Joyce Tsepas, AICP
Senior Transportation Planner
Aecom
- Alma Mater: Georgia Institute of Technology
- Favorite hobbies: Biking and outdoor activities
Although Joyce Tsepas grew up in a small town where cars, snowmobiles and boats served as the main methods of transportation, when time came to hone her planning skills on one specific area, she chose transit because it has a mission that’s easy to get behind.
Starting in community planning, Tsepas learned more about transit issues and now works as a senior transportation planner for Aecom.
Tsepas worked as a neighborhood planner in the Washington, D.C., Office of Planning, where she managed the Maryland Avenue SW Area Plan and the Mid City East Small Area Plan. The Maryland Avenue plan developed an objective of a mixed-use street near the L’Enfant Plaza to improve connections with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) bus and rail service, and connections to Virginia Railway Express (VRE) and Amtrak. Tsepas interviewed office workers in the area to learn about daily commutes and organized nearby residents to pursue underpass improvements near the Metrorail station.
For the Mid City East plan, Tsepas worked with the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and more than 2,000 residents on plans to provide better multimodal access to five row house neighborhoods. Tsepas held mobile design workshops, walking tours, library and coffee shop hours, home visits, community partnerships and the use of an online engagement tool.
The efforts won a local National Capital Area Chapter American Planning Association (APA) award.
Tsepas worked on planning efforts for an Alexandria, Virginia, bus rapid transit (BRT) project in order to double the amount of participation in the effort. Along the corridor, information kiosks were placed to target transit riders, while community presentations and workshops were performed, including in Spanish at a local church.
Tsepas is working with jurisdictions to access public-private transit-orientated development at rail stations in support of Metro’s Joint Development program.
Tsepas is corporate social responsibility leader in Aecom’s Mid-Atlantic Transportation Planning team and organizes local volunteer activities. She also completed a 300-mile bike ride from New York City to Washington, D.C., as a fundraiser for the Climate Ride initiative.
“My favorite part of the job is not necessarily going into the office, but working with people, the residents, the squeaky wheels, the people on the ground.”
“I’m one of those weird people that likes meetings and having difficult conversations with the public about change.”
“I grew up in a small town where everyone has to drive, so it’s kind of funny that I found myself doing transit planning.”
