* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:36] I'LL TELL. OKAY, WE DID. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE BUSES, APPRECIATE THE SAME THING. SEE THAT BUS OVER THERE, THE TERRACE? WHO REALLY BLESSED THAT BUS. . [00:05:12] GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. I'D LIKE TO CALL THE MOBILITY PORTS AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE MEETING IN ORDER FOR MARCH, MARCH 4TH. IT IS NOT MARCH 4TH. [CALL TO ORDER] MAY, MAY, MAY SIX. UH, 2025. UH, MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? YES. COUNCILWOMAN SORROW. PRESENT [ROLL CALL] VICE CHAIR THRASH INTU. PRESENT CHAIR KERR. PRESENT. WE HAVE A QUORUM. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. ALONG WITH MY FELLOW COMMITTEE MEMBERS, COUNCILWOMAN SORROW AND COUNCILWOMAN THRASH. AND TOOK, I WELCOME YOU AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. THIS CONTIN, THIS COMMITTEE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS AROUND SOME OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT TOPICS IN THE CITY OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS. WE KNOW THAT INFRASTRUCTURE IS TOP OF MIND FOR MANY OF OUR CITY RESIDENTS. AND WITH THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION, OUR PORTS AND GOODS MOVEMENT HAVE TAKEN CENTER STAGE AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL WITH VERY LOCAL IMPACTS. WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT WAYS WE MOVE AROUND OUR CITY AS WE PREPARE FOR NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCES. AND WE KNOW IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE LOOK AT INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO MOVING FOLKS AROUND WITH, IN WHAT WILL BE A BUSY THREE PLUS YEARS HERE IN OUR CITY. AS SUCH, TODAY WE'LL BE HEARING FROM TWO OF LONG BEACH, TWO LONG BEACH AGENCIES THAT PROVIDE VITAL SERVICES THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY. LONG BEACH TRANSIT AND THE PORT OF LONG BEACH. MANY LONG BEACH RESIDENTS AND VISITORS RELY ON LONG BEACH TRANSIT EVERY DAY TO TAKE THEM THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND SOMETIMES BEYOND AS A SUPPORTER OR AN ACTIVE RIDER. UM, AND I HAVE STAFF MEMBERS AND FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE ACTIVE RIDERS AND SOME WHO SOLELY USE IT FOR TRANSPORTATION AROUND THE CITY. WE KNOW THAT BEING IN CLOSE COMMUNICATION WITH OUR TRANSIT AGENCY IS CRITICAL. AS FOR THE PORT, WE ASKED THEM TO ATTEND THIS AFTERNOON TO PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION AND UPDATES IN LIGHT OF THE ONGOING TRADE AND TARIFF DECISIONS BEING MADE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. SO, WE WILL HEAR FROM THE PORT OF LONG BEACH AND HOW OUR SAN PEDRO PORT COMPLEX IMPACTS, UH, NOT ONLY OUR CITY, BUT OUR REGION DAILY. UH, ESPECIALLY IN THE CURRENT TIMES AS WE HEAR ABOUT TARIFFS AND THE ECONOMY, WE FEEL MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER TO CHECK IN WITH OUR PORT TO DISCUSS TRADE TRENDS AND SHOW HOW OUR PORT AND CITY ARE BEING AFFECTED BY THINGS HAPPENING AT THE NATIONAL AND GLOBAL LEVEL. SO, WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM BOTH AGENCIES. AND WITH THAT, I BELIEVE WE NEED TO APPROVE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE READ THE FIRST ITEM. ITEM ONE [1. 25-55228 Recommendation to approve the minutes for the Mobility, Ports, and Infrastructure Committee meeting of Tuesday, March 4, 2025.       Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] IS A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE MOBILITY PORTS AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE MEETING OF TUESDAY, MARCH 4TH, 2025. AND WE JUST NEED A SEC. THANK YOU. GREAT. SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM? IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM NOW. NO PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU. COULD WE PLEASE TAKE THE VOTE SORO? YES. UM, MY SCREEN IS JUST SLOW TO SHOW THE VOTE RECEIVED. MOTION CARRIES. GREAT. THANK YOU. ITEM TWO. ITEM TWO IS A RECOMMENDATION [2. 25-55229 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation from the Harbor Department on trade trends and cargo volumes.       Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] TO RECEIVE AND FILE A PRESENTATION FROM THE HARBOR DEPARTMENT ON TRADE TRENDS AND CARGO VOLUMES. GREAT. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. WHO IS THE SECONDER ON THE ITEM? STILL WAITING FOR A SECOND. IT DOESN'T OH, I'LL TAKE A VERBAL. WE NEED TO SORROW. YES. SECOND. UM, I DON'T KNOW WHY IT DOESN'T POP UP ON MY SCREEN. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GOOD TO GO. WE'RE GOOD. UM, I SEE, UH, DR. HASA GABA IS HERE WITH MEMBERS OF HIS TEAM FROM THE PORT. UH, WELCOME. WE'RE SO GLAD YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE TIME TO BE WITH US TODAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY. I'M JOINED TODAY BY OUR MANAGING DIRECTOR OF COMMERCIAL SERVICES, CASEY HUR, AND OUR GOVERNMENT RELATIONS OFFICER NINA TURNER. AND IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU HERE TODAY. IF YOU'VE WATCHED THE NEWS RECENTLY, YOU CAN'T AVOID OR ESCAPE THE FACT THAT THERE ARE TARIFFS AND THAT TARIFF, UH, LOOSE SHIPS AND TARIFFS HAVE EVOLVED SINCE MARCH, SOME WOULD ARGUE SINCE LAST FALL. SO WHAT I PREPARED FOR YOU TODAY IS A MACRO LEVEL VIEW OF, UH, SHIFTING TRADE TRENDS OVERLAID WITH SOME OF THE, UH, RECENT TARIFF ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT, UH, MANY OF US, UH, HAVE SEEN IN RECENT, UH, WEEKS AND MONTHS. LET ME BEGIN WITH THE BIGGEST PICTURE POSSIBLE. WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR CONTAINER VOLUMES OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, YOU'LL SEE THAT CALENDAR YEAR 2024 WAS A RECORD YEAR FOR US. AND WE THOUGHT BACK IN 2021, DURING THE PANDEMIC IN DUE SUPPLY CHAIN CRISIS, THAT THAT WOULD BE A RECORD THAT WOULD STICK FOR SOME TIME. LITTLE DID WE KNOW THAT JUST A COUPLE YEARS LATER, UH, SHIFTS IN TRADE POLICY WOULD ACTUALLY CATAPULT US TO OUR, UH, [00:10:01] BEST YEAR ON RECORD, WHICH WAS LAST YEAR, 9.6 MILLION EU. AND MUCH OF THAT GROWTH WAS THE RESULT OF A LOT OF SHIPPERS ADVANCING THEIR SHIPMENTS, TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF THE TERRACE, WHICH I'LL SPEND, UH, SOME TIME ON HERE IN A FEW MOMENTS. THIS GIVES YOU A QUICK SNAPSHOT OF THE CONTAINER VOLUMES AT THE PORT OF LONG BEACH. THE, UH, GOLD COLORED BARS REPRESENT CURRENT YEAR. THAT'S THROUGH MARCH. UH, WE'RE ABOUT TO RELEASE OUR CARGO VOLUMES FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL, AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT APRIL'S GONNA BE OUR 11TH CONSECUTIVE MONTH OF YEAR OVER YEAR INCREASES. SO WE'RE GONNA SEE ANOTHER VERY STRONG MONTH. IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE OUR STRONGEST APRIL ON RECORD. AND SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS, FOR THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF THE CALENDAR YEAR, 2025, PORT OF LONG BEACH WILL BE ABOUT 24% AHEAD OF OUR RECORD YEAR LAST YEAR. TO REMIND YOU JUST SOME, SOME, UH, QUICK FACTS ON THE PORT OF LONG BEACH. WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOME OF OUR TOP COMMODITIES ON THE INBOUND SIDE, FURNITURE FAR AND AWAY IS OUR LARGEST, UH, IMPORT, UH, COMMODITY, FOLLOWED BY MACHINERY AND, UH, ELECTRONICS AND PLASTICS. IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT ABOUT 90% OF THE WORLD'S TRADE MOVES ON SHIPS. WHY? BECAUSE IT'S MORE ECONOMICAL. IT'S MORE COST EFFECTIVE. AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY PORTS OVER THEIR HISTORY HAVE IN PRETTY GOOD BAROMETERS OF THE OVERALL HEALTH OF DEMAND, UH, FOR IMPORTS IN THE OVERALL ECONOMY. BUT WE ALSO EXPORT A LOT OF PRODUCT. IN FACT, WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR TOP EXPORTS, YOU'LL NOTE THAT, UH, ABOUT A QUARTER OF ALL OF OUR EXPORTS ARE AG PRODUCTS. A LOT OF FOOD PRODUCTS LIKE OIL SEEDS, FOLLOWED BY, UH, FOOD INDUSTRY RESIDUES, ET CETERA. BUT WE ALSO EXPORT A LOT OF RAW MATERIALS THAT ARE USED OVERSEAS IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS, UH, TO MANUFACTURE THE IMPORTS THAT MAKE THEIR WAY BACK TO US. WE'VE LEARNED IN RECENT MONTHS, UH, WHO OUR TOP TRADE PARTNERS ARE. CHINA FOR THE PORT OF LONG BEACH THROUGHOUT OUR HISTORY HAS BEEN THE DOMINANT TRADE PARTNER. IN FACT, UH, CURRENTLY CHINA ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT 60% OF OUR CONTAINERIZED CARGO. AND THERE'S BEEN A SHIFT IN RECENT YEARS. UH, THIS MAP SHOWS THAT SHIFT IN THE LAST 15 YEARS OR SO, WE'VE NOTICED A SHIFT IN MANUFACTURING FROM CHINA TO SOUTHEAST ASIA, PREDOMINANTLY VIETNAM, MALAYSIA, THAILAND, CAMBODIA, AND SOME OF THOSE COUNTRIES HAVE TAKEN ON SOME OF THAT MANUFACTURING. SO A LOT OF SHIPPERS IN RESPONSE TO SHIFTING TRADE POLICIES HAVE ACTUALLY SOURCED THEIR PRODUCTS FROM CHINA, SOUTHEAST ASIA, AND WE SAW A LOT OF THAT ACCELERATED, UH, UH, DURING 20 18, 20 19 DURING THE FIRST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. ANOTHER MAJOR TREND THAT'S INFLUENCING OUR CARGO VOLUMES IS E-COMMERCE. THE SUPPLY CHAIN CRISIS THAT WAS INDUCED BY THE PANDEMIC, UH, REALLY ACCELERATED THAT TREND. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THIS CHART FROM SHOPIFY, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT E-COMMERCE GROWTH IS GONNA CONTINUE TO, UH, TO CLIMB IN THE YEARS AHEAD. AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR PORTS LIKE OURS AND SUPPLY CHAINS, IS THAT IN ORDER TO SUCCESSFULLY FULFILL E-COMMERCE ORDERS, YOU HAVE TO PLACE MORE PRODUCT CLOSER TO THE END CUSTOMER. AND SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT THERE ARE GREATER REQUIREMENTS FOR GREATER INVENTORIES. AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY DURING THE SUPPLY CHAIN CRISIS, MUCH OF THE PAIN THAT WE ALL EXPERIENCED WAS BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH CAPACITY TO ROOM IN THE WAREHOUSES AND DISTRIBUTION CENTERS. AND THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED MORE OF IN ORDER TO SUCCESSFULLY HANDLE A LOT OF E-COMMERCE PRODUCT. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT TARIFFS. LAST FALL, UH, MANY SHIPPERS WERE ANTICIPATING THERE MIGHT BE SHIFTS IN, IN, UH, TRADE POLICY. UH, THERE, THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT, UH, POSSIBLE NEW TARIFFS DURING THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL. AND SINCE, UH, PRESIDENT TRUMP TOOK OFFICE, HE'S DELIVERED ON MUCH OF WHAT HE INDICATED. AND IT ALL STARTED ON MARCH 4TH WHEN, UH, THIS CURRENT ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCED A 20% TARIFF ON ALL GOODS COMING FROM CHINA. THAT WAS FOLLOWED MARCH 10TH BY, UH, ADDITIONAL TARIFFS OF 25% ON CANADA AND MEXICO. BUT THOSE WERE QUICKLY SUSPENDED A COUPLE DAYS LATER, UM, UNDER, UH, U-S-M-C-A. BUT THE BIGGEST HIT, AND THE BIGGEST SURPRISE YOU COULD SAY, UH, CAME ON APRIL 2ND, WHAT WAS CALLED LIBERATION DAY. AND THIS IS WHEN THE ADMINISTRATION APPLIED, UH, ACROSS THE BOARD, RECIPROCAL TARIFFS, UH, TO THE TUNE OF 57 OF OUR, UH, TRADE PARTNERS AND THOSE TARIFFS, UH, ABOUT A COUPLE DAYS LATER, UH, WERE WERE PUT ON PAUSE FOR 90 DAYS, EXCEPT COMMODITIES COMING FROM CHINA. AND AS YOU CAN SEE THERE ON THE TABLE, THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER DEVELOPMENTS SINCE, AND THINGS CONTINUE TO SHIFT ALMOST DAILY. UH, BUT THE IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE IS, IS THAT THAT 90 DAY PAUSE IS GIVING ALL OF US IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASSESS AND ANTICIPATE WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IN THE MONTHS AHEAD. [00:15:01] SO THIS BRINGS US TO ANOTHER WAY THAT TRADE POLICY IS IMPACTING PORT OPERATIONS SWINGS AND CARGO VOLUMES. THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE ALSO IS LOOKING AT MODIFYING SECTION 3 0 1, WHICH APPLIES NEW FEES ON SHIPS THAT ARE EITHER OPERATED BY A CHINESE COMPANY OR A SHIP THAT WAS BUILT IN CHINA. AND AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, THERE ARE DIFFERENT, UH, PARAMETERS THAT, UM, BASICALLY RESULT IN WHAT, HOW MUCH THAT FEE IS GONNA BE. BUT IF YOU LOOK THROUGH ALL THE CRITERIA THERE, THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT IS THAT FOR AN AVERAGE SIZE SHIP THAT CALLS THE PORT OF LONG BEACH, ANYWHERE FROM A 12 TO 15,000 TU CAPACITY VESSEL, THE AVERAGE INCREASE IN COSTS PER CONTAINER, UH, FOR THIS FEE, AMOUNTS ABOUT TWO TO $300. SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THAT'S A PRETTY SIZABLE INCREASE IN THE COST THAT WOULD BE BORN BY SHIPPERS WHO ARE TRYING TO IMPORT THEIR PRODUCT. AND THE RATIONALE BEHIND THIS, AS HAS BEEN EXPLAINED BY USTR, IS THAT THERE'S AN ATTEMPT TO DRIVE MORE MANUFACTURING OF, OF SHIPS AND OTHER TYPES OF, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE AND EQUIPMENT THAT IS CURRENTLY USED IN OUR PORTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY MADE IN CHINA, UH, HERE IN THE US. SO THESE ARE JUST TWO EXAMPLES OF HOW THE ADMINISTRATION IS USING TRADE POLICY, EITHER THROUGH TARIFFS OR THROUGH THIS SECTION 3 0 1 PORT FEE, IN ORDER TO BRING, UH, MORE OF THAT MANUFACTURING HERE TO THE UNITED STATES, AND ALSO INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF EQUIPMENT LIKE SHIPS, KEY CRANES, AND OTHER PIECES OF EQUIPMENT ON THE PORT TERMINAL. SO WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN FOR US? SO, AS I MENTIONED A MOMENT AGO, UH, SINCE LAST FALL, SHIPPERS HAVE BEEN FRONT LOADING THEIR CONTAINERS, WHICH MEANS THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING, UH, AN INCREASE IN AN UPTICK IN OUR CONTAINER VOLUMES. AND THE BRIGHT LINE FOR US THAT I SHOULD NOTE IS THAT DURING THE SUPPLY CHAIN CRISIS BACK IN 2021, WE HANDLED RECORD VOLUMES, BUT NOT WITHOUT PAIN. IF YOU RECALL, THERE WERE A LOT OF DELAYS, BACKLOGS, THERE WAS A LOT OF CONGESTION. WELL, IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS SINCE THEN, WE'VE HANDLED EVEN MORE CARGO WITHOUT ANY OF THE CONGESTION, RIGHT? SO THAT'S A TESTAMENT TO ALL OF OUR SUPPLY CHAIN PARTNERS, OUR ILW, UH, WORKFORCE, OUR MARINE TERMINAL OPERATORS, AND EVERYONE UP AND DOWN THE SUPPLY CHAIN DOING THEIR PART TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT CON THOSE CONTAINERS ARE MOVING FROM POINT A TO POINT B AND EVENTUALLY TO POINT Z. BUT WHAT WE'RE BEGINNING TO SEE NOW, NOW THAT THESE TARIFFS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED, AND THERE ARE FIRM DATES ON WHEN THESE TARIFFS MIGHT GO IN INTO EFFECT, WE'RE BEGINNING TO SEE THE BEGINNING OF THE SLOWING OF THAT CARGO. SO, AS I MENTIONED A MOMENT AGO, APRIL'S GONNA BE A VERY STRONG MONTH FOR THE PORT OF LONG BEACH, BUT MAY IS GONNA BE THE FIRST MONTH IN A YEAR WHERE WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE ANTICIPATING SEEING, UH, STEEP DECLINES YEAR OVER YEAR TO THE TUNE OF ALMOST 30%, AGAIN, ANTICIPATED JUST BECAUSE OF THE SWINGS, UH, IN CONTAINER VOLUMES. THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE ON PAPER. UH, WHAT SHIPPING LINES DO TO MANAGE THE TRAFFIC FLOW IS THEY DEPLOY WHAT THEY CALL BLANK SAILINGS. AND BASICALLY, UH, THESE SHIPS THAT BRING THE CONTAINERS FROM ASIA HERE TO LONG BEACH GO ON A ROTATION. AND ANYTIME DEMAND FLUCTUATES, WHEN THERE'S A SLOWING IN DEMAND, WHAT THEY DO IS THEY BASICALLY CANCEL THAT SERVICE. THAT MEANS THAT SHIP DOESN'T COME. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE BLANK SAILINGS, UH, FOR MAY, JUNE, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, WE'RE ANTICIPATING ABOUT 34 SHIPS THAT WOULD'VE COME, BUT THEY'RE NOT NO LONGER COMING. AND IF YOU ADD UP ALL THE TEU CONTAINER VOLUMES, THAT'S ABOUT 354,000 TEU. SO THAT'S A SIZABLE CHUNK. NOW, I SAY THAT BECAUSE PORTS LIKE OURS ARE MASSIVE ECONOMIC ENGINES THAT GENERATE A LOT OF GOOD PAYING JOBS. THEY SPUR A LOT OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, THEY BUILD VIBRANT COMMUNITIES. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF PORT OPERATIONS, YOU'LL SEE JUST HOW MASSIVE THIS IS. SO ANYTIME WE'RE LOOKING AT A POSSIBLE SLOWDOWN IN CONTAINERS, IT IT'S A CONCERN. IT'S A CONCERN NOT JUST FOR THE PORT, IT'S A CONCERN FOR A CITY, FOR OUR COMMUNITIES, AND THOSE WHOSE LIVELIHOODS DEPEND ON PORT OPERATIONS AND SUPPLY CHAIN. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, UH, STARTED DOING THIS YEAR IS A MESSAGING CAMPAIGN TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS THAT WE ARE MOVING RECORD VOLUMES, BUT WE'RE DOING SO RESPONSIBLY, SUSTAINABLY IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR 20 YEARS OF LEADING GREEN 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF GREENPORT POLICY. BUT WE'RE ALSO CONTINUALLY PROMOTING OUR VALUE PROPOSITION. THIS IS WHY WE TELL OUR CUSTOMERS THEY SHOULD CHOOSE THE PORT OF, UH, OF LONG BEACH. WHY THE PORT OF LONG BEACH IS A PORT OF CHOICE. WHEN YOU LOOK AT EVERYTHING FROM TRANSIT TIME TO, UH, THE COST OF DELIVERING THAT CONTAINER FROM, UH, ORIGIN ALL THE WAY TO DESTINATION, WHETHER IT GOES ON A [00:20:01] SHIP, ON A TRUCK, OR A TRAIN, UH, WE CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THAT WE OFFER THAT VALUE PROPOSITION TO OUR CUSTOMERS. WE ALSO HAVE, UM, SECOND TO NONE ACCESS TO CLASS ONE RAIL. OUR PEER BEYOND DOCK RAIL SUPPORT FACILITY IS GONNA FORTIFY AND STRENGTHEN THAT IN THE YEARS AHEAD. AND THAT PUTS US IN A BETTER POSITION TO MOVE MORE CONTAINERS OUT OF A PORT MORE QUICKLY, SAFELY, AND SUSTAINABLY. AND WE ALSO HAVE WITHIN 75 MILES OF OUR PORT COMPLEX HERE IN LA LONG BEACH, ABOUT 2 BILLION SQUARE FEET OF DISTRIBUTION CENTER SPACE, WHICH AGAIN, UH, ENABLES US TO HANDLE MORE CONTAINERS AT OUR PORT SINCE THEY HAVE THAT NEARBY STAGING SITE WHERE THOSE CONTAINERS CAN GO ONCE THEY'RE DISCHARGED FROM A SHIP. WE'VE ALSO, IN THE, IN RECENT YEARS AS A, AS A LANDLORD PORT AUTHORITY, HAVE REIMAGINED OUR, OUR ROLE. WE'VE BEEN GETTING A LITTLE MORE INVOLVED WORKING IN CONCERT, IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR MARINE TERMINAL OPERATORS AND OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS AND OUR LABOR PARTNERS, HOW WE CAN BRING EVERYONE TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT CONTAINER IS HANDLED MORE SUSTAINABLY, BUT ALSO MORE EFFICIENTLY AND RELIABLY. AND SO WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF FACILITATION AND CONVENING, UH, MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE IS SHARING THEIR NOTES, AND, UM, ANTICIPATING WHEN THERE ARE SWINGS AND CARGO VOLUMES, WE'VE BEEN, UH, LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, OPERATIONS AT THE PORT, UH, CONTINUE SEAMLESSLY AND ENHANCING VELOCITY AND RELIABILITY AS WELL. JUST TO GIVE YOU A VERY SIMPLE EXAMPLE, THE WAY THAT A, A SHIP IS LOADED AT THE PORT OF ORIGIN MATTERS TO US. IF IT'S LOADED IN A HAPHAZARD MATTER MANNER, THAT MEANS THAT WHEN IT ARRIVES HERE, WE HAVE TO TAKE MORE TIME TO UNLOAD IT. BUT IF WE CAN COORDINATE, UH, WITH THE PORTS OF ORIGIN ON HOW THEY LOAD THAT SHIP IN ASIA, AND THEY DO IT IN A SEQUENTIAL FASHION, SO THAT WHEN THAT, UH, SHIP ARRIVES, WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT CONTAINER COMES OFF AND WHAT SEQUENCE AND WHAT ORDER IT MAKES THE JOB OF OUR DOCK WORKERS AND OUR MARINE TERMINAL OPERATORS THAT MUCH EASIER. SO THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF THE COORDINATION THAT WE'RE PURSUING. WE'RE ALSO LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY, THE SUPPLY CHAIN INFORMATION HIGHWAYS AND INITIATIVE THAT WE DEVELOPED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS THAT SEEKS TO ENHANCE END-TO-END VISIBILITY AND GIVE SHIPPERS THAT, UH, THAT REAL TIME AVAILABILITY AND CONTAINER EVENT OF THEIR SHIPMENTS SO THAT THEY CAN, UM, MAXIMIZE AND OPTIMIZE THEIR OPERATIONS. WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH OUR MARINE TERMINAL OPERATORS TO ENHANCE SERVICE TO OUR TRUCKING COMPANIES SO THAT THEY CAN DEVELOP AN APPOINTMENT SYSTEM THAT'S RELIABLE, AND THEY KNOW IN ADVANCE WHEN THAT CONTAINER, THEY'RE THERE TO PICK UP AT ANY GIVEN TERMINAL, UH, IS GONNA BE READY FOR THEM TO PICK UP. AND THEN FINALLY, WHAT WE DO BEST, RIGHT? WE'RE INVESTING AGGRESSIVELY IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE LEARNED AS A PORT, IF YOU LOOK AT OUR HISTORY SINCE OUR FOUNDING BACK IN 1911, IS THAT PORTS THAT OFFER SCALE, THAT OFFER CAPACITY AND OFFER, THE ABILITY FOR OUR PARTNERS TO MOVE MORE AND MORE FLEXIBLE ARE THE, ARE THE PORTS THAT TYPICALLY THRIVE. UH, SO WE WERE ONE OF THE FIRST PORTS IN THE NATION THAT WERE BIG SHIP READY. UH, WE DEMONSTRATE OUR ABILITY TO FLEX OUR INFRASTRUCTURE SO THAT THESE BIGGER SHIPS THAT WERE BEING DEPLOYED BY THE SHIPPING LINES SO THAT THEY CAN ENJOY THE ECONOMIES OF SCALE, CAN CALL AT A PORT LIKE OURS. AND IT'S FOR THAT REASON THAT TODAY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE LARGEST SHIPS IN DEPLOYMENT TODAY CAN CALL THE PORT OF LONG BEACH. AND OVER THE NEXT FIVE TO 10 YEARS, IF SHIPS CONTINUE TO GROW, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO CALL AT THE PORT OF LONG BEACH. AND REMEMBER, ALL THESE SHIPS AND ALL THOSE CONTAINERS, THEY BRING EQUAL JOBS, ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, AND VIBRANT COMMUNITIES. AND SO WITH THAT, I, I TRY TO KEEP IT FAIRLY HIGH LEVEL, BUT I'M, I'M HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU, UM, SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. UH, I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR, UM, PUBLICLY AND HAVE SOME PUBLIC RECORD AND SOME EXPLANATION. I'M REALLY COMPLICATED, UH, ISSUES THAT OUR PORT SPECIFICALLY FACES, WHICH IN TURN WILL AFFECT, UM, REVENUE PROJECTIONS AND, AND EVENTUALLY COULD HAVE IMPACT ON OUR CITY BUDGET. SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, I THINK, IN THE WAY THAT YOU LAID IT OUT FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO REFLECT BACK AND TO REFER TO THIS PRESENTATION. IF THEY DON'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT HOW THE PORT OPERATES. UM, WE KNOW, AND YOU'VE SAID OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT WE ARE A VITAL ACCESS POINT TO GOODS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. SO WHEN PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT, NOT PANIC SHOPPING, BUT MAYBE STOCKING UP ON SOME ITEMS THAT, UH, THEY PROJECT MIGHT NOT BE AROUND, AROUND THE TIME THEY'RE LOOKING FOR EITHER HOLIDAY PURCHASING, UM, OR A LITTLE BIT LATER IN THE SUMMER. UM, WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT SIX WEEKS AGO WHERE YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS ANTICIPATED SLOWDOWN, UM, IN MAY AND I 30, YOU SAID 33 30 AROUND 30%, YES. FOR, FOR MAY. YES. [00:25:01] WHAT DOES A 33% REDUCTION IN THOSE GOODS COMING IN LOOK LIKE FOR AN AVERAGE PERSON? YOU TALKED ABOUT STORAGE AND COMPANIES NEEDING TO HAVE INVENTORY CLOSE BY SO THAT IT CAN BE THERE IN 24 HOURS WHEN THEY WANT IT. WHAT DOES 33% REDUCTION LOOK LIKE FOR EVERYDAY PEOPLE EXPECTING, UH, TO BE ABLE TO GET WHAT THEY NEED? THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION. RIGHT? SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR ME, SAYS A CONSUMER? AND ONE THING THAT I SHOULD NOTE IS ALL THOSE GOODS THAT WERE ADVANCED, THAT WERE FRONT LOADED SINCE LAST FALL ARE GOODS THAT ARE, THAT ARE IMMUNE TO ANY, UM, SEASONAL DEMAND, RIGHT? SEASONAL, UH, DEMAND PEAKS. AND SO WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN WE SEE A SLOWDOWN IN, IN CARGO, WHAT IT GENERALLY MEANS FOR CONSUMERS, FEWER CHOICES, IT MEANS THAT, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU'RE GONNA GO TO THE CLOTHING STORE AND YOU'RE GONNA, UH, BUY SOME, SOME SHIRTS, IT MEANS THAT YOU MAY NOT FIND THE SHIRT THAT'S YOUR SIZE, OR YOU MAY NOT FIND THE COLOR OF THE SHIRT THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, JUST BECAUSE IT TAKES THAT MUCH TIME FOR THE SHIPPERS TO HAVE AN ADEQUATE, UH, AMPLE INVENTORY TO BE ABLE TO OFFER A WIDE SELECTION. SO IT MEANS LIMITED CHOICES, AND IT ALSO MEANS THAT THERE MIGHT BE, UH, SOME SHORTAGES IN CERTAIN COMMODITIES THAT ARE SEASONAL. THANK YOU. I JUST HAVE TWO MORE QUICK QUESTIONS. MM-HMM . THEN I'LL PASS TO MY COLLEAGUES. UM, SO OBVIOUSLY THIS WILL IMPACT THE PORT'S BUDGET. I KNOW YOU GAVE US A GREAT PIE CHART TO LOOK AT, UM, PROJECTING FORWARD AND LOOKING AT THE TRENDS THUS FAR. I KNOW IT'S DIFFICULT AS THINGS SEEM TO CHANGE SOMETIMES DAILY OR WEEKLY IN TERMS OF WHAT'S BEING IMPLEMENTED. WHEN AND TO WHAT DEGREE, WHAT KIND OF RESERVES OR BACKUPS DOES THE PORT HAVE, UM, TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE AS EFFICIENTLY AS YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO, TO CONTINUE TO ATTRACT BUSINESS? YEAH. SO THANKS TO, UH, UH, THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR BOARD, WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST AND VERY DISCIPLINED, UH, DEBT TO RACIAL POLICY. UH, WE HAVE 600 DAYS ON CASH THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO RESERVE AT ANY GIVEN TIME. AND THE WAY THAT OUR BUSINESS MODEL WORKS IS WE HAVE THESE GUARANTEED ANNUAL MINIMUMS, WHICH MEANS THAT EVEN IF THERE'S A SLOW DOWN ACROSS THE INDUSTRY, UH, THE TERMINAL OPERATORS, OUR, OUR PARTNERS, UM, HAVE TO MEET THESE MINIMUM, UH, ANNUAL GUARANTEED REQUIREMENTS, RIGHT? WHICH MEANS, AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE HAVE AA PLUS RATING, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST RATING OF ANY PORT IN THE NATION. AND THAT'S WHAT ENABLES US TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN OUR, UH, IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND MOVE AHEAD WITH OUR CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM, EVEN IN THE FACE OF A SLOW DOWN IN CARGO OR EVEN A SLOW DOWN IN THE ECONOMY. AND MY LAST QUESTION IS ACTUALLY ON THAT POINT, UM, WITH THE FEDERAL GRANTS AND THE CAPITAL PROJECTS, WE KNOW THAT THERE ALSO HAS BEEN CONVERSATION ABOUT POTENTIAL, UM, FREEZING OF INFRASTRUCTURE DOLLARS OR, OR GRANTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN AWARDED. YEAH. DO YOU SEE YOU PROJECT MOVING FORWARD WITH, UM, ON DOCK RAIL AND ALL OF THOSE REALLY AMBITIOUS AND IMPORTANT PROJECTS THAT THE PORT HAS BEEN PLANNING? WELL, SO FAR, WE HAVE NO REASON TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT ANY OF THE, UH, UH, UH, GRANTS THAT WERE AWARDED TO US ON PROJECTS LIKE PRBI THINK IT'S, IT'S WIDELY RECOGNIZED AS A PROJECT THAT'S NEEDED, NOT JUST FOR THE REGION, BUT FOR THE NATION, UH, IN SUPPORT OF THE NATION'S TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM. BUT IT ALSO CHECKS OFF ALL THE BOXES, RIGHT? IT IMPROVES RELIABILITY, UH, IT IMPROVES PREDICTABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY AS WELL. SO, SO FAR WE'RE COUNTING ON THOSE DOLLARS, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE'RE MONITORING VERY CLOSELY AS WE'RE MONITORING ALL, UM, TRADE POLICIES AND OTHER PIECES OF LEGISLATION, UH, THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING DISCUSSED. GREAT. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILMAN THRA, VICE CHAIR, ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, CHAIR KERR. UM, SO FIRST OF ALL, UH, DR. NOEL HAS GABA AS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER. UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS VERY EXCELLENT PRESENTATION. UM, A LOT OF WHAT YOU'VE REPRESENTED AND PRESENTED HERE TODAY IS HAPPENING IN REAL TIME, UM, AND REQUIRES, UH, THE STUDY AND CONSISTENT AND WONDERFUL SORT OF, UM, PROFESSIONALISM THAT YOU DISPLAYED HERE, AND BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE COMMAND OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE PORT, UH, TO BE ABLE TO TRANSLATE THAT INTO THE PRESENTATION THAT WE SAW HERE TODAY. THANK YOU. UM, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AS PART OF, UM, THE NATIONAL LANDSCAPE, UM, AS WAS NOTED ON ONE OF THE SLIDES THAT YOU SHARED WITH US, UM, THE WHITE HOUSE IMPORT CARGO TARIFFS, UM, HAVE BEEN A CONSTANT CHANGING LANDSCAPE. UM, AND ONE THAT I CAN IMAGINE MAKES FOR VERY DIFFICULT BUSINESS PLANNING, UH, ON BEHALF OF THE, UH, THE OPERATORS, UH, THAT WE WORK WITH AS WELL AS YOU, UM, IN LEADING THE PORT. UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO, I MEAN, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, VERY CLEAR AND YOU'RE DOING YOUR BEST TO TRY TO FOLLOW ALONG. UM, THANK YOU FOR POINTING OUT. [00:30:01] 'CAUSE I WASN'T QUITE AS FAMILIAR, UM, WITH THE, UM, FEES ON, UH, CHINESE OWNED AND OPERATED VESSELS, UM, AS ANOTHER STRATEGY TO TRY AND IDENTIFY, UM, CARGO THAT'S COMING FROM A SPECIFIC PART OF THE WORLD. UM, A LOT OF WHAT YOU SHARED WITH US REGARDING TUS AND HOW MUCH IS COMING FROM OUR VARIOUS PARTNERS ACROSS, UM, THE WORLD, I DON'T THINK WE HAD ANYTHING THAT SPECIFICALLY GAVE US SOME SENSE OF HOW MUCH OF THAT COMES ON CHINESE, UH, OPERATED AND OWNED VESSELS, UM, WHICH NOW CREATES A WHOLE DIFFERENT WRINKLE. YEAH. SO WHILE, UH, A NUMBER OF THE FACILITIES, AS YOU SHOWED ON THE MAP ARE BEING MOVED TO OTHER PLACES AROUND THE WORLD, UM, ALLOWING FOR MANUFACTURING IN THOSE OTHER PLACES THAT MAY NOT HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF TARIFFS, UM, BUT IF THE SHIPS THAT THEY ARE BRINGING THEM ON, UH, HAVE BEEN ORIGINATED AND WERE BUILT, UM, IN CHINA, UH, THAT COULD HAVE AN IMPACT. AND AS YOU DESCRIBED, SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS, UH, PER, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, TEU COULD BE ADDED, UM, TO THAT COST. SO TALK A LITTLE BIT WITH ME IF YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE ANY ANECDOTAL IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, KIND OF HOW MU HOW MANY OF THE SHIPS, UH, REALLY ORIGINATE FROM THAT PART OF THE WORLD. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR, YOUR KIND COMMENTS. WE HAVE AN AMAZING TEAM AND, UH, WE DO IT TOGETHER. UM, IN TERMS OF YOUR QUESTION, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THESE SHIPS COULD BE IMPACTED IF THIS SECTION 3 0 1 FEE GOES INTO EFFECT? WE ESTIMATE ABOUT 27%, UH, WHICH IS SIZABLE. AND I WOULD ALSO POINT OUT, AND WE LEARNED THIS, AND WE SAW THIS BACK IN 20 18, 20 19, DURING THE FIRST, UH, TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, DURING THE US CHINA TRADE DEBATE. UM, WE WERE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BECAUSE OF OUR HEAVY RELIANCE ON CHINA. NOW, SINCE THAT TIME, WE HAVE SEEN ABOUT A 10 PERCENTAGE POINT DROP IN MARKET SHARE. SO AT THAT TIME, UH, CHINA ACCOUNTED FOR ABOUT 70% OF OUR CARGO. THAT WAS IN 2018. TODAY, THAT NUMBER'S CLOSER TO 60%, THUS THE SHIFT IN MANUFACTURING. SO EVEN THOUGH THE IMPACT THIS TIME AROUND MAY BE A LITTLE LESS, IT'S STILL QUITE SIGNIFICANT JUST BECAUSE CHINA CONTINUES TO BE A SU SUCH A SIGNIFICANT TRADING PARTNER FOR US TRADING PARTNER. BUT IN TERMS OF THE SHIPS THEMSELVES, ABOUT 27% CORRECT. ORIGINATE FROM CHINA? CORRECT. OKAY. GOOD TO KNOW. UM, SO I WAS, YOU KNOW, I GET REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE FACT THAT 2024 WE HAD, UH, YOU KNOW, MORE, UH, CARGO COMING THROUGH OUR, UH, PORT THAN EVER BEFORE. VERY EXCITING. WE'RE REBOUNDING FROM COVID. UM, BUT LET'S, LET'S JUST TALK ABOUT IF YOU HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE YOURSELF, OR AS YOU THINK ABOUT, UM, HISTORY, A DECREASE, UM, THAT WE EXPECT IN MAY DECREASE THAT COULD HAPPEN THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THIS YEAR, THAT IS QUITE UNKNOWN. UM, TALK MAYBE BROADLY ABOUT WHAT IMPACT THAT WILL HAVE ON LABOR, UH, WHAT IMPACT THAT WILL HAVE ON, UH, DOLLARS AND RESOURCES TO THE CITY. UM, IMPACT ON, UM, AND I'LL, I'LL GET TO ANOTHER QUESTION RELATED TO INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT GENERALLY, WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN THE VERY NEAR TERM? UH, UH, IF, IF NOTHING CHANGES AND THIS 90 DAY PAUSE COMES AND GOES AND THESE TARIFFS GO BACK TO EFFECT, AND THAT BASICALLY DRIVES, UH, THIS TREND THAT WE ARE ANTICIPATING IN MAY THROUGH THE REST OF THE YEAR, IT COULD BE PRETTY BLEAK. A 30% DROP IN CARGO VOLUMES YEAR OVER YEAR FOR, FOR A MONTH WILL HAVE A VERY IMMEDIATE IMPACT ON OUR LABOR FORCE, ON THE WATERFRONT, BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT OUR MARINE TERMINAL OPERATORS WILL ALLOCATE LESS LABOR AND THAT DIRECTLY IMPACTS JOBS. AND THE FEWER CONTAINERS THAT MOVE, IT MEANS FEWER TRUCK, UH, UH, TRUCK, UH, TRIPS. FOR EXAMPLE, ON AN AVERAGE DAY, A, A TRUCK, A MOTOR CARRIER, A TRUCKING COMPANY WILL DO THREE OR FOUR, SOMETIMES UP TO FIVE MOVES PER DAY. WHEN YOU SEE A 30% DROP, ALL OF A SUDDEN THAT BECOMES THREE OR MAYBE EVEN TWO, UH, MOVES PER DAY. SO WE'RE GONNA SEE AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT TO OUR WATERFRONT WORKERS, OUR DOCK WORKERS, AND SOME OF OUR TRANSPORTATION PROVIDERS. NOW, WE'RE OPTIMISTIC AND WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT THIS NA 90 DAY PAUSE WILL BE ENOUGH FOR ALL THE PARTIES INVOLVED TO REEVALUATE THE EFFECTS AND IMPACTS OF THESE POLICIES. WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE SHIPPING COMMUNITY IS THEY'RE HOPEFUL THAT A LOT OF THIS WILL BE REVISITED, UH, THROUGH, UH, BILATERAL, UM, DISCUSSIONS, NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND EVEN OUR, IN OUR OWN PROJECTIONS COUNCIL MEMBER, WE'RE PROJECTING ENDING CALENDAR YEAR 2025, ONLY ABOUT EIGHT TO 9% BEHIND LAST YEAR. AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE DO EXPECT THINGS TO GET VERY, VERY BLEAK IN THE VERY NEAR TERM, BUT EVENTUALLY IMPROVE AS A, AS A TYPICAL AND TRADITIONAL HOLIDAY [00:35:01] PEAK SEASON, UH, COMES UPON US, WHICH IS TYPICALLY IN LATE SUMMER, EARLY FALL. WELL, I APPRECIATE YOUR OPTIMISM THERE. MM-HMM . YEAH. UM, AND THEN, UH, MY LAST QUESTION IS, UH, RELATED TO THE LAST PIE CHART, WHICH WE DIDN'T SPEND MUCH, YOU DIDN'T SPEND ANY TIME ON. UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE VERY, VERY PLEASED WITH THE EFFORTS OF YOUR BOARD, UM, IN ENSURING THAT OUR PORT IS COMPETITIVE AND READY, UH, FOR THE FUTURE OF TRADE, UM, ON A WHOLE VARIETY OF FRONTS. THIS SCHEDULE HERE, UM, IS QUITE AMBITIOUS AND JUST WANTED TO GET A, A SENSE THAT IF WE HAVE THESE, UH, DECREASES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UNCERTAIN AS THEY MAY BE. UM, AND YOU TALKED A BIT ABOUT THE OPERATORS HAVING LONG-TERM MINIMUMS. WHAT IS THE BASIS OF OUR ABILITY TO FEEL CONFIDENT ABOUT BEING ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THESE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS WITHIN OUR PORT TEAM? WE HAVE DIFFERENT TOOLS, IF YOU WILL, THAT WE HAVE AT OUR DISPOSAL. SO ANYTIME WE ANTICIPATE A SLOW DOWN, EITHER IN CARGO VOLUMES OR REVENUES, UH, WE LEAN ON OUR CAPITAL RESILIENCY PROGRAM, WHICH IS A WAY FOR US TO PRIORITIZE DIFFERENT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS. AND IN THE EVENT OF A SLOW DOWN, OR IF WE DO ANTICIPATE, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, DIMINISHMENT IN GRANTS OR IN REVENUES, WHAT WE DO IS WE LOOK AT OUR PROJECTS AS A WHOLE AND WE DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TO EITHER DEFER THAT PROJECT OR NOT. THANKFULLY, SO FAR, UH, WE HAVE NOT HAD TO DO THAT. UM, THAT'S WHERE OUR GUARANTEED ANNUAL MINIMUMS COME IN. THAT'S WHERE OUR, OUR STRONG BOND RATINGS COME IN. BUT WE DO HAVE THE TOOLS, UH, THAT WE CAN LEAN ON IN THE EVENT THAT WE DO, UM, IN ANTICIPATING FISCAL IMPACTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN SORO? YEAH, THANK YOU TO CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR. I HAVE JUST ONE QUESTION. UM, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I KNOW THAT WE'RE, THERE'S A LOT OF WAIT AND SEE, BUT I, I WANTED TO JUST ASK MAYBE A, IT MIGHT SIMPLE ONE, BUT NOT SO SIMPLE QUESTION IS WHAT, WHAT COULD CONSUMERS DO, RIGHT? UM, OR BUSINESSES DO, UH, I MEAN, WE ALL FEEL VERY FRUSTRATED WITHOUT HAVING CONTROL OVER THIS. WHAT WOULD YOU ADVISE? I MEAN, IS IT TO WRITE TO YOUR CONGRESS MEMBER? YEAH. UM, I, I, I DUNNO, I WOULD LOVE YOUR IDEAS ON THIS. WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE SHIPPING COMMUNITY, OBVIOUSLY ALL THIS UNCERTAINTY THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO MANAGE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE GREATER CONCERN FOR THE OVERALL ECONOMY IS, UM, WHEN BUSINESSES FEEL UNCERTAIN, UH, THE FACT THAT THEY MAY NOT HIRE OR THEY MAY DEFER THEIR, UH, INVESTMENTS IN, IN, IN THEIR LONG-TERM BUSINESS PLANS, THAT'S WHEN YOU START SEEING A RIPPLE EFFECT ACROSS THE ECONOMY. WHAT I WOULD SAY TO THE CONSUMERS AND THOSE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS THAT ARE ALREADY FEELING THE EFFECTS OF THESE SHIFTING POLICIES OR THE UNCERTAINTY IS TO, UH, EXPRESS THOSE, UH, CHALLENGES TO THEIR MEMBERS AND, AND MAKE THEM AWARE OF HOW THIS IS HAVING A REAL, UH, TIME IMPACT ON THEIR DAILY LIVES. BECAUSE AS, AS THE THREE OF YOU HAVE SAID, RIGHT, WHAT HAPPENS HERE AT THE PORT, UM, HAS AN IMPACT ON EVERYDAY CONSUMERS, AND WE'RE ALREADY BEGINNING TO SEE THE FIRST SIGNS OF THAT. SO I WOULD SAY COMMUNICATING THAT TO THE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, TO THEIR POLICY MAKERS ALL AT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNANCE, IS GONNA BE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, THANK YOU DR. HAS GABA FOR COMING, UH, FOR SHARING WITH US. I WANNA EXPRESS MY DEEP APPRECIATION FOR EVERYONE WHO WORKS AT THE PORT IN YOUR DEPARTMENT. UM, OUR LABOR PARTNERS IN ILW, OUR TENANTS AND CONSUMERS WHO ARE WORKING TO MAKE THIS, YOU KNOW, THE BEST AND GREENEST PORT POSSIBLE TO LOOK FORWARD TO BE AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE, TO ATTRACT BUSINESS IN A TIME WHEN THERE'S GONNA BE SOME STIFF COMPETITION TO DO SO. UH, WE'RE GRATEFUL EVERY DAY FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO. THANK YOU. UH, AND I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR YOU KEEPING IN MIND THE IMPACT ON WORKERS AND WORKERS WHO LIVE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND WHO HAVE FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND WHAT THAT WILL BE AS YOU CONTINUE TO NAVIGATE REALLY UNCHARTED WATERS. SORRY FOR THE PUN. YES. ANYWAY, UH, BUT THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE WITH US TODAY. I KNOW THAT MY COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND THE COUNCIL ARE AVAILABLE FOR CONTINUED INFORMATION GATHERING AND BRIEFINGS IF IT'S HELPFUL FOR YOUR TEAM. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR INTEREST. GREAT. THANK YOU. IS, IF THERE'S NO MORE COMMENTS HERE, WE'LL TAKE IT TO PUBLIC COMMENT. IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM NOW. NO PUBLIC COMMENT HERE. THANK YOU. IF WE COULD TAKE THE VOTE, PLEASE. IT DOESN'T POP UP. RECEIVED. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. COURT, CAN YOU GIVE THE REPORT? THERE IT IS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. [00:40:01] ALL RIGHT. SO MOVING ON TO ITEM THREE. MME. COOK THREE. ITEM THREE IS A RECOMMENDATION TO RECEIVE AND [3. 25-55230 Recommendation to receive and file a presentation from Long Beach Transit on moving forward, connecting services, and community value and resources.       Suggested Action: Approve recommendation. ] FILE A PRESENTATION FROM LONG BEACH TRANSIT ON MOVING FORWARD CONNECTING SERVICES AND COMMUNITY VALUE AND RESOURCES. THANK YOU. I THINK DR. SOROS A SECOND ON THIS ITEM. THANK YOU. AND JOINING US TODAY FROM LONG BEACH TRANSIT IS MS. MARIAL BHAS, AND I BELIEVE SHE HAS A PRESENTATION FOR US TO BEGIN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WELCOME. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR KERR, VICE CHAIR TRASH INTA, COUNCIL MEMBER SORROW. I'M MARISOL RAJAS, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS MANAGER OF LONG BEACH TRANSIT. I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO INTRODUCE OUR NEW STAFF, UM, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS OFFICER, CAROLYN JONES, WHO JUST JOINED US, IS ON HER FIRST WEEK WITH LONG BEACH TRANSIT, SO THANK YOU. SO FIRST, I WILL LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT I WILL DISCUSS THIS AFTERNOON, STARTING WITH OUR ORGANIZATIONAL FOCUS AND STRATEGIC DIRECTION. FOLLOWING THAT, I WILL PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF LBTS TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE AND INVESTMENT NEEDS, AND HOW LBTS NAVIGATING TOWARDS THE FUTURE. I WILL THEN REVIEW OUTCOMES FROM OUR 2024 SURVEYS. AND FINALLY I'LL SHARE WHAT'S NEXT FOR LBT. I'LL BEGIN WITH THE ORGANIZATIONAL FOCUS, FOLLOWED BY THE DIRECTIONAL DIRECTION. SO HERE WE HAVE THE MISSION SHOWING HOW IT'S SUCCINCT, DECLARATION OF LBTS CORE PURPOSE, AND WHAT THE AGENCY SETS OUT TO ACCOMPLISH, WHICH IS DEDICATED TO CONNECTING COMMUNITIES AND MOVING PEOPLE, MAKING EVERYDAY LIFE BETTER. NEXT, UH, WE SEE HERE, UM, THE TRANSIT SYSTEM. A LONG BEACH TRANSIT IS A NON-PROFIT PUBLIC TRANSIT AGENCY THAT EMPLOYS OVER 800 EMPLOYEES. LBT SERVICE AREA SPANS ACROSS 107 SQUARE MILES AND INCLUDES THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND 13 NEIGHBORING CITIES. IT OPERATES 38 FIXED ROUTES AND HAS 18.5 MILLION ANNUAL BOARDINGS. CURRENTLY, THE LBT SYSTEM CONNECTS TO SEVERAL OTHERS, INCLUDING LA METRO, TORRANCE TRANSIT, AND L-A-D-O-T, AS WELL AS OCTA. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, LBT STAFF COMMUNICATES ITS LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES TO ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THEIR STAFF, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY ASSISTING WITH CONSTITUENT SERVICES TO ENHANCE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, LBT CONTINUES TO BE A LOCAL AND REGIONAL PARTNER IN ITS OVERALL EFFORT TO STABLE, TO SUPPORT STABILIZING TRANSIT SERVICE DELIVERY. AS THE AGENCY ADVANCES PROGRAMS FOR LBTS CUSTOMERS AND THOSE WHO TRAVEL THROUGHOUT THE LBT SERVICE AREA AND THE GREATER REGION, LBT IS COMMITTED TO PROTECTING AND ENHANCING LOCAL AND REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION FUNDING BY CONTINUING TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AND SURROUNDING CITIES METRO SCAG TO ENSURE TRANSPORTATION FUNDING IS MAXIMIZED AND CONTINUES TO FLOW ON A CONSISTENT, RELIABLE BASIS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE ENSURE LBTS LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES CONTINUE TO ALSO BE EXPRESSED TO OUR STATE AND FEDERAL ELECTED MEMBERS AND THEIR STAFF. WE WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR STATE AND FEDERAL PROFESSIONAL ADVOCATES WHO ARE WELL VERSED AND PREVALENT, DONE TRANSPORTATION ISSUES AND SUPPORT MANY TRANSIT AGENCY, UM, TRANSIT INDUSTRY AGENCIES. OUR LBTS PRESIDENT CEO SERVES ON AP PTA'S LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE AND CTAS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE TO ACCOMPLISH NOT ONLY LBTS GOALS, BUT ALSO TO HELP ADVANCE OUR INDUSTRY GOALS. AND NOW I SERVE ON CTAS STATE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, MIDI. NEXT I WILL REVIEW OUR SERVICES AND PROGRAMS AND JUST TO INCLUDE APTA AS OUR NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION AND CTA AS OUR STATE ASSOCIATION. HERE I'M REVIEWING THE TRANSIT CUSTOMER AMENITIES PROGRAM, OR BETTER KNOWN AS THE TCA, WHICH IS ITS OBJECTIVE TO PROVIDE CLEAN AND SAFE AND INVITING LBT BUS STOPS. AND IT'S CONTINUOUSLY COLLABORATING WITH CITY OF LONG BEACH PUBLIC WORKS AND OTHER SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES SERVED BY LLBT. THE PROGRAM CONSISTS OF INSTALLATION AND REPAIR OF OUR BUS STOPS, SHELTER SEATING, LIGHTING WAY, FINDING INFORMATION SYSTEMS, AND ENSURE SAFETY AND OPERATIONS AT BUS STOPS. LBT ALSO PROVIDES DIAL LIFT SERVICES, WHICH IS A LOCALLY FUNDED DEMAND RESPONSE PARATRANSIT SERVICE. THE SERVICE IS A CURB TO CURB SHARED RIDE TRANSIT SERVICE EXCLUSIVELY FOR PERSONS WITH PERMANENT MOBILITY IMPAIRMENTS AND AVAILABLE FOR THOSE WHO ARE UNABLE TO USE THE LBT FIXED ROUTE BUS SYSTEM. NEXT UP, WE HAVE THE UCLA SERVICE, WHICH WAS [00:45:01] IMPLEMENTED IN MAY, 2020, WHICH CONNECTS THE LONG CITY OF LONG BEACH TO UCLA WESTWOOD VILLAGE. WE RECEIVED AN ESTIMATED 7 MILLION IN FUNDING FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA'S TRANSIT, INNER CITY RAIL CAPITAL PROGRAM, AND THE STATE'S LOW CARBON TRANSIT OPERATIONS PROGRAM TO SUPPORT THE PURCHASE OF OUR NEW FIVE COMMUTER BATTERY. ELECTRIC BUSES ARE DESIGNED TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND IMPROVE MOBILITY IN THE DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES. THEY TRAVEL FROM LONG BEACH AIRPORT TO WILLOW STATION AND ITS TERMINUS POINT IS AT UCLA CAMPUS AT BRENTWOOD. NEXT IS THE POPULAR WATER TAXI. THE BOAT ROUTES PROVIDE SIGHTSEEING OPPORTUNITIES AND QUICK CONNECTIONS BETWEEN LONG BEACH'S EAST AND WEST HARBOR CONNECTIONS. OUR WATER TAXIS PROVIDE TRAVEL SERVICE TO THE AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC, ALONG WITH VARIOUS RESTAURANTS AND SHOPS ALONG THE LONG BEACH HARBOR. THIS SERVICE PROVIDES LONG BEACH COMMUNITY AND TOURISTS VISITING THE AREA. WAY TO EXPLORE THE THE CITY FOR FIS. FOR 2024, WE HAD OVER 70,500 CUSTOMERS VISIT OUR WATER TAXIS. NEXT UP IS OUR INFRASTRUCTURE TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT NEEDS LBT INCLUDES, UH, TO UPDATE AND REHABILITATE ITS LBT ONE FACILITY TO MEET ITS CURRENT FUTURE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE NEEDS. ADDITIONALLY, LBT ONE IS OUR FACILITY REHABILITATION PROJECT WHERE IT ENABLES LBT ONE TO GROW AND ADOPT, TO CHANGING ENVIRONMENT OF ELECTRIFICATION OF OUR BUSES, PROVIDING A HUB FOR ITS GROWING BATTERY, ELECTRIC BUS FLEET, AND INFRASTRUCTURE. LBT CONTINUES TO SEEK OPPORTUNITIES TO LEVERAGE ITS PARTNERSHIPS AND RESOURCES TO SUPPORT LOCAL AND REGIONAL EFFORTS THAT MAXIMIZE ITS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND OPERATING PROGRAMS WHILE ADVANCING GOALS FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND MOBILITY. HERE YOU SEE OUR BUS, ELECTRIFICATION BUS FLEET AND OUR TWO WATER TAXIS ARE MANDATED TO ALSO BE ZERO EMISSIONS BY THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. NEXT WE'RE GONNA DIVE INTO THE BRIEF REVIEW OF THE 2024 TRANSIT AND COMMUNITY VALUE AND CUSTOMER SURVEYS. SO HERE WE'RE GONNA GET A PICTURE OF THE HOUSEHOLD INCOME OF OUR CUSTOMERS. 80% MAKE LESS THAN 50,000, WHILE 53% MAKE UNDER $25,000. THIS IS WELL BELOW THE CITY MEDIUM INCOME OF 84,000. NEXT, JUST OVER HALF OF LBT CUSTOMERS RIDE OUR SERVICES FIVE OR MORE DAYS A WEEK WITH NEARLY THREE FOURTHS WRITING THREE OR MORE DAYS PER WEEK. CUSTOMERS WRITE LBT TO WORK AND SCHOOL. AS YOU CAN SEE, 65% RELY ON LBT. WE CONNECT PEOPLE TO EDUCATION AND JOBS, WHICH IS A COMMUNITY VALUES IN THE TRA UH, EXCUSE ME, WHICH IS THE COMMUNITY VALUES IN THE TRANSIT SYSTEM. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT 71% RELY ON LBT AS THEIR ONLY WAY TO GET TO GET AROUND. NEARLY 65% SAID IT, IT, IF LBT WAS NOT AVAILABLE, THEY WOULD HAVE TO WALK, TAKE, RIDE, SHARE, OR GET A RIDE. 11% JUST WOULD NOT MAKE THE TRIP. HERE WE ASK CUSTOMERS TO AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THE STATEMENTS TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY VALUE AND WHAT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT. CUSTOMERS AGREE THAT BUSES OPERATE ON DAYS WHEN NEEDED AND THAT ROUTES ARE CONVENIENT. WE ALSO SCORE WELL WITH BUSES BEING MECHANICALLY SAFE AS WELL AS OPERATORS. CUSTOMERS ALSO FEEL THAT WE ARE GETTING THEM TO THEIR DESIRED DESTINATIONS IN THE REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME. AS WE CONTINUE DOWN THE LIST, WE'RE PROVIDING ACCESS TO KEY DESTINATIONS. AND YOU CAN SEE THE LBT IS ALSO VALUED TO THE COMMUNITY. AND THAT THE COMMUNITY FAIRS, UM, SEE THAT OUR FAIRES ARE REASONABLE AFTER CUSTOMERS TOLD US WHAT IS IMPORTANT, HOW MUCH THEY AGREE OR DON'T. WITH OUR VARIOUS STATEMENTS, WE ASK WHAT THE MOST IMPORTANT, THE TOP TWO IMPROVEMENTS ARE TO MAKING THE EXPERIENCE EVEN BETTER. THE RESULTS SHOW THAT THE CUSTOMERS WANT MORE SERVICE, MORE FREQUENCY, LONGER HOURS, AND MORE DESTINATIONS. I SAID TWO, BUT I GAVE YOU THREE. WHAT'S NEXT FOR LONG BEACH TRANSIT? AS WE MOVE FORWARD, ONE OF OUR MAIN FOCUSES IS ENHANCING OUR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE BY INSTALLING CONFIDENCE IN OUR ABILITY TO RETAIN, RECLAIM, AND RECRUIT CUSTOMERS TO GROW OUR TRANSIT SERVICES. LA 28 PLANNINGS IS ALSO UNDERWAY. WE ARE [00:50:01] WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH LA 28 GAINS MOBILITY EXECUTIVES SUCH AS LA METRO, CALTRANS, AND SCAG. TO ENSURE THAT LVT IS READY TO SERVE CUSTOMERS, SPECTATORS AND BEYOND LBT WILL CONTINUE TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN OPERATORS AND STAFF TO DELIVER THE RELIABLE SERVICE OUR CUSTOMERS EXPECT. LVT IS ALSO FIRMLY COMMITTED TO MAKING EVERYDAY LIFE BETTER AND BECOMING MORE SUSTAINABLE TRANSIT AGENCY. AND OVER THE PAST YEAR, LIKE MANY TRANSIT AGENCIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WE'VE N HAVE NAVIGATED THROUGH SOME REAL CHALLENGES, WHETHER IT WAS ADAPTING TO FUNDING UNCERTAINTIES, NAVIGATING RISING COSTS, MANAGING IN INFLATIONARY PRESSURES, SHIFTING RIDERSHIP PATTERNS, OR RESPONDING TO WORKFORCE DYNAMICS. WE STAYED FOCUSED ON WHAT MATTERS MOST, DELIVERING SAFE, RELIABLE SERVICE TO COMMUNITIES WE SERVE, AS WE KNOW, AS THE FEDERAL SUPPORT DIMINISHES. LBT MUST EXERCISE PHYSICAL RESPONSIBILITY WITH OUR SPENDING. SO MAJOR UNCERTAINTY SURROUND LONG-TERM TRANSIT FUNDING AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, BUT IT HASN'T STOPPED US FROM THINKING CREATIVELY. THIS ONLY ENCOURAGED US TO BE EVEN MORE THOUGHTFUL IN HOW WE INNOVATE AND IMPROVE. AND THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION OPEN FOR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU MS. BRAHAS, I APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR TEAM. WELCOME. FIRST WEEK ON THE JOB IN FRONT OF COUNCIL. APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. UM, TALKING TO US ABOUT THE CURRENT, UH, AND ONGOING SITUATION, UH, ABOUT LONG BEACH TRANSIT, THE CHALLENGES IT FACES, BUT ALSO THE INCREDIBLE SERVICE THAT IT PROVIDES TO A GREAT MAJORITY OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND WE KNOW THAT KEEPING RESIDENTS CONNECTED, YOU TALKED ABOUT IT BEING PART OF THE MISSION, IS AT THE CORE OF WHAT YOU DO EVERY DAY. AND YOU ALSO TALKED ABOUT 2028 IS NOT FAR FROM HERE. SO WE'RE ALL HAVING THOSE REGIONAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT BRINGING, UM, A COUPLE MILLION NEW PEOPLE INTO OUR REGION EVERY DAY WILL LOOK LIKE. UM, I JUST HAD A COUPLE QUESTIONS. CONGRATULATION ON THE SURVEY AND THE SURVEY RESULTS. UM, OVERWHELMINGLY, I THINK POSITIVE AND WE KNOW THAT NO SYSTEM IS PERFECT AND, AND THAT WRITERS FACE CHALLENGES. IT'S, IT STRIKES ME WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE INCOME LEVEL OF THE RIDER AND THAT 65% OF YOUR OF OUR COMMUNITY ARE TAKING TRANSIT TO WORK OR SCHOOL, WHICH ARE TIME SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES. THEY HAVE CLASSES THAT START AT A CERTAIN TIME. THEY HAVE JOBS THAT START AT A CERTAIN TIME. AND WHILE WE KNOW THAT TRAFFIC HAPPENS SOMETIMES, UH, THE NEED AND THE DESIRE AS THEY STATE FOR INCREASED INCREASED FREQUENCY AND LONGER HOURS SEEMS CRITICAL. ARE THERE, UH, CONVERSATIONS HAPPENING WITHIN LONG BEACH TRANSIT ABOUT WAYS TO ACHIEVE THAT WITHIN THE FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS THAT YOU HAVE? AS IT SEEMS THE BIGGEST NEED FOR, UH, ONE OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES? THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION, MADAM CHAIR. YES. UM, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT WE ALSO PROVIDE THREE SERVICE CHANGES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING SERVICE TO THE WRITERS, WHICH ARE OUR STUDENTS, OUR PARENTS, OUR SENIORS WHO ARE GOING TO WORK, OUR ADULTS. UM, AND SO WE WANTED THIS SURVEY, WHICH IS CONDUCTED ON THE ANNUAL BASIS, SERVES AS A TOOL FOR US TO GAUGE THE DIRECTION. AND SO IT'S BEEN WITHIN, WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE BUDGET PROCESS. AND SO WITH THAT WE'LL KIND OF OUTLINE OUR NEXT STEPS AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN SUPPORT WITH OUR BOARD LEADERSHIP AND OUR STAFF LEADERSHIP. UM, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO ALSO CONDUCTING A COMPREHENSIVE OPERATION ANALYSIS THIS YEAR THAT WILL ALSO LEAD TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER OUR ABILITY AND OUR FUTURE TO PROVIDE MORE FREQUENCY FOR OUR OPERATION, OUR OPERATIONS, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT STAFF HIGHLY ENCOURAGES. UM, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE HAVE THE LA 28 GAMES COMING. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR CUSTOMERS CONTINUE TO RELY ON OUR SERVICE EVEN HEAVILY MORE WHEN WE HAVE NEW, UH, SPECTATORS COMING. THANK YOU. I KNOW WHEN WE MET, UH, LATE LAST YEAR, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU, WE, YOU TALKED ABOUT WITH US WAS A PILOT PROGRAM THAT WAS DESIGNED TO REPORT, UH, CARS AND VEHICLES THAT WERE OBSTRUCTING BUS LANES IN THE CITY. I'M JUST CURIOUS IF YOU COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AND ANY POTENTIAL FOR THE FUTURE. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. SO WE WERE PRIVILEGED TO, UH, RUN A FREE PILOT PROJECT THANKS TO LEGISLATION. I BELIEVE IT WAS ASSEMBLY BILL NINE 17 THAT ALLOWED THE TRANSIT AGENCIES TO ACTUALLY ENFORCE, UM, CODE ENFORCEMENT ON BUS STOPS. UH, THIS WAS LEGISLATION THAT WAS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR BUS LANE ONLY. AND SO THAT WAS VERY HEAVILY USED UP NORTH WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF BRT LANES. AND SO NOW THAT WE HAVE THIS LEGISLATION, THERE'S AN A, A VENDOR THAT PROVIDED [00:55:01] TECHNOLOGY THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO MOUNT THIS TECHNOLOGY ON BUSES AND IT WOULD ONLY CAPTURE THE LICENSE PLATES OF VEHICLES THAT WERE PARKED AT OUR BUS STOPS. AND THAT INCLUDED YOUR REGULAR, UH, DRIVERS, UH, DELIVERY TRUCKS. UM, AND SO IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO DO THIS PILOT PROCESS TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE STOOD AND WHAT THE DATA TOLD. AND SO IT WAS REALLY EYEOPENING THAT WE HELD A 60 DAY PILOT PROJECT AND 800 INCIDENTS, ABOUT 800 INCIDENTS WHERE CAPTURED ONLY ON TWO ROUTES IN THAT SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME. AND SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE CITY, UM, UNDERSTANDING WHERE THE CODE STANDS CURRENTLY AND WHAT WE CAN DO AND PARTNER TO AND TO SEE IF WE AS AN AGENCY WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE THE TECHNOLOGY. ONCE AGAIN, IT'S A CAPITAL PROGRAM COST THAT WILL LIE HEAVILY ON TRANSIT. SO WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE IF THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PARTNER AND SEE IF WE COULD PURCHASE THE EQUIPMENT, BRING IT ONTO OUR BUSES. MAYBE IT'S A SMALL NUMBER OF BUSES WE START OFF WITH, BUT IT ALSO NEEDS TO BE A PARTNERSHIP IN A BROADER CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY BECAUSE IT IS CODE ENFORCEMENT AND THE PROCESSING OF TICKETS WOULD BE A DIFF UH, ALSO A CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE WE'RE HOLDING WITH THE CITY AS WELL. AND, AND JUST TO BE CLEAR THAT OTHER CITIES HAVE IMPLEMENTED THIS PROGRAM AT READY AT LA METRO, OCTA, SACRAMENTO VARIOUS, UM, TRANSIT AGENCIES. AND IT'S BEEN SHOWN TO BE A SUCCESSFUL REVENUE STREAM, BUT WE'RE SEEING THIS AS MORE OF A CULTURE CHANGE TOOL, NOT RELYING IT AS A REVENUE STREAM. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION. YEAH, AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHY A BUS NEEDS TO PULL UP TO THE APPROPRIATE PLACE TO BE ABLE TO ONBOARD AND ALLOW FOLKS OFF IN A SAFE MANNER. I WOULD SAY THAT MOST OF THE TIME THAT I RIDE TRANSIT THERE ARE WHEELCHAIR USERS WHO ARE ON TRANSIT AS WELL. SO IF A DELIVERY TRUCK IS PARKED OR A CAR IS PARKED AND THE BUS DOES NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO OPEN THE RAMPS, UM, WE'VE SEEN FOLKS HAVING TO GET OUT ON THE STREET AND SOME REALLY UNSAFE CONDITIONS. SO I KNOW THAT SAFETY FOR YOUR RIDERSHIP IS AT THE CORE OF WHY YOU WOULD DO A PROGRAM LIKE THAT. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONVERSATIONS THAT, UH, YOUR BOARD AND YOUR TEAM WILL HAVE, UH, WITH OUR CITY TEAMS IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT, UH, WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE FOR LIKE FOR BEST PRACTICES. AND THEN I JUST HAVE ONE MORE GENERAL QUESTION BECAUSE I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS IN THIS AREA. UM, I AM FOREVER A KID WHO RODE THE PASSPORT AROUND TOWN. MY DAD WORKED DOWNTOWN. SO WHEN I GOT THERE, THERE WERE FOUR ROUTES OF SMALLER BUSES WHERE YOU COULD GET TO LOS ALTOS, YOU COULD GET TO THE COLLEGE, YOU COULD GET TO THE QUEEN MARY, AND YOU COULD RIDE AROUND DOWNTOWN AND GET WHERE YOU NEEDED. AND THAT IDEA OF HAVING LOOPING SERVICES, UM, TO MAIN ATTRACTIONS SIMILAR TO THE AQUA BUSS AND THE TAXI, UM, IS REALLY IMPORTANT. AND I THINK THERE ARE PARTS OF OUR CITY, ESPECIALLY AS WE START TO PLAN AHEAD TO 2028 THAT AREN'T JUST ON THE WATERFRONT THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO FOLKS, WHETHER IT'S LONG BEACH EXCHANGE OR THE AIRPORT OR NOR, UM, SOMEWHERE IN UH, NORTH LONG BEACH THAT I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO BEGIN CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR TEAM AND WITH YOUR BOARD ABOUT WAYS TO BRING, AS YOU SAID, MORE INNOVATIVE PEOPLE MOVING IN THE CITY. NOT EVERYONE IS READY OR WANTING TO GET ON A 40 FOOT BUS. IS THERE SMALLER OPTIONS THAT MAYBE ISN'T QUITE MICRO TRANSIT, UH, THAT IS THAT IN BETWEEN, THAT WOULD PROVIDE LOOPS FOR FOLKS FROM DOWNTOWN TO THE LONG BEACH EXCHANGE OR TO THE AIRPORT TO BE ABLE TO MOVE PEOPLE IN A WAY THAT IS COMPREHENSIVE AROUND OUR CITY BECAUSE WE KNOW THERE ARE REALLY COOL THINGS TO DO ALL OVER THE PLACE. SO I WILL THROW THAT OUT AS A DREAM AND AS WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS OVER THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS IN THIS COMMITTEE, UM, REALLY BRAINSTORMING WAYS THAT WE CAN, UM, LOOK AT ALL THE GREAT WAYS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING TRANSIT THROUGH LONG BEACH TRANSIT, BUT ALSO WAYS THAT MAYBE WE CAN AND DREAM A LITTLE DIFFERENT DIRECTION. UH, AND THEN I WILL PASS IT TO MY VICE CHAIR IF SHE HAS ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR KERR. UM, SO, UH, MS. RAJAS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING BEFORE US TODAY. IT'S WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU. UM, AS I SIT ON THIS PARTICULAR DAIS, UM, SOME OF YOU KNOW THAT I SERVED AS A COMMISSIONER TO OUR LONG BEACH TRANSIT, UH, BOARD. UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT ASSET FOR OUR CITY, UM, AND FOR OUR COMMUNITY. UM, AND WAS REALLY, UH, DELIGHTED TO HAVE YOU ON TODAY'S AGENDA. PLEASE DO SEND MY VERY BEST REGARDS TO MR. MCDONALD, UM, AND LET HIM KNOW THAT I MISSED HIM HERE. AND THERE ARE A FEW COMMENTS THAT I'LL MAKE HERE, UM, THAT WILL HOPEFULLY, UH, GATHER HIS ATTENTION AS WELL IN THE CONNECTION THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE, UH, WITH THE CITY AS WELL AS WITH LONG BEACH TRANSIT. SO MY FIRST, UH, SET OF QUESTIONS, UM, WILL BE TO SOME EXTENT RHETORICAL. UM, BUT I, BUT THE FIRST QUESTION IS CLEAR AND THAT IS, UM, AS AN INCOMING COUNCILWOMAN, I WELCOME [01:00:01] THE OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO SIT WITH YOU, UH, AND PRESIDENT CEO, KIM MCDONALD, UH, TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE PRIORITIES, UM, FOR THE EIGHTH DISTRICT. AND I WOULD LOVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES, UM, TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU, UM, AS WELL AS WITH MR. MCDONALD. UM, THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS ARE SO IMPORTANT, UM, FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS THAT WE BELIEVE THAT IN THE NORTH PART OF THE CITY, UM, UH, YOUR RIDER ARE, YOUR RIDER ARE REALLY COMING FROM, UM, THE NORTH PART OF THE CITY. UM, AND IT'S VERY, VERY HEAVILY TRAVELED IN USING, UM, BOTH THE ATLANTIC AS WELL AS LONG BEACH BOULEVARD, UM, ARTERIES, UM, WHICH PICK UP A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF LOCAL PASSENGERS. WE ARE REALLY INTERESTED IN MAKING SURE WE GET A GOOD SENSE OF WHAT THOSE BREAKDOWNS ARE REGARDING ROUTES AND TIMING. UM, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, SO THAT I CAN HAVE A GOOD SENSE AS TO HOW UH, FOLKS IN MY DISTRICT ARE INTERACTING WITH LONG BEACH TRANSIT. UM, A BIG PART OF WHAT I'M FOCUSED ON AS A COUNCILWOMAN, UM, IS, UH, MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF OUR PUBLIC ASSETS INCLUDING, UM, OUR BUS STOPS THAT ARE LOCATED IN THE EIGHTH DISTRICT, UM, ARE ONES THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, UH, SHADING THAT HAVE UM, YOU KNOW, NEW BENCHES AND UH, SUPPORT. SO I BELIEVE THAT THERE MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO A WALK ABOUT WITH THE TEAM TO KIND OF SEE WHERE WE ARE, UM, WITH THE LEVEL OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS IN THE NORTH NORTH PART OF THE CITY, BUT SPECIFICALLY IN THE EIGHTH DISTRICT. UM, I'LL COME BACK TO THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN, BUT I ALSO WOULD LOVE TO INVITE YOU ALONG WITH ANY OTHER STAFF MEMBERS WHO YOU THINK ARE APPROPRIATE AS WE HOST EVENTS IN THE NORTH PART OF THE CITY. WE'D LOVE TO SEE YOU THERE, UM, TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY IS AWARE OF THE RESOURCE THAT IS LONG BEACH TRANSIT, UM, AND HOW THEY CAN GET CONNECTED ACCORDINGLY. SO THAT WAS MY FIRST QUESTION RELATED TO, UH, WILL YOU BE DOING SOME VISITS SOON TO THE COUNCIL OFFICE AND SPECIFICALLY TO MINE ? ABSOLUTELY. I BELIEVE WE DID MEET WITH YOUR STAFF EARLY ON AS YOU CAME IN. UH, THAT'S ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I'D LIKE TO DO. WE PROVIDED A REALLY COMPREHENSIVE, UH, BRIEFING ON THE SERVICES AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE TO REACH OUT TO OUR OFFICE ON ANY CONSTITUENT CONCERNS AND PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE TOP CHARACTERISTIC BUS STOPS THAT HAVE HIGH RIDERSHIP. SO I'D BE SO DELIGHTED TO ENCOURAGE OUR CEO AND YOURSELF AND MYSELF TO SIT DOWN WITH OUR, A NEW GR OFFICER, OF COURSE, TO JOIN US, UM, AS SHE CONTINUES TO LEARN, UM, AND REALLY FOCUS ON YOUR GOALS FOR, FOR DISTRICT DAY. I THINK THAT WOULD BE OBVIOUSLY REALLY MUCH APPRECIATED AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. UM, AND IT, WE, OUR OUTREACH TEAM AT LONG BEACH TRANSIT IS EVERYWHERE, AS YOU KNOW. AND SO WE ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING OUR BATTERY ELECTRIC BUSES WHERE YOU GET TO LEARN HOW TO ACTUALLY UP PUT YOUR BIKE IN THE BIKE RACK. AND IT'S ABSOLUTELY TRUE THAT A MAJORITY OF OUR RIDERS RIDE THOSE MAJOR CORRIDORS FROM NORTH TO SOUTH AND IT'S HEAVILY PART OF OUR HIGH QUALITY TRANSIT CORRIDOR MAP THAT WE WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR CITY PARTNERS TO ENSURE THAT THOSE ARE QUALITY CORRIDORS THAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE ARE MOVING FAST AND QUICKLY FOR OUR, FOR OUR PASSENGERS. AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT. UM, AND IF THERE'S ANY FUTURE EVENTS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO OUR TEAM DIRECTLY AND WE COULD COORDINATE WITH OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH TEAM TO CORRESPOND. GREAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. THANK YOU. AND THEN QUICK QUESTION, DO YOU HAVE ANY SENSE AS TO HOW MANY TOOK THE SURVEY? I WANNA SAY 500, BUT DON'T, I MEAN, I SHOULDN'T QUOTE MYSELF, BUT I BELIEVE IT WAS ABOUT 500 PEOPLE THAT MIGHT HAVE TAKEN, 'CAUSE THERE WERE MULTIPLE SURVEYS. IT WAS A CUSTOMER SURVEY OF A COMMUNITY SURVEY, WHICH ARE PEOPLE OR INDIVIDUALS THAT DO NOT NECESSARILY RIDE TRANSIT. AND THEN WE ALSO DID A SUR A SAFETY SURVEY. SO I'D BE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH MORE DETAILS FOR THAT AND GIVE YOU A MORE COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW. MANY KUDOS TO LB TRANSIT FOR DOING THAT. I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT AND IT'S SO HELPFUL, UM, TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION AND TO FEEL THE SENTIMENT OF WHAT RIDERS AND TO SOME EXTENT, NON RIDERS ARE ALSO EXPERIENCING. UM, SO LA 28, THANK YOU FOR, UH, HITTING ON THAT. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT. UM, AS THE CITY, MY COLLEAGUES AND I CAN GO ACROSS THE REGION AND BRAG ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE, UM, HAVE HAD OUR ANALYSIS DONE BY THIRD PARTY. IT'S OUT THERE, UM, AND AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION. UM, AS, AND YOU'VE DESCRIBED ALL THE DIFFERENT VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AND OTHER AGENCIES ACROSS THE COUNTY THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO OFFER TWO RECOMMENDATIONS. UM, SO ONE WOULD BE, UH, MUCH LIKE WHAT WE'RE DOING AT THE CITY LEVEL, I'D LOVE [01:05:01] TO SEE US HAVE A, UM, A COMMITTEE OR AN ADVISORY OF CURRENT RIDER. UH, THEY ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTED IN A REAL SERIOUS WAY, UM, AS WE LOOK TO MOVE PEOPLE ABOUT THE REGION DURING THE OLYMPICS. AND I'D LOVE TO MAKE SURE THAT CURRENT RIDER AND PEOPLE WHO USE IT FOR EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES, UM, GET TO HAVE INPUT INTO HOW, UH, WE ARE PLANNING FOR LA 28 SO THAT IT, YOU KNOW, ALLOWS THEM TO GET STILL TO SCHOOL AND TO WORK, UM, ACCORDINGLY. UM, AND THEN, UM, GENERALLY I GUESS THE OTHER RECOMMENDATION IS JUST, YOU KNOW, KEEPING OUR CURRENT RIDER FIRST OR JUST MAKING SURE WE'RE CONSIDERING THEM, UM, AS, UM, YOU KNOW, KEY RIDER WHO WILL BE HERE, YOU KNOW, ONCE THE, THE OLYMPICS ARE GONE. UM, AND THEN TO THE EXTENT THAT WE, YOU CAN USE IT AS A, AS A MOMENT TO GALVANIZE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR OUR TRANSIT. UM, LET'S SEE HOW WE CAN CAPITALIZE ON THAT TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO PARTICIPATE IN BY RIDING TRANSIT DURING THIS, UH, THE UPCOMING SEASON, UM, OF THE, UH, OLYMPICS. AND THEN MY FINAL, UM, THOUGHTS, UH, ARE REALLY JUST RELATED TO THE INTEGRATION OF STRATEGIC PLANNING AT LB TRANSIT AND STRATEGIC PLANNING WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH. UM, THERE ARE CERTAINLY, UH, MEMBERS, UH, SENIOR MEMBERS OF THE LONG BEACH, UH, STAFF WHO ALSO, UH, ARE ADVISORY TO, UH, LONG BEACH TRANSIT. AND I THINK THAT THE CITY, UM, HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE INPUT AND INFLUENCE THERE. UM, BUT FRANKLY, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LA 28 AND THE NEED TO BE INTEGRATED, UM, THE FACT THAT YOU'RE RECRUITING AND TRAINING OPERATORS AND WE NOW HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, MEASURE LB THAT IS ALL ABOUT ENCOURAGING AND BRINGING PEOPLE INTO THE PUBLIC SECTOR. UM, AS YOU LOOK TO GO TO ZERO EMISSIONS, AS WE LOOK TO, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE ON WITH OUR CLEAN ADAPTATION, UM, ACTION PLAN. UM, AND AS YOU NEED TO LOOK FOR NEW SOURCES OF CAPITAL IN ORDER TO OPERATE. HAVING BEEN A BOARD MEMBER, I KNOW ALL TOO WELL, UM, WHAT THE FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS ARE LOOKING AT 2026. I WOULD LOVE, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION HERE IS JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO FIND WAYS TO HAVE STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT WITH THE CITY AND WITH TRANSIT IN THESE AREAS THAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES, BUT ARE ALSO OUR PRIORITIES TOO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCIL ZARO. YEAH, THANK YOU. I WANNA ADD MY THANKS TO MS. RAJAS FOR BEING HERE AS WELL. UM, AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE COMMENTS AND QUESTION MY COLLEAGUES HERE HAVE ASKED. I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION I WANNA ADD. UM, I WANNA JUST SET A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT THAT WE ARE TALKING A LOT ABOUT PREPPER, PREPARING, UH, OBVIOUSLY CONTINUING TO PROVIDE THE BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE TO TRANSIT RIDERS, BUT, AND AS WELL AS ENSURING WE'RE PREPARING FOR THE OLYMPICS. BUT MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS HOW ARE WE MANAGING AND PREPARING GROWTH IN OUR CITY? UH, SO I HAVE A DISTRICT THAT HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND WITH THAT, THERE'S MORE PEOPLE. AND UNFORTUNATELY THOSE PEOPLE, UM, ARE TIED TO THEIR CARS WHILE THERE ARE PARKING ALLOTMENTS IN THE APARTMENT. THEY HAVE FRIENDS AND FAMILIES WHO COME AND VISIT. UM, SO IN ADDITION TO, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO INCREASE HOUSING TO ADDRESS OUR IN-HOUSE ISSUES. SO I I REALLY WANNA ASK HOW CAN WE ENGAGE IN DIALOGUE NOW, UM, TO THINK ABOUT BEING US BEING PARTNERS AS PART OF REGIONAL DISCUSSION AROUND HOW WE'RE GONNA BE ADDRESSING INCREASING PEOPLE'S, NOT JUST FEELING SAFE, BUT HELPING TO SHIFT THE CULTURE, PEOPLE WANTING TO DO MORE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, AND MAYBE FIGURING OUT A WAY WE CAN PILOT THAT IN THE CITY, SUCH AS NOT JUST, I THINK, OH, GETTING A SHUTTLE FROM ONE POINT A TO ANOTHER LIKE POINT B WHERE THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, TOWARDS ATTRACTION RIGHT FROM THE AIRPORT TO DOWNTOWN, BUT REALLY THINKING ABOUT IT FOR YOUR EVERYDAY PEOPLE WHO HAVE A HARD TIME. THEY DON'T WANNA WAIT THAT LONG FOR A BUS JUST TO GET ACROSS THE CITY, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL ARE EXPERT IN TRANSIT. SO HOW DO WE THINK ABOUT IT TOGETHER AROUND THE NEEDS? UM, YOU KNOW, NOT QUITE AN UBER, NOT QUITE A TAXI, BUT A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION WHERE WE, UH, BASED ON RESEARCH, WE KNOW PEOPLE ARE GOING TO PRETTY OFTEN THAT ARE THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND THE CENTRAL PARTS, RIGHT? SO, UM, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, I, I DO SEE LB TRANSIT AS A PARTNER IN THINKING ABOUT HOW WE SHIFT THE CULTURE AND, AND, AND BEING LESS RELIANT ON VEHICLES AND THINKING ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, THAT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION THAT ARE MORE FAMILY FRIENDLY ORIENTED. I WOULD LOVE TO TAKE MORE, BUT IT'S JUST A LOT TO BRING THE WHOLE FAMILY AT TIMES, EVEN IF I JUST NEED TO GET SOMEWHERE FROM POINT A TO POINT B, RIGHT? SO [01:10:01] I THINK THOSE ARE ALL CONSIDERATION THAT WOULD LOVE TO MAKE SURE, UH, WE HAVE INTENTIONAL CONVERSATION TO ADDRESS. SO BASICALLY THAT WAS A LONG, UM, CONTEXT TO BASICALLY ASK HOW, HOW CAN WE HAVE THAT DIALOGUE WITH LB TRANSIT? I THINK THERE'S VARIOUS LEVELS, BUT FIRST THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION. I THINK IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT QUESTION TO ALWAYS THINK ABOUT. TRANSIT IS A PRIORITY WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING. SO HOW DO WE ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO ARE MOVING INTO NEW DEVELOPMENTS TO POSSIBLY TAKE THE BUS STOP THAT'S IN FRONT OF THEIR BUILDING, RIGHT? OR HOW DO WE APPLY FOR GRANTS, WHICH WE'VE DONE CLOSELY WITH THE CITY OF LONG BEACH FOR THE, UH, TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. AND THAT'S REALLY INCENTIVIZING THE CITY AND TRANSIT TO WORK AS A PARTNER, WHICH WE CURRENTLY DO. UM, TO START HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS EARLY ON AS WE'RE LOOKING AT MAINLY STATE FUNDING, POSSIBLY FEDERAL FUNDING IN THE FUTURE, UM, TO SEE WHAT OPPORTUNITIES LAY OUT THERE AND WHERE CAN WE ALIGN TO START PLANNING TOGETHER AROUND TRANSIT, THEN BUILDING ON THAT, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT ENCOURAGES A CULTURE CHANGE AND IN IT ENCOURAGES SOMEONE TO NOT BUY MORE THAN ONE CAR FOR THEIR HOUSEHOLD. UM, SO I'D BE HAPPY TO HAVE CONTINUE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BUT I KNOW THAT VARIOUS PARTNERS, LEADERSHIP AND STAFF AT, UM, OUR SERVICE DEVELOP. OUR SERVICE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IS CONTINUOUSLY WORKING WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND MYSELF AS WELL. HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS EARLY ON, UM, WITH OTHER HOUSING PARTNERS, UM, THAT ARE REALLY, UM, ALREADY ON THE GROUND HERE AT LONG BEACH, AS YOU KNOW. UM, SO WE BE WELCOME TO THOSE CONVERSATIONS. THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR. I LOOK FORWARD IN, UM, HAVING THAT NOW. . THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTIONS. YES. UH, THANK YOU MARIEL FOR BEING HERE TODAY. UM, AGAIN, I WANNA THANK ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES AT TRANSIT AS, UM, A MOM OF GRANTED, AN ADULT DAUGHTER WHO TAKES THE BUS TO WORK TO AND FROM EVERY DAY. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR GETTING HER THERE SAFELY. UH, EVERY TIME, SOMETIMES LATE , SHE WILL TELL ME THAT. UH, BUT, BUT EVERY TIME AND ALL OF THE TIMES THAT I'VE WRITTEN, I WANT TO COMPLIMENT THE DRIVERS. I'VE BEEN ON BUSES WHERE SECURITY FOLKS ARE SITTING IN THERE. UM, THE PROFESSIONALISM OF THE TEAM INTERACTING WITH THE PUBLIC EVERY DAY IS PRETTY EXTRAORDINARY. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK THEM. I WANNA THANK THE FOLKS WHO ARE OUT THERE POWER WASHING EVERY SINGLE DAY. I SEE SOMEONE POWER WASHING SOMEWHERE, UH, IN THE CITY, THE STOPS TO KEEP THEM CLEAN. AND TO THOSE, UM, OBVIOUSLY MAINTAINING THE BUSES. THERE'S AN INCREDIBLE TEAM OF, YOU SAID OVER 600 EMPLOYEES, OVER 800, 800 EMPLOYEES AT LONG BEACH TRANSIT. SO TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM, I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR WHAT THEY DO TO CONTRIBUTE TO GETTING FOLKS AROUND THE CITY. UM, I WILL GIVE A SHOUT OUT. BEACH STREETS IS COMING UP THIS WEEKEND AND PEOPLE CAN THROW THEIR BIKE ON A BUS TO GET TO A HUB IF THEY DON'T WANNA RIDE THE WHOLE WAY THERE. UH, AND I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE THAT. AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS, UH, TO TAKE THE QUESTIONS, TO TAKE THE IDEAS THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN FRONT OF YOU AND TO CONTINUALLY BEING IN CONVERSATION, UH, WITH US AND WITH THE CITY, UH, IN ORDER TO ENHANCE THE EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYONE AND TO HELP YOU GET MORE RIDERS ON THE BUS. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. THANK YOU FOR THE REQUEST. APPRECIATE IT. IF WE HAVE NO OTHER COMMENTS FROM BEHIND THE DIOCESE, IS THERE PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY? IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM NOW. NO PUBLIC COMMENT. GREAT. UH, WE WILL TAKE THE VOTE PLEASE. MOTION CARRIES. GREAT. THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU, UH, TO LONG BEACH TRANSIT AND TO THE PORT OF LONG BEACH FOR BEING WITH US TODAY. UM, AT THIS TIME, WE'LL GO TO GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT. IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD [PUBLIC COMMENT Opportunity to address the Mobility, Ports, and Infrastructure Committee on non-agenda items. Each speaker is limited to three minutes to make their comments unless extended by the Chair.] LIKE TO SPEAK ON A NON-AG AGENDA ITEM, PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM NOW. NO PUBLIC COMMENT, DEAR. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. UH, I CALLED THIS MEETING ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.