This month the San Gabriel Valley Service Council will conduct their meeting at the East L.A. Library, located at 4387 E 3rd Street, instead of their regular location in El Monte. Their meeting will be held at the same time and date that they normally conduct their monthly meeting, 5 p.m. on the second Monday of the month (Feb. 9). All other Service Councils will hold their meetings at their regularly scheduled locations, days and times. However, please note that the Westside/Central Service Council recently voted to move from their current meeting spot in Beverly Hills to the Metro headquarters building in downtown L.A. beginning in April this year.

The Gateway Cities Service Council is considering changing their meeting location AND time, and is requesting the public’s input on potential meeting sites. They currently meet each month at Salt Lake Park in Huntington Park beginning at 2 p.m., but feel that meeting at a later time might make it easier for the public to participate in their meetings. Please click here to read an article posted on The Source about potential locations, and to provide your input on where you think the meeting should be. The Council will also discuss whether to recommend to their appointing body, the Gateway Cities Council of Governments, to reduce the number of their Council members from nine to seven.

The San Gabriel Valley Service Council elected to move their February meeting to the East L.A. Library to seek public input on Lines 68 and 620, which serve the library and may be restructured at a later date to improve service efficiency. If you have comments you’d like to provide about those lines but cannot attend the meeting, you are invited to e-mail your remarks to servicecouncils@metro.net and the information will be shared with San Gabriel Valley Service Council members.

The San Fernando Valley Service Council will once again lead off this month’s round of meetings, convening this tomorrow (Feb. 4). All Councils will receive presentations on Metro’s FY16 budget process and an update on the Long Range Transportation Plan and a potential 2016 ballot measure. The presentation on the budget process will provide background on Metro’s process, describe the 4 components of the budget, list budget themes for FY16, and give high level budget statistics and values. Councils will also receive the monthly Director’s report, which provides statistics on ridership, performance and other measures of Metro service.

For more information about each Service Council, click on the name of the Council to view their web page. Meeting topics at each Service Council this month include:

San Fernando Valley (6:30 p.m., Wednesday, 2/4) – Presentation on Metro FY16 Budget Process; Presentation on Potential 2016 Ballot Measure and Long Range Transportation Plan Update.

San Gabriel Valley  (5 p.m., Monday, 2/9) – Presentation on Metro FY16 Budget Process; Presentation on Potential 2016 Ballot Measure and Long Range Transportation Plan Update.

Westside/Central  (5 p.m., Wednesday, 2/11) – Presentation on Metro FY16 Budget Process; Presentation on Potential 2016 Ballot Measure and Long Range Transportation Plan Update.

Gateway Cities (2 p.m., Thursday, 2/12) – Presentation on Metro FY16 Budget Process; Presentation on Potential 2016 Ballot Measure and Long Range Transportation Plan Update; Receive presentation on public comments received a potential new monthly meeting time and location; Consider recommending change in Service Council membership (number of representatives) to the Gateway Cities Council of Governments.

South Bay (9:30 a.m., Friday, 2/13) – Presentation on Metro FY16 Budget Process; Presentation on Potential 2016 Ballot Measure and Long Range Transportation Plan Update. The South Bay Director’s Report will include additional information on the scoping for the Metro Airport Connector and upcoming Green Line temporary closures.

For a detailed listing of all Council meeting dates, times and locations, and to preview agendas and presentation materials, click here. As always, the public is encouraged to attend and share their comments with the Service Councils on improving bus service throughout LA County. If you would like to provide input to a Council but cannot attend a meeting, you can submit your comments in writing through the Service Council web page or send them to servicecouncils@metro.net. If your comments are for a specific Council, please make sure to indicate which one you are addressing in your e-mail.