FIX EXPO STATEMENT AT THE MTA BOARD MEETING
November 29, 2007
Delivered By Damien Goodmon, Coordinator
The Fix Expo group has come together to support changing your Expo Line design through majority-minority South LA from the Exposition Park trench at Figueroa to the La Brea overpass to below grade in trench, cut-and-cover or bored tunnel.
We speak during public comment to mention the two people your Blue Line killed just this week – as I see there is no mention of their deaths on your long agenda.
This brings the total of Blue Line deaths to at least 90 – at least 29 of them in the past 5 years, which along with your 800 accidents in 17 years is multiples more than any other light rail line in the country in the same 17 year span of time.
Some claim we've gotten too emotional about this issue. I ask, how can one not?
How can one not feel deeply about the betrayal and abandonment by those elected to represent us on an issue as important as environmental racism, death and injury.
Indeed there are few things elected officials can do to ensure near absolute safety and investing in grade separation is one of them.
To this end we will fight and pursue all legal and political avenues to ensure our children won't be added to your unnamed unacknowledged list of at-grade light rail victims.
