Creating Practical Change Close to Home: Lessons from Transportation Planner Dot Fennell

Conversations with Erica is built on the core belief that clarity grows when we listen to real stories from people who notice a need, trust their instincts, and take action.

In my recent conversation with transportation planner and entrepreneur Dorothy “Dot” Fennell, we explored what it looks like to turn a local insight into a community solution. Her journey reflects something many purpose-driven professionals wrestle with: how to make a meaningful contribution, especially when the challenges around us feel immense.

Dot’s approach is refreshingly grounded. She encourages us to start where we are, pay attention, and follow the thread of what feels important.

Noticing What’s Needed Close to Home

Before co-founding CargoB, the nation’s first on-demand electric cargo bike share, Dot was already deeply involved in daily neighborhood life.

She participated in city planning meetings, navigated Boston’s Emerald Necklace park system on her own cargo bike, and ran a Bike Bus at her children’s school. A Bike Bus is a group ride where students and families bike to school together along a set route, picking up riders as they go. It creates a joyful, safe, and community-building way to start the day. If you want to learn more from the founder of Bike Bus World, you can listen to my conversation with Sam Balto (see bottom of blog for link).

Along the way, she began to notice how often people struggled with short trips that required transporting kids, groceries, tools, or equipment. That local insight revealed a clear gap. People wanted to rely less on cars for everyday movement, but they didn’t have the right tools to make it feasible.

CargoB emerged directly from that clarity. It didn’t start with a large business plan. It started with a simple question: What if people could borrow a cargo bike only when they needed one?

A Career Rooted in Human-Scaled Solutions

Dot’s ability to notice these patterns is no accident. Her career spans more than two decades in transportation planning, shaped by early experiences navigating Philadelphia’s “L” train with her grandmother and growing up in a multigenerational household where not everyone drove. Those experiences strengthened her belief that over-reliance on cars limits both opportunity and independence.

Her work continually emphasizes simple, human-scaled solutions that make cities more accessible and joyful. She believes that mobility does not need to be complicated to be transformative. In many cases, the most effective tools are the ones hiding in plain sight.

Creating a Practical Solution for Real Life

CargoB’s model is intentionally straightforward. Electric cargo bikes are placed in neighborhoods throughout the Boston metro area. Neighbors unlock a bike using the CargoB app, take the trip they need, and return it to the same spot when they’re done.

It works because it’s practical. It works because it matches real behavior. And it works because Dot and her co-founder, Zack DeClerck, designed it around what people actually do: most trips are short, and many don’t necessarily require a car.

Their insight wasn’t abstract. It came from observation, curiosity, and countless conversations with neighbors.

Entrepreneurship as a Form of Community Contribution

Dot’s shift into entrepreneurship was thoughtful and well-timed. With more than twenty years of experience in transportation planning, she understood the gaps in existing systems and recognized how small, user-friendly solutions could make a tangible difference. She also knew that public agencies are often stretched thin and may not have the capacity to build certain tools from scratch, even when they support the idea.

Launching a business felt like the right next step, and she approached it with pragmatism. She tapped into the many resources available for entrepreneurs in Boston, including Main Street organizations, small business support networks, and programs for women-owned businesses.

Her message is direct: someone reading this already has an idea worth exploring. Whether it becomes a business or a community project, it still matters. And no one else can bring it forward in the way you can.

How Local Action Strengthens Communities

Dot’s work is about more than mobility. Access to cargo bikes increases social connection. It supports climate goals. It helps families feel more independent. It encourages people to spend more time outside and in community. It also makes everyday life a bit easier, which is something many of us can appreciate.

Her optimism comes from experience. She sees the bigger challenges and still chooses to focus on what she can contribute locally. That mindset is often where meaningful leadership begins.

If You’re Feeling the Pull to Contribute

Many of the professionals I support sense a pull toward something new. They notice a pattern, a need, or an idea that keeps resurging. They recognize that something is shifting, within themselves and around them.

Dot’s story is a reminder that you don’t need to overhaul your life to begin. You can start by paying closer attention to what you observe, where you feel energized, and what you care about solving.

Sometimes the most transformative solutions are simple, human-scaled, and already within reach.

Reflection Questions

As you consider your own path, here are a few questions to explore:

• What need have you been noticing in your community or workplace that feels worth exploring?

• Where do your experiences or skills naturally position you to contribute?

• What is one small action you could take this month to test an idea or learn more about it?

• If you imagined starting close to home, what possibility becomes clearer?

Listen to the Full Conversation

Listen to the full conversation with Dot to explore her insights and the story behind CargoB ➔

Interested in Learning More About Bike Buses?

Listen to my conversation with Sam Balto, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Bike Bus World ➔