Meeting_Body
CONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE
SEPTEMBER 17, 2015
Preamble
Motion by:
Supervisor Don Knabe
September 17, 2015
San Pedro Red Car Line
The San Pedro Waterfront Red Car Line honors the historic importance of public transportation in Los Angeles County and is facing imminent closure this month to make way for the long anticipated revitalization of the San Pedro Waterfront. While I support revitalization efforts by the Port of LA, and do not want to impede the approved revitalization plan, more can be done to save the historic Red Car Line from closure, including operating and maintaining a shorter line, and to evaluate and explore available funding sources and whether the plans to create a new, modern streetcar system in its place are realistic, and what it would take and how long it will be before the planned relocation and modern, replacement streetcar service could be constructed and implemented once the existing tracks are removed and the historic, vintage cars are pulled out of service.
In July 2015, the Metro Board approved a motion to authorize Metro to study the Angels Flight Railway to identify options for implementation that would allow the historic railway to resume its service in Downtown LA. In San Pedro, a similar situation requires our attention to save what many believe is a Southern California treasure.
Title
MOTION by Knabe that the MTA Board:
Direct the CEO to report back to the Board in 60 days, and provide a presentation for discussion at the November/December 2015 MTA Board Meeting, on the following items related to the operations of the San Pedro Red Car Line; the historic railcar line operating on a 1.5 mile stretch of the San Pedro Waterfront in the Port of Los Angeles:
A. A historical summary of operations and funding for the San Pedro Red Car Line, including an analysis of why the line operates only on limited days of the week;
B. A summary of existing transit services connecting to the Red Car Line, including Metro, municipal providers, and local downtown (PBID) trolley, with an analysis of how transit connections could be improved to service a shorter segment of the line, such as from the existing 22nd Street/Marina Station to the Ports O’Call Station, or to relocated stations along the alignment;
C. An evaluation of the reasons for the proposed closure of the Red Car Line and the identification of options to maintain service on shorter segments, and at relocated stations, including potential funding sources;
D. Recommendations for maintaining operations on a shorter line;
E. An evaluation of the Waterfront Red Car Line Expansion Feasibility Report and the identification of potential funding sources that may be available for future implementation;
F. Send a letter to the Port of LA (POLA), before the September 27th closure date, to request that the closure of the Red Car Line be deferred, at a minimum for the portion of the line that is not immediately needed for the City’s roadway improvement project, and to reach out to POLA to discuss options for temporarily suspending the Federal Freight Abandonment Process while Metro’s evaluation is being completed and shared with POLA.