Los Angeles

Modernizing L.A.’s Transportation Network

CitiesLos AngelesModernizing L.A.’s Transportation Network

We created the first strategic plan for L.A.’s Department of Transportation, along with a next-phase bus rapid transit and a citywide bike-sharing program.

This strategic plan is an urban constitution for what Los Angeles streets can be and how to make them safer and better for the economy and for all Angelenos, no matter how they get around.

Seleta Reynolds, General Manager of LADOT

Relevant Expertise

Improve Public Space and Neighborhoods

Pedestrian Infrastructure Improvements

Transform Streets and Mobility

Bike Share and Cycling Infrastructure
Bus Rapid Transit Systems
Modern Transportation Solutions
Road Safety

Challenge

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) is a 2000-person, $500 million agency responsible for 7,500 miles of streets and the safety of 3.9 million Angelenos as they walk, bike, take transit or drive. The City of Los Angeles and Mayor Eric Garcetti recognized that LADOT needed to be revitalized and re-energized with a new vision (and a new General Manager) to usher in a new era in L.A. transportation. Bloomberg Associates was called upon by the Mayor to formulate a clear vision to guide LADOT as it moved ahead into the future.

Approach

Bloomberg Associates and LADOT worked together to define a new transportation agenda for Los Angeles and the first strategic plan for the agency. Bloomberg Associates helped recruit, interview and vet potential General Manager candidates, and aid in the final selection. In addition, Bloomberg Associates advised the city on a new 1,000-bike share system at 65 stations in downtown L.A. and advised the City on the next phase of bus rapid transit development, which included an option for off-board fare collection. In August 2015, Mayor Garcetti and the new General Manager adopted Vision Zero, pledging to completely eliminate traffic fatalities through improved street design, public education, and enforcement.

Impact

With new leadership in place at L.A.’s Department of Transportation, 70% of the original plan’s benchmarks have been achieved, including the Mayor and City Council’s approval of $27 million for the Vision Zero program and its goal of eliminating traffic fatalities by 2025. In 2017, the city installed 404 new crosswalks, 109 new speed feedback signs, and 117 intersection redesigns. To meet the safety, mobility and livability goals first outlined in the strategic plan, LADOT continues to innovate by managing traffic and congestion with investments in technology and by harnessing new automated vehicle technologies and connected infrastructure. By helping to formulate and articulate a fresh agenda for the L.A. Department of Transportation, Bloomberg Associates has brought focus and discipline to transit, fulfilling Mayor Garcetti’s “Great Streets” initiative, and reducing car dependence and providing new mobility options for the people of Los Angeles.