Politics & Government

Metro's Gold Line Comments 'Extremely Disappointing,' GLCA CEO Says

Habib Balian, CEO of the Gold Line Construction Authority, said he was disappointed with Metro CEO Art Leahy for saying that the money to fund the Gold Line to Claremont has all dried up.

From an email sent by Habib Balian, CEO of the Gold Line Construction Authority, responding to comments from Metro CEO Art Leahy :

Mr. Leahy has now made it very clear where Metro staff stands on completing the voter-mandated project to Claremont. This is extremely disappointing since the San Gabriel Valley legislators worked hard in 2008 to define the project to Claremont, and Metro staff helped sell Measure R to voters by specifying the project to Claremont in their materials. Attached is a copy of the sample ballot that went to voters ahead of the November 2008 vote. As you can see on page 19 (in the rebuttal signed by then-Metro CEO Roger Snoble), Metro asserted that Measure R would make “transportation improvements throughout Los Angeles County” and highlighted the “Gold Line Foothill Extension to Claremont” as such a project. As you recall, nearly 94,000 residents of foothill cities from Arcadia to Claremont supported Measure R.

On several occasions of late, Metro has misinterpreted our request to be included in the expenditure plan. The misconception voiced by Metro is that we are insisting on funding the remainder of the project exclusively using Measure R funds. Not true. We are simply requesting to be treated like every other under-funded Measure R project. We ask that they include the true total cost to complete the Foothill Extension to Claremont in the expenditure plan, and provide a strategy for funding project completion through a combination of federal, state and local funds…like every other project. Not special treatment, just funding commensurate with the dictates of the Measure R promises; not more, and certainly not less.

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