The Transpo Committee instructed the LADOT to come up with a process for establishing a STRATEGIC TRANSPORTATION PLAN for the City of Los Angeles and for involving the public in the process.

The Transpo Committee repeated its instruction to the LADOT that the public would be involved in the formation of the new Bicycle Master Plan.

The Transpo Committee acknowledged that now is the time for the LADOT to begin planning for the 2009 Call for Projects and that now is the time for the community to begin the input process.

The LADOT (Gloria Jeff and Michael Uyeno) said it was the best they could do under the time constraints.

Committee Chair Wendy Greuel said what time constraints, the opportunity for funding comes up all the time. Don’t we have projects ready? Don’t we have a plan? DON’T WE HAVE A STRATEGIC TRANSPORTATION PLAN?

Crickets chirped.

Since then the City Council had a one-topic Council Meeting and focused their collective energies on the creation of LA’s Strategic Transportation Plan.

We all know what happens when the City Council of the largest City in the most populated State in the most powerful Country in the world put their heads together and work together!

Nothing!

The LADOT is a funding Department. They will fund anything with the word transpo in it regardless of it’s impact on the community.

I’m with Josef. Planning is a Charter Department. Transportation is an Ordinance Department. Absorb Transpo into Planning. Get behind Planning and give them the resources necessary to create a long-range transpo plan that is in sync with the other elements of the General Plan and then give them the support necessary to make it a reality.

The Audit Brayj mentions is available on the Controller’s website:

http://www.lacity.org/ctr/audits/LADOTManagementAuditFinalReport03.pdf

The Transportation Element of the General Plan done through the Planning Dept. should be providing a element of structure to transportation priorities. To be honest I am not sure how much the city itself gives it anything but lip service.

http://cityplanning.lacity.org/cwd/gnlpln/transelt/index.htm

A DASH needs assessment was done some time ago. It would be nice to implement some of the lines in the report but we known some of the existing routes are very poor performers. Some process is needed to not just expand DASH but give the Department the means to consolidate or eliminate the weak lines so we can ensure public funds are being well used.

http://clkrep.lacity.org/councilfiles/04-0823-s1_rpt_ladot_6-1-05.pdf

The LADOT asked that Prop C money go to hire 5 people to be part of a new division. The mayor turned the idea down. The LADOT sat on its hands and the mayor’s office didn’t do squat.

We have no long-range transportation planning in this city. WTF?!

If the LADOT isn’t going to do it, cut the grant writer’s money in the LADOT and turn some Urban Design Studio people into transportation planners. Get us local return money to do planning in a department that will work with the community.

Also, the mayor’s “Tiger Team” has been going around the city “improving” and studying various corridors and intersections on surface streets. This “improvement” usually entails a re-design of the road to carry more cars at faster rates of travel through busy commercial and residential destinations. Has the mayor’s “Tiger Team” seen any increase or decrease in the crash and injury numbers in LA? Couldn’t we turn that “Tiger Team” into a “Livability Team” instead and see our local businesses flourish and the number of dead and wounded pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users and car drivers decrease?

He needs to get his transportation priorities straight – or we’ll help straighten his priorities for him.

HOO AHH!