Mobility 21 Summit Agenda Announced

The 2017 Mobility 21 Summit agenda is now available to view online! Click here to plan your day on Friday, Sept. 29 at the Disneyland Hotel:

  • Choose from eight engaging breakout sessions
  • Attend our not-to-be-missed general sessions
  • Network with more than 100 exhibitors in our expo hall
  • Reboot your mind (and cell phone!) in our Charge & Recharge Station with phone charging stations, seated massages and snacks to energize you throughout the day

AGENDA

  • 7:30-8:45 a.m.: Registration Opens, Breakfast Served
  • 8:45-10:15 a.m.: Opening General Session
  • 10:15-10:45 a.m.: Morning Networking Break in Expo
  • 10:45-11:45 a.m.: Morning Breakout Sessions
    • AM 1: Chairmans’ Roundtable
    • AM 2: Self Driving Cars? Mobility Disrupted…and Soon
    • AM 3: Smarter Cities: Communities Transformed by Transportation and Technology
    • AM 4: Federal Policy: A New World Order
  • 12-1:15 p.m.: Luncheon General Session
  • 1:15-1:30 p.m.: 15 Minute Break
  • 1:30-2:30 p.m.: Afternoon Breakout Sessions
    • PM 1: Farm to Table: Transportation’s High-Tech Future
    • PM 2: Rideshare Evolution 3.0: Mobility Management
    • PM 3: Connecting Transit and Aviation
    • PM 4: Rewriting the Future of Tolling
  • 2:30-3 p.m.: Afternoon Networking Break in Expo
  • 3-4 p.m.: Closing General Session


Click here for full summit agenda


Mobility 21 Advisory Board Member Spotlight: Maureen “Mo” Hayes
Vice President, HNTB Corporation, Regional Business Development Leader

For over 25 years, Maureen ‘Mo’ Hayes has been involved with large-scale, transportation public works projects throughout the Western United States. She is currently employed by HNTB Corporation as government relations and business development leader for the West Division, based in the firm’s Orange County office. Hayes is active in numerous professional and business organizations to provide strategic assistance on project delivery policy and funding. She has developed a reputation as a problem solver and constantly works to find the most effective and efficient method of project delivery. Hayes has been instrumental in increasing the amount of alternative delivery methods such as design-build and CM at-risk.

Hayes leverages relationships on the Local, State, and Federal Government levels and understands the unique interaction required for complex projects in order to ensure good public policy goals are achieved. Notable Design-Build projects include Alameda Corridor, Mid-Corridor Trench; Reno RETRAC; LA to Pasadena and Foothill Extension Gold Line; Oakland Airport Connector to BART; LA to Culver City Expo Line; and LA Metro Westside Subway Phase 1. Program Management projects include SR-22 Design Build, John Wayne Airport Expansion, Bakersfield TRIP, Honolulu International Airport Modernization, I-405 Design-build, and I-15 Express lanes. She has also had extensive involvement on the California High Speed Rail program ranging from initial planning through construction



Around the world, HDR employees have been celebrating the corporate 100 year anniversary by giving back to the communities in which they live and work by performing community service projects like “A Flag for Every Hero” event at the Riverside National Cemetery in May.

Summit Platinum Sponsor Spotlight:
HDR

A Century of Pushing Boundaries
For more than a century, HDR has partnered with clients to shape communities and challenge the boundaries of what’s possible. Our expertise spans 10,000 employees, in more than 225 locations around the world – and counting. Our engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services bring an impressive breadth of knowledge to every project.

Since we began in 1917, one of our goals has always been to continue our tradition of building communities and connecting people and places while improving lives. Community has always been at the heart of what we do. That’s why our California employees opted to celebrate HDR’s 100th anniversary by giving back to their local communities through a series of community events. They included STEM and education related activities and multiple clean-up and beautification projects. Two events of note are A Flag for Every Hero project, which honors more than 200,000 heroes with flags on their gravesites twice a year. Another event engaged our entire Los Angeles office to raise funds for the LA Mission, a local homeless shelter.

We’re proud to be a part of the Southern California community since 1973, our 400 employees and of the projects we have had the privilege to work on, including the largest transit and infrastructure projects for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Link Union Station and Emergency Security Operations Center.


Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension maintenance facility in Los Angeles, Calif.

Summit Platinum Sponsor Spotlight:
Parsons

Headquartered in Pasadena, Parsons is proud to sponsor the 2017 Mobility 21 Summit. Since 1944, we’ve been a trusted partner of local and regional government agencies and private firms, delivering some of California’s most significant infrastructure projects and helping the economy through our partnership with local businesses via our Small Business Partnership Program.

We combine forward-thinking and cutting-edge technology to improve the way people connect in the region and with the world. Parsons is a “one-stop shop” that can participate at all project levels, from planning, design, and bid through final handback. We design. We build. We develop—as an equity investor or concession partner.

From supporting owners or serving as the contractor on public-private partnerships and design-build, to integrated project delivery and construction management at risk, Parsons can execute projects of any size or complexity. Some of our more recent high-profile work in California includes the Mid-City Exposition Light Rail Transit Design-Build; California High-Speed Rail, Contract CP1; the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension from Pasadena to Azusa; the SR 91 Corridor Improvement Project; the Thomas Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport; and the Landside Access Modernization Program of Los Angeles World Airports. Find out more at Parsons.com.


Summit Platinum Sponsor Spotlight:
Transportation Corridor Agencies

TCA Reaches One Million Accounts Milestone

On Father’s Day, the Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) reached the milestone of having one million active electronic toll payment accounts.

While that’s an ExpressAccount or FasTrak account for every household in Orange County, all 50 states have at least one resident with an account with TCA – with California, Nevada and Arizona leading the pack. TCA actually has more open accounts than the following states have residents: Alaska, Delaware, District of Columbia, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming.

Born and raised in Orange County, FasTrak is nearly a quarter of a century old and is the preferred way to pay tolls – 60 percent of TCA’s open accounts are FasTrak accounts. FasTrak can be used to pay tolls on all toll roads, lanes and bridges in California. ExpressAccounts were introduced three and a half years ago and make up 40 percent of all open accounts. ExpressAccounts allow infrequent drivers to be identified by a photo of their license plate, but this option is only available on the 73, 133, 241 and 261 Toll Roads in Orange County.

Click here to view infographics and countdown clocks that were posted to social media in support of our drive to one million accountholders.



Metro CEO Phillip A. Washington signs MOU with Inglewood Mayor and Metro Board Member James Butts, committing to support of the WIN-LA program to create career pathways in the transportation industry.

Metro Launches New Workforce Development Program – WIN-LA – to Focus on Providing Career Pathway Opportunities in the Transportation Industry

This month, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) launched Workforce Initiative Now-LA (WIN-LA), a groundbreaking workforce development program focused on creating career pathways in the transportation industry.

The event in downtown Los Angeles introduced WIN-LA to prime contractors, small businesses and other potential partners to encourage their participation in the new program that is designed to benefit the entire region.

“The expansion of our transportation system is going to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs, and we have a responsibility to make sure the people in our own communities have the skills to fill them,” said Los Angeles Mayor and Metro Board Chair Eric Garcetti. “Workforce Initiative Now-Los Angeles will offer training resources to people across L.A. County, and prepare them for tomorrow’s good-paying Metro jobs.”

Career pathways include construction, non-construction opportunities in operations/maintenance, administration and professional services. Unique to the program, WIN-LA will provide support for participants in areas such as life skills development, skill set enhancement and educational attainment services through a collaboration of program partners. It also will increase the resources needed for training and placement of hard-to-fill positions within Metro and the transportation industry.

Approximately 39 percent of Metro’s workforce will be eligible for retirement over the next three years with 69 percent of Metro employees currently over the age of 40. Succession planning is crucial to maintaining a viable agency and Metro needs a workforce to deliver its aggressive Measure M program over the next 40 years and beyond.

“Metro’s WIN-LA program reinforces to the community our commitment as a teaching organization that attracts, develops, motivates and retains a world-class workforce,” said L.A. County Supervisor and Metro Board Member Mark Ridley-Thomas. “Metro is in the midst of building the largest infrastructure program in the nation and substantial job opportunities in the transportation arena are available to those who are committed. We believe that WIN-LA will make it easier for people to train and apply and that is a win-win.”

WIN-LA is designed to be a collaborative partnership between Metro and those institutions and organizations interested in helping job seekers, companies and local communities through demand-driven workforce services. The goal is to create career pathway opportunities in the transportation and construction industries.

“From employment training, assessment and placement to ongoing outreach, WIN-LA will give people the tools they need to build better lives and sustainable communities across Metro’s service area,” said Metro CEO Phillip A. Washington. “The program’s first priority is putting people to work. To that end, it will provide potential employees with skills training, placement assistance and resources to help them secure industry positions with competitive wages and career possibilities and to keep those positions throughout their careers.”

Measure M, a half-cent sales tax initiative approved by the voters in 2016, will provide $860 million annually to build 40 highway and transit projects throughout L.A. County over the next 40 years. It is expected to generate an additional 778,000 jobs.


The Orange County Transportation Authority recently secured a $629 million federal loan for the I-405 Improvement Project, which will begin construction early next year and is scheduled to open to drivers in 2023. Photo courtesy of the Orange County Transportation Authority.

OCTA Secures $629 Million Federal Loan For I-405 Improvement Project

The Orange County Transportation Authority secured a $629 million federal loan for the I-405 Improvement Project this month, which will pay for a major portion of the $1.9 billion worth of freeway improvements set to begin construction by early next year.

OCTA officials today signed the final documents with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Build America Bureau for the loan through the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, commonly called TIFIA.

“This process has shown exceptional cooperation between our local team working on the financing of the I-405 project and federal transportation officials who understand how significant these improvements are to the regional transportation system” said OCTA Chairman Michael Hennessey. “This is a big win for the taxpayers of Orange County and drivers throughout Southern California.”

The OCTA board approved general terms of the loan at a board meeting late last month.

By taking advantage of the low-interest rate of 2.91 percent, the TIFIA loan is expected to save about $300 million over the 35-year life of the loan as compared to traditional bond financing. The loan will be repaid solely using revenue collected from drivers who choose to use the 405 Express Lanes being built as part of the project.

The money saved also will allow the 405 Express Lanes to remain free to two-person carpools during non-peak hours when the express lanes open, a commitment made by OCTA.

“In order to successfully deliver transportation projects in today’s market, it is critical to develop innovative financing methods and this project is an ideal example of that,” said OCTA CEO Darrell Johnson. “We have been able to stretch our local transportation sales tax dollars by partnering with the U.S. Department of Transportation and state of California for the benefit of Orange County and our region. I’m looking forward to moving this project into construction.”

With the loan secured, OCTA has given the contractor, OC 405 Partners, notice to fully proceed with the design and construction of the project. It’s expected the project will begin construction by early next year with completion anticipated for 2023.

Other funding for the I-405 Improvement Project includes:

  • $1.1 billion in Measure M funds
  • $45.6 million in federal funds
  • $89.7 million in state funds

OCTA, in cooperation with Caltrans, is leading the I-405 Improvement Project between State Route 73 in Costa Mesa and Interstate 605 at the Orange County border with Long Beach.

The design-build project will add one general-purpose lane in each direction of the I-405 between Euclid Street and I-605, as promised to voters through Measure M, the county’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements.

The improvement project will also add a second lane in each direction that will be combined with the existing carpool lane to provide dual tolled lanes on I-405 between SR-73 and I-605, called the 405 Express Lanes.

For more information on the I-405 Improvement Project, visit www.octa.net/405improvement.


SCAG’s Go Human Campaign to Hold Summer ‘Bike Rodeo’ Safety Programs

This summer, join, Go Human — SCAG’s award-winning traffic safety and active transportation encouragement program — as we will be hosting 15 bicycle rodeos and safety programming booths for kids in Los Angeles County and Orange County. Bike rodeos, or bicycle skills workshops for kids, provide opportunities to learn safety tips, build bicycling skills and increase kids’ confidence on a bike. League Certified Instructors will teach helmet fitting, ABC Quick Checks, how to cross the street safely, bike handling skills, yielding and more. Through games, like Find the Hazard and Spinner trivia, as well as bicycle courses, kids experience hands-on learning and education (with friendly support from safety costume characters).

Go Human Bike Rodeos

  • August 3 (6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.)
    Roosevelt Park (Parks After Dark)
    7600 Graham Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90001
  • August 4 (6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.)
    Helen Keller Park (Parks After Dark)
    1045 W. 126th St. Los Angeles, CA 90044
  • August 4 (6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.)
    Stephen Sorenson Park (Parks After Dark)
    16801 E. Avenue P, Lake Los Angeles, CA 93591

Go Human invites you and your family to attend any of these programming events. Arrive early to receive a free helmet (while supplies last). More dates and locations will be added soon. For more information, visit http://gohumansocal.org/Pages/Calendar.aspx.


TRANSPORTATION EVENTS IN THE COMMUNITY

Wednesday, Aug. 2
WTS-SD: Summer by Rail
More info | Register

Thursday, Aug. 10
SCAG, E4 Mobility Alliance: Electric Transit Buses Forum
More info | Register

Tuesday, Aug. 15
WTS-SD: Reception for Rebecca Jones
More info | Register

Thursday, Aug. 24
OCBC: Chairman’s Leadership Breakfast with Julie Miller-Phipps
More info | Register

Thursday, Sept. 14
WTS-SD: Annual Awards & Scholarship Gala
More info

Sept. 18-20
ITS-CA: Annual Conference and Expo
More info | Register

Tuesday, Sept. 19
OCBC: Executive Invitational Golf Tournament
More info | Register

Thursday, Oct. 5
AAa/e: Annual Banquet
More Info

Tuesday, Oct. 17SBCTA: 5th Annual Business 2 Business Expo
More info

Oct. 29-31
Self-Help Counties Coalition: Focus on the Future
More info | Register

Nov. 8-10
CTA: Annual Fall Conference
More info