Whether you’re new to the world of transportation or you’re already the person at the party ranting about things like bike lanes and electric vehicle policy, this list of 10 transportation voices across social media is for you.
Electric Vehicles
Horace Dediu
Tech analyst and founder of Asymco
Claim to fame: The word “micromobility.” He coined the term to describe small, lightweight vehicles that go under 15 mph (think: e-bikes, e-scooters, e-skateboards, etc.).
Follow for: You guessed it, micromobility — including info on the annual micromobility conference he hosts. And tech news, too. His Twitter feed nods to his days as a business researcher and analyst at Apple and Nokia.
Steve Levine
Journalist
Claim to fame: He writes The Electric, The Information’s publication on all things batteries, autonomous driving, and electrification.
Follow for: Everything you could possibly want to know about EVs. Whether you’ve followed electrification for decades or barely know what a battery does, you’ll learn something new when you follow him.
Where to find him: Twitter (or his newsletter)
Urban Design
Dr. Robin Mazumder
Neuroscientist
Claim to fame: Mazumder studies the psychological impacts of urban design, exploring all the ways our environment affects our mental health.
Follow for: Insights that’ll open your eyes to all the big and small things around you that impact your mental well-being — from the length of skyscrapers (high-rises apparently make us feel stressed!) to sunlight access to the ramifications of snowy sidewalks.
Where to find him: Twitter
Kristen Jeffers
Urbanist
Claim to fame: A Black, queer, feminist urbanist, Jeffers uses her perspective to advocate for the systemic changes needed to make our cities and communal spaces more inclusive.
Follow for: A more inclusive lens on urban design. Jeffers often provides resources to help anyone consider how we can rebuild community structures to incorporate all gender, sexual, and racial identities.
Transportation Equity
Tamika Butler
Doctoral student in urban planning at UCLA
Claim to fame: Butler examines how transportation policy and infrastructure have been used to segregate and prevent the mobility of oppressed populations. In 2015, Butler joined forces with Mad Men writer Tom Smuts to lead a 30-person (all in suits and dresses!) bike ride to the Emmys to encourage cycling to work.
Follow for: A thoughtful, research-backed look at the relationship between mobility and equity.
Where to find her: Twitter
Charles T. Brown
Founder/CEO of Equitable Cities
Claim to fame: Brown has been published and quoted by many leading media sites for his work on how racial inequity is built into the fabric of our urban design choices. His podcast, Arrested Mobility, discusses the various ways people of color are disproportionately victims of police brutality while simply walking, running, biking, or taking public transit.
Follow for: Critical discussions around the systemic and structural reasons Black people’s ability to move freely and safely is restricted every time they leave their houses — and what we can do about it.
Where to find him: Twitter
Autonomous Vehicles
Junko Yoshida
Editor in chief of The Ojo-Yoshida Report
Claim to fame: A former tech and business reporter, Yoshida’s expertise covers a variety of topics within the electronics industry, but she’s notably a prominent voice in the self-driving cars space.
Follow for: Deep dives into the nitty-gritty of the present and future of AV innovation — from the technology behind it to the psychology of adoption.
“Transit Twitter”
Hayden Clarkin
Transportation engineer and planner
Claim to fame: “The Transit Guy” is known for sharing his thoughts on everything from reimagining Penn Station to the tyranny of parking spaces. If anything is happening in the world of transportation, he’s on it.
Follow for: Down-to-earth and approachable transit facts and insights from cities around the world. Also lots of parking rants.
Dr. Natalia Barbour
Assistant professor at the University of Central Florida
Claim to fame: Barbour researches travel behaviors and how to get people to adopt new ways of moving, with a specific focus on the relationship between health and mobility.
Follow for: Insights on urban design, sustainability, and a celebration of the joy and possibility that comes when we make cities more walkable and bikeable.
Where to find her: Twitter
David Zipper
Visiting fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Taubman Center for State and Local Government
Claim to fame: Type in “transit” on Twitter, and Zipper’s name probably comes up. His reporting on urban innovation and mobility not only frequents the homepages of CityLab, Slate, and other publications, but he’s consistently cited by transportation experts.
Follow for: The latest news on transit-related research studies and insights on how innovation can make cities more accessible, environmentally friendly, safe, and efficient.
Rev created a Twitter List to make it easy to stay on top of the latest news and keep track of who’s who — helpful whether you’re a transit newbie or a leading voice yourself.
Think we forgot someone? Tweet @RevByLyft to let us know.
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