2010-08-03
LA Pushing to Become Nation's Mass Transit Leader. By Daisy Nguyen, AP, August 1, 2010. "The region famous for jilting the street car to take up a love affair with the automobile is trying to rekindle its long ago romance with commuter rail. If successful, the novel plan to borrow billions from the federal government, led by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, would result in the largest transit expansion project in the nation. Los Angeles County voters agreed two years ago to pay a half-cent sales tax over the next 30 years to extend train and rapid bus lines, projects that would routinely require federal assistance. But the mayor, who sits on a county transportation board, wants a loan instead of Washington handouts to get the projects built in a decade rather than 30 years. He contends it would save money in the long run, result in more construction jobs and less traffic and pollution. If the approach works, it could set a precedent for cities and states across the country considering major rail and road improvements."
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