LOS ANGELES URBAN TRANSPORTATION: WHO HAS THE POWER?

In 1976, the California Legislature took a bold step toward untangling the transportation planning snarl that has characterized Southern California. Believing that only a new and innovative transportation policy planning and coordinating institution could solve the problems, the legislators adopted Assembly Bill 1246, which created transportation commissions in four Southern California counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernadino. Of the four, Los Angeles is the largest and faces the most complex and difficult-to-solve transportation problems. The development, structure, authority, and operations of the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission are described. The Commission is directed by 10 of the principal county and city elected officials and one citizen member. Its powers include short-range planning, policy and program development, project selection, new system development, and resource generation and allocation (power of the purse). For Southern California, this particular blend of powers and institutional form is innovative and has the potential for making significant public impacts. The Commission is fully operational and is involved with a solid schedule of activities. Not all of its major powers are being used, but most are, and the impact is slowly being felt on the decisionmaking process.