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Hello, I am Jake Schutt. I am a transportation planner and geographer. My career combines spatial analysis, planning, and public sector problem-solving. I first discovered geography at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1999. I earned a bachelor’s degree in geography with an urban studies minor. I also obtained a GIS certificate and a master’s in urban and regional planning.

I spent fourteen years in geospatial data collection using aerial mapping with photogrammetric and LiDAR datasets for consultants before pivoting to transportation planning. In 2018, I joined the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). There, I advanced from an intern to principal planner in less than four years. At MnDOT, I led and supported multimodal planning work including highways, walking and biking, rural and urban transit, aviation, and mobility hubs. I often served as a bridge between technical analysis, consultants, and policy decision-makers.

In late 2023, I moved to Baltimore and took on a role as a transit planner and policy analyst with the Baltimore Metropolitan Council. I also staff the new Baltimore Regional Transit Commission (BRTC). My work now focuses on regional transit coordination and advocacy. This includes the MTA Staffing Report and new route feasibility analyses. I support BRTC tasks and develop public-facing materials, such as the BRTC newsletter and legislative adcovacy materials, that connect data and policy to the everyday experience of riders.

Growing up in a low-income, first-generation-college household in a rural community shaped my interest in equity and access. Many years in DIY punk music, including years of community radio, enhanced my ability to work across lines of class, race, and geography. That background sharpened my skills in organizing and communications. I bring that perspective into transportation planning work that centers riders, especially those who rely on transit the most.

Skills

• Transit and multimodal planning
• Spatial analysis, GIS, and cartography
• Equity-focused analysis and policy framing
• Project scoping and budgeting
• Consultant management
• Cross-agency stakeholder coordination
• Public engagement, outreach, and meeting facilitation
• Report writing, visualization, and graphic design
• Statistics, demography, and database design
• Research and research management

Software

• ArcGIS
• QGIS
• PostgreSQL
• Adobe Creative Suite
• ArcGIS Online
• Tableau
• Microsoft Office Suite
• Microstation
• Streetlight
• Remix
• Inkscape