At 9 a.m. tomorrow, the Metro board is holding the “Measure R Project Delivery Committee Workshop.” For the layman, it’s where the schedules and funding will be hammered out on the rail and freeway projects to be funded with the new half-percent tax increase LA County residents began paying this month. What’s notable is that Mayor Villaraigosa and the rest of the Metro Board wants to light a fire under three of these projects and speed up their delivery to their public. How exactly? According to Streetsblog, the plan is to borrow against future Measure R income, with the debt being offset by projects that are cheaper, since they’re built sooner and without inflation. The downside, according to Streetsblog, is “the accelerated project list means a $3.5 billion funding gap and a larger than anticipated operating defecit which would result in either fare increases or service cuts.” It’s one thing to build all these projects, but it costs big bucks to operate them. Meanwhile, the folks behind the I Will Ride blog are saying the Gold Line Foothill extension should be on the list (it currently is not) since it’s shovel-ready. Tomorrow’s meeting at Metro HQ Downtown is open to all, so there will be much public commenting and screaming.
Downtown Regional Connector that will connect various light-rail lines: Originally set to open in 2025, now maybe 2018
Green Line to LAX: Originally set to open in 2028, now maybe 2017
Eastside Extension II of Gold Line to Whittier: Originally set to open in 2035, now maybe 2018
So, how big would the Gold Line be with the extension to East LA, the further eastern extension into Whittier, and if the Foothill extension stretched to the Ontario Airport (which is what locals are advocating for)? Over 60 miles long by our calculations. (13.7 from Downtown LA to Pasadena, about 32.5 miles to Ontario Airport from there, 6 miles from Downtown LA to East LA, and 8.7 miles from East LA to Whittier)
Related Posts
- Metro: Fast-tracked Rail Lines Chosen at Random
I Will Ride, a blog advocating for the Foothill extension of the Gold Line, live twittered the Metro meeting today that broke down Measure R’s projects. At the meeting, Metro discussed fast-tracking three specific projects; possibly using public private partnerships, additional fare revenues, increased debt, and bonds on Measure R funds. Additionally, Metro said the three projects picked for fast-tracking—the Downtown Connector, the Green Line extension to LAX, and a Gold Line extension to Whittier—were chosen at random, which does not please fans of the Foothill extension (who say their project is ready for shovels now while those other projects are a while off). For those who hoped other projects would be fast-tracked, the Expo Line is already set to open next year or 2011, with the extension to Santa Monica in 2015, while the Orange Line extension to Chastworth will be ready in 2013, and the Purple Line subway extension could break ground in three or four years (the soonest possibly date because an environmental impact report still needs to be completed)—all way before any of the fast-tracked projects would open for business. - LA Lagging in Federal Funds for New Transit
It was announced yesterday that Metro was formally pursuing federal money to build the Wilshire subway extension and the Downtown Connector. The IWillRide blog, which is advocating for the Gold Line extension into Montclair, brings up the point that federal new starts funding (which has greatly favored New York to every other region’s detriment; see map) takes 7-10 years to kick in from the beginning of the rail project’s history. Considering the subway and the DC are in the early stages, and the Gold Line extension is more advanced, IWillRide asked Metro at their Thursday board meeting why they aren’t gunning for fed money for that project, since it can be obtained that much sooner (Congresswoman Judy Chu says a lack of federal funding for projects like the Gold Line extension and the Crenshaw line will severely hamper those lines). Metro’s answer: They’re seeking other sources of federal funding for the Gold Line extension.
- Metro’s Long Term Plan: What’ll Be Built in Your Lifetime?
Metro has been punting on adopting its long range transportation plan (LRTP) for months now—this is their outline for the next 40 years of transit and freeway funding for LA County (see photo), and sets the agenda for what projects will get the shovel. The latest version of the LRTP has been released, with hopes that Metro’s board will finally approve it at their meeting this Thursday and formalize their commitment to projects like the Wilshire subway extension, the Gold Line Foothill Extension, and the Expo Line to Santa Monica.
Interesting tidbits of the LRTP include:
-Metro has already submitted the Wilshire subway extension and the Downtown Connector, which will connect light-rail lines and eliminate transfers, for federal New Starts funding. According to the LRTP, Metro hopes the feds kick in half of the cost of both lines—about $1.5 billion (that’s just the Fairfax leg of the subway extension).
-Possibly in hope of getting their hands on New Starts funds, the opening date of the Downtown Connector has been moved up from 2026 to 2019. Fairfax extension of subway is planned to open in 10 years.
-The contentious Gold Line Foothill Extension has made it onto the LRTP, but an opening isn’t slated until 2017—Foothill proponents want the first extension to Azusa open and running by 2013. There is also no mention of further Foothill line extensions in the LRTP even though Foothill supporters have been clamoring for the line to travel as far east as the Ontario airport. Expect an unhappy and vocal contingent at Thursday’s Board meeting.
-Metro is convinced they will be getting more money for transit projects from the state, which recently cut off funding. According to the LRTP, “State Transit Assistance funds of $3.3 billion are assumed to be reinstated by the State by FY 2014.”
-If you dream of commuting on a train rather than the nightmarish 405 to get over the Sepulveda pass, better drink your V8: that line won’t open for 30 years.
-On the LRTP, the opening for the Gold Line extension into East LA says 2010 though it’s been reported that it’s opening in less than a month. But wait, there’s a footnote that says these are fiscal years that run from July to June, so there’s still hope for an imminent ribbon-cutting.
-Some of the more advanced Metro lines—a subway extension to the Burbank airport, a light-rail from East Hollywood to La Puente, a Vermont Avenue subway—will probably be built and opened after you’re dead, but environmental reviews and planning will formulate for them over the next decades. - Metro’s Long Term Plan: What’ll Be Built in Your Lifetime?
Metro has been punting on adopting its long range transportation plan (LRTP) for months now—this is their outline for the next 40 years of transit and freeway funding for LA County (see photo), and sets the agenda for what projects will get the shovel. The latest version of the LRTP has been released, with hopes that Metro’s board will finally approve it at their meeting this Thursday and formalize their commitment to projects like the Wilshire subway extension, the Gold Line Foothill Extension, and the Expo Line to Santa Monica.
Interesting tidbits of the LRTP include:
-Metro has already submitted the Wilshire subway extension and the Downtown Connector, which will connect light-rail lines and eliminate transfers, for federal New Starts funding. According to the LRTP, Metro hopes the feds kick in half of the cost of both lines—about $1.5 billion (that’s just the Fairfax leg of the subway extension).
-Possibly in hope of getting their hands on New Starts funds, the opening date of the Downtown Connector has been moved up from 2026 to 2019. Fairfax extension of subway is planned to open in 10 years.
-The contentious Gold Line Foothill Extension has made it onto the LRTP, but an opening isn’t slated until 2017—Foothill proponents want the first extension to Azusa open and running by 2013. There is also no mention of further Foothill line extensions in the LRTP even though Foothill supporters have been clamoring for the line to travel as far east as the Ontario airport. Expect an unhappy and vocal contingent at Thursday’s Board meeting.
-Metro is convinced they will be getting more money for transit projects from the state, which recently cut off funding. According to the LRTP, “State Transit Assistance funds of $3.3 billion are assumed to be reinstated by the State by FY 2014.”
-If you dream of commuting on a train rather than the nightmarish 405 to get over the Sepulveda pass, better drink your V8: that line won’t open for 30 years.
-On the LRTP, the opening for the Gold Line extension into East LA says 2010 though it’s been reported that it’s opening in less than a month. But wait, there’s a footnote that says these are fiscal years that run from July to June, so there’s still hope for an imminent ribbon-cutting.
-Some of the more advanced Metro lines—a subway extension to the Burbank airport, a light-rail from East Hollywood to La Puente, a Vermont Avenue subway—will probably be built and opened after you’re dead, but environmental reviews and planning will formulate for them over the next decades. - Mayor on Rail Projects: We Can Build All Twelve in a Decade
Possibly emboldened by the imminent Gold Line extension opening, Mayor Villaraigosa said he’s pushing hard to expedite the numerous transit projects currently in the planning and construction stages. At the Los Angeles Business Council’s Annual Mayoral Housing, Transportation, and Jobs Summit held today at UCLA, the mayor called his push the 30/10 plan (Metro is saying it will take three decades to construct a dozen new rail and bus lines in the city, the mayor says we can do it in one), reports Streetsblog. No real specifics on this new push were unveiled (including, err, financing details), other than Villaraigosa saying he will gather a countywide coalition of support, similar to the one gathered to pass Measure R. In a press release: “Once a strong coalition of support for ‘30/10′ is built, they will reach out to Congress, the Obama Administration, and others to build support and develop a financing plan for the acceleration of the projects.”● The Westside subway extension
● The Regional Connector light rail connector in Downtown Los Angeles
● The Crenshaw corridor transit project
● The Foothill Extension of the Metro Gold Line
● The Expo light rail line on the Westside Phase 2
● The Green Line connection to LAX
● The Green Line extension to the South Bay
● A San Fernando Valley 405 Corridor Connection
● The Orange Line Canoga Extension
● West Santa Ana Branch Corridor
● San Fernando Valley North-South Rapidways
● Eastside Extension to El Monte or Whittier
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