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March 12, 2008
Metro's Plan: It's Realistic, But Not Visionary
You can download the full 26-page plan here
Metro’s Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), which was just released this morning, takes a look ahead about 20-25 years down the road to determine what the county’s residents will need in terms of transportation options to get around the county. It covers public transportation, some biking, highways and goods movement.
The above map is the shows a basic highway and public transportation vision, funded and unfunded and we just took a quick look.
As you can see, the public's support of both a subway down Wilshire and down Santa Monica Blvd. did not even make the unfunded part. It's as if the decision has already been made to solely run it down Wilshire. Nor does the map indicate even a bus lane or expanded service over the Sepulveda Pass on the 405 freeway. However, it does appear that the Red Line has plans to march north beyond the NoHo Arts District and the Valley will get a few more north-south Orange Line extensions. Of course, this plan is very broad and details and questions can be asked during a series of meetings that begin at the end of his month. More to come...
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While there are some good common sense proposals in the draft plan, it is appalling that there are no public transit improvements mentioned, funded or unfunded, for those seeking to travel to/from the San Fernando Valley to/from the Westside. The MTA has ignored a whole segment of the commuting public in its plans.
As the City of West Hollywood and Santa Monica Blvd. isn’t mentioned anywhere it’s quite ballsy for the MTA to then have its scoping meeting for the Westside for the draft Long Range Transportation Plan at Plummer Park in West Hollywood on Santa Monica Blvd. In the early Westside Transit Corridor Extension Project, the City of West Hollywood was left out of the scoping meetings. I find it ironic that they’d choose to have their one Westside scoping session for the Draft Long Range Transportation Plan in the City of West Hollywood along Santa Monica Blvd. If the MTA is planning to pat Santa Monica Blvd. alignment supporters on the head, thank them for participating, and then send them on their merry way so they can get back to their original plan of one alignment, Wilshire Blvd. only, then I guess in some perverse way they get points for the willingness to do it in person, face to face. But, I expect there will be many people attending that event to demonstrate support for SMB not being left out.
Here is a letter I sent to the MTA after reviewing the draft plan. They are accepting comment for 45 days (well, 44 now):
Dear MTA,
Thank you for releasing today the draft of MTA’s Long Range Transportation Plan for comment.
The greatest public transit priority the MTA is facing is completing the Purple Line out to Santa Monica via Century City and I congratulate and celebrate it’s inclusion in the draft plan.
Unfortunately, there are two major things missing from draft plan.
1) The City of West Hollywood and a potential heavy or light rail alignment on Santa Monica Blvd. isn’t mentioned anywhere (or even a rush hour bus-only lane). This is inconceivable to me after their was great support shown in the scoping meetings for a Santa Monica Blvd. alignment or two alignments on the westside (Santa Monica Blvd. and Wilshire Blvd.) Jody Litvak, of the MTA, even expressed in City Beat that the MTA was surprised at how much support was expressed for a Santa Monica Blvd. alignment. This alignment would provide a valuable alternative to getting to/from Hollywood and the Westside, and if Alternative #9 is chosen, from the Valley to the Westside.
2) Also missing is any mention of a line from LAX north/south to Metrolink or even Sylmar in the Valley. Not everyone travels to/from downtown and the countless people who snake through passes/canyons each day desperately need alternatives. Alternative #9 in the Westside Transit Cooridor extension project would offer an alternative for travel from the East Valley to the Westside, and a Sepulveda based extension of the Green Line from LAX to Metrolink would offer a viable alternative for travel from the West Valley and the Westside.
Thank you for taking feedback. I will be encouraging everyone I know, especially transit riders to have a look and also give their feedback too.
Best regards,
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I realize that the Alternatives Analysis is still underway for the Westside Transit Corridor Extension study, but as the map shows a Wilshire Blvd. alignment ONLY, it’s not a mystery where they originally planned to be leaning.
If you want connections to/from the Valley to/from the Westside that offer a viable alternative to snaking through passes and canyons in ever worsening congestion.
If you want the East Valley connected to the Westside in addition to the Purple Line extension along Wilshire Blvd., then please send an e-mail to WestsideExtension@metro.net and say you support Alternative #9 which contains both alignments.
If you want a West Valley connected from Metrolink to the Westside/LAX via Sepulveda Pass, and the East Valley connected to the Westside via Santa Monica Blvd., then please send an e-mail to metroplan@metro.net and say you want BOTH to be included in the Long Term Transportation Plan.
Time is the essence. There are 43 days left to get comments in on the Long Range Transportation Plan draft and the alternatives analysis for the Westside Transit Corridor Extension is happening NOW.
Please do not expect "someone else" to do your advocacy for you.
Believe me, the NIMBYs make themselves heard loudly, over and over again.
The anti-rail forces, either automobile-entitlement folks who want all transportation funding to go to road and freeway expansion and the bus-only transit extremists make themselves heard.
The MTA needs to hear from you and hear from you pronto. A quick e-mail will just take a few minutes.
Thanks!!!!
WestsideExtension@metro.net
metroplan@metro.net