Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Directors Back 30/10 Initiative to Accelerate Transit Projects

LOS ANGELES, CA, Apr 22 (MARKET WIRE) --
A proposal to greatly accelerate construction of a dozen transit projects
and expedite highway improvement projects in Los Angeles County was
approved by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors
today.

The 30/10 initiative, first proposed by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio
Villaraigosa, would seek federal assistance to build within the next
decade a series of light rail, subway and rapid bus projects throughout
Los Angeles County (http://www.metro.net/projects/30-10/). The Board also
voted to explore federal funding or public-private partnerships to
expedite local highway improvements.

The transit and highway projects will receive local funding spread over
the next three decades under Measure R, a local transportation half cent
sales tax approved by two thirds of Los Angeles County voters in November
2008. All the projects are slated for construction over the next 30 years.

The 30/10 initiative asks Congress and the Obama Administration to
advance funding so the transit projects could get built much faster and
generate hundreds of thousands of construction and other jobs to help
jump start the economy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ease traffic
congestion. The funding package could include existing or new programs to
provide low interest financing or loan guarantees.

On a parallel track, the Board voted to simultaneously begin work to
develop a strategy to expedite the construction of Measure R highway
projects, focusing on public-private partnerships.

Accelerating the Measure R construction schedule also would let Metro
save substantially on costs by beating inflation for labor and materials
and by taking advantage of competitive construction bids in the depressed
industry.

Moreover, in recent testimony before Congress, Mayor Villaraigosa cited
other benefits of the 30/10 initiative for transit -- an annual reduction
of 568,000 pounds of mobile source pollution emissions, 10.3 million
fewer gallons of gasoline used, 77 million more transit boardings and 208
million fewer vehicle miles traveled annually.

The 30/10 initiative includes all 12 transit projects approved by voters
in Measure R, such as the Crenshaw Corridor light rail line, rail
connections with LAX, a Metro Green Line extension in the South Bay, an
Eastside extension of the Metro Gold Line from East Los Angeles,
extending the subway to Westwood, and transit projects serving the San
Gabriel and San Fernando Valleys. On a parallel track, Metro will seek to
accelerate Measure R highway projects including one that would add
capacity on Interstate-5 between I-605 and the Orange County line.

"This is a win-win for the Los Angeles region and the nation," said Ara
Najarian, Chairman of the LA County Metropolitan Transportation
Authority. "If we can leverage our local tax dollars with federal
support, we could put as many as half a million people to work in the
next 10 years while getting more people out of their cars and cutting
greenhouse gas emissions. It's a model for other help self-help
transportation agencies throughout America."

"Both in Los Angeles and in Washington, D.C. people are getting on board
with 30/10 to build sustainable transit projects faster, cleaning the air
and creating jobs. This innovative model to advance funds from Measure R
won't break the federal bank and can be the catalyst to economic recovery
in the Los Angeles region," said Mayor Villaraigosa.

The 30/10 initiative is gaining traction in Washington. U.S.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer have
spoken favorably of it. The Mayor, Chairman Najarian and other
transportation agency Board members and Metro CEO Art Leahy have made
repeated trips to the nation's capital to seek federal support for
Metro's building program.

Editors Note: Metro should be used when referring to this agency.

Marc Littman
Metro Media Relations
213.922.4609/213.922.2700
metro.net/press/pressroom
mediarelations@metro.net

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