Through the Thriving Communities Program, AECOM is working alongside Gateway Cities Council of Governments (COG) and Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) to reconnect neighborhoods, support local voices, and help prepare the region for a more connected future.
We believe transportation infrastructure has the power to strengthen communities and create critical connections. This work is not only about improving crossings, but about helping residents reconnect to the places, resources, and opportunities that support thriving communities for generations to come.
President u0026amp; CEO, Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO)
A legacy corridor and a shared responsibility
The I-710 highway corridor has long been central to Southern California’s economy, moving people and goods across the region. Over time, the rail lines, utility corridors and the Los Angeles River that parallel the highway have shaped how neighborhoods developed from East Los Angeles to Long Beach.
Today, these systems define daily travel patterns in many communities. Residents often depend on wide, vehicle-oriented bridges to reach schools, jobs and neighborhood services across the freeway, while pedestrian and bicycle connections remain limited, even where space exists. These conditions most heavily affect low-income and underserved communities, where infrastructure plays an outsized role in access to opportunity. Addressing these challenges is complex; jurisdiction and land ownership are divided among multiple cities, agencies and infrastructure owners, making coordinated action essential.
We are helping tackle this challenge in partnership with the Gateway Cities Council of Governments (COG) and the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO), bringing stakeholders together to identify practical, community focused improvements that strengthen connections for residents and visitors of the Gateway Cities.
For AECOM, this work starts with being a good neighbor. We approach the corridor not as outsiders delivering a solution, but as partners working alongside communities to understand lived experience and co‑create paths forward.
Senior Transportation Planner
A community‑centered toolkit for reconnection
Gateway Cities COG is participating in the national Thriving Communities Program. As a subconsultant to COMTO, we were selected as a national capacity builder and serve as a technical assistance provider on the team supporting 16 communities across the country
Our role is to help translate community priorities into practical, scalable actions. For Gateway Cities COG, we are developing a kit of parts for community crossings of the I-710 corridor: a flexible menu of design concepts, funding and planning tools, and engagement strategies that cities can adapt based on their space and jurisdictional realities. Rather than prescribing a single solution, the toolkit offers multiple options for discussion, giving local and regional agencies the flexibility to choose what fits best.
The approach incorporates the concept of tactical urbanism: low-cost, quick-build interventions that allow communities to see and shape change before permanent investments are made. These concepts support safer connections, improved pedestrian and bicycle access and more welcoming public spaces along bridges and corridors that have historically prioritized vehicles.
Cross disciplinary by design, transportation planning, urban design and community engagement are integrated from the start, accurately understanding how people move through and experience their communities.
Rather than prescribing a single solution, the toolkit offers options cities can adapt to their realities.
Vice President and Senior Project Manager
Working across disciplines and across the community
Gateway Cities COG brings together cities, state agencies, utilities and community organizations across the region that may not typically have the opportunity to collaborate. We support this coordination with technical insight and on-the-ground engagement.
Community input has directly shaped the project’s direction. Site visits along the corridor and workshops with municipal and planning organizations have allowed the team to hear firsthand from residents and local leaders about daily challenges and opportunities.
In South Gate, conversations at Urban Orchard Del Gardens highlighted how transportation, community spaces and food security intersect. The garden uses LA River water to support a food garden and donates excess produce to a nearby senior community, illustrating how reconnection can support health and resilience.
Public art has emerged as another community priority. Leaders emphasize creative expression as a tool for identity and youth engagement. These perspectives are being incorporated into design options, reinforcing that infrastructure can both reflect and support local culture.
Building momentum for Southern California’s next chapter
Since this project began in July 2024, early outcomes are already visible. Strong collaboration among cities, agencies, and community members is driving success, as partners align around the shared priority of revitalizing forgotten spaces and unlocking their potential. For the Gateway Cities, the toolkit will provide a clear path forward, supporting cities as they test ideas, navigate funding and jurisdictional challenges, build consensus, and prepare for long-term investment. For communities, the work is already increasing visibility and confidence that change is possible.
This project reflects an evolution in transportation planning already underway. Complete streets are reshaping how corridors function, addressing legacy infrastructure impacts while expanding access and safety for all.
As the Southern California region prepares for major global events and invests in parks, riverfronts and transit connected neighborhoods, success is ultimately defined at the human scale. That means safer routes to school, stronger connections between neighborhoods and public spaces that support everyday life.
One connection at a time, this work is helping recharge the Gateway Cities for what comes next.
