Beverly Hills Patch accepts and publishes emails to the editor regarding any relevant local issue. The views expressed in the following commentary do not reflect the opinion of the publication, its editor and/or its writers. Emails may be edited for length and clarity. Have an opinion? Write to the site editor Marie Cunningham, at mariec@patch.com.

Commentary submitted by Assemblyman Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles), 42nd Assembly District:

Our region is choked with traffic. It can take an hour and a half, maybe more, to get from the Westside to downtown during rush hour. Even a trip on Santa Monica Boulevard from Doheny to Wilshire, a distance of less than a mile, might require 10 to 15 minutes on a weekday afternoon. Traffic congestion creates air pollution that threatens our families’ health, wastes precious hours of our time and decreases our productivity. 

We have to transform our transportation system. That’s why I wrote the legislation that authorized Measure R, the local measure that will devote $40 billion to build new transit, improve roads and create jobs throughout Los Angeles County. I also deeply believe in the value of laws that protect California’s environment by requiring rigorous analysis of the impact of new development. 

With these goals in mind, I introduced a preliminary version of state legislation (AB 1444) designed to streamline the approval process for public transit projects, while preserving the public’s ability to closely scrutinize these projects. In its current form, the bill expresses this intent, but little more, because I hope to spark a wide-ranging conversation—among constituents, environmentalists, transit experts, judges, attorneys and others—on how to strike just the right balance. 

So far I’ve had numerous, productive meetings with these stakeholders in my local office and in the Capitol. I’ve been pleased with the depth and tenor of these discussions, and I look forward to more. 

While much of the reaction to my efforts has been very positive, some local naysayers seem committed to opposing any version of my bill—apparently without attempting to understand it. For example, my bill would not affect the ability of the Beverly Hills Unified School District to challenge one of the routes that the L.A. County Metro Board will consider for the Westside Subway Extension. In fact, it would only apply to projects for which, unlike the subway, a draft environmental impact report has yet to circulate. In addition, even were the bill to change in ways I haven’t yet contemplated, legislation enacted this session doesn’t take effect until at least next January—well after any legal challenge to the subway route most likely would be filed.

I am eager to continue to receive input on how to move forward, including from Beverly Hills residents and elected leadership. But as the bill evolves, I hope that everyone involved makes a good faith effort to understand what’s really at stake. 

I welcome your thoughts and comments. I can be contacted by email at assemblymember.feuer@assembly.ca.gov, or if you would like to make an appointment to talk with me in my district office, please contact my office at 310-285-5490.

Assemblyman Mike Feuer
42nd Assembly District 

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