Metro

There is a lot of discussion these days about a potential ballot measure for a new sales tax to fund transportation projects and programs for Los Angeles County. The non-profit Move L.A. has dubbed the future tax "Measure R2," after the successful 2008 Measure R half-cent sales tax. Move L.A. first offered their "straw man" proposal on how to spend the money one year ago. More recently, they hosted forums in South L.A., the San Fernando Valley, and downtown L.A. to discuss potential future transportation funds and projects.

At 10 a.m. tomorrow, Saturday, April 25, the Metro Board of Directors is hosting a public meeting to receive input on the agency's proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2016. It is expected that the Board of Directors will approve the budget at their May meeting.

Crenshaw Boulevard may be chaotic to navigate due to the construction of the Crenshaw/LAX Line at the moment, but good things appear to be in the works. The Source reported Wednesday that the new stations will be graced with works from a diverse mix of 14 artists.

Smart people live in Pasadena. Some of them work for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and send probes to Mars. Others spend their days figuring out quantum mechanics at Caltech. And still others dabble in transportation. A study group formed by Pasadena's Mayor Bill Bogaard and its City Manager has a smart idea in response to L.A. Metro's study to link the stub end of the 210 with the end of the 710: instead of closing this “gap” in our freeways, rip out the 210's stub along Pasadena Avenue.

Metro is proposing new "Letter Designations for Fixed Guideway Lines." Basically, all Metro rail lines, plus the Orange and Silver BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) lines, would receive a letter designation. The letter would largely replace the current colors. For example, the Metro Red Line would become the "B Line." The proposed changes are outlined in this presentation [PDF] for April Service Council meetings. The item is not on Board committee meeting agendas for this month, so the proposal will likely go to the full Metro Board of Directors in May or later.

As today's Streetsblog USA post related, transit supporters across the U.S. are hosting events today to "Stand Up 4 Transportation." Metro hosted its rally this morning at Patasaouras Plaza at L.A. Union Station. The event featured Los Angeles Congressional representatives Judy Chu and Maxine Waters, and a host of L.A.'s labor, business, and transportation leaders, all calling on congress to renew investment in transportation infrastructure.

Elected officials and agency representatives gathered yesterday to host a ribbon-cutting event for Wilshire Boulevard's newest peak-hour bus-only lanes. The $31.5 million project, dubbed the Wilshire Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a joint effort of Metro, L.A. City, and L.A. County. The bus-only lanes operate from 7-9 a.m. and 4-7 p.m.

In case you haven't heard, we're in a bit of an affordable housing crunch.

When the Metro board approved fare hikes last May, it also directed Metro to engage experts from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) to study Metro's fares and look into other revenue strategies. APTA experts completed their review recently, and presented their findings at last week's Metro board meeting. Though the APTA review recommended approving Metro's proposed fare increases, many of their findings contrast somewhat with present Metro policies.