The summer's World Cup events throughout Los Angeles are foreshadowing what we have to look forward to during the 2028 Olympics. With even more visitors expected from around the world for these events, we can already foresee some problems with our current transportation system.
At the top of the list is the fact that only one bus line in the City of Los Angeles is running on clean, electric power (Metro G Line). The rest of Los Angeles buses, serving an average of 38,000 weekday riders, are still fueled by dirty, polluting diesel.
Diesel exhaust is known to increase the likelihood of developing asthma and cardiovascular disease, and our city leaders are already stalling on progress to transition away from diesel. But we can change our route, almost immediately.
Recently, the city announced the creation of the Vermont Transit Corridor Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line, providing a reliable and efficient way to improve service along one of the city's biggest main streets: Vermont Avenue.
South LA communities along the Vermont BRT line already are experiencing significantly higher rates of chronic health conditions in comparison to more affluent, western parts of Los Angeles. We need to make sure that our decisionmakers are also prioritizing both our communities while transitioning our transportation systems to zero-emission.
That's why we need to call on the LA Metro Board to prioritizing electrifying all of the buses running down the Vermont BRT.
Send a message today! Hold the LA Metro Board accountable for their 2017 promise to electrify all their bus fleets & how it will affect their constituents in the long run.