Mobility 21 to Co-host Reception Honoring California Transportation Commission
Please join OCTA, OCBC and Mobility 21 on Wednesday, May 15 for a reception honoring the California Transportation Commission (CTC).
Wednesday, May 15, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center
Registration
$75 Private Sector
$35 Public Sector, Nonprofits, Students
Elected Officials Complimentary
Click here to register
Sponsorship
$1,000 – Host Level: Includes logo on event marketing and two complimentary tickets
$500 – Support Level: Includes logo on event marketing and one complimentary ticket
$250 – Small Business Level: Includes logo on event marketing and one complimentary ticket
Click here to watch our save the date video!
2024 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, Sept. 20 at the Disneyland Hotel. “Authors of Innovation,” the theme of this year’s Summit, promises to bring together more than 1,300 transportation stakeholders, industry leaders and elected officials.
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 more than 100 exhibitors. General registration includes breakfast buffet, seated luncheon and a $50 Disney voucher available for pick-up by attendee at 4:00 PM after the Summit. Click here to book your hotel room!
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 more information about the sponsorship packages or contact Kristin Slocum to sign up.
Mobility 21 Advisory Board Member Spotlight:
Shant Nahapetian
Senior Policy Advisor
Southern California Edison
Shant Nahapetian is a Senior Policy Advisor at Southern California Edison (SCE), where he leads external engagement on the company’s transportation electrification policy and infrastructure priorities as well as other strategic initiatives. In this role, he shapes policy outcomes and helps government, business, and community stakeholders navigate the transition to zero-emission vehicles and supports the execution of SCE’s Charge Ready offerings – one of which is the largest light-duty electric vehicle charging infrastructure program of its kind in the country.
Shant has extensive experience in public policy and government affairs with a focus on highly regulated and scrutinized industries. Prior to SCE, Shant was a Director at DCI Group, an independent public affairs firm in Washington, D.C. where he advanced the policy and business priorities of Fortune 250 companies at all levels of government. He also served as an aide to Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX).
Shant is a graduate of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of La Verne. He also holds certifications in the National Incident Management System, the crisis management system organized by the Federal Emergency Management Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
Mobility 21 Advisory Board Member Spotlight:
Steve Agor
Vice President Business Development
Skanska
Steve Agor, Vice President Business Development for Skanska, leads business development and government affairs efforts for Skanska’s Civil Western United States business. During his 30+ years in the engineering and construction industry, Steve has led the planning, engineering, and construction management of complex infrastructure projects. He enjoys working with customers, utilizing his engineering background, to find innovative solutions that work given each project’s unique constraints of the environmental impacts, community needs, budget limitations and project objectives.
Steve currently focuses on Skanska’s strategic business opportunities; including government affairs, joint venture partnering and designer teaming for alternative delivering procurements.
Throughout these efforts, he helps Skanska teams determine the most cost-effective solution that meet or exceed project goals. Through collaborative team efforts during Steve’s tenure, Skanska has been selected as the preferred construction partner for some of the region’s most complex and challenging infrastructure projects.
In addition to Steve’s Advisory Board member with Mobility21, he also serves on the Boards for the Southern California Partnerships for Jobs, Transportation California and the American Road and Transportation Builders Association as well currently serving as the Infrastructure Chair for the Inland Empire Economic Partnership. At home, Steve has been a little league volunteer as a coach, board member, and now umpire for the past 21 years.
Steve earned his civil engineering degree from California State University Long Beach, holds a certificate in Project Management from University California Irvine (Extension) and is a Registered Civil Engineer in the State of California.
Summit Platinum Sponsor Spotlight:
Moffatt & Nichol
Wherever you’re going and however you get there, it’s all about the connections. At Moffatt & Nichol, for almost eight decades, we’ve helped our Southern California transportation clients make the big connections that drive progress in our communities, regionally and across the nation. Whether by roadway, rail, trail, bridge, or waterway, our planning and design has kept pace with Southern California’s changing transportation needs.
The recent Interstate 405 Improvements Design-Build project exemplifies design through connectivity, requiring 18 overcrossing bridges, and the reconstruction of 12 local road interchanges. While the 405 project is about regional congestion relief, connecting the 405 to the local street, transit, and trail networks is just as important. The OCTA emphasis on these connections can be seen with the safer bike and pedestrian crossings at interchange locations, the careful placement of enhanced crosswalk signals and signage at these transition points, and improved ADA walkways, railings, and bus stop locations in the corridor.
The recently completed Ocean Boulevard Coastal Bike Trail Connector is another example of finding, exploring, and completing critical connections. The trail provides a 0.5-mile Class I bike path, connecting the eastern terminus of the Mark Bixby Bicycle Path on the new Long Beach International Gateway Bridge to the City of Long Beach’s bicycle network east of the Los Angeles River, closing a critical gap in the California Coastal Trail.
At Moffatt & Nichol we are always looking toward what’s next in transportation and are excited to take on assignments for projects that define progress and connect people and goods throughout Southern California.
Summit Platinum Sponsor Spotlight:
Parsons
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Summit Platinum Sponsor Spotlight:
Skanska
Skanska is committed to building a more connected society. We are proud to build projects that connect people to the opportunities for education, work and play that make Southern California a great place to live. Whether it’s improving the movement of goods and materials across our region or providing better, safer, and more sustainable travel options for Californians, our efforts are based upon Skanska’s core values, and serves our customers and communities.
We are proud to support Mobility 21 in their mission to expand transportation options and create solutions that advance mobility throughout Southern California. Skanska shares Mobility 21’s commitment to the region and will continue to play our role in helping to transform the Southern California transportation landscape, connecting citizens, businesses and visitors to the people and places that matter to them.
Within the community, Skanska strives to connect our employees to opportunities by advancing a culture of inclusion and embracing the diverse backgrounds, talents, and perspectives that our people bring to work each day. Our subcontracting programs provide opportunities for women, minority, small and veteran disadvantaged businesses; and we work directly with them to provide training, mentoring, and hands-on support. Our recent and active Southern California projects have awarded over $1 Billion in contracts to disadvantaged business enterprises.
Thank you, Mobility 21, for your dedication and continued advocacy in support of positive regional growth for Southern California.
Summit Platinum Sponsor Spotlight:
SoCal Edison
Electrify Your Fleet with SCE’s Programs, Services, and Technical Assistance
Southern California Edison (SCE) provides a myriad of programs and services to help customers meet regulatory requirements and navigate the transition to light, medium, and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles. SCE also offers advisory services to support customers early in the electrification planning phase. Our expert representatives are standing by.
SCE’s Charge Ready Transport Program offers low-to no-cost electrical system upgrades to support the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment for qualifying vehicles. This program provides a unique opportunity for fleet operators choosing to acquire EVs by providing support and reducing the costs associated with the necessary charging infrastructure.
When a customer is approved to participate in the program, SCE will design, construct, and install the necessary infrastructure on both the utility-side and customer-side of the electric meter. If the customer prefers, they can perform the customer-side of the meter electrical work and receive a rebate. Additional rebates are available to school districts, transit agencies, and eligible companies within disadvantaged communities.
Studies have shown that investing in EVs can help businesses save long-term on maintenance, fuel, and other costs. To learn more, please visit www.sce.com/evbusiness
Commission Approves Traffic Relief Plan to
Address Transportation Needs in Riverside County
We’ve listened! The Riverside County Transportation Commission approved the Traffic Relief Plan (TRP or Plan) on April 10, 2024, to help provide Riverside County residents with a reliable, safer, more efficient transportation system that will accommodate the County’s growing population and economy.
The TRP is an aspirational plan that identifies an ambitious set of priority transportation projects and services based on input from thousands of residents throughout the County. As such, the Plan is meant to identify transportation projects that will help reduce traffic and offer mobility options to help Riverside County residents get to where they need to go.
“The Traffic Relief Plan is a guide for improving our transportation system. If we can clear up bottlenecks for better flowing freeways and provide greater mobility options, our residents will spend less time in traffic congestion and more time living life,” said RCTC Chair Lloyd White and Beaumont City Council Member. “By coming together to approve this plan, the Commission is working to ensure Riverside County remains a place of opportunity and not a region known for traffic.”
The Plan features more than $30 billion in transportation improvements across seven transportation categories, including:
Safe Streets and Roads – Example projects include: keeping roads in good condition; sidewalks and pedestrian safety infrastructure; protected bicycle lanes; roadway improvements in high-accident areas; bus shelters; bridge repairs; improvements to railroad crossings; improvements to provide accessibility for persons with disabilities.
Highways – Example projects include: improving traffic flow on State Routes 60, 91, 111 and Interstates 10, 15, and 215 by constructing new lanes, improving highway interchanges (on- and off-ramps and bridges) and public transportation facilities, expanding Freeway Service Patrol roadside assistance, and utilizing innovative technologies.
Public Transportation – Example projects include: increasing frequency and safety of passenger trains and buses; building new tracks, parking, and stations; extending rail service from Perris to Hemet and San Jacinto; exploring mass transit options on the I-15 corridor; extending rail service to the Coachella Valley and San Gorgonio Pass (Banning/Beaumont/Calimesa/Cabazon area) from Los Angeles and Orange counties; and improving connections between home, school, and employment centers.
Regional Connections – Example projects include: constructing multi-modal transportation corridors that connect parts of Riverside County, relieving congestion on existing highways and local roads, improving safety such as realigning State Route 79 as a County road; creating a bypass to I-10 between Banning and Coachella Valley; improving Van Buren Boulevard; and providing a new Elsinore-Ethanac Expressway.
Active Transportation – Example projects include: improving safety and expanding access to pedestrian and bicycle facilities such as sidewalks and bicycle lanes, in addition to improving and expanding recreational trails and access to open spaces and natural areas.
Environmental Mitigation – To achieve balanced growth of the region, to ensure transportation projects can move forward, withstand natural hazards, and provide for a high quality of living for current and future generations of Riverside County residents, the TRP makes meaningful commitments to environmental stewardship.
Flood Control and Blowsand – Example projects include: reinforcing roadways and infrastructure against natural hazards in the Coachella Valley such as on Indian Canyon, Gene Autry Trail, and Dillon Road.
Residents are encouraged to read the Plan at TrafficReliefPlan.org.
Later this summer, Commissioners representing every city in the County and all five members from the County Board of Supervisors will decide what steps can be taken to fund projects in the TRP.
OCTA’s 405 Express Lanes Helping Drivers
With More than 4.8 Million Trips Taken in First 4 Months
New tolled express lanes opened Dec. 1, 2023, along with a new regular lane in each direction, helping everyone who travels through one of the nation’s most traveled corridors
The 405 Express Lanes, open for four full months, is helping tens of thousands of drivers every day speed up their commutes and spend more time with friends and family – instead of in traffic – with a reliable time-saving option for traveling through one of the nation’s busiest stretches of highway.
In its first four months of operation, the 405 Express Lanes recorded 4.8 million trips, consistent with the revenue projections for the lanes that are being paid for with tolls collected.
The 405 Express Lanes opened Dec. 1, 2023, as part of a $2.1 billion improvement project that also included a regular lane in each direction on I-405 between Costa Mesa and the border with Los Angeles County. The project also included 18 new bridges, on- and off-ramps and new sidewalks and bike lanes, improving access to and from communities neighboring the 405.
“It’s fantastic to see that so many people have discovered the convenience of the new 405 Express Lanes so that they can more easily explore all that makes Orange County such a special place to live and spend more quality time with children, with grandparents or other loved ones,” said OCTA Chair Tam T. Nguyen. “For those who haven’t tried it yet, we encourage you to learn more and try out this innovative transportation option.
“It means less traffic congestion and less stress,” Nguyen added. “‘Less driving and more living!’ is our slogan and it’s true.”
How to use the 405 Express Lanes:
If you have an existing FasTrak transponder and active account from any toll agency in California, you can drive in the 405 Express Lanes.
If you need a transponder, you can open an account by going to the 405 Express Lanes website, by phone, by mail or at the walk-in centers in Costa Mesa and Orange. More information is available online at www.405ExpressLanes.com.
The 14-mile 405 Express Lanes includes two lanes in each direction at the center of I-405 between SR-73 in Costa Mesa and I-605 at the Los Angeles County border, traveling through six Orange County cities.
There are several entrance and exit points along the entire route, allowing access to and from local neighborhoods and to many popular shopping, cultural, employment and educational destinations.
Through the end of March, more than 6,000 405 Express Lanes accounts were opened, with an average of about 200 accounts still being added weekly.
With the opening on the first day of December 2023, use of the 405 Express Lanes grew sharply and then slowed during the holiday period. Revenue from tolls collected and fees grew to $1.2 million by the end of December, and March proved to be the highest revenue month with $2.5 million collected, which will pay for the cost of building the lanes without using any taxpayer money.
The majority of transactions have been from single-occupant vehicles, and the heaviest traveled section of the 405 Express Lanes is between I-605 and SR-22 – one of the most traveled areas nationwide. As the 405 Express Lanes evolve, OCTA will routinely monitor usage and make adjustments to operations as necessary to continue free flow travel and for meeting the needs of travelers across the region.
For more information or to sign up for an account, visit www.405ExpressLanes.com.
Connect SoCal 2024 Approved
The formal adoption of Connect SoCal 2024 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS) by SCAG’s Regional Council on April 4 marks a significant milestone, putting forward a long-term vision for the future that balances mobility and housing needs with economic and environmental goals over the next 25 years. If fully implemented, Connect SoCal 2024 would reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality and improve the region’s long-term economic viability through more than $751 billion in transportation investments and a more sustainable regional development pattern.
The Regional Council also certified Connect SoCal 2024’s Final Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) on April 4. The PEIR considers regional planning and implementation strategies prior to application of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) mitigation measures that can avoid or reduce significant adverse environmental impacts of Connect SoCal 2024. The PEIR also discusses two book-end alternatives—in compliance with the CEQA requirement for a range of alternatives—that could feasibly avoid or substantially lessen any significant adverse environmental impacts of the plan while attaining most of the basic plan objectives.
As work on Connect SoCal 2024 transitions to implementation, SCAG emphasizes the importance of collaboration at all levels to realize the plan’s transformative potential. From here, SCAG will pursue implementation through collaboration and policy leadership; federal funding administration; data collection, analysis and research; and local technical assistance resources. Visit the Connect SoCal 2024 website to subscribe to get involved in implementation and receive progress updates.
Port of Hueneme to Host 11th Annual World Trade Week Event
RSVP
The Port of Hueneme is a vital hub for international commerce. This world trade event is a tribute to the esteemed partners locally and globally who contribute to the success and growth of regional, state, and national economies. From importers and exporters to logistics providers and government agencies, we come together to recognize the interconnectedness of global trade and the importance of fostering strong partnerships. During this event, guests will have the opportunity to network with industry leaders, government representatives, and professionals in international business. Engaging discussions and informative presentations will highlight the significance of logistics, and technology, in the rapidly evolving global trade landscape. Join us as we celebrate the spirit of collaboration, innovation, and growth in global trade at the Port of Hueneme’s 11th Annual World Trade Week Event. Let’s come together to celebrate our achievements and pave the way for a prosperous future in international commerce!