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Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Martin Wachs (June 8, 1941 – April 12, 2021)

From the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS):

Today we suffered a terrible loss to our ITS community. It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Martin Wachs, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, founder of the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies, and dearest friend and colleague.

Professor Wachs was a preeminent figure in transportation planning. Not only did he have an illustrious academic career spanning seven decades, but he is remembered for his teaching, service, and drive to advance the field. He was a consummate professional, willing to lend his expertise whenever needed, even well into retirement. He will be perhaps best remembered as the caring and generous mentor to many hundreds of planners, engineers, and scholars around the globe.

Marty authored more than 160 articles and five books on transportation systems, performance measurement, and the relationships between transportation, land use, and air quality in transportation planning. He also studied the mobility needs of older adults — research that led to twice winning the prestigious Transportation Research Board’s Pyke Johnson Award for outstanding paper in transportation planning in both 1976 and 2019 — a 43-year span.

Marty joined the UCLA Urban Planning faculty in 1971 and chaired the department for three terms. As a professor, he worked with thousands of students throughout his career, winning awards for teaching and graduate advising from both UCLA and during his decade at UC Berkeley, where he directed the Institute of Transportation Studies there as well.

He had a deep commitment to public service. In 2000, he served as chair of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. More recently, he had been a member of the California High Speed Rail Peer Review Group.

Marty’s wife Helen has asked that members of the transportation research community share their memories of her husband. You may do so in the comments section below or by emailing rememberingmarty@its.ucla.edu. UCLA ITS will compile your comments and present them to his family.

Helen has also asked that those interested in making a contribution to honor Marty’s legacy consider giving a gift in his memory to the Urban Planning Professors Emeriti Fund, which the two have funded over the years to support promising students studying transportation policy and planning at UCLA.

Source: https://www.its.ucla.edu/2021/04/12/remembering-marty-wachs/ and https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/mission-hills-ca/martin-wachs-10149634

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