TRPT members meet with LA City Council
Working to gain support for the Transit Operations bills introduced by Congressman Carnahan and Senator Brown, TRPT LA members met with Chairman Bill Rosendahl, and Vice Chairman Tom Labonge of the Los Angeles City Council Transportation Committee.
TRPT fighting regionally
TRPT is not just fighting the battle for transit protection on a national stage but also working locally to defeat the MTA's service cuts and fare increases. Los Angeles' MTA which is proposing to raise fares by 20% and service cuts up to 145,000 hours, has been reluctant to have a public hearing on the fare increase.
These fare increases and cuts are a blow to the environment in the most polluted city in the U.S., and for the lowest income people that depend on transit. These types of cuts also greatly endanger Green jobs for bus drivers and mechanics.
LA City Council releases resolution of support for Operations bill
On the April 7th, the City Council voted to issue a resolution in support of the Transit Operations bill. This progress is especially encouraging in light of the American Public Transportation Association's March 31 report "Impacts of the Recession on Public Transportation Agencies [1]", which says that since January 1, 2009, 84 percent of public transit systems have raised fares, cut service or are considering either of those actions.
The Fight for transit continues
While the TRPT, the Bus Riders Union and other transit advocates fight for a public hearing on the proposed fare hikes, they are also working to increase support in the House and Senate for the Transit Operations Bill. The operations bill will give transit systems the
flexibility to use between 30-50% of their federal funding for
operations(fuel costs, preventative maintenance, jobs) and is a vital first
step to staving off the proposed cuts and fare increases in Los Angeles.
More Service Cuts
It is not just a local problem. Transit cuts across the country are continuing to devastate low-income, communities of color. One of the most extreme cuts have taken place
in Atlanta where in Clayton County, a majority-black, working-class
suburb on Atlanta's south flank killed off its local bus system on March
31 over concerns about a $19-million countywide budget shortfall.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-georgia-bus1-2010apr01,0,34... [2]
Call your Representative Now
It is important to gain support. We have to speak to our elected officials about how vital this legislation is for the health of our communities and the future of our city.