Growing up in Germany, Christine Wolf aspired to a career in agriculture, possibly working on agricultural policy issues for the United Nations or the European Union.

She earned a master’s degree in agriculture from a German university and spent six months doing agricultural research in South Africa.

Then she came to the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle, earned another master’s degree in public administration and took a turn in a totally new direction.

“The fact that I do transportation planning for a living is pure chance,” said Wolf, a senior planner for The Northwest Seaport Alliance.

She launched her career in transportation while working her way through graduate school at the UW, when she landed a job with a transportation think tank. It was an opportunity to utilize her talent for blending science and technology with the social and political world.

“It’s a classic American story,” said Wolf, who began working for the Port of Seattle nearly 15 years ago. “It’s something I like about American culture. Once you have a degree, people trust you to be able to learn new things.”

Today she works to ensure that regional and local transportation projects maintain or improve the flow of goods into and out of NWSA’s North and South harbors.

“I work on projects that have the potential to improve access and egress to our facilities — or mess them up if it isn’t done right,” Wolf said.

As NWSA’s liaison to the Washington State Department of Transportation, Wolf played a vital role in the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement project in Seattle.

She persuaded state transportation engineers to take a second look at a piece of the project, which involved a new bridge over railroad tracks.

Wolf determined that the original design could have backed up truck traffic serving the Port of Seattle. She negotiated with the port to offer some property to the state “so they could make the bridge wider to make the turn pocket longer. Now our trucks have a free right turn to head for the freeways.”

Deirdre Wilson, senior planning manager for NWSA, said Wolf is a valued member of the planning team.

“She brings many years of proven wisdom in transportation planning, along with a willingness to share her knowledge,” Wilson said.

She said Wolf is always ready to offer help and support to her colleagues.

“She maintains key relationships and holds herself accountable for making sure traffic impacts to port operations are minimized whenever possible,” Wilson added.

Wolf meets with her counterparts in Seattle, Tacoma and smaller communities like Fife as they plan transportation improvements.

Her goal, she says, is “to make sure the alliance’s needs are adequately incorporated into local transportation planning efforts.” 

For an example, a road improvement plan might call for the inclusion of bikeways or walkways. But Wolf must remind planners that narrowing a traffic lane too much will make it difficult for large trucks hauling freight into or out of an NWSA facility.

Wolf grew up in what she describes as an “outdoorsy” family. Her dad once worked as a mountain guide so finding the Pacific Northwest was like discovering an outdoor paradise.

As an avid hiker who enjoys cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, Wolf appreciates the Northwest’s green sensibilities. She understands why planners incorporate bike and pedestrian lanes into transportation projects. But she notes the need to strike a balance between lifestyle and economic growth.

“People may not always understand that to have that lifestyle, the economy has to keep humming,” she said. “That’s where we come in. That’s what we do.”