L.A. Metro announces first chief innovation officer
Metro CEO Phillip Washington taps nationally recognized transportation expert Dr. Joshua L. Schank to head newly created office of extraordinary innovation.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced today the selection of Dr. Joshua L. Schank as the first-ever head of Metro’s newly created Office of Extraordinary Innovation. Schank’s hire reflects L.A. Metro’s commitment to innovation, accessibility and accountability in transportation for all Angelenos.
Schank currently serves as President/CEO of the Eno Center for Transportation in Washington, D.C., an influential, nonpartisan transportation policy think tank. At Eno, Schank successfully sought innovative solutions to pressing national transportation concerns through consensus and coalition building among industry leaders, elected officials and academics. In this role, Schank also directed Eno’s highly visible working groups on public-private partnerships (P3s), freight, aviation and transportation finance.
He started his career at the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority as a transportation planner and went on to work as a Congressional Transportation Fellow and Legislative Assistant in the U.S. Senate. He also worked as a senior associate for two major international transportation consulting firms, specializing in public transit and federal transportation policy. Schank also served as Director of Transportation Research for the Bipartisan Policy Center based in Washington, D.C., where he directed a large panel of former elected officials, policy experts, business executives and civic leaders overseeing a national study of federal transportation policy that resulted in recommendations for accountable, performance-based transportation programs.
“Dr. Schank is highly regarded across the transportation industry as a collaborator and an innovator,” said L.A. Metro CEO Phillip Washington. “He is a leader in transportation policy and driving mobility solutions through his own unique vision.”
In July, just two months after taking the helm as Metro’s new CEO, Washington announced the creation of an Office of Extraordinary Innovation. The intent of this office is to champion new ideas to improve mobility in L.A. County. The responsibilities are threefold: 1) Inform the high-level vision for L.A. Metro through exposure to innovative people, organizations and industries; 2) Support Metro departments in piloting and implementing new and experimental programs and policy and 3) Serve as the primary liaison for new ideas relevant to L.A. Metro coming from entrepreneurs, private sector entities, academia or individuals.
“This office will be responsible for mining and implementing the most out of the box and innovative strategies the transportation industry has ever seen in this country,” said Washington. “This will be our Innovative Strike Force Team in areas such as public-private partnerships, value capture opportunities, high technology and autonomous vehicle impact on transit, as well as leading the agency’s strategic planning efforts.”
Schank earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Urban Studies - Political Science from Columbia University. He earned a Master of Arts Degree in City Planning - City Design and Development from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a Ph.D. in Urban Planning with a Transportation Specialization from Columbia University, New York, N.Y.
Ad Loading...
He will begin his new role as Chief Innovation Officer on Oct. 5, 2015.
The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.
The service is a flexible, reservation-based transit service designed to close the first- and last-mile gaps and connect riders to employment for just $5 per day.
The upgraded system, which went live earlier this month, supports METRO’s METRONow vision to enhance the customer experience, improve service reliability, and strengthen long-term regional mobility.
The agreement provides competitive wages and reflects strong labor-management collaboration, positive working relationships, and a shared commitment to building a world-class transit system for the community, said RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.
The priorities are outlined in the 2026 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap to guide the agency’s work throughout the year and ensure continued progress and accountability on voter-approved transportation investments and essential mobility services.
