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CommuteCon 2020

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LA Metro's New Mobility Regional Roadmap

Emma Huang
Principal Transportation Planner
LA Metro Office of Extraordinary Innovation

Session Description

Emma Huang will present on the genesis of LA Metro’s first-and-last mile partnership with Via, which is now in its second year of operation. Metro’s pilot with Via aims to make on-demand trips more accessible to a wider audience, and to leverage Via’s service to connect riders to transit. Huang will also speak about Metro’s New Mobility Regional Roadmap – an effort by LA Metro to lead the LA County region towards reaching consensus on the best path forward around managing TNCs and micro-mobility, like e-scooters and dockless bikes. LA Metro recognizes that these modes can provide a mobility benefit, but there is mounting evidence that suggests they also bring negative externalities. These modes are also regulated at the state level and the city level – which makes for a poor mobility experience given the land use in the LA County region. Huang will discuss how LA Metro is trying to bring its city stakeholders together to determine the best path forward.

About the speaker:
Emma is a Principal Transportation Planner with the Office of Extraordinary Innovation at LA Metro. She works under the Strategic Planning Team, focusing on research and policy. Emma’s current project portfolio includes Metro’s Traffic Reduction Study, Metro’s New Mobility Regional Roadmap, and Metro’s 5 Year Legislative Strategy. As part of the FTA Mobility on Sandbox Program, Emma designed and implemented Metro’s pilot partnership with Via for on-demand, first-and-last-mile service, which launched in January 2019 and is in its second year of service. Emma was part of the project team and a contributing author to Vision 2028, Metro’s 10-year strategic plan that was adopted by the Metro Board in June 2018. She also co-authored UpRouted: Exploring Microtransit in the United States, published by the Eno Center for Transportation in 2018. Emma received her Master of Public Policy degree from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, and her Bachelor’s degree in Political Studies from Pitzer College.