MTA board delays adopting long-range plan

Local transportation officials have decided to postpone a vote on a long-range plan that sets timetables for building future mass transit projects, including the long-awaited subway extension to the Westside, according to MTA spokesman Marc Littman.

The vote was supposed to happen at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's board meeting later this month. But the board has decided to wait, hoping to see what money may become available for projects after President-elect Barack Obama takes office on Jan. 20. Obama has said he wants to spend billions of dollars on infrastructure projects to create new jobs and put some zip into the nation's economy.

The long-range plan, as I reported in Wednesday's editions of The Times, includes a timetable for constructing the subway that isn't being warmly received by some of its backers, including Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Under the MTA's plan, the subway to La Cienega and Wilshire would open in 2019 with legs to Century City and Westwood debuting in 2026 and 2032, respectively. The plan basically spells out what projects get built when for the next three decades.

MTA officials hope to accelerate that schedule by getting some federal money to go along with money for the subway from Measure R, the half-cent sales tax increase approved by Los Angeles County voters in November. It also remains to be seen whether officials can find a way to divvy the subway project up into smaller chunks, so that perhaps a leg to La Brea or Fairfax could be opened sooner -- just to show the public something will happen in their lifetimes.

-- Steve Hymon

Comments

[Dan W.]

The LRTP is going to look so much better than it would had Measure R failed.

The key will be getting federal matching funds for these projects.

California currents pays a whole lot more in taxes than it gets back. Ironically, low tax, conservative states like Alabama and Mississippi are the biggest moochers from the federal trough. Let's get some of that California tax money back for our own use.

Also, lobbying our Representatives and Senators to push for prioritizing transportation funding is really important.

The extension of the Purple Line and completion of the Downtown Regional Connector would be true long lasting stimulus.

[James Fujita]

why the big delay? what is there for people to comment on?

we need as much rail transit as we can afford to build. we need it as soon as possible.

we need better connections to LAX. we need the subway to the sea. we need the downtown connector and we need it to be underground. we need to bring the South Bay into Metro Rail.

we need to do what the Japanese have done and build more subways and high-speed rail lines. maybe even electrify Metrolink.

[Ladonna Ellis]

We really need a subway or even a metrolink train into Century City (Los Angeles). What is the problem and the hold up for that. You would think that this would be a priority.