USC Urban Planning students speak with Caltrans District 7 Deputy Director Marlon Regisford

The METRANS Transportation Consortium and the USC Price School of Public Policy’s Department of Urban Planning and Spatial Analysis hosted Marlon Regisford, a 20-year Caltrans veteran now serving as Deputy District Director for Caltrans District 7, for a coffee chat with USC Urban Planning students. Regisford is responsible for delivering Division functions, including the development of long-range strategic plans and preliminary planning and feasibility studies.The coffee chat provided students with the opportunity to learn about general Caltrans functions, planning insights for the upcoming LA28 Olympic Games, and career advice for aspiring transportation planners. Second- year Master of Urban Planning student Tacoria Perry noted, “Discussing the Caltrans mobility projects with Marlon Regisford was so insightful… His encouragement and advice on applying to Caltrans as a new grad was incredibly valuable, especially now knowing the amount of opportunities available for me.”

Regisford began his presentation with an introduction to Caltrans’ Planning and Local Assistance programs including Transportation Planning, Local Assistance, and Project Initiation where he briefly described the function and purpose of each department. Students gained insight on the Caltrans project delivery process and learned about the Caltrans Engagement Portal, a relatively new tool launched to keep Californians informed about upcoming meetings and events, plans, and projects.

The discussion then shifted to the topic of the quickly approaching 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games (LA28) and Caltrans’ extensive planning efforts to ensure a smooth and “Transit First” Games season. The Games Route Network or GRN, as Regisford explained, is a network of roads for travelling between official venues for the use of Olympic athletes and their families only. By prohibiting general vehicles from using these lanes, athletes are unlikely to encounter extreme traffic congestion that may cause delays such as those experienced by athletes during the Rio 2016 and Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games.

The session closed with motivating remarks and insightful career advice from Mr. Regisford. He outlined the many benefits of working for Caltrans and offered practical advice for students looking to get their foot in the door. He encouraged students to explore the organization’s Student Assistant positions and directed them towards various resources they can subscribe to in order to stay up to date on the latest Caltrans news.