Dust-up over marathon is fast, furious
A war of pointed e-mails erupted Wednesday over the propriety of offering free bus and train rides to Los Angeles Marathon participants, with County Supervisor Gloria Molina taking swipes at race organizer William Burke and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
The source of Molina’s irritation: a city proposal to have the Metropolitan Transportation Authority foot what she and the agency estimated to be a $300,000 bill for freebie rides on race day, March 4.
After race officials called on prospective runners to shower Molina, the MTA chairwoman, with e-mail protests, she responded in words about as subtle as the screech of a subway car’s wheels.
“L.A. Marathon organizers never received MTA approval for this subsidy,” wrote Molina. “They promised a free ride to L.A. Marathon participants without obtaining the necessary clearance.”
She added: “They lied and they are now feigning outrage when confronted with the truth.”
Then Molina encouraged people to e-mail Burke -- and provided his personal America Online address.
As the dusk of Valentine’s Day settled on the city, however, Molina and Villaraigosa chatted on the phone and appeared to have reached a compromise: free rides for runners, but the marathon, not the MTA, would pay for them.
Burke, meanwhile, also appeared ready to compromise -- but not before questioning Molina’s math skills. Burke, whose wife is County Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, said the bill for the free rides would be about $15,000.
“The bottom line for this whole thing is that if I have to buy tokens for every one in my race, that’s what I’ll do,” Burke said.
The flap began last year when the course was changed for the internationally known marathon.
No longer would it begin and end downtown. In an effort to bring the race to more of the city, the start of the 26.2-mile course was moved to Universal City at the edge of the San Fernando Valley.
That poses logistical problems for the 25,000-plus racers expected to participate. So last summer, city officials proposed that marathoners get a free ride on MTA buses or trains.
As recently as last month, an MTA spokesman was quoted in a marathon news release talking up the free fares.
Not so fast, said Molina, after learning this week the costs of providing the free rides and the additional trains needed to shuttle riders between downtown and Universal City.
Marathon officials responded Wednesday morning by sending out an e-mail blast that said Molina had moved the ride initiative off the agenda of the next MTA board meeting.
And, added organizers, “we strongly urge you to e-mail Supervisor Molina today to express your opinion about free race day transportation.”
About five hours and more than 400 e-mails later, Molina responded -- at length -- with her own e-mail to explain her decision.
Molina said she was especially irked because the MTA was considering a fare hike while trying to grapple with a $100-million-plus budget deficit. “Now the L.A. Marathon -- a private entity -- is asking these same taxpayers to foot an additional $300,000 because marathon organizers dropped the ball in obtaining a private sponsor.”
Burke, in an interview, said the cost to the MTA shouldn’t be anywhere near $300,000.
“I’m not quite sure where she gets her math,” Burke said. “Maybe it would cost that much the way she’s going to do it, but the way I would do it would cost me $15,000.”
Burke noted that the marathon pays the city an estimated $340,000 in fees to hold the race.
The MTA does beef up service for some large events, such as the Tournament of Roses parade. But in recent years the only time it provided free rides were on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, when the agency was trying to keep revelers -- not runners -- off the road.
By the close of business Wednesday, some measure of detente had been achieved on all fronts.
“We’ve both agreed that this is an aggressive action that Mr. Burke took against both of us,” Molina said of her discussion with Villaraigosa. “And both of us agree that neither the marathon nor the marathoners should be part of this debate.”
Said mayoral spokesman Matt Szabo: “There is no controversy. The mayor and the supervisor agree that the marathoners’ fares should be paid for by the marathon. The mayor has spoken with Mr. Burke and he agrees.”
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ashley.surdin@latimes.com
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