I doubt a ten month delay will affect the SIP, or trigger a finding of non-conformity? And, since we have so few non TCM projects left to "sanction", what new non-TCM would it affect? It does affect the likelihood we can get the loans to accelerate the UCLA-Wilshire speed up to be completed by 2024, as once again, LA politicians make "promises" no one has bothered to ask the staff about.....

This story does accurately reflect the views of Jim Moore, and it some of it he is even right. Did Laura and Jim fail to mention that the lines to ELA, Pasadena, and now Glendora are coming in on budget, and that the Santa Monica is close? And/Or that this doesn't seem to affect projects managed by the sub agencies, like the Gold Line Authority, who seem to do proper "due diligence", better preliminary engineering, use "value engineering" to cut costs, and a better job of "on-site" oversight, quality assurance, and contractor compliance, which seems to produces a lot better result for the taxpayers.

MTA has had severe staffing problems, especially in finding qualified and competent project managers, for the billions of dollars of projects now underway "in-house" at MTA, which already had, as noted, a more "questionable" track record in cost containment. Political purges in recent years. which gutted some programs and reached into management, the often politically obsequious bureaucratic infighting and butt kissing by managers kowtowing to various factions on the Board, or sucking up to the Board Members favorite contractor, make it a wonderful and highly "professional" work environment, as well.

And, yes these comments reflect partially on why OCTA has taken over staffing the LOSSAN, JPA. As the same issues at MTA affecting construction management, also permeate planning, operations, and other departments, causing many partner agencies to want to quietly remove themselves as far from MTA internal politics, as possible, and just quietly get their work done.