Barb Thoman, Program Consultant

Barb co-founded Transit for Livable Communities, along with former board member, John DeWitt, in 1997. She served as executive director until 2001. She is passionate about transportation research and is widely respected as a regional expert on transportation and land use.

Barb oversees Transit for Livable Communities’ research program, and is often the primary author of the organization’s reports, briefs, and policy papers. Her work, which has included the reports Citizen’s Agenda for Transportation in the Twin Cities Region, Sharing the Road: Encouraging Bicycling and Walking in Minnesota, and The Myth of Free Parking, have helped a decade’s worth of decision-makers and advocates understand how a more balanced transportation system can improve Minnesota’s quality of life.

Most recently, Barb helped to shape key transportation policies on Governor Pawlenty's Climate Change Advisory Group. The recommendations from the Group mirror many of the policies that Transit for Livable Communities has advocated for over a decade. She has also served on the Metropolitan Council’s Transportation Advisory Board and the St. Paul Transit Vision Task Force.

Barb graduated with a degree in Financial Management from Michigan State University. Before founding Transit for Livable Communities, she worked in the field of solid and hazardous waste management for the State of Minnesota, the State of California, and Winona County.

Barb, her husband, and daughter have been a one-car family for nearly 20 years – using a combination of bicycling, walking, and transit to save money and reduce their impact on the environment.

Barb can be reached at 651-767-0298 x105 or BarbT [at] tlcminnesota.org.