Los Angeles Streetcar Inc. Celebrates Inaugural Year

[TedTrent]

Councilmember Huizar congratulates the non-profit on a year of partnership dedicated to
advancing the Downtown L.A. Streetcar effort

LOS ANGELES (March 10, 2010) —Los Angeles Streetcar Inc. (LASI) today released a review of
its inaugural year’s accomplishments advancing the effort to bring a modern streetcar system to
Downtown Los Angeles. LASI, a non-profit coalition of property owners and downtown
leaders with a shared vision for a revitalized Downtown, was formed to raise private funds for
partnership in designing, planning and implementing a downtown streetcar system, modeled
after the successful non-profit Portland Streetcar Inc.

The review highlights accomplishments achieved through LASI’s public-private partnerships,
such as a $250,000 federal appropriation for environmental review, championed through
Congress by Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard on behalf of a request by Councilmember
José Huizar; the application by the City on behalf of LASI for a $25 million Urban Circulator
grant, the results of which will be announced in June; numerous media articles and coverage of
the streetcar effort; a very well-attended public workshop to discuss route options; the swift
formation of an official non-profit corporation; the imminent launch of a public awareness
campaign for the streetcar; and LASI’s active involvement in the Bringing Back Broadway
streetscape planning efforts.

“In prior years, considerable work and planning had been done by a range of individuals and
organizations related to the idea of reviving a downtown streetcar,” said Councilmember José
Huizar. “Bringing Back Broadway was able to provide a home for these separate efforts and
breathe life into the idea again. Working with our partners at CRA, CCA, and the Business
Improvement Districts, we built tremendous momentum for the streetcar effort among property
owners and residents during the first year of Bringing Back Broadway. It was during that year
that the idea for forming the non-profit LASI was born. Now we champion the streetcar within
the City and public agencies, and LASI represents the private sector partnership that is also
necessary to move things forward. I congratulate LASI on a great inaugural year.”

Dennis Allen, Executive Director of LASI, says that public/private collaboration has been key to
LASI’s early success.

“We're very pleased with LASI's progress in our first year,” said Dennis Allen, Executive
Director of LASI. “The incredible support of the City, CRA, Metro, the downtown property
owners on the board and the downtown community has allowed the organization to rapidly
advance the streetcar effort and develop into a great example of the power of an active publicprivate
partnership. It will be such a boon for downtown, and we have great momentum for
making this happen. The streetcar effort is as we say in the PR campaign – right on track.”
While the streetcar is a major component of Bringing Back Broadway, the Downtown streetcar
is about more than just Broadway. The planned Downtown L.A. Streetcar will connect historic
Broadway and the Historic Core with downtown’s entertainment and cultural destinations,
including L.A. Live and Bunker Hill/Music Center in an approximately 4.7 mile couplet route,
intended to be operational within the next five years.

“A more efficiently run and successful Downtown is good for our entire City and the streetcar
will help get us there,” Councilmember Huizar said. “By having the streetcar go through areas
that have already experienced the downtown renaissance – as well as those that have incredible
potential but are still in need of a catalyst for revitalization – the streetcar will help downtown
function as a complete, cohesive neighborhood for residents, visitors, workers and tourists
alike.”

If plans to bring a streetcar to downtown Los Angeles are successful, Los Angeles would be the
first big city in the U.S. advancing a modern streetcar system. The project has been discussed
with the community for more than a decade. Now feasibility studies are complete, route
options have been determined and traffic studies are underway. Environmental review is
expected to be completed by 2011.

For more on Bringing Back Broadway, go to http://www.BringingBackBroadway.com. The LASI oneyear
review is located at http://www.lastreetcar.org/year_in_review/
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