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This past Tuesday, February 5th, the Federal Transit
Administration (FTA), announced it’s formal approval of  $23.3 for bus-only lanes along Wilshire
Boulevard.  The FTA approved an L.A.
City and MTA proposal for $23.3 million over 2 years beginning in 2009. As one
of its major advocates, the Bus Riders Union Clean Air, Clean Lungs, Clean
Buses Campaign feels proud of being part of this important environmental
breakthrough.

This decision by the federal government to fund the Wilshire Bus Only
Lanes project, is the reflection of an important collaboration between the BRU,
our allies, L.A. City Council and MTA elected officials and staff. We
particularly want to recognize Councilmember Wendy Greuel for helping move this
important transit and environmental policy forward. This breakthrough
comes after an insistent 4-year public health and environmental justice campaign
waged by the BRU to move MTA and L.A. City to prioritize bus-only lanes and
reduce auto emissions of air toxins and greenhouse gases that contribute to
global warming.

While the approval of this grant is historic in a county dominated by 7
million automobiles, we believe that MTA and L.A. City’s timeline for the
construction of the bus-only lanes of 2011 is too far into the future.  Los Angeles is
very close to making a huge environmental and transportation breakthrough, therefore
we urge the L.A. City Council to upfront the $27 million necessary to fully
fund the Wilshire Bus-only lanes and begin implementation this year!

Many city officials have been discussing the pending financial
constraints in the upcoming City budget. During hard economic times, the most
vulnerable communities are asked to “buckle-up” and prepare to bare the impacts
of tough budget priority decisions – which often mean the cutting of vital
social services or constraining of important public health related projects.  We believe that the Wilshire Bus Only Lanes
needs to be prioritized.  We think City
leaders could change the mass disconnect between the general consciousness that
is calling for urgent action to combat the public health and global warming
crisis, and the lack of urgency to fund and implement structural policies
needed to combat these issues.

We urge the City to make a capital investment in the lives of our
children and the survival of the planet. 
We call on the leadership of Councilmembers Bill Rosendahl (member of
the L.A. City Council Budget and Transportation Committee), Wendy Greuel (Chair
of the Transportation Committee) and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to include the
$27 million in the FY 08-09 budget.