FEDERAL, STATE AND COUNTY OFFICIALS SUPPORT REGIONAL PRIORITIES IN LONG TERM STRATEGY FOR MTA FUNDING

 

 

       

 

PRESS RELEASE

Contact:  Tony Bell, Communications Deputy Office:     (213) 974-5555  Cell: (213) 215-5176 E-mail:     tbell@bos.lacounty.gov

  October 20, 2009                                                                                                For Immediate Release

 

federal, state and county officials support REGIONAL PRIORITIES IN LONG TERM STRATEGY FOR mta FUNDING

 

 

LOS ANGELES COUNTY – The Board of Supervisors unanimously supported joining a bi-partisan coalition of federal, state and local officials urging the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to develop an inclusive, regional and longer-term strategy to maximize federal funding for new projects, including the Foothill Extension of the Gold Line and the Crenshaw/South Bay Transit Corridor.

 

“In its current form, the MTA long range plan is short-sighted,” said Supervisor Antonovich.   “Without these projects, the MTA stands to lose hundreds of millions of federal transportation dollars.”

 

Fourteen members of the U.S. Congress sent a letter encouraging the MTA Board to support a more regional approach for federal dollars when it votes on an update to its Long Range Transportation Plan Thursday.

 

In the letter, the members of Congress expressed concern that the MTA is “not positioning itself well to receive its fair share” of funding for new projects and warned “it’s short-sighted not to include the Gold Line Foothill Extension, Gold Line Eastside Extension and Crenshaw/South Bay Transit Corridor in Metro’s New Starts funding priority.” 

 

The delegation includes Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff, Diane Watson, Linda Sanchez, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Judy Chu, Grace Napolitano, Maxine Waters, Jane Harman and Joe Baca and Republicans, David Drier, Jerry Lewis, Mary Bono Mark, Gary Miller, and Ken Calvert. 

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