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June
23,
2003 |
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Los
Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky to Take Reins as New MTA Board
Chair (Los Angeles) - Los
Angeles County Supervisor and MTA Board Director Zev Yaroslavsky will
become MTA Board Chair beginning July 1, 2003. Yaroslavsky, who has served
as 1st Vice Chair since July 2002, will serve as Chair for a
term of one year. "How
to improve mobility in our region is our most daunting challenge,"
said Yaroslavsky. "My top priorities will be figuring out the most
effective transit solutions for Los Angeles County, increasing our
available funding, and guiding MTA through what I hope will be a year of
great promise and achievement." Yaroslavsky represents
Los Angeles County's Third Supervisorial District, which comprises much
of the City of Los Angeles including the San Fernando Valley, Hollywood
and Los Feliz, the Wilshire corridor and West Los Angeles; the cities of
Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Malibu, Agoura Hills,
Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Westlake Village and San Fernando; and
unincorporated areas including Topanga and the Santa Monica Mountains. He formerly served on
the Los Angeles City Council. He was first elected in 1975 and was
subsequently re-elected in 1977, 1981, 1985, 1989 and 1993. He was elected
to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in June 1994 and was
re-elected twice, most recently on March 5, 2002. Yaroslavsky succeeds
outgoing Chair and Los Angeles City Councilmember Hal Bernson. Highlights
during Bernson's tenure included groundbreaking for construction of the
San Fernando Valley Metro Rapidway, introduction of the Regional EZpass
and expansion of the Metro Rapid bus program. "Hal Bernson has worn
many hats during his 24 years of public service," said Yaroslavsky.
"We all owe him a debt of gratitude for his tireless efforts on behalf
of the city and county of Los Angeles, Metrolink, Southern California
Association of Governments and MTA." MTA Board Director
Frank Roberts will succeed Yaroslavsky as the Board's 1st
Vice Chair. The MTA is the regional
transportation planning agency for Los Angeles County. It operates a fleet
of more than 2,200 buses in a service area of 1,433 square miles. The MTA
also operates the 73.1-mile Metro Rail System and is the primary funding
agency for Metrolink, the six-county, 507-mile commuter rail system. In addition, the MTA
funds street and highway projects, bike lanes and many other
transportation improvements throughout Los Angeles County. The Metro Rail System
includes the 17.4-mile Metro Red Line subway and three light rail lines,
the 22-mile Metro Blue Line, 20-mile Metro Green Line and the 13.7-mile
Metro Gold Line, which is scheduled to open July 26, 2003. MTA-092 Editor's
Note: a photo is available upon request; contact Ed Scannell at (213)
922-2703. |
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