Recently in Transportation Category

While Keith Hanks is running for reelection this March on the Azusa City Council, he is also hoping for another election in the coming weeks.

Hanks sits on the board for the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension that is now chaired by La Verne Mayor Jon Blickenstaff. Blickenstaff is leaving the La Verne council at the end of his term this year.

When the board is restructured, Hanks has his fingers crossed in hopes of becoming the new chair, or at least the vice chair, told me today (Wednesday).

I can't say I would blame the board for the decision. Hanks has a firm grasp on engineering and transportation issues. The man just gets excited about things like this and you always want that out of a representative.

In terms of engineering, I would probably be described as a novice and I would take that as a compliment.

But when Hanks, who works in the public works department for the city of Los Angeles and focuses on sewer systems, was explaining to me different parts of how sewers work, not only was it interesting, but I understood.

It takes someone who really knows what they are talking about to not only taking something like how sewers work and make it interesting, but to also allow a Lehman like myself to understand the basics of some complex issues.

Here's one opinion on the recent tax hikes. This letter ran on the Opinion Page today:
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Vote down tax hikes

Every day you read or hear about tax increases. The economy is horrible and people are having extreme difficulties paying mortgages, bills, food and the worst: the cost of gasoline.

Now our local, state and federal governments all want to increase taxes. Are they for real?

You don't hear our politicians saying they will take a cut in pay. You do not see our politicians giving up their cars, drivers or staff paid by us. They don't work everyday and yet they take long vacations.

Their answer to everything is increase taxes.

Let them put all these proposed increases on the ballot. I urge everyone to vote "no."

It is time the politicians and big government spend within the budget and we should hold them accountable.

We in the San Gabriel "Forgotten" Valley need to come together and vote "no" on the MTA tax. We will not get our fair share. The mayor of Los Angeles only has one thought in mind and it is not us. In fact, he is probably one of the worst when it comes to spending taxpayers money. Just look at all the trips he has taken.

Let us all wake up and stop listening to the politicians. They need to spend wisely and stop using us as scapegoats.

Gil Dominguez

West Covina

Billionare land developer Ed Roski, who wants to bring an NFL stadium to the city of Industry, is still jumping through the many hoops to find a team that wants to play in his state of the art facility.

But at least he'll have the city of West Covina backing his plans. West Covina City Council will vote on a memorandum backing the stadium, which will be near the intersection of the 60 and 57 freeways.

BTW: Interesting that Roski has said in the past that traffic impacts in that area will be minimal if a stadium comes to town. Do you believe him?

Here's the staff report:

City of West Covina
Memorandum
A G E N D A

ITEM NO. D - 8c
DATE August 19, 2008

TO: Andrew G. Pasmant, City Manager
and City Council

FROM: Chris Freeland, Assistant to the City Manager

SUBJECT: RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NFL STADIUM IN THE CITY OF INDUSTRY, CALIFORNIA

RECOMMENDATION:

It is recommended that the City Council adopt the following resolution:

RESOLUTION NO. _____________

RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA DECLARING ITS SUPPORT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NFL STADIUM IN INDUSTRY, CALIFORNIA.

DISCUSSION:

On October 28, 2004, the City of Industry approved an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for a 4.8 million square foot Industry Business Center to be located near the intersection of the 57 and 60 freeways in the City of Industry. On April 16, 2008, Majestic Realty Co. applied for modifications to the EIR to permit the development of a football stadium suitable for a National Football League (NFL) team and reduce the size of the Industry Business Center Development.

The proposed 592-acre development is to include:

Stadium (with Team Facilities): 75,000 Seats, including 11,000 Club seats and 175 Suites

Office Buildings: 1.49 million sq. ft.

Retail Shops: 833,000 sq. ft.

Restaurants: 162,000 sq. ft.

Live Theater: 5,000 seats (60,000 sq. ft.)

Movie Theater: 1,200 seats (60,000 sq. ft.)

Green and non-parking Open Space: 271 acres

The proposed stadium will include the following:

Total Seats: 75,000 (expandable to 80,000 for Super Bowl games)

Suites: 175

Club Level: 11,000 seats

Team Offices: 45,000 sq. ft.

National Football League (NFL) Attraction: 40,000 sq. ft.

Team Store and Other Sponsored Retail Stores: 30,000 sq. ft.

Restaurants: 30,000 sq. ft.

Banquet facilities: 20,000 sq. ft.

NFL Team Training Facility: 115,000 sq. ft.

Medical Center and Clinic: 100,000 sq. ft.

Parking Spaces: 25,000 spaces

According to Majestic Realty Co., the shape of the Los Angeles Stadium will be an asymmetrical bowl which will provide improved seat positions and site lines for both general admission and premium fans.

The Stadium will anchor nearly 3 million square feet of mixed-use (entertainment, retail, commercial, office) development designed to express the Southern California lifestyle and provide retail and entertainment to families year round. The proposed project will create thousands of new jobs in the region and based on Majestic Realty's success with Staples Center, property values of the surrounding communities will increase.

City staff also anticipates that the development could create ancillary benefits, such as, increased property tax, hotel occupancy tax, sales tax revenues, and the opportunity for new commercial developments/tenants in West Covina if the proposed stadium is approved.

The proposed stadium is completely funded with private investment funds and will be constructed using recycled materials, water conservation features, and other "green" elements to be environmentally friendly, including the restoration of adjacent waterway and trails.

Attached is a resolution supporting the proposed stadium project, as well as, a rendering of the proposed development.

FISCAL IMPACT:
The anticipated increases in sales tax, property tax, hotel occupancy tax, and other revenues to West Covina from the proposed stadium are unknown at this time.

Prepared by:

___________________________
Chris Freeland
Assistant to the City Manager

The County Board of Sups had a lively meeting today.

There was presentation by Sheriff Lee Baca, which was followed by testimony from the family of Jameil Shaw, who was killed by an illegal immigrant; consideration of an ordinance that calls for chain restaurants to provide caloric information about meals; the introduction of a graffiti pilot program, proposed by Supervsior Gloria Molina, that allows the county to recover costs civilly; and the reversal of a vote that will now place a half-cent sales tax measure proposed by MTA on a consolidated ballot in November.

The most controversy came out of the discussion about the the Sheriff's policies and procedures for undocumented aliends housed in county jails.

There were dozens of speakers, including the father of Jamiel Shaw, an African-American who was college bound but was shot in the head on March 2 in Arlington Heights by an illegal immigrant.

Some speakers said that they did not care what race the illegal immigrants are, but they are against illegal immigrants that are gang bangers and murders, and there needs to be a system in place to deport them.

One speaker, who was an African American, said that if the tables were turned and 4 million black people illegally immigrated to Mexico, they would be killed.

Supervisor Yvonne Burke made a comment after a member from the Minute Men spoke, who called for the deportation of illegal immigrants. Immediately following him was a Rabbi, who said that the testimony from the Minute Man would be a tough act to follow. Then Burke responded, "Today, it's the Latinos. Tomorrow it's the blacks and Jews."

The comment did not sit well with some people, who accused Burke of making this a racial issue. But Burke responded by saying that she was not race baiting, but rather she was aware of the work that the Minute Men did, and she understood their call for deporting illegal immigrants was really a call for the immigration of all Latinos, and that they wouldn't stop there.

There were also representatives from the Mexican American Legal Defense and ACLU who spoke against developing a system like Special Order 40.

Once the transcript and video becomes available, you should read and watch some of the comments for yourselves. It was one of the most surprising public meetings I've ever attended.

(The photo above is of Jamiel Shaw Jr. The photo can be found at the LA Times blog.)

This press release just popped in to my email. Will you vote on a proposal that gives less than 19 percent of funding to the San Gabriel Valley for tranist projects?

ANTONOVICH AND MOLINA INTRODUCE MOTION TO OPPOSE MTA'S ½ CENT SALES TAX MEASURE

LOS ANGELES COUNTY - Supervisors Michael D. Antonovich and Gloria Molina introduced a motion for Tuesday's meeting of the Board of Supervisors to oppose the MTA's proposed sales tax increase for its failure to distribute transit dollars equitably.

"The measure fails to include funding for areas that will grow the most over the next 30 years, " said Antonovich. "The Antelope and Santa Clarita Valleys will more than double in population over the life of this sales tax measure, yet receive only 5% of the total project funding. The San Gabriel Valley and Gateway Cities both have approximately 19% of the County's population, and also generate approximately 19% of the County's sales taxes -- yet both areas were given much less than 19% of the total project funding available. The San Fernando Valley represents over 15% of the County's population but will only receive 5% of the total project funding available -- depriving Valley residents 2/3 of its fair share of funding."

"Los Angeles County residents in the San Fernando, San Gabriel, Cresenta, Santa Clarita, and Antelope valleys, the Gateway cities and East Los Angeles will reject this poorly constructed, unfair proposal," he added. "Rather than collaborating with the 88 cities and 134 unincorporated communities to build support, Mayor Villaraigosa's tax is being shoved down the taxpayers' throats because unlike Robin Hood, it takes from the poor and gives to the rich."

The MTA delays action on the Gold Line extension, Dan Abendschein reports. He also has more to say on his blog, Under the Dome.

Yesterday was Dump the Pump Day, and Los Angeles commuters were encouraged to take public transportation over their cars. The Los Angeles Times reported that this week, Metrolink ridership hit an all-time high.

Metrolink recorded its highest number of riders for a single day.
More than 50,000 people boarded its trains Tuesday.
By Joanna Lin and Francisco Vara-Orta, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
June 20, 2008

Commuter rail ridership broke an all-time record this week, and Caltrans reported a dip in freeway traffic as commuters across California struggled with record gasoline prices.

Metrolink recorded its highest number of riders in a single day Tuesday -- 50,232 -- a 15.6% increase over the volume on the Tuesday of the same week last year. Metro Rail ridership has also risen, shooting up 6% last month over May 2007, with the downtown L.A.-to-Pasadena Gold Line setting an all-time ridership record, said Dave Sotero, a Metro spokesman.

Local politicians had some harsh words for MTA officials today at a meeting unveiling a plan for toll roads along San Gabriel Valley freeways.

Reporter Dan Abendschein attended the meeting, which he said focused more on MTA's lack of funding for local projects rather than the proposal for HOV lanes on the 10 and 210 freeways.

Here are some snippets of information from Abendschein:

"Before I would even consider this plan, I would have to be assured that we see serious funding for the Gold Line," said Assemblyman Ed Hernandez, D-West Covina.

If the plan is approved, MTA would receive $214 million in federal money, which it could use to spend on additional bus and van service to use the lanes.

Richard Katz, an MTA board member appointed by L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, told the Los Angeles Times last week that MTA should not approve the Gold Line unless the toll lane project is approved.

"It wouldn't make sense for us to fund the Gold Line at the same time that [some members of Congress] are trying to take money away from congestion pricing," said Katz. "That doesn't make sense to me. If you're going to oppose this chance to get $213 million, why should we support 80 million over there?"

Sounds like the transportation debate could get heated...

Anytime the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) gets involved, El Monte and the rest of the San Gabriel Valley gets "dumped on."

Well, that's what El Monte Councilmembers Pat Wallach and Art Barrios think.

El Monte has been asked to participate in a conversation about the possibility of converting the 210 and 10 HOV lanes into toll roads. The idea did resonate well with some of the El Monte council members. At a special meeting on Monday, council members expressed their disgust for the plan -- and for MTA.

Councilman Juventino Gomez said that he predicts that should toll roads be implemented, that it will only mean more traffic within El Monte's major roadways.

"We've got to really think about this," Gomez said. "This could be much more costly in a lot of ways. There will be increased truck traffic ... and our police department will have to be busier."

But most of the venom shot at MTA came from Wallach and Barrios.

"Whenever MTA gets involved, the SGV gets dumped on. We don't have any benefits if this goes through," Barrios said.

Wallach couldn't agree more.

"We always get dumped on here in the San Gabriel Valley. MTA seems to not be thinking about the other valley," Wallach said.

Incidentally, both Wallach and Barrios were chosen as the El Monte delegates to discuss this plan with the San Gabriel Valley Legislative Caucus on Saturday. (Not with the MTA, as I previosuly posted.)

The meeting begins at 9 a.m. and will be at the City of West Covina's Council Chambers, 1444 West Garvey Ave.

Reporter Dan Abendschein will be covering the event, so look for a story about it in Sunday's newspaper.

The LA Times reports that two local Congress members are trying to put a stop on toll roads on the 10 and 210 freeways that run through the SGV.