The following article appeared in the Thursday March 15, 2012 Edition of the Los Angeles Times.

Senate OKs transportation bill with help for L.A. area
The $109 billion would expand a federal loan program crucial to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s efforts to speed expansion of Los Angeles’ bus and rail system.

A Green Line train heads west under the Century Freeway and Aviation Boulevard near LAX. (Wally Skalij, Los Angeles Times / March 15, 2012)

By Richard Simon, Los Angeles Times
March 15, 2012

Reporting from Washington— In a rare display of bipartisanship, the Senate approved a $109-billion transportation bill Wednesday that boosts Los Angeles’ efforts to speed expansion of its bus and rail system.

The measure passed 74 to 22, underscoring the political appeal of a bill that supporters say will create jobs and reduce traffic congestion.

The bill, possibly one of the few major pieces of legislation that could be signed into law before the fall election, maintains the current level of funding for highway and transit projects for two years. Read more.