Metro CEO Art Leahy to Discuss Expanded Gold Line to East Los Angeles with Town Hall Los Angeles
Arthur T. Leahy, Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will speak to Town Hall Los Angeles about the extension of the Metro Gold Line to East Los Angeles “Striking Gold with Metro on the Eastside,” on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 noon, at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel noon. Tickets $48-60, call 213.628.8141 or click here to register.
The Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension opening this summer, will have eight new stations serving LA neighborhoods such as the Little Tokyo Arts District , Boyle Heights, connecting to downtown LA, Pasadena, San Fernando Valley, South Bay, Long Beach and points in between.
On plans to improve public transit Leahy said,” I am looking forward to helping deliver on the promise to voters when they supported Measure R-to make transportation by delivering more mass transit options, repairing street, reducing congestions and freeways and maximizing carpool lanes.”
The third largest public transportation agency in the US. Metro has a $3.4 billion annual budget and more than 9,000 employees. Operating more than 200 bus routes and five subway and light rail lines with a combined annual ridership exceeding 400 million boardings
Leahy assumed his current position on April 6, 2009. He returned to Los Angeles where he began his career 38 years ago as a bus driver for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) moving on to various positions including head of MTA’s Operations Division in 1993.
From 1997 -2001, he served as general manage of Metro Transit in Minneapolis-St. Paul. For the past eight years Leahy has headed the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), where he has overseen planning, financing and coordination for Orange County’s freeway, street and transit development as well as managing the 12th busiest bus system in the country last year along with commuter rail, and paratransit services for the disabled, among other transportation programs. He led voter renewal of Orange County’s Measure M, the $12 billion transportation sales tax measure to fund local highway and transit projects.