InterActions LA 2022
Inclusive Approaches to Electric Carsharing
Friday, May 6
Electric carsharing holds enormous potential for our cities — they can provide safe, clean, and convenient ways to travel and, for those unable to afford personal vehicles, they increase access to opportunities. Over the past five years, a new wave of carsharing services supported by public funding using electric vehicles has emerged. Nonprofit models have operated at a large scale in the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, and elsewhere, while public and community-controlled programs are emerging in Sacramento and Los Angeles.
At this year’s InterActions LA event, we’ll hear how people have benefited from electric carsharing programs and how agencies of different types may want to get involved. Speakers will also discuss sustainable business models, operational approaches that can fill mobility gaps, and outreach strategies to ensure the programs are known to people who stand to benefit the most.
Speakers
Evelyn Blumenberg
DirectorEvelyn Blumenberg is the Director of the Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies and a Professor of Urban Planning within the Luskin School of Public Affairs. Her research examines the effects of urban structure — the spatial location of residents, employment, and services — on economic outcomes for low-wage workers, and on the role of planning and policy in shaping the spatial structure of cities. Professor Blumenberg’s recent projects include analyses of trends in transit ridership, gender and travel behavior, low-wage workers and the changing commute, and the relationship between automobile ownership and employment outcomes among the poor.
Areas of Work:Transportation, Access to Opportunities
Fedolia “Sparky” Harris
SpeakerFedolia “Sparky” Harris holds a B.A. in Geography/Ecosystems and an M.A. in Urban Planning both from UCLA and has been a planner for the City of Sacramento for over 20 years, following a seven-year stint with the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG). He has managed a variety of efforts for the city from establishing and managing the carshare program to working with Congresswoman Doris Matsui to bring back the electric streetcars. In 2016, Sparky ended eight years of service on the City of Elk Grove Planning Commission in anticipation of relocating his family to Midtown Sacramento to enjoy a car-light lifestyle.
Creighton Randall
Speaker
Creighton Randall launched Mobility Development Group in 2018 and leads work to develop programs and funding for shared mobility so that these systems can work for everyone. Mobility Development supports both the startup and back-office operations of community-controlled shared mobility networks like Miocar, Floshare, and Drive CDTA that focus on providing service to marginalized communities. Since 2015, Randall has led technical support to LADOT for the BlueLA program in Los Angeles, which is growing to provide 300 vehicles serving South, Central, and East Los Angeles. He has worked in equitable mobility implementation and policy for 15 years, and draws on early experience with Buffalo Carshare in supporting these programs.
Seleta Reynolds
SpeakerSeleta Reynolds is the general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) appointed by the Administration of Mayor Eric Garcetti. She leads the department as well as the day-to-day operations of this multifaceted organization with an annual budget of $526 million. Reynolds is responsible for implementing Great Streets for Los Angeles, doubling the number of people riding bikes, a plan to reduce traffic fatalities, and expanding access to integrated transportation choices for Angelenos and the region. Reynolds has over 17 years of experience planning, funding, and implementing transportation projects throughout the United States. Prior to accepting her current position, Reynolds served as a manager in the Livable Streets sub‐division at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, an associate with Fehr & Peers consulting firm, and as the bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for the City of Oakland. She is a past president of the Association for Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals, served on the Transportation Research Board Bicycle and Pedestrian Committees, the Steering Committee of the NACTO Urban Street Design Guide, as well as the WalkScore Advisory Board. Reynolds currently serves on the METRANS Advisory Board.
Caroline Rodier
SpeakerCaroline Rodier is a researcher at the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies. Her primary research areas include transport, land use, and environmental policy analysis. Most recently, Rodier has led the planning, implementation, and evaluation of electric carsharing, volunteer ridesharing, and Mobility as a Service (MaaS) pilot projects that serve rural disadvantaged populations in the Central Valley. In addition, her modeling research involves the travel effects of alternative new shared mobility systems, such as ride-hailing and ridesharing, in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles County. Rodier also recently authored a report on how autonomous vehicles and shared mobility can address driving challenges for people with developmental disabilities. She holds a Ph.D. in Ecology and a master’s degree in Community Development from UC, Davis.
Abigail Solis
Speaker
Abigail Solis is the manager of the Sustainable Energy Solutions Department at Self-Help Enterprises. She oversees several energy and clean transportation initiatives that provide low-income, historically overlooked communities with access to affordable and renewable energy options. She leads the Community Energy Navigator Team, a network of community-based leaders providing robust community engagement, enrollment, and technical assistance for the SJV DAC Pilot Projects, authorized by the CPUC. She helped to launch Miocar, the San Joaquin Valley’s first electric carshare program which provides residents with affordable access to electric vehicles and charging stations. She works to develop equitable programs and policies and to eliminate the barriers that prevent resources from reaching vulnerable communities. Solis has experience planning and implementing energy, transportation, drinking water, and other infrastructure improvement projects. She is committed to elevating the needs of low-income communities at the statewide level while developing community-led solutions at the local level. Solis is the recipient of the 2021 Clean Energy Champion Hall of Fame Award from the California Energy Commission.
Karla Velasco
SpeakerKarla Velasco is a community relations specialist at the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), where she works closely with resident leaders as a liaison between government entities and residents of Public Housing communities in order to meet resident needs. Rancho San Pedro is one of HACLA’s communities undergoing a planning process for redevelopment. After assessing the needs of the residents through a people services survey, it was revealed that the residents were interested in using other modes of transportation that are better for the environment. HACLA thus partnered with the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) to provide an EV carshare program at Rancho San Pedro. Velasco manages HACLA’s community coach program comprised of eight resident leaders that took charge of outreaching and educating other residents on the use of electric vehicles. Velasco graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a bachelor’s in Sociology in 2017. She is currently working on her Master of Social Work degree at California State University, Long Beach.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
About the Conference
InterActions LA is an annual conference dedicated to advancing regional growth and equity in Greater Los Angeles. Bringing together a diverse community from multiple sectors, this half-day event provides an opportunity to discuss and engage in the most pressing regional issues today. InterActions LA seeks to ignite conversation, exchange ideas, and provide knowledge on topics at the intersection of how people live, move, and work in the Los Angeles region.