While many public meetings are being transitioned to online or telephone formats, Metro has decided to cancel the April Service Council meetings out of consideration for this period of adjustment to the current public health crisis, and to allow Metro to focus on the public’s safety and well being while continuing to provide vital transportation services to customers that need access for essential travel.

Metro plans to resume Service Council meetings in May, and will be prepared to hold meetings electronically or by phone, should the current “Safer at Home” order be extended.

Other Metro meetings and events that have been cancelled include the Technical Advisory Committee meeting, the Tuesday, March 31 NextGen webcast, and the April 1 Telephone Town Hall.

NextGen Bus Plan – June 2020 Public Hearings Postponed

With all public facilities currently closed, it would be near impossible to finalize a June public hearing calendar in time to translate and publish the 30-day notices required by law. In this very fluid situation, Metro’s Service Planning Department has determined that the NextGen Bus Plan Public Hearings must be postponed until July 2020 at the earliest.

Metro intends to keep the NextGen momentum going, see the Plan through the public hearing process, and adopt a final plan. There are a lot of moving parts that must be coordinated to implement any bus service changes, so in light of COVID-19, Metro will begin the work to implement the final NextGen Bus Plan only when it makes sense to do so. Until then, explore the Plan by visiting the NextGen Virtual Workshop and check out the full plan using interactive maps and detailed line-by-line descriptions. We welcome your comments via email to nextgen@metro.net.

In the meantime, Metro’s Service Planning team is keeping busy reviewing the public comments received on the draft NextGen Bus Plan, and developing some revisions to the draft plan in response. A public preview of the proposed Plan revisions will be provided at the Service Council meetings held the month prior to the public hearings, whenever those may occur.

Gateway Cities Service Council Seeking Applicants

One item of business that will need to be taken care of is Service Council appointments.  Every year, the terms of three Councilmembers expire.  While appointees are frequently re-nominated, there are often opportunities for avid public trans users to apply.  The Gateway Cities Council of Governments (COG) is seeking applicants to nominate to serve during the July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2023 term on the Metro Gateway Cities Service Council. This Council helps oversee Metro bus services in Southeast Los Angeles County.  While it can feel very far away right now, these functions will need to continue and we appreciate any interested applicants to consider applying.

Metro’s Service Councils’ main responsibility is calling and conducting public hearings for all major bus service changes within their area; they’ll be responsible for holding the NextGen Bus Plan public hearings. They also serve as a community connection to all things Metro – kind of like a neighborhood council to learn about Metro projects and programs, ask questions, and provide input on how Metro can best serve its customers.

To be eligible to serve, applicants must:

• Live and/or work in the Gateway Cities service area
• Use transit multiple times each month
• Be able to attend one Council meeting each month, and a limited number of special meetings as needed. Meetings are usually held the second Thursday of each month at 2:00 p.m. at Salt Lake Park Recreation Center in Huntington Park and have a duration of approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours
• Not be an employee of or consultant for Metro

Council Members receive a $100 stipend per meeting (up to two meetings per month) and a Metro badge good for unlimited use of the Metro Bus and Rail system.

To apply, submit an application to the Gateway Cities COG by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, April 24, 2020. Applications can be submitted via mail, fax, and email as follows:

• Gateway Cities Council of Governments

16401 Paramount Boulevard

Paramount, CA 90723

• FAX 562-634-8216
• Email to Genny Cisneros at gcisneros@gatewaycog.org

Contact the COG at 562-663-6850 with questions about their selection process or to request an application. Questions about the Service Councils or the appointment process can be emailed to servicecouncils@metro.net.