Eastside Leaders Back MTA’s Shift From Subway

A group of influential Latino elected officials Monday agreed to support the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s request for permission to spend federal funds on something other than a subway--perhaps a busway--to Los Angeles’ Eastside.

But their action doesn’t end the game of political chicken being played out by the lawmakers, some of whom have threatened to oppose federal funding for subway construction to North Hollywood unless the MTA does more to ensure improved public transit to the Eastside.

“If there’s not going to be heavy rail for the next six years, let’s get something,” said Kate Emanuel, legislative director to Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Los Angeles). “But we just don’t want scooters and a sound barrier.”

After more than a week of intense negotiations led by Reps. Julian C. Dixon (D-Los Angeles) and Roybal-Allard, Reps. Esteban Edward Torres (D-Pico Rivera) and Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles) agreed to support MTA’s request for greater latitude on how it spends about $600 million in federal funds.

Under the proposal, the money could be spent on any “fixed guideway” projects on the Eastside and in the Mid-City--a busway, a subway or a trolley line.

“Recognizing the financial constraints now facing the MTA, we believe it is essential that the agency be given the flexibility to explore other cost-effective, fixed guideway options that meet the transit needs of our constituents, while preserving the integrity of affected neighborhoods,” said a letter signed by the four Los Angeles representatives.

The letter was sent to the congressional committee completing work on a bill that will determine federal transportation funding well into the next century.

Some of the Latino lawmakers had withheld their support of the MTA’s pleas for greater flexibility on spending federal funds in hopes of securing more of a commitment from the agency on improving mass transit to the Eastside. Some of the lawmakers also have expressed their doubts about the sincerity of the MTA’s commitment to hold open the subway option, if given flexibility to spend the money on other projects.

But with Congress poised to act any day on the megabillion-dollar transportation funding bill, the Latino lawmakers were fearful that the Eastside could be denied any mass transit project for the next six years.

“We’re not going to try to foreclose options, but we have to see MTA do some good-faith work as well,” said Becerra. “If we’re going to provide flexibility and make movement toward the center to compromise, then we expect MTA to move toward the center and do something that’s going to benefit the entire county.”

The MTA has suspended work on long-promised subway extensions to the Eastside and Mid-City because of funding problems. The agency is preparing to study whether there are other ways to improve transit in the Eastside, Mid-City and the San Fernando Valley. Even if Congress gives MTA the greater flexibility over spending federal funds, the transit authority still must find funds for the required local contribution.

The lawmakers asked that language be inserted into the transportation funding bill that would require the MTA to evaluate how well any future project would serve the transit dependent, and what its impact would be on the “integrity of the neighborhoods.”

“We’re just saying that for the next six years, we want to keep the Eastside in the game,” Emanuel said. “But it doesn’t mean we’re ruling out heavy rail forever.”

“We’re trying to show that the Eastside members are open to alternatives,” she added.

There was no immediate comment from the MTA.