Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and California State Senator Bob Hertzberg visited the University Student Union at California State University, Northridge on Thursday, Nov. 3 to rally with students in support of Measure M, the ballot measure to increase public transportation investment in Los Angeles County.

Garcetti and Hertzberg were joined by Associated Students Vice President Kenya Lopez, California State University Student Trustee and former Associated Students President Jorge Reyes, Valley Industry Commerce Association (VICA) President Stuart Waldman, California State Senate candidate Henry Stern, Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) Tamika Butler, Founding Chair of the Los Angeles County Business Federation David Fleming and Executive Director of the Transit Coalition Bart Reed at a rally organized by CSUN Associated Students.

“Elections aren’t won by us old people, they are won by young people who step forward and fight for things that they deserve,” Garcetti said, encouraging the students in attendance to vote in the upcoming election Nov. 8.

If passed, Measure M would increase public transportation options throughout the county, including the San Fernando Valley. Additional transit would potentially include a new Bus Rapid Transit line along Nordhoff Street from Chatsworth to the East San Fernando Valley, with direct access to CSUN.

“Two hundred thousand single-occupancy car trips a week [are] coming here, kids from every single school throughout LA County come to CSUN,” Hertzberg said. “And Measure M has a solution for CSUN.”

Garcetti and Hertzberg also visited CSUN in September to celebrate the success of the Metro U-Pass, a pilot program launched at CSUN in August that offers students a semester-long unlimited Metro transit pass for $95. In March, CSUN, Metro, Sen. Hertzberg and other LA leaders organized a transportation summit for the CSUN and neighboring community, advocating for the university’s transit priorities.

“Our successful advocacy is what has gotten us here today, and we are so close to bringing efficient transportation resources and many innovative projects to our area,” said Reyes.

Lopez and Reyes emphasized the importance of public transportation to CSUN students, something that Associated Students has been working toward for more than a year.

“As we have heard in previous transportation summits, we have students who spend hours and hours every day on buses just to make it to campus,” said Lopez. “And it is about time that we do something to increase the alternate transportation methods that we have for our students.”

Associated Students, ballot measure, Mayor Eric Garcetti, Measure M, Public Transportation, Sen. Bob Hertzberg