm. Refreshments at 6:30 pm, Jorge M. Perez Architecture Center
Stanley and Jewell Glasgow Lecture Hall, 1215 Dickinson Drive,
University of Miami, Coral Gables Campus. Free and open to the public.

Mary Conway, Chief of Operations, City of Miami

In recent years, the City of Miami has seen an unprecedented wave of
urban infill and redevelopment in a compressed downtown core area, and
in adjacent neighborhoods. The Miami Streetcar Project has emerged as
one essential component of a transportation network that will entice
Miami motorists out of their cars, into convenient mass transit, and
onto city (and County) streets. The Miami Streetcar Project is a direct
response to the challenge to provide improved mobility options for users
of the transportation network throughout the downtown core. This
presentation provides an update on the Miami Streetcar Project, and an
overview of the roles that streetcar systems play in shaping cities, by
fostering pedestrian-friendly urban environments, and re-invigorated
downtowns across the United States. This affordable mode of mass transit
is emerging as an increasingly popular application, because of its
cost-effective and time-efficient construction, its financial
affordability, and its ready adaptability to active pedestrian-focused
environments. The City of Miami has responded to the local mobility
challenge by pursuing multi-agency partnerships and innovative project
delivery methods to build the single transit investment that could make
a profound difference in re-shaping downtown Miami, in record time.

Mary H. Conway, P.E., currently serves as the Chief of Operations for
the City of Miami and is a prominent Civil Engineer and Project Manager
with more than 18 years of experience in the industry. Mary studied
briefly at Harvard University and the United States Naval Academy before
earning a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University
of Miami. She was the recipient of the “Most Outstanding Civil
Engineering Graduate” award from University of Miami as well as a
member of Tau Beta Pi and Chi Epsilon, engineering honor societies.
Prior to joining the City, Mary worked with the Florida Department of
Transportation for over 10 years, where she oversaw major transportation
projects in Miami-Dade County as well Broward to Indian River Counties.
She also worked with FPL as a service planner and Beiswenger, Hoch and
Associates as a production and project manager. Mary served as Director
for the City of Miami Capital Improvements and Transportation (CIT)
Department for approximately two years. Mary’s hard work and results
were recognized and she was promoted to Chief of Operations and is now
responsible for overseeing the following Departments: Parks and
Recreation, Solid Waste, General Services Administration (GSA), Public
Works and CIT. Mary has also continued her involvement with CIT,
responsible for overseeing the planning, coordination, implementation
and monitoring of all construction related capital projects and
transportation projects in the City of Miami. These projects include
street infrastructure and flood mitigation; park improvements; public
facilities including fire stations, police and other city buildings;
marinas; the Orange Bowl; and a state of the art urban streetcar transit
circulator project. The City’s current Capital Improvement and
Multi-year plan encompasses over 1100 projects valued at over
$675,000,000 through the year 2010 and will certainly increase as Miami
continues to grow. Mary’s experience, professionalism, dedication and
drive have earned her the respect of her peers in the City, with other
government agencies and within the engineering community at large.

Official Website: http://chapters.usgbc.org/southflorida/Event3.html