Gold Line To Monrovia Has Public Support

[klamedia]

Arcadia election turnout high
By Gretchen Hoffman Staff Writer



ARCADIA - Voters in Arcadia packed the polls in higher-than-average numbers on Tuesday, reflecting what officials say were several hot-button issues in the campaign and a surprisingly popular bond measure on the ballot.

With the addition of Bob Harbicht and Peter Amundson to the five-member City Council, and the return of current Mayor John Wuo, any proposal to use eminent domain proceedings to enable the expansion of the Rusnak Mercedes Benz dealership is likely to fail. Council members Gail Marshall and Gary Kovacic did not seek re-election due to term limits.

Overall voter turnout was 8,776, or 34 percent of the electorate, according to the City Clerk's office. In comparison, about 24 percent of registered voters turned out in 2004, and 23 percent in 2002.

Harbicht was the top vote-getter in Tuesday's election, with 4,447 votes, followed by Amundson, with 4,240, and Wuo, with 3,665. Fewer than 600 votes separated Wuo from the next highest challenger, former councilman Sheng Chang.

But the real surprise in the election was Measure A, which calls for the city to build a train bridge over Santa Anita Avenue to mitigate the effects of the proposed Gold Line extension on safety and traffic.

A Westfield poll released days before the election found that 50 percent of Arcadians supported the bond measure, which needed a two-thirds majority to pass.

The measure, however, passed with 72 percent approval. Marshall was among those surprised


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by the support.

"They must have really got the message that this could be very problematic for our emergency vehicles, first of all," Marshall said. "This was a one-time shot - we do it now, or you'll never have it."

Councilman Mickey Segal said opposition to Measure A probably helped its proponents by giving it a higher profile in the election.

"Deep down, I believed it would pass," Segal said. "None of us want to vote to have our children and grandchildren at risk."

Segal said he had some concerns that voters in the south portion of Arcadia, who would be less affected by the Gold Line congestion, would support Measure A in lesser numbers. But in some southern precincts, it passed by a 3-to-1 margin, Segal said.

Wuo said the issues that dominated the campaign aren't likely to go away anytime soon. Developer Rick Caruso, who plans to build an open air mall next to the Santa Anita Park racetrack, still must bring back a revised Environmental Impact Report.

[klamedia]

How is it that suburban Arcadia can pass a measure to build a bridge manifesting a desire for an extension of the Gold Line? But yet neighborhoods/cities like Hancock Park and B.H. sit foursquare in the middle of the urban core had opposed and delayed a rail line, a natural appendage to all world class urban areas, through their areas? It's simply amazing to me that the San Gabriel Valley is busy about building TOD's and transit friendly/pedestrian friendly areas and pushing for more rail. But yet Hancock Park sits in the middle of everything, holding everyone up because of their fear that a "darkie" is going to come and steal their JVC out of their bedroom window.
IF their was anyway, Hancock Park and The City Of Beverly Hills should be sued on their part of upholding public progress.

[latennisguy]

Originally Posted by klamedia

...
IF their was anyway, Hancock Park and The City Of Beverly Hills should be sued on their part of upholding public progress.

I'll sign a petition for that

[Fern~Fern*]

Doesn't the Gold Line have low ridership compare to to other lines. Why do they want to extend it if no one is going to ride it. I would see if they would extend a branch of the blue line to service the South East communities of LA. Which highly depend on public transportation.

[mercury_phoenixchick]

Extending light rail to Arcadia would make perfect sense and would only help proliferate ridership on the Gold Line, considering that the city is home to the prestigious Santa Anita Park race track and also the beautiful,yet often times ignored Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden.

By extending the Gold Line futher eastward, it will give more people (residents, tourists, etc.) a destination point and an alternative to the automobile to come and experience some of LA County's other wonderful attractions.

I'm kind of glad some suburban cities like Arcadia are beginining to see the "light" and abandon their nimby attitudes which have mired other city's progress and seeing the positives of light rail/TOD development, which would only help further the much needed densification and development of greater Los Angeles.

[Facial]

Originally Posted by klamedia

IF their was anyway, Hancock Park and The City Of Beverly Hills should be sued on their part of upholding public progress.

Upholding? I'm confused.

[PotatoGuy]

Originally Posted by Ferneynism

Doesn't the Gold Line have low ridership compare to to other lines. Why do they want to extend it if no one is going to ride it. I would see if they would extend a branch of the blue line to service the South East communities of LA. Which highly depend on public transportation.

SSSHHHH!!! unused rail line is better than no rail line at all!!!

[z1sthies]

Beverly Hills doesn't want a line going through because they think it will let in the riff raff

[klamedia]

Originally Posted by Facial

Upholding? I'm confused.

More so in the past than now. In fact, B.H. has come out for the Red Line down Wilshire Ave.

[klamedia]

Originally Posted by Ferneynism

Doesn't the Gold Line have low ridership compare to to other lines. Why do they want to extend it if no one is going to ride it. I would see if they would extend a branch of the blue line to service the South East communities of LA. Which highly depend on public transportation.

It's called politics. When it's time to vote on the Red Line down Wilshire we are going to need the very active voters in the San Gabriel Valley to sign on for an increase in county taxes. If not, they will begin to complain that they have been overlooked and vote against any kind of subway to the sea that they feel does not directly service them. Remember, this is a county-wide project.
On top of that, the SGV really has its shit together. Not only have they already secured the seed money for the train but have a projection date of finishing the first leg in 2 years. They have also attracted enough developer money that massive, and I mean massive TOD's are being built all along the Gold Line. The GL might be the whipping boy now, but once all of those TOD's and the Eastside leg come on line, it's really going to be a different story.

[Fern~Fern*]

^ That totally blows...... we need that train here in the city. Wether it's the line down the 405 or the LAX express to Highland Park. Mannnnnn, Politics suck and so those the SGV for having their shit together!