TALKS
Jaimison Sloboden | Creating People-Safe Roads
It’s no accident that Jacksonville and the State of Florida are at the top of every list of the worst places in America for pedestrian and bicycle fatalities. There are three main reasons for this: the design of our public spaces has been completely focused on the automobile; our laws for pedestrian crossings “criminalize” walking; and, culturally, walking and bicycling are looked down upon. As a traffic engineer that grew up and moved here from Minnesota, Jaimison Sloboden has lived and experienced what a walkable environment can and should be, and the contrasts to Florida are remarkable.
Jaimison Sloboden is a transportation practice leader for Michael Baker International in Jacksonville charged with providing transportation services locally and in the State of Florida. His 24 years of experience in a wide range of transportation projects give him a unique perspective on how a system should be built to balance mobility, sustainability, and livability objectives while meeting the needs of stakeholders.
Starting with the early Smart Growth initiatives, Sloboden was involved in pilot projects to transform areas and corridors into more “complete streets.” As a traffic engineer, Sloboden has had a strong affinity with multi-disciplinary planning environments, working closely with urban designers, architects, energy consultants and market research firms.
Sloboden has been a resident of Northeast Florida for 10 years. Originally from Minnesota, he attended Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI, and has a B.S. in civil engineering. He and his wife Lori have two young children, Grace and Rhys.
