Metro Planning Committee mtg: now on to Highway Program item - see some SBLA coverage from yesterday la.streetsblog.org/2021/11/16/met…
Highway Program head Abdollah Ansari introducing item - he is presenting saying that Metro will take on highway projects that cities are not getting done - also working on Caltrans highways. Says Metro received a grant for a VMT (vehicle miles traveled) study
(Ansari sounds excited to build freeways - then
stumbles/pauses/grasps for words when he's talking about studying VMT.)
stumbles/pauses/grasps for words when he's talking about studying VMT.)
Ansari talking more about Metro doing environmental and design work for SGV cities projects.
Ansari says there will be an appeals process - for resolving projects - apparently for north 710 corridor cities that don't just want to do car-centric streets?
@MayorButts says South Bay having problems with projects rejected by Metro highway staff. Asks if these disputes can come to the board? Ansari says yes - this is the appeals process he mentioned.
Dupont-Walker requests highway project specifics come to the board. Wants to see multi-modal projects - especially in lower income areas. Ansari says that the board is getting in the way of these sorts of projects. [ugh]
Ansari says Metro projects will do bike components if the cities pay for it. but "not to expand to areas that would kill the project." Complains that highway projects are getting done due to these sorts of problems [um - just not true]
@HildaSolis notes recent L.A. Times coverage of highway harms la.streetsblog.org/2021/11/12/l-a…
@HildaSolis @HildaSolis asks for state legislation on highway construction displacement - prevent harms to communities.
@HildaSolis Ansari: "the projects that we are now pursuing are the projects of no impact" [meaning no home demolitions] [again just not true for Metro's lower 710, 605 CIP, 71 widening, 5 widening projects]
@HildaSolis Now on to public comment: @ClimateResolve says urgent action needed on climate - set goal to reduce VMT (among the recommendations that Metro Highway Program responded to noncommittally.)
@HildaSolis @ClimateResolve Caller echoes climate emergency concerns. @ActiveSGV caller says highway reform critical - asks board to strengthen commitment to do no harm (no more demolitions) - take leadership role in addressing historic harms.
@HildaSolis @ClimateResolve @ActiveSGV Caller urges climate justice - stop widening freeways - criticizes non-committal language in staff report, and highway program resistance to working with cities on multi-modal projects, active transportation
And that's all for this morning's Metro Planning Committee meeting. Metro Finance Committee will meet at 1:30pm today.
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