Roy Gothie, PennDOT's statewide bicycle and pedestrian coordinator, advocates internally and externally for policies, legislation, engineering solutions, and educational and funding programs that support people who walk and bike with a focus on those who do so out of necessity rather than by choice.
Gothie started working at PennDOT four years ago.
"I saw an enormous opportunity to improve thousands of communities across the state by linking transportation, health, and equity outcomes in a way that makes the case for substantial improvements to the active transportation network," he explained.
What Gothie enjoys most is having the opportunities to institute innovative ideas that will improve how communities look, function, and feel for the next 100 years.
When asked what he wishes others understood about his job, he replied, "I wish they understood how challenging the department's work is on a day-to-day basis. We get the 'there's an intractable railroad-on-one-side and river-on-the-other'-type problems. Problems to which there is no single best answer and trying to find a path forward that supports safe travel for all roadway users with a limited budget and staff is always hard."
RELATED: Visibility and conspicuity while riding a bike
Gothie is the person who uses "conspicuity" in a safety message because it's the right word. He's agile, innovative, and stubborn. He doesn't think outside the box; he questions the very premises underpinning the existence of the box and then gets on with identifying the real problem and solving it.
When Gothie isn't working, he enjoys reading research papers and books on transportation, land use and environmental policy and planning… because that's fun, right?
He also is a mayor of one of the smallest boroughs in the state — the Borough of Vally-Hi.
More articles about bicycles:
- Lights, Camera, Action: Riding your bike with a video camera in PA
- Throwback Thursday: 'Ride on Red' Law takes effect in Pennsylvania
- FAQ Friday: Rights and responsibilities of cyclists on PA roads
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Did you know PennDOT is directly responsible for nearly 40,000 miles of highway and roughly 25,000 bridges? We oversee programs and policies affecting highways, urban and rural public transportation, airports, railroads, ports and waterways, in addition to administering the state's more than 11 million vehicle registrations and 8.8 million driver's licenses.
So, how do we do what we do? And how can we help you travel in Pennsylvania — whether it be for business or leisure — in safe and enjoyable manner? Read PennDOT Way to learn more about the department, what we do, and how and why we do it.
TAGS
50-Year Anniversary, 511PA, Aggressive Driving, Airports, Autonomous Vehicles, Bicycles, Bridges, Child Safety, Community Relations, Construction, COVID-19, Distracted Driving, District 1, District 10, District 11, District 12, District 2, District 3, District 4, District 5, District 6, District 8, District 9, DOTcom, Driver and Vehicle Services, Emergency Responders, Employment, Equity, FAQ Friday, Human Trafficking, Impaired Driving, Innovations, Live Free Ride Alive, Maintenance Monday, Motorcycles, Older Drivers, PA Motorcycle Safety Program, Pedestrians, PennDOT Connects, Ports, Public Transit, Railroads, REAL ID, Road MaP, Roadside Beautification, Rural Roads, Safety, School Buses, Seat Belts, State Transportation Innovation Council (STIC), Sustainability, Teen Drivers, Throwback Thursday, Transportation Funding, Travel in PA, Welcome Centers, Winter, Work Smart, Work Zone, Yellow Dot
LATEST POSTS
PennDOT Continues Sharing, Updating Resources for Local Governments to Pursue Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding Opportunities
Norwin High School Wins 2024 ‘Innovations Challenge’
Demo Complete: I-95 CAP Project in Center City Philadelphia
PennDOT Archeologist Connects Past, Present, and Future
Lehigh Valley DUI, Highway Safety Task Force Hosts Law Enforcement Seminar
ARCHIVES
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017