This document summarizes a presentation given by Tim Lindholm, Director of Capital Projects for Los Angeles Metro, at the Opportunity Green Conference at UCLA on November 17, 2007. Some key points:
- Los Angeles Metro operates over 2,200 buses and 73 miles of subway and light rail across LA County with a $3 billion annual budget.
- Metro has the largest fleet of clean air compressed natural gas buses in the nation and has built the largest solar power generation facility for a transit agency.
- Metro is working to expand public transit options through projects currently under construction like the Expo Line and projects in planning stages, but traffic and air quality remain problems for LA.
- To truly address these issues
1. Los Angeles County
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
OPPORTUNITY GREEN CONFERENCE
University of California Los Angeles
November 17, 2007
Tim Lindholm, R.G.
Director of Capital Projects, Metro
2. About Los Angeles Metro
• Over 2,200 peak-hour weekday buses
• 73.1 miles of subway and light rail
• Freeway service patrol
• Planner, Builder, Operator, and
Funding Agency for County
• $3 billion annual budget
2
8. Sustainability at Metro……
We retrofitted all escalators with power-saving motor
controllers to save energy costs…..
8
9. Sustainability at Metro…….
Metro is aggressively developing transit-oriented
development projects at our transit stations…..
38 proposed developments and counting…….
9
13. Under Construction
•Directly connects
to Gold Line
•Six miles long
with eight new
stations
•Started
construction in
2004
•Union Station to
Beverly/Atlantic
•Complete in Late
2009
13
14. Under Construction
•Connects
Metro Exposition Line Downtown to
Santa Monica
•Parallels 10
freeway
•Phase I started
2006 and will
complete late 2010
•Phase II to Santa
Monica in
Planning and will
be complete 2015.
14
15. Design/EIR Phase
Metro Orange Line
Chatsworth Extension •North Hollywood
to Chatsworth
•Extension of
existing Busway
from Warner
Center
•Terminates at
Chatsworth
Transit Center
•Planned Opening
in 2012
15
23. Impacts of Climate Change for LA
Public Health & Air Quality – More
Heatwave & Respiratory Illness,
Diseases
Rising tides & violent storms- LA/LB
Climate Changes Ports 43% of US trade.
Temperature
Increase Sea Level and Violent Storms LAX-
Precipitation World’s 5th Busiest Airport
Patterns and
Extremes Costs to protect/evacuate
Forest Adjacent & Coastal Communities
Sea Level
Rise Reduced Water Supply, Quality &
Increased Costs
Source: Anne Grambsch, 1998
Increased Energy Supply
costs/Stress on infrastructure
Hardest on poor, minority residents, exacerbating
existing economic & social inequalities.
23
25. This hints at the solution……
Least GHG Emissions Most
40% of all trips under 2 miles
61% under 5 miles
17-20% of adults would bike to
work sometimes if it was safer
Walking, Bicycling and Transit is the most sustainable
form of transportation
25
28. The answer is smarter growth…..
40% of all trips under 2 miles
61% under 5 miles
17-20% of adults would bike to
work sometimes if it was safer
We need to get more vehicles off the roads and highways
28
29. Smarter Growth in Technology
40% of all trips under 2 miles
61% under 5 miles
17-20% of adults would bike to
work sometimes if it was safer
We need to invest in alternative fuels for personal,
commercial, and industrial uses
29
30. Smarter Growth in Funding
40% of all trips under 2 miles
61% under 5 miles
17-20% of adults would bike to
work sometimes if it was safer
The federal funding trend that funds more for
highways than public transit must reverse
(Light Rail: $1.7 Billion vs. Highway: $40 Billion 30
31. Smarter Growth in Mobility
40% of all trips under 2 miles
61% under 5 miles
17-20% of adults would bike to
work sometimes if it was safer
We need to expand our existing public transit and
goods movement corridors
31
32. Smarter Growth in Goods Movement
We need to green our ports and invest in clean
technology for goods movement (rail/truck)
32
33. Smarter Growth in Demand Management
40% of all trips under 2 miles
61% under 5 miles
17-20% of adults would bike to
work sometimes if it was safer
We need to consider potentially unpopular
approaches, such as congestion pricing
33
34. Smarter Growth and Good Urban Design
We need to plan and build our communities smarter by
embracing pedestrian environments (walking, bikes,
transit) with less parking and density near transit
34