While many people have heard of Move LA, they frequently don’t understand our role in building the broad coalition that convinced LA Metro to place Measures R and M on the ballot and provide the support to help LA Mayors Garcetti and Villaraigosa gain the 2/3 voter support needed to pass them. 
So it was gratifying to read an article in The American Prospect titled, “The Great Los Angeles Revolt Against Cars,” that speaks directly to Move LA’s role in changing mobility in Los Angeles County. From Executive Director Denny Zane’s inspiration for Move LA to what comes next for our region, the article shows the critical role that Move LA has played in bringing bold changes to LA County. Here is an excerpt:
Zane got to work building the coalition. He brought together environmentalists looking to reduce carbon emissions from cars, labor unions seeking good jobs building rail, and business groups wanting better quality of life for employees and customers. He called the new organization Move LA. “We could have been laughed off, but we weren’t,” Zane says. “The first meeting, I invited 35 organizations and 34 showed up.” Some of these groups hadn’t worked together in years, if ever. They spent close to a year developing a workable plan...
Move LA’s plan proved compelling enough to persuade the Metro board to devise Measure R (for “relief”), which would go before voters on the November 2008 ballot. Metro’s board settled on a 30-year, half-cent sales tax increase, raising $30 billion to $40 billion for 12 specific rail, subway, and road projects. Zane initially balked at the regressive tax choice, but studies showed that businesses and tourists paid more than half of all sales taxes because of California’s many exemptions for necessities.
If you want to read the full article by David Dayen click here: http://prospect.org/article/great-los-angeles-revolt-against-cars
We want to continue strengthening our transit system in the L.A. County region with more connections, better service, and more access for seniors, students, and people with disabilities. To do that, we need your continued support. Please consider donating to Move LA today by clicking the button below: