Los Angeles is a car-dependent city. For Angelenos that don’t have a vehicle, it can be tough to get around. The Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) has launched a new pilot program in South L.A. to ease transportation troubles.
LADOT’s Universal Basic Mobility pilot project is a program that aims to make public transportation easier and possible for Angelenos. Their overall mission is to ensure that “…all people have access to safe and affordable transportation choices that treat everyone with dignity and support an equitable, thriving city.”
Part of the UBM program is providing South L.A. residents with a “mobility wallet” from Metro that includes $150 in monthly aid to use for public buses, train fares, shuttles, scooters, bikes, and electric vehicle (EV) rentals. At this time, the UBM Pilot Area covers most of South Los Angeles.
Other aspects of the program include:
- Providing cleaner transportation options. Electric bikes, on-demand electric shuttles, and the BlueLA program which will make at least 50 more EVs available for rent for residents in the project area.
- More pedestrian and bike-friendly streets.
- The LA CleanTech Incubator and Los Angeles Trade Technical College will also offer workforce training for EV-related jobs such as technicians. LADOT states “participants will receive training in technical areas and interpersonal skills, and industry-recognized certifications to succeed in the green economy.”
LADOT states it is their goal to “…to eliminate the functional and/or structural immobility people experience due to racism and other systemic marginalization, cost burdens, and other forms of exclusion by adopting a Universal Basic Mobility (UBM) approach to transportation. When people’s right to movement is restricted, their personal health and wellbeing, productivity and belonging, and happiness are negatively affected.”
This pilot program has been launched as an overall test to see how much the services will be used, but most importantly to see how much it improves the environment, the lives of residents, and their health.
For more information on this program, please visit the LADOT and UBM sites.