The decline in LA County transit ridership has prompted many theories about the reasons why—from Lyft and Uber to cheaper gas prices to an increase in car ownership among new immigrants. We, however, have a different take on why ridership has declined, and explain our rationale HERE, with numbers to back up our POV. But as importantly, we have some ideas about how we can rebuild ridership while also serving populations that would really benefit from more, better service.

When Phil Washington, CEO of the LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority,  asked that we “Re-Imagine Los Angeles”—as his proposal to the Metro Board last December is now called—he linked the possibility of introducing congestion pricing with making transit free and more frequent in LA County.

While the idea of drivers having to pay to drive in some places at some times may alarm more than some Angelenos, the idea that the revenue could be used to make transit free and frequent is intriguing, to say the least. It  suggests maybe we can eradicate congestion without waiting for land use changes (more housing near jobs and transit, etc.) to get us there, and fix Metro’s declining ridership. This has never been tried in the U.S.

Please join us at the Conference Center of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on March 1 in downtown Los Angeles! This is the event where we built the coalition and momentum to pass both Measures R (2008) and M (2016), and this year we have another proposition—a 4-county ballot measure to dump diesel and conquer climate change! (Note LA Mayor Eric Garcetti once said we stage the biggest panels in the known universe!) Register HERE.

Here we go dreaming big again. It's what we do. This is version 17 of our Vision 2020 Straw Man. We had 33 versions of our Measure M Straw Man. Call or email us and weigh in on what you think should be different.

Move LA's 2019 workplan makes environmental and social justice a priority on 3 major fronts, and we are looking to expand our coalition to help create campaigns that can win. Our endeavors in all these areas in the past have met with success, but we need an expanded and even more robust coalition—and the input that new partners can provide—to achieve the following goals:

Diesel exhaust is our No. 1 environmental justice challenge in Southern California, and the low-income communities of color living along Southern California's heavily trafficked goods movement corridors are the most heavily exposed. These “diesel death zones”—along the I-710 and 60 freeway corridors, for example—are unhealthy places in which to live, work and play, and we must address this inequity.

We believe that in order to meet California's climate goals we must build transit ridership, and that a discounted student transit pass program for all public college and university students statewide is key to growing ridership: These are student riders are especially important because they may start making decisions about where to live and work based on whether there's transit nearby—they may even develop a life-long transit habit—and this is a program that would also reduce the cost of getting an education for both student riders and for schools.

Welcome 2019! Bring it on! We've begun the New Year by moving from our previous home in the MALDEF building on Spring Street and 7th into a shared office space at the LA Clean Tech Incubator in the Arts District, where we're planning for a year of transformational opportunity—beginning with our Vision 2020 plan to help Southern California dump diesel, conquer climate change, and become a model for the world!

Californians have rejected Proposition 6, the effort to repeal SB-1 and eliminate $5 billion/year for badly needed transportation repairs and improvements—a major victory for transportation advocacy in California! And voters in LA County rejected Prop 6 by an even larger margin, 60.05% to 39.95% with all precincts reporting, compared to 55% to 45% statewide!

Business, labor, cities, elected officials, enviros and community organizations staged an impressive show of force last Tuesday at the Red Line station in North Hollywood, with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti as host of the show, and everyone in agreement that Californians must VOTE NO on Prop 6!