Hertzberg’s Heroes: Vol. I, Issue IX
CSUN Student Kenny Uong
Welcome to Hertzberg’s Heroes! Every month, Team Hertzberg will highlight an organization or individual who exemplifies heroism through their dedication to making life better for the San Fernando Valley. Have a Hero to suggest? Submit your idea to Senator.Hertzberg@sen.ca.gov!
On a bustling quad in between classes, Kenny Uong sits outside his favorite campus coffee spot. My staff met with Kenny about a month after he attended a Metro (Metropolitan Transit Authority) Community Meeting in the North Valley. We learned that Kenny is a regular at such meetings- he has attended 12 and counting on various projects in Los Angeles County and is known and beloved by some members of Metro’s planning staff.
Kenny is like many young adults who walk the grounds of California State University, Northridge: he goes to class every week, studies hard for exams, and is working towards a career he’s passionate about. Born and raised in Glendale, California, Kenny commutes every day to campus on local buses. It takes him about an hour and 15 minutes to get to campus, so he makes sure to get up early and plan his classes accordingly. His family has been a car-free household since he can remember, so Kenny has always taken public transportation.
“I first realized I was passionate about Public Transportation when I memorized every bus time table in my neighborhood by the age of 10,” Kenny reflects. He loves taking the bus because it connects him to different communities — and people — in Los Angeles County. In fact, Kenny met his best friend while waiting for the bus near Burbank, California.
His experiences taking public transportation have inspired him to study Urban Planning with the goal of becoming a transportation planner. He hopes to one day use his vast knowledge of public transportation to give back to the community with the aim of creating better bus routes, and better transit service for LA county residents. He asserts that more access to public transportation will drastically increase the quality of life for many.
College students in Los Angeles are weighed down by various costs by car ownership: on average, it costs about $9,000 a year to own and drive a car in the County. Luckily, CSUN and over 20 other colleges and universities in LA offer transit passes at a much more affordable rate. One downside to commuting, Kenny said, is that it limits his involvement in student groups that meet in the evening due to irregular bus schedules. Improved bus service would help Kenny, and other students who commute to campus via public transportation.
Kenny uses his voice on social media to connect with others who share his passion for transit and encourage others to get involved locally for better car-free travel. You can follow Kenny on Twitter at @_KennyUong_ for updates on public transportation in LA County, as well as fun places to visit while #CarFree.
