by Richard Katz
Drawing on his substantial knowledge of metropolitan Los Angeles’ transit infrastructure and financing, Richard Katz came to the Munk School to examine the advantages and disadvantages of different revenue tools for financing transit. He spoke of generating popular support for, and implementing, new forms of financing. He also addressed how to ensure that the process of selecting and investing in transit projects is transparent and accountable, so the public knows that taxpayer money is being protected.
Richard Katz is Chair of metropolitan Los Angeles’ regional commuter rail system Metrolink, and serves on the Board of Los Angeles County’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He is also the owner of a successful public policy and government relations firm based in Los Angeles, Richard Katz Consulting (RKC) Inc., and previously served in the California State Assembly. During his tenure in the assembly, he served as Chair of the powerful Assembly Transportation Committee and authored Proposition 111, a ten-year Transportation Blueprint passed by the voters. He also created the Congestion Management Plan, requiring cities and counties to measure and mitigate impacts of land use decisions on their streets, highways, and transit systems.
