in Downtown, where many of the city's light rail and subway lines have terminal points, not all the lines intersect. To make getting from one line to another easier, Metro has just approved plans for a connecting line. Thursday, The Metro Board of Directors certified the Final Environmental Impact Statement/Report for the Regional Connector Transit Corridor Project. more ›

The Los Angeles County Bicycle Master Plan has been updated and approved today, and includes plans for 832 miles of new bikeways, as well as over $330 million in funding to be spent over 20 years on improving access to and the safety of bicycle transit in L.A. more ›

What's better than using a few years of tax revenue to fix Los Angeles' streets? How about using a few decades' worth! Mayor Villaraigosa has been coming up with a plan — "quietly" the Los Angeles Times says — to use 27 years of Measure R revenue funding to fix up the city's streets and potholes. more ›

Metro says they have cleared another hurdle in their current endeavor to (finally) put in place an efficient transit link to serve Los Angeles International Airport. Wednesday, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) gave approval to release the Final Environmental Impact Statement/Report (FEIS/R) for the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor, says the transit agency, and local politicians are already cheering the train's arrival. more ›

The Westside subway extension, which would bring Metro's Purple Line from its current Wilshire/Western terminus to Westwood, got what some are hailing as a "major step" closer to some big federal funding. California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer made a joint announcement today, urging the U.S. Department of Transportation to okay a $641 million federal loan for the project. more ›

The transportation committee tomorrow will discuss the Department of Transportation's report on its proposed 2010-2011 allocations for available funding from Measure R. The measure, which set aside roughly $40 billion over the next three decades for upgrades to transportation and was estimated to create over 210,000 new construction jobs, was approved by voters in November 2008. more ›

In a unanimous (12-0) vote yesterday, the Los Angeles City Council adopted the City's Bicycle Plan, which lays out 1,680 miles of interconnected bikeways and calls for more than 200 miles of new bicycle routes every five years Citywide, including along the Los Angeles River. Several years in the works, the ambitious plan signals to many a shift in the relationship between the local government, city planners, and bicyclists. more ›

It's been on and off, delayed, banned and fought over for decades, but it has finally happened. The Metro Board of Directors this morning unanimously approved extending the Purple Line 9.5 miles to just past the 405 Freeway. It was one of five alternatives to choose from -- others included a West Hollywood spur and taking the subway all the way to Santa Monica. more ›

Public transportation in Los Angeles today received a boost with the news of a large loan from the federal government. Metro will receive more than a half billion in loaned funds for it's nine-mile Crenshaw/LAX light rail line, which will take riders between the Green Line at LAX and the Expo Line, which is currently under construction. more ›

It's round two for Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. He's in Washington D.C. today rallying for rail in a Senate committee meeting, says KPCC. Last week he did the same in the House of Representatives. It's all about his 30/10 vision, which would take 12 projects -- the Westside Subway for example -- planned for completion within 30 years and finish them within 10 years with a $30 billion bridge loan from the federal government. more ›

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa made his way back to the U.S. Capitol today to testify before a congressional subcommittee on securing billions in funding for regional public transportation projects. It's the fourth trip so far on the sole topic. more ›

The Los Angeles City Council this morning approved a chunk of money from Measure R--the sales tax devoted to L.A. County transportation projects--that will be devoted to pedestrian and bicycle projects. The amount is only about $3.3 million... more ›

Amid the budget crisis, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa this afternoon delivered his annual State of the City address and released the next fiscal year's budget. "This budget totals $4.34 billion dollars. Sets aside 6.5 percent or $284 million dollars for the reserve fund and it builds a smaller, more efficient city government," he said. Here are some key points, followed by the full speech: more ›

Just minutes ago President Obama boarded his flight to depart Los Angeles after his brief visit to take part in a fundraiser dinner for the DNC and Senator Barbara Boxer's re-election campaign. On the tarmac were City Council President Eric Garcetti and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the latter of which took one last opportunity to ask the President to speed up funding for Los Angeles' 30/10 transit project, which would bring more ›

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa last week stood behind an independent study on the local economy and job force affects of the transportation sales tax approved by voters in 2008. “When the voters of Los Angeles County decided to tax themselves through Measure R, they put in motion a vision for better transit, green job creation, and clean air," he said. more ›

The one thing saving Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa from two black eyes right now is his 30/10 Plan, which would build 30 years of planned public transportation infrastructure--that's 12 projects, mostly rail--in 10 years. The money is already guaranteed thanks to the voter approved Measure R, a half-cent sales tax. Problem is, the anticipated $30 to $40 billion will come in over the next 30 years. Villaraigosa's solution is to ask congress for a loan upfront with a guarantee to pay it back. So far, it's garnering praise and today it's getting another boost. more ›

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is back in Washington D.C. today, rallying for billions of dollars to fulfill the 30/10 plan, which is 30 years of transit projects--12 in all--built in 10 years. Unlike business as usual, the money would be paid back in full, thanks to the voter approved Measure R, which increased L.A. County's sales tax to raise $30 to $40 billion for transportation projects. California Sen. Barbara Boxer is in full support, but the LA Times finds that the state's other Senator, Dianne Feinsteinn, is not familiar with the plan (ouch!) "The line is long for money from the federal government," she told a reporter. "And no one looks at the debt, and no one looks at the deficit." more ›

Columnist Harold Meyerson at the Washington Post today gushes over L.A.'s voter-approved Measure R, the sales tax which is expected to generate $30 to $40 billion for transportation projects over the next 30 years. Not only that, he loves Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's 30 in 10 plan. "Now, Los Angeles is asking Washington for loans -- not grants, mind you -- to be repaid with that sales tax revenue, to accelerate said construction so that it can be done in one decade rather than three." more ›

Even though the Mayor was just in Washington D.C., he's going back this week to ask for an advance on money. A lot of it. Thanks to Measure R, the voter-approved sales tax hike, L.A. County is looking at some $30 billion in dedicated transit funds over the next 30 years. So why not ask the feds for a loan upfront so we can start now? Other city issues will also be worked on. This is part of the annual Access D.C. trip where 200 business leaders and several city councilmembers head to the capitol. more ›

Although the state said they would give $14.7 million in funding for the Orange Line extension in the West Valley, they've balked, forcing Metro to either delay the project or use their own money in the meantime. Last Thursday, the latter was chosen, in hope the state will honor the money in the future. more ›

No one wants to wait 30 years for the much needed transit projects currently being planned. As voters, we've already approved Measure R, which increased our sales tax, to help pay for major transit infrastructure, but that's not enough if we want more trains now (or really soon). That's why the City Council has asked the proposed National Infrastructure Development Bank to advance money to Metro for the Westside Subway and other Measure R projects, according to the Daily News. Of course, that bank needs to become a reality first. more ›

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa tomorrow is expected to announce his plans in building support for something he calls the "30/10" push to accelerate Measure R transit projects--the voted in half cent sales tax increase--from being completed in 30 years to 10 years. more ›

A survey conducted on behalf of Metro found that residents still support Measure R, which boosted LA County's sales tax up a half cent in order to raise $30 to $40 billion for transportation projects. However, it also found that people feel projects are moving too slowly to get the region out of gridlock. According to the LA Times, the poll of 605 registered county voters finds (with a plus or minus margin of 4%)... more ›

On July 1st, our taxes in LA County increased a half penny on the dollar to fund a mix of transportation projects, whether they be rail, highway or something else, thanks to Measure R, which was voted in by the public last November. This Thursday morning, Metro will hold a Measure R committee meeting (.pdf) to discuss aspects of that and part of that discussion will be the possibility of moving up the timelines of three projects. more ›

Groundbreaking is scheduled to take place this morning on Metro's Orange Line extension, which will expand the dedicated busway that currently runs from North Hollywood to Warner Center. The $215.6 million extension "is the very first project to begin construction under the new voter approved Measure R half-cent transportation sales tax," reports abc7. more ›

Yesterday Metrolink revealed their plan to combat their "most pressing safety and organizational issues," reports the Glendale News-Press. The findings were presented to the transit company's Board of Directors by a combined team of experts concerning trains and oversight; the pursuit of greater safety at Metrolink largely stems from the aftermath of September's Chatsworth crash--the deadliest accident in Metrolink's history. more ›

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Although it was predicted to win the day after the election, Measure R, the half-cent tax increase that is expected to raise $30 to $40 billion over the next 30 years for transit projects, finally passed today with 100% of the votes tallied. more ›

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the single largest contributor to Measure R, was questioned yesterday for donating close to a million dollars to support the campaign to pass the initiative that proposed raising the county's sales tax half-cent for transportation projects, including a possible subway rolling down Wilshire Blvd. with a stop right outside the museum. more ›