The Bus Riders Union loudly demanded that MTA’s board officially lock in 20 percent of Measure R money for bus lines, and MTA board member Mark Ridley-Thomas backed that idea several days ago, while also seeking to give the Crenshaw/LAX corridor rail and the Gold Line Foothill extension subway the same weight as the mayor’s Westside routes.
Ridley-Thomas was joined by fellow Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, who is also on the MTA board. Ultimately the entire body — even Villaraigosa — backed the “Kumbaya” idea of spreading the countywide sales tax more equitably.
But some question Villaraigosa’s sincerity in supporting anything that could get in the way of his beloved subway.
“We believe the mayor is motivated by his dream to leave the legacy of the subway to the sea,” bus advocate Martinez says. “There are issues here of inequity and making sure the South and East side get their fare share from Measure R. We had major concerns that the agency would raid bus funds to build their rail and subway projects.”
Now it’s the public’s chance to jump in, since they’re paying for the transit system. Hearings are set for later in November to wrangle over the selection of subway-stop locations along Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills — a potentially ugly controversy given the extreme disruption and dramatic commercialization subway stops brought to Mid-Wilshire, Hollywood and other areas.
The mayor is so keen to get his subway built on the Westside — where he finds much of his political support and campaign contributions — that he is pushing to accelerate what would normally be a 30-year-dream into a 10-year project. He wants those subway cars running before he retires — highly unlikely, if the history of subway construction in L.A. is any guide.
First, the Westside subway, like everything in the long-term plan, requires significant funds from the federal government. Second, no subway line in L.A. has ever remotely made it on-budget or on-deadline.
Villaraigosa peddled Measure R as something of a transportation panacea. But, in fact, the increased tax only generates $40 billion of the $298 billion needed for the grand scheme backed by MTA’s board. As it turns out, Measure R is just seed money — another thing few county voters realized. Says Zane, “Measure R is the breakthrough. It’s not the end.”
Zane says Villaraigosa got L.A.’s rail-oriented future off the ground, helping to convince U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman to persuade Congress to back off its ban on federal funding for L.A. subways. Villaraigosa clearly shaped the Long Range Plan — for better or worse.
“Frankly,” Zane says, “we have to give Mayor Villaraigosa credit for all of this.”
It really depends on your personal needs to decide whether or not you should take the subway/bus or simply keep your car. If your workplace is far away from home, and it takes a ridiculous amount of time like 3 hours to travel to work daily by means of public transport, then you jolly-well should keep the car. If all it takes is 2 hours or less, then go public. You are doing both the environment and your pocket a favor.
