Comments on: Leahy Outlines His Vision for Metro at Calpirg Conference

By: Spokker

Spokker — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:05:46 +0000

“I do not have much faith in them since they want to spend 20 years digging under Wilshire instead of a Monorail option o_O :(“

No offense to you, Johnny, but I think a lot of us ARE happy they decided not to go with a monorail option.

I love the Disneyland Monorail as much as the next guy and Bob Gurr is a hero of mine, but we already have a subway under Wilshire Blvd. Extending it West is the way to go instead of creating an unnecessary transfer.

By: Steven Chan

Steven Chan — Wed, 06 May 2009 15:13:36 +0000

He did as good of a job as he politically could here. I spoke with a Roy, an OC transportation advocate: he said that under Leahy’s watch, OCTA expanded service on a lot of their bus lines and, at Leahy’s insistence, launched four 24-hour routes.

Roy also said that OCTA’s current proposal to decimate bus service will essentially bring transit service levels back to the 90′s before Leahy came aboard.

By: Johnny

Johnny — Wed, 06 May 2009 13:34:15 +0000

He sounds like a WIN but it’s always comes down to Politics and Money and The Board. I do not have much faith in them since they want to spend 20 years digging under Wilshire instead of a Monorail option o_O :(

By: ubrayj02

ubrayj02 — Wed, 06 May 2009 09:35:03 +0000

Even for a cynic like me, what Leahy said sounds very promising.

By: Marcotico

Marcotico — Tue, 05 May 2009 19:00:08 +0000

I was always impressed by the fact that OCTA he drove a modest hybrid CRV. As Spokker mentioned OCTA is more freeway centric than Metro. But even there, when it comes to transit he focused on improving existing service, rather than constant expansions that couldn’t be supported.

By: Albert

Albert — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:55:03 +0000

“No, I can walk to Downtown. I’m not taking a car a couple of blocks.” = Win.

I might have missed something but I hope we get to see a more thorough discussion of the LRTP by Leahy soon (or perhaps it’s too early considering he’s only one month into the job?).

By: Alan K. Weeks

Alan K. Weeks — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:47:41 +0000

I am sorry I missed the conference. Having worked in Art Leahy’s RTD Schedule Department I know he is for real. I expect good things coming out of MTA in the future. He is the right man at the right place at the right time. Minor correction in your article. Art’s father and mother worked for
the Los Angeles Transit Lines the Yellow car system not the Red Car system.
Excellent article otherwise.

By: SoapBoxLA

SoapBoxLA — Tue, 05 May 2009 15:31:28 +0000

The good example needs to manifest itself in a simple Metro policy. When Metro emps or consultants attend a community meeting, they need to use the Metro. Car pool in the supplies if necessary, but Metro for the staff. Ride a bike to fill in the gaps. Same rules as for the people they serve.

By: Spokker

Spokker — Tue, 05 May 2009 05:27:36 +0000

I was there and the son of a bitch said all the right things. I was ready to hate him because he was the CEO of highway happy OCTA. But then again, he gave Orange County residents exactly what they wanted. Hopefully he gives LA County residents what they want and voted for, better bus and rail operations.

If this guy keeps his word on using his own transit system to get around, he’ll become very popular.