Valley Gadfly Rages Against Planned Metro Bus Speed Improvements

Metro is proposing to implement a voter-approved bus speed improvement project in the north San Fernando Valley. In response, one Valley gadfly is rallying residents to oppose the project, alleging improved transit would cause “massive traffic jams” and “giant apartment buildings” shading valley homes.

Metro’s project is called the North San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor. Voters approved $180 million for the project in the Measure M sales tax spending plan. Metro’s plans are for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) mostly on Nordhoff Street and Roscoe Boulevard.

The BRT project is still in early planning stages, with draft concepts slated to be received and filed at today’s 2 p.m. Metro board Planning and Programming Committee. Find additional details about the proposed North Valley BRT at Metro’s project page or staff report, or coverage at Urbanize.

The anti-BRT flier is being pushed by Jay Beeber, a perennial marginal city council candidate who achieved some notoriety in fighting city parking citation practices. Earlier this month, Beeber lost another campaign in an L.A. City Council District 12 special election. He came in fourth out of fifteen candidates, receiving 9.5 percent of votes cast.

As Alissa Walker tweeted, the image on Beeber’s alert – a photo of a bus lane in India – makes bus-only lanes look pretty good.

Beeber is encouraging people to contact Metro boardmembers to tell them “Hands off Our Peaceful Neighborhood!” SBLA readers who think otherwise – perhaps something like “Support Quality Transit for Our Peaceful Neighborhood” – might want to contact Metro boardmembers, too. Find boardmember information at the Metro webpage, or several targeted boardmembers’ phone numbers at Beeber’s Save the San Fernando Valley website.