Thousands of commuters may wonder if there’s enough parking at the new Wiehle-Reston East stop on Metro’s Silver Line, but few, says Jeong Yun Kweun, will think about the public-private partnership that made it possible. Kweun, a PhD student at George Mason University’s School of Policy, Government, and International Affairs, is working on a study that may have impact on parking at all the stops, including those not yet built.
Kweun’s work will help Metro and state and local governments determine long-lasting policies that will finance the construction of parking along the Silver Line, specifically regarding policies involving public-private partnerships, known as P3s. Jeong is a graduate research assistant in George Mason’s Center for Transportation Public‒Private Partnership Policy.
“My questions are about issues that might arise from the policy process or policy decisions at the end of the project,” Kweun says of the work. “For example, what exactly is the negotiation period of a P3 project? And is P3 really different for smaller projects like parking garages as opposed to larger ones such as highways? Does size matter?”
Kweun and the center will deliver an academic, objective conclusion that may be useful to Silver Line stakeholders who are considering future stations in Fairfax and Loudoun counties. “My work could be an additional resource for them, that’s my hope,” she says. For her part, Kweun is getting an education rich in hands-on experience.
“I was always policy focused even as an undergraduate and master’s student in Korea,” she says. “I was always interested in how national policies are in conflict with international laws, conflicts among different levels of regulation throughout the world. It makes perfect sense for me to pursue a degree in public policy.”
An advisor at Ewha Womans University in Seoul was familiar with Mason’s policy school and recommended Kweun apply there for her advanced degree to take advantage of its proximity to decision-makers in nearby Washington, D.C. She has not been disappointed. “I have had tons of opportunities to go out and meet policy makers, to attend workshops and conferences,” she says. “It perfectly suited me for what I want to do. That’s real learning, isn’t it?”
She has also benefited by having “a great mentor” in transportation professor Jonathan Gifford, director of the center. “He really knows a lot of people in this area and he’s the type of professor who is always willing to support students in what they do.”
“My goal with our doctoral students studying transportation finance and policy is to expose them to a broad range of the industry and the related research community,” says Gifford. “I’m particularly interested in giving them opportunities to meet and interact with leaders and practitioners in transportation infrastructure and services. JK has been particularly interested in the tolling industry and she’s shown great initiative in taking advantage of those opportunities. We’ve been able to provide financial support and to support her research and she has become a really outstanding member of our team.”
While Kweun’s work may examine parking along the Silver Line, she has yet to ride the newly opened system. Does she think parking will be a problem when she does?
“That’s a good question,” she says.
Write to Buzz McClain at bmcclai2@gmu.edu