• The Commute Options initiative aims to reduce the number of single-occupancy vehicle commute trips in Memphis while increasing the usage of transit, carpooling, bicycling, and walking to work.

  • The drive-alone commute culture pervasive in Memphis negatively impacts our local economy, communities, and environment while contributing to sprawl. Through a historic emphasis on developing more convenient automotive transportation, Memphis positioned itself as less walkable and transit-friendly than our peer cities.

    Despite ongoing multi-modal transportation improvements, around 80% of Memphians drive alone to and from work each day.

  • The Tennessee Department of Transportation awarded Innovate Memphis a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grant to create partnerships with local employers and learning institutions to promote transportation choices that improve economic and community health.

  • While our strategies currently aim to improve transportation choices and culture at our partner worksites, more sustainable change, city-wide, is the ultimate goal for future implementations.

Staff

Jackson McNeil

Transportation & Mobility Director

Jackson recently joined Innovate Memphis as the Transportation and Mobility Director for Commute Options. In this role, Jackson is responsible for providing project management and delivery of current and emerging transportation-related projects with a focus on encouraging individuals, employers, and schools to promote transportation alternatives. The position includes research, policy, and outreach opportunities to encourage system-wide improvements to transit and mobility in Memphis and Shelby County.

Jackson has deep roots in Memphis. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies from Rhodes College and a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of Memphis. His prior work includes local community engagement with BLDG Memphis, transportation equity with the New York City Department of Transportation, and consulting for government and nonprofits with Consilience Group, a Memphis based mission-driven systems transformation firm. 

Jackson is married to an elementary school teacher and has a young son who is hesitantly testing out his new balance bike.

Nikki Dildine

Commute Options Schools Program Manager

Nikki is a Memphis transplant by way of rural northern Indiana. She moved here in 2007 after completing both her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and master’s degree in School Counseling at Purdue University. She served Shelby County Schools as a School Counselor from 2007-2015. In 2015, she pursued an opportunity in the world of finance with Vining Sparks as a Client Support Manager. Joining Innovate Memphis as the Commute Options Schools Program Manager has brought her full circle back to working with students, parents, and educators in the Memphis area. She is excited for the opportunity to educate our community on commute options, and the positive impact those choices can make on our neighborhoods and environment.

Nikki has been a member of the board of directors for the Memphis Farmers Market since 2019 and currently serves as Board President. Most Saturdays she can be found volunteering at the market. She is also active with the local dog rescue community, and her brood consists of three adopted dogs and the occasional foster (or two).