Authors

Tony Garcia

Publisher

A South Florida native, Tony is co-Principal of the Street Plans Collaborative with former Transit Miami author Mike Lydon, specializing in urban design, smart growth and active transport planning. Tony graduated from New York University in 2002 with a B.A. in Urban Planning and Architecture Studies, and went on to get his Masters from the University of Miami School of Architecture.  He is also currently working toward becoming a registered architect. He has been involved in many exciting projects throughout Miami and all over the country, including completing the first LEED certified historic home in Florida.

An ardent naturalist, Tony enjoys hiking and observing the native ecosystems of South Florida, pushing his friends and family to restore habitats and go native. He is Vice-President of the Urban Environment League, and enjoys being active in Miami civic life.  It is his hope that through his work he is able to positively influence how Miami grows.

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Felipe Azenha

Writer

Originally from New York, Felipe graduated from Syracuse University with a B.A. in International Relations.  After college, Felipe served as a Peace Corp volunteer in Guatemala for 2 years. While in the Peace Corp he was an appropriate technology project manager. He went on to receive his Masters of Science in Organizational Management from the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont.  For the past 6 years he has been working in the financial services industry as an international private banker.  He is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Florida Atlantic University.

Felipe is passionate about bicycles.  He once travelled over 800 miles from Guatemala to Panama on his bicycle.  Felipe has lived in NYC, London, Sao Paulo, Madrid, Denver, Boulder and now Miami for the past 9 years.

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Gabriel J. Lopez-Bernal

Founder/Editor

Gabriel J. Lopez-Bernal was born and raised in Miami, Florida. He graduated from the University of Florida in 2008 with a Bachelors of Science in Transportation Engineering.  He is currently attending Tufts University in Boston, MA, in pursuit of a Masters in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, and works as a transportation planner with the Corradino Group in Doral, Fl.

He is the creator and author of TransitMiami.com, a local website dedicated to discussing the transportation and urban planning problems that face the Miami region and Congestion Pricing Central, a new website geared to introducing the policies of road pricing programs. He is also an active member in the United Citizens for South Link, a political action committee dedicated to educating citizens about the advantages of public transportation in the South Dade region and serves as an adviser to the city of Miami Bicycle Action Committee. In his spare time, Gabriel attends public seminars to address the upcoming public transit projects of the people’s transportation plan and is working with researchers to create a new method for analyzing congestion along Florida’s highways.

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Kathryn R. Moore

Writer

Miami has been home to Kathryn R. Moore for her whole life, though she has lived and traveled across the United States and abroad. As a kid, she spent untold hours on the Lincoln Road of the early 90s and wonders why Florida doesn’t have even more world class pedestrian thoroughfares. Prior to joining TransitMiami.com, Kathryn worked for the City of Miami, where she coordinated the City’s first bicycling encouragement program. She has spoken publicly on her experience coordinating ‘Bike Miami Days’ to planners, politicians and other professionals in cities as diverse as Denver, Caracas, Chicago and Guadalajara. Currently, she serves as Director of the South Florida Bike Coalition, a tri-county non-profit organization.

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JM Palacios

Writer

JM Palacios is one of the few in his workplace of  around 400 people that rides his bicycle to work regularly. After cycling the streets of bicycle-friendly Gainesville, he graduated from the University of Florida in December 2006 with a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering. Soon he hopes to pursue a Master’s degree in Urban Planning. After working as a roadway designer for about three years, he is now the Pedestrian/Bicycle Coordinator for Florida Department of Transportation District 4, which covers Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties. He strives hard to make sure that FDOT and its consultants implement good bicycle, pedestrian, and transit facilities. JM desires to see more Complete Streets that further the part of the FDOT mission to enhance economic prosperity and preserve the quality of our environment and communities. His opinions expressed on this site do not necessarily reflect an official FDOT statement or position.