our mission
helping organizations
advance in multimodal transportation
& Progressively Manage Curb Space
Forward Progress, LLC was founded to research and advance multimodal transportation best practices with public and private entities. Our expertise aligns with emerging trends in transportation and land use, focusing on providing transportation services for users of all abilities in a safe and equitable manner. We offer consulting services spanning a wide range of topics, including progressive curbside management, complete streets planning and design, speed management, Vision Zero safety initiatives, and asset management / GIS. When delivering these services, our team applies facilitation and community engagement expertise to understand the subject community’s culture and unique transportation demands.
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Tara Marcus
FP Co-Founder
As President of Forward Progress, Tara oversees all business decisions and sets the strategic direction of the firm. She also acts as General Counsel and patent expert for Forward Progress and Curbwize. She applies her bachelor's degree in civil engineering and law degree to protect client's innovative industry intellectual property such as Curbwize's Curbside Management System.
Meet the Team
lawrence Marcus
FP Co-Founder
Curbwize Co-Founder
Mr. Marcus has practiced multimodal transportation planning and engineering for 33 years at the local, regional, and state levels of government as a public official and consultant. He possesses expertise in curbside management, group facilitation, multimodal street design, quantitative analysis, traffic engineering, and public sector policy.
​​Mr. Marcus also actively researches processes and technologies to manage, prioritize, and price curbspace. He is a co-author of two curbside management patents related to connected and autonomous vehicles.
​Larry also has practical public sector experience, most recently as Arlington County, Virginia’s Transportation Engineering and Operations Bureau Chief.
Mike Sawyer
Chief Engineer
Curbwize Co-Founder
Mr. Sawyer is interested in how to build a safe, sustainable, and accessible city for all ages and abilities and support it with multimodal transportation systems. Mr. Sawyer has over 30 years of experience in transportation engineering work in the private sector as well as the local, state, regional, tribal, and federal levels of government. He currently serves as the City Transportation Engineer for the City of Richmond, VA and designated as the City’s Vision Zero Coordinator. Previously, he served as the State Highway Safety Engineer with the Virginia Department of Transportation. He emphasizes that transportation should serve all users within their community and in particular serve transportation disadvantaged communities who are disabled, elderly, or low income.
Elizabeth Hannon
Public Engagement Expert
Elizabeth is a seasoned project manager, focused on engagement for planning, implementation, and operations in the transportation industry. With 30 years’ experience of inspiring quality of life projects for communities, regions and transit organizations, she is known for innovative and interactive engagement activities that bring about coalition building, collaboration and public-centered qualitative data-based decisions.
As a senior engagement specialist, Elizabeth’s work has benefited the implementation of pioneering multi-modal programs including parking and curb management, complete streets, vision zero and safe streets for all. Her unique talent for engagement, communication style and passion for the work provides a throughput to balance controversial changes in the public realm, bringing communities together and implementing regionally recognized quality of life projects that will be economic drivers for decades.
Mikayla Spierer
City Planner
Mikayla is a city planner with a passion for creating communities that are sustainable, accessible for residents of all abilities, and operate a transportation system that minimizes severe injuries and fatalities to vulnerable travelers. She applies her planning, GIS, and communication engagement skills to help local, regional, and state governments improve their transportation and land use practices.
