YPT Atlanta’s initial vision came when the national organization (based in DC) held a networking event at TRB in 2011. James Wong, formerly active in the initial DC-based YPT had reconnected with Brittney Kohler, who had been cultivating the growth of different chapters around the country. At the time, San Francisco, Boston and New York were the only other chapters but the idea of new chapters was spreading quickly to the south. Brittney connected James with Melody Butler, another Georgia Tech graduate student, who had first inquired about starting a YPT chapter in Atlanta. The two of them saw the need for an organization that brought together not just engineers and planners, but also software, technology, political assistants, lawyers, salespeople, researchers, academics, municipalities, students, and everyone else involved in transportation in Atlanta, in one organization, to collaborate, learn from each other and network with each other. They spent time cultivating the idea and recruiting others for leadership positions when they found Chris Rome, another colleague from Georgia Tech who would quickly become the chair of YPT Atlanta. In the months following, they worked towards the inaugural YPT Atlanta event while growing an e-mail list of interested students and professionals.
YPT Atlanta’s launch event was held April 4, 2012 at Barrelhouse Tavern in Midtown Atlanta. MARTA CEO Dr. Beverly Scott and Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) Executive Director Doug Hooker spoke to a crowd of over 60 young professionals in transportation about their careers and what YPT’s can do to prosper at The Barrelhouse in Midtown Atlanta.
In the remainder of 2012, YPT operated with a volunteer-based board of directors and hosted three more events: a happy hour at Taco Mac (Lindbergh), a Distinguished Speaker Series event with Ryan Gravel (Atlanta BeltLine visionary) in conjunction with ITE International for the ITE 2012 Annual Meeting, and a Distinguished Speaker Series with Dr. Michael Meyer, nationally-renowned transit and climate change specialist. In less than eight months, YPT Atlanta grew to over 100 friends. The rest is history!
Past Events
April 4th, 2012 – Launch Event with MARTA CEO Dr. Beverly Scott and ARC Executive Director Doug Hooker at Barrelhouse
July 12th, 2012 – Happy Hour at Taco Mac Lindbergh
August 12, 2012 – Distinguished Speaker Ryan Gravel co-hosted with ITE International at White Oak Kitchen
October 16, 2012 – Distinguished Speaker Dr Michael Meyer at AECOM, Studio Bar at Artmore Hotel – Pictures, More
November 7, 2012 – Heartland Corridor Technical Presentation at Norfolk Southern, Article 14 – Pictures
November 8, 2012 – MARTA Avondale Yard and Rail Control Center Technical Tour – Pictures
January 9, 2013 – Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport Technical Tour – Pictures, More
February 9, 2013 – Happy Hour at Barrelhouse after TransportationCamp South – Picture
February 19, 2013 – Transit Oriented Drinks at Brick Store Pub in Decatur
March 19, 2013 – Transit Oriented Drinks with AirSage at Pub71 in Brookhaven – Pictures
March 26, 2013 – Distinguished Speaker MARTA CEO Keith Parker at RiRa Irish Pub – Pictures
April 10, 2013 – Happy Hour with WTS at Prickly Pear
April 24, 2013 – Transit Oriented Drinks / 1 Year Anniversary Party at Sidebar downtown – Pictures
May 1, 2013 – UPS Hub Technical Tour – No Pictures Were Allowed!
June 11, 2013 – Transit Oriented Drinks at Southern Art and Bourbon Bar in Buckhead – Pictures
July 9, 2013 – Transit Oriented Drinks at Publik Draft House in Midtown
July 17, 2013 – GA 400 at I-85 Interchange Construction Technical Tour – Pictures
August 29, 2013 – Transit Oriented Drinks at Proof and Provision in Midtown
October 1, 2013 – Cycle Atlanta Study Results Presentation – Pictures
October 3, 2013 – Community Improvement District Roundtable – Picture
November 21, 2013 – Norfolk Southern Intermodal Terminal Technical Tour – Pictures
December 12, 2013 – Holiday Party at Hudson Grille Midtown – Pictures
January 22, 2014 – Transit Oriented Drinks at Wrecking Bar Brrewpub
February 19, 2014 – Transit Oriented Drinks at Mellow Mushroom Civic Center – Pictures
March 7, 2014 – RouteMatch Software Office Tour – Picture
March 12, 2014 – Transit Oriented Drinks at Meehan’s Public House in Atlantic Station
April 12, 2014 – Transportation Camp South Happy Hour at The Barrelhouse
April 29, 2014 – APA Reception and BeltLine Walking Tour on the Westside – Pictures
May 1, 2014 – Atlanta Streetcar Technical Tour
May 22, 2014 – Distinguished Speaker Atlanta BeltLine CEO Paul Morris at Park Tavern – Pictures
June 24, 2014 – Transit Oriented Drinks at Empire State South in Midtown – Pictures
July 25, 2014 – Transit Oriented Drinks / Trivia at Raging Burrito in Decatur
August 28, 2014 – Transit Oriented Drinks at Taco Mac in Lindbergh
September 18, 2014 – Transit Oriented Drinks with Georgia Tech Student Planning Assoc. at OZ Pizza in East Point
October 9, 2014 – Clayton County MARTA Referendum Panel
November 20, 2014 – Transit Oriented Drinks at Radial Cafe in Candler Park
December 16, 2014 – Holiday Party at the Sound Table – Pictures
February 12, 2015 – Transit Oriented Drinks at World of Beer
March 5, 2015 – Renew Atlanta Infrastructure Bond Referendum Panel – Recap, Pictures
March 23, 2015 – YPT Atlanta at the State Capitol
April 28, 2015 – Transit Oriented Drinks at Victory Decatur
May 4, 2015 – Regional Transit Governance Presentation with Aaron Fowler of ARC Photos, Recap
May 21, 2015 – Transit Oriented Drinks with Georgia ITE at Taco Mac Perimeter
June 20, 2015 – Transit Oriented Drinks + Trivia at Joystick Game Bar
July 16, 2015 – TOD / T3 with CNU Atlanta: State Farm Campus Presentation at Steel Midtown Pictures
August 27, 2015 – Cycle Atlanta Excellence in Innovation Award Bike Ride and Happy Hour at Mellow Mushroom Pictures
September 17, 2015 – Distinguished Speaker Tim Keane: Atlanta’s Future: A Conversation with the City’s New Planning Commissioner Pictures
September 26, 2015 – TransportationCamp South Happy Hour at Publik Draft House
November 12, 2015 – Emory Roundabout Presentation at Slice and Pint
December 15, 2015 – Holiday Party at Proof & Provision Pictures
March 3, 2016 – Distinguished Speaker City of Atlanta Chief Bicycle Officer Becky Katz at Hudson Grille
Pictures
March 16, 2016 – Edgewood TOD Tour with Georgia Tech ITE
April 20, 2016 – April TOD with Georgia ITE at Square Pub – Decatur Station
April 28, 2016 – YPT Atlanta Welcomes Miguel Southwell – A Distinguished Speaker Event
July 7, 2016 – July Transit Oriented Drinks at Torched Hop – North Avenue Station
August 4, 2016 – A Discussion with Zipcar Atlanta GM
Annual Reports
Please drop us a line at yptatlanta@gmail.com, or contact one of our board members.