City Council Supports Measure M to Improve Transit

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a resolution to support Measure M, the half-cent sales tax measure on the Nov. 8 ballot that, if approved, will raise $860 million a year countywide to revolutionize LA’s transportation network and add 465,690 new jobs across the region. With Measure M, the City of Los Angeles also will receive nearly $9 billion in local return money for local transportation projects over the next 45 years.

“As our population grows, congestion will only get worse unless we do something about it today. Measure M is the long-term solution we need,” said Councilmember Krekorian. “It will ease traffic, create hundreds of thousands of jobs for local families, fill potholes and fix streets, expand our rail and bus system, and enhance bike and walking paths for every Angeleno to enjoy.”

Angelenos spend an average of 81 hours a year stuck in traffic. Currently, there are 10 million people living in LA County, and we are projected to grow by 2.3 million people in the next 40 years. Traffic congestion and air pollution are expected to get worse with more growth, and the measure is intended to raise money to meet those needs. Measure M’s goals are as follows:

• Ease traffic congestion, improve freeway traffic flow, and reduce bottlenecks.
• Expand rail and rapid transit system; accelerate rail construction and build new rail lines; enhance local, regional, and express bus service; and improve system connectivity.
• Repave local streets, repair potholes, and synchronize signals; improve neighborhood streets and intersections, and enhance bike and pedestrian connections.
• Make public transportation more accessible, convenient, and affordable for seniors, students, and the disabled; and provide better mobility options for our aging population.
• Earthquake-retrofit bridges, and keep the transit and highway system safe and in good working condition.
• Embrace technology and innovation; incorporate modern technology, new advancements, and emerging innovations into the local transportation system.
• Create jobs, reduce pollution, and generate local economic benefits; increase personal quality time and overall quality of life.
• Provide accountability and transparency; protect and monitor the public’s investments through independent audits and oversight.

Read the Krekorian/Bonin Measure M resolution here: http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2015/15-0002-S213_reso_08-31-2016.pdf