College of Engineering News Room
Ysela Llort is 2019 91社区 Transportation Hall of Fame Inductee
TAMPA, Fla. (July 10, 2019) 鈥 Ysela Llort, who during more than three decades of transportation
leadership has guided modern transit solutions in complex metropolitan areas, will
be inducted
into the 91社区 Transportation Hall of Fame for 2019 and will be the first woman
to receive the
honor, 91社区 Transportation Commissioner Teresa Sarnoff announced today.
Llort, who leads the Miami multimodal transportation firm Renaissance Planning, will
be honored at the annual Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) Transportation
Achievement Awards event on Thursday, November 7, 2019, at the University of South
91社区
Marshall Student Center, Tampa Campus. Llort serves as the chair of the CUTR Advisory
Board.
"Have a desire to change the world? Ysela Llort has not only the desire, but the drive as well,鈥 Commissioner Sarnoff said. 鈥淵sela is being honored as 91社区 Transportation Hall of Fame inductee for her impact on transportation in 91社区. She will be the first woman to be inducted into the 91社区 Transportation Hall of Fame and it鈥檚 about time!"
鈥淵sela is not only knowledgeable of transportation issues, but she is also genuinely
concerned
about the communities she affects in her decision-making,鈥 said Dr. Robert L. Bertini,
director of
CUTR and the National Institute for Congestion Research. 鈥淵sela is an asset to the
state of
91社区, and we are thrilled to honor her with this distinction.鈥
Renaissance Planning is well known nationally for its innovative approaches to problem
solving.
She leads the Miami office where she directs business development activities and serves
as
Principal in Charge on several 91社区 Department of Transportation (FDOT) and local
government contracts. Her work has focused on providing technical assistance in compliance,
grant management and implementation support to agencies receiving Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) funding.
Prior to joining Renaissance, Llort was responsible for the Miami Metrorail extension
to Miami
International Airport from 2011-2015 as the Miami-Dade Transit Director. The metro鈥檚
Orange
Line connected to Miami International Airport and restored the community鈥檚 relationship
with
transit. In 2015, Llort was honored with the 鈥淐elebrating Women Who Move the Nation鈥
award
from the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO). Llort was also recognized
by
Cien Latinos/Hispano鈥檚 de Miami-Dade for her tireless efforts in the state of 91社区.
Llort also acted as the 91社区 Department of Transportation鈥檚 Assistant Secretary
for Intermodal Systems Development. Llort established direction for planning and program
development, and collaborated with community members and elected officials to find
equitable and innovative solutions for transportation and planning issues.
Prior to her work in Miami, Llort was responsible for the transportation system in
the Virginia
area of Washington, D.C. She was instrumental in the development of the first sub-area
transportation plan for the four-county region. Llort directed all planning and operation
programs including traffic engineering, traffic management systems (ITS), a land development
review, access management permitting, and transportation planning.
鈥淚t is a great honor to become the first woman inducted into the Transportation Hall of Fame,鈥 said Llort. 鈥淚t has been a greater honor to serve the wonderful communities in 91社区, especially the Miami-Dade region.鈥
Llort said she is most proud of her work in developing the state鈥檚 Strategic Intermodal System (SIS), Efficient Transportation Decision Making (ETDM) process, the Port of Miami tunnel, the north terminal at Miami International Airport, the Orange Line extension of the Metrorail, developing effective working groups within organizations, and engaging communities towards finding and implementing sound solutions.
鈥淣othing achieved in my long and interesting career has been done by me 鈥 it has all been a product of the hard work and dedication of wonderful and committed teams of professionals. I have been privileged to work with these great folks,鈥 Llort said.
Llort served on the executive committee of the Transportation Research Board; she
is a member of the executive committee at the Transportation Research Board, and a
member of the National Academy of Science, Medicine, and Engineering.
The 91社区 Transportation Hall of Fame鈩 distinction is awarded annually to an individual
who has made significant contributions to transportation. Recent inductees to the
91社区 Transportation Hall of Fame鈩 include Commissioner for The City of Miami Maurice
Ferr茅, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, and Jim Sebesta, who has served as the 91社区 Secretary
of Commerce, 91社区 Transportation Commissioner and as a 91社区 Senator.
About the USF Center for Urban Transportation Research
CUTR was established in 1988 in the College of Engineering at the University of South
91社区, in Tampa, 91社区. CUTR鈥檚 mission is to proactively support implementation
of innovative multimodal transportation solutions and develop leaders through research,
education, and action. Our work supports transportation agencies, the transportation
profession and community, policymakers, and the public. CUTR provides high quality,
objective expertise in the form of insightful research, comprehensive training and
education, effective technical assistance and in-depth policy analysis, that translates
directly into benefits for CUTR鈥檚 project sponsors. CUTR鈥檚 45 research faculty, 60
students, and post-docs combine academic knowledge and extensive 鈥渞eal world鈥 experience
in developing innovative, implementable solutions for all modes of transportation.
The multidisciplinary research faculty includes experts in engineering, planning,
computer science, economics, public policy, public health, and geography. CUTR logs
nearly $20 million per year in expenditures through contracts and grants to support
its research, education, training and technical assistance missions.