History of the LACMTA
LACMTA is the product of the merger of two previous agencies: the Southern California Rapid Transit District (SCRTD or more often, RTD) and the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission (LACTC).
The State of California created the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority effective February 1, 1993 per AB152 (Katz).
Soon after, then assemblyman Richard Katz authored and was successful in passing legislation to combine the LACTC and SCRTD into the current LACMTA.
Initially, the LACMTA retained the locations of the predecessor agencies in Downtown Los Angeles, but later moved to the 25-story Gateway Plaza Building adjacent to historic Union Station in 1995 with former SCRTD Operations staff occupying the lower half of the tower and former LACTC staff in Planning and Construction occupying the upper half demonstrating that old hostilities were still present after the merger.
In addition, local media reports of expensive Italian marble, granite and limestone used in its construction resulted in the structure being derisively dubbed the Taj Mahal.
Housed within the building is the Dorothy Peyton Gray Transportation Research Library and Archives, a comprehensive collection of transportation-related books, videos, and other materials, said to be one of the largest in the nation held by a transit operator.
[5] In 1996, under the direction of then-L.A. mayor Richard Riordan, the LACMTA signed a ten-year consent decree with the BRU to avoid litigation.
[6] At the time, the LACMTA board was led to believe from information provided by MTA staff that load factors could be maintained with existing levels of bus service and without impacting the rail construction timetable; this proved false.
It also required the Authority to operate special services designed to better connect the poor with important job centers and medical facilities.
The BRU made an attempt to extend the decree, but federal judge Terry J. Hatter, Jr. denied this motion on October 25.
With the passage of the initiative and a lack of confidence from federal and state agencies, the LACMTA brought in Julian Burke, a turn-around expert from the private sector.
The argument some politicians made were that transit zones were more cost effective than MTA service, because drivers could be paid reduced wages.
These "Compo Buses" are 2,100 pounds lighter than a regular bus, increase fuel economy, boast a faster acceleration and deceleration rate, and feature reduced maintenance cost.
The construction authority completed it on time and under budget, although the MTA had to spend an additional $130 million to purchase cars and test the line.
However, an independent audit showed the union had mismanaged the nearly bankrupt trust fund, making the agency unwilling to contribute more money without getting a managerial stake.
Along with a new name and logo, the agency updated the livery of its buses to clearly identify each vehicle with the type of service it provides:[18] On October 29, 2005, the 14 miles (23 km) Orange Line began operation.
Within its first week of operation, the at-grade Orange Line experienced three collisions with automobiles, all deemed the fault of drivers who ran red lights.
Drivers' tactics include slowing to approximately 10 miles per hour (16 km/h) at intersections with poor cross-traffic visibility or blind spots.
In addition, the police department heavily patrols the route, with officers in marked cruisers and motorcycles distributing red-light citations.
Using grants and funds from the Metro ExpressLanes project, the line began operation between the Harbor Gateway Transit Center, Downtown Los Angeles, and El Monte Station.
The report did include the idea of operating the Dual Hub BRT with articulated buses, ticket vending machines at all stations and street stops.
In 2007, with the consent decree with the Bus Riders Union (BRU) expired, Metro announced plans for a fare hike.
This proposal garnered strong opposition from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Councilman Bernard Parks, the BRU, and low-income residents.
Measure R, a proposal that enacted a 1/2 cent increase in sales tax to fund transportation throughout Los Angeles County, including rail, subway, and freeway improvements, was approved by voters in November 2008.
In September 2005, Metro broke ground on a 6 miles (9.7 km) extension of the Gold Line from Union Station, which now runs through Little Tokyo to the corner of Pomona and Atlantic Boulevards in East L.A.
"[32] The Metro Silver Line, a reconfiguration of existing service on the Harbor and El Monte Transitways, opened on December 13, 2009.
In the years following Congressman Waxman's blocking of plans to tunnel a subway through the dense Wilshire corridor, traffic and congestion have risen considerably.
The problem was underscored in 2000 when the art collective Heavy Trash group erected eight large signs along public streets announcing the construction of the "Aqua Line," a 15 miles (24 km) subway "connecting downtown to the Westside.
"[33] The Aqua Line was a hoax, but Heavy Trash intended to raise awareness that heavily congested and populated West Los Angeles still lacked rail access.
Local and state sales tax and other funds were set aside for this project, and the Final Environmental Impact Report was approved in December 2005.
