Lane Youth Transportation Advisory Council
(LYTAC)
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The Lane Youth Transportation Advisory Council is a new initiative and participants will co-create the committee with local staff. It is composed of youth ages 13-19 who support better mobility for people of all ages in collaboration with Safe Routes to School, local government and other community organizers. Members will have opportunities to preside over meetings and participate in regional planning and policies meetings with elected officials. Projects for this year include walk audits and mapping, quick build projects, and family and youth bike maintenance events.
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Our application is closed for the year.
It will reopen in Fall 2024.
Meet LYTAC Committee Members:
Samuel Claassen (he/him) is an 11th grader at South Eugene High School and served as the co-chair of LYTAC in 2023. Samuel says his favorite thing about Eugene is the many tree-covered biking and running paths. If he could change one thing about the city, he would remove the part of Highway 105 that spoils the waterfront between Autzen Stadium and the River Valley Center. Samuel is also a master at color coding for his Google Calendar!
Jill Chihorek (she/her) is a freshman at South Eugene High School and the Communications Officer. Her favorite thing about where she lives is her close proximity to walking trails and public parks. She is also an avid climber and baker. One thing Jill would change about this city is the hill next to her house!
Meet Ben (he/him)! Ben is a junior at Wellsprings Friends School and loves how relatively cheap living in Eugene is. If Ben could change one thing about Eugene, he would make walking more accessible to anywhere you need to get to.
Henry DeJong (he/him) is a freshman at South Eugene High School. Because of his love for photography, he loves how in a 10-minute drive from just about anywhere, there is beautiful scenery to be found. If he could change one thing about where he lives, though, he would get rid of the hills near his home. Check out Henry’s photography account! @henry_cphotography
Lee Sunderland (he/him) is a sophomore this year at North Eugene High and Co-Chair. Lee’s favorite things about where he lives are the trees, plants, and bikeways undisturbed by traffic and cars. Lee would make a change to the city by living closer to other areas to make less of a hassle from commuting places. Lee has a special talent for color matching and mixing colors!
Meet Goush Shaik (he/him), a sophomore at South Eugene High School! Goush loves the accessibility of where he lives but would like to cut down on the congested traffic before and after school hours. A fun fact about Goush is that he is absurdly good at badminton.
Bex Aitken (she/they) is a sophomore at North Eugene High Schools and likes the trees that surround where they live. Bex lives in low-income housing so they would change the size and quality of their home if they had the chance. Bex is a poet and a Japanese speaker of 11 years (they’ve even been to Japan)! Bex is also a cheerleader at North Eugene.
Auden Harker (she/her) is a junior at South Eugene High School. Auden’s favorite thing about South Eugene is the weather and the nature but she would petition to put sidewalks on every road if she could. Auden likes to sew and even makes some of her own clothing!
Meet Rosemary Ruiz! Rosemary (she/her) is a sophomore at Sheldon High School. Rosemary’s favorite thing about Eugene is the nature surrounding it. She loves all the amazing hiking spots, lakes, and cool places to explore. If she could change one thing about the area, she would make places like Coburg Road and River Road more accessible to pedestrians. Rosemary’s hidden talent is that she can name all 195 countries that are recognized by the United Nations!
Li Wolf (they/them) is an 11th grader at North Eugene High School. While they love the trees where they live, Li wishes they could see more flowers throughout the year. Li has a hidden talent for knitting, and like Auden, Li likes to make clothes!
Zachary Paskalev (he/him) is an 11th grader at South Eugene High School. One thing that Zachary loves about where he lives is how close it is to the mountains. If he could change one thing about the area, though, he would love to see a city-wide subway or rail system. A fun fact about Zachary is that he can speak Bulgarian!!