February 4: This Date in Los Angeles Transportation History

Written by Kenn Bicknell

1993: The 13 members of the newly-formed Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors are sworn in and meet for the first time.

The new LACMTA combines the powers, duties and responsibilities of the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission.

The new Board includes:

The five Los Angeles County Supervisors (Gloria Molina, Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, Ed Edelman, Deane Dana, Mike Antonovich)
Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley along with three mayoral appointees (City Council members Richard Alatorre, Marvin Braude, Mark Ridley-Thomas)
Four representatives from the League of Cities (Long Beach City Councilman Evan Braude, Duarte Mayor John Fasana, Glendale City Councilman Larry Zarian, Gardena City Councilman James Cragin)
The State of California non-voting representative, Caltrans District 7 director Jerry B. Baxter

At the meeting, Councilman Richard Alatorre was selected the Board’s first Chairman. He had previously served as Chairman of the Merger Task Force.

In 2003, Metro took a look back at the 10th anniversary “Decade of Progress” of LACMTA.

This Metro Rail Youtube timeline illustrates the extensive transit projects that have been launched from 1993 to the present.

2000: LACMTA transportation planners and consultants unveil a series of 21 potential alternatives and recommendations to improve transit mobility in three key corridors in Los Angeles County.

The transit alternatives were recommended for further study for the Mid-City/Westside, Eastside and San Fernando Valley east-west corridors.

They range from buses traveling on exclusive lanes on city streets or on exclusive busways on existing LACMTA-owned railroad rights-of-way, to light rail projects, and in one corridor, a short underground light-rail segment.

At a special Board of Directors workshop, CEO Julian Burke remarks that:

“It is critical for the MTA to accept the challenge [of providing alternative transit in three transportation corridors…but the agency can only] move ahead with projects when we know we have enough money to construct and operate them.”

More information can be found in the February 4, 2000 issue of MyMetro, the LACMTA employee new digest and Burke’s full remarks can be found here.

Last Updated June 3, 2024

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