Register and Sponsor Mobility 21’s 3rd Annual Sacramento Legislative Reception

Join the Mobility 21 Board of Directors and Advisory Board Members in honoring California’s transportation leaders at a reception in Sacramento.

Monday, April 3
5-7 p.m.

The Citizen Hotel
926 J Street, Sacramento

Sponsor the Event

  • $1,000: Includes complimentary attendance for three and logo on promotional materials and signage at the event
  • $500 (small businesses and nonprofits only): Includes complimentary attendance for one and logo on promotional materials and signage at the event

Contact Kristin Slocum to sponsor the event.

Registration

  • $65 Private Sector
  • $35 Public Sector/Nonprofit
  • Elected Officials and Elected Staff complimentary

Register now!


Mobility 21 to Co-host Reception Honoring
California Transportation Commission in LA

Please join the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) and Mobility 21 on Wednesday, March 15 for a reception honoring the California Transportation Commission (CTC).

Wednesday, March 15
5-7 p.m.

Los Angeles Union Station
Ticketing Concourse

Sponsor the Event

  • $500: Includes logo on event marketing
  • $250: (small businesses and nonprofits only): Includes logo on event marketing

Contact Kristin Slocum to sponsor the event.

Registration
Registration free, space is limited.

Register now!


Mobility 21 Advisory Board Member Spotlight:
Lisa Alexander
Vice President, Customer Solutions and Communications, SoCalGas

As vice president of customer solutions and communications for SoCalGas, a Sempra Energy utility, Lisa Alexander is responsible for developing new markets, driving clean technologies for commercial, industrial and residential customers, and delivering information, products and services that meet customers’ energy needs and support state environmental and social policy objectives. She also oversees SoCalGas’ communications, media relations and various outreach programs. During her tenure, Lisa has helped position natural gas as a clean, affordable and timely solution to meet California’s air quality goals, and has championed technologies aimed at improving heavy duty transportation.

Most recently, at with Lisa’s direction, SoCalGas supported the research and development of emerging technologies that produce renewable natural gas, a carbon-neutral energy source with the potential to supply up to 20% of California’s annual natural gas consumption. Methane from agricultural and wastewater streams, for example, can be captured, conditioned and used as a clean and reliable source of energy.

Under Lisa’s leadership, SoCalGas has made the expansion of natural gas use in the heavy duty trucking sector a major priority. In 2016, the Company opened its 14th and 15th compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations to meet the growing demand for clean-burning and affordable fuel for commercial fleets. Compared to gasoline or diesel, CNG can be more affordable and emits less nitrogen oxide (NOx) and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. SoCalGas’ natural gas vehicle (NGV) program reduces GHG emissions by 750,000 tons/year and NOx emissions by 1,600 tons/year. Using engine technologies that exists today, California could immediately cut vehicle NOx emissions by 20% by switching from traditional petroleum to natural gas trucks, helping to reduce air pollution that has been shown to contribute to asthma, cancer, and premature death, especially in children and the elderly.

Prior to joining SoCalGas, Lisa held leadership roles in management consulting and strategic marketing for industry leaders in the entertainment, financial services and energy sectors. She has extensive experience in advising Fortune 500 companies in the areas of business development, marketing, and change management.

Lisa Alexander is a clean-energy leader both in and out of the workplace and is pleased to serve on the advisory board of Mobility 21. She also serves as the vice chair for the California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition and on the board of directors for TreePeople and NGVAmerica. Lisa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, cum laude with departmental honors, from the University of California, San Diego.


Mobility 21 Advisory Board Member Spotlight:
Jim McCluskie

Vice President, Transportation Group Leader, Moffatt & Nichol

James McCluskie has more than 30 years of engineering, management and project oversight experience for transportation, rail and water projects. He has worked on major transportation projects through design-build, public-private partnerships (P3) and design-build-finance-operate procurement methods. He has a proven ability to provide direction and assistance to engineers, designers and technical specialists. His experience includes defining business goals and translating these goals into actionable plans. His strategic management skills in long-range planning and programming are based on his ability to understand and interpret client management hierarchy, site criteria, engineering systems and project funding sources. Currently, James is Moffatt & Nichol’s Vice President and Transportation Group Leader for the Long Beach office.

Prior to joining Moffatt & Nichol in 2011, James served as Senior Vice President at PBS&J, and previous to that, as President of AMEC Infrastructure for 15 years where he managed offices throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Moffatt & Nichol provides design engineering services for the nation’s transportation infrastructure and has a current portfolio of 6,000 projects. In the past decade alone, the firm has prepared final PS&Es for the construction of more than 700 bridge and highway projects throughout California. James is focused on expanding Moffatt & Nichol’s Transportation capabilities and is building upon a workforce of planners, designers and transportation engineers—many of whom have more than 25 years of experience in the design of bridge, roadway and transportation structures.


Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx at the ceremonial signing for the federal funding for the Purple Line project. Photo by Juan Ocampo for Metro.

U.S. Department of Transportation Commits Nearly $1.5 Billion in New Grants and Loans for Section Two of the Metro Purple Line Extension

Metro received a construction grant agreement for $1.187 billion through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Capital Investment Grant program and a $307-million loan through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s TIFIA program to total $1.494 billion. The project will also receive $169 million in federal funding through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program.

Coupled with Metro’s $747 million local match made possible by 2008’s Measure R sales tax, $2.4 billion is now secured to continue construction of one of L.A. County’s most critically needed public transit projects – a subway primarily under Wilshire Boulevard that will finally connect downtown Los Angeles and Westwood with service en route to the Miracle Mile, Beverly Hills and Century City.

Metro is now in the process of selecting a contractor to build the subway extension’s second section. The agency plans to recommend a contractor to the Metro Board later this month.

“Metro greatly appreciates the funding provided by our transportation partners in Washington D.C.,” said John Fasana, Metro Board Chair and Duarte City Council Member. “By smartly matching federal dollars with Metro’s local sales tax proceeds, we will be able to deliver fast, frequent and high-capacity subway service as promised to L.A. County residents on an accelerated timeline.”

Metro is already building the first section of subway between the current subway terminus at Wilshire/Western and Wilshire/La Cienega with three new stations. The second section will add another 2.6 miles to the project and build two new stations at Wilshire/Rodeo in downtown Beverly Hills and Century City.

Pre-construction activities for the second section are already underway. Major construction is planned to begin in 2018. Completion of the second subway section is anticipated no later than 2026 per the FTA Full Funding Grant Agreement and Metro is aiming to possibly finish the project at an earlier date. A third and final section will extend the subway to the Westwood/VA Hospital. Construction on this last section is planned to begin as early as 2019.

“Angelenos and people across L.A. County have shown their commitment to creating a better-connected transportation system — and this investment echoes that commitment to giving people faster, more convenient connections to their jobs, to healthy recreation and fun attractions, and to the people they love,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who serves as Metro First Vice Chair. “We are moving quickly to create the world-class transit system our people deserve, and these federal funds for the Purple Line extension will accelerate progress along the region’s busiest transit corridor.”

Construction of the Purple Line Extension Section 2 will support over 20,500 jobs in Southern California during its construction, according to the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation.

“Securing funds for this $2.4-billion project was a truly collaborative effort, bringing together stakeholders at the local, state and federal levels,” said Sheila Kuehl, L.A. County Supervisor and Metro Board Member. “I can’t wait for the day when the Purple Line will begin to serve Wilshire Boulevard, one of the busiest and most congested corridors in Los Angeles County.”

The Purple Line Extension to the Westwood/VA Hospital station will garner about 49,300 daily weekday boardings at the seven new stations. There will be about 78,000 new daily trips on the full Metro Rail System as a result of opening this line.

A total of $3.1 billion in federal New Starts funding has now been secured for recent high priority Metro transportation projects.

“I’d like to personally thank the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Transit Administration for working hard to ensure this funding agreement moved forward in a deliberate and effective manner,” said Metro CEO Phillip A. Washington. “This and previous federal project funding represents years of hard work, and is the keystone to Metro’s countywide program to transform transportation in our region.”

Trains are expected to run every four minutes during peak hours on the Purple Line Extension and every 10 minutes during off-peak times. The Metro Board last month approved a contract for new subway vehicles to help support the line and the agency is also working on a project that will allow subway trains to turn around more quickly at Union Station, thereby increasing capacity on the line.

Over 300,000 people travel into the Westside every morning for work from throughout the region. More than 100,000 trips also leave the area for outside destinations. The Purple Line extension will offer improved connectivity to the entire Metro Bus and Rail network, as well as transfers to municipal bus lines and other regional transportation services.


OC Streetcar Rolls into Final
Design Phase with FTA’s OK

Plans for Orange County’s first modern streetcar took another major step forward this month when the Federal Transit Administration issued a letter announcing its support for the project to officially enter the engineering phase.

The letter signals the federal government’s continued support of the project and that the Orange County Transportation Authority remains on track meeting the extensive requirements of the FTA’s New Starts program.

The FTA’s current review of the OC Streetcar project focused on ridership projections and benefits to the community, as well as OCTA’s financial commitment to the streetcar project and the agency’s ability to build and operate it.

The engineering phase is the final stage before OCTA seeks a full funding grant agreement from the FTA, which could fund up to half of the $298-million OC Streetcar that will run through the heart of the county, serving Santa Ana and Garden Grove.

Construction on the OC Streetcar is set to begin in 2018 with the start of testing and operations planned for 2020.

“Orange County is ready and eager to get its first streetcar and this is significant progress,” said OCTA Chair Michael Hennessey. “When the streetcar is up and running, it will help provide better options for people to get out of their cars and use public transportation, whether it’s to get to work, to school or to a business meeting.”

OCTA continues to work closely with FTA officials during each step of the planning process for the streetcar. Last year, the project entered into FTA’s New Starts program, and it got a major boost when $125 million for the OC Streetcar was included in the President’s 2017 fiscal budget.

Other funding is coming from the state, which has awarded the project $25.5 million in cap-and-trade funds, and from local sources, including Measure M, Orange County’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements.

During the engineering phase, planners and engineers will make important determinations on the exact placement of tracks, stops and maintenance facilities and finalize the design for the streetcar. The final design will also include the relocation of existing utilities such as electrical and fiber-optic wiring, gas lines and water pipes and will determine how to best keep traffic flowing during construction.

Later this year, the OCTA board will consider purchasing the streetcars that will operate on the OC Streetcar tracks. A request for proposals was released last month for the eight streetcars that will be part of the system. April 28 is the deadline for firms to submit a proposal to provide the streetcars.

The OC Streetcar will operate on a 4.1-mile route from the busy Santa Ana train station, up Santa Ana Boulevard and Fourth Street and along the Pacific Electric right-of-way to Harbor Boulevard in Garden Grove.

The route will serve Santa Ana’s thriving downtown and important job centers that include county and local government offices and courthouses in the Civic Center. The OC Streetcar route will also connect with 18 of OCTA’s busiest bus routes and Metrolink commuter rail. It is expected to carry up to 7,500 passengers per day within its first year of operation.

Up to six streetcars at a time are planned to run along the route, stopping every 10 minutes during peak hours at 10 stations in each direction. Two streetcars will serve as spare vehicles.

For information on the project, visit www.OCstreetcar.com.


91 Project in Corona Reaches 91 Percent Completion Milestone: New Lanes to Open this Spring

The Riverside County Transportation Commission’s 91 Project is now 91 percent complete, with the new lanes on schedule to open this spring.

Construction of this $1.4 billion project began in 2014 to extend the 91 Express Lanes from the Orange County/Riverside County Line to Interstate 15, add general purpose lanes and auxiliary lanes, and improve interchanges, bridges, ramps and local streets.
The new lanes will offer a choice and time savings to motorists, allow faster emergency response, enhance air quality and promote access to public transit.

“The extension of OCTA’s proven 91 Express Lanes will be a great benefit to travelers throughout the region,” said RCTC Executive Director Anne Mayer. “In addition, the new general purpose lanes between State Route 71 and I-15 will provide additional east-west travel. We are excited to see these lanes open soon,” she said.

Although new lanes will open in the spring, 91 Project construction will continue through late 2017. Nighttime closures will be continuing, and motorists are reminded to allow extra travel time, adhere to the 55 MPH speed limit, follow detour routes, patronize local businesses and use IE511.org for real-time traffic information.


Don’t Miss SCAG’s Regional
Conference and General Assembly

May 4-5
JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa
More Info | Register

More than 900 local leaders from throughout Southern California will convene for SCAG’s 52nd annual Regional Conference and General Assembly at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert. Join SCAG for this two-day conference, which will feature presentations and panel discussions on new opportunities and innovations that will help meet the challenges of a region expected to add 4 million people over the next 25 years.

The conference will also present the 2017 SCAG Sustainability Awards, recognizing exemplary projects or plans that best integrate both land use development and transportation needs. This highly anticipated event brings together state and local elected officials, CEOs, business and civic leaders, transportation and environmental stakeholders, local government staff and others.


Transportation Events in the Community

Thursday, Feb. 9
CMAA SoCal: Owners’ Night 2017
More info | Register

Thursday, Feb. 9
WTS-SD: Volunteer Open House
More info | Register

Wednesday, Feb. 15
WTS-OC: Boots on the Ground, Flats in the Boardroom
More info | Register

Feb. 15-16
California Maritime Leadership Symposium
More info | Register

Thursday, Feb. 16
OCBC: Annual Dinner
More info | Register

Thursday, Feb. 16
WTS-SD: Webinar – Negotiation: Getting What You Want
More info | Register

Wednesday, Feb. 22
CTF: Transportation Forum
More info | Register

Thursday, Feb. 23
IEEP: 4th Annual Turning Red Tape Into Red Carpet Awards Reception
More info | Register

March 13-14
OCBC: One Voice, Two Capitols – Sacramento Advocacy Trip
More info | Register

Thursday, March 23
IEEP: The Inland Empire Economy in the Trump Era
More info | Register

March 28-29
LA Chamber: ACCESS Sacramento
More info | Register

Thursday, April 6
Ignite 22
More info | Register

Thursday, April 20
IEEP and LA Chamber: Logistics & Supply Chain Summit
More info | Register

May 1-3
OCBC: One Voice, Two Capitols – Washington, D.C. Advocacy Trip
More info | Register

May 1-4
ACT Expo
More info | Register

Thursday, May 4
LA Chamber: World Trade Week Breakfast
More info | Register

May 4-5
SCAG Regional Conference and General Assembly
More info | Register

May 17-19
WTS International: Annual Conference, New York City
More info | Register

May 22-24
LA Chamber: ACCESS Washington, D.C.
More info | Register

Wednesday, May 24
CTF: Transportation Awards
More info | Nominate

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

Friday, Sept. 29
Mobility 21: 2017 Summit
Disneyland Hotel