LA COMMUNITY COLLEGES RECEIVE $4.29 MILLION
IN FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION FUNDS
Local Valley Colleges Receive: $1,285,000

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Community College District announced today that it will receive more than four million dollars in funding for projects under the federal transportation bill passed by Congress this week. President Bush is scheduled to sign the bill, H.R. 3 – The Transportation Equity Act, A Legacy for Users (TEA-LU), also referred to as the Highway Bill, this week. Each of the five Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) campuses receiving funding will match 20% of the federal monies with funding generated by voter-approved Proposition A or AA.

“The funds we will receive under the federal transportation bill will improve mobility and access for students, faculty and local residents, and complement the progress we are making to build a better Los Angeles community college system,” said Darroch “Rocky” Young, LACCD Chancellor. “On each campus, we preformed a transportation needs assessment to improve access to existing public transportation and worked with members of Congress to secure funds for projects that address those needs. We are grateful to Congressmembers Xavier Becerra, Brad Sherman, Adam Schiff and Hilda Solis, who were strong advocates on our behalf. They are true champions of our community colleges.”

“Anyone who lives in Los Angeles knows how important mobility is, and it’s even more true for our students,” said Larry Eisenberg, LACCD Executive Director of Facilities, Planning and Development. “Each federally-funded project addresses their transportation needs. The help from Washington will help get our students to college.”

Los Angeles City College: Connects City College and the Metro Red Line station at Vermont/Willowbrook and the Braille Institute and Metro Rapid stop at Vermont/Melrose. Project includes: tactile aids for the visually impaired, pedestrian improvements and new transit plaza. Congressman Xavier Becerra advocated for this funding.

Los Angeles Trade Technical College: Links LA Trade Tech with the Metro Blue Line station at Grand Avenue and the Metro buses serving Grand Avenue. Project includes: landscaping, street furniture, lighting, and will focus on pedestrian improvements. Congressman Xavier Becerra advocated for this funding.

Pierce College: The Bus Rapid Transit Station Extension extends the BRT and will serve as the major pedestrian entry to the campus. Project includes: landscaping, lighting, signage, a new bus shelter, scheduling kiosk, and gateway. The Brahma Drive Realignment will straighten Brahma Drive, a main thoroughfare through campus to address current concerns. Congressman Brad Sherman advocated for this funding.

Los Angeles Mission College: Develops an on-campus transit center and will create an off-street terminal/hub for MTA line 234. Project includes: off-street terminal for layover of busses, restrooms for drivers, sheltered benches, landscaping, lighting, and an information kiosk. Congressman Brad Sherman advocated for this funding.

East Los Angeles College: Improves transit mobility by better integrating buses operated by the cities of Monterey Park and Montebello, and the County of Los Angeles. The project serves the region’s long-range transportation goal to enhance the potential for transit use through efficient multi-modal connections and improves transfer linkages to major transit center. Project also includes: benches, shelter, paving integrated with the campus design, landscaping, pedestrian lighting, signage, information kiosk. Congresswoman Hilda Solis advocated for this funding. Congressman Adam Schiff successfully advocated for an additional $600,000 for this projects from the Fiscal Year 2004 and 2005 Omnibus Appropriations bill.

The community colleges’ construction and modernization projects receive funding from Propositions A and AA, two bond measures overwhelmingly approved by Los Angeles voters. Propositions A and AA have provided over $2.2 billion for extensive new construction and renovation at each of the nine community college campuses. For more information on the bond program: www.propositiona.org.

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