LOS ANGELES – Mayor Karen Bass announced today that she has selected Laura Rubio-Cornejo as the new General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) following an extensive nationwide search. Rubio-Cornejo will focus the department on executing solutions that make communities safer and more livable.
Rubio-Cornejo brings over 20 years of municipal, regional and state transportation experience. She currently serves as the City of Pasadena’s Director of Transportation and previously held senior roles at L.A. Metro. Read more about her professional history and achievements here.
“We must do more to make Los Angeles neighborhoods safer for people to get where they need to go while better connecting communities to jobs and other opportunities,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “Laura Rubio-Cornejo is a proven implementer with a record of delivering projects on time and on budget. She is well positioned to focus the department on executing critical traffic safety improvements and delivering a high-level of customer service to Angelenos. She is a leader who fights for equity and will guide the department’s efforts to implement real solutions that support historically disinvested neighborhoods who are disproportionately impacted by traffic violence. I am confident that Laura will guide the department’s work to deliver for communities by making streets safer while helping us prepare for major upcoming events that will draw visitors from around the world. I want to thank Interim General Manager Connie Llanos, who for the past 14 months has provided steady and thorough leadership for this department. Her service to the people of this City has bettered Los Angeles for millions of Angelenos every day.”
“It’s an honor to be selected to serve the people of Los Angeles as the next General Manager of the Department of Transportation. I’m excited to bring my strategic approach and extensive experience with project delivery, resource management and equity-focused decision making to this work,” said Laura Rubio-Cornejo, LADOT General Manager Appointee. “I look forward to working closely with staff, across departments and in close collaboration with the community to deliver multi-modal transportation solutions and initiatives to make Los Angeles neighborhoods safer, more accessible and more livable.”
“It’s an exciting time for Los Angeles – and for the region’s public transit agencies – as we do the work necessary to prepare for the 2028 Olympics and Paralympic Games,” said Stephanie Wiggins, Chief Executive Officer of L.A. Metro. “Laura Rubio-Cornejo brings deep transit experience, a commitment to collaboration, and an understanding of the issues we face that will be vital as we create a regional public transit system Angelenos deserve. The Metro family looks forward to working with Laura once again.”
“I have known Laura Rubio-Cornejo for many years – from our time working together in the State Assembly to collaborating across organizations to improving transportation in the Los Angeles region. Laura’s record of project delivery, ability to coordinate complex initiatives with shared economic development and transportation goals and her commitment to advancing equity will be major assets to the City of Los Angeles,” said Hilary Norton, California Transportation Commissioner and Executive Director of FASTLinkDTLA. “I want to commend and thank Mayor Bass for conducting a thorough, extensive nationwide search for a General Manager who will hold a vision to advance women and communities of color and deliver projects that will make our City’s streets safer and more welcoming for all of us who walk, bike and take transit.
“Now as in the past, Mayor Bass is taking a strong, comprehensive approach to transportation by centering economic prosperity for all Angelenos and working to bridge all levels of government. We look forward to continuing that relationship of collaboration with the new General Manager,” said Madeline Janis, Esq., Co-Executive Director, Jobs to Move America. “Together, we can help move transportation policy forward that improves access and mobility while creating good jobs and opportunities within those jobs.”
“At CicLAvia, we believe that Los Angeles’ streets and public spaces have the potential to be safe, welcoming places for our communities. L.A. has demonstrated a tremendous capacity to innovate, and CicLAvia is tremendously thankful to have worked closely with LADOT General Managers, including Interim GM Connie Llanos, to make L.A. a more sustainable and greener city. I want to thank Mayor Bass for leading a rigorous search process for a General Manager who will be able to draw on her record of delivering tangible results to communities. I am looking forward to working closely with appointee Laura Rubio-Cornejo to hold that shared vision, encourage active transportation and improve community health for all Angelenos, ” said Romel Pascual, Executive Director, CicLAvia.
The appointment will now be referred to the Los Angeles City Council for consideration.