I had the chance to listen to a conference call on Wednesday that was organized by the American Public Transportation Assn. (APTA), a Washington D.C.-based group that promotes – as the name implies – mass transit. The group has also set up a website on high-speed rail efforts. The purpose [continue reading]
This item led Metro CEO’s daily email memo to agency staffers on Wednesday: Today, I wrote to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood to encourage him to hold a public listening session at our headquarters on the New Starts reforms he announced last week. On January 13, 2010 the U.S. [continue reading]
Ara Najarian, Chair of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors, on Tuesday presented installments of Measure R sale tax money to the cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Malibu, Westlake Village and Hidden Hills for use in improving transportation systems within their cities. Measure R, a half-cent [continue reading]
A new report that updates the planning progress on the Westside Subway Extension is being presented to the Metro Board of Directors this month. Work on the draft environmental impact report is now 60% complete, according to the report. Other news in the report: *The subway planning team at Metro [continue reading]
Some significant transit news out of Washington D.C. today: The rules that govern which major transit projects receive federal funding have been eased so that theoretically more projects can qualify. Why does this matter to Los Angeles County? Metro is currently seeking federal funds for the Westside Subway Extension and [continue reading]
At the Glendale City Council meeting Jan 12, Metro Board Chair Ara Najarian, along with Mayor Villaraigosa and agency CEO Art Leahy, presented a ceremonial check to council members representing the first installment of Measure R sales tax money for use in improving transportation systems in Glendale. Glendale received $491,969 in [continue reading]
State officials are still announcing details of the proposed state budget to close a $19.9-billion deficit in the current and next year’s budget. Here’s what the L.A. Times is reporting about the budget’s impact on public transportation: One of the proposed budget’s biggest losers is public transit — and its [continue reading]
Several media outlets are already reporting that public transit funds will be slashed as part of the state budget that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will announce later this morning. Here’s a link to a story posted online by the L.A. Times today. The story says mass transit will face cuts, but [continue reading]
As you probably know, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered his State of the State address this morning in Sacramento. It’s a runup to his release of the state budget on Friday — a budget that Metro officials are closely watching to see what, if any, the impacts are on public transportation [continue reading]
I just posted yesterday about efforts to recover transit funds previously raided by the State Legislature — and an accompanying ballot initiative in the works to prevent more raids in the future. Well, it appears the future is now. Here’s the L.A. Times’ story on the latest proposal to balance [continue reading]
