Policy in Motion is a woman-owned small business founded by Lauren Michele in 2010. Policy in Motion’s mission is to promote the environmental, economic, and equitable health of communities — fostering a sustainable future for all people and the planet. Read more on the firm’s experience and projects in Planning and Implementation, Strategy and Analysis, and Outreach and Education.
Key Projects and Experience Include:
Left Coast Voter
Lauren Michele serves as Executive Director of Left Coast Voter, creating and managing its Political Action Committee (PAC) and social media site of progressive voters with over 225,000 followers (Facebook.com/LeftCoastVoter). Most recently, she helped flip the Senate by fundraising to support the Georgia Democratic Senate races. Left Coast Voter finds the progressive candidates and ballot measures that need help – whether it’s national, statewide or local – who represent values of justice, equality, human rights, and science. More at: www.LeftCoastVoter.com
Tulsi 2020 Presidential Campaign
Lauren Michele served as the Policy Director and Democratic National Committee (DNC) Debate Liaison for Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard’s 2020 Presidential Campaign. She managed a team of policy researchers; conducted preparations for media interviews and presidential debates; coordinated with campaign efforts involving strategic communications, coalition building, and digital outreach; led logistics/advance/security teams for the DNC Democratic Debates; and facilitated communication with major news networks on debate logistics and policy issue areas including CNN, NBC, New York Times, Washington Post, and others.
Transportation Coalition for Livable Communities
The Transportation Coalition for Livable Communities (comprised of the California Alliance for Jobs, California Transit Association, NRDC, EDF, CALCOG, the League of California Cities, State Association of Counties, and MPOs/COGs across California) explored ways to invest California’s Cap-and-Trade program revenue to address both the greenhouse gas reduction goals of AB 32 and critical transportation system maintenance and operation needs that builds on the framework of SB 375 and other GHG reduction strategies. As Policy Director of the Coalition, Lauren Michele applied technical research to the development of an innovative program concept for California – identifying key political players for collaboration, implementation concerns, and co-benefits from investments in integrated transportation and land use infrastructure and operations. Policy in Motion orchestrated this multi-year legislative and budget effort to increase transportation funding in California and created/managed a large statewide political coalition ranging from environmental to labor organizations and government agencies.
UrbanFootprint for GHG Analysis
A key to evaluating integrated infrastructure and land use proposals based on their greenhouse gas reduction potential is modeling. UrbanFootprint is a powerful and flexible land use and transportation planning, modeling, and data organization framework designed to facilitate more informed scenario-based planning and analysis by practitioners, public agencies, and other stakeholders. Many state, regional, and local agencies are all currently using and interested in further developing UrbanFootprint as a tool to assess GHG reduction as well as energy, water, public health, fiscal impacts, and conservation of agriculture and habitat benefits from investing in combinations of land use and transportation strategies. Policy in Motion was responsible for meeting organization and facilitation, inter-agency coordination, strategic communication, and outreach to technical advisors and stakeholders on the applications of UrbanFootprint.
Our Community CarShare Sacramento
Policy in Motion was a key partner in the program development, branding/website, education/outreach, and implementation/launch of Our Community CarShare Sacramento, a new electric carsharing pilot program serving disadvantaged communities. Funded by a Cap-and-Trade grant from the California Air Resources Board, this program provides hundreds of residents in four Sacramento affordable housing complexes with free access to eight electric Kia Souls operated by Zipcar and Community CarShare. Policy in Motion crafted the structure of the program via a six-part process from initial registration to final membership; conducted multi-lingual public workshops for residents and trainings for housing staff; and developed all demographic and trip surveys, the logo/branding and website, social media outlets, and outreach and educational materials. Additionally, Policy in Motion wrote quarterly reports and a “Lessons Learned” report after the first year of program implementation – including project milestones and challenges, trip data collection on VMT, survey results, and GHG emissions displacement.
Cap-and-Trade Resource Center
Policy in Motion prepared an overview on how California’s Cap-and-Trade program works, and a summary of 13 cap and trade funding programs for the Institute for Local Government. The content was developed for ILG’s website and presented as a brochure and Infographic. The website, brochure, and Infographic can be viewed or downloaded at the Cap and Trade Resource Center.
California Interregional Blueprint
Caltrans prepared a state-level transportation blueprint to articulate the State’s vision for an integrated, multi-modal interregional transportation system that complements regional transportation plans and land use visions. Policy in Motion engaged stakeholders and facilitated discussions between various agencies, and helped summarize regional transportation plans and programs.
Safe Routes to School: Transportation Planning and Funding Guide
A toolkit to support local policy makers in understanding local, regional, state and federal plans, policies, programs and other resources that could support or complement SRTS projects in California communities. Policy in Motion analyzed funding programs and resources, identified pilot projects for safe walking and bicycling policies or programs, and developed an online web portal for a Policy Maker’s Toolkit.