socata

It is important from time to time as an advocate to expose yourself to the broader universe of perceptions and experience beyond the universe of fellow advocates, agency staff, officials, etc. populating the policy sphere. We all have a stake in transportation issues and it is educational to meet the public and engage with it in an exchange of knowledge, hear their thoughts and concerns plus answer questions.

(editor's note:  A couple of weeks ago Joe Linton wrote an update on Los Angeles' support for the Wilshire Bus-Only Lane.  A City Watch Columnist, Harold Katz, responded with an article attacking the project.)

Dana Gabbard has written several stories for Streetsblog over theyears helping to advance issues such as the passage of Measure R and the advancement of many of the transit expansion projects being proposed.  Gabbard has been a member of the Southern California Transit Advocates for fifteen years, and has helpfully written a piece about his roots in advocacy.

The featured speaker before this month's Southern California Transit Advocates meeting will be Denny Zane, the former Santa Monica Councilman and Mayor and Metro insider who is as responsible as anyone for the passage of Measure R.  Zane and the It's Time to Move L.A. Coalition organized the January 2008 that was the beginning of the movement that led to the sales tax increase that will fund transit projects for the next thirty years.

This week's Metro Board Meeting, the meeting where much of the transportation related news for the entire month comes to a conclusion, has a lot of interesting items.  Highlighted by the potential passage of the "2009" Long Range Transportation Plan and the potential extension of the AnsaldoBreda light rail car contract.  However, some smaller items, such as a discussion of Asm. Lieu's proposal to extend HOV access to cars with the magic "fuel efficient" sticker, a setting of the fares for the Silver Line and setting the prices for Metro's Express Lanes will also be discussed.

(Editor's Note: This is the first in what will hopefully be a series of residents defending their community as the best for car-free living in Los Angeles.  Make your submissions to damien@streetsblog.org.  For more information on the series, visit yesterday's story.)

Last Friday I received a forwarded email from Dana Gabbard of So.CA.TA. fame from someone looking to move to Los Angeles.  This future resident wanted to know what the best neighborhood for transit riders was in L.A.  While Gabbard can certainly offer a take on pretty much any community in Los Angeles, we thought it would be better to let residents speak on behalf of their own communities.