Metro Fare Increases Leave Transit Projects Unsure

Fare increases passed this week are expected to generate about $30 million next year - less than what Metro officials hoped for and now leaves them wondering about the future of some transit projects, REPORTS the Los Angeles Times.

The agency is in the midst of building two more rail lines at a combined cost of $1.5 billion: a downtown-to-Culver City route known as the Expo Line and an extension of the Gold Line from downtown to East L.A.

MTA Chief Executive Officer Roger Snoble offered a sober assessment Friday of what comes next.

Although he believes the agency can afford to complete and operate the Culver City and East L.A. lines, he said other transit projects now being considered, including one busway extension, could face significant delays.

"There has been a big expectation that we will get it done sooner than is financially possible," Snoble said. "This whole experience shows we need to be realistic about our expectations…. It may delay some projects."

Among them:

• The Expo Line extension from Culver City to Santa Monica, where officials have already purchased property around the Sears department store near City Hall and plan to convert the store's auto center building into a transit center.

• The Gold Line extension that would run from Pasadena to Montclair, in San Bernardino County, with a possible link ending at LA/Ontario International Airport. The line has been pushed aggressively by officials in the San Gabriel Valley, who have long complained that their region has no light rail service.

• The Green Line extension from its Aviation station near El Segundo to Los Angeles International Airport.

• The Orange Line extension from Woodland Hills to Chatsworth.

• The much-discussed $4.8-billion "Subway to the Sea" under Wilshire Boulevard that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa made a top priority when elected.

What does this mean for the future of L.A.'s transportation system? Will it ever develop a subway system similar to ones that serve other major cities? What needs to be done? Tell our blog!