Discovering Transportation Careers in Downtown LA

On September 17, 2023, 37 ITE students at universities in Southern California converged on Downtown LA for an annual office tour event. Jointly planned by USC’s and UCLA’s ITE chapters this year, the event was a highly collaborative effort with six universities across the region represented: the University of Southern California, UCLA, UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and Cal Poly Pomona. During the office tour event, students learned about various transportation careers (in planning, engineering, and other transportation-related fields) at three firms based in Downtown LA: Los Angeles Metro, HNTB, and Gannett Fleming.

A fourth visit to the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s (LADOT) real-time traffic management center (ATSAC center) was planned. However, LADOT staff could no longer accommodate a visit due to their all-hands response to the I-10 freeway closure. A catastrophic fire on November 11, 2023, under the freeway caused a full closure between Alameda Street and Santa Fe Avenue through the heart of LA. More than 300,000 vehicles normally travel on this corridor every day. With the closure, much of the regional traffic through this section was diverted to surface streets. Students witnessed the added congestion firsthand during the tour, but also learned the importance of communication with the public. Governor Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass provided daily briefings to the public on the recovery status in collaboration with Caltrans, LADOT, and many other agencies. It was impressive to observe and learn about the monumental, multidisciplinary work that reopened the freeway on November 19, 2023 – just eight days after the fire.

The tour began early in the morning with a visit to LA Metro’s First/Last Mile team based in Metro’s Gateway headquarters building. At the start of Metro’s presentation for students, Ms. Neha Chawla, a senior manager on the First/Last Mile team, emphasized the breadth of Metro’s mission: it’s not merely a transit agency, but rather a transportation agency. Its functions include operating bus, rail, and paratransit services and encouraging active transportation, but also maintaining freeways and building critical transportation infrastructure. The First/Last Mile team is an important part of this broad mission, as they ensure people can walk, bike, or use other active transportation to get to transit stops – accessibly and with dignity. 

Throughout the presentation, students learned about the challenges the team faces in fulfilling that mission. Ms. Mariko Toy, a transportation planner at Metro and a fellow Trojan, explained that Metro collaborates with local jurisdictions to implement active transportation projects such as bike lane installations, sidewalk improvements, and wayfinding measures. Metro only plans and funds these projects through a voter-approved sales tax measure, Measure M. Ms. Toy emphasized Metro’s efforts in collaborating with community-based organizations (CBOs) to gather practical input on the agency’s projects. Finally, students discussed the equity issues inherent in the car-centric pedestrian environments present throughout neighborhoods in Los Angeles County.

The second stop on the office tour was an infrastructure consulting firm, HNTB. Led by consultants at the firm, students first learned about the collaborative features present in the HNTB office, including numerous breakout rooms, cubicles grouped together by business function, and a staff recreation area. Following the facility tour, the HNTB staff presented their company’s four primary domains of expertise: architecture, environmental planning, rail, and roadways. Staff consistently emphasized how HNTB staff, irrespective of their discipline, can have a huge impact on important projects like California High Speed Rail, Metro’s Sepulveda Transit Corridor, and the LAX airfield modernization program. They also focused on the idea that the workplace is a critical place for learning and development. Additionally, students enjoyed the view from HNTB’s new facility overlooking the 7th Street / Metro Center transit hub in the center of Downtown LA.

The third and final stop on the office tour was another consulting firm, Gannett Fleming. Whereas HNTB offers a wide range of infrastructure services, students learned that Gannett Fleming focuses more on civil engineering and architectural work. This tour was less formal, which allowed students to engage in one-on-one conversations with staff at the firm. They learned from staff in a variety of disciplines, including architects, civil engineers, and business leaders. To conclude the tour, the Gannett Fleming staff offered prescient advice to students: internship experience is always valuable for one’s career, even if it’s not at one’s preferred organization.

Despite all three tours being at very different organizations, a core message shone through all of them: the importance of collaboration. This idea manifests itself in many ways. For instance, Metro must work with CBOs to adequately consider their input before recommending a solution to a transportation problem. In contrast, consulting firms like HNTB need to remain in constant conversation with their clients to deliver a satisfactory final product. Effective communication is notoriously challenging; presenters at HNTB conceded that working with public agencies in particular can be slow and bureaucratic. Students also learned that the rules and regulations within government entities are necessary to provide accountability, transparency, and fairness to all taxpayers. However, everyone recognized that no project of the scale required in the transportation world can be successful without excellent collaboration. Ultimately, students are sure to carry this lesson with them throughout their careers.