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Streetsblog LA
Metro Board Quickly Moves on Green Construction, Position on HSR, Bike Share and Bus Studies
This morning, Mayor Villaraigosa's last term as Chair of the Metro Board of Directors got off to an efficient and relatively controversy-free start as Supervisors passed motions on studying the impacts of Metro's bus cuts and Bus Rapid Transit expansion, a second study on the costs and benefits of a bike share program, the approval of a green construction program and even a preferred route for California High Speed Rail. The only real debate among the Board Members came when Director Diane DuBois challenged Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas on the definition of "local" in the local jobs program and on whether or not to give free Metro passes to uniformed Girl Scouts during the group's 100th birthday party.
August 4, 2011
Ridley-Thomas’ Office in Harmony with Metro in Early Community Benefits/Protection Discussion
Last week, Metro staff responded to a motion by Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas to create a community benefits plan for the Crenshaw Community, especially in the area where the line is scheduled to run at-grade, during construction and operations of the line. The response was a power point presentation showing where the agency currently is in its thinking about community benefits and while some community activists are unhappy with the presentation, Ridley-Thomas' office seems to think it's a good first step.
July 27, 2011
Zev Reader Questionnaire Part 1: Metro and Transit
Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky's answers to our reader questionnaire were so detailed that we decided to break the questions in to two parts. There is just so much to chew on in this section, such as Zev's views on the Westside Subway Station Debate, the importance of a subway and the future of the I-405 Transit Corridor. We've said enough about Zev over the years, so now it's his turn. As always, all questions came from you, the readers, and the Supervisor's staff assures me that all answers came from Zev himself.
July 26, 2011
Zev Reader Questionnaire Part 2: Walking, Biking, the SGV and All the Rest
Parts two and three of your questionnaire with Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky focused mainly on what I'm referring to as "People Powered Transportation" (the Alliance for Walking and Bicycling's chosen term for traveling without a car and not by transit) and a separate section with two tongue-and-cheek questions. Sadly, he didn't take my bait and announce his candidacy for Mayor.
July 26, 2011
Ridley-Thomas, South L.A., Gearing Up for Fight Over…Light Rail Yards?
At first, it looked like a pretty innocuous motion on a Metro Board Planning and Programming Committee Agenda. Item #19, passed quickly and unanimously by the committee, shuffles $170 million in funds dedicated towards Red Line expansion, partially from Measure R, to cover the "unmet costs" to complete the rail yards for Expo Phase II light rail cars. (Note: As was pointed out in the comments section, the staff report says that the Southwest yard is for Green/Crenshaw Line cars, not Expo cars.)
July 22, 2011
Villaraigosa Offers Bi-Partisan Praise for Federal Transportation Bills, But Favors Boxer’s Over House Mica’s
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was in Washington, D.C. today to support the dramatic increase in the TIFIA loan program to $1 billion that is proposed in both the House and Senate draft reauthorization bills and is the center plank of the America Fast Forward plan to accelerate transit construction. By the time he flew out of town, he also through his hat in the ring to be the most popular man about town. This is Villaraigosa's 7th trip to the Capital to lobby for and promote portions of the America Fast Forward program.
July 21, 2011
City Council Unanimously Passes Anti-Harassment Ordinance
When Streetsblog first began publishing in Los Angeles, there would be Transportation Committee hearings where I was literally the only-person in the room that wasn't either city staff or a lobbyist. The scene at City Hall couldn't be more different these days as advocates for cyclists rights and infrastructure are a common site in the halls (and steps) of City Hall. Yesterday's victory for cyclists, the final passage of Councilman Bill Rosendahl's "Bicyclist Anti-Harassment Ordinance" would have been similarly unthinkable.
July 21, 2011
Streetsblog Talks to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa about His Goals for Metro, Constellation Avenue and “Plan B.”
The weekend before Carmageddon, I had a chance encounter with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa while visiting Councilman Bill Rosendahl's house as part of an upcoming StreetsFilm that we're working on. Villaraigosa was pleasant, and offered to do an interview with Streetsblog sometime soon. I decided not to bother his staff until after Carmageddon, but on Monday morning his media relations team contacted me to set up an interview with the Mayor to discuss his plans for his year as Metro Board Chair.
July 20, 2011