Expanded Metrolink service
Richard Stephens
hours a day, every 20 minutes. They even have a special day pass that
includes unlimited bus and train rides for $10 per day or $7 for Saturday
AND Sunday combined.
Is LA going to do anything similar?
Kymberleigh Richards
No, and you need to understand what is responsible for Orange County's
plan to know why these are different situations.
Once upon a time, Orange County was going to build and operate a light
rail line called the CenterLine. When originally conceived in the
1990s, it was to run from Fullerton to Irvine, by way of Anaheim, the
City of Orange, Santa Ana and Costa Mesa. It was later scaled down to
a 9.3-mile line running only between Irvine, Costa Mesa and Santa Ana.
The CenterLine had local funding by way of Measure M, but lacked
support from Orange County's congressional representatives; the result
was no federal funding, and it was first suspended (in February 2005)
and then officially scrapped three months later.
OCTA felt that the Measure M money that would have been spent on the
CenterLine could be spent to expand express bus service and improve
Metrolink service. So the money for the expanded Metrolink service is
the money that would have been spent on a separate light rail line,
and is therefore considered to be a replacement for same.
Los Angeles County, on the other hand, has no problem getting federal
funds to match the Measure R local funds for its rail projects, and
therefore funds Metrolink service based on the demand for commuter
rail service (which is what Metrolink is, after all) rather than as a
replacement for rail lines that will go to places Metrolink doesn't.
So the Orange County service is really a "consolation prize" for its
residents, while Los Angeles County is planning and building a full
network of rail lines.
I think L.A. got the better deal.
Bootstrap Bill
"Kymberleigh Richards" wrote in message
news:t0qh27pflnvcr29fr...@4ax.com...
On Wed, 20 Jul 2011 08:47:09 -0700, "Richard Stephens"
<rstep...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>Orange County has a plan to expand Metrolink service within the county to
>>18
>>hours a day, every 20 minutes. They even have a special day pass that
>>includes unlimited bus and train rides for $10 per day or $7 for Saturday
>>AND Sunday combined.
>
>>Is LA going to do anything similar?
>I think L.A. got the better deal.
Me too. Is it too late to modify Measure M so more of it is spent for things
like light rail and less for widening the 405 and the 22?
Kymberleigh Richards
<mousep...@NO-SPAMgmail.coma> wrote:
>Is it too late to modify Measure M so more of it is spent for things
>like light rail and less for widening the 405 and the 22?
Measure M (more accurately, Measure M2 now) has a provision similar to
the one in Measure R allowing the OCTA Board of Directors to adjust
how the tax revenue is allocated. However, it appears that major
reallocations will require voter approval, whereas LACMTA can make
changes on a two-thirds vote (9 of the 13 Directors) and notification
of same to the State Legislature.
From the OCTA website:
Minor adjustments can be made by a two-thirds vote of the Taxpayer
Oversight Committee and a two-thirds vote of the OCTA Board of
Directors. Major changes must be taken back to voters for
authorization.
http://www.octa.net/M2TaxpayerSafeguards.aspx?EntryId=537
As it stands, 20% of Measure M2 funds are allocated to rail
(predominantly the funding of Metrolink OC-only service and
improvements to the rail corridor that it runs in) and 5% to bus
service (enhanced senior citizen programs and more targeted and
localized bus lines).