ORANGE, Calif., Feb. 17, 2021 / -- Dana Reed, the Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Indian Wells, and Gregg Hart, Santa Barbara County Supervisor, have been selected to lead the Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency (Agency) Board of Directors (Board) in 2021 and provide oversight of key initiatives outlined in the LOSSAN Agency's annual business plan.
"On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to welcome Director Reed into the role of Chair," said Donna DeMartino, Managing Director of the LOSSAN Agency, which manages the Amtrak® Pacific Surfliner®. "We look forward to benefiting from his leadership, knowledge, and transportation industry expertise."
Reed was unanimously selected as chairman of the LOSSAN Agency Board. Reed serves on the Riverside County Transportation Commission, having served as chairman in 2018 and was elected to the Indian Wells City Council in 2014 and served as its mayor in 2016. He has a long career in the transportation industry, previously serving as Undersecretary of the Business, Transportation, and Housing Agency, and Executive Director of the California Toll Bridge Authority. He also served as a member Orange County Transportation Authority Board, and as chairman of its predecessor agency, the Orange County Transportation Commission. Reed is of counsel to, and a founding partner of Reed & Davidson, LLP, a Los Angeles-based law firm specializing in election, political, governmental ethics, and non-profit law. He graduated from Loyola Law School in 1974 with a Juris Doctor degree.
"I am honored to take on the role of Chair of the LOSSAN Agency as we continue our efforts to restore Pacific Surfliner service in the coming year," Reed said. "I look forward to working with our excellent staff, member agencies, and stakeholders to fulfill our mission to enhance reliability and support rail service expansion along the corridor."
Santa Barbara County Supervisor Gregg Hart was selected to serve as vice chairman of the LOSSAN Agency Board. He served as the original manager of the Santa Barbara County Association of Government's (SBCAG) Traffic Solutions program, promoting local green and sustainable transportation options. In addition to serving the community over many years as a Santa Barbara City Council Member, Planning Commissioner, and California Coastal Commissioner, Hart also served as the Deputy Executive Director for SBCAG, supporting regional efforts to widen the 101 freeway and improve bus and passenger rail service.
Reed and Hart will guide the Board and provide oversight for key initiatives outlined in the LOSSAN Agency's annual business plan for fiscal years 2021-22 and 2022-23. The business plan identifies the LOSSAN Agency's major goals and objectives for management of the Pacific Surfliner intercity rail service, as well as the budget necessary to administer, market, and operate the service.
The LOSSAN Agency is governed by an 11-member Board composed of officials representing rail owners, operators, and planning agencies along the LOSSAN rail corridor between San Diego and San Luis Obispo.
About the Amtrak® Pacific Surfliner ®
The Pacific Surfliner travels along a 351-mile coastal rail route through San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, serving 27 stations. It is the busiest state-supported intercity passenger rail route in the United States with 26 daily trains and annual ridership of nearly 3 million. To learn more and plan a trip, visit PacificSurfliner.com.
About the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency
The Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency is a joint powers authority composed of rail owners, operators, and planning agencies along the entire LOSSAN rail corridor. In addition to working to improve passenger rail ridership, revenue, on-time performance, operational flexibility, and safety, the LOSSAN Agency assumed management responsibility for the Pacific Surfliner service in July 2015, following the execution of an interagency transfer agreement with the state of California. For more information, visit lossan.org.
For More Information:
Emilia Doerr, LOSSAN Agency, edoerr@octa.net
Media Contact:
Nicole Freeman, The ACE Agency, nicole@theaceagency.com
