SEATTLE—-Charles E. Howard Jr. has been named Transportation Planning Director for the Puget Sound Regional Council. Howard, who has served as Director of Strategic Planning and Programming for the Washington State Department of Transportation, will assume his new post at the PSRC on February 1, 2005.
"I am delighted that Charlie will be joining us to move our region's plans forward and work with the rest of the state to better integrate transportation planning, with land use planning and the needs of a competitive economy," said Bob Drewel, Executive Director of the Puget Sound Regional Council. "Charlie brings an extraordinary level of professionalism, a passion for improving transportation, extensive understanding of our region's needs and a collaborative working ethic, combined with good humor, that will serve the people of our growing region extremely well."
Since joining the Washington State Department of Transportation in 1987, Howard has played an integral role in charting changes in the direction of transportation planning in central Puget Sound and Washington State. His work has been nationally recognized for the integration of land use and transportation planning, and for planning that coordinates roads, transit, ferries, freight, bicycle and pedestrian and demand strategies - all the tools available move people and goods safely and efficiently.
Prior to joining the state transportation department, he served as a planner for the Federal Highway Administration with posts in Juneau, Boston, Washington, D.C. and Olympia. In 1980 he earned his Master Degree in City and Regional Planning from Harvard University. He graduated from Ohio State University in 1978. He resides in Seattle.
"While we will miss Charlie in his role of leading transportation planning here at the Washington State Department of Transportation, I am extremely pleased that Charlie will stay here in Washington state because we have a great deal of work to do together," said Douglas B. MacDonald, Washington's Secretary of Transportation. "This move underscores and enhances opportunity for the state and the region to work together on transportation solutions."
PSRC develops policies and coordinates decisions about regional growth and transportation planning in King, Pierce, Snohomish and Kitsap counties. The Council is composed of over 80 county, city, port, transit, tribal and state agencies serving the region. It distributes about $160 million in federal transportation funds each year. PSRC sets priorities and evaluates the most efficient ways to target those funds to support state and local transportation and growth management plans.
Title VI Notice: PSRC fully complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes and regulations in all programs and activities. For more information, or to obtain a Title VI Complaint Form, see http://www.psrc.org/about/titlevi/index.htm or call 206-464-6175.