Actions taken by the Metro Board on Thursday

Wow. Another Board meeting this year that was shorter than a Hobbit movie!

The full agenda and recap of actions are above. Among the more interesting items approved:

•The Board approved funding for 17 more Open Streets events over the next couple of years, as was expected. And, yes, the Golden Streets event cancelled earlier this year because of smoke from wildfires is back on the docket!

•The Board approved an $85-million contract for security officers. More in a separate post.

•The Board approved a $73-million contract and a $3.9-million contract to overhaul 74 of  the subway cars used on the Red/Purple Line. The subway cars are on average more than 17 years old with an average mileage of 1.3 million miles per vehicle (fun fact!). Also in the works: a procurement to purchase new subway cars, which will be needed when the Purple Line Extension opens.

•The Board approved a $12.1-million contract with Parsons Brinckerhoff to do the environmental studies for the West Santa Ana Branch Corridor project, which in plain English means the proposed light rail line between Artesia and Union Station in DTLA. The project has $240 million in Measure R funding but needs more dollars to get built.

About $1.4 billion in funding is included in Measure M, Metro’s sales tax ballot measure going to voters this fall. Under the Measure M timeline approved by the Board earlier this year, the first phase of the project would be built between Artesia and the Green Line and open 2028-30 with the second phase from the Green Line to Union Station in 2041-43. Metro officials have said the timelines may be accelerated if a public-private partnership deal could be struck for the project.

 

8 replies

  1. Too bad the West Santa Ana Branch won’t go to Santa Ana. Too bad OCTA continues to pour concrete rather than lay rail. Too bad there are so many transportation fiefdoms fragmenting Southern California.

    Too bad OCTA looks to the past while Metro looks to the future.

  2. I am posting this comment here, BECAUSE the COMMENTS links on ALL your Measure M Plan Summaries yield 404 Errors.
    This link works. http://theplan.metro.net/. However, the link on the bottom (Facts About Measure M or http://theplan.metro.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/factsheet_measurem.pdf) yields a 404 Error.

    I have posted this comment before and have yet to see a correction.

    Likewise the link http://thesource.metro.net/2016/09/15/measure-m-projects-and-programs-for-burbank-glendale-la-canada-flintridge-pasadena-and-south-pasadena/ works, However, the link http://thesource.metro.net/2016/09/18/measure-m-projects-and-programs-for-burbank-glendale-la-canada-flintridge-pasadena-and-south-pasadena/#comments yields another 404 Error
    I should add that ALL of the Measure M Projects and Program Comments links have the same problem, namely leading to another 404 Error.

    As for my comments to all the Measure M Projects and Program postings, it is good that the projects are broken out by region. HOWEVER, there should be more details of each project, namely the Why?, What?, and, particularly the When? If possible, there should be an ROM or SWAG estimate of the benefits of each project.

    Also, instead of posting the same map and same list showing all projects on the second figure, each Measure M Plans posting should instead show a detailed map of the particular region and a list showing only those projects applicable to that particular region.

    • So the link to the comments isn’t working for you? Everything seems to be working on my end when I look at the posts.

      Steve Hymon
      Editor, The Source

  3. Would the mid-life overhaul of the subway car have any material impacts on the design/layout/usability of the cars, or is it primarily focused on keeping the mechanics and the drivetrain functioning for the next 1.3million miles?