Citizens’ Advisory Council General Meeting

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

General Meeting Minutes

Meeting called to order at 6:33pm. Members in attendance: Roger Christensen (Chairperson), Kymberleigh Richards (Secretary), Neil Bjornsen, Russ Davies, Eric Miller, Seymour Rosen, Peter Schick, Wally Shidler.

Rick Thorpe, Metro Chief Capital Management Officer and CEO of the Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority, presented a construction update on the Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension and the Metro Expo Line, and answered questions regarding:

· Extension of the Union Station platform to accommodate the Eastside extension

· Calculation of ridership projections (through 2020 for Eastside, 2025 for Expo)

· Continuation of Gold Line express trains to/from Pasadena through to the Eastside

· Safety issues – two million hours without lost-time accidents

· Technology changes in tunnel construction resulting in less settlement (open-face vs. closed-shield tunnel boring equipment, foam injection ahead of cutting mechanism, double gaskets to alleviate methane gas problems)

· “U” channel guideway for 1^st St. tracks

· Disposition of tunnel-boring machines after Eastside tunnel segment completed

· Potential for standardization of rail tunnels

· Calculation of cost-recovery

· Three-car length platforms’ feasibility for fare gating

· Future downtown connector between Union Station and 7^th St./Metro Center to extend Blue and Expo Lines to interline with Gold Line

· Status of Ramona High School mitigation and station construction progress at that location

· Reinforcement and seismic retrofitting of 1^st St. bridge

· Speed restrictions on street-running segments of Eastside extension

· Transit-oriented development at Boyle, Soto, and Atlantic stations

· Overhead catenary issues

· Possible leak issues of Eastside tunnel post-construction

· Chinatown Station damage

· Limited options for Gold Line yard relocation to accommodate additional vehicles for Eastside

· Relocation of Amtrak passenger/baggage walkway at south end of existing Gold Line platform at Union Station

· Timetable for widening of 1^st St. bridge

· Open trench construction of Expo Line near USC

· Community sensitivity in area of Dorsey High School and mitigation

· Cheviot Hills right-of-way for Expo Line Phase II

· Expo Line schedule at 7^th St./Metro Center impacting Blue Line and need for additional station entrances

· Amenities at new rail stations (benches, etc.)

· Options for Expo Phase II alignment

· How center/side/split platforms determined at station locations, depending on right-of-way width

· Access at La Cienega Station to/from adjacent park-ride structure

· Labor agreement to allow use of construction workers living near to lines

· Section of Expo Line subject to speed limits based on whether in exclusive right-of-way

· Long Range Transportation Plan baseline projects (Expo Phase II, Purple Line, Downtown connector)

· Outreach along construction sites to mitigate community reaction to nighttime work, cleanup, construction noise

· Lack of parking along Expo alignment and expectation of higher percentage of bus/rail transfers as opposed to park-ride usage

· Modification of Washington/National Station for Expo Phase II and question of interim/permanent stations

· Federal “new starts” money for Expo Phase II

Some of the above questions were included as public comment by Sean McCarthy, Ken Ruben, John Walsh, Dana Gabbard, Eugene Salinsky and Paul Walker.

Minutes of the May 23, 2007 General Meeting approved. (Motion: Rosen, Second: Bjornsen)

Current CAC officers re-elected for FY 2007-08. (Motion: Rosen, Second: Bjornsen)

Public comment received from John Walsh on Federal Transit Administration letter regarding Expo, and from Dana Gabbard regarding the judge refusing injunctive relief for the Bus Riders Union in their lawsuit against Metro on the approved fare increases.

Meeting adjourned at 8:16pm.

Submitted by Kymberleigh Richards, CAC Secretary