A message from Councilman Bill Rosendahl

For Immediate Release
March 23, 2007

Contact: Safiya Jones, 213-473-7011


ROSENDAHL PUSHES FOR GREEN LINE CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY
Councilman Clears Another Hurdle to Extend Green Line to LAX




LOS ANGELES- The effort to extend the Green Line to Los Angeles International Airport cleared another hurdle today, with a key City Council committee endorsing state legislation to create a Green Line Construction Authority.


The council's Intergovernmental Relations Committee voted to approve, in concept, Assemblymember Ted Lieu's legislation, AB 889, which will establish a new public agency to oversee the design and construction contracts to complete a new leg of the Metro Green Line.

The committee also endorsed efforts by Lieu and Metro staff to amend the legislation by increasing local control of the new agency.

"This is an important moment in our efforts to finally get mass transit into LAX," said Councilmember Bill Rosendahl, who has been championing the Green Line extension. "Our campaign is moving and gaining strength and momentum."

The proposed agency would be modeled after the Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority, the agency that is overseeing the Exposition light rail line project that should eventually connect Culver City and Santa Monica with downtown Los Angeles.

The authority would be charged with overseeing a 2-mile long rail segment that would include stations at the intersections of Aviation and Century Boulevards and Lincoln and Sepulveda Boulevards.

"Establishing a construction authority would jumpstart funding and building the Green Line extension," Rosendahl said. "I am delighted to see that I have garnered the support of my colleagues for this important legislation."

Los Angeles City Councilmember Greig Smith praised Rosendahl's efforts.

"This is long overdue," Smith said. "I am glad Councilmember Rosendahl has brought it forward."

The Daily Breeze, community organizations, and local transit advocates have also endorsed the proposed Green Line Authority.

In 1994, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority approved an EIR/EIS to construct a Metro Green line extension to LAX and beyond. Due to funding constraints, the extension was never constructed. Currently, Los Angeles Department of Airports is developing an updated LAX master plan that includes an analysis of extending the Green Line to LAX.

Earlier this year, Councilmember Bill Rosendahl, Assemblymember Ted Lieu, Senator Jenny Oropeza and Congresswoman Jane Harman formed the Green Line Coalition to advocate for the much-needed Green Line rail extension. Since its inception, over 25 other elected officials have endorsed their effort.

A comment submitted to Living in Venice about the "Green Line"

While extending the Green Line into LAX is a "no-brainer," let's not overlook what I consider an even bigger "no-brainer," extending the east end of the Green Line to the Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs Metrolink (and potential Amtrak) station. That relatively simple extension (about 2.5 miles) would provide Green Line (and LAX) connectivity to Riverside, San Bernardino, and Orange counties.

Merritt David Mullen
Ridgecrest, CA
mmullen8014@mchsi.com