URBAN PERSPECTIVE-Among the issues that unite the diverse residents who call the 54th Assembly District home is transportation. Throughout the district residents are seeking solutions to our traffic woes, but communities are often at odds with the region’s transportation agencies that propose disruptive “solutions” like the Pico-Olympic one-way plan, street-level Expo Line across major streets, a Crenshaw-LAX Line design that proposes to devastate the region’s last black business corridor, and poorly placed bike lanes. Even the Subway to the Sea has had it share of controversy.
The underlying matter is that the region’s transportation agencies have become too arrogant and dismissive of the concerns of the public directly impacted, and often see the citizens as an obstacle, not a partner in fixing our traffic crisis. Somewhat relatedly and unsurprisingly each of the agencies’ proposed transportation solutions has resulted in litigation filed by resident groups under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”).
At the state legislature, efforts are afoot to further weaken the ability of residents to be heard on transportation projects. Prior to voters heading to the polls on Tuesday to elect a new Assemblymember the Crenshaw Subway Coalition submitted a questionnaire that sought to find out where the candidates stand on the issue.
The four candidates … Accountant/former Culver City Mayor Christopher Armenta, Real Estate Broker/Olympic Park Neighborhood Council President John Jake, Councilmember Curren Price deputy Sebastian Ridley-Thomas and physician Dr. Morry Waksberg … were asked to put in writing responses to three questions that had been previously asked at events co-sponsored by the Crenshaw Subway Coalition, including the candidate’s forum at St. Bede’s Church, KTYM town hall, and KPFK town hall.
1) What is your position on undergrounding the Crenshaw-LAX Light Rail Line from 48th Street to 59th Street – the eleven (11) blocks that remain at street level on the Crenshaw Boulevard portion?
2) What is your position on the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s request for the state legislature to create a ballot measure that would ask citizens to reduce the threshold for passing local taxes for transportation from the current 2/3rds to 55%?
3) What is your position on efforts to change the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) to limit the rights of citizens to legally challenge construction projects that impact the environment, which includes mass transit rail projects?
In summary, each candidate states they support undergrounding the street-level portion from 48th to 59th Street, and they offer varying commitments to help achieve that objective. There are varying responses in the positions on the reduction in the voter threshold issue.
Each candidate states they oppose efforts to weaken CEQA. But voters who intend to really understand the candidates views on the issues, the seriousness they take the issue, and the qualifications they hold to address the matters should view their full responses here.
(Damien Goodmon is the Executive Director of the Crenshaw Subway Coalition and past Co-Chair of the neighborhood council serving the Leimert Park area. He can be reached at [email protected])
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 11 Issue 97
Pub: Dec 3, 2013
