MOVE LA EVENT DEMONSTRATES CITY'S ENTHUSIASM FOR ACCELERATING TRANSIT

As HuffPost columnist/blogger Joel Epstein noted on his blog, Move LA’s “Transportation Conversation 3” and audience of 400 demonstrated on Tuesday the enthusiasm of this city for accelerating transit construction. He singled out panelist Jessica Meany of Safe Routes to School for her energy and insights and Infraconsult’s Mike Schneider for raising the concern that: “ . . . if we let Congress reshape the conversation to be about finding strictly public-private partnership solutions to our transportation needs, we do so at our peril.” Joel concludes: I left the conference optimistic but preoccupied with the sobering thought that if we don't win on America Fast Forward or reshuffle the Measure R project deck, we may have to wait until 2036 to see the extension of the Wilshire subway to the Westwood VA” — because if America Fast Forward isn’t enacted by Congress Metro will have to revert to the plan to build the line in three phases by 2036.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joel-epstein/america-stumbles-forward_b_882697.html

Steve Hymon Tracks Move LA’s “Transportation Conversation 3” On The Source

LA Metro blogger Steve Hymon tracked Move LA’s “Transportation Conversation 3” event in downtown Los Angeles Tuesday on “The Source,” noting the comment of lunchtime keynote speaker GB Arrington of PB Placemaking, who said building parking near rail stations is like adding fuel to the fire of traffic congestion because it only brings more traffic into neighborhoods. And he noted that morning keynote Scott Bernstein of the national nonprofit Center for Neighborhood Technology likened building a transit system to inventing the telephone — the first phone was useless until the second one was built. Similarly, LA’s transit system becomes ever more useful to riders as we build more lines and provide more connectivity. 

http://thesource.metro.net/2011/06/21/big-transit-issues-discussed-at-move-la-event/  

DENNY ZANE EXPLAINS AMERICA FAST FORWARD AND URGES US TO DREAM BIGGER

This interview with Denny Zane is from the program book for Move LA’s “Transportation Conversation 3” on June 21, and is downloadable as a pdf here.
LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, LA Metro, the Move LA coalition and others are asking the federal government to provide low-interest loans and long-term bonds secured by Measure R’s 30-year revenue stream to raise the money up-front that is required to build all Measure R projects in 10 years, not 30. Currently there are no federal programs that provide that level of financing. America Fast Forward, the national branding of the 30-10 Plan, would expand national interest and support for programs like 30-10 by increasing funding for the TIFIA (the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act) from $110 million per year to $1 billion. In this interview Gloria Ohland asks Move LA Executive Director Denny Zane to explain why Measure R and “30-10” are game-changers, why we should begin thinking about Measure R 2, and why Move LA is promoting transit-oriented development. Click here to download.

Click to download interview.

Move LA featured in the NY Times Energy & Environment Section!

Los Angeles Leads Full-Throttle Dash for U.S. Transit Cash.

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/06/06/06greenwire-los-angeles-leads-full-throttle-dash-for-us-tran-379.html