Los Angeles is about to embark upon one of the largest investments in transportation infrastructure in the county’s history—an array of projects worth more than $72 billion over the next 30 years. This investment has the potential to be a massive economic recovery project at a time when Angelenos need it most. Los Angeles County is experiencing one of the worst economic crises in modern history, with unemployment close to 13 percent. Public investment in transportation represents an opportunity to connect communities hit hardest by the recession to middle-class jobs, while also improving our environment and helping create thriving communities with real transportation alternatives. At a time of severe fiscal challenges for the public sector, voters in the county approved Measure R by a two-thirds majority, providing a half-cent sales tax increase dedicated to transportation investment. With a secure local revenue stream, Los Angeles County can become a national model for creating middle-class jobs by prioritizing public transit through the “30/10 Plan,” a proposal to expedite twelve mass transit projects from 30 years to 10, in coordination with federal agencies.
