Category Transit & Wayfinding

Week without driving

Imagine a week where we all choose transportation alternatives to driving our own cars solo: walking, biking, using public transit, or ride sharing. Sure, there may be some downsides - cars are oftentimes convenient - but think about the upsides. This shift in our behavior can significantly reduce traffic congestion, lower fossil fuel exhaust emissions, and improve our air quality. A Week Without Driving can also foster empathy and understanding for those can't take advantage of the benefits of a personal car.
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Keeping Cool: The Power of Urban Trees

As average temperatures in many US cities continue to climb and debilitating heat events become more frequent, the importance of green spaces and shade in urban environments has become increasingly evident. National Heatstroke Prevention Day, observed earlier this month on May 1st, serves as a crucial reminder of the risks posed by excessive heat, particularly in densely populated cities like Los Angeles. To help mitigate these effects, one of the rays of hope we’d like to draw attention to is urban trees and shade.
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Unveiling the LA Metro Owl Service System Map

We are excited to announce the launch of the LA Metro Owl Service Map – a new transit map showcasing bus services that operate between 12-4 AM. This product informs commuters who depend on public transit during late night hours.  The Owl Map demonstrates Metro's commitment to continuously improve access to reliable, 24/7 public transit options. DCR collaborated with Metro's Service Planning division to conceive this newest member of the Metro transit map product suite. Below is a glimpse into how this map was brought to life.
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LA Metro’s Regional Connector

DCR has collaborated with LA Metro over the past few months to re-design and update the majority of its customer-facing maps, triggered by Regional Connector, a significant new enhancement to the Metro Rail network. The Regional Connector is a nearly 2 mile long underground rail project that adds three new stations to the Metro network and increases the rail connections between Union Station and 7th Street/Metro Center, the two Downtown LA transit hubs. This creates better opportunities for travelers, reducing transfers in Downtown LA and shortening journey times through the middle of LA.
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Distracted? Then Please Don’t Drive

Distracted driving is a problem that we are all aware of, but it is also notoriously difficult to quantify the scale of. This is due to the wide array of distractions that impact car drivers, which increasingly cost in terms of lost lives, property and serious injuries. More needs to be done by car and mobile phone manufacturers to restrict distractions while driving – promoting safety through software and hardware. For now though, we are left to self-discipline for the sake of public health: when we drive a car, we should do so with as few distractions as possible.
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Innovation through Collaboration: Interdisciplinary Hackathon

DCR was proud to sponsor, mentor and judge the 5th Annual Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Camp PolyHacks hackathon – which took place January 21-22, 2023 at the CIE Hothouse in Downtown SLO. Camp PolyHacks is a student-run, multidisciplinary hackathon dedicated to social entrepreneurship and human-centered design. Teams are allotted 24 hours to design a creative solution to a theme issue. This year, one of the themes was about local transportation and infrastructure!
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