Introducing Our TRM Studio Leaders
Transportation is a critical lifeline in our society, providing increased access to opportunities and improving the health of our community and planet. MWA’s Transportation & Resource Management (TRM) Studio came about as a natural extension of our mission to serve the essential needs of the community.
Leslee Randolph, Director of Transportation & Resource Management, brings notable industry experience in transportation, aviation, and solid waste, and she uses her insight to directly guide and support the team in serving clients. She is immersed in the studio’s aviation projects, having been a driving force behind the TRM studio’s inception through her enthusiasm for all things transportation.
Elizabeth Peterson, Transportation & Resource Management Lead, is a subject matter expert in transit with more than 20 years of experience on the West Coast. She fell in love with transit early in her career and never looked back. Learn about her journey in transit in our blog post that dives into her career.
Leslee and Elizabeth lead the TRM Studio with the awareness of designers and the compassion of neighbors. Together, they will walk us through what is currently happening in public transit as it relates to funding, project pauses and delays, and, most importantly, what it means for you.
Obstacles in Public Transit Funding
The country is in a severe, ongoing budget crisis. State and local jurisdictions are being asked to do more with less as federal funding earmarked to states is cancelled or stalled. The proposed federal fiscal year 2027 budget cuts $4.8 billion from public transit and $13 billion from rail in comparison to the 2026 budget. The proposal seeks to halt funding authorized under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), including Capital Investment Grants and low- and no-emission bus grants.
Funding cuts are hitting agencies across the country, who are now forced to quickly triage the gaps. The State of Oregon recently approved a short-term plan to close the Oregon Department of Transportation’s $300 million budget gap for 2025-2027 by shifting $218 million to critical projects. Public transit infrastructure funds from the Connect Oregon Fund were redirected to pay for maintenance and operation of highways and car infrastructure. While these measures provide temporary stability, they risk making future maintenance even more costly. In the reallocation of funds, public transit is often overlooked as the vital asset it is.
We aim to bring pride, perception, and quality of life to our community, and we believe transit is integral to making this happen.
Impacts of the Funding Changes On Our Clients and Communities
Our Communities
Investment and access to transportation plays a direct, foundational role in our community’s economic health and success. Slashing funds can deepen existing inequities in access to jobs, education, public spaces, and essential services, which affects both community resilience and long-term quality of life. Recent reductions in transportation funding have caused improvements to stall and services to scale back, limiting access for many people who rely on public transit daily to live and work. Projects in historically underinvested neighborhoods—projects intended to improve safety, connectivity, or environmental conditions—are now further delayed, slowing progress toward more equitable outcomes.
Our Service Providers
Transit agencies and mobility providers are battling disappearing federal aid, a severe operating deficit caused by the exhaustion of federal COVID-19 relief funds, lower ridership (roughly 53% of pre-COVID levels in some areas), and soaring inflation and labor costs. Faced with these budget gaps, agencies may be forced to cut service by up to 40% or scale back expansion plans. In some cases, fare increases become part of the solution.
Changes to funding disproportionately hurt historically underserved transit clients and smaller regional non-hub airports, which receive limited entitlement funding and have limited revenue sources to support construction projects. Design work can proceed, but there is often not enough funding to carry projects through construction.
Shifts in transportation funding frequently translate into an uncertain project environment. Large, integrated projects are often replaced with incremental fixes focused on keeping existing systems running. These constraints slow project delivery, with fewer construction starts moving forward. Planned improvements are paused and critical upgrades are delayed, resulting in more costly work down the line.
Yakima Air Terminal (YKM) Modernization Project, Yakima, WA
How Does the Team Plan to Adapt?
It is more important than ever to stay true to our mission. We will respond as designers, planners, and community partners, working with agencies to minimize delays and impacts for the people who need it most through thoughtful, inclusive design. While funding levels may fluctuate, our core goals remain steady.
Strengthening Our Community Connections
We can engage politicians at the city and county level, local leaders in higher education, local businesses, and community members to spread awareness and build support for projects. People often rally behind causes when they understand why they matter and how they directly support their neighbors. Advocacy groups and planners are also pushing for new, permanent, and diversified funding models that are less dependent on farebox recovery, driving structural change in how transit funding is sourced.
The Yakima Air Terminal (YKM) Modernization Project consists of multiphase improvements to the airport, set to wrap up in 2029. The MWA team is currently working with the region’s local politicians and economic leaders in a volunteer effort called ‘TAG’, the Technical Action Group. The purpose of this group is to stay informed and up to date about upcoming bonds, so that the team can prepare and drum up support from the community in advance. Outreach is critical to the success of the Yakima Air Terminal, and as community-centric architects, we are well-versed in informing the public about upcoming project developments and the value they will bring to you, your families, and the local economy.
Broadening How We Serve Our Clients
We need to get creative in how we support our clients. We will help them seek out alternative revenue streams and pursue state, local, and grant funding to bridge construction gaps. This includes helping transit agencies advocate for transit-specific ballot measures, pursue grants, and develop a project roadmap to track funding opportunities beyond traditional sources. We will also provide lobbying materials to support outreach efforts. By using our skillset to broaden our scope to serve our clients, we can help move the needle.
Leslee is currently helping Yakima search for alternative funding opportunities, thinking outside the box and looking into grants outside of the typically offered Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grants. She is reaching out to the USDA about rural development grants, as Yakima is a huge agricultural town that relies on the air terminal to ship cargo, to help fund upcoming construction. Beyond public funding, Leslee and the team are also looking into public-private partnerships that can fund future cargo facilities, such as FedEx and UPS partners.
Helping our Clients Be Design-Ready
Agencies that are ‘shovel ready’ will get funding to build first. Many agencies are continuing to plan or have preliminary designs in place, waiting for more funding to move forward. When the political climate changes or new funding paths emerge, agencies are prepared to move forward. We will be there to support our clients through an efficient, thoughtful process.
Ways to Get Involved
- VOTE!
- Join an advocacy group. Find and get active in a transit-oriented advocacy group or organization. They’re in every city, are rewarding to participate in, and are often fun. Elizabeth is currently active in WTS.
- Get involved locally. Reach out to local leaders and build direct community support for transit projects. Grassroots momentum helps reinforce lobbying efforts in Congress and can influence future bonds or ballot measures.
- Reach out to your Members of Congress.
From APTA, one of the largest transit advocacy groups:
“We strongly encourage you to contact your Members of Congress and urge them to fight for the highest possible funding levels for transit (at least $13.5 billion).“
To contact your Members of Congress, please find your Senators and Representatives and call 202.224.3121.
The Bigger Picture
People board public transportation 34 million times each weekday. We are invested in beautiful and healthy public transit and believe it is a fundamental component that connects people with the places they call home, empowering them to work, live, and explore their environments.
Architects think about people first. Transportation projects are highly technical, yet they are used, operated, and maintained by real people everyday. MWA bridges the gap between functional, engineered solutions and seamless, user-conscious spaces. We keep the needs of people at the forefront of our minds to prioritize safety, comfort, and usability.
As challenges persist and continue to emerge, we support our clients every step of the way. To keep our cities thriving, MWA’s TRM team is ready to pivot and get creative about our solutions, in the design phase and beyond.
Resources for You
- Inclusive Transportation (2023) by Veronica Davis
- Inequality in Transport (2018) by David Banister
- Evaluating Transportation Equity (Victoria Transport Policy Institute)
- Connect the Bay: The Seamless Bay Area Transit Game: Designed by MWA Architect Alfred Twu, this transit system game was created in partnership with Seamless Bay Area, a transit advocacy nonprofit looking to make Bay Area transit more equitable. Support Seamless Bay Area and optimize Bay Area transit your way here!
