Biden Transportation "Transition Team" Includes LA Metro Chief (Favors "Congestion Pricing" Charging Drivers To Use Certain Fwys In Prime Time) And Former LB Airport Director Rodriguez (Quietly Sought To Enable Customs Facility Turning LGB Into Int'l Airport)

+ Biden Transportation "Transition Team" Includes LA Metro Chief (Favors "Congestion Pricing" Charging Drivers To Use Certain Fwys In Prime Time) And Former LB Airport Director Rodriguez (Quietly Sought To Enable Customs Facility Turning LGB Into Int'l Airport)

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Biden Transportation Dept. "Transition Team" Includes LA Metro Chief (Favors "Congestion Pricing" Charging Drivers To Use Certain Fwys In Prime Time) And Former LB Airport Director Rodriguez (Quietly Sought To Enable Customs Facility Turning LGB Into Int'l Airport)

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(Nov. 20, 2020, 6:30 a.m.) -- The incoming Biden-Harris administration has selected an 18-member Transpiration "transition team" with two names, controversial locally for aspects of their records, who may shape the new administration's federal transpiration policies and possibly guide the President-elect's choice of his first Transportation Secretary.

The Biden Transportation transition team is chaired by Phillip Washington, CEO of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transpiration Authority ("Metro"). Mr Washington has favored imposing "congestion pricing" (charging drivers to use portions of certain area freeways to deter their use during prime commuter times.) [In Feb. 2019, Metro's governing board, including LB Mayor Robert Garcia, voted to begin a "feasibility study" as a prerequisite to implement initial projects. LBREPORT.com coverage here.]

The Transportation transition team also includes former LB Airport Director Mario Rodriguez (now Executive Director of the Indianapolis Airport Authority.) During his LB tenure, Mr. Rodriguez quietly sought to facilitate a customs facility that would have turned LB's domestic serving municipal field into an international airport. The customs facility couldn't be limited to proponent JetBlue but would have allowed multiple international cargo and other operators. While LB Airport management and electeds regularly pledged to protect LB's Airport ordinance, allowing an entirely new class of international operators arguably created incentives to challenge and possibly overturn LB's airport ordinance that protects the City from locally unlimited/uncontrolled 24 hour flights. [LBREPORT.com coverage here.]

Although Airport management didn't tell LB residents what it was doing, it did tell city management and LB's City Council and Mayor via memos in August 2013 and November 2013 during the run-up to 2014 citywide elections. In April 2014, Mr. Rodriguez left LB Airport for Indianapolis, after which the controversy exploded publicly. In January 2017, the Council voted (8-1, Andrews dissenting) against allowing a customs facility that would have changed LB Airport to an international facility.

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Other members of the Biden Transporation transition team are:

Dave Barnett, director of pipeline and gas distribution for the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters of the U.S. and Canada

Austin Brown, executive director of the Policy Institute at the University of California-Davis

David Cameron, assistant director of the rail conference for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Florence Chen, a strategy consultant with Generate

Brendan Danaher, government affairs director for the Transport Workers Union of America/AFL-CIO

Paul Kincaid, director of the Association of Former Members of Congress

Gabe Klein, a co-founder and partner of mobility firm Cityfi

Jeff Marootian, director of the District of Columbia Department of Transportation

Therese McMillan, executive director of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Bradley Mims , president and CEO of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials

Robert Molofsky, a labor/employment law attorney and transit policy expert

Patty Monahan, a commissioner with the California Energy Commission

Rear Admiral Mike Rodriguez (Ret.), superintendent of the Texas A&M Maritime Academy

Nairi Tashjian Hourdajian, vice president-communications with branding firm Figma

Polly Trottenberg, commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation

Vinn White, senior transportation advisor to New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy

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Support really independent news in Long Beach. No one in LBREPORT.com's ownership, reporting or editorial decision-making has ties to development interests, advocacy groups or other special interests; or is seeking or receiving benefits of City development-related decisions; or holds a City Hall appointive position; or has contributed sums to political campaigns for Long Beach incumbents or challengers. LBREPORT.com isn't part of an out of town corporate cluster and no one its ownership, editorial or publishing decisionmaking has been part of the governing board of any City government body or other entity on whose policies we report. LBREPORT.com is reader and advertiser supported. You can help keep really independent news in LB similar to the way people support NPR and PBS stations. We're not non-profit so it's not tax deductible but $49.95 (less than an annual dollar a week) helps keep us online.

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