The big, big, big MTA meeting is over. Finally.

I've just returned to The Times' mothership -- well, at least for now -- and here's a brief report on what happened today at the MTA board meeting:

1. The MTA board voted to draft an ordinance to go to the ballot in November and ask Los Angeles County residents to raise the sales tax by a half-cent to fund more than $30 billion in road and mass transit projects. Another vote by the board is required next month and the state still must give the board and county authority to put the sales tax on the ballot.

2. The board decided to delay considering the MTA's long-range plan until November, after a potential vote on the sales tax.

3. The board also voted not to put $80 million for the Gold Line extension from Pasadena to Azusa in the long-range plan. San Gabriel Valley officials want the money now, so they can seek federal funding.

I'm going to choke down a couple slices of pizza and post a longer Q&A on the meeting sometime around 5 p.m. or so. I'm not much for dwelling on bureaucracy, but I think this is the big transit story of the day around these parts, because voters may get the chance to create a considerable pot of money for transportation. Of course, lots of questions remain about what will actually get built and whether those are the projects that should be built.

Back in 90...

--Steve Hymon

Comments

[Ken Alpern]

I hope that EVERYONE was unhappy--all the regions need more transportation, and each region needs to stop getting their way at the expense of the other regions.

We need to pass this sales tax, and make sure it includes the right mix of projects to make voters go for it as a "no-brainer".

Until we as a county get really annoyed at our lack of political and grassroots will towards getting the right rail and freeway projects built, nothing will get done.

Again, I hope that EVERYONE was unhappy...and that they'll stay unhappy until they do the right thing and vote the right way in November.

[Dan W.]

"I took the Metrolink from Pomona to board meeting to support the Goldline. I was not able to stay for the entire meeting and I am disappointed to hear the bad news."

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I don't think this was a vote not to ever build the Gold line, only that there is not money for it right now.

There was no reason to push the Gold Line ahead of Expo.

We need to find a way to build them BOTH and the other rail lines we need.

[Tom A.]

Bravo Bonaficio!

The powerbrokers' bias against all regions that aren't Downtown and the Westside is well and truly out in the open now. Time and time again, they had their chance to be diplomatic and equitable, but they've finally made it crystal clear they're perfectly content playing the bullies.

A breakaway San Gabriel County will make sure that our billions of annual sales and property tax dollars generated every year aren't blatantly stolen from us time and time again just because our elected officials aren't higher on the food chain.

And it's not like the Downtown and Westside fat cats will miss those billions, right? Oh, there's a good chance they will? Well, tough beans; they've made their bed, and it's time we let them sleep in it.

[Andy (美國土子)]

I took the Metrolink from Pomona to board meeting to support the Goldline. I was not able to stay for the entire meeting and I am disappointed to hear the bad news.

Asking for clarification, did they take a seperate vote to determine the goldline's fate? Or was this decided in effect by approving Item 51, the 2008 LRTP?

[Dan Wentzel]

We need to take apart LA County. San Gabriel and the South Bay should become their own counties and get themselves moving again a la the County of Orange.

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This will solve nothing. Our problems are regional. If the San Gabriel Valley did split off, all they would get if you were lucky would be more Metrolink service and NO Gold Line.

We need to find a way to grow the funding pot for Expo and the Gold Line.

[Dan W.]

Here's an interesting approach suggested by others:

Before the election, put out two LRTPs, one with the sales tax and one without the sales tax and let people be able to make a more tangible choice.

[Bonaficio de Brentwood]

This is typical Westside arrogance.

Ignoring the needs of the 'unsightly' parts of the county, like the San Gabriel Valley, which are mired in as much traffic as the fabled towers of Wilshire.

We need to take apart LA County. San Gabriel and the South Bay should become their own counties and get themselves moving again a la the County of Orange.