Image by the author.

Today, Mass Transit released its Top 40 Under 40 list highlighting professionals who have made notable contributions to the public transit industry. We’re thrilled to share that Aimee Custis, a GGWash editorial board member, contributor, and Deputy Director of the Coalition for Smarter Growth has been selected! Congratulations, Aimee!

Mass Transit's Executive Director Leah Harnack notes that, “out of more than 160 nominations, these chosen professionals have proven records of accomplishments, making a difference at their companies or transit agencies, in their communities and in the industry.” From using the blog to advocate for better rail transit to working to bring more dedicated bus lanes and promoting walkable, transit-oriented communities, Aimee is certainly helping make Washington’s already great public transportation systems even greater.

Image by Kian McKeller used with permission.

Last fall, when WMATA released a plan to cut late-night service, Aimee organized her fellow editorial board members and took to the blog, encouraging readers and riders to demand more information from WMATA about their proposal. Her compelling argument made it to the desk of WMATA’s General Manager Paul Wiedefeld, who invited Aimee and her colleagues at CSG and GGWash to meet with the maintenance team to hear justification for the proposed service cuts. Thanks to Aimee’s leadership, GGWash got riders and transit supporters the information they needed to make informed judgments about the service cut proposal.

This is just one example of Aimee’s passion and commitment to public transportation. Without a doubt, Aimee is helping make public transit systems in the Washington region more accessible, more reliable, and safer for commuters. The GGWash community has benefited from Aimee's talent for translating complex transportation issues into concepts that are accessible enough for everyday riders and commuters, but substantive enough to satisfy GGWash's transit wonks. We’re thrilled that Mass Transit has acknowledged her contributions and we’re so honored to have her in the Greater Greater Washington community.

Sarah Guidi was Greater Greater Washington's Managing Director from 2015 to 2018. She now lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with her family.