Mayor Villaraigosa may have gotten the ball rolling on his signature 30/10 initiative --a program designed to speed up construction on a dozen transit projects in Los Angeles County by encouraging the feds to cough up billions in low-interest loans -- but incoming Republicans with an eye on deficit reduction aren't expected to fund transportation projects at the level the Democrats have been. Not to worry, transit advocates! A mildly-obsessed Tim Rutten at the LA Times writes in his fourth 30/10-related column that there's some common ground to be found if both sides play their cards right:
"Though it's true that Rep. James L. Oberstar (D-Minn.) lost his seat and the chairmanship of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Oregon Rep. Peter A. DeFazio, another strong 30/10 enthusiast, will remain the ranking minority member. Equally important, the incoming Republican chairman, Rep. John L. Mica (R-Fla.) is a strong backer of precisely the sort of public-private partnership 30/10 represents. If ever there were a proposal ripe for the bipartisanship Obama says he hopes to cultivate in the next Congress, it is 30/10, which encourages local initiative and allows for further economic stimulus through growth that doesn't add to the federal deficit." (In October the Crenshaw Line to LAX received $546 million from the federal government to begin work sometime this year.) Additionally, Rutten talks to Jeff Carr, Villaraigosa's chief of staff, who points out that 30/10 is not "an all-or-nothing proposition" when it comes to funding, and that this office isn't "letting up even slightly on the gas pedal. We're only changing our course."---Rich Alossi
· Optimism on Villaraigosa's 30/10 Initiative [LA Times]
· Crenshaw/LAX Line Gets Funding, Work Starts Next Year [Curbed LA]
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