Metro distributes first round of Measure R funds to five cities

Pictured, from left, Hidden Hills City Councilmember Stuart Siegel, Calabasas City Councilmember Dennis Washburn, Najarian, Westlake City Councilmember Mark Rutherford, Agoura Hills City Councilmember Denis Weber and Malibu City Councilmember John Sibert.

Pictured, from left, Hidden Hills City Councilmember Stuart Siegel, Calabasas City Councilmember Dennis Washburn, Najarian, Westlake City Councilmember Mark Rutherford, Agoura Hills City Councilmember Denis Weber and Malibu City Councilmember John Sibert.

Ara Najarian, Chair of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors, on  Tuesday presented installments of Measure R sale tax money to the cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Malibu, Westlake Village and Hidden Hills for use in improving transportation systems within their cities.

Measure R, a half-cent sales tax approved by the voters in Nov. 2008, is expected to generate about $40 billion over its 30-year lifespan. As part of the measure, all cities within L.A. County will receive 15% of the funding to use for major street resurfacing, pothole repair, building cycling infrastructure, pedestrian improvements, signal synchronization and other transit upgrades.

To put it another way, about $6 billion of Measure R money will be divided by 88 cities in the county. Here’s a link to the Measure R expenditure plan, which also provides funds for major transit projects and freeway improvements.

The Measure R payment to Agoura Hills was $55,442; Calabasas received $56,343; Malibu$32,535; Westlake Village $21,057, and Hidden Hills got $4,787 from sales taxes collected through Dec. 2009.