Transportation Policy Series on COVID-19: Planning in a Pandemic with UITP's Michelle Batsas

Michelle Batsas is the Executive Director of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) in Australia and New Zealand, advocating for best practice public transport and sustainable mobility solutions for the region. Michelle is a senior executive with broad and diverse experience across management, strategy, governance, events, communications and policy. She has held senior roles at Public Transport Victoria and VicRoads, leading large teams through transformational change in order to realise the best outcomes possible for users of an integrated transport network. Michelle is a qualified lawyer and prior to entering the world of transport, she worked in the justice and emergency management portfolios of the Victorian Government. She is passionate about promoting urban mobility for the benefit of customers and broader communities.

Rachel Zack is the Director of Policy at Remix. Her passion for empowering planners with access to insights for better decision-making stem from her many years of advising on cutting edge transportation problems, such as TNC regulation (Uber and Lyft), road usage pricing, congestion pricing, express lanes, and planning for autonomous vehicles. Before joining Remix, Rachel launched the Innovative Mobility arm of WSP where she led alternative transportation programs around the Bay Area and advised city and state agencies on strategic planning for new mobility. Her work in the field received the Caltrans Excellence in Transportation Award in WTS Innovative Transportation Solutions Award.