Bass appoints Pasadena transportation director to head LADOT

Mayor Karen Bass announced Tuesday she has chosen Pasadena transportation director Laura Rubio-Cornejo as the new general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.

Rubio-Cornejo, who previously held senior roles with Metro, has more than 20 years of municipal, regional and state transportation experience, according to the mayor’s office.

The Los Angeles City Council will need to approve the mayor’s nomination before it can be finalized.

“We must do more to make Los Angeles neighborhoods safer for people to get where they need to go while better connecting communities to jobs and other opportunities,” Bass said in a statement.

Bass described Rubio-Cornejo as a “proven implementer with a record of delivering projects on time and on budget.”

“She is well positioned to focus the department on executing critical traffic safety improvements and delivering a high-level of customer service to Angelenos,” Bass said in a statement. “She is a leader who fights for equity and will guide the department’s efforts to implement real solutions that support historically disinvested neighborhoods who are disproportionately impacted by traffic violence. I am confident that Laura will guide the department’s work to deliver for communities by making streets safer while helping us prepare for major upcoming events that will draw visitors from around the world.”

Rubio-Cornejo would be taking over the position from Connie Llanos, who served as interim general manager of DOT for the past 14 months. Bass said Llanos has provided “steady and thorough leadership for this department,” adding, “Her service to the people of this city has bettered Los Angeles for millions of Angelenos every day.”

Rubio-Cornejo expressed her excitement at the opportunity and said it would be ” an honor” to be selected as the next general manager of DOT.

“I look forward to working closely with staff, across departments and in close collaboration with the community to deliver multi-modal transportation solutions and initiatives to make Los Angeles neighborhoods safer, more accessible and more livable,” Rubio-Cornejo said in a statement.

Stephanie Wiggins, CEO of Metro, and Hilary Norton, California Transportation commissioner and executive director of FASTLinkDTLA, issued statements supporting the mayor’s appointee.

“It’s an exciting time for Los Angeles — and for the region’s public transit agencies — as we do the work necessary to prepare for the 2028 Olympics and Paralympic Games,” Wiggins said.

“Laura Rubio-Cornejo brings deep transit experience, a commitment to collaboration, and an understanding of the issues we face that will be vital as we create a regional public transit system Angelenos deserve. The Metro family looks forward to working with Laura once again,” Wiggins added.

Norton said she has known Rubio-Cornejo for many years, from working together in the state Assembly to “collaborating across organizations to improving transportation in the Los Angeles region.”

“Laura’s record of project delivery, ability to coordinate complex initiatives with shared economic development and transportation goals and her commitment to advancing equity will be major assets to the City of Los Angeles,” Norton said in a statement.

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