On Thursday, 12/6, the Metro Board of Directors will consider authorizing over half a billion in funding to local roadway projects that will result in more air pollution, more greenhouse gas emissions, and more preventable traffic collisions and deaths. 

15 public health, sustainable mobility, transportation, and social justice organizations have submitted a joint comment letter urging the Metro board to support more sustainable, healthy, multi-modal transportation projects, as well as outlining some very serious concerns regarding how the project list was developed. StreetsblogLA also summed up some of the issues at stake in this recent post. And AARP California submitted their own list of concerns. You can weigh in by joining these groups and speaking to the board tomorrow, Thursday, 12/6. 

• What: Metro Board of Directors Meeting: Meeting agenda (Item #9)
• When: Thursday 12/6 (9:30 AM) - Agenda Item #9
• Where: One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012, 3rd Floor, Metro Board Room
• Why: Encourage Metro to focus investments on multi-modal projects that prioritize equitable, healthy, and sustainable mobility for all.

Please note it is unclear when Item 9 will be heard, but the Board Room does offer free wifi, and there's a cafeteria across the hall! :)

Background

In Spring 2017, the Metro Board of Directors unanimously voted to shelve its support for the tunnel option for the 710-N corridor project. The landmark vote was the latest chapter in over 40 years of struggle over the proposed freeway extension through the communities of El Sereno, Alhambra, South Pasadena, and Pasadena. The Metro Board's decision also freed up almost $1 BILLION in Measure R funding originally set aside for the 710-N freeway tunnel is being made available to cities along the proposed freeway corridor. It also set off a process that asked project area communities to submit local project ideas to improve mobility (which we wrote about in the Fall of 2017). Specifically, the board's motion directed that the 710-N funding be split up and redirected as follows:

• $105 million for “Transportation Systems Management / Transportation Demand  Management (TSM/TDM)” projects
• $900+ million in remaining funding for to-be-determined local transportation improvements

In a nutshell, Metro asked corridor cities to pitch two types of project ideas:

• Projects to increase automobile traffic throughput (e.g., signal optimization, turn lanes, wider streets)
• Projects to reduce driving or replace car trips (e.g., increased/improved transit service, new pedestrian/bicycle facilities, alternative travel incentives)

In the original Metro board motion, Directors Fasana, Barger, Solis, Garcetti, and Najarian specifically encouraged Metro, Caltrans, and the corridor cities to support multi-modal planning trip demand management. 

Directors Fasana, Barger, Solis, Garcetti, and Najarian specifically encouraged Metro, Caltrans, and the corridor cities to "pursue policies and actions that would promote smart and functional land use, reduce automobile dependency, encourage multi-modal trips, improve traffic operations, and maximize the use of the latest available technologies to enhance performance of the existing transportation system to minimize impacts of the regional traffic on the communities along the SR-710 corridor.”

Corridor cities subsequently submitted a whole range of project ideas, from additional auto lanes to improved bus services. Within the multi-modal categories, cities submitted the following project ideas:

Alhambra

• Metro Gold Line Shuttle - TBD
• ​Bike Plan Implementation Project [Citywide] - $500,000

Los Angeles City

• Modal Connectivity - EV Car Share [Northeast LA] - $5,000,000
• Modal Connectivity - First/Last Mile Improvements - $20,000,000
• DASH El Sereno / City Terrace Community Route Improvements - $6,500,000
• DASH Highland Park / Eagle Rock Community Route Improvements - $6,000,000
• Eastern Avenue Multi-Modal Transportation Improvements - $15,000,000
• Eagle Rock Boulevard Multi-Modal Transportation Improvements - $15,000,000
• Huntington Drive Bus Rapid Transit [BRT] - $35,000,000
• Valley Boulevard Bus Rapid Transit [BRT] - $21,500,000
• Modal Connectivity - Bike Share [Northeast LA] - $3,000,000
• El Sereno ATP and Transit-Connectivity Enhancements - $10,000,000

Los Angeles County

• El Sol Shuttle Service [w/Zero Emissions (ZE) Vehicles] - $30,000,000
• ​Upgrade Existing El Sol Shuttle buses to ZE vehicles - $26,000,000
• El Sol Free Riding Program - $300,000
• East Los Angeles Bike Share - $600,000

Pasadena

• Pasadena Avenue/St. Johns Avenue Complete Streets - $15,000,000
• Allen Avenue Complete Streets - $1,500,000
• Hill Avenue Complete Streets - $1,500,000
• Avenue 64 Complete Streets - $2,000,000
• Rapid Bus Improvements - $10,000,000
• Student Transit Passes - $200,000
• Electric Transit Vehicles - $28,000,000
• Bicycle Transportation Action Plan Projects - $5,000,000
• The Arroyo Link - Multi-Use Path - $2,000,000
• Mobility Hubs - $10,000,000

San Gabriel

• Transit Service to Light Rail - $500,000
• Local Circulator Bus Service - $1,000,000
• First-mile/last-mile improvements - $2,000,000
• Valley Boulevard Corridor Bus Rapid Transit [BRT]-  $59,100,000
• Multimodal Transit Center and Parking Structure - $24,000,000
• Citywide Bicycle Facilities - $35,000,000

San Marino

• Del Mar Avenue Complete Street Improvements - $2,000,000
• ​Huntington Drive Complete Street Improvements - $2,000,000

However, staff did not recommend a single multi-modal project request for funding despite corridor cities submitting over $355 million in transit and over $70 million in active transportation project requests. 

Your chance to speak up is tomorrow in person at the meeting.