About Mary's Work
Mary worked as a preservation planner for the San Francisco Planning Department for seven years. Before that she earned a Master’s degree in Geography at San Francisco State University. Her research focused on strategies to increase the transportation mode’s shift away from the private automobile. In particular, she researched the potential for congestion charging to both provide disincentives for driving and generate substantial revenue for investment in public transportation systems. Other interests included the connection between transportation systems, mobility, and land-use; the use of GIS generated maps in transportation planning; and successful European and Asian transportation models. She was committed to developing viable options to private automobile-based transportation. Prior to her graduate studies, Mary worked for seven years at the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. In her role as the Bicycle Network Director she led the effort to build a network of linked bike lanes and paths in San Francisco. This experience gave her an invaluable education in how urban transportation is planned, who controls the planning and how the design of streets impact types of mobility, and the resulting impacts on urban environments. Mary also worked as a Mayan cave guide, traveled extensively in Central America, and completed a solo U.S. cross-country bicycle tour. She held a BA in Journalism and a minor in Art from Humboldt State University.
Mary died of lung cancer in San Francisco on December 10, 2015.