You know that tax ballot measure that we've been talking about for months? You know, the one that will help Metro move forward with a bunch of cool projects? Like extending the Purple Line from Koreatown to Westwood?
Today, the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Office has officially named the measure as "Measure M" for the November 8, 2016 ballot. It was formerly known as Measure R2, which maybe came off as a bit wonky. And that "2" perhaps implied that it was a lesser, secondary initiative. "Measure M," on the other hand, is authoritative, and impeccably cool. Think: Judi Dench as the unflappable M in the Bond movies. Or: Dial M for Murder.
Anyway, Measure M is what you'll be looking for on the November ballot if you want to give a big boost to public transit. If passed, it will increase the county-wide sales tax by a half-cent, and Metro will use the funds to back a $120-billion plan to increase mobility in the Southland.
"Measure M addresses many of the critical transportation needs caused by our aging infrastructure and expected population growth," Metro Board Chair John Fasana said in a release.
Projects in the plan include a rail line beneath the Sepulveda Pass, an additional 4.7 miles for the Green Line, another 11 miles to extend the Gold Line to San Dimas, new carpool lanes on a number of freeways, and various improvements to boost "travel times" service reliability and speed” on Metrolink and Amtrak. Metro has a fact-sheet on the wide array of projects that will be jump-started once Measure M is passed.
For a visual of what public transit may look like in the future (if Metro's plan pulls through) check out this map that one intrepid transportation planner had made.
