Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
APRIL 21, 2022
Subject
SUBJECT: MEMBERSHIP ON METRO’S WESTSIDE CENTRAL SERVICE COUNCIL
Action
ACTION: APPROVE RECOMMENDATION
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
APPROVE nominee for membership on Metro’s Westside Central Service Council.
Issue
ISSUE
Each Metro Service Council (MSC) is comprised of nine Representatives that serve terms of three years; terms are staggered so that the terms of three of each Council’s nine members expire annually on June 30. Incumbent Representatives can serve additional terms if re-nominated by the nominating authority and confirmed by the Metro Board.
The Westside Central Service Council has a vacancy created by the resignation of member George Taule in May 2021. The term of the now-vacant seat is July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2024.
Background
BACKGROUND
Metro Service Councils were created in 2002 as community-based bodies tasked with improving bus service and promoting service coordination with municipal and local transit providers. The MSC bylaws specify that Representatives should live in, work in, or represent the region; have a basic working knowledge of public transit service within their region and an understanding of passenger transit needs. To do so, each Representative is expected to ride at least one transit service per month.
The MSC are responsible for convening public hearings to receive community input on proposed service modifications, and rendering decisions on proposed bus route changes considering staff’s recommendations and public comments. All route and major service changes that are approved by the MSC will be brought to the Metro Board of Directors as an information item. Should the Metro Board decide to move an MSC-approved service change to an Action Item, the MSC will be notified of this change prior to the next Service Council monthly meeting.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
The individual listed below has been nominated to fill a vacant seat on the Westside Central Service Council by the seat’s respective nominating authority. If approved by the Board, this appointment will serve out the remainder of the vacant seat’s three-year term. The nominee’s qualifications and the nomination letter from the nominating authority are provided in Attachments A and B.
For reference, the 2019 American Community Survey demographics and 2019 Metro Ridership Survey demographics for the Westside Central region are compared to the membership, should this nominee be appointed.
Westside Central
A. Margarita Alvarez Gomez, Westside Central Service Council, New Appointment
Nominated by: Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti
Term: July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2024
Should this nominee be appointed, the Westside Central (WSC) Service Council membership will compare to the region and the region’s ridership as follows:
|
% Region Total |
Hispanic |
White |
Asian |
Black |
Native Amer |
Other |
|
WSC Membership/No. |
5 (55.5%) |
1 (11%) |
1 (11%) |
2 (22%) |
0 (0%) |
0 (0%) |
|
WSC Council Region |
42.8% |
31.1% |
13.3% |
9.3% |
0.2% |
3.3% |
|
WSC Region Ridership |
66% |
7% |
7% |
16% |
1% |
4% |
The gender makeup of the Westside Central Cities Service Council will be as follows:
|
Gender |
WSC Membership/No. |
Los Angeles County |
|
Male |
44.4 % / 4 |
49.7% |
|
Female |
55.5% / 5 |
50.3% |
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
Maintaining the full complement of representatives on each Service Council to represent each service area is important. As each representative is to be a regular user of public transit, and each Council is composed of people from diverse areas and backgrounds, this enables each Council to better understand the needs of transit consumers including the need for safe operation of transit service and safe location of bus stops.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
Metro seeks to appoint Service Council members that represent the diverse needs and priorities reflective of the demographics of each respective region.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
Approval of this recommendation supports the following Metro Strategic Plan Goal: 30 Enhance communities and lives through mobility and access to opportunity.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The alternative to approving these appointments would be for this nominee to not be approved for appointment. To do so would result in reduced effectiveness of the Service Councils, as it would increase the difficulty of obtaining the quorum necessary to allow the Service Council to formulate and submit recommendations to the Board. It would also result in the Service Council having a less diverse representation of their respective service areas.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Staff will continue to monitor the major contributors to the quality of bus service from the customer’s perspective, and share that information with the Service Councils for use in their work to plan and to implement and improve bus service in their areas and the customer experience using our bus service.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Nominee’s Listing of Qualifications
Attachment B - Nomination Letter
Prepared_by
Prepared by:
Dolores Ramos, Manager, Regional Service Councils, (213) 598-9715
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Conan Cheung, Acting Chief Operations Officer, Bus
(213) 418-3034
