June/July 1991Los AngelesCountyTransportationCommissionChIlD

METROSM

iflir d MetroPlan

Unuailed

A $139 billion transportation--blueprint highlighting asprawling raul network andan enhanced bus system was

unveiled at the May meeting ofthe Los Angeles County Trans-portation Commission (LACTC)meeting. The draft document,,called the integrated Metro Plan,is part of a 30-year strategy toslash Southland gridlock:

The plan proposed by LACTC'sstaff calls for spending $70.7billion between now and the year2020 to operate 4,200 buses, an

As a part of itsintegrated MetroSystem, on July 1,LACTC, Cal Trans,and the CaliforniaHighway Patrolofficially inauguratedthe "Freeway ServicePatron a special fleetof tow trucks that willswiftly removedisabled cars fromfreeway lanes duringprime commutingperiods. In just thefirst 2 days of theprogram, a total of 359stranded motoristswere helped.

increase from today of about1,700 vehicles, and designates$45.9 billion for a 300-mile railsystem that combines an urbansubway with light and commuterraus. Highway improvementsamounting to $17.3 billioninclude carpool lanes, tow trucks,park-and-ride lots, bikeways, and-call-boxes; and $5.3 billion isslated for transportation demandmanagement and rideshareprograms.

Primarily funded from localrevenues and supplemented fromstate, federal and private re-sources, these tax dollars weresupported by voters underProposition A in 1980 and

continued on page 2

THE METRO RED LINEHEADS FOR MID-WILSHIREWork Begins on SecondSegment

lil ollywood's Wiltern Theaterwas upstaged early lastmonth by a dramatic eventthat took place across the

street from the landmark the-ater. Bulldozers and publicofficials alike were on hand June13 to break ground for construc-tion of the second segment ofL.A.'s first subway system, theMetro Red Line.

The raul line, an 18-mile under-ground heavy rail system thatwill serve the densely populatedregional core of Los AngelesCounty, is currently being builtby LACTC's subsidiary, the RailConstruction Corporation. Thefirst 4.4-mile segment — fromUnion Station to the intersectionof Wilshire Boulevard andAlvarado Street — is scheduledto open in September, 1993.

The line's second segment will becompleted in two phases over thenext seven years and will run atotal of 6.7 miles. The first phaseof this segment, from MacArthurPark to a station near theWiltern at the corner of WilshireBoulevard and Western Avenue,is scheduled to open in 1996, andthe second phase, to HollywoodBoulevard and Vine Street, willopen in 1998.

continued on page 3

MOVING LOS ANGELESINTO THE 21st CENTURY

DIAL-ARIDE

CARPOOLLAN ES

It. deTOW

TRUCKS

BIKEWAYS

METROFARES

"Moving L.A...." continued frompage I.

Proposition C in 1990, and byPropositions 108, 111 and 116,the state bonding and gas taxmeasures passed last year.

In looking at the big picture,county transportation commis-sioners consider the draft plan astarting point from whichLACTC's staff and commissionerscan work — together with thelocal communities— to analyzeits long-range feasibility. "Noth-ing is carved in stone at thispoint," said LACTC Commis-sioner Jacki Bacharach."Dicussion of this plan will beused as an analytical tool,helping us to fine-tune the MetroSystem as we go along."

Working from traffic projections,LACTC's staff determined thatthe equivalent of 95 freewaylanes in one direction would haveto be built on new or existingfreeways in the next 30 years tokeep traffic moving at the cur-rent speed of 29 miles per hour inpeak commute times.

Under the plan, the LACTC isdeveloping an integrated trans-portation network — called theMetro System — which providesthe traveling public with a widerange of transportation options.These options work together toattack congestion and relievegridlock, and system componentsinclude a rau, bus and highwaynetwork. Designed as a user-friendly system, the variouselements will be linked togetherby a common symbol — theMetro "M" logo.

"The foundation of the MetroSystem is already in place," saidNeil Peterson, LACTC's Execu-tive Director, "but more compo-nents will be added over the next30 years to meet the diverseneeds of the public."

A coordinated effort among theL.A. region's various transporta-tion agencies, the Metro Systemprovides the best use of localtransportation dollars. Byincorporating all of the areas'transportation systems under anumbrella system, the travelingpublic will have a clearer pictureof its available choices.

The following symbols representthe various elements of theintegrated Metro System:

METRO RAIL encom-passes a 300-mile system,much of whichwiibebuilt within thenext10 years, that includes

light rau, subway and commuterrau. Other technologies may alsobe added.

THE METRO BUSSYSTEM includes all 14bus systems in thecounty, in addition to the

BUS

Southern CaliforniaRapid Transit District (RTD),interconnecting with each otherand with other components of theMetro System.

METRO DIAL-A-RIDEare community servicesfor the elderly and hand-icapped to provide short-range transportatiorrfor

essential needs.

TRANSFER SITE Sare locations wheremultiple providers ofthe Metro System con-

TRANSFER nect to provide transferopportunities.

CALL-BOXES. 3,500new and improved high-tech devices are locatedapproximately every one-quarter mile along the

county's 504 mile freeway sys-tem. Funded by the LACTC,these emergency phones areoperated by the California

Highway Patrol.

CARPOOL LANES,known as high-occupancyvehicle (HOV) lanes, arebeing expanded on thefreeway system to en-

courage motorists to share ridesand reduce single occupancyvehicular traffic.

O METRO TOW TRUCKSare dispatched alongcongested corridors in thefreeway system to quicklyremove minor incidents

that impede traffic flow.

THE METROHOTLINE is a specialphone for motorists tocall in with congestion-relieving suggestions.

The public can enhance ourefforts to improve mobility.

PARK & RIDE lots arestrategically locatedthroughout the MetroSystem to accommodatemotorists who wish to

drive to a point of departure andleave their cars while takingpublic transportation to theirdestination.

METRO BIKEWAYSare 500 miles of publicbikeways that provide yetanother mode of transportation in Los Angeles

County. With our mild climate,bicycles are often used to movefrom one destination to another,not just for r) ecreational use.

THE METRO FAREwill ultimately be aninterlinking fare systemthat will make it possibleto purchase one ticket to

be used on all Metro transporta-tion systems. ee,

METROHOTLINE

PARK &RIDE

2

Stewart Taylor, regional administrator for the Urban Mass Transpor-tation Administration, speaks at the Metro Red Line groundbreakingceremony on June 13. Shown also is Neil Peterson, LACTC's ExecutiveDirector, and Travis the Owl, LACTC's School Safety Program mascot.

ELECTRIC BUSES areenergy efficient and-low maintenance. The

ELECTRIC 10 county bus lines being

BUS considered for electrifica-tion Cover 150 miles and have thepotential to serve 25,000 riders in20 cities.

The integrated transportationplan will significantly impactaverage rush-hour commutingspeeds. Without the plan inplace, rush hour speeds woulddip to 17 miles per hour, a 4170'decline in performance. With allthe Metro System components inplace, average commuting speedswill only drop one mile per hour,to 28 mph, for those people whostill use the freeway system in2010. For those who take advan-tage of other transportationoptions, their travel time will beconsiderably less.

"We don't expect everyone livingin Los Angeles County to find itconvenient to use mass transpor-tation," said Peterson, "but-we'rebuilding enough varied systemsover the next 30 years to proVidepractical alternatives to many'who want out of the madness ofdriving on L.A.'s congestedfreeways." •

"Metro Red Line..." continued-from page I

"Today's ceremony marks thebeginning of the Metro RedLine's extension to Hollywoodand eventually to the SanFernando Valley," said LosAngeles Mayor Tom Bradley."Public transportation connectingmajor cities in the Los Angelesbasin is becoming a reality."

The Metro Red Line inters'ectswith the Metro Blue Line at ashared station at 7th and Flowerstreets in downtown Los Angeles.The Blue Line, a 22-mile lightraul connecting Los Angeles toLong Beach, was the first com-pleted piece of LACTC's 300-mileMetro Rail System when itopened last July. Already, morethan 31,000 riders a day areusing it.

"The Metro Red Line will be thebackbone of the planned 300-milerail transit system," said L-ACTCChair Ray Grabinski. "TheMetro Red Line's state-of-the arttechnology provides riders withunequaled comfort, safety andconvenience, and will makecommuting a clean, fast, andeasy experience."

Early signs of construction arevisible along Wilshire Boulevard,where workers are relocatingunderground utility lines. In

approximately 10 months,workers will be underground atWestern, ending most of thetraffic congestion.

Metro stations are built by the"cut-and-cover" method whichinvolves excavation from groundlevel, then construction of aconcrete box, followed by cover-ing the site with wooden planks,allowing traffic to continueflowing over the site whileworkers dig underground. Thetunnels are built by undergroundboring which causes no trafficdisruption.

"The LACTC is sensitive to theconstruction impacts on thesurrounding community andwe're in constant contact witharea businesses and residents tohelp them prepare for the neigh-borhood changes," said L.A.County Supervisor Ed Edelmanand LACTC Commissioner."Sidewalks and access to allbusinesses in the area willremain open. Additional signagewill be installed to guide pedes-trians to business entrances, andstorage yard areas are temporaryand are not permitted on thestreet"

Wayne Ratkovich, who managesthe Wiltern Theater locatedacross the street from theplanned station, said "We'relooking beyond the temporaryinconvenience to the future daywhen Los Angeles citizens will beable to attend a live theaterperformance and ride home on aMetro train.. The face of LosAngeles is changing, and we arevery excited that the WilternTheater is a stop on the Metromap."

Stewart F. Taylor, regionaladministrator of the UrbanMass Transportation Adminis-tration, agrees. "The Los Angelesregion is becoming a recognized-

continued on page 4

3

BLUE -143 LINEST

oppY 1 BM%ri '4 IN 15.

NEINSBRIEFS

continued from page 3

leader in terms of building aninnovative, multi-modal transitsystem with strong, local finan-cial commitment. The federalgovernment recognizes the localsupport, and has almost matchedthe local funding commitment bycontributing 46% to this con-struction project."

Taylor's sentiments were echoedby Southern California RapidTransit District's President NickPatsaouras. "Studies are underway now to bring joint develop-ment projects to the Metro RedLine stations. Public transitfacilities, like Metro stations and

park-and-ride lots, generatecommercial activity at a focusedlocation and can increase prop-erty values on and adjacent tothe stations. Joint developmentwill provide revenue to helpoffset the original system costand operations costs."

The $1.4-billion project is fundedby a combination of federal,state, and local dollars: $677million of federal funds; $439million from the LACTC; $186million from the state of Califor-nia; $96 million from the City ofLos Angeles; and benefit assess-ment revenues to provide $58million.

Three major construction con-tracts, totaling $178 million havealready been awarded for theproject: tunneling along Wilshirebetween Alvarado and Vermont;tunneling along Wilshire be-tween Vermont and Western;and the station at Wilshire andWestern. More bid requests willfollow soon.

Extensions of the Metro Red Lineare also under study from UnionStation to East Los Angeles in2001, and from the Wilshire/Western station to Pico/SanVicente in 2001 and to Westwoodby 2013.

Free! • Door Prizes • Jazz • Clowns

Happy Birthday Metro Blue Line!Sunday July 1411:30am-3pm

Long Beach PromenadeFirst and Pine Streets

Monday July 1511:30am-2pm

7th and FigueroaLos Angeles!

tbe p6:91149ttek.,

(last stop) * Citicorp Plaza pays your Blue Line Ticket

* Bring your Metro Blue Line Ticket to 7th Market Place merchants and they'll deduct the full one-way f are from your purchase price($5 minimum).

Also...Games • Food • Carnival Rides! Thanks to Downtown Long Beach Assocetes and Citicorp Plaza

Metro Blue Line Wins 1991"Tranny" Award for High-Level Security

The LACTC, along with the LosAngeles County Sheriff s Depart-ment and the Southern Califor-nia Rapid Transit District(SCRTD) were honored collec-tively as the transit serviceproject of the year by the Califor-nia Transportation Foundation(CTF).

CTF is a nonprofit, public benefitorganization formed to promoteand recognize excellence inCalifornia transportation. The

award, one among several pre-sented in various transportationcategories, was announced atCTF's third annual "Tranny"Awards Banquet held May 16 atthe Pasadena Hilton.

"The high level of security on theBlue Line has done much toimprove the image of transit andencourage ridership," said CTF'sexecutive officer, HeinzHeckeroth. Accepting the awardon behalf of the LACTC, Chair-man Ray Grabinski commentedon the rail line's security. "Be-cause of the fine security providedby the Los Angeles CountySheriff s Department, the MetroBlue Line has a virtually nonex-istent crime rate, even though theline traverses some of the highestcrime areas in our county."

LACTC ALSO HONORED

The LACTC received a specialCTF award as the organization of,the year for "a year of majortransportation milestones thatwill affect the county and South-ern California for the nextcentury."

In addition to the successfulopening of the the Metro BlueLine light rail system, theCommission was commended forlaying the ground-work, includ-ing increased local fundingthrough a voter-approved salestax increase, for the rapid imple-mentation of what will soon bethe largest rail system in theUnited States (outside of NewYork City).

4

first of 800 tree seeds for an on--campus nursery.

The trees grown at the schoolwill be used in an UrbanGreenways Program aimed atbeautifying transportationrights-of-way that now laybarren.

"The young students will have ahands-on learning experience incaring for the seedling garden,while concurrently studying theenvironment," said Ray

Grabinski, LACTC chair. "Theywill remember this experience astheir contribution to the greeningof their city."

The Tree People provided the 800planting tubes along with theinstructions for planting. "Thisproject gives children the chanceto take active responsibility fortheir environment by literallyhelping to rebuild and restoretheir own community," said TreePeople President Andy Lipkis. •

o 000000000 o 000000000

Tree People President Andy Lipkis explains the tree planting process to9th Street Elementary School children, while the LACTC's school safetyprogram mascot, Travis the Owl, looks 071.

"The Commission has aggres-sively addressed the congestionand mobility needs of the countyand is implementing a widerange of programs." said GeraldW. Seelman, vice president ofDaniel, Mann, Johnson andMendenhall, the constructionconsulting firm that nominatedLACTC for this award.

D Metro Blue Line OperationsOfficially Trans ferred toRTD

Speaking of the Blue Line, June5 marked the official transfer ofresponsibility for the operation ofthe Blue Line from LACTC toRTD. Gradually, over the pastyear, the RTD has been takingover the Blue Line's responsibili-ties as the LACTC finished allcapital work.

Now that the LACTC has com-pleted all design and construc-tion work, the RTD will be fullyresponsible for the maintenanceand operation of the line, and forall third-party relationships. Allof the line's capital and operatingbudgets will be integrated intothe RTD's annual budget.

Many people from both theLACTC and the RTD have beeninvolved with the start-upoperations of the Metro BlueLine, and we can thank all ofthem for helping to attract thenearly 32,000 daily Blue Lineriders a number that farexceeds both agencies' originalexpectations.

ri Inner City Students Plant"--1 800 Tree Seedlings for

Greening Project

Kindergartners through fifthgraders at the 9th Street El-ementary School were presentedwith equipment and fundsprovided by LACTC and the TreePeople organization on June 14so they could begin planting the

000

Corridor Advisory Committees

Want to know more about com-muter rau? Want to shape itsdevelopment? Participate withthe Commuter Rail CorridorAdvisory Committees. Thesecorridor-specific Committees willhave both technical and policymembers from cities along therail routes. Members will tackleissues that Impact cities andpatrons directly, such as station

development and maintenance,security, operational issues andmore. Ifyou want to be on themailing list for an AdvisoryCommittee please give yourname and address to LorraineHost at (213) 244-6854.

City spotlight

The Cities of Los Angeles andSan Fernando are working

continued on page 6

OD 00000 0- 0 0 000 DD =cz=== DD

000

COMMUTER RAI STATUS

Ne"

5

continued from page 5

together to develop a station inthe eastern San Fernando Volleyon the Santa Clarita line. Thestation, located at San Fernando'snorthern border with Los Ange-les, will be adjacent to a newresidential project with approxi-

inately 250 units. Mediumdensity housing is the adjacentuse that generates the best raulridership. Preliminary plans callfor the construction of a new roadthat will be shared between thenew development and the com-muter rail station. Both citiesare working with local commu-

nity groups to ensure grass-rootsparticipation in the design of thestation. •

[Editors Note: See LegislativeUpdate on page 11 for morecommuter raul information.]

Vt/HAT'S NEW IN RAI CONSTRUCTION Ernest CamachoBecomes Chairmanof the Rail Construc-tion Corporation

L ACTC's Rail ConstructionCorporation (RCC) boardmember Ernest M. Camachohas been named as the 199 1-

1992 RCC chairman, replacingDavid E. Anderson who willcontinue as a member of theboard of directors. RCC Boardmember Robert E. Kruse, aconstruction contractor head-quartered in the San FernandoVolley, was elected to fill the vicechair seat.

As chairman, Camacho will beleading the RCC board in makingmajor decisions regarding thedesign and construction of theLos Angeles County 300-mileMetro Rail System.

Camacho was appointed to theRCC board in February, 1990

when the RCC was officiallycreated as the constructionsubsidiary of the Los AngelesCounty Transportation Commis-sion.

"Over $1 billion is proposed forraul construction this year forcontinued work on the MetroGreen and Red lines. The MetroRail system, which the RCC isdesigning and building, is thefastest growing piece of the fullyintegrated transportation net-work that the Los AngelesCounty Transportation Commis-sion is planning for improvedmobility and air quality," saidCamacho.

"The RCC is building the county'sraul system economically and asfast as we can. This year we'reworking to incorporate the jointdevelopment process into thedesign of the Metro Red Linestations," said Kruse.

"During the rau l program's initialyears, we've established a tradi-tion of keeping major rau l projectson schedule, including the MetroBlue Line. The first segment ofthe Metro Red Line is 78%complete and on schedule to openin 1993. Preparation for thesecond segment has begun;earlier this year, the RCC brokeground for the Metro Green Line,which is set to open in 1994,"said RCC past chair Anderson.

The other RCC Board members

are Dr. Herbert Carter, JudithHopkinson, Donald McIntyre,and James Pott.

Receives HonorIn recognition of Camacho's roleon the RCC board and of hisefforts to help Hispanics andotherYrninorie linsinesses, theSociety of Hispanic ProfessionalEngineers (SHPE) and the LatinBusiness Association (LBA)honored him of a reception atLawry's California Center onJune 23. The theme of the event,"Leadership Recognition," recog-nized Camacho's efforts inhelping Hispanic women andother minority owned businessesparticipate in economic opportu-nities.

"He has been a moving force inencouraging the expansion ofminority businesses to enablethem to increase their participa-tion within the mainstream ofour economy," said RobertGuzman, president of SHPE LosAngeles.

Born and raised in East LosAngeles, Camacho is the presi-dent and CEO of Pacifico Ser-vices, a civil engineering firmheadquartered in Pasadena. In1970 he was a presidentialappointee to the White HouseConference on Small Business—where he directed several taskforces on federal procurementand minority business develop-ment. •

6

7

MacArthur ParkFiesta CelebratesMetro Red LineConstructionSeveral hundred people showedup in MacArthur Park on June23 for a festive celebration of art,music and the latest scoop aboutMetro Rail construction. TheSunday event, hosted byLACTC's subsidiary, the RailConstruction Corporation (RCC),was held to dedicate 30 muralpanels being installed in the parkduring the Metro Red Lineconstruction.

Although the art panels, createdby community artists usingmaterials supplied by theLACTC, were the fiesta's fea-tured attraction, the livelyrriusical performances by Inca,the Peruvian Ensemble, andBobby Matos and the HeritageEriaemble, which were held inthe park's band shelter area,were the day's star attractions.Everyone swayed and tapped inthe sunlight to the snappy salsaand jazz rhythms.

The art project was sponsored byArt-for-Rail Transit (A-R-T),

Fiesta in the Park celebrantsgat her around Travis the Owl,the mascot for LACTC's RailConstruction Corporation 's schoolsafety program.

LACTC's public art program, incooperation with the CulturalAffairs Department and OtisParsons. Sixteen of the panelswere designed by students as aresult of a course on public arttaught by local artist ReneePetropoulos. Petropoulos is oneof the artists commissioned todesign art for a Metro Green Linestation.

"This comrnunity art projectallows local and student artiststo have their work on publicdisplay for two years, said theA-R-T program's director,Jessica Cusick.

The RCC is building its passen-ger station at Wilshire Boulevardand Alvarado Street, and it wasnecessary to drain MacArthurLake to do so. The lake and aportion of the park will be closedfor two years in order to build a"pocket track" for storing trainsin an underground tu.nnel duringoperating hours. HoWever, themain park will remain open tothe public, with the constructionsite fenced off.

The raul construction plans callfor six million dollars' worth ofrestoration and beautification tothe lake and its surroundingarea. Workers will eventuallyinstall a new lake lining andaeration system, as well asreplace the lake's foundation.The entire walkway around thelake will be replaced, as well asthe planters, benches and stormdrains.

"By the time we're finished,citizens will have better access tothe park and neighborhoodbusinesses," said Ed McSpedon,RCC's President and CEO."When this segment of the MetroRed Line opens in 1993, the parkwill be a more useable, pleasantrecreational site."

One of the art panelscreated by communityartists provides avision of the futureMetro Red Line andhow it will impact theMacArthur Park area.

The LACTC has six Area Teamsdivided along geographic lineswithin the county. Metro Mouesregularly covers area teamdevelopments, although notevery team has information everymonth. In addition to coveringcurrent activities, we are pub-lishing a series of area team in-depth profiles. Last month, theSouth Bay Area Team wasfeatured. The next profile,covering the Southeast AreaTeam, will appear in the Augustissue.

Central

Briefes on IntegratedTransportation Plan

The Central Area Team has beenholding a series of briefings todiscuss elements of the 30-YearIntegrated Transportation Planwith various Los Angeles offi-cials.

Judy Weiss, an LACTC DeputyDistrict Director, and LindaBohlinger, the Commission'sDirector of Capital Planning andProject Management, describedthe plan to thirty-five officialsand staff from the County andCity of Los Angeles on June 6.

Representatives of the League ofCalifornia Cities' TransportationCommittee were also briefedlater on the same day. Thiscommittee, made up of localelected officials, represents the88 cities in the county. Briefingsare being set up for the nearfuture with the Central CityAssociation and Los Angeles areabusiness people.

San Fernando Valley/North County

Chatsworth Rail Station onTrack

Last month the Los Angeles CityCouncil voted unanimously tospend $4.5 million to help pur-chase land and fund constructionfor the commuter rail station inChatsworth. Additional LACTCand state transportation fundsare allocated for the acquisitionand development of the site.

The Chatsworth Station will bethe focal point of a plannedcommunity transportationcenter, where connections couldbe made among shuttle buses,vans and cars, and the commutertrain. Local community partici-pation has been instrumental inpromoting the site, with prelimi-nary designs showing the stationin a Western motif. Train serviceis scheduled to begin in the fall of1992.

Private Sector Interest for LAX-to-Palmdale Train

The proposed high-speed railproject linking LAX to Palmdalehas generated substantialprivate sector interest. Fourteenfirms have responded to theCommission's call for qualifica-tions. The next step is to havethe proposals back in Novemberand after a thor–ough review ofthe proposals, the technology andthe financing will be determinedover the winter months.

San Gabriel Valley

ADA Pilot Program

The San Gabriel Valley is host toa pilot program for the Ameri-cans with Disability Act of 1990(ADA). The ADA requires fixedroute bus operators to providesupplemental paratransit serviceto those individuals who cannotboard or disembark an accessiblefixed route bus. The programencompasses the 15 cities in theEastern part of the San GabrielValley and the unincorporatedarea.

The program's goal is to accessthe supplemental paratransitneeds of the disabled for imple-mentation of a countywidedisabled paratransit service. Ifyou would like to receive moreinformation about this program,please contact Chip Hazen of theSan Gabriel Valley Area Team,at (213) 244-6882.

South Bay

Freeway Service Patrol

The first phase of the FreewayService Patrol — a speedyroadside emergency service 'forfreeway motorists during peakcommuting hours — began onJuly 1, covering 71 one-way milesof freeway.

The areas to be covered willinclude portions of the San Diego(405), Pasadena-Harbor (110),Ventura-Hollywood (101), GoldenState (5), Pomona (60), and theSanta Monica/San Bernardino(10) freeways.

8

The second two phases will beginon August 5 and September 9,respectively. By the time thesephases are completed, 88 towtrucks will patrol 203.3 miles ofLos Angeles County's freeways.

The service will be contractedwith private tow operators, andall tow vehicles will be equippedwith automatic vehicle locator(AVL) equipment. This willallow for quick identification oftow and supervisory operators ona locator map. Service will notbe available on weekends orholidays.

The service, a joint-effort on thepart of the California HighwayPatrol (CHP), the CaliforniaDepartment of Transportation(CalTrans) and the LACTC, isthe first of this magnitude in thenation. Removing strandedmotorists from freeways willhelp to alleviate congestion,reduce secondary accidentscaused by congestion, and reduceauto emissions caused by idlingvehicles.

Southeast

Transit Service Expansion, Cityof Lynwood

The City of Lynwood's TrolleyService is expanding to providecity residents feeder service tothe Metro Blue Line. Theservice was established in aneffort to encourage use of publictransportation. The new line,which is expected to begin inJuly, will link together the city'snew transit center with existingroutes and the Metro Blue Line.

Plans are underway to eventu-ally use innovative, non-pollut-ing, quiet, battery/electricvehicles; however, existing fleetvehicles will initially be used.The service will run from 7 a.m.to 6 p.m., Monday through

Friday, at no cost to riders.

Subregional lncentive Plan

With LACTC's assistance, anagreementis in place between thecities of Huntington Park andSouth Gate, the County of LosAngeles (representing the un-incorporated area of WalnutPark/Florence Graham), and theOldtimers Foundation for asubregional paratransit service toserve both the disabled andseniors age 60 or older.

Funding for the service is fromLACTC's Proposition A IncentiveProgra-m. The Commission has'allocated 5% of the Proposition A

(discretionary funds for incentiveprojects that improve access toand the efficiency of publictransportation.

The coordinated problem providesthe best use of resources andeliminates duplication of services,which had previously beennecessary because individualoperators were not allowed tocross jurisdictional bounderies.Participants may request trans-portation to and from scheduledmedical and dental appointments,nearby shopping facilities, meet-ings, group activities, and seniornutition programs

The transit project is funded inthe amount of $45,000, andservice is scheduled to begin July1, pending commission approval.For more information, contactJim Parker of the Southeast AreaTeam at (213) 244-6167.

New Buses for Montebello

What's new and attractingmotorists'attention in the South-east Area? Hint: lt has polishedaluminum wheels, tinted win-dows, and bold script lettering onits sides. No, it's not a new sportscar or truck; it's the stylish newlook of Montebello Bus Linesbuses.

Over the next few years,Montebello Bus Lines is purchas-ing 20 new buses for its eightroutes that serve the City ofMontebello as well as the sur-rounding communities of EastLos Angeles, Monterey Park, PicoRivera, Rosemead, and Whittier.Four of the new buses havearrived and are in service,attracting a lot of attention withtheir looks. Previously paintedpale blue and egg-shell white, thenew Montebello buses sport threeshades of blue and bright bur-gundy script lettering withaccent stripes.

But all this style is not withoutsubstance. The tinted windowsreduce glare for both the driversand passengers. The polishedaluminum wheels are lightweightto reduce tire wear and don'trequire paint. Most important,the bold new color schemeattracts attention, which can, inturn, attract new riders. Cer-tainly, clean and appealing newbuses will be welcomed by transitriders in the Southeast Area.

INestside

Exposition Right-of-WayPreliminary Planning StudyMoves Forward

Following Commission approvalin April, several firms respondedto a Request for Proposals (RFP)for the preliminary planningstudy to determine the mostappropriate transit use for theExposition Right-of-Way. Oncethe Project Evaluation Teamreviews the proposals and makesa recommendation, the Commis-sion is expected to approve a firmat its July 24 meeting. The studyitself is expected to begin inAugust. For further information,or to be placed on a mailing listfor regular updates about thestudy, can contact Carol Inge,

continued on page 10

9

TO OUR READERSMETRO MOVES began as anew monthly LACTC publica-tion last February. Now, withthe fifth issue under our belt,we've discovered that in orderto report the latest news andissues — those normallycovered at the previousmonth's commission meeting— the newsletter will reach our

readers between the 15th and20th of each month.

Secondly, we will publish ten(10) issues a year, with a double-month issue appearing for June/July and December/January.These double-month issues willappear around the first of thesecond month.

Finally, we welcome your obser-vations and opinions aboutMetro Moves. Please use the ad-dress reply card to send in anycomments. Thank you for all ofyour positive support so far!

The Editor

Cycling on Los Angeles County's bikeway system is an economical,convenient and enjoyable way to get in shape while helping our airquality and reducing the numbers of cars on the highway.

continued from page 9

LACTC Project Manager, at (213)244-6896.

Westside Monthly MobilityRoundtable

The Westside Area Team hasbeen sponsoring monthly meet-ings to keep local jurisdictionsposted on countywide transitneeds. Among the many issuesdiscussed during the past sixmonths were the CongestionManagement Plan, the 30-YearIntegrated Metro Plan, theCongested Corridor Action Plan,and guidelines for distributingProposition C funds. The meet-

ings are held on the last Tuesdayof each month, at 9:30 a.m. Ifyou're interested in attending,contact Westside Area Teammember Christine Robert at(213) 244-6891 for the nextmeeting'S location.

Los Angeles County Bike MapBeing Revised

Due to popular demand, thecounty Bike Map will soon bereprinted. Before it goes topress, however, Westside AreaTeam staff is soliciting new routeinformation and suggestions forimprovement of the map. Con-tact Anthony Campagna at (213)244-6539 to provide input. •

n•nnnn

•1•11,01I -nnn1

Air TimeProposition A Local ReturnTransit Operations: An AirQuality Strategy

The 1991 Air Quality Manage-ment Plan includes "Measure 2G:Transit Operations," which statesthat while many cities alreadyoperate community transitsystems funded by Proposition ALocal Return Funds, whenpreparing an air quality elementor an air quality action plan,cities should include tbeir transitoperations.

The transit systems are animportant tool for reducingautomobile trips and thus areimportant air quality reductiontools. Expanding these systems,especially when introducingclean-fuel systems, is an essen-tial part of any air qualityimprovement program. Remem-ber to give your city credit forprograms that are already anderway.

For information on the AirQuality Management Plan,contact LACTC's Air QualityManagement Administrators,Rebecca Barrantes at (213) 244-6739, or Jim Ortner at (213)244-6865.

10

iin

Legislative UpdateSenator Robert PresleyReceives Commuter Rail Plan

A 412-mile commuter rau l planwas submitted to the CaliforniaLegislature on June 14 by LiveSouthern California transporta-tion agencies. The SouthernCalifornia Commuter Rail 1991Regional System Plan, to beupdated every two years, wasprepared in response to SenateBill 1402 introduced by Sen.Robert Presley (D-Riverside) andenacted by the Legislature inJune, 1990.

Under the bill, the plan wouldact as the base for an applicationfor funds from the CaliforniaTransportation Cmnmission.The plan identifies seven routesand 27 daily round trips to beginoperations between 1992 and1995 as follows:

Service

ProposedStart-UpDate

1. Ventura toLos Angeles 1992

2. Santa Claritato Los Angeles 1992

3. San Bernardinoto Los Angeles 1992

4. Oceansideto Los Angeles 1993

5. Riversideto Los Angeles 1995 or before

6. San Bernardino/Riverside to Irvine 1995

7. Hemet to Riverside 1995

8. Redlands toSan Bernardino Post 1995

The analysis estimates operat-ing costs of $28 million for thestart-up level of service.

The plan recommends a structurefor the five-county commuter railnetwork and proposes a jointpowers authority to govern andstaff the regional rau l system.This JPA will be known as theSouthern California Regional RailAuthority and will be integratedby the county transportationcommissions of Los Angeles,Ventura, Riverside, Orange andthe San Bernardino AssociatedGovernments.

"Completion of the plan repre-sents a milestone in a cooperativeeffort begun eight months ago bythe Live counties involved in thecommuter rail project," said DanaReed, chairman of the SouthernCalifornia Commuter Rail Coordi-nating Council.

The plan was developed by thecounty transportation commis-sions of Los Angeles, Orange, SanBernardino and Riverside inconsultation with the SouthernCalifornia Association of Govern-ments, the California Transporta-tion Commission, Los Angeles-San Diego Rail Corridor Agencyand the South Coast Air QualityManagement District.

Status of LACTC-SponsoredState Legislation

AB 2056 (Katz) — Includestechnical changes to LACTC lawand implements a statute oflimitations after a specifiedperiod of time, on lawsuitschallenging the validity of Propo-sition C.

Status: Pending in Senatebommittee on Transportation

AB 2057 (Katz) — Enhancesthe LACTC's ability to work withthe private sector in the develop-ment of transportation projects.

Status: Pending on the AssemblyFloor.

AB 2163 (Archie-Hudson) —Authorizes the establishment ofrail safety programs by trans-portation planning agencies;provides for additional rail safetyinspection in traffic literatureand at traffic schools; and re-quires violators crossingrail tracks illegally to attend arail safety course at a trafficschool.

Status: Pending on the AssemblyFloor.

SB 561 (Watson) — Providesadditional funding for the SmartCorridor Demonstration Project.

Status: Pending in the SenateCommittee on Appropriations.

Questions on the State programmay be directed to Claudette A.Moody, LACTC's Administratorof State Affairs,_(213) 236-9525.For any questions regarding theFederal program, contact BevanDufty, LACTC's Administratorof Federal Affairs, (213) 236-9555. III

11

COfrMI NERSAND ALTERNATESRAY GRABINSKICHAIRCouncilmanCity of Long BeachHON. CLARENCE SMITH, Alt.

MICHAEL D. ANTONOVICHSupervisorLos Angeles CountyNICK PATSAOURAS, Alt.

EDMUND D. EDELMANSupervisorLos Angeles CountyMARVIN HOLEN, Alt

GLORIA MOLINASupervisorLos Angeles CountyGERRY HERTZBERG, Alt.

KENNETH HAHNSupervisorLos Angeles CountyMAS FUKAI, Alt.

DEANE DANASupervisorLos Angeles CountyDON KNABE, Alt.

TOM BRADLEYMayorCity of Los AngelesRAY REMY, Alt.

RICHARD ALATORRECouncilmanCity of Los AngelesHON. MICHAEL WOO, Alt.

JUDITH HATHAWAY-FRANCISCouncilmemberCity of La Habra HeightsHON. ROBERT WHITE, Alt.

JACKI BACHARACHCouncilwomanCity of Rancho Palos VerdesHON. HAROLD CROYTS, Alt.

JAMES L. TOLBERTCitizen RepresentativeCity of Los Angeles

JERRY B. BAXTEREx-Officio MemberState of California

NEIL PETERSONExecutive DirectorLos Angeles CountyTransportation Commission

METROMOVESA monthly publication, producedby the LACTC.

Managing EditorWendy Taylor

Art DirectorAnne Roubideaux

Director of CommunicationsStephanie Brady

im 4.Metro Moues is printed entirelyon recycled paper.

7/

LACTCLOS ANGELES COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION

818 West Seventh Street, Suite 1100Los Angeles, CA 90017

213/623-1194

LEADING THE WAY TO GREATER MOBILITY