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.
Metro Goes Facebook with 'Subway to the Sea'
The Westside Extension effort, commonly dubbed as the "Subway to the Sea," went social networking/Web 2.0 style a few weeks ago with a group on Facebook. This is the first time a specific project has done outreach like this and word on the transit street is that more project managers may be doing more of this in the future.
Metro's Librarian, Matthew Barrett, has definitely been a leader in exploring blogging and other online tools for the agency. One of the most helpful local blogs for transit-nerds is his daily updated Los Angeles Transportation Headlines blog. The library's Twitter is used to update followers on projects in the library. The latest tweet? "Converting the first L.A. Metro TV commericals from the 1950's (black & white, animated) into YouTube friendly files." Their YouTube channel has 37 videos uploaded so far.
Next steps on how Metro can further communicate to the public with helpful information? Here at LAist, we recommend they take advantage of Twitter by sending out real time service alerts when train or major bus line incidents happen causing delays. As the civic glogfather, Los Angeles firefighter Brian Humphrey, says, "we can no longer afford to work at the speed of government." It helps that Twitter is free in these times of economic hardship too.
Note: There is one more public meeting for the Westside Extension in the latest update sessions on Monday, May 12. More info can be found here.
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
