And the winner is.............

[mattapoisett]

From the LA Times:

Controversial rail contract approved by MTA board; Italian firm pledges to build plant in downtown L.A.

September 24, 2009 | 3:07 pm

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board today awarded a contract to the Italian firm AnsaldoBreda for 100 additional light-rail cars, clearing the way for a new rail manufacturing plant that the company has promised to build in downtown Los Angeles.

The decision was a victory for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who has made green jobs a centerpiece of his agenda. He said the rail plant would serve as the southern anchor of his proposed clean technology corridor east of downtown.

Board members approved the $300-million deal on an 8-3 vote — with two members absent — after impassioned speeches by union workers who said many of their colleagues were out of work and losing their homes.

Art Leahy, the MTA's chief executive, had recommended against approval of the controversial deal. But at the last moment, AnsaldoBreda circulated an e-mail that provided additional financial guarantees from the firm's parent company, Finmeccanica.

—Maeve Reston at L.A. City Hall

[rubbertoe]

It will be interesting to see if the facility gets built, who gets the jobs, and whether they can deliver reliable new and refurbished LRT vehicles.

RubberToe

[Jason Saunders]

Well now that it has been decided I wish them luck. I hope problems are behind them and that they produce quality rail cars that are loved around the world.

Also, I don't know where this new facility will be but in the name of L.A. River revitalization please don't let it be next to the L.A. River.

[kenalpern]

Methinks I will make this the centerpiece of my next CityWatch article. Doing this against the advice of the CEO is highly risky.

Ansaldobreda, we're WATCHING you...

[bobdavis]

This news item reminds me of a non-profit group board meeting many years ago. The recording secretary was also a board member, and he was adamantly opposed to a matter under discussion. When the motion came to a vote, he announced the results: "The motion passes, 7 to 1, and may God have mercy on your souls." I suspect that this thought may apply to many people contemplating Metro's deal with Breda. In this week's case, however, the opposition of the CEO presents a somewhat different situation. His job is to "execute" the decisions of the Metro board, whether he likes them or not.

[rubbertoe]

Sept 24, 2009 19:47:00 GMT -8 Jason Saunders said:

Also, I don't know where this new facility will be but in the name of L.A. River revitalization please don't let it be next to the L.A. River.

15th street and Santa Fe Avenue:

South of downtown near the river, per todays LA Times...

[bobdavis]

I've seen references to a property in this area as "the old Crown Coach site". If indeed the railcar plant will be built on the site of a former bus factory, it is a bit of "poetic justice" for railway enthusiasts.

[wad]

Sept 25, 2009 15:51:38 GMT -8 bobdavis said:

I've seen references to a property in this area as "the old Crown Coach site". If indeed the railcar plant will be built on the site of a former bus factory, it is a bit of "poetic justice" for railway enthusiasts.

Maybe if it were being built at the old GM factories in Van Nuys or South Gate.

I don't know what Crown's role was in dismantling any rail system and then bustituting them. However, one of the reasons you don't see the factory is because you still see 50+-year-old Crown school buses still running on the streets. It may be the case of a factory going out of business for building too good a product.

[roadtrainer]

Crown Coach never did sell any buses to the 1960's Mta or its predecessors, they were bought out by General Electric Co. and fazed out the buses in favor of fire trucks and that was fazed out because they didn't make any money... the reason 50 year old Crown Coach buses are still on the Road? because they were all hand made.