Seizing a Golden Opportunity for San Gabriel Valley Commuters
by Reps. Adam B. Schiff, David Dreier, Hilda Solis, and Grace Napolitano
Pasadena Star-News, Op-Ed Page
July 10, 2008
If you commute in Los Angeles County, you spend too much valuable time behind the wheel and too much money at the pump. Los Angeles is the most congested region in the nation, costing the average commuter $1,374 a year more than other Americans spend for time and gasoline. In fact, the average Southern Californian consumes 57 extra gallons of gas a year stuck in traffic, and with a gallon of gas at record highs approaching $5.00, this is a crushing burden for many families. But on Thursday June 26, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board further delayed an opportunity to do something about this commuter nightmare.
The MTA Board was scheduled to vote on the county’s 10 year transportation plan that outlines how the MTA plans to reduce traffic congestion. If commuters in our region are to benefit at all, the Gold Line Foothill Extension from Pasadena to Montclair must be funded in the MTA’s long term plan. However, the MTA Board pushed back the vote to include the Gold Line in this plan until November 2008, further delaying progress on this important project.
The Gold Line Foothill Extension will not only give people a clean, comfortable and cost-effective way to get to work or school, it will also reduce congestion for those who still must drive each day. At the same time, it will help decrease smog and enhance job creation in a fast-growing region.
With the economy in an undisputed slowdown, the extension provides a much needed boost to our local economy. And, as we have seen in the first phase of the Gold Line, the project will create good paying jobs and pump millions of dollars in to business and real estate development along the rail line. By 2035, there will be over 262,000 jobs along the Gold Line Extension with 50 percent of that projected job growth accommodated within walking distance of the stations.
If the MTA allows the current extension to move forward, the possible future extension to Ontario Airport promises even greater returns on the investment. Expanding the Gold Line would be a great economic boost to the Inland Empire and will provide for communities further east through its connection to Metrolink at the Montclair station. This will make it even easier for travelers to reach the airport using public transportation and ease the current burden on LAX. This growth has the potential to create thousands of new jobs in construction, retail, security, and airport services. In addition, if LA/Ontario were to become a viable alternative to LAX, there would be hundreds of thousands of new travelers flying into the Inland region every year. Imagine the extra revenue these travelers and tourists would generate at local restaurants, shops, hotels, and car rental agencies. Once we realize the benefits of this project in our region, we must then look to the East Los Angeles Gold Line Extension to help congestion in the cities south of the Foothill Extension.
From an environmental perspective, the Foothill Extension has the potential to have a very positive impact. It is projected to increase energy savings by an estimated 1.5 million gallons of gasoline each year, reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 126 tons per year, Nitrogen Oxides by 19 tons per year, reactive organic gases by 9 tons per year and particulate matter by 5 tons per year. There is a need for a viable, environmentally sound transit alternative for commuters along the 10, 60 and 210 freeways and the Foothill Extension can meet it.
Including the Gold Line in the Long Range Plan is critical because with the state budget short on cash, the county cannot develop public transportation at the rate necessary to deal with congestion without relying heavily on federal funds. The Gold Line Foothill Extension is unique in that it is the only project in Southern California that is ready to begin construction and is eligible to obtain federal funding this year, if only the MTA will provide a local match.
Our bipartisan San Gabriel Valley delegation has a long history of working together on this project. We have made every effort at the federal level to bring dollars here - $30 million so far - to build this train and get it moving. Together, we have also been the squeaky wheel at the Federal Transit Administration to make sure they are a full partner in the success of the line by providing a significant federal match for the local funds already used and committed. This project has the unanimous support from all 30 cities in the San Gabriel Valley and tremendous public support as well.
With so many practical, economic and environmental reasons to fund the Gold Line Extension, it’s time for the MTA to follow suit, join the team and work toward the Gold Line’s success.