USC Price Alum Justine Johnson was recently promoted to Head of Mobility Engagement in Southern California and Southwest US at Ford Motor Company.  We congratulate her, highlight her achievements to date, and look forward to the new contributions she will make to the transportation industry.  We also take this opportunity to thank her for all she does for METRANS PSR students, as a mentor, speaker, and friend.

Justine Johnson,
Head of Mobility Engagement in Southern California and Southwest US at Ford Motor Company

A native to Los Angeles, Johnson was introduced to transportation issues at an early age. Having grown up in South LA Johnson frequently took the bus, especially when commuting to her high school in the Pacific Palisades. She recalls how using the bus allowed her to “see two different worlds every single day with two different experiences,” and how achieving mobility by using public transportation was a necessity in her life. During her undergraduate studies at Hampton University, Johnson took a course on urban planning, which she says allowed her to think critically about the built environment and inspired her to pursue a related career.

Johnson’s experience studying urban planning led her to pursue and complete a Dual Master’s Degree at the USC Price School of Public Policy (then the School of Policy, Planning, and Development) in Planning and in Public Administration. During her time at USC, Johnson participated in the Planning Lab in Costa Rica, where she studied social and community planning from the lens of tourism as well as ecotourism, a form of travel to natural areas. Touched by her own experience at USC, Johnson is an Alumni Board Member of the Price School and also serves as a mentor to first generation college students. She is firmly committed to giving back to the institution that set her firmly in her career, and to be an alumni resources to aid students in need. However, she also sees room for improvement, and notes that she pushes for the university to “foster a more inclusive and diverse environment that reflects a variety of experiences.”

After graduating from USC, Johnson worked with the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (NYC TLC). During her time at the NYC TLC, Johnson spearheaded the Boro Taxi Initiative, which allows “for-hire” taxi drivers to do the same pickups as traditional yellow taxis, expanding street-hail taxi services throughout the outer-boroughs in New York City. Johnson also conducted a study on “taxi refusals,” which occur when a driver refuses to pick up a customer on the basis of their race, ability, or other factor. The taxi refusal study analyzed why these refusals occurred, how to prevent refusals, and how to create a system to reduce these refusals. The study aims to educate drivers and taxi license inspectors on the laws associated with taxi driving and refusals in order to discourage refusals. 

After leaving the NYC TLC as Director of External Affairs, Johnson worked with the NYC Economic Development Corporation as Vice President of Government and Community Relations. She shares that during Mayor Bill de Blasio’s term, there was high emphasis placed upon expanding Citywide Ferry Service, and Johnson was tasked with building out and engagement plan for communities that would be connected by newly planned ferry routes that would connect different boroughs along the East River. The project, which was given a two-year duration, allowed Johnson to utilize and optimize her communication skills with governmental entities and the public. She shares that she was quite creative in her outreach, even involving 2nd graders into the public processes, teaching them about the various vessels and the importance of them. While there was pushback from the public regarding some of the proposed ferry landing locations, Johnson was pleased to be able to achieve widespread community engagement and support in getting landings approved for development. Johnson advises planners and transportation officials to ask themselves “how can I take more time out of the process to think about the people that use this service every day?” and places emphasis on the importance of engaging the public, leaving no-one behind or even feeling left behind by policy decisions. Johnson’s is proud that the success of the project allowed for greater mobility options for those who needed transportation options across the d East River.

In regard to modern issues like the COVID-19 pandemic and growing concerns of climate change, Johnson believes in the importance and effectiveness of a collaborative spirit across the private and public sectors. Johnson reminds us that both sectors are reliant upon each other, the private sector working on transportation technology and the public sector regulating and sometimes even facilitating these new technologies. For example, she notes, the rise in electric vehicles is due to state and federal incentives and aggressive regulation, pushing car companies to quickly increase the volume of their electric vehicle production. Johnson states that we are all in a “sandbox together trying to make innovative decisions around pressing topics.”

Johnson later returned to her hometown of Los Angeles, accepting a position as Mobility Strategist and Ford Motor Company, and has recently been promoted to Head of Mobility Engagement in Southern California and Southwest US, where she focuses on the future of mobility “to liberate the human journey.”  She appreciates these new challenges, and shares that she constantly considers how transportation can evolve to serve the needs of people and organizations.  At Ford, Johnson works with government agencies, private companies, and the public to encourage new mobility initiatives. In her role, she conducts “thought leadership,” which is the promotion of new ideas in transportation through education and discussion. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson noticed the growing popularity of electric scooters and on-demand transit services, and working with Ford’s subsidiaries, Spin and Transloc, was able to collaborate with the University of California San Diego to provide mobility services on campus. Projects like this help create mobility and educate individuals and organizations on sustainable transportation options.

In regard to modern issues like the COVID-19 pandemic and growing concerns of climate change, Johnson believes in the importance and effectiveness of a collaborative spirit across the private and public sectors. Johnson reminds us that both sectors are reliant upon each other, the private sector working on transportation technology and the public sector regulating and sometimes even facilitating these new technologies. For example, she notes, the rise in electric vehicles is due to state and federal incentives and aggressive regulation, pushing car companies to quickly increase the volume of their electric vehicle production. Johnson states that we are all in a “sandbox together trying to make innovative decisions around pressing topics.”

To all students interested in working for the transportation sector, Justine Johnson recommends staying focused on the people who use and depend on public transportation and emerging mobility. She says that transportation “should not just be planned or developed for personal rewards or professional gains but rather a thread for people to get to have a quality life that allows one access to get to places like work, school, and home.” Johnson states, “we as people have always been movers, part of our journey as humans is to search for food, shelter, and a better life,” and a transit system should give adaptability and flexibility to those who utilize it. The essence of being a transportation planner is to understand the experiences people have on it, whether it be a train, bus, or scooter, and public service employees should understand the successes and failures of transit to improve it. Johnson says that “ultimately, people’s experiences with mobility should be the priority that informs technology, and transportation and mobility planners should reflect their needs.”

About the Author:

Yasmin Akhtar is a junior Real Estate Development student at the Price School of Public Policy with a minor in Spatial Sciences. Yasmin is interested in urban infill and transit-oriented development and aims to create mixed-use sustainable developments. She works on the Newsletter team at METRANS.