Vote Yes on Measure M to Move and Improve L.A. County Traffic Now

MONROVIA -- Members of the Yes on M coalition were joined by a largegathering of working men and women at the Gold Line rail yard in Monrovia to urge passage of Measure M, the Los Angeles County Traffic Improvement Plan, to create 465,000 jobs and reduce the time L.A. County residents are stuck in traffic by 15 percent.

Duarte Councilmember and Metro Chair John Fasana, L.A. Mayor and Metro Vice Chair Eric Garcetti, local elected officials and residents including Councilmembers from South Pasadena, and leaders and rank and file members of the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership, Los Angeles County Business Federation, American Heart Association, Operating Engineers, Los Angeles/Orange County Building & Construction Trades, the Carpenters/Contractors Cooperation Committee, and Investing In Place all came together to say "Vote yes on M to move and improve L.A. County Traffic today.

"Drivers on the 210 and across L.A. County have seen the tremendous success of the Gold Line extension to Azusa. Now, with Measure M, we have the chance to extend it to Montclair, Whittier and South El Monte, helping commuters across the San Gabriel Valley and connecting with a new system that eases congestion countywide," Garcetti said. "Measure M will put 465,000 people to work in good, middle class jobs at a time when our population is expected to grow by 2.3 million."

"Measure M delivers for L.A. County and that's why business and labor have come together in support," said Metro Board Member and Supervisor Mike Antonovich.

"All people do is talk about traffic. This November, you can do something about it," said Metro Chair and Duarte Councilmember Jon Fasana.

"We were part of the original Gold Line and we want to see it extended to Claremont," said South Pasadena Councilmember Rick Schneider. The City of South Pasadena has endorsed Measure M.

"This is a huge opportunity to decongest our freeways," said Montebello Councilember Jack Hadjinian. The City of Montebello has endorsed Measure M.

"The business community is solidly behind Measure M," said Jeff Allred, CEO of the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership.

Former Monrovia Mayor Maryanne Lutz said: "It's not just about today, it's about tomorrow. Measure M will help light rail and our freeways."

Measure M will also add lanes in each direction of the 71 to improve traffic flow and will immediately invest in fixing interchanges all along the 605. San Gabriel Valley communities will immediately receive $35 million in annual funding for local pothole, road repair and traffic improvement projects. Local transit operators like Arcadia Transit, Foothill Transit, Claremont Dial-a-Ride and Montebello Bus Lines will also receive annual funding.

The Los Angeles Times just endorsed Measure M, saying "L.A. County residents need alternatives to sitting in soul-crushing traffic. Vote yes on Measure M." The Measure is also endorsed by a bi-partisan coalition including Supervisor Mike Anotovich, the L.A. County Business Federation and the L.A. County Federation of Labor, the Sierra Club, the American Heart Association and AARP-California.

A recent Texas A&M analysis found that traffic congestion costs the average commuter in our region $1,711, including from wasted fuel and lost productivity. All together, drivers in our region lose 622 million hours stuck in traffic a year, for a total cost of $13.3
billion, according to the analysis.

Measure M will reduce the time people are stuck in traffic by fifteen percent a day. According to the non-profit Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, it will create 465,000 new jobs. Measure M will ease traffic immediately by repairing potholes and repaving local streets and roads in each of L.A. County’s 88 cities. It will keep senior, disabled, and student fares affordable and will provide critical earthquake retrofitting for overpasses and bridges.

Measure M will modernize L.A. County's aging transportation system and build a twenty-first century transportation network that expands subway, light rail, Rapid Bus, Metrolink, freeways, and highways. Measure M adds and accelerates transit lines and finally ties them together into a comprehensive system that will work with an improved freeway and local road network.