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The hardest part about bringing Los Angeles a world-class public transit system is the funding. That's why Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's has been hitting up Washington hard for his 30/10 plan--12 projects scheduled to be completed in 30 years accelerated to 10 years. The Plan doesn't ask for free money, it asks for a long-term loan to be paid back with guaranteed funds from Measure R, the voter-approved sales tax hike.
At yesterday's Senate Committee on the Environment and Public
Works hearing, USDOT Undersecretary for Policy Roy Kienitz said there's no one funding mechanism to support the project as a whole, but he does understand L.A.'s need for improved transit in the immediate future. “Everyone who has ever driven in LA knows that more and better transit in that region is a must, and the sooner it’s in place, the better,” he said.
After returning from his trip, Villaraigosa's office today announced a handful of federal programs that could help fund 30/10:
There's no hint to when day one of ten years begins, but the conversation is definitely making some headway. Here are the 12 projects in 30/10:
