Pedestrian View Of Los Angeles: Installation of Metro Fare Gates Delayed, Vote for Long-Range Transit Plan Postponed (Source: LAist)

Pedestrian View Of Los Angeles

This blog focuses on rail lines in LA country that exist, are under construction or under consideration. The Californian high-speed rail project and southern CA to Vegas project will also be covered. Since most of the relevant developments in the news, rail websites and blogosphere take place on weekdays, this blog will be updated primarily Monday through Friday and occasionally on the weekends. Your comments, criticism and suggestions are encouraged. Miscellaneous stuff will also appear here.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Installation of Metro Fare Gates Delayed, Vote for Long-Range Transit Plan Postponed (Source: LAist)

Link: Installation of Metro Fare Gates Delayed, Vote for Long-Range Transit Plan Postponed - LAist

Installation of Metro Fare Gates Delayed, Vote for Long-Range Transit Plan Postponed

A plan to purchase flying buses was voted down

The Metro board today voted to approve a demonstration ExpressLanes project and to support high speed rail between Union Station and Anaheim, but they failed to take action on the Long-Range Transportation Plan, the guiding transit document for the next 20 to 25 years. The board also learned that the installation of fare gates, which began appearing last week, has been delayed systemwide. Damien Newton at StreetsblogLA explains from the meeting:

The most surprising news of the day came during the CEO's report. Leahy reported that he is temporarily halting the installation of turnstiles, leaving us unprotected from terrorists, until 2011. Leahy has directed staff to research internal mobility and TAP implementation issues and to report back in December of this year on whether or not the agency should move forward and what would be the best way to install the fare gates.

The Board again voted to delay the vote on the Long Range Transportation Plan, this time because there were still questions as to the timeline on the highway projects, until September. Cities and governments that are only concerned with the Measure R highway projects want to know when they're getting their highway capacity before the LRTP is passed. The Board agreed.

The Board also delayed a vote on trying to earn federal dollars to speed up the Westside Subway and the Downtown Connector. Scores of activists from Little Tokyo testified on the impact the light rail would have on their community.

The most heated battle in today's meeting was over AnsaldoBreda, the Italian rail car company under contract with Metro, who is considering extending the contract. The vote was also delayed. There's been lots of issues regarding lobbying, deals in Iran and the such.

By Zach Behrens in News on July 23, 2009 3:55 PM