October 21, 2019
LA Metro recently published a first-of-its-kind study (in the US) entitled "Understanding How Women Travel.” It is a fr...
Agency Type:
Responsibilities:
Overview:
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) serves as transportation planner and coordinator, designer, builder and operator for one of the country’s largest, most populous counties. More than 9.6 million people – nearly one-third of California’s residents – live, work, and play within its 1,433-square-mile service area. And LA Metro’s buses may be the most famous in the world — often making appearances and cameos in movies.
State law created the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) to oversee funding and coordination of all public transportation services within Los Angeles County. (See generally, Division 12 of the Public Utilities Code entitled “County Transportation Commissions beginning at Section 130000).
LA Metro recommends projects that will be federally funded under the Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Community Strategies (RTP/SCS). The RTP/SCS identifies strategies to meet mobility of all modes, legislative, financial, and air quality requirements in the six county area the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). LA Metro identifies long range transportation improvement projects beyond those already programmed in the six-year federal funding plan. LA Metro coordinates the input provided to SCAG with local agencies in order to ensure consistency with city and county transportation plans and projects.
LA Metro also serves as the tax authority and implementation agency for a voter-approved sales tax measures; the most recent (Measure M) passed in November. Additionally, Metro programs projects for State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) funds, including special funds created by the state for programs like bicycle and pedestrian facilities and specialized transit for seniors and persons with disabilities; develops evaluation criteria based on federal or state guidance and selects or recommends the most competitive projects based on this criteria; and distributes funds to public transit operators for planning, program administration, bicycle and pedestrian facilities projects, public bus transit, and rail transit.
Metro’s Congestion Management Program looks at the links between land use, transportation and air quality. Working with SCAG, LA metro prepares and updates the CMP to meet federal and state standards. RCTC relies on an enhanced traffic monitoring system of traffic counters at call boxes and Caltrans traffic monitoring sites to use immediate data to monitor the highway system.
LA Metro also participates in Mobility 21, a regional Southern California transportation advocacy group.
Primary Funding Sources:
Locally raised transportation tax funds; state and federal funding for transportation
Total Members:
89: The county of Los Angeles and 88 incorporated cities
Population Represented:
9.6 million
Program Highlights:
Related Stories:
Board Makeup:
The composition of the Metro’s Board of Directors is comprised of 13 voting members and one ex officio member as provided by Section 130051 of the Public Utilities Code. The voting members include all five Los Angeles County Supervisors, the mayor of Los Angeles, 2 public members and one city council member appointed by the mayor of Los Angeles, and four mayors or council members representing the four geographical sectors of the county (currently the North County/San Fernando Valley, Southwest Corridor, San Gabriel Valley, and Southeast Long Beach sectors). The details of how the four sectors are defined (by the L.A division of the League of California Cities) and how members are selected from each sector (votes weighted by population by members of the City Selection Committee from that sector) and for how long (four years, staggered terms) are further defined in the statute. In addition, the Governor appoints a non-voting, ex-officio member, often the Caltrans District Director.
See Metro’s website for a current roster of the board of directors.
Executive Director:
Stephanie Wiggins, CEO
CALCOG Board Representative:
Vacant
Web Link: