LA gets in race for transit funds

Hoping to keep Southern California transit projects on the minds of federal officials, a local coalition on Monday unveiled a list of 21 projects it says are urgently needed to keep the region moving at a 21st-century pace.Sue Doyle in the Daily News.

From crash-avoidance technology on commuter trains to freeway lane-widening projects, the list arrives as a six-year, $500 billion federal Surface Transportation Authorization bill struggles to get through Congress.

"We're barely moving on the 101. What we need now is an offramp from congestion," said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, speaking at the eighth annual Mobility 21 coalition meeting.

"This regional transportation system is essential if we're going to connect to one another."