Bradley Adds His Support to Transportation Bill

Mayor Tom Bradley joined the U.S. Conference of Mayors Thursday in seeking congressional support for a five-year, $153-billion transportation bill that would help finance the extension of Metro Rail to East and West Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley.

At a news conference at the 7th Street Metro Station, Bradley said the Intermodol Surface Transportation Infrastructure Act of 1991 is expected to pass. But the mayor expressed concerns that President Bush will use revenues from a 5-cent increase in the federal gasoline tax in the bill to lower the budget deficit.

Neil Peterson, the county Transportation Commission’s director, said that reallocation of the gasoline revenue would cut funding to $125 billion, forcing the county to scrap some projects.