Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG)

S**G Regional Council President Ray Marquez, Second Vice President Patricia Lock Dawson, Regional Council Member Jan Harnik, and S**G staff attended the Western Riverside Council of Governments' 35th Annual General Assembly & Leadership Address. Attendees learned about WRCOG’s leadership, collaboration, and community impact, while celebrating the region and partnerships that move it forward. The event also featured professional skateboarder Tony Hawk! S**G was well represented with several Regional Council and policy committee members in attendance.

S**G wrapped up the first cohort of the Future Leaders Initiative yesterday. The final session of this six-month program was a celebratory occasion, featuring speakers, reflections from participants, and presentations.

By creating accessible pathways into regional planning and public service, S**G is helping to strengthen partnerships, elevate new voices, and shape the future of Southern California.

Read more about the Future Leaders Initiative at S**G News: https://ow.ly/sM1Z50ZejyH

Nearly half of MPOs are already applying AI tools, according to a recent survey by the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations. At S**G, we see this shift firsthand. Our recently published white paper, “Practical Applications of AI and Big Data for Metropolitan Planning Organizations,” moves beyond the hype to provide a grounded resource for the public sector.

The paper assesses current adoption trends and demonstrates concrete applications that are improving regional planning outcomes. The paper also addresses challenges such as data quality, bias, privacy, and workforce readiness, while providing strategies for ethical and equitable adoption.

Read more about the white paper at S**G News: https://ow.ly/Sl0a50ZacuO

Courtney Aguirre, S**G's manager of Mobility Planning and Goods Movement, presented at the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) Annual Conference in Tulsa during a session on regional planning for major sports and global events.

Aguirre joined Jesse Rush, director of EMBARK, to highlight how agencies in Southern California and Oklahoma City are preparing for the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. Aguirre provided an overview of the Games Regional Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Strategy, emphasizing approaches to reducing and shifting travel demand, strengthening multimodal connectivity, and ensuring cross‑jurisdictional coordination and partnerships to support a safe and reliable travel experience for both people and goods during the LA28 Games. EMBARK shared complementary efforts underway in Oklahoma City, illustrating how regions of different scales are approaching similar challenges.

Together, the presentations demonstrated how large‑scale events can serve as catalysts for long‑term mobility improvements, strengthened partnerships, and enhanced regional resilience.

Contactless payments are now available on the Metrolink Arrow and San Bernardino lines.

Contactless payment is a secure, cash-free method to pay transit fares by tapping or holding a payment card, smartphone, or smartwatch on a payment terminal. S**G is proud to support the transition to contactless payments by providing Metrolink’s Contactless Payments Pilot with $2.8 million in funding.

Learn more about Metrolink’s new technology and S**G’s role in supporting mobility innovation at S**G News: https://ow.ly/qrUf50Z94kf

The SoCal Greenprint web-based mapping tool is now available online.

Visit S**G news to learn how S**G’s SoCal Greenprint can help local jurisdictions, transportation agencies, stakeholders, and local communities make strategic land use and infrastructure decisions, support conservation investments, and offset the impacts of transportation and development projects: https://ow.ly/LGsj50Z6sM5

Don’t forget to register for the Toolbox Tuesday on June 9, “Exploring Regional Progress with the 2026 State of the Region Report.”

Learn more about major trends in Southern California’s mobility, communities, environment, and economy.

The session will focus on the data and trends gathered in S**G’s “2026 State of the Region Report,” published recently by S**G to help local jurisdictions identify regional trends and engage with regional planning and policy decisions. The 2026 State of the Region Report is available on S**G’s Connect SoCal 2050 webpage. Toolbox Tuesday sessions are eligible for 1.5 American Planning Association Certification Maintenance credits.

Register today: https://ow.ly/s5XH50Z2m2P

Register today to attend LA28's June 2 Procurement Series session. The virtual session will focus on the transportation sector, providing an overview of known and planned purchasing categories and anticipated timelines to help businesses effectively position themselves for upcoming opportunities connected to the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. Register online: https://ow.ly/rSRS50Z6l9Z

S**G Executive Director Kome Ajise participated in the Orange County Council of Governments (OCCOG) 2026 Annual Conference, themed “The Future is Here.” The event gathered Orange County elected officials, city managers, planning directors, and private sector leaders to explore strategies for advancing and regulating emerging technologies. Discussions covered a range of topics, including wildfire preparedness and advanced air mobility, highlighting innovations already influencing the region. The conference also marked the official launch of OCCOG’s Advanced Air Mobility Working Group, a new collaborative initiative that includes S**G as a member.

Nyeland Promise's “Safe Travels in Nyeland Acres” initiative was recognized with the “Carmen Ramirez Award for Equity” during the S**G 2026 Sustainability Awards on May 7.

The Safe Travels in Nyeland Acres initiative improves active transportation, traffic safety, and environmental health for vulnerable populations. Nyeland Promise is a community-rooted nonprofit advancing equity, safety, and quality of life in Nyeland Acres through multilingual, resident-led planning and advocacy.

For more on S**G’s 2026 Sustainability Awards, visit S**G News: https://ow.ly/RJK950Z1jVj