Joined by Mayor Eric Garcetti and Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas
CRENSHAW BLVD. -- A powerful coalition of faith leaders today including Bishop Charles Blake Sr. of West Angeles Church of God in Christ, Pastor Edgar Boyd of First A.M.E Church and Apostle Beverly BAM Crawford of Bible Enrichment Fellowship International Church united in support of Measure M, the Los Angeles County Traffic Improvement Plan. They were joined by Metro Vice Chair and L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and Metro Board Member and L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. Today's event was held at the West Angeles Church on Crenshaw Blvd.
"We are united in support Measure M. We will all reap the benefits of a more reliable transportation system that relieves traffic," Bishop Blake said. "At West Angeles Church of God in Christ, we know first hand the benefits of affordable and accessible transportation because the Expo line is right here. We are excited about Measure M."
The under-construction Crenshaw/LAX Line will run from the Expo Line at Crenshaw and Exposition Blvds. to LAX and the Green Line. Measure M would extend the line from Exposition Blvd. to Hollywood.
To applause, Bishop Blake added, "Measure M will generate good paying jobs for this community."
"As an inner city pastor, I am honored to serve today as co-host," Pastor Boyd said. "Our focus is really trained in to Measure M. It is a a big-big win for the city and county of Los Angeles."
Speaking of the successful recent extensions of the Gold and Expo lines, Pastor Boyd said. "They have successfully shown what metro can achieve to modernize our aging transportation system."
"Measure M ensures that our infrastructure will be build to last. Measure M creates good paying jobs, jobs that can make a critical economic difference to families. Los Angeles County needs Measure M and I encourage you to do everything you possibly can to influence as many people as possible to vote yes."
"Measure will create 465,000 jobs and we could use that in our communities, especially.
Measure M will immediately fill potholes and repave our streets, and that got my attention.
A lot of our people are dependent on transit to get to church, get to choir services, get to rehearsal. I urge everyone to vote yes on Measure M. Our consciousness is counting on this," Apostle Crawford said.
"Metro is no stranger to our community here. It's not just about the dollars. It's not just about the number of jobs. Measure M is about the people," Mayor Garcetti said. "Right now, there is an 82-year-old veteran who needs his medicine, but doesn't have access to where he needs to go. That will change through Measure M. There is a child who has never been to the beach, but Measure M will connect her to the Expo line, wherever she lives in LA County, so she can feel the sand between her toes. The traffic we sit in every day is L.A. County's form of purgatory.It's time spent in limbo, time spent away from our families and friends, time that is wasted. Measure M is about breaking us free from this gridlock and giving us our time back.
"It is our view that transportation makes a difference," Supervisor Ridley-Thomas said. "It is in no small measure about jobs, jobs and more jobs. There is no single public investment that has the potential to create this many jobs. Vote, vote vote -- go tell it on the mountain. M is for mountain!"
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.
The Los Angeles Times endorsed Measure M, saying "L.A. County residents need alternatives to sitting in soul-crushing traffic. Vote yes on Measure M."
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. The L.A. County population is projected to increase by 2.3 million.
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.