Monthly Event

Driving Change: Connecting Research, Policy, and Practice in the Transportation Sector

When

Wednesday, June 17, 2026

5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

Where

The Village of Industry & Art - 320 S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA

What

Leslie Richards, the former CEO and General Manager of SEPTA and PennDOT Secretary, recently launched the Transportation Initiative at Penn (TRIP) a new program that brings together scholars, students, public agencies, and private partners to address today’s complex mobility challenges. TRIP’s mission is to turn academic research into actionable transportation solutions that improve transit efficiency, mobility access, and sustainability in Philadelphia, across Pennsylvania, and nationwide. Leslie will discuss lessons learned from the first year of TRIP, including ways to accelerate the adoption of innovative transportation technologies, the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to complex governance challenges, and ways to bridge the gaps between research and practice.

RSVP

Previous DAG Monthly Events

Archived | 2026-05-13

AveArts 2.0

Archived | 2026-03-26

Philadelphia After Dark: Designing a City That Works 24/7

Archived | 2026-02-04

Progress Noted

Presenter

Leslie Richards

Leslie S. Richards is the former Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), the fifth-largest state Department of Transportation in the United States, and the former CEO and General Manager of SEPTA, the sixth-largest transit system in the country, serving the greater Delaware Valley.

Trained as a planner, she is known for her commitment to inclusive community engagement and her ability to align complex interests across sectors. The first woman and the first professional planner to lead PennDOT, Richards prioritized the integration of quality-of-life and accessibility considerations into major infrastructure decisions. She led both agencies through significant crises—including a global pandemic and cybersecurity threats—while advancing long-term capital and modernization programs.

Richards is nationally recognized for her leadership in integrating emerging technologies into transportation systems. Her work has emphasized the use of data analytics, artificial intelligence, and smart infrastructure to drive innovation and improve public service.

She has served as Chair of the Pennsylvania Public-Private Partnership (P3) Board, Chair of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, and currently chairs the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies.

Richards received a Master of Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania in 1993 and was appointed to the Weitzman School faculty in 2020. She founded the Transportation Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania (TRIP) housed in Penn IUR in 2025.