At Metro Los Angeles we strive to provide safe, affordable and efficient transportation alternatives to more than 9 million residents of LA county. Metro as a whole is committed to being a sustainability leader in the region, and our Environmental Compliance and Sustainability Department (ECSD) is the force behind it. Each year, the ECSD produces the Energy and Resource Report which outlines the agency’s goals and performance metrics with regard to operational efficiency, air quality, climate, energy, water and waste management. The transparency with which Metro operates is further illustrated with a comprehensive web page on its web site.
TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE - ECOLOGICAL
Because Metro is doing great work for a public agency of its size and continually self-monitors, I think a more effective evaluation for this assignment would be to drill down into my own department of Communications Marketing and Design. Within this group resides the Metro Design Studio, the creative and strategic team that operates as a full-service agency for both internal and outward-facing needs. Our task is to create clear, current and relevant information, and safe, comfortable, navigable environments in our stations and on board our vehicles.
We produce a wide range of communication pieces, the majority of which is materialized through our in-house Copy Center, Sign Shop and Print Shop. The capabilities of these three services range from black-and-white rapid copiers, to a fleet of permanent metal signage, to high-volume full-color printing with a Heidelberg offset press. There are also large-format printers which can accommodate a variety of sizes, papers and substrates. All of this to say that we can generally design and produce whatever we can imagine.
With print comes the responsibility of consuming resources wisely. Customer-facing materials have been supplemented digitally by our web site and apps, but public demand for print is still high. We are also required to issue a certain number of pieces to accommodate those who may not have access to digital alternatives.
The largest print runs would arguably be for our timetables. Every bus and rail route has one showing their route, connections and time stops. Since any bus route is subject to change at two points in the year (June and December) the Print Shop is on standby to reprint any pieces affected by the change. The outdated ones are collected and recycled.
Our other printed items for customers include:
- brochures, maps and pocket guides
- on-board posters and car cards (advertising)
- booklets, fact sheets and flyers
- wayfinding signs, construction alerts and closure notices
- event posters, giveaways, booth and display materials
- contact cards, postcards and direct mail packets
- forms and applications
- TAP cards (plastic fare cards)
- banners and backlits
- bus wraps, billboards and other advertising
We also produce materials for our partner departments and their internal programs which include:
- brochures, manuals and pocket guides
- booklets, programs and reports
- posters, flyers and banners
- business cards, stationery, and forms
- templates for the user to print on demand
Needless to say, we use a lot of material. More often than not, our team tries to be thoughtful about this and works with our internal partners to make better choices. These could include:
Reducing quantities: Since the production of vinyl banners and mounted posters was brought in-house (and therefore, perceived as “free”), internal demand for them has grown exponentially. A colleague and I once calculated that in 2017, the agency purchased enough foam board to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool. By 2019, it’s more likely to be landfill than anything else. And the liberal use of vinyl banner material is alarming. One department annually requests 10 10’ x 5’ vinyl banners to use for a single-day event. We in the Design Studio always try to work with the requestor to find out why they feel they need so much, what can be done instead and how they might use fewer banners more effectively.
Reusing and recycling: With the help of our ECSD team, vinyl material is reclaimed whenever possible and turned into tote bags. The resulting totes are each completely one-of-a-kind, and often graphically striking. They are a huge hit with everyone who sees them, though they are expensive to produce at $15 a pop. (Metro as a public agency is not allowed to charge for these, and so the cost is absorbed by the agency.)
Another attempt at reuse is to create ‘evergreen’ materials whenever possible. Removing a date from a piece and using versatile graphics can lend years of reuse to a banner when it doesn’t need to be replaced.
Smarter materials: Last year we worked with our Print Shop to replace foam board-mounted posters with Paperboard and Falconboard, both paper-based, recyclable and biodegradable materials. The Print Shop was able to procure a flat-bed printer which allowed for the new technique, and it’s been received favorably within the agency. It also served to inspire people to question business-as-usual choices, and opened the door to wider cooperation.
We also try to print on FSC-certified paper whenever possible, though this effort has its limits. Our in-house Print Shop is not FSC-certified, and even if they use certified paper, we cannot claim the certification on the printed piece. The printer has to be FSC-certified as well. So we can only boast certification on pieces that are printed by our qualified outside printers, which is about 15-20% of our total print output annually.
Digital
Metro’s web site provides riders with a great deal of information including maps, routes, timetables, and a Trip Planner. In addition to the web site, there are apps to enhance this information and service alerts issued through social media. All of our stations and most of our rail cars have electronic information in some form to help customers get to their destinations. Last year we launched our first set of digital kiosks, or Customer Information Panels (CIPs), replacing static backlit units along the A Line (formerly the Blue Line.) This will reduce the number of transparency prints we require on one of our longest lines, and keep the information current.
All of this takes a good deal of energy, but it’s more than offset by the reduction in printing, transporting, installing and maintaining traditional backlits. Furthermore, the LED technology of the CIPs is far more efficient than the old lights in the backlit cases, and the content is delivered electronically.
Workplace
We work in the Metro Headquarters building in downtown Los Angeles. Built in the early 1990’s, the building has since been LEED and Energy Star certified, and continues to undergo improvements, such as swapping in efficient lighting and installing energy-saving timers. Located at LA’s historic Union Station, the campus is a hub for transportation options including Metro rail and bus lines, transportation to LAX, and regional rail heading far into the outskirts of the county. Metro encourages ridership within the workforce by providing free transit passes on bus and rail, and subsidizing regional rail passes. Combined with the optimal location of our work site, many of us take advantage of this benefit, often seeing each other (and our CEO) daily on the train.
On of my biggest concerns within my workplace is waste. On our floor, the break room/kitchen offers one container for trash and two for recycling, which is typical throughout the building. However, they are not clearly marked, and there is sometimes confusion about what can and cannot be recycled. I often see items in the trash that should have been in the recycling bin, and vice versa. We are working with ECSD on a large scale program to improve this. There is also an opportunity to educate the workforce about bringing their own cutlery and straws instead of using disposable plastic.
Our project routing process could be improved as well. Currently, each and every project that comes to us is issued a job number in a FileMaker database. From there, a job request form (or “green sheet”) is generated upon which the specs of the job and team assignments are made. This sheet will accompany the job through every step of the process, and also serve to collect signature approvals from start to finish. The green sheet, along with relevant samples, markups and/or copy, is then placed in a clear plastic folder, a tabbed manila filing folder inside that, and 2-3 more sheets of paperwork.
When the job is ready to be sent to the Print Shop, more paperwork and assembly ensues, including a printed comp, a Print Specs form, a status sheet, a folding dummy or mockup, and a paper envelope to house it all. Over the years I have imagined several points where efforts and resources could be trimmed, but it would take a collaborative effort alongside the production team to winnow it down. It should also be mentioned that the process itself is currently being audited to find better software and processes for our needs.
The Score - Ecological
With all of this taken into consideration, I would assign our department a Sustainability Index score of 68. While there is much desire and effort to make what we produce more sustainable, we still have a ways to go. As old methods and processes evolve into more sustainable ones, and as we help the rest of the workforce understand and commit to better practices, we can become better stewards of the environment.
TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE - ECONOMIC
Metro as an agency provides public transportation and other services to Los Angeles County. As stated in Toward a Circular Economy, “Because the service sector is not a converter of materials, services as such are not directly affected by the adoption of circularity principles. Thus we do not cover services in our analysis—although it is worth noting that as a purchaser of products, the sector could have a considerable impact in bringing about change, and of course the circular economy would greatly expand the need for services.”1 Metro as a purchaser of products considers these purchases and all of its practices through a sustainability lens. In fact, Metro’s Environmental Compliance and Sustainability Department (ECSD) has created a custom Triple Bottom Line Analysis tool of its own which is tailored for the specific types of products and projects we buy. But since I am considering my own department for this exercise, it gets a little trickier. Does the Design Studio operate in a circular model?
The Circular Model
First, do we design out waste and pollution? Sometimes. In our efforts to design pieces that can be reused, recycled or biodegradable we are about 30% successful. Though most of what we produce is paper-based and can be recycled, this is not ideal since the embedded energy and labor put into it are lost.2 We usually print with inks that are non-toxic, but a significant number of our pieces are produced through digital press technology which uses toner. And our paper is often coated with varnish, as this is what is preferred from our partners. Creating materials quickly usually means we have to rely on the standard materials we hold in stock, and until very recently, these materials have been off the radar with regards to their ecological impact.
Do we keep products and materials in use? As designers, we naturally approach every project with series of questions. Lately that includes inquiries about the quantities being requested, whether the product will be reused year after year, and whether it is even the right project to pursue. Over-ordering creates waste, so we will remind our partners to consider the minimum. Reusing materials is contingent on whether a piece can be evergreen, so we design without dates or trendy imagery in order to increase its lifespan. And we turn down or modify projects that are excessive, personal, or limited in benefits.
As mentioned earlier, we reclaim vinyl banners to turn into tote bags. And we recently held a successful auction for old signage that came down with the A Line (Blue) refurbishment project last year. The collection efforts can be complicated, though, and largely out of our control. Anything we design that is evergreen or reusable, it is ultimately up to the partner to store it well, remember it’s there and be able to retrieve it when its needed.
We are trying to improve the reverse-cycle process by providing information to the partner at the time of project delivery. For example, if we are producing a banner, we could include a label with instructions on what to do and who to contact at the end of use.
Compensation
The Design Studio team’s compensation is managed through Metro’s Human Capital and Development Department (HC & D) which is held to rules and standards typical of a public agency. While the salaries may not be quite as high as private companies can offer, a robust benefits package is intended to make up for it. Though we have several types of employment, (full-time, temporary, union, intern, etc.) each position is analyzed to be equitable and appropriate. Positions are routinely audited and compared to similar jobs outside the agency, and in many cases, adjustments are made (upwards only.) We have a very large percentage of long-time employees (myself having been there 15 years) which I think is indicative of fair compensation practices.
Stability
The stability of a company is often measured in the confidence of investments and grants. Passenger fares and other System-generated revenue account for only a fraction of Metro’s annual budget. A much bigger portion comes from state propositions, local tax measures, federal and state grants, bonds and assistance from the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA). According to Metro’s Investor Relations website, all of our current bonds are rated as stable. Adding to that confidence, all of these funds are carefully managed and budgeted each year for each department.
Continued stability for Metro means being flexible enough to be competitive and viable in transportation and we take that seriously. Considering the growth of other transportation options such as ride sharing and car sharing, Metro’s Office of Extraordinary Innovation (OEI) is on the case to help develop similar services. This year, Metro is schedule to launch a Microtransit program which offer riders transportation options similar to that of Uber and Lyft. We are also piloting a program called Mobility on Demand which will bring riders to Metro stations on demand for little or no cost.
Many other projects are in the works to help Metro stay relevant in this new era of customer-driven services. If and when any of these programs need to be modified, Metro has the ability to adjust and plan for changes. Because of our business model, any changes that happen are not immediate, so we can look ahead to compensate for them. This lack of surprise in itself could be considered stability. But because what we do is so vital to the city, Metro will be around for a long time.
On a department level, we are somewhat of a rarity these days. Many similar agencies rely on outside consulting firms for the services we bring to the company. But Metro management recognizes the dedicated service, unique expertise and financial bargain our group brings to the agency. In fact, we sometimes offer marketing support to related agencies at the request of our leadership.
Value and Success
Success for Metro means securing funding sources and staying within the annual budget. When Metro secures funding, such as winning Measure M in 2016, it’s our success. The additional funds did not go into pockets as they are ear-marked for very specific things like projects and not salaries. In this way, success of the agency benefits all of us.
Our department had a budget of $20 million dollars for 2019. This includes salaries, benefits and other expenditures for nearly 60 full-time employees, and dozens of temporary, trainee, intern and contract positions. Like any department, when we spend our budget wisely, we are considered successful. A typical design agency would measure financial success by income, but since we are in-house, things are a little different. We don’t sell or charge other departments for our goods and services, so we don’t have a monetary value on our products. But we do have ways of measuring the success of our efforts. We recently built and launched a survey mechanism called the Brand Tracker to monitor the health of our brand. With this tool, our research group surveys a randomized group of people, both riders and non-riders, to test the recognition and perception of the Metro marketing and outreach efforts. This information helps us to determine which techniques are successful and which are not. From this we can adjust our strategies to be more relevant and cost effective.
Within the last two years our department has made some inroads into generating revenue whereas in the past we were purely service providers. This revenue comes from merchandise sales from our occasional Metro Pop-up Shop, and our online Metro Store, both selling unique clothing, mugs, phone cases and other gift items to the public. We have also implemented a massive 5-year advertising contract to sell space in our stations, on our vehicles and via other creative outlets. Earnings from these platforms go into the general fund and are not directly put back into our department. But the agency as a whole benefits from this, including us.
The Score - Economic
Once again, all things considered, I would assign our department an Economic Sustainability Index of 25. Metro as an agency would rate much, much higher for all of the programs and commitments currently in place. But sadly, my department is not a healthy circular economy on its own.
Triple Bottom Line - Social
Metro values its workforce and works hard to stay competitive in today’s job market. With an eye towards the future, the agency is preparing for the next generation to carry the baton. Part of this is to groom qualified candidates and build strong community support around them.
Employee Development
Employees at Metro have an array of options for career development and training. Our Human Capital and Development department has developed a tool they call Career Pathways, which outlines the flow of career advancement for anyone at the agency working at any level. There are a number of skills and management training courses offered throughout the year, externships for educators wishing to focus on a transportation curriculum, and even an opportunity to earn a Master of Science in Transportation Management degree through evening courses at the Headquarters building. Metro also provides a year-long immersive Leadership Academy where the students are employees selected from each department across the agency. In addition, Metro offers levels of tuition reimbursement to any employee pursuing a degree through an accredited school.
Employees have access to on-site child care, private nursing rooms, and a fitness center with yoga offered on-demand digitally or scheduled with a live instructor. Several affiliation groups are active such as the African American Employee Association (AAEA), Advancement of Latinos in Metro Association (ALMA), and Filipino-American Group (Fil-Am Group). Diversity and inclusion is also recognized through groups such as Women and Girls Governing Council (WGGC) and the LGBTQ alliance called Out at Metro.
The Metro Design Studio employees enjoy access to all of these features depending on employment status (for example, temporary employees may not be eligible for the Leadership Academy.) And within our group, there are unique benefits that not all other departments enjoy. One is the steadfast support of the work/life balance by our creative director. It is well known that we are all encouraged to take the time we need and manage our priorities as we see fit. This works very well in our group as we all work together to accommodate each other. We have cultivated an environment of mutual respect and support, honesty and openness. And we all care about each other, sharing treats, articles, humor and experiences.
We are a diverse group of varying levels of experience. We are supported in our pursuit of training and education opportunities not just in what Metro allows, but also for skills and experiences that are specialized for the creative industry.
If there was anything to criticize it would be the fact that opportunities for advancement are rare. This is partly because of the structure placed upon us by the agency, and partly because we are a relatively small group with a flat management structure. In order to advance in our current structure, there needs to be a vacancy or a new position granted from the chief level. Both of these events are seldom occurrences, the former being actually a positive outcome of a great work environment.
Good Business
With the arrival of our current CEO Phil Washington, in 2015, came an explosion of efforts focused on projects and communities. Mr. Washington’s vision for LA was (and continues to be) ambitious, and he managed to convince all of us that great things were possible. The Measure M ballot measure passed with strong support from the voters, and this infused the future with promise, excitement and funding. Metro became very, very busy.
With the rise of development came the careful consideration of people, their homes, businesses and communities. Metro created mitigation programs and financing options to businesses impacted by construction. This could include free signage at worksites, community shopping events, promotional brochures, social media and advertising on the business’s behalf. Metro also offers a certification process to small businesses to help them become eligible to bid on Metro’s Requests for Proposals (RFPs). And another program allows the small business community to network within the agency as well as amongst themselves. All of this enriches the talent and skills that Metro can draw from, in addition to building businesses around LA.
The disadvantaged population is also a beneficiary of Metro’s business practices. Metro’s E3 Initiatives aims at building a boarding school on a vacant lot in an underserved area of south LA. (E3 stands for expose, educate and employ.) The school will prepare at-risk students for college with a STEAM education (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) focused on the global transportation industry. In addition to the school facilities, the campus is designed to include affordable housing, access to transportation, and a supermarket which will serve not only the school but the residents in the neighborhood.
Another program is Workforce Initiative Now-Los Angeles (WIN-LA) which provides career development skills for jobs in and around the transportation industry. It’s goal is to help single mothers, the previously incarcerated, veterans and other vulnerable groups gain the ability to successfully compete for jobs at Metro.
While the Metro Design Studio does not create nor run these programs, we are very involved in every step of development. We are tasked with strategizing, marketing and creating materials for their success. Programs like WIN-LA can pose a complex challenge in its need for materials directed at three different audiences; Metro stakeholders, third party outreach administrators, and job-seeking participants. A similar challenge lies with the Metro E3 Initiatives which needs to reach internal mentors, educators, counselors and potential students and their families. To do this well we approach each project with curiosity and empathy.
Community
Metro is also involved in social issues beyond providing equitable and accessible transportation. We recognize that we have a sprawling system across a vast area and with over a million people riding each day, bad things can happen.
We have partnered with groups such as Peace Over Violence to combat sexual harassment, assault and human trafficking and to provide counseling resources to victims. We have conducted the first ever study on the unique challenges women face on our system and released the report, Understanding How Women Travel, last year. We are revamping our Transit Watch app to make reporting incidents easier. We reach out to the homeless population who shelter on Metro property, and work with a team of employee volunteers to go city-wide and survey them on an annual basis.
All in all, what someone might think is our biggest malady, fare evasion, is barely even mentioned. Instead our goal is to focus on systemic improvements that benefit not only the people within the agency, but the people who rely on us as well.
These are very serious and complicated issues, and there is a fine line between what Metro can and cannot control. We are often explaining to our partners that a rail poster campaign alone is not going to make these things go away. And so we are embarking on a much larger effort to transform the culture of public transit and behaviors exhibited on the system. The Design Studio alongside our Marketing partners are exploring new ways of empowering community involvement, such as bystander intervention and self-defense techniques. We are crafting a message of mutual respect, tolerance and guardianship with a consistent through-line of “better together.” We are currently presenting this cohesive program to the various stakeholders in leadership, and also to key departments who will be expected to participate and contribute, such as security and technology.
Positive Effects
We are also on the front line representing Metro in more positive efforts, such as voting and census participation. And we bring free art and events to all of LA.
Through our Metro Art program we offer the city wonderful public art in and around our stations, and offer an active schedule of community events involving local artists. Much of this activity takes place at the historic Union Station, which is a centralized transportation hub in the heart of the city and is easy to get to.
Within the Design Studio, we take ownership of Metro’s voice and image and always apply sensitivity and thoughtfulness to our communications. We are adept at addressing diversity, equality and professionalism with everything we do. We believe we do not just provide transportation or build infrastructure, but we are part of the fabric of LA. We recognize that many people look to us for support, innovation and advancement and Metro values this role.
The Score - Social
I would give the Design Studio a Social Sustainability Index score of 90. I believe we do a great deal of work on social issues and outreach, not only representing Metro’s efforts but also on a personal level. Each one of us takes this role with a sense of gravitas and hopes to make a change for the better in our city.
The Final Score
To recap, I have scored the Design Studio as follows: Environmental, 68; Economic, 25; and Social, 90. After running the numbers through the formula the final score comes out to 118.
The area of focus for the Design Studio is clearly economic. If we were to take ownership of the merchandise sales, the advertising contract, and all other sources of revenue our department generates or could generate, it’s still iffy as to whether we could survive as a free-standing agency. Our $20 million budget would need to then include overhead expenses, and we probably wouldn’t be able to negotiate the same health insurance and pension offerings as a smaller group. But we are part of a larger machine, and as such, are supported by budgets and decisions outside of our control. For an in-house agency this is typical, and the numbers for this exercise are hypothetical. The larger picture I’ve seen in doing this is that Metro overall would score pretty well just based on what I’ve learned. There are complexities in each department and employment situation that I am not privy to, of course, which is why I focused on just my group in the first place. The economic score may be out of our control to improve, but overall I am confident in the house in which we work.
Cited Works
1 Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Towards the Circular Economy, 36 .
2 Ibid., 7
Credits:
Created with an image by Anupam Mahapatra - "untitled image"All images ©2020 LACMTA