L.A.'s regional transit system needs a spine, and the "Subway to the Sea" from downtown to the westside could be that spine. But to make it happen, the city needs to think about a public-private partnership, according to this commentary.
"The Los Angeles area subway system doesn't go to enough destinations to be a viable alternative for many people.
A subway running from downtown to the Westside, mostly under Wilshire Boulevard, is the spine needed to spur a successful regional mass transit system.
And here is no realistic prospect of public funding from the federal, state, or local governments to pay for such a subway.
So if we want to get serious about building a subway now, or about making needed San Fernando Valley transportation improvements, it's time to think outside the usual box of taxes and bonds and consider a public-private partnership to build the transportation system Los Angeles needs."
