Ruth explores how people move and writes to uplift underrepresented voices… in English and Spanish.
Writer · Consultant · Speaker
What I do
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Centering the voices and experiences of underrepresented communities through bilingual essays, articles, and reporting on transportation, mobility justice, equity, and public spaces.
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A people-first, multidisciplinary approach bringing expertise in project design, stakeholder engagement, program management, research, and grant writing with organizations, agencies, policymakers and advocates.
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From university lecture halls to national conferences and international podcasts, Ruth facilitates and speaks in English and Spanish, on mobility justice, climate mobility, street safety, and the policies shaping how communities experience the built environment.
Featured Work
Week Without Driving was a Washington State wide campaign created by Anna Zivarts. Ruth designed a national and international framework, infrastructure, and strategy to sustain a collaborative movement.
Scale:
Campaign has grown 500% in 3 years
Reached all 50 states since the second year
Expanded to 14 communities internationally
Influence:
Mobilized 1,046+ elected and public officials in a single year
Built a network of 1,000+ organizations and policymakers
Catalyzed new advocacy organizations nationwide
Reach:
750,000 social media accounts reached in one campaign cycle
Featured in 535+ local, national, and international publications across 3 years
4,000+ social media posts reaching hundreds of thousands of people annually across 3 years
Money:
$65K in funded research
$50K+ in secured grants
$55K+ re-granted to 34 local organizations
Ruth transformed Freedom to Move into a bilingual campaign connecting to build collective power to decriminalize identity and expand freedom of movement for communities most targeted in public space.
1. Intersectional expertise Ruth doesn't just do transportation, they connect it to immigration, gender identity, racial justice, criminalization and every aspect of life. That is a rare and increasingly valuable lens for corporations, foundations, and government agencies navigating complex equity work.
2. Youth engagement A youth-led panel of 400+ is not easy to convene, it signals how they know how to reach and activate a demographic most organizations struggle to engage.
3. Bilingual content strategy 8 blogs produced and translated with social media posts reaching hundreds of users. This signals how Ruth doesn't just speak Spanish, they build content ecosystems in two languages simultaneously.
When transportation intersects with everything, Ruth builds the conversation.
Featured Pieces
Click on the images to read each article.
Why Immigration Belongs in the Mobility Conversation
Libertad de Movimiento: Los derechos de las personas trans es la justicia de movilidad
How does Zero-Emission fit in the Southwest Industrial Corridor Modernization plan?
Los pasajeros del CTA del lado suroeste han seguido teniendo retrasos
An update on Mexico City, an overlooked sustainable transportation innovator
Mejor accesibilidad lingüística y más formación de coaliciones
Freedom to Move: Who Do Streets Serve When Cars Come Before Children?
Selected appearances
Future of Transportation Caucus in Washington D.C.
Vision Zero Cities in New York City
WBEZ Making Our Communities More Pedestrian-Friendly in Chicago
Guest Lecturer at the University of California, Davis
Guest Speaker at Hacks & Wonks Podcast
Available for keynotes, panels, guest lectures, and podcast conversations in English and Spanish.
Interested in having Ruth speak?
About
My work is rooted in community and finding the stories, systems and streets that shape how we all move through the world. I’m a collaborator at heart and believe the best solutions come from partnerships at all levels.
With a career spanning 16 years in transportation, I've worked at the edges and through the thick, challenging projects in mobility with an analytical and hopeful eye for the future. I am a dreamer who reimagines what exists, rolling up my sleeves and helping build it.
When I'm not leading transportation work, I'm outside organizing bike rides, enjoying the outdoors, listening to my eclectic playlists, playing guitar and learning new hobbies.