Exploring the Past and Looking Into the Future of LA Metro

On September 17, 2026, USC ITE had the honor of hosting LA Metro (Metro) Chief Planning Officer Ray Sosa. With a thirty-year career working in both the public and private sectors of transportation in Los Angeles, Mr. Sosa offered students an insider’s perspective on the industry.

Mr. Sosa grew up in Los Angeles and moved around primarily by public transit. He went on to attend Dartmouth, studying Government, then returned to Los Angeles, where he began as an intern at Metro. He also pursued his Master’s in Transportation Planning at UCLA. During his first decade with Metro, Mr. Sosa worked on the Crenshaw-Prairie alignment, which would later become the K Line connecting to LAX. He also worked on the Eastside Gold Line, serving communities such as Little Tokyo, Boyle Heights, and East Los Angeles. In early 2007, Mr. Sosa moved to the private sector, including working at AECOM as Lead Project Manager on the Regional Connector project, linking existing rail lines through downtown Los Angeles via a 3.1-mile light-rail tunnel. He rejoined Metro in 2022 as Deputy Chief Planning & Development Officer and became Chief Planning Officer in late 2023.

Our members raised a number of questions for Mr. Sosa, tackling many aspects of the transportation planning profession and process. In his role as Chief Planning Officer, Mr. Sosa mentioned that he works closely with elected officials and Metro Board members, noting that his undergraduate degree prepared him to negotiate effectively and navigate political systems. Having been with Metro for over a decade, he has seen many iterations in its operations. When the Metro Board began, there was even a college student member who was chosen in part because of their regular experience riding Metro. Mr. Sosa also mentioned the importance of community engagement, including how an Eastside Gold Line station, which helped bridge a gap between the community and a high school, was approved because the community advocated for the plan when it seemed likely to be rejected.

Mr. Sosa also spoke about the relationship between public agencies and the private sector. For many public agencies, budget and workload constraints can limit their ability to retain specialized staff, including planners and engineers. Using professional consulting services or contractors on specific projects can therefore be cost-effective. Mr. Sosa emphasized the importance of retaining in-house expertise while also recognizing the quick turnaround and specialized skills that consultants may provide, enabling public agencies like Metro to better serve their communities. With experience on both the public and private sides of transportation, Mr. Sosa offered valuable insight into the role consultants play in the transportation industry.

One interesting insight from Mr. Sosa was that multiple smaller projects may be more efficient in the long run than one large project, because the approval process can move more quickly for each project, allowing construction to begin sooner. Lastly, Mr. Sosa suggested that reduced travel time and actual savings to motorists can serve as useful measures of a project's success.

We thank Mr. Sosa for sharing his experience with USC ITE and hope his words will inspire the next generation of transportation professionals.