cash fares would pay express charges TRANSIT UPDA TES (about 1/2 of the regular fare) The price of a senior pass would rise from $8 to $10 - College students (but not K-12 students Effective June 16, Santa Monica Big Blue or senior/disabled) would also pay express Bus will combine the existing Lines #4 and charges when using a pass. The passes #15 into a new line #4. This line will would cost $53 (Zone 3) and $64 (Zone 5). connect the existing two routes via San - Transfers would be valid on any Foothill Vicente Blvd. in Brentwood, providing route, even the same one or one going in service from Downtown Santa Monica, the opposite direction. through Brentwood, the VA Hospital and Sawtelle. We hope to prepare a position on the proposal. Culver City has moved the northern terminal of its #6 (Sepulveda Blvd) to Santa Clarita Transit also has a fare serve the Ackerman bus stop on the UCLA increase, effective Jun 30: campus, Instead of the Hilgard/Strathmore terminal used by MTA and Santa Monica. - Local cash fare will be $1.00 ($.50 (According to member Ken Ruben, there senior/ disabled), with passes at $25 and have been noise-related issues related to $15 respectively. Regular and student fare the Hilgard/Strathmore bus turnaround at will be the same on the local routes UCLA). - Fares to the San Fernando Valley will be $3.50, or $1.75 for students/seniors/ Foothill Transit is holding meetings this disabled. Passes will cost $120/$60 month to gather input on a proposed fare - Fares to Downtown Los Angeles,West Los restructuring (see calendar for locations, Angeles or Lancaster/Palmdale will be dates and times): $4.00 ($2.00 for students/senlors/ - Regular fare would increase from $.90 to disabled). Passes for these Iil)es will cost $1.10 $140/$70. - Express Zone 3 routes (i.e. the busway between EI Monte and Downtown) would Member Juan Cornejo sent us a clipping cost $2.75 (currently $2.25) from the Whittier Daily News that - Express Zone 4 (#493 and #495) would Whittier Transit fixed route service may be become Express Zone 5 routes, see below eliminated due to tightening budgets. An - Express ZoneS (#498, #499 and #699) idea the city is exploring to reduce costs would cost $3.35 (currently $2.75) would be negotiating with Montebello or - Instead of a monthly pass, a 31-day pass Norwalk Transit for them to modify some (similar to Omnitrans) would be offered~ of their existing lines to serve the current Whittier Transit users .• I- Seniors and disabled passengers paying Mark Panitz's letter to the editor "Bus MEMBERS IN ACTION Advocate Responds to Complaints" appeared in the May 10 Santa Monica Rail Advocates of Orange County was Mirror. In impressive fashion Panitz profiled in the OC Weekly May 24 article point by point rebutted comments critical "Train in Vein - Jane Reifer lives for mass of Big Blue Bus made in the May 3 transit". It can be viewed at letter column by Rufus baker. It can be http://www.ocweekly.com/ink/02/38/ viewed at http://www.smmirror.com/ news-pignataro.php vOlume3/issue4 7/letters_to_the.asp • Page 2 THE TRANSIT ADVOCATE June 2002 BULLETIN BOARD be free that day, there will be entertainment, giveaways, artist and vendor booths, plus a kids play area. We A survey has been included with this are exploring the possibility of having a issue of the Transit Advocate. Please booth at the event. complete It and return it to the June 8 meeting, or mail it to SO.CA.TA, 3010 Friday July 12 The Pacific Railroad Society Wilshire #362, Los Angeles 90010. An will have MTA CEO Roger Snoble online version is also available at as a guest speaker to discuss MTA's http://socata.lerctr.org/survey .html plans. PRS is encouraging all with an Your answers may determine the future interest in transportation to attend. This of SO.CA.TA. Thanks for participating. will be held in the Joslyn Center (Alhambra Room) in Alhambra, 210 N. Captain Kenneth Garner, Commanding Chapel Ave beginning at 7:30 p.m. Officer of L.A.P.D. Transit Bus Division, will be the speaker at our June 8 meeting Beach trains will again run this summer beginning at 2: 15 p.m. After his between Rialto and Oceanside. For remarks there will be a question and further information on ticket prices, dates answer period. We will also have a of service, stop locations, etc. call (909) brief discussion of whether to support the 787-7938. statewide High Speed Rail system proposal and whether to endorse the PCL The California Futures Network e• transportation initiative on the newsletter Land Use Lines in its May November ballot. edition includes the address for a useful resource: a database compiled by Our comments on the proposal for MTA the California League of Cities of website line 125 were submitted via e-mail and addresses for nearly every city forwarded to the Project Manager where in the state: they will be considered along with http://www .cacities. org/ cities_online/citie all other public comments. The text of s_online. asp ?intParentID= 3 SO.CA.TA's comments can be read on the front page of our website. As always, The Transit Advocate needs Thursday, June 13, 7:00 p.m. the next articles, letters, Transit Tips, photographs general meeting of Friends 4 Expo and research from all members and Transit will be held at Hamilton High interested non-members. All materials School (main building), 2955 S. should be sent to 3010 Wilshire #362, Robertson Blvd. in West Los Angeles. Los Angeles, CA 90010. (or e-mailed to Topics include a funding update and transit@lerami. lerctr.org). Material for discussion of livable communities. publication should be received two weeks before the scheduledSO.CA.TA meeting .• Saturday June 22 from Noon to 8 p.m. Santa Monica will hold a downtown street fair to celebrate the completion of its transit mall. Big Blue Bus service will June 2002 . http://socata'.lerctF:-Org Page 3 meeting). May 31 the Select Senate Committee on MTA held a dog & pony show at the San Fernando City Hall on the sector plan. About the only real news to come out of the event is Senator Alarcon has again amended SB 18, this time to state if the valley secedes that the Mayor of the new city would take over one of the L.A. seats on the MTA Board. interesting legislation of the month: AB May 30 I stumbled across a Bus Riders 2189 (Koretz) would require public Union event being held in the transit contractors to retain for 60 days afternoon at the intersection of employees of the previous contractor. WilshirefVermont. 10 or so yellow shirts Currently It is before the Senate Labor and were handing out flyers promoting their Industrial Relations Committee. "Civil Rights Watch" I mentioned last month. EVidently this is part of a The "People/Briefly" column in the May count-down to June 30 when the final Metro Investment Report notes L.A. load standard of the consent decree (no Mayor James Hahn has appointed Wayne more than 8 standees) becomes active. Tanda as General Manager of the L.A. he BRU is soliciting data from riders, Department of Transportation. Tanda handing our forms that only have space for formerly was the City of San Jose's negative information (overcrowding/late). Director of Transportation. Under the circumstances won't the information be tainted by the bias of the Was amused to learn MTA still subsidizes instructions? . Avalon ferry fares for commuters (page 2,. item #31, MAy 23 MTA Board Giving credit where it is due, Bart Reed of meeting). A report I read years ago on The Transit Coalition tipped Rick Orlov of improving transportation on Catalina the Daily News to an item Orlov used in his explained why this is done: MTA can May 27 column that "the Bus Riders Union report the route miles of the ferry as part is circulating a proposal to have its of the regional transportation network for members go on record calling for the U.S. purposes of formula federal subsidies. to end its support of Israel for its actions involving Palestinians. It Some BRU Did you know on May 9 $28.1 million was members disagree with this stance. I'd bet released by the Governor for the Exposition some of the contributors to Eric Mann's Line? This assures planning will proceed bulging coffers feel the same way. while the funding issues are settled, perhaps for the entire project. Think the Patsaouras Transit Plaza is cramped? If MTA goes forward with its Well, sanity finally reigned in the close 3-2 development plans for the Wilshire/ PUC vote on Gold line grade crOSSings. Vermont Red Line station site the bus plaza Most impressive is the spin doctoring the will be moved to a currently unused 1 acre Mt. Washington Association has undertaken parcel east of Shatto fronting Wilshire. in claiming this defeat of their anti-Gold OUCH! Just the thought of the turn radius Line campaign as a victory: makes me wince. Has anyone in MTA http://www .mtwashington.org/projects/ Operations seen this? (item #26, May 16 blue-line/final. htm MTA Planning and Programming Committee Page 4 THE TRANSIT.ADVOCATE June 2002 I am attempting to obtain a recent report (perhaps at manufacturers' expense via on core rideshare services provided by legal action). Oh, what staff did the Southern California Association of recommend for the replacement coaches Governments.