Glendale Councilman Replaces Villaraigosa as Metro Chair

A new fiscal year means a new Metro Board chair at the helms of L.A. County public transportation. Meet Glendale City Councilman Ara Najarian, who has served the city since 2005 and once as the rotating Mayor from 2007 to 2008. “As the new Board Chair, I look forward to providing the leadership necessary to enhance transportation options throughout the region,” Najarian said in a statement. “This next year will be both challenging and rewarding as we move the agency through difficult financial times while at the same time, begin implementing transportation improvement projects voted by the public with the passage of Measure R, the half-cent sales tax initiative.” Damien Newton at StreetsblogLA notes that Najarian could be a plus for the pedestrian and bicycle communities.