Photo credit: Bailey Shen, USC

Secretary Toks Omishakin of the California State Transportation Agency visited USC’s Sol Price School of Public Policy on April 8, 2024, and spoke to students about Land Use and Transportation strategies and implementations of ongoing projects in California. He highlighted the policies focusing on Traditional Neighborhood Developments (TND) and Transit Oriented Development (TOD), as well as their actual practical aspects related to implementation. Secretary Omishakin also addressed the large gaps in communication and exchange between the authorities governing and regulating land use and transportation.

During his address, Secretary Omishakin talked and expanded on CALSTA’s four core priorities of safety, equity, climate action, and economic prosperity. He introduced the “Safe System Approach” and opened the forum for students to share their thoughts on areas of improvement such as mitigating collisions and creating safer environments. He highlighted and spoke about his personal goals, experiences, and actions toward Vision Zero, a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries and work towards an equitable mobility plan for all. The address also introduced work on integrating technology and innovation to enable safety and equity in transportation.

Secretary Omishakin concluded his seminar by introducing TOD projects around transit rail stations, highlighting funding and budget allocation, and addressing its current shortcomings. Secretary Omishakin’s final remarks of the afternoon reiterated the importance of thought-provoking cultural influence as a means of impacting and creating change within the system, as opposed to simply regulation.