EL SEGUNDO HERALD August 4, 2016 Page 3 Metro reminds you to pay your fare. 17-0118ps_sby-ie-17-001 ©2016 lacmta Metro Reminds You to Pay Your Fare Each year, Metro loses hundreds of thousands of dollars to riders who don’t pay their fares. Help us keep our fares low and maintain a balanced budget by remembering to pay each time you ride a Metro bus or train. Failure to pay could result in a >ne of up to $1000. For a list of fares and to apply for a reduced fare, visit metro.net/fares. Mobile Customer Center Metro recently launched a mobile customer center that will provide services to seniors in underserved areas throughout LA County. Services will include intake of reduced fare applications and selling fare for TAP cards. To learn more about this program, visit metro.net/mobilecustomercenter. Metro Bike Share Now Open Metro launched its bike share program July 7, with up to 1000 bikes at up to 65 stations throughout Downtown Los Angeles. Bikes are available 24/7/365 and are a fast, fun and a=ordable way to get around. Try Metro Bike Share in the months of August and September and get half o= each 30-minute ride! To learn more, visit metro.net/bikeshare. Sign up for TAP Card Balance Protection Give yourself peace of mind by registering your TAP card to protect its balance. In the unfortunate event that your card is lost or stolen, you can report it and your balance will be restored. To register, visit the new taptogo.net or call 866.TAPTOGO. metro.net @metrolosangeles losangelesmetro Summer Travel: 3 common Credit Card Myths Busted (BPT) - As temperatures rise, so do the number of Americans planning to get away. In fact, three-fourths of consumers plan to pack their bags this summer and head out on vacation, according to recent surveys. If you are like most, you plan to fund at least a portion of your summer travel on a credit card. According to Experian, credits cards are used more often than cash or debit cards across all types of vacation purchases. “When used responsibly, a credit card can be a great way to help keep your wallet secure, reduce fees and make the most out of rewards while traveling,” says Mikel Van Cleve, director of personal financial planning with USAA Bank. “However, there are some common myths about credit cards and travel that may keep some con-sumers from maximizing their card’s benefits.” Van Cleve sets the record straight about three common travel-related credit card myths: Myth No. 1: Don’t notify your credit card company When it comes to whether you should tell your credit card company you’re embarking on a trip, some banks say yes, others say no. Van Cleve recommends always taking the extra precaution to let your bank know where you will be traveling if it’s for more than just a quick trip, especially if you’re traveling somewhere new or overseas. Adding travel notifications can help minimize the chances of your account being blocked or flagged for unusual activity. It will also allow your bank to better monitor your account and notify you if there is any suspicious activity while you are away. Van Cleve explains that several banks, such as USAA Bank, allow you to skip the phone call and alert them of your travel plans through their mobile app or online account. Myth No. 2: Foreign transaction fees are unavoidable Most credit cards charge a fee for foreign transactions when traveling abroad, but Van Cleve says that you do not have to settle for this added expense. Banks, like USAA, and some credit card companies have eliminated foreign transaction fees for some of their cardholders. Van Cleve recommends checking with your card provider to see if your credit cards of-fer no foreign transaction fees. While it may seem like a small cost to pay, he notes that these fees - which range from 1-3 percent of your purchase - can quickly add-up during a week-long trip away. Myth No. 3: Last minute travel changes will always cost you Nervous that your trip may get canceled last minute? In addition to zero-liability protection in the event your card is lost or stolen, Van Cleve explains that booking travel with a credit card is a smart way to protect yourself from other unpredictable events. Some credit cards offer trip insurance and will refund you for the cancellation. For ex-ample, USAA’s VISA Signature card offers cardholders trip cancellation and interruption insurance that will reimburse you up to $1,500 for purchases made on the card. Before booking your trip, Van Cleve recom-mends familiarizing yourself with your credit card’s full range of perks. You might even be eligible for hotel upgrades, delayed baggage insurance, price protection, priority boarding, rental car discounts and more. Disclosures: Restrictions apply. See the USAA Credit Card Guide to Benefits. Purchase of a product other than USAA auto or property insurance, or purchase of an insurance policy offered through the USAA Insurance Agency, does not establish eligibil-ity for or membership in USAA property and casualty insurance companies. Credit card program is issued by USAA Savings Bank, Member FDIC. • Finance City Council from front page marketing/publicizing of position(s), identifying required skills/skills testing, generating qualified applicants, screening resumes and applications, prescreening applicants (interviewing), refer-ence/ background checks, referral of finalist and profiling positions. “On March 16, 2015, the California Workforce Investment Board sent a letter to the City of Torrance and the City of Lomita, formally ap-proving the application for the local workforce investment area modification,” indicates the staff report. “On April 7, 2015, the Torrance City Council, based on recommendations by the City Manager, adopted a resolution to become a member of the SBWIB, and also approved Amendment No. 7 to the Joint Powers Agree-ment of the SBWIB.” The Joint Powers Agreement outlines the responsibilities that each member city is held accountable for when part of the South Bay Workforce Investment Area. As of July 1, 2015, the SBWIB has been managing the federal monies that have been distributed by the state in order to provide baseline-services to the City of Torrance. “With the City of Torrance being part of the South Bay WIB, it allows for continuity with other cities in the South Bay,” concludes the staff report. For a schedule on resources and workshops available at the One-Stop Center, persons in-terested can visit the website at: http://www. southbay1stop.org/#!calendars/c1pv2 or they can call 310-680-3830. • Transit Modifications from front page In order to serve on a City of Torrance Commission, a 2 hour Commission Certification Class must be completed. The next Commission Certification Class is Offered on: Thursday, September 15, 2016 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Nakano Theatre Register online at: http://www.torranceca.gov/CommissionerCert.htm Or call the City Manager’s Office at 310-618-5880 “In order for the buses to be properly maintained, the current Transit facility will require several safety retrofits to bring it up to the National Fire Protection associa-tion (NFPA) code 52 and code 30 Repair Garage Standards,” states the staff report. “The proposed project will meet current and projected CNG vehicle maintenance needs.” The city developed and advertised a Request For Proposal [RFP] on Feb. 3 and hosted a job walk of the site on Feb. 9. By March 7, which included nine maintenance bays within the transit maintenance facility. Included in the scope of the work are fall restraints for all of the bays and two, one-ton overhead cranes. The city received three RFPs from different contractor and design groups, including: Clean Energy from Newport Beach with a $920,000 price tag; Diversified Project Services International [DPSI] from Long Beach at a cost of $749,000 and EFS West of Valencia [$566,833]. The selection process for the proper RFP was based on 100-point scale that measured: the understanding of the project and scope of work and completeness [20 percent]; qualifications of proposed project team [20 percent]; relevant projects of proposed project team members [15 percent]; the firm’s qualification and experience with similar projects [15 percent]; the project schedule [10 percent]; and the cost and cost effectiveness [20 percent]. “A three person RFP evaluation panel comprised of vehicle maintenance and facility construction managers from Fleet, Torrance Transit and General Services,” states the staff report. “The evaluation team reviewed each proposal based on a 90 minute presentation from each company, written proposals and written responses to additional clarifying questions from the initial presentations.” EFS West was identified as the best pro-posal because they provided what the panel considered the most thorough methodology to remove gases at ceiling level; EFS also proposed the installation of ductwork into each ceiling pocket in every maintenance bay in order to remove gasses [the panel noted that no other vendor made such a proposal despite the existence of at least 15 pockets in each bay]. The EFS West proposal also assured completion within 130 days, in comparison to 160 and 165 days from the other two proposals. Lastly, the EFS West team has extensive experience in industrial construction, in addition to CNG maintenance facility modifications. “EFS West has a high level of experi-ence in similar projects in the local area, completing maintenance facility modifica-tions in Montebello, Rancho Dominguez, City of Los Angeles (2), Long Beach, Los Angeles County MTA, San Bernardino, Newport Beach and others,” states the staff report. “The EFS option is determined to have the lowest energy cost. Exhaust fans would operate only when gas is detected.” The staff report also stated the DPSI proposed a system that provides con-tinuous ventilation instead of exhaust fans, which is expected to raise energy costs by $15,000-$30,000 a year. In addition, the panel review believed that the expanded ventilation system proposed by EFS gives the Transit Department a better value. In the 100-point evaluation scale used by the RFP panel, Clean Energy scored 77.6 percent; DPSI earned a 75 percent while EFS West garnished 91 percent. • Visit us online: www.heraldpublications.com
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