As Executive Director of Public Works for the fourth densest city in the nation, Fred Mousavipour has safety and sustainability on his mind. A 22-year veteran of public works and engineering projects in Los Angeles and neighboring cities, Mousavipour has set his sights on reducing the number of fatalities and injuries involving bikes and pedestrians in Santa Ana.
“We want to be one of the best,” he says. “Our goal is zero fatalities, and we can achieve that by improving safety and providing multiple means of mobility.”
Mousavipour is a graduate of USC with a background in civil engineering. He worked for the city of Los Angeles on big projects like the Hyperion treatment plant and was the Chief Design Engineer for all four wastewater plants. After his tenure in the private sector as a managing director of commercial real estate, Mousavipour joined the city of Redlands where he became Director of Municipal Utilities.
Mousavipour envisions better use of vehicles, bicycles and public transportation for Santa Ana. He wants to improve the city’s walkability, reduce traffic speed, create more bike lanes and widen sidewalks.
“New York and San Francisco have many of the same transportation and safety issues and I believe Santa Ana can overcome them in much the same way as those cities.”
Mousavipour’s other major priority is to build a sustainable infrastructure with greater use of technology. That includes energy conservation and LEED certified construction and design.
“Everything we do in Public Works has a direct effect on quality of life and that makes it exciting. It gives us a chance to make a big contribution. That’s why I studied Engineering. It’s my dream, and I’m excited that the city of Santa Ana and its people give us the latitude to provide those services.”