Federal Nudge Finally Gets Some Action at the MTA

Back on Dec. 17, then-Transportation Secretary Federico Pena gave some unusual and embarrassing marching orders to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board: Complete a plan by Jan. 15 for finishing the Red Line subway extensions as close to the current budgets and designated completion dates as possible; adopt a “code of conduct” to end the rancorous gridlock on the board and to prevent its members from meddling in day-to-day operations. The board was also directed to come up with a more realistic long-range plan.

Implicit in this guidance was a suggestion that the board move quickly in picking an interim chief executive officer and then installing a permanent CEO.

It now seems deadlines are useful for this board. On Friday, it made a rather obvious choice for interim CEO, turning to deputy chief executive Linda Bohlinger. That was after the board considered two other candidates, including one who wanted to be paid at the absurdly lavish rate of $240,000 a year.

Bohlinger, whose 20 years of transportation planning date back to the old Los Angeles County Transportation Commission, is not seeking the permanent post, and that is good. Board Chairman Larry Zarian said that a nationwide search will soon begin for a CEO. It should have begun already, with establishment of a search committee and a list of criteria for the job.

The board also adopted a code of conduct after, unsurprisingly, a shouting match. But other matters remain problematic, even with a board-approved transfer of $300 million to rail projects from freeway programs like carpool lanes. For example, it’s expected that both the Mid-City and Eastside rail extensions still will come in well over budget and two to seven years behind schedule. Also, the Pasadena Blue Line appears headed for a budget overrun, and there remains the matter of a court order requiring improvements to MTA bus service to relieve overcrowding.

Add it all up and you’ll see that the MTA and its board have only pushed off tough decisions about which rail lines will be built and which won’t.

Yes, federal and state officials have made threatening noises about future financing, but don’t expect either to simply pull out of the projects. Both have invested too much for that. Nevertheless, if the board pays only lip service to better conduct and cannot find a way to work with a strong new CEO, the whole MTA agenda will slowly slide down the list of priority transportation projects in the nation and the state, leaving officials here with even fewer real options for a transit system that works for Los Angeles and its environs.