Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl has become the new chair of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors. She succeeds outgoing Board Chair Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
"I am honored and very much looking forward to leading the Board over the coming year," said Kuehl. "We have a great number of truly exciting projects and initiatives coming to fruition and I look forward to continuing our focus on our riders and employees, especially regarding the ways in which our programs impact women, who have their own unique experiences and concerns."
Kuehl said she will continue to work with the Board and Metro CEO Phil Washington on improving the experience of those riding the Metro system. In addition, she plans on working with Metro's Women and Girls Council to focus on training and hiring more women in non-traditional career positions.
She also expressed her enthusiasm for Metro's ongoing NextGen Bus Study, which seeks to restructure and reimagine the Metro bus system to be more relevant, reflective of and attractive to the residents of Los Angeles County. The redesigned bus service network will dramatically improve service. Buses carry about 70 percent of Metro’s riders.
As Metro’s new Board Chair, Kuehl has appointed Chairs on six Metro Board Committees.
They are:
- L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, chair of the finance, budget and audit committee.
- Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker, chair of the planning and programming committee.
- L.A. City Council Member Mike Bonin, chair of the operations, safety, and customer experience committee.
- Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, chair of the construction committee.
- Supervisor Kuehl will chair the executive management committee.
- Duarte Mayor John Fasana, chair of the AD HOC Committee on Congestion, Highway and Roads.
The 13-member Board of Directors is comprised of the five Los Angeles County Supervisors, four members appointed by the Los Angeles County City Selection Committee and the Mayor of Los Angeles and three members appointed by the Mayor. The position of Board Chair rotates between the three groups. Kuehl’s term as Chair runs from July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019.
