KTLA News: "Mayor Tom Bradley holds press conference on public transit projects" (1976)

[Mayor Tom Bradley] We have been working on the starter line for Los Angeles. That's an independent operation. Stands by itself. Has no relationship with the Sunset Coastline. We have been working for the past several months on an alternatives analysis for that line. Our grant application will be considered possibly in May. It is our hope that we can get approval on that and get it to the Department of Transportation by June of this year. [quietly] You can move that in a little bit. Move this one. [unintelligible murmuring] [Bradley] The Los Angeles Region has made considerable progress in the field of transportation over [cut] In agreeing to place on the ballot in June the Sunset Coast Line which will provide 232 miles of Rapid Transit construction for the entire County of Los Angeles. I suppose that in our concern and concentration on that issue, which was very important... we may have lost sight of couple of other developments. I want to point them out to you today. Simultaneously [cut...] ...build a park to downtown and then down to the Long Beach, San Pedro area. Part of it would be subway, but the bulk of it would be above-ground. The decision as to which of these elements will make up the starter line has been discussed, and I suppose you might say some consensus has already been reached. But no final decision has been made. That decision will be made once this grant application is ready for us. And it is my hope that the agencies, the City, the County, Long Beach and RTD will finally agree and make their commitment. As a part of my budget I have provided 2.6 million dollars of our gas tax funds to ensure the commitment of the city of Los Angeles toward the construction of that starter line. The county has made its commitment. Long Beach has also committed. It is my judgment that we are a long way down the road in agreeing upon and finally presenting the starter line grant application for approval by the federal government. We have done many things in the Los Angeles area over the last three years in what we call a total transportation program. And while we talk a great deal about Rapid Transit, are many other elements to this program. I want to point out to you what has brought a number of officials to our city to look at the progress made here. As a matter of fact [cut...] some of this progress... ...when it will be desperately needed. But even long before that an expansion of transport... [cut] ...effective and efficient public transportation systems serving the city and the County of Los Angeles. I know the secretary is quite interested in the diamond lane experiment. It's the first in the country. It is an important concept. Anything of this magnitude is obviously going to have its problems, as the diamond lane has. I'm pleased that the Department of Transportation, Caltrans has made some adjustments, and will continue to make adjustments in order to make that program more effective. And to eliminate the bugs and the problems in it. [faint interviewer] Sir, do you think that they will be able to work out the problems? Are you supporting... [cut] [Bradley] ...they finally made that adjustment. We've been talking about the elimination [cut] [silent] This analysis will be completed. That will then be considered, and when agreed upon by the all of the governmental agencies. A grant application will be made. And that's the thing... [interrupted by questioner] By RTD, yes. And that will then be submitted to Washington, to UMTA for funding. [faint interviewer] What's the deadline? [unintelligible attendees] One of the interesting features of our preparation of the alternatives analysis has been that we've been working with the federal government with people from UMTA all along the way. So that that any questions, any reservations they have that can be resolved while we are putting this package together. I've been pleased with their reaction. They think that we're doing an excellent job and that we're making good progress on it. It is my hope that the secretary is going to be equally pleased with the progress that we've made. You all know he prodded us a year ago to get moving. I think we've done that. I believe that we're on target now. [multiple questioners...] [interviewer] ...on an in person basis when he's here. What are you going to emphasize with him, when you've got him here? For one thing we wanted him to see our total transportation response. Our total program. That includes some of these things I've just shown you on this chart. It includes the progress we've made on the starter line. It also includes the decision that has been made now on the Sunset Coastline. What we ought to do is convince him that this city, it's leadership, is moving aggressively to develop the kind of transportation program for the entire Los Angeles region that we think will put us in the forefront of the cities of this country [Interviewer] Voters rejected this program a couple... [cut, silence]