One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
How You Vote Today Could Bring A Subway in 5 Years (When It Rains Cats & Dogs)*
Alternative 9 combines a Wilshire and Santa Monica alignment for two subways
Update*: Metro called to strongly emphasize that the projected 10-year-period (three for environmental studies, seven for construction) is the reality under the most ideal circumstances (that circumstance is if we had the funding today). Metro confirms this is the timeline and the 5-year hypothetical may have been misheard or said. At the meeting, the freakily fast timeline was mentioned in the context of a community member asking why can't it be done faster by having double shifts or 24-hour shifts.
At last week's meeting between Metro and the public about the Westside extension, Metro said that a subway (or subways) could be built and finished in five years. Wha?? We don't have to wait 10 years? Holy!!! Yes, that's right, we could have all this pictured above or some variation thereof in five years from now.
But wait, what's the catch? Oh yeah, money.
Funding is the theme game here folks. So why does your vote today and in November count? One reason is the candidates' view (or lack of one) on public transit. The second is the war in Iraq. Yeah, we said it.
Sponsored message
Last October, the LA City Council voted to support a pullout from Iraq, saying the war is diverting money from local governments. New York City did the same.
Mayor Villaraigosa also took a shot at the feds on Mayor TV (video below): "The federal government has been almost absent in addressing the issues of our cities... the investments that need to be made with respect to housing, infrastructure; it is absolutely criminal that the federal government has failed to address to those issues."
When you go out to vote today, keep in mind what you want for this nation and for this great city. If you want to get LA moving again, some choices might be better than others. Just sayin'.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
