“The thing I think we as a city are grappling with is, how do we rely less on grants,” said Jarvis Murray, commercial rideshare and mobility administrator at the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, speaking on an April 11 panel at the annual Curbivore conference in Los Angeles.
Murray, and others on the panel, offered ideas around a way forward as states and regions across the nation navigate the new landscape of the Trump administration, which has taken drastic steps to reverse policies and funding put in place by the Biden administration to address climate change and degraded public infrastructure. Much of this congressionally authorized funding has been paused, with little indication from federal agencies regarding when — or if — it will be released.
This uncertainty has prompted a posture aimed at creating more innovative public-private partnerships and other arrangements to achieve city goals like reducing emissions, advancing transportation equity or expanding the infrastructure to support electric vehicles.
“I think cities are realizing that they’re on their own for the most part,” said Tiya Gordon, co-founder of it's electric, which designs and installs curbside electric vehicle charging ports.
“This is a new reality. We’re not going back to where it was,” added Gene Oh, CEO of Tranzito, which offers consultation and design for new transportation concepts like mobility hubs.
This is a time, say industry watchers, for innovation in areas like deals forged between cities and the private sector. Could a city provide the land or ease of permitting, Murray speculated, while the private sector takes over the management of, say, an EV charging site?
“You tell us how this can work and be most functional across the board for our residents and the community. I really think that’s going to be the way,” he said. “I don’t have a full answer. But I think the beginning answer is partnering with private industry to help us move this forward.”
Curbs, which generate parking revenue, can become more dynamic, morphing into loading zones or ride-hailing drop-off locations, Oh said, as he illustrated how the modern street curb has evolved and, more importantly, how the city can use this asset to establish relationships with the private sector.
“Now, all of a sudden, you don’t have a supply and demand issue. And now also, you have the opportunity for dynamic pricing,” he said. “And so this idea where the city takes ownership of their assets and then utilizes that with private industry to invite them in as a carrot approach, not a stick approach, I think can benefit everyone.”
Policy shifts in Washington, as well as natural disasters closer to home, are offering openings to encourage fresh looks at how cities confront today’s modern needs and challenges. In January, much of the communities of Altadena and Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles County were consumed by fast-moving urban wildfires. The Eaton Fire in Pasadena claimed 18 lives and destroyed more than 9,000 structures. The Palisades Fire consumed more than 11,000 structures.
“I think this is actually the perfect time to begin reimagining how a city can look,” Murray said. “Now we get to rethink how it should look. We don’t have to be hemmed in by the way it used to look.”
It’s also the time to establish new and more innovative relationships with the private sector, he added.
“If you want to work within our communities, help us understand your business,” said Murray, speaking to the numerous private-sector tech leaders in attendance. “Help us understand how you’re helping the community. And then we can help you grow.
“Do not be afraid to talk to us,” he added. “And don’t be afraid to share data with the city.”
