The South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) has declined to take a position on the Metro C-Line (Green Line) extension which is scheduled to cut through the city of Lawndale to reach Torrance.
There has been much debate in the City about the alignment being proposed by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority (Metro) and Lawndale residents.
SBCCOG (The COG) executive director Jackie Bachrach has a long history with Metro dating back to when it was called the Rapid Transit District (RTD). She created the SBCCOG which includes 16 South Bay Cities, the city of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County are dues paying members of the joint power authority.
South Bay cities sign agreements allowing The COG to make decisions on their behalf in the areas of transportation, the environment, energy efficiency, homelessness, and any other government-funded programs Bacharach can get her hands on.
According to The COG’s February 22 Board of Directors’ meeting, they declined to take a position on the alignment of the proposed rail line despite Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. urging them to do so.
Gardena Councilman Rodney Tanaka urged The COG to NOT take a position on the alignment, which Lawndale favors to be elevated and run down Hawthorne Blvd. as opposed to running the line through a residential neighborhood alongside an industrial train line.
PRESENTATIONS A. C Line Discussion and Recommendation (attachment) SBCCOG Executive Director Jacki Bacharach shared the goal of the SBCCOG to work collaboratively with Board and City Managers and that the staff summary reflects the recommendation for the SBCCOG to not take a position on the alignment, but support the Board’s recommendation that a project be built in the South Bay. Redondo Beach Board Member Nils Nehrenheim presented a PowerPoint about the Metro C-Line Extension and Hawthorne Boulevard alignment, emphasizing the importance of learning from past decisions to inform future actions. Board Member Nehrenheim’s presentation is accessible here: https://southbaycities.org/wpcontent/uploads/2023/12/PRESENTATION_Nils-Comments-on-C-Line-Extension_RB-.pdf.
Additional public comments primarily revolved around the proposed C Line extension and its potential impacts on the safety of the families living along the line. The public comments are accessible here: https://youtu.be/c8iKPnIW6rw?feature=shared.
Chair Hicks shared that the SBCCOG is a consensus organization . He emphasized that Metro determines the ultimate approval on the C Line. Board Member Suarez cited that Lawndale’s council favored the Hawthorne Boulevard option with mitigation measures. Board Member Mattucci stated that the City of Torrance prefers the ROW and noted that the SBCCOG does not have a consensus and should take a neutral position. Board Member Monteiro of Hawthorne shared his support for the Hawthorne Boulevard elevated way option. Inglewood Board Member Butts shared that as a Metro Board member, the SBCCOG position on this issue matters. Board Member Cruikshank of Rancho Palos Verdes mentioned that all the cities care about this issue, as his city’s residents need to go the airport and travel through the South Bay. Board Member Butts discussed considering the livability and economic components of the project and collective good. Board Member Cruikshank discussed the technical engineering aspect of the Project and encouraged the SBCCOG to provide ongoing feedback and share its goals. Board Member Stegura of Rolling Hills Estates mentioned that the public’s comments are important and should be considered by Metro. Board Member Bea Dieringer of Rolling Hills shared that the SBCCOG supports mass transit and emphasized the SBCCOG not taking a particular position. Board Member Rodney Tanaka of Gardena mentioned that SBCCOG cities have different positions and agreed that the project needs to go forward and that the SBCCOG should stay neutral.
MOTION by Board Member Tanaka, seconded by Board Member Waite, to APPROVE the SBCCOG support of the C Line Extension project and not take a position on the alignment. Abstentions by Board Members Monteiro. Objections by Board Members Suarez and Mattucci. Ayes by Board Members Hicks, Tanaka, Massey, Faulk, Waite, Lesser, Cruikshank, Nehrenheim, Dieringer, Stegura, Ruiz-Delgado and La Marque Zivkovic. MOTION Passes.
You can read the full meeting minutes here.
1 Comment
Thank goodness for the wisdom of not choosing to thrust more tax dollars at a project most will never use.
How sad that some “representatives” we elect think it is ok to make decisions largely behind closed doors with virtually no community input. There are some who seem to intentionally avoid answering for their voting record by blaming others as in ” the SBCOG said” or sometime “SCAG” says …so it wasn’t me.
As with many voting bodies the reality is, it is staff that decides what is presented to members as what is needed, wise or even valid. Frewuently those reports often are not read and rarely even challenged as to whether the presentations are complete or less than truthful.
Sadly often staffmembers who write reports do not live in and often do not even visit the neighborhoods they impact.!!
Ms B seems to for many years found interacting with the public and acknowledging their right to participate not to her liking. She has however made a pretty tax funded penny discouraging community participation.
Many of the COG representatives do not venture to the other Southbay communities and often fail to exhibit any care about the impact of their votes on residents who are not the registered voters in their own city. Who believes the people of Rancho Palos Verdes would want the metro line in their neighborhood?
Even if a few in Torrance may want to avoid an occasional drive to downtown Los Angeles, should they expect the rest of us to pay for the construction and then forever subsidize their daily commute and cause those along the proposed path to be inconvenienced?
Yes metro has considered charging riders zero cents…can you guess who pays the on going bills?
Most South Bay residents or their elected will probably never chose to live in a home which is SoFi or Intuit adjacent – not only for vehicle traffic pollurion reasons but unrestricted sound assault and difficulty getting shopping access on event days.
Given the option a Hospital with Trauma and Maternity Certifications, neighborhood schools where learning takes place and Libraries with books on the shelves are part of the reasons most select non-Inglewood SouthBay city homes to raise families over access to metro.