Policy Lab
The Future Communities Policy Lab is focused on testing and promoting new approaches and partnerships for utilizing data and analytic platforms to improve regional and local planning. Through the Policy Lab, SCAG aims to illustrate and help member agencies apply new methods for visualizing, dashboarding and interpreting regional datasets alone or in combination with private, crowdsourced or open data platforms to understand complex policy issues. This has included fostering research opportunities on common issues through the SCAG/City of Los Angeles Data Science Federation. SCAG also collaborates with the County of Los Angeles and City of Los Angeles to increase data-oriented skills and know-how amongst public sector practitioners through the award winning Data & Donuts monthly series.
Future Communities Pilot Program
In 2018, SCAG and the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Committee (MSRC) made available a new $2.7 million grant opportunity that would allow local cities and counties to implement new technology and data solutions, while also reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and implementing SCAG’s 2016 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy. Examples of VMT reducing projects considered include fleet telematics, Internet of Things applications, route optimization and Mobility as a Service pilots.
The goals of the Future Communities Pilot Program are to:
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Apply new technologies and data analytics to test innovative approaches for reducing emissions-producing VMT from local travel and municipal operations.
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Explore opportunities for data analytics and technology projects in a variety of contexts/communities, including projects that support and engage disadvantaged communities.
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Improve efficiency and reduce the costs of city and county municipal services.
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Identify and quantify relative impacts of a variety of technology-based VMT reduction strategies.
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Promote replicable pilot projects that support new policy development, improve processes for government service provision, and pilot innovative engagement practices with private sector mobility providers.
On Feb. 7, 2019, the Regional Council approved awards to the following jurisdictions:
- City of Cerritos Remote Services Enhancement Project — $211,000
- City of Glendale Route Optimization & Fleet Telematics — $76,813
- City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation Measuring VMT Reduction from Shared Mobility Services through Real-Time Data — $500,000
- City of Monrovia Evaluate Alternative Strategies to Optimize the GoMonrovia Program — $500,000
- City of Anaheim Smart Center City – Parking Guidance and Mobile App Integration — $197,000
- City of Riverside Integrated Electronic Plans Solution — $499,700
- County of San Bernardino Remote Electronic Warrants — $297,242
- City of Ontario Smart City Rapid Validation Hub — $418,200
Upon completion of the implementation pilots, SCAG will conduct analysis of program effectiveness and use the results to promote replication of best practices and policy development to facilitate wide-scale adoption of the most promising strategies.