As part of the 45-day public review period that began on March 12, the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) of Los Angeles held the final of seven outreach meetings on April 23 at the Marvin Braude Constituent Center in Van Nuys seeking community input on the details of its Draft 2008 Long Range Transportation Plan.
“Planning for the future is more critical than ever,” said MTA Executive Officer Brad McAllester – who was also present at the hearing – in a video presentation outlining the MTA’s vision for mobility over the next 25 years. Projects take time, the population is growing, and aggressive goals are needed for improving air quality, he said. L.A. also has the busiest container port in the country and truck miles covered on congested freeways are projected to grow by 33 percent by 2030.
The MTA is responsible not just for bus and rail, but road improvements, freeway service patrols, call boxes and other services.
McAllester mapped the MTA’s accomplishments since 1980, when there was just one carpool lane on the I-10 as opposed to today’s 465 miles of carpool lanes. Other achievements include 18 new Metro Rapid lines, the Orange Line, and the Exposition Light Rail line currently in progress.
“We will spend more than $152 billion over the next 25 years to keep L.A. County moving,” he said, but that won’t be enough to meet all mobility goals. Sacramento must return the gasoline sales tax transit system funding twice ratified by voters (in 2002 and 2006), and other sources of funding will also be needed, he said.
Twenty residents took their two-minute opportunity at the microphone after the video.
Two from the business community – Aaron Green, legislative affairs manager for the Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA), and Mark Levinson, president of the Encino Chamber of Commerce – were entirely supportive of expansion.
“Anyone who thinks there won’t be growth in L.A. is kidding themselves,” Levinson said. Green said VICA is a full supporter of the plans. It has been a “long and tough road to bring improvements” to such areas as the 101/134 Freeways, the 405 corridor through freeway widening or light rail, and extension of Orange and Red Lines above or below ground. He acknowledged that raising the sales tax for funding would be difficult.
Most of the speakers opposed expansion efforts that involve widening freeways to add carpool lanes.
Gerald Silver, president of Homeowners of Encino, said the MTA should expect to receive opposition from residents similar to what CalTrans experienced in their efforts to widen the 405. The MTA has not considered the finite carrying capacity of the region, he said.
Joan Luchs, president of the Federation of Hillside and Canyon Associations, said, “This isn’t a plan; it’s trying to put out a fire.”
People stay in their cars because they give up trying to find parking at Metro stations after 45 minutes, she said. “Stop any further growth or you’re not going to solve the problem,” Luchs asserted.
Wayne Williams of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association (SOHA) echoed Luchs’ comments. “Educate people on what growth will mean,” he encouraged. “Not just gas, but the cost of water.” Food and education resources will also diminish as the population increases, he said.
Growth is not inevitable, said Williams. “For me, put more bikeways in.”
Local resident Gregory Wright said he gave up his car several years ago, but the MTA must incorporate practical things like patches on poles that would provide shade areas for people waiting for the bus. Wright also suggested that businesses “rethink the work week” by offering flex-time, thereby staggering commute traffic times.
“You can make the freeways 20 lanes wide,” said one resident, who recently visited Phoenix, Arizona, with its congested six-lane freeways. “It won’t help.” Overbuilding is the problem, the resident said.
Bill Manning of the Sunland Tujunga Neighborhood Council agreed. People bring three or four cars per family, not just one. “Stop encouraging people to come here,” he said. “We have no place to put them.”
Public comments were recorded and will be brought to the attention of the MTA board, which will vote on the plan in June.
- by Catherine Billey
for Sun Community Newspapers, May 2-8
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