Was the promise of a Leimert Park station on the Crenshaw Line just a tease? After the Metro board released a report on Monday laying out where they were going to find $120 million to fund the station, the City Council apparently freaked out. As Streetsblog put it, "the report hit like a lightning bolt." The problem? The money's coming out of Measure R transpo tax funding for other projects, and not from the money tree in Metro's lobby. They're planning on taking $10 million from the Wilshire bus-only lanes, $48 million from the LAX airport connector, and $62 million from the Metro Call for Projects (which covers pedestrian and bicycle-friendly projects, street widenings, and other traffic-reduction measures). In response, City Councilmembers Paul Koretz and Bill Rosendahl have introduced a motion asking that the city oppose the funding plan.
The strong negative reaction seems to be in part due to poor handling of the issue by Metro, as much as to the substance of the proposal. Rosendahl complained that he "was totally blindsided by this, and we discovered this proposal not by a phone call from Metro but rather by reading the staff report." Rosendahl's district includes not just the LAX project, but also a portion of the Wilshire bus lane. Meanwhile, his term in office is almost up, and Metro plans to vote on the arrangement later this month.
· Major Blowback from City Council Members Over Leimert Park Funding Plan [Streetsblog LA]
· Crenshaw Line Archives [Curbed LA]
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