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Pasadena DFA Supports Gold Line Extension at 6/26 LA Metro Board Meeting
Linked to groups: DFA Pasadena
Continuing in the spirit of keeping you all informed about some late June work that Pasadena DFA was a part of, we had a big - though unsuccessful day - on June 26th at the MTA Board Meeting in downtown LA.
On Thursday, June 26th we rode the Gold Line and met at Union Station. Details can be found here about the event. At this critical meeting, a revised Long Range Transportation Plan was presented to the Metro Board for adoption which we had hoped would include amendments that would lead to securing funding towards construction and operation of the Foothill Extension for the Metro Gold Line.
It was make-it or break-it time for this year seeing constuction begin on the San Gabriel Valley's long-sought Gold Line Extension light rail project. It did not pass despite having a room half-filled with San Gabriel Valley supporters. It did not pass despite our CA Assemblyman, Anthony Portantino being there, nor the mayors of most every city on the proposed route.
According to the Pasadena Star News:
To the chagrin of San Gabriel Valley leaders, the board of Los Angeles County's main transit agency voted Thursday to delay committing any funds to the Gold Line extension until November.
The delay means that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority will miss the deadline to receive $320 million in federal funding for the project.
The MTA would have had to put up $80 million to secure those funds.
"November will be too late," said Habib Balian, chief executive officer for the Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority.
"We'll have to wait until next year. Local politicians have long pushed for the $400 million first phase of the 24-mile, $1.4 billion extension that could ultimately run all the way to Ontario International Airport. The project was last voted down in February, days after area politicians said it would be approved.
On Thursday, the MTA board justified the delay to November to await the results of an expected county ballot measure that would increase sales tax by a half-cent to fund transit projects. MTA estimates that the increase could raise $40 billion over 30 years.
We aren't discouraged though. Well, maybe a little bit. We have to feel proud though. Pasadena DFA has been on this issue for the last 4 months and not only has made it a central part of one its monthly chapter meetings, we tabled hard in both Pasadena and Monrovia, creating public awareness on this issue.
We are happy to report that we ALWAYS had overwhelming support from the public. We had greatly increased traffic at our tabling actions BECAUSE this issue was a top issue. It taught us something about the need for Democracy for America to include local issues in its agenda for building the progressive community. People pay attention when something local affecting them directly is involved!
We can take great pride also in that we contributed to filling 1/2 that LA Metro Board room with Gold Line Extension supporters! Thanks to everybody who has been involved in this! We'll revisit this issue again!
Here are a few pictures from our day down there.
...hope you can convince them of extending your light rail next year if all is lost for this year. I used to ride San Jose's light rail downtown and it was great. Nice pictures too.
why is a local transportation issue an appropriate topic for a national blog???
funding is involved. In addition, the right to travel where and whenever we want is one of the basic human rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Although it's not explicitly addressed (much like the right to privacy) it's implied in the various prohibitions enumerated for the agents of government--such as, commerce is not to be interfered with. Since there's an inherent conflict between the right to claim property as one's own and exclude others from its use for transit, society has an obligation to facilitate transit in other ways to reconcile the conflicting interests.
When I was sent to boarding school, I took the train from LA to Glendora. Presumably, the rail corridor is still available for light rail.
Transportation issues are a vitally important national topic. This particular post is a local story, but only if you look on the surface. Deeper down is a conversation happening in cities and towns across the United States about how to move residents around.
Transportation issues tie into concerns about the use of energy, about building sustainable and livable communities, about infrastructure repair and maintenance, about environmental impact, and so much more. This post provides a unique window into how one community and one DFA coalition group is dealing with some of this.
Also, I like posts that highlight the work of a local coalition group. Maybe it gives another group or member an idea about an action to take in their community. Thanks.
Danny
Communications Director
Transportation issues are important, to be sure, but you'll notice that the only posts this thread has generated have to do with the validity (or otherwise) of such a narrowly focused topic.
Not exactly the meaty stuff that once characterized this blog!
Transportation issues are a huge national issue.
On the local level, I am living that nightmare right now with no real options in a city of 1 million people which is ridiculous. Not to mention my gas guzzler even when working, was cheaper on gas than the proposed bus rates they want to impose on the poor. People who live in cities with good transportation systems take it for granted. Your options of just doing things, attending events, getting across town are extremely limited without an auto, which is the result of decades of poor planning and money going to the coffers of developers. It has subsequently rape the land and burdened the taxpayers, with no added value.
Having used public transport in NY, Boston, DC, San Fran, San Jose, Memphis, Austin and many other cities...my city is by far the worst, most messed up system. Even ND has been public transportation.
However, it also is an environmental issue, a cost of goods issue, and issue with our food production and supply (i.e. how it is transported), a freedom and security issue, and many others. Water issues relate to transportation too. It is all interconnected.
I wrote a couple of years ago about the Mexican truck issue which the corporatists (both Republicans and Democrats) approved after much delays from protest groups. I predict this is going to be a nightmare, increase the violence, cause more food safety issues, increase the costs, hurt the US labor force, etc. Most Mexicans I talked to are against it too, but the corrupt Mexican government like our own corrupt US government wants what is good for the top 5%, not the rest of the 95% of their respective nations. They are also building the Canada to Mexico "corridor" which cuts through my city and is not a good idea on so many levels.
I could fill this thread on posts about this and how it affects each of us in our daily lives. However, I will spare you since my slow computer takes forever to process just one post on this DFA system. Suffice to say, if you are curious Google is our friend. :)
why wouldnt a 'local transportation issue' that could reduce dependance on oil(no matter where
it comes from) be a appropriate for a national blog ?
look alike.
By mprov on Jul 6, 2008 10:57 AM
why is a local transportation issue an appropriate topic for a national blog???
-----------------
That’s because topics and issues for “national blog” (like war in Iraq or Iran’s nucular issue) have been designed by our “national leaders” exactly to avoid local issues and local topics which concern people the most.
Our “profi” will discuss and throw billions of $$ into the “global” issues and topics while paying NO attention at all to the local issues people live everyday by.
What they, those lifelong, “national leaders by profession”…lol will do when people turn away from them to the issues and topics of their everyday concern? Answer: They will have to disappear from “national” stage and/or start to do REAL work LOCALLY (if they able to).
The Government, the State can sustain itself only by lying, deceiving, tricking people into its critical importance to resolve “global” problems while truth is ALL problems are LOCAL therefore [whatever strange it may sounds today…lol] we, the People DO NOT NEED neither Government nor State!
Go Pasadena!
So, extra coverage is in order.
The reason they feel left out is very simple. It's the time difference between the East coast and the West. When people are getting to work in L.A. the people in NY and D.C. are already headed to lunch and when the people in L.A. get back from lunch, the East Coast is already heading home. Here in NM, where we're just two hours behind, it's also quite discombobulating. Bottom line is that the East coast can get in touch whenever it wants; for the West coast it's often hit or miss.
Sometimes I think that California conservatism is more an act of revenge for feeling dissed.
How do you explain California liberalism--of which thank the goddess there's more than the other yucky stuff?
I hear you. I am on California time this time of the year and we always have to adjust to the east coasters. Traveling west to east is horrible too because when you get up at 7 am on the east it is 4 am here and that is what our bodies interpret too. I have purposely been getting up early trying to prepare for the 2 hour time difference in Austin.
good to see you here! do you do photoshop stuff?
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