Aoibhe Richardson

Aoibhe Richardson is the Transportation Options Coordinator at Commute Options, an organization founded in 1991 that serves communities across Central and Eastern Oregon. With three years of transportation-industry experience and six years in the nonprofit sector, she leads outreach and education for employers, employees, and community members seeking practical alternatives to driving alone. Richardson holds undergraduate degrees in psychology and sociology from the University of Portland and a Master of Public Health from the University of San Francisco.

Her professional focus includes transportation demand management, employer programs, community engagement, sustainable transportation, and behavior change. She belongs to the Association for Commuter Transportation and the Transportation Options Group of Oregon and serves on communications committees for TOGO and ACT’s Cascade Chapter. Her work has appeared in The Source, KOIN, KTVZ, and Cascade Business News. Key initiatives include the Old Mill District and Hayden Homes Amphitheater transportation challenge and Get There Rewards, which increased participants’ annual earning potential by 60 percent in 2026 at no additional cost to employers.

Richardson’s interest in transportation grew from a commitment to healthier, more sustainable communities and from studying how environments influence behavior and well-being. Her graduate capstone, Active Travel in San Francisco: The Role of Community in Systems Change, examined pandemic-era safe streets and active travel. Interviews with advocates from Livable City and Walk SF demonstrated how community-led problem-solving can improve transportation access. In her work, she has also seen small incentives help people try biking, walking, carpooling, transit, or remote work and turn a first attempt into a lasting habit.

Her community involvement extends beyond transportation outreach. Richardson represents Commute Options at events such as Try Transit Week, First Friday at the Old Mill District, the Oregon Tech Wellness Fair, the COCC Fall Kickoff, and community bike events with the City of Bend. She also volunteers as a cross-country coach at a local high school. A former Division I cross-country and track athlete, she still enjoys running Central Oregon’s trails, traveling, and discovering new coffee shops and restaurants.

Through education, partnership, and thoughtfully designed incentives, Richardson helps advance Commute Options’ mission to reduce single-occupancy vehicle travel while giving people realistic choices that fit their lives. Her public-health perspective and hands-on program experience reinforce a practical approach centered on accessibility, long-term behavior change, and community benefit. Readers can learn more about her work on the Commute Options team page or connect with her on LinkedIn.