Metro Transportation Plan – October 2016 from Metro CEO Phillip Washington

Dear Community Partners:

As we head into the homestretch toward the November 8 election — doing our best to educate the public about Measure M — there is much excitement and anticipation in the air. But whatever voters decide, Metro will continue working hard on the transportation revolution already in progress. Making Expo Faster Some big news on the Expo Line to Santa Monica, as we now run more trains on the line. Since Expo’s May opening, the trains have been packed, so with the new rail cars we’re receiving, we have increased the capacity on the line and are running trains more frequently. Expo trains are arriving at stations every six minutes most weekday hours, rather than every 12 minutes. The new schedule, coupled with new cars, will help ease crowding and get people to their destinations faster. It’s another win for L.A. commuters. Expo is the go-to transportation for both Rams and USC games at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. We carried about one-quarter of those who attended the first two regular season Rams games, making game days more pleasant and less expensive for football fans. Expo also contributed in a big way to the annual Taste of Soul celebration along Crenshaw Boulevard by carrying patrons to this massive street fair where we enjoyed great food, music and the ethnic diversity and harmony that make L.A. unique. Unsolicited Proposals Could Accelerate Measure M Projects It’s encouraging to see how the private sector is answering Metro’s call for innovation. Metro has received eight unsolicited proposals with the potential to accelerate several mega projects included in Measure M. A proposal by Parker Infrastructure Partners provides a unique approach to fund and accelerate some Measure M projects yet to be determined. The proposal has passed through phase one of Metro’s evaluation process and is moving into the detailed proposal phase where we ask for more details. This is exciting because it indicates the idea is viable and has technical and financial merit for L.A. County. In addition to the Parker proposal, there are seven others undergoing initial review. They include three to accelerate the West Santa Ana Branch Light Rail Project through a public-private partnership. Two others are for the Sepulveda Pass project: One proposal was submitted by Sepulveda Corridor Development Partners, a consortium led by HDR and including Plenary Group, Star America, Canadian Imperial Bank, Mott McDonald, PointC and Millbank Tweed; a second Sepulveda proposal came from Parsons. Another accelerates Phase 3 of the Purple Line extension to UCLA and the Veterans Administration campus. Another proposal by Goldman Sachs would provide a regional network approach to develop Metro’s High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes. All proposals are contingent upon new funding, either through Measure M or a future funding stream that is identified. Purple Line Decking Completed Six Weeks Early Good news for motorists – and Wilshire Boulevard buses. Construction of decking for the Purple Line’s Wilshire/La Brea underground station was completed six weeks early, bringing an end to the full weekend street closures at the intersection. Construction efficiency is always among the primary goals of Metro projects. Hats off to the Purple Line construction folks for their fast, efficient and safe work. TBMs Down and Through Two of our tunnel boring machines (TBMs) made big news within 24 hours of each other. The Regional Connector TBM was lowered into the ground to begin its journey under downtown Los Angeles, digging the path that will link the Blue, Expo and Gold light rail lines. One day later, the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Project, the TBM that has been hard at work beneath Crenshaw Boulevard since February, broke through soil and rock to the Leimert Park Station box, completing the first of the twin rail tunnels on the northern portion of the project. Both are major signs of progress for L.A. County mobility. Metro Recognized at 20th Annual Global Green Awards It was with pride that I recently joined Metro Board Chair John Fasana to accept the Environmental Transportation Leadership Award for our agency at the 20th Annual Global Green Awards in downtown Los Angeles. The Global Green Awards honor those who recognize the connection between humankind and nature, and inspire others to make sustainability the norm. Celebrating the 1,500th Student to Receive U-Pass at CSUN We’re also proud that our new discount fares program for college students hit a milestone at Cal State-Northridge with the sale of the 1,500th student Universal Transit Pass (U-Pass). The U-Pass is part of our two-year pilot program to make it easier and cheaper for college students to buy transit passes. Given the expense of higher education these days, we know the money saved on commuting to school will be welcome. We also know that the U-Pass is an excellent way to introduce students to public transit. The Los Angeles Times has weighed in on Measure M and this news is also good. In an editorial endorsing the plan they wrote, “L.A. County residents need alternatives to sitting in soul-crushing traffic. Vote yes on Measure M.” Whether you fill out a mail ballot or vote at your neighborhood polling place, I encourage you to learn all you can about Measure M so that you can make a well-informed decision. If you need more information, visit our website at metro.net/theplan. Thank you all for your partnership in forging a path forward to improve our infrastructure and create more travel options for the people of L.A. County. The transportation revolution continues.