Ron Galperin: 5th District City Council candidate

With the March 3 primary election drawing near, The Times asked candidates for the 5th District Los Angeles City Council seat to respond to questions about transportation and development. Here are the responses from Ron Galperin:

1) What concrete proposals will you pursue to reduce traffic congestion in the 5th Council District?

The Westside and Valley have among the worst traffic congestion in the city. This problem seems almost hopeless because we keep electing a revolving door of candidates from City Hall staff or Sacramento legislators to fix this when only new ideas and fresh thinking get the job done. We need urgent investment and dramatic improvements to get L.A. moving again.

Mass transit: Let’s start digging today! We can’t afford to wait another four years -- or more -- to start the Westside extension of the subway. Let’s create a link from the Orange Line [busway] in the Valley to the subway in Westwood, to the extended Exposition Line, and finally to LAX. Image the jobs we’ll create and how mass transit will transform our lives. It costs us more to argue over it than to complete it.

The low-hanging fruit: There’s plenty we can do today to improve traffic. Let’s add more DASH buses and post schedules at bus stops. Good old-fashioned paving helps move traffic, along with synchronizing traffic signals, more carpooling and employee flex-time. As an avid cyclist, I also propose that we paint many of L.A.’s bike lines green to encourage more biking and make it safer for cars and bikes alike.

2) What approach will you use to evaluate real estate development projects in the district? Is there any project in the district that should not have been approved over the past decade?

Los Angeles has a capricious and outdated planning and approval process; our residents and businesses deserve better. We must update, and actually follow, our community plans -- along with investing in our infrastructure. I bring to this process extensive knowledge and expertise about planning and development, and my criteria are:

* Does the project fit into the existing neighborhood?

* Does it help create a more walkable community?

* Does it address and mitigate potential traffic problems?

* Is it green?

* Will the project benefit our economy?

These are the questions we all need to ask about development. New projects can erode or enhance our quality of life; it’s the job of the council member to make sure that our city develops in a way that brings benefit to us all.

3) What initiatives will you pursue to improve the Los Angeles economy during the national downturn, given that development has historically been a key generator of jobs in the city?

Los Angeles needs to get back to business, and as someone who has created several successful businesses and was an editor of the L.A. Business Journal, I will lead the effort to reform our city’s fiscal management and provide incentives for entrepreneurs to open businesses and create jobs here, not outside the city or state.

I propose that we:

* Cut, simplify, and reform our business tax.

* Implement a clean technology initiative.

* Help create more business improvement districts.

* Stem the tide of runaway film production.

* Streamline permitting and slash red tape.