Washington, DC— On Monday, November 5, 2007, the California Public Utilities Commission met to receive public comments on the Expo Line.  Congresswoman Watson has been a longstanding supporter of the development of the Expo Line, an important public transportation system which will traverse the 33rd Congressional District. Public concern has been raised about the safety of portions of the Expo Line – in particular, the planned station at Dorsey High School.  Congresswoman Watson’s comments follow:

"I regret that, because Congress is in session, I am unable to address this Commission in person on this critical issue.

"However, I ask that you consider my comments nonetheless, both as the Congress member representing the district in which Dorsey High School and most of Phase 1 of the Expo Line is located, and as an alumna of Dorsey High who still lives in the Crenshaw community.

"While it is not this Commission’s role or responsibility to resolve all of the concerns and challenges members of our community may have concerning the Expo Line – and I urge that you not be distracted by those who would use this Commission to further agendas unrelated to safety – it is your responsibility and power to ensure that if Expo Line is built as currently planned, that it is safe, safe for residents, safe for students, safe for the firm and the infirm, the young and the old, the cautious and the heedless, all of whom live here, use these streets, attend this school, belong to this community, and have valuable lives and futures that do not deserve to be ignored or abandoned to any use of these public streets and this publicly-owned right-of-way that is anything less than as safe as we can possibly make it.

"There can be no doubt that the Expo Line would not be riding within feet of this school if the train tracks weren’t already here, and if those tracks were not available to use because the train’s right-of-way in our community was virtually abandoned by previous owners, and cost MTA virtually nothing to obtain.

"But precisely because of the savings in acquisition of the land, it is imperative that safety not be slighted in order to keep the Expo Line cheap.

"This community is not yet convinced that all that can and should be done to ensure the line’s safety, here at Dorsey and at the other crossings near our community’s schools, has been done. I urge that you scrutinize the requirements, the plans, and the options for safety as rigorously, as vigorously as possible. Don’t give MTA a break at the expense of the children of this neighborhood. Don’t give us second-hand safety, less than students at USC, or worse than the residents of Culver City.

"If it is SAFE, and if it can be shown to this community to be SAFE – then build it. If not, send Expo back to the drawing board. We can lose time on Expo, we can find money, but we can’t afford – and we will not forgive you – if we lose lives, if we lose children you have cared too little about.

"Choose carefully, caringly, and wisely. Lives depend upon it"