Progressive Planner James Rojas Leaves Metro

In a letter to friends and supporters posted on the Latino Urban Forum (LUF) listserve, one of Metro’s most progressive planners, James Rojas, announced that he will be leaving the transit agency to create an urban planning high school in East L.A. Rojas may be best known to Streetsblog readers for his “interactive planning models” that have traveled around the world from Site L.A. to the United Nations’ World Urban Forum in Brazil.  Ironically, Rojas announced his departure the same day I received a press advisory that Metro will feature one of his interactive models as the show piece of their “Dump the Pump Day” media conference tomorrow.

Rojas has been at Metro for twelve years and leaves with an upbeat attitude for the future. In the letter announcing his departure, he writes:

In 1997 when I arrived back to LA from after working 3 years in Eastern Europe on sustainable transportation, I had many ideas on how to change LA. With all your help I believe we are on the right track.

Through these various activities I have worked with some of the city’s leading grassroots organization and visionaries who are changing the region’s transportation, open space, cultural planning, art, and much more. The past decade has been an exciting time to be in LA and watch it change!

Streetsblog wishes Rojas the best with his future projects.  We’re certain to be seeing him again, whether it be in the classroom, behind a model or through is work with the LUF.