Mayor Creates Cabinet to Milk Growth Around Transit Lines

Last week, Mayor Villaraigosa up and created a Los Angeles Transit Corridors Cabinet to facilitate "transit oriented solutions," according to a release from his office. Apparently, the new office will serve as a "central entity to ensure all City departments and agencies coordinate, collaborate, and communicate their efforts to bring about a more transit-oriented Los Angeles." Details are scarce in the press release, but it appears the idea is to facilitate development near the new rail and bus-rapid transit lines springing up around town (while the Red Line subway has seen plenty of apartments and retail sprout nearby, the light rail Blue Line has seen nearly zilch). It sounds like the TCC will help leverage the money rolling in from Measure R, the 2008 voter-approved tax that provides millions for transit and freeways, by serving as a liaison to housing and community groups and getting more transit-oriented developments greenlit sooner. "This strategy will provide Angelenos of all income levels access to quality transportation, housing, and job opportunities," Villaraigosa says in the release. This is the first municipal-level entity of its kind; the press release says that the cabinet will discuss the creation of commercial districts near transit, the strengthening and preservation of existing communities, the creation of new transportation options, the creation of affordable housing near transit, and the creation of complete streets.
· Transit-Oriented Development Archives [Curbed LA]