Lisa Loftus-Otway

Lisa Loftus-Otway University of Texas
M.P.Aff.; LL.M.
Research Scientist

Quick Facts on Lisa Loftus-Otway

  • Received an MPAff from UT Austin (2004), an LLM in Environmental Law from the University of Nottingham (2000), and an LLB Law from London Guildhall University (1999)
  • Registered Attorney and Counselor-at-Law (Licensed in New York) since 2002
  • Ms. Loftus-Otway’s research focuses in the areas of transportation law, policy and planning, megaregions, environmental policy and environmental justice, connected and automated vehicles, surface freight analysis and freight land use, and corridor planning. In 2020 she was part of a team that won the Transportation Research Board’s 2019 John C Vance Award for Best Legal Research Paper. Ms. Loftus-Otway has worked for clients including USDOT, FHWA, FRA, TRB, TxDOT, City of Austin and Texas DPS
  • Member of a convened panel that provided advice to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on land use around rail for development of the 2011 National Rail Plan
  • Assistant Director for Research at CM2: Cooperative Mobility for Competitive Megaregions a USDOT sponsored Tier 1 University Transportation Center
  • Active member of the Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) Heart of Texas Chapter, serving as its President in 2013-2014. She sat on WTSIs Board of Directors from 2018-2020. She is currently the WTSI Southwest Regional Council Chair

Areas of Research

  • Transportation law, policy and planning
  • Environment, environmental justice and sustainable development law and policy
  • Freight planning and policy
  • Megaregion Analysis
  • Resiliency Planning
  • Connected and  Automated Vehicles
  • Knowledge Management

Selected Publications

Loftus-Otway, L., and Guttman, G. A Policy Primer on Implementing Knowledge Management.  August 2020. Internally commission work not published

Sciara, G .C., Loftus-Otway, L and McCarthy, T. Tax Increment Financing for Transit Projects TCRP Legal Research Digest 55. October 2020. TRB, Washington D.C. URL: //www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/181445.aspx

Hazlett, D., Jiang, N., and Loftus-Otway, L.  Use of Weigh in Motion Data for Pavement, Bridge, Weight Enforcement and Freight Logistics Applications. 2020. NCHRP Synthesis 546. TRB, Washington: D.C. URL: //www.nap.edu/catalog/25793/use-of-weigh-in-motion-data-for-pavement-bridge-weight-enforcement-and-freight-logistics-applications

Loftus-Otway, L., Jiang, N., Cramer, P., Oaks, N., Wilkins, D., Kockelman, K and Murphy, M. Incorporation of Wildlife Crossings into TxDOT’s Projects and Operations. Report 0-6971-1, June 2019. URL: //library.ctr.utexas.edu/ctr-publications/0-6971-1.pdf

Spy Pond Partners, KPMG & CTR. NCHRP 898, 2019. A Guide to Developing Financial Plans and Performance Measures for Transportation Asset Management. TRB: Washington D.C. URL: //www.trb.org/NCHRP/Blurbs/178270.aspx

Trimble, T., Loftus-Otway, L, Gallun, S. Implications of Connected and Automated Driving Systems: Vol 1: Legal Landscape & Vol 2: State Legal and Regulatory Audit.. NCHRP 253 Online Report, July 2018. TRB: Washington D.C. URL: //www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/178302.aspx

Loftus-Otway, L., Bomba, M., Garner Frey, B., McLain, A., Miller, B., Welch, E. NEPA Assignment in TxDOT: Analysis, Review and Training Modules. . 0-6866. Center for Transportation Research, TX, February 2017. URL: //library.ctr.utexas.edu/ctr-publications/0-6866-1.pdf

McCray, T., Loftus-Otway, L., Fleming, B., and Johnson, D.T. Changing our Scale of Thinking: The Value of a Megaregional Planning Course.  Journal of Urban Planning and Development: November 2013. URL: //ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/%28ASCE%29UP.1943-5444.0000171

Meitzen, M., Loftus-Otway, L., Hutson, N., Grow, R., Bruening, A.D., and Pett, K.P. Preserving and Protecting Freight Infrastructure and Routes NCFRP Report 16. Prepared for National Cooperative Freight Research Program. March 2012. Transportation Research Board, Washington: DC. URL: //www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/166831.aspx

Morgan, C., Warner, J.E., Huang, J., Barkley, R., Loftus-Otway, L., Hutson, N., Cruz Ross, A., and Niven, R. Abandoned Rail Corridors in Texas: A Policy and Infrastructure Evaluation. Research Report 0-6268-1, 2011. Texas Transportation Institute, TX. URL: //tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-6268-1.pdf

Prozzi J., Carroll, L., Loftus-Otway, L., Bhat, C., Paleti, R., and McCray, T. Assessing the Environmental Justice Impacts of Toll Road Projects. Summary Report 0-6544-S, 2011. CTR, TX. URL: //library.ctr.utexas.edu/hostedpdfs/txdot/psr/6544.pdf

Rutzen B., Hutson, N and Loftus-Otway. Mexico City Commuter Rail: Planning and Implementation of a Multi-jurisdictional PPP Project. Transportation Research Record, Transit 2010 Volume 4. Transportation Research Board, Washington: DC.  URL: //journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3141/2146-15

Loftus-Otway, L., Hutson, N., Cruz-Ross, A., Niven, R., Boske, L.B., and Prozzi, J. An Evaluation of Mexican Transportation Planning, Finance, Implementation and Construction Processes.  Research Report 0-5985-1, October 2009. CTR: TX. URL: //ctr.utexas.edu/wp-content/uploads/pubs/0_5985_1.pdf