California 175

Public transit

City of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a citywide benefit)

Applying a proven solution to a new issue or sector (using an existing model, tool, resource, strategy, etc. for a new purpose)

L.A.’s legendary traffic and urban sprawl is a central part of our region’s current narrative, and it affects every aspect of life here. The average driver loses 100 hours a year and $2,400 in productivity to traffic; congestion also affects the air we breathe, the amount of gas we use, the price of goods, and public safety. And it disproportionately harms residents of low-income communities, who face longer commutes and whose neighborhoods have some of the city’s worst air quality. Despite massive investments in public transit, L.A. cannot seem to find the will to abandon its love of the car. As California turns 175, it’s time to take a new approach to changing the narrative around L.A. transit. How can we tell a new story of connection in this city—connection that builds resilience, creativity, and culture? We must address this question now if we want to make Los Angeles a better place to learn, create, play, connect, and live, for the next 175 years and more.

This grant will support a series of four public programs that explore the promise and potential of Los Angeles transit, and the thread it weaves through our lives and city. Produced by Zócalo in partnership with local nonprofits and cultural organizations, the programs are part of a larger, statewide series that explores the future of California as the state turns 175. 
These programs will be multi-modal: walking tours, a bus tour, an exploration of the 6th St Viaduct Bridge, and a salon-style event at Union Station. Our participants will be artists, scholars, and local civic leaders, collaborating with Zócalo to make these adventures informative, interactive, and thought-provoking. We’ll create a celebratory atmosphere by hiring local artists, fruit stands, taqueros, and food trucks. All this will aim to bring together audiences that reflect the diversity of the city. 
We are hoping to move beyond the classic questions and problems about getting people out of their cars, increasing density, achieving equitable access, and instead to inspire people to think about the role of transit in their lives, and how it connects them to culture, food, history, place, and of course, each other. 
California 175 offers a unique opportunity to broaden the narrative around public transit in Los Angeles and to imagine a more deeply connected future for all Angelenos. 

California 175 marks a critical moment in history, and takes a new approach to one of L.A.’s most pressing problems. This project will create vibrant engagement between people, public spaces, and transit as we envision the city’s future. It will increase civic engagement, bring Angelenos together in pursuit of lifelong learning, and foster discussions about how to make our community a better place to live, work, and play.
It will also increase ridership and engagement with alternative ways to get around the region. We’ll provide complimentary TAP cards on the bus tour, and the walking tours will include a ride on the B Line. We’ll show audiences at the 6th St Viaduct the value of smart urban planning and open a unique window into the process of infrastructure creation. At Union Station we’ll celebrate an architectural landmark and regional transportation hub.
Ultimately, the goal is for participants to envision the possibilities for public transit and become more comfortable using it.