September 22 -- The Measure M campaign was pleased to receive the endorsement of NextGen Climate President Tom Steyer today, a business leader and philanthropist who is a prominent voice on climate change and economic opportunity, among other issues.

NextGen Climate issued the following press release announcing his strong support for Measure M, the Los Angeles County Traffic Improvement Plan: 

Tom Steyer Endorses Measure M

NextGen Climate President Tom Steyer today announced his support for Measure M, the Los Angeles County Traffic Improvement Plan. The measure would reduce the amount of time L.A. County residents are stuck in traffic and create hundreds of thousands of jobs.

“When cars sit stuck in traffic on the freeway they pollute our air and commerce slows,” said Steyer. “Measure M is a vital investment in public transportation that will improve air quality, create jobs, ease the movement of goods and people, and prepare Los Angeles for long-term economic growth. This is a smart measure for the future of Los Angeles, and it deserves strong support from voters.”

"Measure M is a crucial investment in the public transportation infrastructure of Los Angeles," said Los Angeles County Supervisor and immediate past Chair of the Metro Board Mark Ridley-Thomas. "We need it to grow and thrive in the 21st century. Measure M will clear the air, ease traffic congestion and create hundreds of thousands of jobs. We are delighted to have Tom Steyer invest in our future as a partner in the effort to pass Measure M and keep Los Angeles moving."

“As Mayor, I recognize that traffic congestion is an issue that must be addressed regionally,” said Los Angeles Mayor and Metro Board Vice-Chair Eric Garcetti. “Measure M strikes a strategic balance between Countywide projects and immediate local upgrades in each of L.A. County’s 88 cities to ease congestion and accelerate our economy with 465,000 new jobs. I am proud that Tom Steyer has joined our coalition to pass Measure M and move L.A. County toward a less-congested future.”

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. Measure M also eases traffic immediately by repairing potholes and repaving local streets and roads in each of L.A. County’s 88 cities, keeps senior, disabled, and student fares affordable, and provides earthquake retrofitting for overpasses and bridges.

Public transportation projects that would be funded by Measure M include:

• A new, 20-mile rail line connecting Artesia and Downtown L.A. 
• Extending the Gold, Purple, Green and Crenshaw/LAX lines 
• North San Fernando Valley, Vermont Ave. and other Bus Rapid Transit improvements 
• Metrolink funding to enhance regional commuter rail travel 

In addition, Measure M would fund major freeway and street projects to improve the flow of traffic and cut unnecessary idling. According to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office, California’s aging highways require $3.6 billion in annual upgrades with $12 billion in outstanding repairs.

Steyer joins a coalition of Measure M supporters including Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, the Los Angeles City Council, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club, labor unions, and community groups.

Steyer has been traveling around California this year to discuss local issues with community and voter groups and identify measures with the greatest impact.

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