A South Los Angeles community collaboration, Citizens' Campaign to Fix the Expo Rail Line (Fix Expo), officially launched a grassroots campaign and petition on Friday to the Mayor, Governor and MTA requesting resources from the Obama stimulus package and Measure R to add grade separations — train underpasses or train overpasses — to the current street-level portion of Expo Light Rail Line Phase 1 in South L,A.
The group has titled the endeavor the “Expo Line South L.A. Grade Separation Project.”
To date the group has elicited support from local politicians who, in the past, were fence-sitters or opposed to changing the design of the project, which is currently under construction from Downtown L.A. to Culver City.
Fix Expo says the primarily street-running design of the Expo Line, which is proposed to cross major intersections in South L.A., almost all without crossing gates, is similar to the MTA's Blue Line, which travels through South L.A., Watts, Compton and Willowbrook.
At 92 deaths from more than 824 accidents, it is the deadliest light rail line in the country
Fix Expo was successful in convincing an administrative court to require MTA to change the street-level crossing near Dorsey High School to grade separated for safety reasons.
Safety Plans Elsewhere
But the group remains concerned about the safety and traffic impacts of the many other street-level crossings, as well as the presence of the street-level crossings in the South L.A. portion of the project, but not in Culver City.
From La Cienega to the Robertson terminus in Culver City, MTA is building train overcrossings at every street, resulting in a budget that allots more money to constructing the one-mile of the line west of La Cienega than in the entire 4.5 miles in South LA.
“The new resources available to MTA by law must be spent on rapid transit expansion,” said Damien Goodmon, coordinator of Fix Expo.
“Appropriating some of those dollars to add grade separations to the South L.A. portion of the Expo Line would completely address our concerns about safety, traffic and resource and impact inequities.
“This is an opportunity to save lives, improve traffic, do right by South L.A., and make the Expo Line a 21st century project befitting our world-class city. It is truly a win-win for all parties.”
Rallying Behind the Idea
In a surprising development, the group that has become famous for ramming heads with local elected officials is finding support for the idea.
“Discussions that went nowhere 100 days ago, are heading places,” said Mr. Goodmon. “To date Assemblymember Curren Price, who is the presumptive State Senator, along with Assemblymember Mike Davis, who represents the area around Foshay School, have requested the governor seek the federal funds.
“Councilmember Herb Wesson, Jr. has been the driver on the local level, along with our courageous longtime ally, LAUSD School Board member Marguerite LaMotte.
“Carmen Trutanich, candidate for City Attorney, signed our petition calling it a 'no brainer.' There will be more announcements of support in the coming weeks.”
Resistance from the MTA
Mr. Goodmon said that “to date, the MTA staff has petitioned for stimulus package funding for Expo Phase 1. However, they requested it from the wrong source of funding, and only to backfill the existing primarily street-level project, not to add new grade separations in South LA.”
Clint Simmons, the Public Safety Chair of the West Adams Neighborhood Council, said the MTA is run by “indifferent bureaucrats.”
“They don't want to change the design for a project that they figure is a done deal,” he said, “even though they know it will harm and kill kids and worsen traffic.
“But the bureaucrats work for the politicians, and the politicians work for us. And we the South L.A. community want an Expo Line in South L.A. that is safe, equitable and improves traffic without worsening it.
“We're not going away. We're not backing down.”
Citing the resurrection of the Wilshire subway extension, which just two years ago was considered a pipe dream, Mr. Goodmon said that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is the final decider in determining whether MTA changes course on the Expo Line.
“He controls the MTA board,” Mr. Goodmon said. “He has all the political influence. If he wants grade separations added to the Expo Line to make it safe in South L.A., they will be added. If he doesn't, we go to court.”
Civil Rights Suit May Jeopardize MTA Plans
The group is hopeful that with the support of the community and the new and growing support of the elected officials, Mayor Villaraigosa/MTA will make the changes to the under construction Expo Line.
Otherwise they're threatening to launch a civil rights lawsuit that may jeopardize all federal funding for MTA.
“As we said Thursday at the Expo Authority board meeting, this is our final administrative appeal to address the safety discrepancies and environmental injustice on Expo Phase 1,” said Mr. Goodmon.
“If a local agency is found to be building a project that violates federal civil rights and environmental justice laws, like Expo Phase 1, all federal funding for the agency must be withheld.
“That includes stimulus package money and any resources that would come from the massive federal transportation bill that will be approved in early 2010.
“Stated plainly, MTA's refusal to 'Fix Expo' puts in jeopardy the entire multi-billion dollar effort to expand mass transit in L.A. County, including the Mayor's Subway to the Sea.”
“We have deliberately waited until the last minute possible to take this final draconian step, which we all hope won't be necessary,” said Mr. Goodmon. “We've been requesting changes for decades, only to be ignored by MTA and Villaraigosa.
“We're hopeful the Mayor and MTA will do the right thing.
“But if they don't, like civil rights leaders before us, we will unapologetically go court for justice and to protect the lives of our children.”
Mr. Goodmon may be contacted at dg@fixexpo.org
