Council sends smart-shuttle funding questions to transportation committee after sharp debate

The Los Angeles City Council voted to send a report to the Transportation Committee on continuing the city's smart-shuttle demonstration program, after a heated exchange over ridership, funding and program design.

Councilmember Jim Holden led criticism of the program, saying it has not operated as designed and that city funds were being used to subsidize a for-profit shuttle service that at times is performing routes MTA would otherwise provide. "We gave you $10,000,000 to begin with," Holden said during the debate, and he called the program "not smart at all" and said he planned to vote no on continuing support. Department of Transportation representative Jim Lefton said the program was originally a two-year demonstration, funded through an MTA call-for-projects award and later extended by further MTA money; the department was being asked to report back on availability of additional MTA funding to continue operations past June 30.

Lefton said three of the four…