MTA's dream map gets darker

There’s a glittering map of L.A.’s transit future.

It shows subways rolling across the city, a rail line chugging into Los Angeles International Airport, new freeways, truck-only lanes and carpool lanes. Rail down Crenshaw Boulevard? Done. The 710 Freeway finally running all the way to Pasadena? Just merge on. A subway extension from North Hollywood to Bob Hope Airport? Pack your bags. But on Thursday, officials said that map is now little more than a dream. Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials have found just $4 billion in additional projected revenue through 2030, even though there is a need for roughly $30 billion, MTA chief executive Roger Snoble said Thursday.

That funding would barely make a dent in the county’s long list of proposed regional projects. Extending the Wilshire Boulevard subway all the way to Santa Monica alone, for instance, would cost about $5 billion. Completing the 710 Freeway gap through South Pasadena would cost $2.5 billion. "I do think there are good projects out there, but I don’t think we’re going to be able to fund hardly any at all," Snoble told the MTA board Thursday, giving them a report about the agency’s financial situation as it plans to update its long-range plan later this year. (Continued by clicking below)

--Rong-Gong Lin II

MTA officials will study additional ways to come up with more revenue, such as introducing "congestion pricing" on local freeways, where motorists would pay tolls to use less-congested lanes. Officials will also study the idea of a regional gas tax, which would require changes in state legislation. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, an MTA board member, said polling indicates voters would not support a tax increase for transportation projects, and suggested looking at congestion pricing and public-private partnerships, where companies would invest in building roads or rail, and the private sector would benefit by receiving revenue. "We cannot just rely on the finite pool of dollars that we have now," the mayor said.

Transportation funding has been hit hard over the years largely because the 36.3-cents-a-gallon gas tax, which pays for transit improvements, has not been raised by either Washington or Sacramento since the early 1990s and does not automatically increase with inflation. Legislative attempts to raise it have failed. California voters in 2006 approved a $19.9 billion transportation bond, but officials have said that bond money represents a small fraction of transportation needs throughout the state. State lawmakers have also targeted transportation funding for cuts in the pending budget battle in Sacramento. The state budget passed by the Assembly cut $1.3 billion from mass transit projects, but failed to pass the Senate.

Comments

[L]

Hmmm...Do those zoning changes in downtown seem like a good idea now? The placement of recent and some proposed rail lines (aside from the Blue line) are retarded. The BRU is right - invest in the bus system rather than expensive and flawed rail for rich Westside liberals from Santa Monica.

The BRU's stance is so ridiculous. Expanding the bus network in Los Angeles is pointless if it doesn't have an efficient rail system to support it. People seem to forget that buses sit in traffic with cars. Bus Lanes help, but are only a minor band aid for a gushing wound. While I agree that some of the existing lines are headscratchers, others make sense, including the expo line. The Westside needs an alternative mode of transit now and those rich Westside liberals need to get around just as effectively as everyone else in this city. The westside is also a huge employment center, with people commuting in from all over the metro area - it's imperative that it be connected to the metro system now. A Wilshire subway would be the best solution this problem, but since that seems like a pipe dream, anything will help.

[Jennifer Reyes]

"However, the $4 Billion that comes available after 2020 can easily finance our two greatest projects: reigional light rail connector and Wilshire subway to Century City."

By 2020 $4.0 billion will be the cost of this Regional Light Rail Connector by itself if the politicians keep jerking around with that.

[Dan W]

What? As Russell mentioned, LA's air is cleaner than in the 80's and many people are still are attracted to this city - just witness the gentrification of once-tough areas like Silver Lake lowlands, Echo Park, & Venice over the last decade. This city is a much nicer place to live than in the 80's. Move to Portland if you don't like it.

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This city is much nicer than the 1980's. I do like this city, which is why I live here, and why I will continue to advocate for public transit -- so that it will remain a liveable and prosperous place.

But, according to the Southern California Association of Governments 2006 Report on the State of the Region, Ozone improvements have been leveling off since 1998. And then there is the contribution to global warming , but I don't wan to get into a discussion about that here.

People are still attracted to coming here and several millions more will come over the next few decades, and that will assist in changing the population distribution as we have known it.

What is unsustainable is the entitlement and expectation that people will be able and should be able to drive their single-occupancy vehicles anytime, anyplace, anywhere for cheap gasoline, available and affordable parking, and minimal congestion as they have for the last several decades. The best days of the automobile are behind us, although many people will still decide that is their best transit option, even with its better days gone.

Drive your single-occupancy car if you want to or need to for that is your choice, but just know that the quality of that experience is only going to continue to decline in terms of time, money and energy no matter what Caltrans and the MTA are able to improve with the roads.

Los Angeles is unique in major world cities that there has not been another plausible option to the car for many people. Having that option of some other form of transportation will help keep Los Angeles economically strong.

[Mark Ghiorso]

"L.A.'s model of sprawl for the last 50 years is no longer economically and environmentally sustainable."

What? As Russell mentioned, LA's air is cleaner than in the 80's and many people are still are attracted to this city - just witness the gentrification of once-tough areas like Silver Lake lowlands, Echo Park, & Venice over the last decade. This city is a much nicer place to live than in the 80's. Move to Portland if you don't like it.

[russell]

Seriously, in 1986, did anyone every think that the air would get cleaned up like it has so far? I sugest that we all visualize this rail system being constructed in the manner of The Big Dig.

[yours truly, johnny dollar]

Dan W, what/who are "people of color?" (of what color?)
Have I missed out of this "political correctness" somewhere?
Is this phrase from the same page that states: "minorities, women,
and children?" Who is remaining?

[Sheryl]

IF WE WANT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RAIL, WE HAVE TO PAY FOR IT OURSELVES. Passing State Bond Issues is clearly never going to pay off for us. We're going to have to do this on our own.

That's the bottom line. And we have to GET NEW COUNTY COMMISSIONERS in order to get the bond issues written, passed, etc. to do it.

Metro management is rife with problems, but they can only do what they can with the money they have.

[Dan W]

"Hmmm...Do those zoning changes in downtown seem like a good idea now? The placement of recent and some proposed rail lines (aside from the Blue line) are retarded. The BRU is right - invest in the bus system rather than expensive and flawed rail for rich Westside liberals from Santa Monica."
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Why yes, those zoning changes are a good idea. Densification and urbanization will only continue and it is good to have planning for it. L.A.'s model of sprawl for the last 50 years is no longer economically and environmentally sustainable.

And your fundamental argument is as flawed as the misguided BRU itself. The Purple Line (as all lines) will benefit working class Los Angelenos of all political persuasions travelling along the corridor to/from Downtown/CenturyCity/SantaMonica. Many of the people working in on the westside are working class. The Purple Line would hardly be a "toy" of the rich.

Don't drink from the water the BRU gives you. It warps your brain. Their insipid campaign against rail requires the totally untrue premise that rail is for rich, white westsiders and buses are for poor people of color
Anyone riding the rails we have will see that they are majority working class and people of color now.

We need to invest in both rail and bus for L.A.'s economic and environmental future. But the BRU couldn't be more wrong unless they were single-occupancy motorists clinging to their unsustainable way of life.

[Roger Christensen]

The State has betrayed the voters again. We voted for so much more until Governor Gridlock showed his true priorities.

However, the $4 Billion that comes available after 2020 can easily finance our two greatest projects: reigional light rail connector and Wilshire subway to Century City.

Before that, the MTA should be able to deliver it"s "Baseline Transit Projects". Crenshaw. East LA. Orange Line extension in the Valley. North South connecting Valley bus corriidors. And the long awaiting Exposition Light Rail to Santa Monica.

[Expo-sir]

Hmmm...Do those zoning changes in downtown seem like a good idea now? The placement of recent and some proposed rail lines (aside from the Blue line) are retarded. The BRU is right - invest in the bus system rather than expensive and flawed rail for rich Westside liberals from Santa Monica.

[Ian Swett]

A 10 cent a gallon gas tax in LA County should provide about a billion dollars a year, which would get us a long ways towards where we should be.

At 3 dollars a gallon, no one would even notice a difference of 10 cents.

[Daniel OC]

umm, where is this glittering map? i'd like to see it and dream. i can rest assured that when i'm long dead, some generation far in the future will see it come to fruition.