Cynde lives in Long Beach and commutes to her job as a disability rights advocate in downtown Los Angeles, using her wheelchair and traveling along the Blue Line and the Red Line. On weekends she has difficulty getting to the Rancho Los Amigos Rehabilitation Center in Downey because of a lack of connecting service; however, Measure M will address this and other mobility obstacles by repairing sidewalks, installing more curb cuts and increasing the number of transit connections where she can change lines.
Stephanie, an older adult living in Los Feliz, would like to take advantage of what the city has to offer but without a car. Measure M is a means to reduce the impact of cars being the dominant source of transportation in Los Angeles and provide older adults with the option of easy access to affordable public transportation that will take Stephanie where she wants to go.
Harrison, a representative of special needs students in the Student Senate at Pierce College in the San Fernando Valley, travels to school each morning with Access services and home by bus each afternoon, a 1½ to 2 hour commute each way. Measure M’s increased funding for Access services and expanded bus service plus a conversion of the Orange line to light rail will create higher service levels and greater connectivity that will shorten commutes for Harrison and many others.
By 2030, one in every five LA County residents will be 65 years or older with a wide variety of transportation needs. People with disabilities, many of whom rely on public transit, already total more than 1 million people in Los Angeles County. This projected population growth will significantly increase the need for more accessible, convenient, affordable public transportation. Measure M, the transportation improvement plan on the November 8th ballot, will address this very issue.
Measure M will invest an estimated $2.4 billion over 40 years to benefit older adults and people with disabilities, building rail projects that connect all parts of LA County, improved and expanded bus and Access paratransit services, improved sidewalks and discounted fares for older adults and people with disabilities.
While some of the planned projects will take some years to construct, other projects will start rolling as early as January 2017. More than 1 in 6 of all Measure M dollars will go to each of the 88 cities in LA County to be used to repair neighborhood sidewalks, fund more curb cuts, local Dial-a-Rides, and improved connections to bus stops and rail stations, making it easier for people of all ages and abilities to get to transit.
More than 48,000 individuals from around the county provided input on what should be included in Measure M and there is wide-ranging support from business, labor, environmental, and faith-based organizations among others. Measure M is endorsed by organizations such as the American Association of Retired People (AARP) as well as all the Independent Living Centers in Los Angeles County.
Measure M will provide more transportation options for Cyndi, Stephanie, and Harrison as well as for the rest of us.
Vote Yes on Measure M.