Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
2009 Transportation Bill

Boxer, LaHood Coming to L.A. to Discuss Federal Transportation Bill

As transportation reformers continue to wait for the Senate to join the House in offering a new federal
transportation bill, Senate environment committee chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Transportation
Secretary Ray LaHood will hold a town-hall meeting at the headquarters of L.A.'s Metro transit authority on Friday, February 19. 

2_10_10_boxer_lahood.jpgBoxer and LaHood get on the same page. (Photo: AP)

The draft agenda for the day,
available via the announcement on The Source, can be found here

If this sounds familiar, it's because Boxer held a similar forum
downtown back in September 2008, where various officials from around
Los Angeles, ranging from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and then-Metro CEO
Roger Snoble, testified about their priorities for a long-term federal
transportation bill.

The basics of the hours and
hours of testimony can be described in two terms: "new starts" and
"ports."  There was no mention of words such as "bicycle,"
"pedestrian," or even "smart growth."

The key to whether
this new town hall will provide a chance to discuss what various
transportation stakeholders need and desire in a transportation
reauthorization bill will be up to Boxer, LaHood and Art Leahy, the new Metro CEO. Last time,
non-VIPs had to wait through hours of presentations by elected
officials and bureaucrats before any advocates -- or other people that
don't collect a government paycheck -- got to take their turn.

If this is really a town hall, then hopefully all of the stakeholders, including commuters
that don't have a paid driver, will get a chance to speak.

The Southern
California Transit Advocate
's Dana Gabbard agrees:

I'm glad to seeSenator Barbara Boxer and U.S. Transportation SecretaryRay LaHood have announced they are reaching out to stakeholders seekinginput on the currently stalled federal transportationfunding reauthorization bill. Which is all well and good IF theattendees reflect a wide range of stakeholders, not just usualsuspects. Heretofore our region hasn't always done as well as it shouldin that regard. If more a diverse group of people see the process asbeing connected to their needs and concerns, maybe the chances of someprogress [for] passage sooner rather than later would improve. At leastthe preliminary agenda includes some good concepts for discussion,including livability and safety.

I guess we'll have to
wait and see for another nine days. Rest assured, Streetsblog Los Angeles will
"go dark" next Friday, but we'll be live tweeting from Metro headquarters.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday’s Headlines Got DOGE’d Again

Amidst uncertainty about future federal funding, Amtrak is cutting $100 million and 450 jobs.

May 9, 2025

Friday Video: Where Was the First Public Bus Route in the World?

...and which surprising historical figure helped launch it?

May 9, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: ‘Normal’ is Not Correct, Someone Died Here

After a crash, the debris is quickly cleaned up and everyone moves on (usually too quickly). But these two experts are asking us to all slow down.

May 8, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines Are Not Gonna Pay a Lot for This Truck

President Trump's tariffs, along with rising insurance costs, are driving down Americans' interest in owning a car.

May 8, 2025

How One Suburb is Using Transit to Transform Into a True City

A Washington State suburb may be poised to evolve into a true transit-oriented hub – and offer lessons for other bedroom communities, even during an anti-transit era.

May 8, 2025
See all posts