If you are not sick of hearing about MTA....

There is a solid entry on the L.A. Times' Bottleneck Blog about MTA-powerhouse and L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa meeting with a bunch of SGV legislators to..... well, basically tell them to get on board with the MTA agenda. Here is what Hymon said several sources told him (on background) that Villaraigosa had to say:

1. San Gabriel Valley officials need to chill out and stop fighting the congestion-pricing proposal for the 10 and 210 freeways. Villaraigosa pointed out that the region is set to get $213 million in bus and Metrolink equipment and that the equipment will still belong to the region even if the tolling doesn't work out.

3. He's open to working with those officials on language in both the state bill, AB 2321, that allows the MTA to pursue the sales tax, and the MTA sales tax ordinance.

I'd say #2 is pretty disingenuous on the Mayor's part since the federal government already offered $320 million, enough to take the line to Azusa/Glendora. Since the MTA has never guaranteed that the line will go any further than that, and is in fact seeking language in state legislation that defines the Gold Line as only going as far as Azusa/Glendora (see #3), what is the worst that happens if the federal government doesn't kick up any more money? Then the project stalls in Azusa/Glendora. It doesn't mean the MTA will be forced to then extend the line at the cost of other projects.

More on freeway toll lanes later today.