2015 Mobility 21 Summit
Registration Now Open
Early bird registration is now open for the Mobility 21 Summit — California’s largest one-day transportation conference and expo on Friday, Aug. 28 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim. “Competitive California,” the theme of this year’s Summit, promises to bring together more than 1,000 transportation stakeholders, industry leaders and elected officials to address transportation’s role in making California the best place to live, work and play.
Registration includes access to top industry decision-makers and elected leaders, three general sessions, a choice of eight breakout sessions and a dynamic expo hall with over 100 exhibitors. General registration also includes a breakfast buffet, hot lunch, complimentary Metrolink and Anaheim Resort Transportation shuttle roundtrip service or self-parking and a twilight ticket to Disneyland redeemable after 4 p.m.
Reduced hotel rates and additional Disneyland tickets are available for purchase.
Are you still thinking about sponsoring the Summit? It’s not too late! Help support Southern California’s transportation future while getting the best access, visibility and value for your marketing dollar. Click here to view the sponsorship packages or contact Kristin Slocum to sign up today.
Mobility 21 Advisory Board Member Spotlight:
Kerry Cartwright
Director of Goods Movement
Port of Los Angeles
Kerry Cartwright is the Director of Goods Movement at the Port of Los Angeles. He was appointed the director of this newly created division at the Port in October 2007. Prior to joining the Port of LA, he was the Director of Transportation Planning at the Port of Long Beach for over 10 years. His duties and responsibilities include: the planning and conceptual design of landside access improvements, regional transportation planning, funding and transportation policy. He has 29 years of experience in traffic engineering and transportation planning, and is a registered Traffic Engineer in the State of California and a registered Professional Engineer in Canada. He serves on numerous regional, statewide and federal transportation/goods movement technical and policy committees. He received the Southern California Association of Governments’ “Regional Champion Award” for 2009. He is also involved in global logistics in the academic arena as an instructor for the Global Logistics Specialist® program at California State University, Long Beach. Kerry obtained a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from the University of Alberta, Canada.
Mobility 21 Advisory Board Member Spotlight:
Steve Huff, PE
Southern California Practice Leader
RBF Consulting, a Michael Baker International company
Steve Huff is a Senior Vice President and Southern California Transportation Practice Leader for RBF Consulting, a Michael Baker International company. In this role, he leads over 50 transportation professionals on projects ranging in size and complexity. Steve has spent his entire 32-year career with the firm, which has had a strong presence in Southern California since 1944 and is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.
Michael Baker International, LLC is a leading global provider of engineering and consulting services in support of U.S. federal, state, municipal and foreign allied governments, as well as a wide range of commercial clients. With more than $1 billion in annual revenue, the firm has over 5,000 employees in over 90 locations across the U.S. and internationally.
Based in Irvine, Calif., Steve has spent more than three decades working with public- and private-sector clients to improve transportation infrastructure statewide. His experience has included the design of major highway improvements and management of complex interstate freeway projects totaling over $1 billion dollars in construction costs.
Steve’s history of high profile transportation work in Orange County includes leadership roles on the I-5/I-405 El Toro “Y” Interchange and the Eastern Transportation Corridor (SR-241). For OCTA, his more recent involvement includes leading the final design phase of the SR-57 Northbound Widening (grand opening in May 2014) and SR-91 Westbound Widening (construction underway) projects. Steve’s leadership on these projects exemplifies his dedication to supporting Orange County’s Measure M2 project delivery goals.
Steve has also been integrally involved in delivering projects through Los Angeles County’s Measure R Program. Over the last four years, he served as Project Manager to Metro in managing the SR-91/I-605/I-405 Congestion Hot Spots Feasibility Study and subsequent PSR-PDS documents for the I-605/I-5 and I-605/SR-91system interchanges. The Feasibility Study analyzed alternatives to improve various congestion “hot spots” along 40-plus miles of the I-605, I-405 and SR-91 freeways in Los Angeles County. These projects involved extensive collaboration with Metro, the Gateway Cities Council of Governments, Caltrans, and local cities.
In addition to his role as an Advisory Board Member to Mobility 21, Steve is Co-Chairman of the Caltrans District 12 Professional Liaison Committee and a member of the Caltrans Statewide Professional Liaison Committee. He is also an active member in ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) and WTS (Women’s Transportation Seminar).
Steve earned a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and is a registered civil engineer in California and Arizona.
Steve and his wife, Satomi Huff, live in Orange County and have two daughters (15 and 11 years old).
City of Los Angeles Sidewalk Repair Program
Summit Platinum Sponsor Spotlight:
HDR
Keeping California competitive could be as complicated as delivering major transportation infrastructure or as simple as repairing our sidewalks. With more emphasis on active transportation, competitive cities are offering residents and visitors safer travel options. Sidewalks need to be in safe and in good repair to encourage residents to get out of their cars and walk or bike to their destination.
A transformative program is underway in the City of Los Angeles. The City has embarked on an aggressive sidewalk repair program and awarded HDR a contract to provide program management and engineering services. The focus began with City facilities such as parks and recreation centers, police stations, fire stations, senior centers constituent centers and City Hall. We performed site visits at each location which included the assessment of existing conditions, collecting field measurements, taking photographs, preparing engineers estimates, developing and issuing construction bid packages, reviewing bids, awarding construction contracts and providing construction management services during construction. HDR is also providing professional arborist services to assess the existing trees and determine the least damaging mitigation measures to the trees to provide sustainable solutions and reduce future sidewalk damage.
This is an accelerated program and in nine weeks time, we assessed and prepared engineers estimates for 197 sites and issued Notice for Bids for 69 of those sites. Construction began on the first site in less than two weeks after the program was launched.
Providing safe and compliant sidewalks to the resident and visitors of Los Angeles is a landmark effort that will take several years to achieve. HDR is proud to be a partner with the City of Los Angeles to pave the way to a successful Sidewalk Repair Program. Together, anything is possible.
HDR specializes in engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services. Our employees, working in 225 locations around the world, push open the doors to what’s possible each and every day. At HDR, we do things right to make great things possible. This is where great begins.
ARTIC, located between Angel Stadium of Anaheim (left), and the Honda Center, home of the Anaheim Ducks hockey team, also provides a bike and pedestrian trail stretching along the Santa Ana River for non-motorized travelers to gain access to ARTIC.
Summit Platinum Sponsor Spotlight:
Parsons Brinckerhoff – An ARTIC Update
ARTIC Blast: Anaheim Celebrates Opening of Transportation Hub
A new era in Southern California transportation began on Dec. 13 when the City of Anaheim and the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) opened a spectacular new transportation hub that brings together multiple modes of transportation in one location.
An estimated 5,000 people attended the opening of the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC), a stunning 6,225-square-meter (67,000-square-foot) structure that owes much of its design to a long-gone era, when airship hangars dotted the Southern California landscape.
“The ARTIC design mimics the aerodromes of the 1920s where blimps were once stored, recalling a prominent mode of transportation from this city’s history,” says Samuel Sims, Parsons Brinckerhoff’s Project Manager for the ARTIC project. “These hangars were a motif throughout Orange County, and I think that concept is what excited the client about the innovative architectural design we proposed to them with our partner, HOK.”
ARTIC provides shopping and restaurant options for visitors, as well as a visually appealing light display at night. ©2014 DAVID BISPHAM / PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF
A Transit Grand Slam
ARTIC is nestled between two popular entertainment venues in Anaheim; Angel Stadium, where the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim baseball team plays, and the Honda Center, home of the Anaheim Ducks hockey team.
“This location allows the public to use many different transit services to reach these key entertainment venues as well as nearby Disneyland,” says Hank Alonso, Orange Area Manager for Parsons Brinckerhoff.
ARTIC unifies transit services such as Amtrak, OCTA, Metrolink, Anaheim Resort Transit buses, Greyhound, commuter and coach buses, shuttles, and taxis. The center also includes three parking lots with more than 1,100 spaces and 15 electric vehicle charging stations. ARTIC is expected to accommodate more than 10,000 daily riders using all available services. ARTIC was also designed to accommodate the California High-Speed Rail system, a section of which is now under construction.
A bike and pedestrian trail stretches along the Santa Ana River and provides convenient access for non-motorized travelers to gain access to ARTIC, which provides parking facilities for more than 60 bicycles, including 33 bike storage lockers.
“These are many of the ways ARTIC is promoting alternative transportation so that local residents will have convenient options beyond driving a car,” Alonso says. He anticipates the transit hub will ultimately promote other transit-oriented businesses and housing opportunities in the area.
Light and Bright
Although designed to replicate the dirigible hangars of the past, the modern, cutting-edge innovations incorporated into ARTIC make it a visually spectacular, functional, and efficient facility.
The roof was constructed using more than 18,580 square meters (200,000 square feet) of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), a fluorine-based plastic material with high resistance to corrosion and extreme temperatures, adding to the efficiency of the building. Alonso says it is the largest application of ETFE in the United States.
“It’s basically fabricated into a big air pillow, with the exterior side designed to reflect the sun, while the interior side is clear,” Sims says. “You can get a 20-degree temperature difference between one side and the other, creating a heat barrier for the building that results in less energy required to cool the interior.”
The designers made further use of the ETFE panels by installing a network of 1,400 colorful LED lights. “The lights are individually monitored so that they can be made into any color and any pattern,” Sims says. “At night it gives quite a spectacular glow.”
Sims says the building’s use of moving air and radiant heating also contributes to its efficient use of energy. A system of diffusers and air vents near the level where people are moving, along with canopies to capture the air, will help keep temperatures comfortable.
The glass atrium of the ARTIC center provides a stunning view of Anaheim, while the “air pillow” roof creates an efficient way to keep the building cool. ©2014 DAVID BISPHAM / PARSONS BRINCKERHOFF
ARTIC is expected to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum designation from the U.S. Green Building Council. Although a decision is still a year away, Parsons Brinckerhoff believes the pieces are in place for the Platinum designation if the building operates as expected.
“In an age where a lot of buildings are constructed for a short life, ARTIC has been designed as a 100-year structure,” Virginia Tanzmann, former Project Manager after Sims, says. “This is truly a high-performing building. All of its elements are very highly integrated with one another.”
“This will become a landmark structure in California,” Alonso adds. “My kids are tired of hearing me talk about it, but I believe ARTIC will be a building that is talked about for a long time to come.”
Join SCAG@50! Registration Closes Monday!
May 7-8
JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa
More info | Registration closes Monday, May 4!
Did you know that the Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink), HOV lanes and ridesharing were ideas that took root at the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG)? Celebrate the past, present and future at SCAG’s 2015 Regional Conference and General Assembly, May 7-8, at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa. The event will commemorate 50 years of regional collaboration and service to SCAG’s 191 member cities and six counties as well as engage attendees in envisioning a sustainable future for Southern California. The Regional Conference and General Assembly will feature networking opportunities, sponsor exhibits, the annual Sustainability Awards as well as breakout panels on new automated vehicle technology, how sharing apps are poised to transform the goods movement industry, innovative approaches to improving transit access and increasing ridership, and others. The event will culminate with a blast into the past at the gala celebration dinner and evening post-reception.
San Diego Forward: SANDAG Regional Plan Released for Public Review and Comment
The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) Board of Directors recently released the draft version of San Diego Forward: The Regional Plan for public review and comment.
San Diego Forward incorporates SANDAG’s Regional Transportation Plan, Sustainable Communities Strategy and Regional Comprehensive Plan into one overarching blueprint for the San Diego region’s future. It combines the big-picture vision for how the San Diego region will grow over the next 35 years with an implementation program to help make that vision a reality.
“Over the last two and a half years, we have worked with community members, stakeholders, and local agencies to develop San Diego Forward: The Regional Plan,” said Santee Councilmember and SANDAG Board Chair Jack Dale. “The resulting Plan encourages the development of vibrant, healthy communities that are connected by a range of transportation choices, including public transit, walking and biking facilities, and roads.”
San Diego Forward proposes a strategy for a more sustainable future, including investment in transportation projects that will provide more travel choices, protect the environment, create healthy communities, and stimulate the economy. More than $200 billion will be invested in the regional transportation network between now and 2050 to provide more transit services, expand our active transportation network, and build more Express Lanes to support transit operations and carpooling.
The Plan responds to changes in overall land use patterns by our local cities and the county, which envision more compact development in the future (with more than half the region preserved as open space). These investments will directly support the regional economy, with every dollar invested in the Plan resulting in nearly two dollars of economic benefit.
The Toll Roads Protect Orange County’s
Mountain Lions and Drivers
The Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) is partnering with the Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center in Anaheim with their new exhibit “Cougars and Grizzlies: Sharing Their Path,” to raise awareness about the plight of mountain lions and encourage other government and transportation organizations to do what they can to improve the ability for mountain lions to thrive in the outskirts of our communities.
“TCA is one of the agencies working the hardest to protect mountain lions,” said Dan Finley, Executive Director of the Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center at the exhibits ribbon cutting ceremony on April 19.
As an exhibit partner, TCA showcases its commitment to protecting Orange County’s mountain lions and drivers on The Toll Roads through the use of special fencing; wildlife undercrossings; surveillance; and GPS tracking. TCA’s displays a state-of-the-art fencing project currently underway along portions of the 241 Toll Road to improve the safety of both wildlife and drivers.
The design of TCA’s wildlife fence project is setting the standard for wildlife protection for transportation agencies and projects throughout the country. A life-size display of the fence is available for museum visitors to see up close – it is up to 12 feet high to ensure animals cannot jump over it, buried 24 inches into the ground to discourage animals from digging under it and includes a jump-out ramps every half mile to allow animals safe re-entry into their natural habitat. Our efforts in the field and at the MUZEO are part of a larger solution that requires multiple jurisdictions and crosses county lines.
As part of the design and construction of the 241 Toll Road, studies of the movement of the wildlife were conducted to determine the best locations for wildlife undercrossing to be built. According to University California, Davis’ Wildlife Health Center, TCA’s undercrossing at Oak Canyon is one of the most heavily traveled mountain lion crossing in the state. TCA is committed to improving fencing to facilitate safe passage under its toll roads and the wildlife fence project is just one of the efforts needed to protect mountain lions in the Santa Ana Mountains.
The entire story of how the fence was recommended, designed, and constructed is explained in the Muzeo’s exhibit. The wildlife fence project is just one of the dozens of environmental programs TCA has implemented and is managing along with ensuring that commuters’ drive on The Toll Roads is a great experience. TCA is committed to the balance needed to protect the quality of life for Orange County residents and drivers. Muzeo’s exhibit “Cougars and Grizzlies: Sharing Their Path” is open to the public through Sept. 13, 2015. Click here to learn more about the exhibit and Muzeo.
The Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) operates the 73, 133, 241 and 261 Toll Roads in Orange County. While The Toll Roads offer drivers a way to save time and relieve commuting stress, many are not aware of the environmental programs TCA developed with construction of The Toll Roads that go beyond minimum mitigation requirements to represent the most progressive approaches in land conservation; wildlife protection; and air and water quality management.
Media event in Union Station to promote Metro’s anti-sexual harassment campaign. At the podium is Metro Board Member Jacquelyne Dupont-Walker flanked by Metro Board Members Mark Ridley-Thomas, Michael D. Antonovich, Ara Najarian and Sheila Kuehl. Photo by Luis Inzunza/Metro.
Metro Attacks Sexual Harassment With “Off Limits”Public Information and Enforcement Campaign
Declaring that sexual harassment is “off limits,” the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) and the sexual and domestic violence prevention center, Peace Over Violence, launched a multi-faceted campaign to stop harassment on Metro buses and trains.
“Metro customers deserve to travel in a safe environment free from harassment,” said Los Angeles Mayor and Metro Board Chair Eric Garcetti. “Metro wants riders to know that unwanted sexual behavior will not be tolerated on its buses and trains, and help and support is available to victims of harassment.”
Metro is one of the few transit providers in the world that surveys its customers on sexual harassment and the latest results indicate 22 percent of respondents said they had experienced sexual harassment. Despite that high percentage, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) Transit Policing Division (TPD), which patrols the Metro system, received only 99 official reports of unwanted sexual conduct involving exposure, touching or inappropriate comments in 2014.
“That rate of reporting is woefully low and indicates that transit customers do not have faith that such behavior can be addressed,” said Metro Board member and Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl.
In response to the latest data, Metro has joined with Peace Over Violence, an organization dedicated to ending sexual, domestic and interpersonal violence, to launch “It’s Off Limits,” a system-wide campaign that identifies sexual harassment as unwanted touching, comments and gestures and makes it clear that such behavior is unacceptable. Bus and train printed advertisements encourage passengers “if you experience it or see it – report it. Call 1.888-950-SAFE.”
“Perpetrators of sexual crimes often continue their assaults if they are not caught, sometimes becoming bolder and violent,” said Peace Over Violence Executive Director Patti Giggans. “Reporting the crime means the assaulter can be caught before he victimizes other innocent women and girls.”
Passengers are encouraged to report incidents to the Sheriff’s hotline at 1.888.950.SAFE (7233) or 911. As part of the system-wide campaign, Metro upgraded its smartphone app, LA Metro Transit Watch, to include a report of “Indecent Exposure,” “Sexual Assault-Physical” and “Sexual Harassment-Non-Physical.” LA Metro Transit Watch has a feature allowing a reporting person to snap a photograph of a suspect safely without activating the camera’s flash. More than 80 percent of Metro riders carry cellular telephones and about half of Metro passengers have smartphones.
“With a description of the suspect and the time and place of the assault, Sheriff’s investigators have a better opportunity to make an arrest of a sexual criminal,” said TPD Chief Ronine Anda.
In coordination with LASD, Metro has begun training all front-line personnel, bus and train operators, maintenance and custodial personnel, in a procedure to help victims who want to make a report.
To further expand the message of reporting sexual harassment, Metro has produced a 30 second Public Service Announcement entitled “It’s Off Limits,” which will be shown online and submitted to Los Angeles television stations.
In launching the campaign, the Metro Board authorized a multi-departmental Safe Space Task Force comprised of Metro departments to attack sexual assault on the system, a Community Roundtable to better connect Metro with its customers and to inform them of responses to the issue, a review of national best practices recognized by the American Public Transportation Association, update Metro’s Customer Code of Conduct to explicitly prohibit unwanted sexual attention and identity-based harassment and partner with appropriate local agencies to provide non-law enforcement support for victims.
Interstate 15 Express Lanes Project Update
Work continues on the I-15 Express Lanes Project with the recent award of two contracts approved by the Riverside County Transportation Commission at its April 8, 2015 meeting. Parsons Transportation Group, Inc. was retained to provide comprehensive project and construction management services and Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. was awarded a contract for investment grade traffic and revenue study services. The Express Lanes Project will improve the I-15 freeway in northern Riverside County and will construct one to two tolled express lanes in each direction between the I-15/Cajalco Road interchange in Corona and the I-15/State Route 60 interchange just south of the Riverside/San Bernardino County line – approximately 14 miles. The tolled express lanes will be constructed in the existing I-15 median and are planned to open in 2020. Complete project details are available at http://i15project.info/.
LA Chamber: World Trade Week Kickoff Breakfast
Tuesday, May 5
Beverly Hilton Hotel
More info | Register
For nearly 90 years, World Trade Week has been the most extensive and unique program of its kind. Join more than 600 executives and members of the diplomatic corps to commence a month-long celebration of world trade in Southern California.
Attend the breakfast for a chance to win two roundtrip tickets good for travel to Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico or Central America. Click here to check out the silent auction items and packages, including round-trip packages to Japan, South Korea and Ethiopia. A portion of the proceeds will fund various World Trade Week educational programs.
FuturePorts Annual Conference:
Strong Ports= Strong California
Thursday, June 25
Renaissance Long Beach Hotel
More info | Register
Special Discount Code for Mobility 21 Members!
Use this code to receive Member Rate: M212015
Join FuturePorts for an interesting discussion of important topics facing
Southern California’s goods movement industry, including terminal modernization, economics and job creation and local, state and federal funding and policy issues.
Transportation Events in the Community
Friday, May 1
AAa/e: Student Networking Event
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May 4-7
ACT Expo 2015
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Tuesday, May 5
LA Chamber: World Trade Week Kickoff Breakfast
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Tuesday, May 5
WTS-SD: Lunch & Learn – Alternative Designs and Delivery Methods
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May 7-8
SCAG: Regional Conference and General Assembly
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Friday, May 8
ACEC Riverside/San Bernardino Chapter: Scholarship Golf Tournament
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May 11-15
Infrastructure Week 2015
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Wednesday, May 13
WTS-OC & WTS-SD: Joint Luncheon Featuring SANDAG
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Sunday, May 17
WTS-SD: Members Only Event – Conquer the Bride 4 Mile Run/Walk
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Wednesday, May 20
California Transit Association: Spring Legislative Conference
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Wednesday, May 20
Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce: Athena Award Luncheon
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May 20-22
WTS International: Annual Conference in Chicago
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Thursday, May 21
California Transportation Foundation Awards
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Thursday, June 18
SANBAG: General Assembly
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June 21-24
APTA: Rail Conference
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Thursday, June 25
FuturePorts: Strong Ports=Strong California Conference
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Thursday, June 25
WTS-SD: Annual Student Scholarship Bowling Fundraiser
Sponsor
Thursday, June 25
AAa/e: Annual Scholarship Fundraiser
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Friday, Aug. 28
Mobility 21: 2015 Summit at Disneyland Hotel
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Oct. 4-7
APTA: Annual Meeting
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Nov. 15-17
Self-Help Counties Coalition: Focus on the Future Conference
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Nov. 18-20
California Transit Association: Fall Conference and Expo
More info