by Jay Schuster

Living in the general vicinity of Hollywood, we are all used to the hype surrounding a planned big sequel.

But according to Denny Zane, executive director of Move LA, there is a lot more than hype involved in his group’s “sequel.” He heads an organization that seeks to build support for a new ballot measure designed to provide funding for a host of mass transit and other transportation projects countywide, modeled along the lines of Measure R approved by voters in 2008.

“Measure R is providing more than $36 million to date for mass transit construction projects in the county,” Zane said. “It is having a real and positive impact but we need to do more.

“Right now we are actively working to build a coalition of environmental, labor, business and student leaders to place a similar measure on the Nov. 2016 ballot.”

The measure would ask voters to approve an additional half-cent increase in the sales tax to pay for what Zane said were vitally needed projects.

“We need to expand existing lines and study the feasibility of building new ones,” he said. “We also need to improve bus lines and expand and improve our ‘wide streets,’ major boulevards and other significant thoroughfares. This measure will provide the funds to do all of this for decades to come.”

Zane noted that he was optimistic about getting the required number of signatures to qualify for the ballot and for the votes necessary for measure’s eventual passage.

“Because it is a revenue measure, it needs to garner more than two-thirds of the vote to pass,” he said. “But given the success of the projects funded from the 2008 initiative and the fact that it will be a presidential election year with increased voter turnout, I am confident we can pass this.”