KTLA News: "Press conference regarding a transit plan for Los Angeles County" (1973)

[No audio] [Mayor Tom Bradley] We began some discussions this morning about the, [Bradley] report which was recently submitted to the Southern California Rapid Transit District. [Bradley] And out of our discussions this morning, I think, there was some, [Bradley] agreement that, [Bradley] all of us have a concern, that our, ah, [Bradley] our own individual community needs, should not stand in the way of, [Bradley] some consensus on a total transportation plan for Los Angeles County. [Senator Alan Cranston] We must get more state and federal funding. The lawsuit against the state, I think, is a proper move. It may well, break open more funding for transportation here. We need more money from the federal government. I will do all that I can to see that it is achieved... [Bradley] Larry Chimbole from Palmdale, who is the president of the Los Angeles County division of the League of California Cities. [Camera noise] [Bradley] has jointly hosted a breakfast meeting with over sixty, [Bradley] cities represented by their mayors. [Bradley] The purpose of the meeting was to talk, [Bradley] about the necessity for, cooperation. [Bradley] cooperation. [Bradley] I was concerned that we establish, [Bradley] the principle that Los Angeles, [Bradley] is no longer going to be, [Bradley] looking down on the [Bradley] smaller cities in Los Angeles County, [Bradley] ah, appearing, [Bradley] that they somehow are bigger and therefore better, [Bradley] and above the rest. [Bradley] We are concerned about the problems of our neighboring cities and we want to work with them. [Bradley] And I wanted to get across that message to my, [Bradley] fellow mayors in Los Angeles County. [Bradley] The second important issue as far as I was concerned was the whole question of transportation. [Bradley] All of us share some mutual concerns about the need for a total trans, [Bradley] ...with RTD to discuss our own... [Camera noise] [Cranston] Thank you very much, Tom. [Cranston] I am greatly impressed with the leadership that Tom Bradley is providing in coming, [Cranston] head-on into this task of developing a transit plan for this community. The way he's developed new and stronger relationships with the federal government, with the state government, and now is moving to do this with, all the different local governments in the Los Angeles basin, is indicative of strong leadership and provides real hope for, accomplishment and success. I want to endorse the, Southern California RTD plan, proposal. It's a fine beginning. It's the basis of what must be done. It's only a proposal now. There are a thousand questions or more that must be answered. Deep, deep, ah, issues that must be grappled with. But it's a very fine beginning and I will do what I can to see that it is successful. I also endorse Tom Bradley's interim proposals for steps that can be taken now without waiting, six, eight, ten, or twelve years for the final rapid transit plan. There are many things that can be done, on today's streets, with new modes of using those streets for transportation needs or, problems that will be met by buses, jitneys, dial-a-ride and so forth. And it's fine that we are going to have a crash program... ...nities in America in getting adequate funding because, a local plan had not been developed that would then bring matching money. Now we're beginning that process and we should get, that matching funding. Finally, let me say that, if we find that it is necessary to modify, [Camera noise] [Cranston] ...ly be relaxed by Congress [Cranston] provided there is total support, and provisions, kept in the law or inserted in the law in some new fashion that require, a crash program to see to it that we meet proper clean air standards.  We cannot abandon those standards. The health problems of this community are paramount along with the transportation problems. They cannot be separate, separated and we cannot abandon one, for the other. That's the essence, I think, of a sensible approach to the problem. [Bradley, quietly] Thank you Alan. [Larry Chimbole] Set forth the establishment of proper, [Chimbole] transportation here in the Los Angeles basin. The League of California Cities, which I represent, [Chimbole] is very anxious,