Changing Zero to Hero: How Will Gateway Cities Step Up?

Zero.

That’s how much the Gateway Cities Council of Government (COG) allocated for active transportation in Metro’s proposed transportation ballot measure. Compare this to the hundreds of millions of dollars the neighboring COGs like Central City, Arroyo Verdugo, and San Gabriel dedicated to active transportation.

For one of the most low-income and most environmentally impacted neighborhoods in the state, that means Gateway Cities COG — a subregion with 28 cities — allocated zero for improving sidewalks, safer access to transit, more complete communities, and safe routes to school for our youth.

With over $122 billion in potential revenue for a 2016 transportation ballot measure, allocating not even one dime for active transportation in Southeast Los Angeles County — despite overwhelming support by community and elected leaders — is not just a missed opportunity, but a tragedy for the next generation of youth trying to get to school safely and for our older adults and individuals with disabilities navigating our complex transit system.

Will you join us to ensure funding is equitably allocated for walking, biking, safe routes to school, and complete streets in the Gateway Cities subregion? We are hosting a webinar — the first of many leading up to Metro’s June board meeting.

Please join Investing in Place and the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition to learn more about Metro’s potential November 2016 Transportation Sales Tax measure and strategize on opportunities and challenges particularly in Southeast Los Angeles County. Everyone is welcomed to join our webinar.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016 from 10:30 AM to 11:45 PM (PDT)

Attendance is free, but please kindly register here. A webinar registration link will be sent to you upon registration.

A key outcome of this webinar is to organize and co-power partners working to improve walking, bicycling and transit conditions in South LA and the Gateways Cities COG.  Investing in Place and LACBC will be sharing our analysis of Metro’s Draft Ballot Measure and facilitate a discussion among partners on next steps and messages for Metro’s meeting and potential comment letters.

The webinar is intended to prepare partners to attend Metro’s Ballot Measure meeting that same night (Tuesday 4/26) at the Gateway COG and the South LA Metro Ballot Measure two days later (Thursday 4/28). The webinar is open to all community residents, transportation advocates, and community organizations.

For more information please email john@investinginplace.org or bryan@la-bike.org.