Wednesday, October 15th, a record 27 USC transportation students from both policy and engineering began their day at the Millennium Biltmore Los Angeles as invited attendees to the WTS meeting, PART OF A COMPLETE STREETS BREAKFAST - WTS-LA Welcomes LADOT General Manager, Seleta Reynolds .  Generously sponsored by WTS members USC Viterbi Vice Dean James Moore and former Los Angeles Unified School District Administrator Emilie Gino, corporate sponsors AECOM and CH2M Hill, and the WTS LA Board, the students enjoyed breakfast, networking opportunities, and insight from a transportation leader.   “I think everyone needs to take advantage of these events as much as they can.” remarked USC Price International Public Policy and Management student Pariya Terhani.  “I am very impressed with the networking opportunities that USC provides for us. Everyone at the WTS meeting was very cordial and welcoming toward the students. Even Lynda Bybee (WTS LA President and Metro DEO of Regional Communications) recognized the students during her speech and encouraged the professionals to help us since we ‘are the future of the sector’.”

The speaker, former Livable Streets Section Leader at San Francisco Muni, Reynolds has recently brought  her active transportation background to Los Angeles' increasingly multi-modal metropolis, and this meeting was an opportunity for WTS to formally welcome her to Los Angeles and to hear about her plans for the future of transportation in the city.

"It was a great opportunity to hear from the LADOT General Manager Seleta Reynolds about the changes that she is bringing into not just Los Angeles as a whole, but also in her office with her employees. “ said student attendee, Sunghea Khil, a junior at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy majoring in Sustainable Planning.  “This is particularly exciting to me because I will be starting my work as a Student Professional Worker at LADOT soon. It was also great to meet transportation experts and hear about different backgrounds that all led up to the transportation field. I was especially grateful to sit at a table with leaders in AECOM and Caltrans, who are working to develop communities on a national and international level,” she added.  “If there is ever another opportunity like this, I hope to be able to participate again."

For more information about this event or WTS-LA, visit www.wtsinternational.org/losangeles