SGV

SGV Connect 78 – Bassett High School Stormwater Capture Project and Fareless Transit

SGV Connect interviews: Dan Lafferty and Paul Alva of L.A. County Public Works about the rainwater capture project at Bassett High School in La Puente, and Diane Velez of Active SGV about Metro's proposed fareless transit initiative

By Kristopher Fortin

4:09 PM PDT on March 16, 2021

On this week’s SGV Connect, Kris interviews Dan Lafferty, Deputy Director and Paul Alva, Assistant Deputy Director at the L.A. County Department of Public Works about the Bassett High School Stormwater Capture Project.

Currently, DPW is reaching out to the community about the project and is encouraging residents and other stakeholders to complete a survey to help them best prioritize what the project will look like.

Located in the city of La Puente, the project is part of a partnership with Bassett Unified School District (BUSD) to divert urban runoff and rainwater into infiltration galleries underneath Bassett High School athletic fields. In addition, a pocket park at the corner of the school athletic field is being proposed as a joint use feature with the community.

In our second interview, Damien talks with Diane Velez with Active SGV about Metro’s proposed fareless transit initiative, announced last year. If approved by the board, in 2022, Metros initial pilot would offer fare-free transit to seniors, students and people with lesser income – to test the impacts of not charging people in the L.A. region to use transit. The program could be expanded to cover more groups of people and more agencies.

Quick note: during the interview we discuss whether or not Foothill Transit is doing its own study. While they are not, Doran Barnes, the CEO of Foothill Transit is on the committee that will be reviewing and studying Metro’s fareless pilot project.

SGV Connect is supported by Foothill Transit, offering car-free travel throughout the San Gabriel Valley with connections to the new Gold Line Stations across the Foothills and Commuter Express lines traveling into the heart of downtown L.A. To plan your trip, visit Foothill Transit. “Foothill Transit. Going Good Places.”

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Kristopher Fortin

Streetsblog California contributor, covering news in Orange County.

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