For Planning/Engineering Firms, Developers & TDM Organizations

Cushman Transportation Consulting, LLC (CTC) is a Maine-based firm working for transportation options that improve the quality of life of commuters and the livability of communities.

CTC specializes in transportation demand management (TDM) planning and promotion. The firm assists local government agencies and private sector companies with information, planning, facilitation, promotion and management of transit, pedestrian, bicycle, rideshare and other TDM-related plans, projects and programs. CTC is a Prequalified Consultant with MaineDOT, certified as a Women Business Enterprise (DBE) with the state and fully insured.

CTC is owned and operated by Sarah Cushman – a transportation planner, consultant and former master-certified auto mechanic. Sarah loves seeing how each of us connects more with the people and places around us when we hop on the bus (or ferry or train), walk, ride a bicycle, or share a car ride. She brings skills in multimodal planning, community outreach, mobility equity, and transportation behavior change.

Current Client Projects

CTC is currently under contract as a subconsultant with the engineering firm, VHB, for MaineDOT’s Statewide Active Transportation Plan. The consulting team also includes the Bicycle Coalition of Maine.

In addition, CTC has been working recently on a number of TDM Plans and reporting required for site development by the City of Portland, including:

• multi-use housing development at Riverton Park, Lambert Woods, Mercy Hospital on State Street, the Portland Housing Authority and Youth & Family Outreach site at 337 Cumberland, 52 Hanover Street, 200 Federal Street, and 178 Kennebec Street’s senior housing development
• multi-use commercial/institutional projects such as WEX and the Roux Institute at 100 Fore Street and 0 Hancock Street, Thompson’s Point, St. Lawrence Arts Center, the Shipyard Redevelopment, the Baxter Academy for Science and Technology, 321 Commercial Street, and 82 Hanover Street.

Moreover, CTC has been working with Workplace Transformation Facilitation to assist with mid-size employer sustainability efforts regarding employee transportation programming.

Previous Work

On the TDM promotion side, from 2017-2021, CTC served as ongoing special projects consultant to GO MAINE, the statewide commuter assistance program. Among other tasks, CTC’s work has included extensive workplace outreach to become familiar with workers’ and employers’ transportation needs, improvements to the Emergency Ride Home benefit, assistance with equity improvements to the GO MAINE trip planner, and co-developing and delivering the Way 2 GO MAINE Commuter Challenge every October.

In addition, CTC was contracted with MaineDOT for 2021 to develop a strategic vision and adaptive plan for the GO MAINE program’s expansion, a directive of Maine Won’t Wait, the new Maine Climate Action Plan.

In 2019 CTC sub-consulted with VHB on the Westbrook Transit Hub Study at the Rock Row site – a project of the Greater Portland Council of Governments and PACTS (Portland Comprehensive Transportation System). CTC was also recently under agreement with VHB as on-call bicycle and pedestrian planning and design consultants for PACTS on the region’s Active Transportation Plan, the Falmouth Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan, and expansion of Portland’s Neighborhood Byways pedestrian and bicycle network.

In 2017 and 2018, CTC was under agreement with MaineDOT for a pilot pedestrian safety project working with vulnerable populations in Bangor, Lewiston-Auburn, and the Portland area. This project is in the midst of being evolved further by VHB.

In April 2017, CTC organized and co-sponsored the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) workshop for Greater Portland on Contemporary Approaches to TDM Planning. Sarah has assisted the Greater Portland Council of Governments, the City of Portland and the Maine Turnpike Authority and other venues with counsel regarding the revitalized exploration of a possible Transportation Management Association.

Also in 2017, Sarah authored a series of monthly sustainable transportation columns for the Maine Sunday Telegram’s Source section.

In 2016, Sarah and her family took a sabbatical to bicycle across the United States.

From 2009-2016, Sarah (via CTC) consulted with the Bicycle Coalition of Maine and the Maine Department of Transportation as the Southern Maine Planner for the Maine Safe Routes to School Program.

During that time frame Sarah also chaired the City of Portland Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Advisory Committee and CTC was contracted with PACTS to assist with the development of  TDM2go.info – a TDM planning and promotion website for the region. CTC was also contracted with the Greater Portland Council of Governments to deliver Eco-Driving Training for municipal fleet drivers.

In 2012, Sarah and her family took a summer bicycle journey through Maine, the Maritimes, Newfoundland and Quebec.

As a former ASE Master-Certified auto mechanic, Sarah has also worked since 2000 to educate car owners about the true financial cost of car ownership and environmental issues of the automotive world.  She has had years of experience with a full range of automotive concerns: computer-related and electrical issues, engine efficiency problems, cooling systems and air conditioning, brakes, suspension, steering, exhaust, tune-ups and other maintenance services – and has a gift of being able to explain things in layman’s terms.  She is well-versed in the realities of the automotive industry from the perspective of the shop owner, industry practices, the technician, automotive education, and the customer. Sarah has sought to demystify car care, assist families and organizations to accurately assess their vehicle needs and explore alternatives, and help car owners improve their relationship both with their vehicles and also a garage they can trust.

Technical Assistance & Volunteer Efforts

Currently, Sarah serves on the Steering Committee and working groups of the Moving Maine Network, a multi-sector, statewide collaborative – working to improve access to transportation for all, with a special focus on people who experience transportation barriers. Sarah is also the Membership Chair of the Association for Commuter Transportation‘s (ACT) Patriot Chapter, covering the New England states. In addition, she serves as the Patriot Chapter liaison with ACT’s national Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee.

From 2019-2020, Sarah was the Co-Chair of the Transportation Working Group and served on the Steering Committee of the Maine Climate Council. During that time the group developed, modeled and recommended mitigation and adaptation strategies to the Climate Council, for adoption in the updated state Climate Action Plan. Transportation accounts for 54% of Maine’s greenhouse gas emissions. The state’s reduction goals have now been set into law: 45% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, 80% by 2050.

Sarah has also recently served on the MaineDOT’s Stakeholder Group for the 2019 Maine Legislature’s “Resolve to Incorporate Transportation Demand Management Strategies in its Rules Pertaining to Traffic Movement Permits“.

In the past decade, Sarah has participated in the steering committee of the Cumberland County Public Health in Transportation Coalition, as a member of the joint METRO and Portland Public Schools Task Force for the High School Transit Pass Program, and as a member of both the Portland and South Portland Bicycle and Pedestrian Committees. She was also a technical advisor to GO MAINE, Sustain Southern Maine, and the Cumberland County Climate and Energy Plan. In addition, Sarah has assisted with and supported the Build Maine conference. Moreover, Sarah helped convene an ad-hoc joint subcommittee of Portland Downtown and the Portland Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee to explore best practice parking management strategies for the future of downtown. This helped result in an updated parking demand study and new multi-modal marketing efforts.

Sarah was also the founder and a board member of Portland Green Streets, the Transportation Demand Management encouragement program that celebrated and encouraged walking, bicycling, public transit use, carpooling, and telecommuting in Greater Portland from 2007-2011.

Affiliations

In her home state, Sarah is a member of the Maine Association of Planners, of the Northern New England Chapter of the American Planning Association, WTS (Women Transportation Seminar) – Maine Chapter, and GrowSmart Maine. Gleaning from further afield, Sarah is an active member of the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) and also a member of Strong Towns. In addition, CTC is a Partnering Organization of Best Workplaces for Commuters.

In addition to her past education and technician training, Sarah has engaged most recently in comprehensive training for transportation demand management professionals at the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) at the University of South Florida. She was awarded both the Commuter Choice Certificate and also the Social Marketing in Transportation Certificate from CUTR in 2017.

Sarah is also a member of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Coalition of Maine (BCM), the Portland Bicycle Commuter Meetup, and GO MAINE Commuter Connections.