A bold, comprehensive Moving Beyond Sustainability Plan has been approved by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro) Board of Directors.
Moving Beyond Sustainability (MBS), outlines a comprehensive sustainability strategy for the next decade to make L.A. Metro facilities greener, reduce air pollution and trash from construction and reduce smog and greenhouse gases across L.A. County.
"Transportation is not merely the biggest source of air pollution in our state — it's one of our greatest opportunities to turn the tides of the climate crisis and reverse generations of inequities found at the heart of our communities," said Los Angeles Mayor and L.A. Metro Board Chair Eric Garcetti. "Metro’s Moving Beyond Sustainability plan is only a first step, and we will keep working to build on this foundation and accelerate our ambitions toward a more sustainable and just future."
MBS builds on more than a decade of L.A. Metro sustainability policies dating back to 2008. Among the plan’s specific goals are the transition from compressed natural gas buses to a 100-percent electric bus fleet by 2030. This transition has already begun with the deployment of the agency’s first electric bus on the G Line (Orange) and conversion of the J Line (Sliver) planned for 2021. Additionally, the plan calls for tripling L.A. Metro’s on-site renewable energy generation by 2030, reducing total greenhouse gas emissions by 79 percent and reducing total nitrogen oxide emissions by 54 percent.
L.A. Metro’s day-to-day operations inherently advance sustainability by taking cars off the road and getting people onto transit. The L.A. Metro system accelerates environmental benefits in the region by reducing far more greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than it generates by providing alternatives to driving alone.
"Metro is leading a bold movement to reimagine L.A. County: one that expands mobility, increases access to opportunities and increases environmental stewardship," said L.A. Metro CEO Phillip A. Washington. "We are thoughtfully and strategically moving forward to combat climate change and reduce L.A. County’s carbon footprint. In addition to our role in reducing single-occupancy vehicle emissions, we are on track to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 79 percent from 2017 levels through fleet electrification and system retrofits by 2030."
MBS is L.A. Metro’s most comprehensive sustainability planning document to date and is designed to align with and support parallel efforts and plans underway at L.A. County and the city of Los Angeles, including the city’s Green New Deal and Our County. Actions taken by L.A. Metro will be reviewed annually to determine what, if any, new actions are needed.
"Moving Beyond Sustainability is our call to action," said Cris Liban, L.A. Metro chief sustainability officer. "We are creating sustainable transportation solutions in L.A. County to advance regional prosperity and equity. This plan does more than set ambitious goals – we are extending our hand to all Angelenos to help us do more than what is merely sustainable. We can build a transportation system that is innovative, sustainable and increases access to opportunity for everyone."
