Official recap is posted below.
The Metro Board of Directors held its June meeting last Thursday. Audio of the meeting can be heard by clicking here.
Among the items the Board took action on:
•The Board accepted a Metro staff report to be received-and-filed on Metro’s response to the recent protests for racial justice. Staff report
•The Board approved a motion calling for Metro to report back to the Board on the agency’s use of force policy for its policing partners (LAPD, Long Beach PD, L.A. Sheriff’s Dept.), a review of training and use of force by Metro security guards and recommendations on how to further reform policing at Metro and how resources might possibly be reallocated to homeless services. Motion
•The Board approved a motion on a 9 to 2 vote to establish a community approach to policing the Metro system. In particular, the motion calls for the creation of a Transit Public Safety Advisory Committee that should consider a number of potential actions and include additional perspectives from the community. Motion is below or can be found here. This motion attracted a lot of public interest and testimony, with most speakers in support. The L.A. Times article is here.
•The Board approved a motion requesting a report on how the Metro Art program is integrating art on buses, trains and stations, experimenting with provocative works that address the times we live in and how artists can be used in the reimagining of transit. Motion
•The Board approved a motion asking Metro to review the Mutual Aid agreement that allows Metro to provide and receive help from other government agencies. Under the agreement, Metro provided buses to the LAPD to transport people arrested at recent protests. Motion
•The Board approved a motion asking Metro to review policies and protocols for service shutdowns in the future. Metro took the extremely rare step of shutting down service on the night of May 30 due to protests, looting and a citywide curfew in L.A. Motion
•The Board approved a motion calling for Metro to create a race and gender plan to enact should the state Legislature approve Assembly Constitutional Amendment 5, which would repeal 1996’s Prop 209 that banned affirmative action by the state. Motion
•The Board approved a $21-million contract with Henzel Phelps Herzog JV for early demolition and site preparation work for the Airport Metro Connector project. The project will build a new rail and bus stations where riders can transfer between Metro, other muni bus service and the future LAX Automated People Mover that will serve airport terminals.
Categories: Policy & Funding, Projects
Shirley, you’re dealing with amateurs who know little about public transit other than that which they have read. The MTA terminated most of those who had experience coming up thru the ranks of the former RTD. The RTD had professionals who knew transit from the ground up. This is coming from a former and now retired RTD/MTA employee who observed the downfall of public transit in Los Angeles.
I really hope the Metro will keep the armed police officer at all stations and trains.Do not let a few lead you to bad policy. What we really need to see is the improvement of the behavior of the general public. If the riders behave themselves, why do they oppose the presence of the officer?Why do they worry about police using force if they do what they are supposed to do? Without the armed police officers my friends and I refuse to ride the train. You also have to prepare for the unexpected. Police officers’ life are important,too.What we need from the officers is they remain alert at all time, They should not gather in a small group and chat.. You never know what can happen. It there are any kind of terrorists, what do we do?We also need the officers to step on the train and check the tickets like they used to do. The trains are smelly, dirty and itchy because some people use that as a place to sleep and enjoy the air/heat. They have to get tickets and keep moving if they have to be there. No other Asian nor European countries have the same situation as we do.They can survive without police around only because the riders are clean and behave themselves. Can we do the same? You get the answer when we get in the train. It’s very disgusting. And those who suggest no police are out of their mind!! I am very angry with all the policies that Metro come up. The price keep going up, the salary of the administrators and workers keep going up, the quality of the train is going down and there’s no bathroom except at the Union station. So I saw riders just go to restroom where ever they can. Now, the trains are renamed in a strange way.It is hard to remember. What’s wrong with the old name??? The parking is not well planed. It defeat the purpose of taking the train and go away for a few days if we have to pay for the parking. every day or can’t even park overnight. These things should be planned out before the constructions. Some administrator actually suggest that .one can take scooter or bike or Uber to the station. How absurd is that?..He is looking at the outside world from the bottom of the well!!! I loves trains but I am very disappointed with the Metro!!!