If the Metro Board passes the proposed $40 billion expenditure plan, millions of Los Angeles residents will still not have access to good public transit for decades.
On June 23rd, the full Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) board will consider placing a new ballot measure, commonly referred to as "Measure R2" on the November 2016 ballot. Metro CEO Phil Washington recently announced that Measure R2 would be a permanent, non-expiring sales tax extension and increase. By becoming a permanent fixture, Measure R2 will govern transportation infrastructure development for the County for at least 50 years, and will raise at least $120 billion.
The expenditure plan proposed by Metro is robust and atones for many of Los Angeles’ previous public transportation sins, such as putting transportation through the Sepulveda Pass, one of the worst stretches of congestion in the country.
However, the expenditure plan does not include bringing new projects to areas in critical need of a public transportation hub, such as California State University, Northridge (CSUN). CSUN is the second largest public university in Los Angeles, with over 40,000 students and 10,000 faculty and staff, who require over 200,000 weekly trips to campus. Currently, there is no plan to bring a direct rapid transit system to CSUN.
Leaders in the San Fernando Valley, including State Senator Robert Hertzberg, have organized "It’s Our Turn" to ensure that the one million Valley residents get a fair share of promised infrastructure investment in transit. As Sen. Hertzberg elaborates:
“Last time, with Measure R, lots of things that were promised to the Valley didn’t end up happening—with the justifications that Metro ran out of money or had to change the order of projects. We wanted to make sure that there was no possibility of that kind of bait-and-switch in Measure R2.”
Read more about the upcoming Metro board hearing and hear more perspectives from other State Senators Tony Mendoza and Jim Beall, as well as San Fernando Valley leader Richard Close.
FULL STORY: Will Metro’s New Measure "R2" Shortchange the San Fernando Valley Again?
Controversial BRT Plans Revised in Los Angeles
The proposed changes to plans for a bus rapid transit route on Colorado Boulevard are an attempt to compromise between competing community concerns.
Op-Ed: Los Angeles Needs a Vermont Avenue Subway
As the second busiest bus corridor in the area, Vermont Avenue is currently a candidate for bus rapid transit. But would rail be a better choice?
L.A. Metro CEO Challenges Trump on Infrastructure Funding
President Trump’s most recent transportation budget is projected to cut transportation spending by 13 percent, potentially undercutting many of Los Angeles' ambitious projects to continue the build-out of a full public transportation system.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
How Urban Form Impacts Housing Affordability
The way we design cities affects housing costs differently than you might think.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
