Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl Named Metro Board Chair

Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl is now the new chair of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Board of Directors.

Kuehl succeeded most recent Chair Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.

“I am honored and very much looking forward to leading the Board over the coming year,” Kuehl said in a statement. “We have a great number of truly exciting projects and initiatives coming to fruition and I look forward to continuing our focus on our riders and employees, especially regarding the ways in which our programs impact women, who have their own unique experiences and concerns.”

Metro is important to Pasadena because it operates public transportation throughout Los Angeles County and plays leading roles with the Gold Line and the 710 Extension route.

Kuehl said she will continue to work with the Board and Metro CEO Phil Washington on improving the experience of those riding the Metro system. In addition, she plans on working with Metro’s Women and Girls Council to focus on training and hiring more women in non-traditional career positions.

She also expressed her enthusiasm for Metro’s ongoing NextGen Bus Study, which seeks to restructure and reimagine the Metro bus system to be more relevant, reflective of and attractive to the residents of Los Angeles County. The redesigned bus service network will dramatically improve service. Buses carry about 70 percent of Metro’s riders.

As Metro’s new Board Chair, Kuehl has appointed chairs on six committee of the Metro Board of Directors.

L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Pasadena, has been appointed chair of the finance, budget and audit committee.

Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker is now chair of the planning and programming committee. Los Angeles City Council Member Mike Bonin is chair of the operations, safety, and customer experience committee. Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia is chair of the construction committee. Duarte Mayor John Fasana now sits as chair of the AD HOC Committee on Congestion, Highway and Roads.

Supervisor Kuehl will also chair the Board’s executive management committee.

Metro’s 13-member Board is comprised of the five Los Angeles County supervisors, four members appointed by the Los Angeles County City Selection Committee and the Mayor of Los Angeles, and three members appointed by the Mayor of Los Angeles.

The position of Board Chair rotates between the three groups.