After months of hard work and input from community members, advocates, and the Metro Policy Advisory Council and staff, the Metro Board of Directors unanimously adopted the Measure M Master Guidelines last Thursday, June 16. Included in the approval was Motion 38.3 by Directors Garcia, Bonin, Solis and Hahn that altered the Measure M Highway Subfunds program to reflect goals of Metro’s Complete Streets policy—and in doing so prioritizing a more multimodal approach to reducing traffic and making streets safer for all road users. The Safe Routes Partnership joined local partners in showing support for the motion by sending Metro Board of Directors a letter and providing testimony at Thursday’s meeting.
Adoption of the Guidelines is a significant milestone, but there’s still much work to be done. There remain questions about the applicability of Metro’s Complete Streets Policy across Measure M programs, in addition to concerns regarding project eligibility and performance metrics criteria.
Over the next two years Metro will develop administrative procedures for certain components of the Guidelines. For example, both procedures for determining Multi-Year Subregional Programs project readiness, along with Metro Active Transportation Program procedures and funding availability criteria will be established within one year. Check out the full administrative procedure development timeline here.
Next steps: The Metro Policy Advisory Council (PAC) will next meet on July 11 from 1:30-3:30 pm at SCAG headquarters to establish a work plan for the months to come as it considers the administrative procedures and the update to the Long Range Transportation Plan.
