Expo Line announces hiring of PR firm

Here's the unusual press release of the day, from the Expo Line Construction Authority. It's announcing it's hired a PR firm and defending its right to do so.

This isn't really news: I posted about this a couple of weeks ago, quoting Damien Goodmon, the leading critic of the Expo Line. He says the train needs grade-separated crossings in South Los Angeles for safety reasons and alleges that the Expo Line is trying to drum up false support for the project. For what it's worth, Goodmon was also at a recent subway meeting, complaining that the Westside is getting a subway and that South L.A. is getting street-level trains.

Dakota Communications, the PR firm, has said that it's trying to give the public the real facts about the project and the street crossings and that Goodmon and others in the Citizens' Campaign to Fix the Expo Line have spread false information.

Decide for yourself whether the authority is outside the lines on this one. The press release is after the jump.

MEDIA ADVISORY

Expo Light Rail Line Community Outreach Activities

Los Angeles, California -- September, 2008, With the acceleration of major construction and the need to keep the public well informed about the project, the Expo Construction Authority utilized a competitive bid process to select an experienced and qualified firm to provide community outreach and education services for the Expo Line project.

The Expo Line represents nearly a billion dollar transportation investment and the Authority has an obligation to the taxpayers and local residents to educate the community to make sure stakeholders have accurate information about this project -– especially in light of misinformation that is being circulated by some individuals.

Los Angeles County desperately needs reliable and affordable mass public transportation. The Expo Line will improve public transit service and mobility from Downtown Los Angeles to Culver City and eventually to Santa Monica.

For more information, see www.buildexpo.org

Comments

[alex]

For those that think the Gold Line is safe. A car was hit a little over a week ago by the Gold Line The news didn't make the LA Times or this blog. Why not?

[S.S. Sam Taylor]

Stan: LA has long prioritized its transportation goals: It is a document called the "Long Range Transportation Plan", which is a blue print for what can be funded and built over the next 30 years. Every 5-8 years this document is updated and is again scheduled to be addressed by the Metro Board this November / December.

Stan, have you done a bit of research on your comments? The Green Line just hit a record 46,000 daily riders, making it a top tier Western United States Light Rail Line. The Expo Line to Culver City will be open to ride in the Fall of 2010, with an expected ridership of 25-50 M per day as the line grows.

The east west subway, should it pass all the upcoming steps such as funding, the passage of Measure R, and other steps wouldn't be open until the earliest of 2016 for Phase I to Beverly Hills / Century City.

On the other hand, the Expo extension to Santa Monica will be open in 2015.

Further, that north south Rail Line you mentioned is currently undergoing community meetings and it will extend the Green Line from Aviation / Imperial north to Exposition / Crenshaw. If the funding and other elements come together, this new piece of the network should open in 2016 or thereabouts.

Shane: You are distorting the cost changes in the Expo project. Steel, concrete and rebar went up drastically and the scope of the project grew with the elevated terminal in Culver City, the crossover upgrades at Washington / Flower and other betterments such as the USC Trousdale Station. I would say that Damien has on his watch added $5 to $25 million to the cost of Expo. How much has the cost of the new LAPD headquarters gone up? There are no lack of examples, so please don't be disingenuous.

If you want to talk about project increases, why don't you simply look at the 405 HOV Lanes between West LA and the SF Valley. It started with $130 million a few years back and now the 10 mile long project is at $950 million and there are about $150 million more in cost increases that are being held back.

Shane, do you work for ExxonMobil and just focus on ignoring road cost increases or are you just another transit obstructionist?

[stan derrin]

LA needs to prioritize its public transport goals.A north south rail from the valley to south bay and the east west subway.Lets get them built first and then worry about peripheral and much less used lines like the expo at a later time.Honestly the expo line seems like it would get as much use as the green line.

[Shane]

re money pit: How many hundreds of millions of dollars have been added to this project since it started?

Glad it's safe

[David Raether]

In response to two of Shane's points:

1. "Expo Line has been a mismanged money pit since Day 1."

Says who? I've never heard this. I've never seen a single allegation that it's been a "mismanaged money pit." I challenge you to find articles that support this claim.

2. At-grade is safe! The Gold Line proves it is. The line passes -- at-grade -- through several shopping districts (including the crowded South Pasadena Farmer's Market that is loaded with kids), near Blair High School in Pasadena, right through an apartment building (Archstone Del Mar Station apartments in Pasadena), and right by a museum (Southwest Museum.)

[Marcotico]

Dana,
I've only been to one Expo Line meeting so I do not speak with any great authority, but Rick Thorpe's performance was very ineffectual. Maybe I caught him on a bad day, but he was very condescending, and the structure of the meeting was one of the worst public meetings I've ever seen. The attendees probably left more pissed off than they arrived.
Mr. Thorpe spoke down to the group, marginalized people's voices, and worst of all kept repeating that the meeting was only to address one issue and everything is off the table. Worst, was that instead of giving everyone the mike, the outreach manager, asked everyone to write their comments down. Then Mr. Thorpe read the comments out. That's jsut stupid, if people want to come to a meeting to vent, let them, Sit there all night, but if they don't get it off their chest they will leave festering.

[Dana Gabbard]

Shane, you offer a bunchy of baseless accusations. Meetings for this project have been held for many many years. I should know, I attended more than a few of them. And for the two phases meetings are still being held for residents to raise any legitimate concerns. Rick Thorpe is a nationally recognized leader in light rail project management and by all I can see is doing a fine job.

"Damien Goodman is trying to make his bones criticizing the project." It is funny that Damien has vocally claimed his intent is not launching himself into an eventual political career. Shane isn't the only one who is unpersuaded and see this motive lurking in Damien's alleged "crusade":
http://laist.com/2008/09/08/blogger_to_politician.php

[Andre]

At grade is simply cheaper. In the long run, an at grade crossing only adds to the congestion and accidents between pedestrians, cars and trains. It's short sighted and not in the best interests of LA residents in the years to come as traffic gets worse. Getting a train above the traffic (or below) means that it's no longer bound by pedestrian or automotive traffic -- thereby more trains can run, more people can be served and a schedule can be maintained. One only has to look at BART in San Francisco. If BART was at grade in Oakland, there would be REAL problems...

[Damon]

I'm not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to LA, but isn't the westside extension expected to have WAY higher ridership than the Expo line?

Wilshire is practically 2 or 3 more downtowns-worth of buildings stretched out along one street.

[Shane]

Expo has been a mismanaged money pit from day one. Damien Goodman is trying to make his bones criticizing the project. But, in all the angst, his point should not be lost – make it safe for the children and local residents. Hiring a PR firm is another example of a waste of money – putting lipstick on a pig. Expo should have been communicating with the communities all along. Everybody wants the train to be built without delay – but everybody wants the train to be safe when it opens. Expo should quit hiring PR firms and bring in a project manager who knows what they are doing and how to convey it to the concerned communities along the alignment.

[David Raether]

Finally, some push back from the Expo authority!

Good!

This line needs to be built and at-grade will work fine. Most of the Gold Line is at-grade.

[S.S. Sam Taylor]

Frankly, Damien is a False Prophet. His community looks towards those that possess an aura of confidence, charm and intellectual skill. Damien has those elements and he is the only one out there on this issue. Before he came around, the only opposition was the many lose canon members of the community who could hardly string together a lucid sentence.

So, with a major void in community leadership, coupled with Damien's charm, he has assumed the default following of the disaffected, who don't want Expo.
And he is getting major behind the scenes support from the Cheviot Hills NIMBY's, who see this as a chance to block the line from going west of Robertson.

Many have been waiting for someone to offer rational discourse and an alternative point of view, but so far no one has stepped forward. Finally Councilmember Bernard Parks, who had been long advised by the Expo Authority to step back, came out telling the truth at a recent community meeting, to the relief of many community members.

The majority of the community has long wanted a train, rather than plodding, uncomfortable buses. Now that the project is moving ahead, many are aghast that the project could be delayed. Many are relieved that Damien's actions of kicking a mostly defenseless, short roped dog, are being answered with a community based group that knows the meaning of truth. Damien doesn't and he is extremely thin skinned. Watching him blow a gasket and his full block over at a subway meeting was entertaining and telling.

[Spokker]

Expo was at-grade back in the day and it's going to be at-grade today. Not sure what we're arguing about here.

[gerald]

There's a right of way for the expo line, and no right of way for the Wilshire line, so to build an at grade line for Wilshire you would either:
(a) need to take at least two lanes of traffic (making parts of Wilshire from two lanes to a one lane road (talk about making things worse),
(b) create a right of way by taking apartments, churches, high rises, etc by eminent domain (talk about billions and billions just to buy land),
(c) build an elevated train that takes parking and lanes away also, or
(d) build underground.

You don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure this one. The reason to build grade separation has to do with cross-traffic, not ethnic make up of community. Damien should drive in circles around the streets he wants the Expo line elevated, that way he might get his useless bridges.

How many elevated bridges does the gold line have as it goes through Latino and white neighborhoods? None!

[Tony Fernandez]

Why shouldn't Expo hire a PR firm? Damien is out spreading half-truths and blatant lies, so shouldn't Expo be allowed to defend itself?