Executive Director’s Monthly Report, May 2026
General Assembly Elects 2026-27 Board Officers
The SCAG General Assembly voted to approve 2026-27 Regional Council officers: Hon. Ray Marquez (Chino Hills) will serve as 2026-27 Regional Council president; Hon. Jenny Crosswhite (Santa Paula) will serve as Regional Council first vice president; and Hon. Patricia Lock Dawson (Riverside) will serve as Regional Council second vice president. Leadership also recognized Hon. Cindy Allen (Long Beach), who finished her term as Regional Council president for 2025-26 and will continue as a board officer in the role of immediate past president.
Year in Review and 2025-26 President’s Report Now Available
SCAG Regional Council President Cindy Allen closed out her term by sharing the “2025-26 President's Report,” which lists SCAG’s accomplishments for fiscal year 2025-26, at the 2026 Regional Conference and General Assembly. The report is organized by the Presidential Priorities established by President Allen at the beginning of her term: Olympics preparation, clean transportation technology, and housing production. The report also chronicles SCAG’s advocacy accomplishments and awards since May 2025.
At the 2026 Regional Conference and General Assembly, SCAG screened a video discussing the agency’s accomplishments over the past year. To read more about the report and watch the video, visit SCAG News.
SCAG General Fund Budget for Fiscal Year 2026-27 Approved
The SCAG General Assembly adopted the General Fund Budget and Membership Assessment Schedule during its annual meeting on May 7. The General Fund is the designated financial resource for the operating budget of the Regional Council and supports SCAG activities not funded by, or non-allowable charges to, federal or state grant funds. The fiscal year 2026-27 General Fund budget is $3,347,614, compared to the fiscal year 2025-26 Budget Amendment 2 of $2,872,278.
SCAG Advances Regional TDM Planning for the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games
At its May meeting, the Regional Council approved the 2028 Games Regional Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Approach, intended to guide development and delivery of passenger and freight TDM strategies for the LA28 Games. The Regional TDM Approach outlines SCAG’s role as the Games Mobility Executives TDM lead agency and establishes a shared vision, goals and objectives, high-impact strategies, and next steps for implementation. It also identifies strategies that SCAG will lead, support, partner, or amplify across the following four key areas: Regional Communications and Outreach; Regional Wayfinding; Mobility and Access Programs; and Regulatory and Operational Policies. The final 2028 Games Regional TDM Strategy is planned for presentation and adoption at the Transportation Committee and Regional Council in July.
SCAG Establishes Connect SoCal 2050 Subcommittee to Guide Regional Policy Development
The SCAG Regional Council voted to establish a special Connect SoCal 2050 Subcommittee to provide overarching policy leadership for development of the Connect SoCal 2050 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy. A Draft Policy Development Framework outlining the process for updating policies and strategies for the next plan guides this effort.
Updated every four years, Connect SoCal is the region’s long-range plan for transportation, land use, sustainability, and prosperity. The most recent plan, Connect SoCal 2024, was adopted by the Regional Council in April 2024. Work is now underway on Connect SoCal 2050, scheduled for adoption in spring 2028.
The SCAG Regional Council President will appoint subcommittee members during the June Executive/Administration Committee Retreat, with the first meeting anticipated in July.
Public Input Notice for SCAG Federal Certification Review
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will conduct the 2026 SCAG federal certification review to evaluate the regional transportation planning process carried out by SCAG and its partners.
Every four years the FHWA and the FTA jointly complete a certification review, inviting the public to comment on SCAG’s transportation planning process. Members of the public may provide the FHWA and the FTA with written comments by email or regular mail. The FHWA and the FTA will accept written comments through Monday, June 15, by email sent to cert.review@dot.gov, or by US mail to Mr. Mervin Acebo, FTA Region IX LA Metro Office, 888 S. Figueroa, Suite 440, Los Angeles, CA 90017.
SCAG Awards 11 Scholarships to Southern California Students
SCAG announced the awardees of the 2026 SCAG Scholarship Program at the 2026 Regional Conference and General Assembly on May 7 in Palm Desert. This 16th annual SCAG Scholarship Program supports the next generation of public servants. A record 183 applications were received from students throughout the SCAG region.
The Scholarship Committee of eight Regional Council members and two representatives from academia recommended the Regional Council award the 2026 SCAG Scholarships to the following 11 students:
Imperial County
- Roberto Gonzalez (Imperial)
- Benjamin Amezcua (El Centro)
- Sydney Trevino (Holtville)
Los Angeles County
- Marley Antonio (Granada Hills)
- Annalia Henderson (Palos Verdes Estates)
Orange County
- My Le (Santa Ana)
Riverside County
- Kaden Ren (Riverside)
San Bernardino County
- Michael Wong (Rancho Cucamonga)
Ventura County
- Ariana Perez (Ojai)
The California Transportation Foundation again partnered with SCAG to provide funding for two additional scholarship awards:
- Lizzet Uriarte (Paramount)
- Dheekshaw Gopinath (Oak Park)
SCAG congratulates these future Southern California leaders. More on the scholarship award program can be found in the Scholarship Committee report in the May Regional Council agenda.
SCAG Hosts Curb-Space Management and Regional Resilience Toolbox Tuesdays
SCAG hosted two Toolbox Tuesday online learning sessions in April.
SCAG hosted the “Curb Space Management – Local Lessons” Toolbox Tuesday session on April 7. Video of the session is now available on YouTube.
Curb space has become one of the most constrained resources in most cities, as increasingly large personal vehicles, ride-hailing services, dockless scooters, and the COVID-19-era shift toward delivery services require increasing use of limited street and curb space. As a result, cities face new challenges with on- and off-street parking, roadway congestion, and first/last mile connections.
Attendees heard from SCAG, local agencies, and private sector stakeholders about what they have learned about emerging constraints on curb space through a series of studies published since 2020. The session covered data-driven curb management strategies, practical policy guidance, and technology-based solutions tailored to diverse local contexts.
SCAG hosted the “Regional Resilience Toolkit” session on April 21 to present how collaborative planning, information and resource sharing, and big-picture thinking can limit effects of disasters and accelerate recovery for local communities and the region. Video of that session is also available on YouTube.
The SCAG Regional Resilience Toolkit shares resources and information to support Southern California communities, cities, and counties with resilience planning. The toolkit is intended for use by any jurisdiction in Southern California, regardless of size, population, experience in resilience planning, or direct encounters with the shocks and stressors of the current age.
GoSGV Bike Share Program Reopens Voucher Program
SCAG Executive Director Kome Ajise, Regional Council Member Mayor Tim Sandoval, and President of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments Edgar Reece spoke at a press conference in San Dimas to announce the next phase of the Go SGV E-Bike Voucher Program, managed by the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments with funding from SCAG’s Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) grant program. Following a successful initial launch last fall, GoSGV is reopening applications to provide residents with $2,000 point-of-sale vouchers for high-quality electric cargo bikes. This program helps to expand sustainable transportation solutions that reduce vehicle miles traveled and support climate goals in alignment with Connect SoCal 2024.
Through SCAG’s County Transportation Commission Partnership Program, made possible by funding from the Regional Early Action Planning Grants Program of 2021, SCAG has invested $2.6 million dollars in growing GoSGV. This funding helped the GoSGV program expand the lending library fleet, subsidize monthly memberships for economically vulnerable individuals, and supply GoSGV e-bikes to new affordable housing projects like Lantern Terrace in Alhambra.
SCAG has also allocated $2.85 million to the San Gabriel Valley cities of Covina, Monrovia, and Montebello to fund design and implementation of safe bike lanes and walkable neighborhoods through SCAG’s most recent Sustainable Communities Program call.
Regional Council Members Tour the Port of Los Angeles
SCAG hosted its L.A. County Mobile Workshop at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, gathering SCAG Regional Council members for an in-depth look at one of the most consequential pieces of infrastructure in the nation. The visit featured remarks from SCAG Executive Director Kome Ajise and former SCAG Regional Council President Margaret Finlay, followed by a comprehensive “Port 101” overview presented by Marisela Caraballo DiRuggiero, director of trade development, and Randy Allen, deputy chief of the Los Angeles Port Police.
The briefing highlighted the port’s significant economic footprint—$399.6 billion in economic value generated across the United States and $93.9 billion throughout California, in addition to 176,000 jobs in the L.A.-Long Beach area alone. Participants also received an overview of the Zero-Emissions Port Electrification and Operations Project, a $500 million infrastructure investment that will add 200 megawatts of capacity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 145,461 tons annually—one of the largest grid upgrades at any single port complex in the country.
The workshop concluded with a harbor boat tour with a firsthand view of port operations. SCAG continues to value its partnership with the Port of Los Angeles to advance regional dialogue on infrastructure, trade, and sustainability.
Regional Councilmembers Tour OCVIBE Development Site
SCAG hosted its Orange County Mobile Workshop on April 17, featuring a tour of the OCVIBE project in Anaheim. OCVIBE is a major mixed-use development located between Angel Stadium, the ARTIC transportation hub, and the Honda Center, which will be an indoor volleyball venue during the 2028 Summer and Paralympic Olympic Games. Upon completion, OCVIBE will deliver more than 2,000 residential units, including over 300 affordable housing units. The development will also feature a three-mile connected walking trail, 20 acres of parks and plaza space, and approximately 500,000 square feet of office space.
During the workshop, SCAG Chief Operating Officer Darin Chidsey presented on SCAG’s role in supporting the LA28 Games, focusing on transportation demand management strategies for the region. Participants also received an overview of the OCVIBE project before touring the active construction site.
Regional Councilmembers Tour CV Link and Sustainable Agriculture in the Coachella Valley
SCAG hosted a mobile workshop in the Coachella Valley on May 6, with a tour of the new CV Link active transportation project, sustainable agriculture practices at Aziz Farms, and clean fleet technology employed by SunLine Transit Agency.
During the tour, Regional Councilmembers rode a two-mile section of the CV Link, a 40-mile separated multi-use path for walking, biking, and low-speed electric vehicles. The path was completed in 2025, and traverses six jurisdictions between Palm Springs and Coachella. Regional Councilmembers heard from Coachella Valley Association of Governments Executive Director Tom Kirk about the cross jurisdictional collaboration behind the planning and realization of CV Link.
Regional Councilmembers also visited Aziz Farms, where owner and farmer Mark Tadros led a tour highlighting sustainable agriculture methods. Sunline Transit Agency provided transportation for the tour with a hydrogen fuel cell bus, and Sunline CEO Mona Babauta spoke about the agency’s leadership in adopting zero emissions technology for its transit fleet.
City of Los Angeles Completes Phase 1 of Reconnecting MacArthur Park Project
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation, in partnership with Central City Neighborhood Partners (CCNP) and Los Angeles City Council District 1, completed Phase 1 of the Reconnecting MacArthur Park project, funded through SCAG's Sustainable Communities Program - Civic Engagement, Equity, and Environmental Justice (SCP CEEEJ), in April 2026. Through community engagement led by CCNP—including a Community Advisory Committee, trained local promotoras and youth ambassadors, and traffic analysis and concept development—this project explored potential removal or closure of Wilshire Boulevard to vehicle travel to restore connections between north and south portions of MacArthur Park and improve community access to the park.
Recommendations will advance to Phase II for further study, engineering, and design work through a U.S. Department of Transportation Reconnecting Communities grant, led by the city of Los Angeles’ Bureau of Engineering.
City of Westminster Hosts Mendez Freedom Trail Dedication Ceremony
On April 14, the city of Westminster celebrated the completion of the two-mile Mendez Freedom Trail. The trail features a new protected bikeway for safer bicycle travel, with interactive educational signage. Project planning began in 2016, when the city worked with SCAG’s Go Human program to host the “Experience Hoover” event, where community members tested temporary bicycle safety designs with materials from the Go Human Kit of Part Lending Library. Community feedback from this initial demonstration informed final trail designs. This new trail complements the Mendez Tribute Monument Park, which honors the legacy of Mendez v. Westminster, the landmark civil rights case that helped end school segregation in California.
Mesa Verde East Drive ‘Cruise the Loop’ Event Demonstrates Improved Traffic Safety Designs
As part of its Bikeway Connectivity Study, the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) partnered with the city of Costa Mesa to host the Mesa Verde East Drive Cruise the Loop event on April 12, 2026. The event gathered almost 800 community members, collecting input and temporarily showcasing potential bikeway improvements using materials from the SCAG Go Human Kit of Parts Lending Library.
SCAG Joins Transportation Technology Discussion at UCLA Lake Arrowhead Symposium
SCAG Executive Director Kome Ajise moderated a panel titled "Shifting into Drive: What to do Tomorrow and Next Week” at the 35th Annual UCLA Lake Arrowhead Symposium. This year’s gathering of academics, industry experts, and public sector leaders focused on autonomous vehicles, with Ajise’s panel looking at how private and public sectors collaboration can advance new transportation technologies. The panel featured Lilly Shoup, managing director of Rebel; Arielle Fleisher, policy and research manager at Waymo; and Joshua Shank, partner at InfraStrategies. Together, the panel explored how to responsibly manage public interests amidst technological changes in transportation. Several senior staff from SCAG’s Planning Division also attended the conference.
SCAG Joins Panel on Cross-Sectoral Partnership in Emergency Management
SCAG Executive Director Kome Ajise participated in a leadership panel, “Regional Governance During Crisis” presented by the USC Price Center on National Defense and Public Safety and Community Economic and Human Development Committee Member and Professor Frank Zerunyan. Panelists included Carol Parks, general manager of the city of Los Angeles Emergency Management Department; Lauren Meister, director of operations for Emergency Network of LA; Jim McDonnell, Los Angeles chief of police; and Col. Andy Dermanoski, delta commander of the Los Angeles Air Force Base.
The panel discussed coordinated emergency response, preparation for major international sports activities in Los Angeles, public-private partnerships, and the role of AI in crisis management. Ajise highlighted SCAG’s Regional Resiliency Toolkit during the discussion.
SCAG Hosts CalSTA Working Group Meeting
On April 28, SCAG hosted the California State Transportation Agency’s (CalSTA) SB 1098 Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Working Group at SCAG's Downtown Los Angeles Office.
Led by the California Department of Transportation and CalSTA, the LOSSAN working group is developing a written fleet and asset management plan that aligns equipment, facilities, and infrastructure needs with funding. SCAG Chief of Planning Sarah Jepson gave opening remarks to the group.
The working group meeting included a review of strategies to increase rail service coordination and reduce disruptions or delays; coordination of planning and project development; and changes to state statutes, rules, or funding necessary to improve the quality, performance, usage, management, and frequency of passenger rail services.
