Connie Llanos Announced as LADOT Interim General Manager

Earlier this week, Mayor Eric Garcetti officially appointed Acting General Manager Connie Llanos as Interim General Manager. Prior to her present position, Ms. Llanos served as LADOT's Chief of Staff and Strategy and the Assistant General Manager of the Office of External Affairs. 3 years ago Connie joined LADOT and has been an instrumental part in helping us to live up to our slogan of “Moving LA Forward”.

She has participated in major policy wins such as the passage of critical speed safety legislation to guiding the Department through the pandemic crisis and supporting the creation of programs like Slow Streets and Al Fresco Connie provides a steady hand and remains committed to supporting LADOT’s most valuable asset -- its people.

During her term, she also acted as LADOT’s first Racial Equity Officer, led the completion of the Department’s first Racial and Gender Equity action plans, and created the Department’s inaugural Racial Equity CORE Team.

We congratulate Connie on this new position and are committed to continuing the work of advancing the Department’s existing priorities of street safety, equity, innovation, and sustainability.

Kaylinn Pell Represents LADOT Among Dozens Of Women Completing The First Women's Management Academy Program

LADOT wants to recognize and congratulate Kaylinn Pell, District transportation Engineer for being among one of 40 women to complete the Women's Management Academy. It was created in response to the City Council's efforts to address the impact of COVID-19 on working women. This academy is an 8-week session strategically designed to increase the knowledge of the city’s budget, processes, contract procedures, and negotiations as well as program management, program development, and other skills with the goal of closing the gender gap within the City's management. We talked with Kaylinn about her experience with the program and her position as a transportation engineer

Congratulations on the award! What is your role at LADOT currently and what type of work does that involve?  

I have been with LADOT for 6 ½ years and am currently the Central District Transportation Engineer.  I lead an interdisciplinary team of 7 engineers, student professional workers and admin staff in responding to constituent requests about our transportation system.  We work with the council offices 1,9,14, constituents, LAUSD, and community groups to make our roads safer by implementing red/green/yellow curbs, stop signs, traffic signals, crosswalks, and a whole host of other safety measures.  

Have you always wanted to be a Transportation Engineer? What initially interested you in this type of work?
    
Yes, I have known since I was very little I wanted to be a transportation engineer.  I have family in the industry and have grown up going on field checks and to community meetings on nights and weekends.  I have seen how much our work affects the communities we serve and I wanted to be a part of that change, and help make decisions that will save lives.  I have been in the industry in a professional capacity for 10 years and I am still very excited about the role I and my team play in safety and equity.  I would say to any young woman interested in transportation, that there is a place for you in this industry, and it is a very rewarding career path.   

 What was your experience with the Leadership Academy like? How will you take those experiences and apply them in your role at LADOT?

This was the first annual Women’s Management Academy program hosted by Council President Nury Martinez.  It was an 8-week program focused on leadership, how LA City government functions, and the important role women play in decision-making.  We had learning modules on how the city council functions, the budget process, equity, how to coach and mentor employees who we supervise, and many others.  I have already used the knowledge I gained from this course in working with the council offices and I look forward to continuing to share it with the teams I lead in the District office and the engineering recruitment program.  

What projects are you most proud of in your time at LADOT? What are you most looking forward to in the future?

I have had the pleasure of working in the signal timing group, transportation planning, project management, and now the Central District office.  One of the projects I am most proud of during my time in the Central District is working with my team to deliver the Delevan Elementary School safety enhancements project.  This project addressed concerns raised by the community about speeding, and unsafe driving behavior, and pedestrian safety.  The central district engineering team worked together to finalize the designs and worked with our partners in Council District 14, Parking Enforcement, LAPD, and LAUSD to implement the safety measures during spring break this year (April 2022).  Our office has received a lot of positive feedback from the school community, and I feel very good knowing we helped over 500 students safely access their school. 

Another project I am very proud of came early in my career.  The intersection of Avenue 51 and Figueroa had a few collisions involving pedestrians so, in 2017 LADOT upgraded the intersection by installing a new traffic signal.  It was a challenging design that required my supervisor and myself to be present during installation.  A few years later, I met a family through a mothers group I am a part of who lived near that intersection.  Through our conversations, we realized that one of their family members was one of the people hit at Avenue 51 and Figueroa which sparked the need for the traffic signal.  It was a full circle moment where my personal life and professional life collided, and it really drove home how important and impactful our work is.  This other family thanked me for my involvement in the project and how much it meant to them that LADOT took action to make it safer for their community.       

Transportation and engineering are often considered male-dominated fields. Do you see that changing? How is LADOT opening pathways of opportunity for women to take leadership roles in the transportation industry?

In addition to my work as a transportation engineer, I also lead the engineering recruitment program.  I helped develop the program 4 years ago and am very proud of what we have accomplished.  In that time, we went from 5% - 10% of our engineering hiring classes being women, to now 50% of our engineering hiring classes are women.  We are focussed on equity and ensuring that our engineering hiring classes reflect the demographic makeup of our City.  Leading this program has not only helped shape the next generation of LADOT’s decision-makers, but it has also given us an opportunity to create a culture of professionalism, inclusivity, and leadership among those engineers who participate as recruiters.  I am very proud to look around our office and see so many new faces, especially young female engineers, and know that my team had a hand in bringing them into the LADOT family.  We are already seeing their creativity and expertise shine through on all the projects our department delivers, and I could not be more proud to be a part of that change.

Congratulations Kaylinn and we are proud of the work you are doing here at LADOT.

 

New Safety Improvements In Garvanza Park

New safety improvements addressing speeding and pedestrian safety have made its way to the Highland Park community. Recently, our LADOT Central District Office engineers worked with CD14 Kevin De Leon to install safety features around Garvanza Park. These improvements include new marked crosswalks, three all-way stop signs, and bump-outs with bollards to help alleviate speeding issues and pedestrian safety by slowing down drivers and give the pedestrians more visibility in the crosswalks.

 

Community Bike Ride

We are currently beginning to engage the community to get the word out about the upcoming improvements on Anaheim Street. We’re starting with a community bike ride Saturday, September 17th in Wilmington. This ride is a slow-paced, family-friendly ride that will give residents the opportunity to envision safe and connected streets in the Wilmington community. 

Community Ride- RSVP
Saturday, September 17th
Wilmington Waterfront Park
600 W C. St, Wilmington, CA 90744

Learn more about the Anaheim Street Safety Improvements.

Participate in our Community Surveys:

You are the ultimate expert for your community. LADOT wants your input as we plan projects to improve the safety, sustainability, and livability of Los Angeles communities.

Reseda Boulevard Complete Streets Project

As part of the Complete Streets Program, the City is reconstructing Reseda Blvd to improve safety and accessibility for all. Give your feedback on the upcoming improvement and receive updates and more information on the project here.

Watts Central Avenue Great Streets And Safety Project

StreetsLA and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation are making improvements to Central Avenue that will improve safety and accessibility for all on Central Ave. Take the survey to add your feedback about needed safety improvements

Venice Boulevard Mobility Improvements

The City of Los Angeles and Metro are bringing mobility upgrades to Venice Blvd from Lincoln Blvd to National Blvd. This project proposes adding active transportation and bus improvements to increase comfort and safety for all who travel on Venice Blvd. Let us know how you use Venice Blvd and how to best improve it using this survey

Transportation Photos of the Week

LADOT crews recently responded to reports of unsafe driving behavior near Garvanza park by making intersection upgrades to calm traffic so that families and other can feel secure walking to and from this community destination.

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