The transit advocacy group Move LA has seen increasingly larger crowds for its previous four annual conferences. This year’s conference is Friday, Feb. 1, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the old ticketing area at the front of Los Angeles Union Station (i.e. the Alameda Street side of Union Station, which The Source officially recognizes as “the front.”

The first panel discussion of the day deals with a topic that is probably on the mind of many of you: where might money come from for transit projects in the wake of the narrow loss of Measure J at the polls last year? Among the panelists: Metro CEO Art Leahy and Metro Board Member Richard Katz.

The afternoon panel discussion on “The DNA of Transit Corridors” also looks intriguing given that development around some of the region’s heaviest used transit lines has been sporadic. The panel is mostly comprised of officials from the city of Los Angeles or Metro so it will be interesting to see if there are diverse views on how our region is faring — or whether everyone just agrees we’re doing swell.

Move LA — which does receive some financial support from Metro — is headed by Executive Director Denny Zane, the former Santa Monica Councilmember and Mayor. He’s been a regular presence on the L.A. transit scene for a number of years now and was one of the major advocates who pushed for the passage of Measure R in 2008. Denny will be leading the morning panel discussion on transportation funding and my best guess is he may drop an opinion or two.

The entire agenda for next Friday’s conference is after the jump. Click here for registration information.

Avancemos! – Move LA forward! 

Registration (8:00 am)

Welcome (8:30 am)

Marlene Grossman, Move LA Leadership Board Chair

Invocation: Rabbi Diamond (invited)

Denny Zane, Executive Director, Move LA

Borja Leon, Deputy Mayor for Transportation

Morning Keynote (8:45 am)

Robbie Hunter, State Building & Construction Trades Council of California

Lessons from LA’s Transit Revolution for Sacramento

Morning Topics

Post Measure J:  Big Picture Politics of Money for Transportation (9:10 am)

Denny Zane, Move LA – Framer & Moderator

What’s the next step to accelerating Measure R?

• How real are the federal opportunities: America Fast Forward Bonds? National Infrastructure Development Bank?
• With the State in the black, are there new opportunities: 55% voter threshold? Vehicle License Fee surcharge? Cap & trade funds?
• What about CA High Speed Rail?

Assemblymember Bob Blumenfield, Los Angeles

Maria Elena Durazo, Secretary-Treasurer, LA County Federation of Labor

Richard Katz, Metrolink Board Chair, LA Metro Board

Art Leahy, CEO, LA Metro

Mary Leslie, President, LA Business Council

Adriano Martinez, Staff Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council

Ron Miller, Executive Secretary, LA & Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council Tracy Rafter, LA County Business Federation

Gary Toebben, CEO, LA Area Chamber of Commerce

Making the Transit Revolution Real and Fair (10:20 am)

Beth Steckler, Move LA – Moderator

• What are the tools we need to make the transit revolution real and fair in LA County and how do we get them?
• What are the strategies to increase housing opportunities for core transit users, to facilitate walking and cycling, and to pay for bus and rail operations?

Rye Baerg, So. California Policy Manager, Safe Routes to School National Partnership

Autumn Bernstein, Exec. Director, ClimatePlan

Raffi Hamparian, Director of Federal Affairs, LA Metro

Madeline Janis, National Policy Director, LA Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE)

Joan Ling, Real Estate Advisor and Urban Planning Policy Analyst

Hilary Norton, FAST (Fixing Angelenos Stuck in Traffic)

Kevin Ratner, Forest City

Tunua Thrash, West Angeles Community Development Corporation

Michael Turner, State Affairs, LA Metro

Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky (11:30 am)

Keynote: Big Lessons from LA’s Transit Revolution

Lunch (noon)

Senate Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (12:30 pm) 

Keynote: Sacramento’s Contribution to LA’s Transit Revolution 

Dr. Robert Cervero (1:00 pm)

Lessons for LA from Successful Cities around the World & LA’s Potential

Afternoon topics

Gloria Ohland and Denny Zane, Move LA – Moderators

William Roschen, President, LA Planning Commission (1:30 pm)

The “DNA” of Transit Corridors 

Presentation and Dialogue of Priorities for the Mayor’s Transit Corridors Cabinet

Michael LoGrande, Director LA City Planning Department

Mercedes Marquez, General Manager, LA Housing Department and Deputy Mayor for Housing

Jaime de la Vega, General Manager, LA Department of Transportation

Valerie Lynn Shaw, LA Board of Public Works Commissioner

Mel Wilson, LA Metro Board

Cal Hollis, LA Metro

Respondents:

Cecilia Estolano, ELP Advisors

Paul Habibi, Habibi Properties/UCLA Anderson School of Management

Dr. Manuel Pastor, Director Program for Environmental & Regional Equity (PERE), USC

Thomas Yee, Little Tokyo Services Center

Amanda Eaken, NRDC

Comments from audience

Adjourn to Reception in Honor of LA City Councilman Bill Rosendahl.  (3:30 pm)

Fred Harvey Room.