AB 1446 Extends Measure R Sales Tax Authorization for Transit Projects
January 4, 2012 (SACRAMENTO) – Today Assembly Member Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles) introduced legislation to fund Los Angeles area transit projects more quickly, jumpstarting area construction projects and getting Angelenos back to work.
The bill would authorize the L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) and L.A. County to allow County voters to extend the length of the Measure R sales tax authorization beyond 30 years, to a date to be determined shortly. This extension would enable Metro to bond against future Measure R proceeds and build those transit projects much sooner than originally contemplated, without relying on federal or state funding.
“This bill would address three major problems in Los Angeles County by creating thousands of desperately-needed jobs, reducing traffic congestion that chokes our region, and decreasing pollution from private vehicle trips,” said Feuer.
In Los Angeles County, 336,000 jobs have been lost since 2007, and 582,900 people were unemployed as of October 2011. The construction industry has been hit especially hard; over 53,300 construction jobs have been lost in recent years.
In his first term as an Assembly Member, Feuer authored legislation that placed Measure R on the 2008 Los Angeles County ballot, asking voters to approve a 30-year one-half cent sales and use tax dedicated to construction and operation of transportation-related projects. More than 67 percent of voters approved the measure, which commits approximately $40 billion to traffic relief and transportation upgrades throughout the county over the next 30 years. These upgrades will include westward extension of the subway and adding north/south routing to the San Fernando Valley's Orange Line bus way. Efforts to expedite the construction of the Measure R transit projects from 30 years to 10 years by obtaining federal loans secured by Measure R revenues have not yet been successful.
Assembly Member Feuer’s website: http://assembly.ca.gov/feuer
Contact: Arianna Smith, 916-319-2042
