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The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), the second largest transit agency in the nation, was honored with the prestigious 2023 COMTO (Conference of Minority Transportation Officials) Agency of the Year Award. This award recognizes Metro’s achievements in expanding Los Angeles’ transit system while promoting equity anddriving job growth and economic development across the region.
COMTO awards are highly regarded in the transportation industry, recognizing organizations and individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, innovation, and commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion within the field.
“Congratulations to CEO Stephanie Wiggins, former Board Chair Ara Najarian and the entire Metro agency for earning COMTO’s Agency of the Year Award,” said the Mayor of Los Angeles and Metro Board Chair Karen Bass. ”This recognition shows that the entire organization is dedicated to expanding access to the Metro system across Los Angeles while consistently working toward a more equitable, high-quality rider experience. I thank COMTO for their partnership, for raising the importance of diversity in the transportation industry and for acknowledging Metro’s leadership this year.”
Metro has one of the nation’s most ambitious transit expansion programs underway. In October 2022, the agency opened seven of the nine K Line stations in South Los Angeles and Inglewood. Metro also opened the Regional Connector in June, adding three new stations in Downtown Los Angeles and connecting the L, A, E, B and D rail lines and in doing so transforming the way people travel around the county. This new connection provides customers a one-seat ride from Azusa to Long Beach and East Los Angeles to Santa Monica and increases access to jobs, education, essential services and arts and cultural destinations.
Along with expanding Metro’s transit system, these projects have created thousands of jobs and opportunities for local businesses. Metro has an ambitious plan to ensure that 48 percent of Metro’s contracts and procurements include small, disadvantaged, and historically under-utilized businesses by 2028. This aspirational target includes Metro’s signature programs such as the Small Business Enterprise (SBE) and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE), Small Business Prime (SB Prime) and the Local Small Business Preference. So far, since 2015, Metro has awarded more than $1 billion to small businesses across all programs.
Metro has consistently promoted diversity in the transportation industry, but most of all the agency has ensured that all initiatives and programs are viewed through an equity lens. Metro’s Equity Platform has been implemented to assist in the development of new fare policies, expansion of the transit system and streamlining the process to build new housing, to name a few.
“I am so proud of the tireless efforts and dedication of our entire team in providing exceptional transportation services to our communities said Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins. “We are grateful to be recognized by COMTO and inspired to continue pushing the boundaries of excellence in public transportation.”
To learn more about COMTO, please visit comto.org.
About Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO)
Founded in 1971, the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials is the nation’s premier multimodal non-profit 501(c)(3) advocacy organization for minority professionals and businesses in the transportation industry. COMTO has more than 38 chapters across the United States and Canada. Membership includes transportation agencies, private sector corporations, and nonprofit organizations.
About Metro
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is building the most ambitious transportation infrastructure program in the United States and is working to greatly improve mobility through its Vision 2028 Plan. Metro is the lead transportation planning and funding agency for L.A. County and carries nearly 900,000 boardings daily on a fleet of 2,200 low-emission buses and six rail lines.
Stay informed by following Metro on The Source and El Pasajero at metro.net,
facebook.com/losangelesmetro, twitter.com/metrolosangeles and twitter.com/metroLAalerts and
