Readers React: Free Metro to spend sales tax money on building subways

To the editor: The Times correctly mentions that two of the region’s transportation-use sales taxes are restricted from being allocated to underground rail projects like the downtown light-rail connector. But it fails to give sufficient background. (“Costs and delays mount for downtown L.A. subway link,” Nov. 12)

The two sales taxes are the result of voters passing Proposition A in 1980 and Proposition C in 1990, which originally included no such restrictions. Those were added in 1998, after the collapse of a section of Hollywood Boulevard during construction of the Red Line subway. It is no surprise that concerned voters approved those restrictions at the time.

In the intervening years, Metro has successfully extended the subway into the San Fernando Valley and opened three new light-rail lines, two of which the downtown connector would link. To continue to deny Metro the flexibility of allocating transportation tax revenue over a single incident in 1998 is untenable.

It is time for a new ballot initiative to strike down the 1998 restrictions and give Metro the ability to better manage the funding for the myriad transportation projects in the works.

Kymberleigh Richards, Van Nuys

The writer is a former member and chairwoman of the Metro San Fernando Valley Service Council.

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To the editor: Part of the additional $130 million needed to complete the downtown connector project must come from Metro’s enforcement of collecting fares from all passengers.

Every single bus or train has at least one person riding free; I have witnessed this myself. Too many gates at train stations that allow access for wheelchairs and bicycles are being utilized by individuals who have no honor for this honor system.

There is definitely a lack of security officers to enforce fare rules.

Morley J. Helfand, Arcadia

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To the editor: The front-page article on the rail link ran near another piece on the city of Carson’s proposed $1.7-billion football stadium.

World-class cities have decent rail systems that allow people to get to their jobs, but here we just can’t find the money. However, we have no problem finding the money for football stadium. Truly sad.

If corporate or private interests want an ad, why not finance the subway and put their names on it?

W.T. Kelley, Santa Monica

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