February 24, 2005 MTA Board motionsTwo motions relating to the Exposition light rail line were before the MTA Board on February 24, 2005: the LaBonge motion on studying underground rail, and the Antonovich, Fasana and Roberts motion on prioritizing the Foothill Gold Line. It was clear from discussion that the LaBonge motion maintains the Expo Line's #1 priority for the region after the Eastside Gold Line, and that legal and funding obstacles keep a future Red Line extension years away. For the long term, the Expo Line will complement a Red Line extension. Most of the Exposition route is three miles south of Wilshire, the same distance the Hollywood Red Line is north of Wilshire. Along the jammed-in-both-directions Santa Monica Freeway, Expo serves a different corridor with different destinations and population: USC, Exposition Park, Crenshaw, Culver City, West L.A., and Santa Monica, and over 800,000 people living within 2 miles. Following are details of the motions. -------------------------------------- 14. LABONGE MOTION that the MTA Board direct the CEO to:
Director LaBonge noted in introduction that it is a "motion to expand our planning options," that he supports current projects, but also that "I want us to start thinking of the future" and "the era of bulldozing neighborhoods and widening freeways is over." Director Yaroslavsky was supportive, as long as it was clear that existing priorities come first. He also noted financial reality, that there is neither enough local, state, or federal money to build subways any time soon. It was emphasized that this motion would establish criteria for tunneling (applying to both a Red Line extension as well as future light rail line sections), but that a County vote would still be required to provide local funding. Representatives of the four Westside cities (Beverly Hills Mayor Mark Egerman, Culver City Councilmember Carol Gross, West Hollywood Councilmember John Heilman, and Santa Monica Councilmember Richard Bloom) spoke in favor of the motion, as did 13 of 16 other speakers. The Westside Cities COG supports completion of the Expo Line to Santa Monica, including grade-separations at Washington and National Boulevards. It also supports inclusion of a "Red Line extension to West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and West Los Angeles in the next update to the Long Range Transportation Plan." LaBonge's motion passed 11-2; Antonovich and Roberts voted no. -------------------------------------- 39. ANTONOVICH, FASANA AND ROBERTS MOTION that MTA:
The Board instead approved (8-3) Yaroslavsky's substitute motion that items 1, 2 and 3 be referred to staff for consideration as part of the development of the Long Range Transportation Plan, and that item 4 be received and filed. Directors Fasana, Antonovich, and Knabe voted no; Roberts and Ludlow had departed. |