Category Archives: Feedback

@MetroLosAngeles Twitter Tuesday

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Welcome to Twitter Tuesday, a weekly feature here at The Source in which we’ll round up the latest Metro related tweets in the Twitterverse. To follow Metro on Twitter just search for @MetroLosAngeles. We recommend adding the #MetroLosAngeles tag to your tweets to get our attention.

We’ve been posting transit pictures and opened up a Flickr group, but some photographers are worried about the legality of snapping pix on Metro:

kitchen @metrolosangeles are we gonna be arrested for taking pictures while on the metro? probably should inform your “security forces”

I’ve been taking pictures of Metro for years and have never been arrested, but if you’re worried check out Metro’s photography guidelines – there’s just a few – and stick to them.

More commentary on the recent fare incraese:

BigEyedMisha @metrolosangeles why is it that since the fare hike, my busses have been less consistent and more packed? We need more buses more often

jaykaos I remember when @metrolosangeles day passes were only $3. Now they’re $6?! Sad day! How disappointing LA!

Thoughts on the Wilshire bus lanes project:

tedder42 @metrolosangeles bus lane. It’s sort of a NO DUH option. (why can’t it be done in a month vs two years?) http://bit.ly/dx4pKT

Bus service – the good, the bad and the ugly:

Kythera Timestamp: 8:54am. 108 running like clockwork this morning! :) #metrolosangeles

Kythera …Right. An empty 108 marked “not in service” just rolled by. What’s the malfunction today, @metrolosangeles?

frankyhernandez @metrolosangeles from 5:50 to 6:50, the 733 bus at ocean & colorado did not show up!! where were the 6:10 and 6:30 buses?!!

We asked, what’s your favorite rail line:

SimonOh @metrolosangeles Gold Line: my favorite light rail line in L.A.!

We tweeted about rail ridership numbers being up:

metrolosangeles Despite summer and recession, Metro Rail ridership up 7.5% in June over a year ago. Start of a trend? http://thesource.metro.net/?p=9384

And the Twitterverse was quick to take issue with our phrasing:

MichaelAffeldt @metrolosangeles what do you mean *despite* recession??

elzed @metrolosangeles It’s not *despite*, it’s *because*. http://bit.ly/bFSkMM “…cars on America’s roadways decreased by 4 million last year”

ubrayj02 @metrolosangeles So are the fares, you rats!

Seems like every week we get tweet from people wanting 24-hour rail service:

VickiRaisens You know I really enjoyed my time taking @metrolosangeles if it were more friendly after 10pm I’d use it all the time @latimes

mitchdurette @metrolosangeles run the subway 24 hours like most cities that have them… #kthxbi

Personally, I love the idea – but the truth is most cities do not have 24-hour rail service. New York City is actually a rare exception. Even world-renowned rail transit systems in London and Tokyo shut down around 1 a.m.

Here are some miscellaneous tweets to finish up this week’s roundup:

sebastian_santo @metrolosangeles there’s a guy drinking a beer happy as a clam in your 733 Eastbound @ venice/main… To think I once gt a tiket 4 a sprite!

NikolasAndrew On The @metrolosangeles Going Home. Thank God There’s Air Conditioning In Here!! Then Off To @xoxoShellyy

LAwithoutacar @metrolosangeles build where the people are: hollywood/weho to beach and w valley to westside. this would get people out of their cars!

SURGATER No matter how many times I’ve ridden @metrolosangeles green line home, still can’t get over how beautiful DTLA looks. #ilovela

VickiRaisens Heading to Japantown…will catch @metrolosangeles-drive and then goldline train..life in LA is full of choices-@landrewb

I Love Transit Week poll results (so far)

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I Love Transit WeekThis week we decided to have a little fun and joined our friends from Vancouver’s Buzzer Blog in celebrating I Love Transit Week.

We posted a few informal polls to engage Source readers and find out what you guys think about transit and – since it’s Metro Rail’s birthday week – to find out what Metro Rail lines you love the most, and which upcoming lines you’re most excited about.

While the polls are still open, here are the results so far. And to everyone who participated, thanks!

Do you love transit?

Do you love transit?

186 readers chimed in on this question, and 88% felt that transit is worth loving. The rest? Not so much. Here’s a comment left from a reader who’s not exactly in love with Metro’s transit service:

Metro is inconsistent, the drivers are rude and sometimes they dont even know where they stop! The fares keep on going up and up with nothing to show for it.

On the other hand, we did receive a lot of positive feedback on Twitter – check out what people had to say in this week’s Twitter Tuesday roundup.

What’s your favorite Metro Rail line?

What's your favorite Metro Rail line?

200 readers voted for their favorite Metro Rail line, and the Red Line subway has proven itself to be the most popular line with readers with 48.5% of the votes. The Red Line also happens to have the highest ridership numbers of all the lines of the Metro Rail system. The Blue Line is also heavily ridden, but it’s not really loved by readers – only 7.5% named the 20 year old line as their favorite. The Gold Line actually performed rather admirably in the poll, garnering 31.5% of the votes, more than the Purple Line, Blue Line and Green Line combined.

Here are some comments we received on Facebook:

Red line! I hope to work in downtown soon since the Red Line from Nnorth Hollywood to Union Station is just perfect. The walk from the station to City Hall is quick and a great way to stay healthy.

I like the Gold Line the best because there is a station about a block from where I live. They are all good to me though. I have lived in a few cities and L.A. has the best public transit to me. Thanks for the great service Metro!
What *potential* future Metro Rail project are you most excited about?
We just posted this poll this morning, but it’s already received 109 votes and the Westside Subway Extension is in the lead with almost 50% of the votes so far. Due to its scope and potential to give the traffic clogged Westside an alternative to gridlock, it comes as no surprise that the so-called “subway to the sea” (even though it won’t reach the sea with current funding) has won readers hearts. But it’s not the only important project out there, as one reader points out:
The Regional Connector interfaces THREE different lines, touching all faces of the compass, through Downtown. North to Pasadena (and beyond), South to Long Beach, West to Santa Monica, and East to East L.A. (and beyond). THAT is something to get extremely excited about!
Another reader makes a valid note about the poll – that it’s hard to pick just one:
I think the worst part of the current poll is that I can only pick one. I settled on voting for the Regional Connector, only because I live on the Gold Line now, and the Regional Connector would make it easier for me to get to all the other worthy projects. :-)

I Love Transit Week poll #3: What *potential* future Metro Rail project are you most excited about?

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I Love Transit WeekWednesday marked Metro Rail’s 20th anniversary, an impressive milestone when you look at the system today and consider that L.A. has long be known as the car capital of the world.

But what does the next 20 years hold for rail transit in L.A.? Yesterday, Steve posted a look at the projects that are funded by Measure R that could very well be built as rail lines – and if the 30/10 Initiative takes hold, we could see the rail system expand in massive way in the next decade. In other words, there’s a lot to be excited about if you love transit.

This brings me to today’s poll, which of these potential rail projects are you most excited for?

Don’t forget to tell us why: email us at sourcemetro@gmail.com, leave a comment on Facebook or shoot a tweet to @MetroLosAngeles (don’t forget to include #ilovetransit).

I Love Transit Week poll #2: What's your favorite Metro Rail line?

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I Love Transit WeekOur previous poll asked the simple question, do you love transit? 87% of you said ‘yes’ and 13% said ‘no’. The poll is still open if you’d like to add your two cents.

In honor of Metro Rail’s 20th birthday, today’s poll aims to find out which one of Metro’s five rail lines you love the most. Five lines in 20 years? Not too shabby.

Tell us why: email us at sourcemetro@gmail.com, leave a comment on Facebook or shoot a tweet to @MetroLosAngeles (don’t forget to include #ilovetransit).

@MetroLosAngeles Twitter Tuesday, I Love Transit Week edition

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Welcome to Twitter Tuesday, a weekly feature here at The Source in which we’ll round up the latest Metro related tweets in the Twitterverse. To follow Metro on Twitter just search for @MetroLosAngeles. We recommend adding the #MetroLosAngeles tag to your tweets to get our attention.

In honor of I Love Transit Week (inspired by Vancouver’s Buzzer Blog) we asked you to tell us why you love transit, and to append your tweets with #ilovetransit.

We got an overwhelming response – it seems like the stereotype of car crazy Angeleno might be changing.

Many people said that transit makes their lives less stressful and more productive:

annavalls @metrolosangeles #Ilovetransit because I can get to my destination stress free and get some work or reading in!

baconqurlyq Any day I’m not dodging bad drivers is a great day. #ilovetransit

QAScorpio @metrolosangeles #ilovetransit bcause no more finding a place 2 park or paying 2 park woo hoo

skrooz #ilovetransit coz I can sleep while I ride the Metro instead dozing off driving in traffic, not that I would do that, coz that would be bad.

LAwithoutacar #ilovetransit is great because i can read during my commute (when i’m not people watching!)

mscmwilliams #ilovetransit because I don’t have to drive the Traffic they call the 105.. Go Metro..

GarMar88 #ilovetransit because I can study, review for exams, do homework, and read for my college classes on my commute. #metrola #foothilltransit

Others love transit because it’s a great way to experience the city:

BridgeThink @MetroLosAngeles Can’t experience LA by staying in ur car. That’s why #ilovetransit Bring us more buses and more trains. We’ll ride em!

sabillonLA #ilovetransit because is the only way to experience the real LA.

_agilebeast #ilovetransit because it let’s me explore Los Angeles

Some ride to save money:

frankyhernandez #ilovetransit because its a great way to save money on personal needs than on your vehicle. just need drivers who can SEE RIDERS!

Others for their health:

BridgeThink #ilovetransit bcs it’s healthier for your body and mind = space for your legs and thoughts!

skunge @metrolosangeles #ilovetransit because it saves my car from wear and tear and I get some exercise (walking) mixed in along my route.

Here’s one of my favorites, some ride just to confound the status quo:

superjanna #ilovetransit because going car-less in LA is sometimes inspiring, often befuddling to others

There’s plenty more after the jump. Continue reading →


Reminder: take our poll on whether there should be Crenshaw subway station

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As we approach the noon hour, 267 readers have cast a vote  in the above poll and 59% say they want a Westside Subway Extension station at Crenshaw.

If you haven’t voted, please do so. If you have voted and know of any transit-minded friends or acquaintances who are interested in the issue, send them a link to this post.

Here’s a link to yesterday’s post on The Source that provides more background on the issue. And here’s a link to a presentation assembed by Metro staff on the possibility of a Crenshaw stop.

I Love Transit Week poll: Do you love transit? And why?

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I Love Transit WeekWe’ll start things off with an easy one, a simple yes or no: do you love transit?

Hey, it might seem like a loaded question, but it’s perfectly fine if you don’t. Maybe freeways and expensive cars are more your thing. But if transit gets your heart racing, tell us why.

Email us at sourcemetro@gmail.com, leave a comment on Facebook or shoot a tweet to @MetroLosAngeles (don’t forget to include #ilovetransit).

Poll: How would you plan the Westside Subway Extension?

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Attentive readers know that the Westside Subway Extension is scheduled to reach an important milestone later this summer: the release of the project’s draft environmental impact statement/report, otherwise known as a DEIR.

The lengthy document looks at the reasons the line should or shouldn’t be built, its impacts on the built and natural environment and how it may be constructed, among other things. The public will have several weeks to comment on the DEIR and then Metro staff will issue their recommendations on the project.

This map shows one of the subway alignments under study, with the route extending past the 405 freeway to near the VA Hospital in Westwood. Click above for a larger image.

If, for example, staff recommends the line should be built, they’ll also have to select a route and station locations, among other things. Eventually it will be up to the Board of Directors of Metro to vote on those recommendations and launch a Final Environmental Impact Report/Statement, an even more refined document that is required by law before construction can begin.

In the run-up to the release of the report, we wanted to do a series of polls on The Source asking readers what they thought of various issues along the line that have yet to be resolved. We’ll look at these issues going from east to west, beginning with a big one: should there be a station at Crenshaw & Wilshire?

Here is a lengthy post from earlier this year about the Crenshaw station and here’s the Metro staff power point presentation on it. In short, here are the issues:

•There is not consensus in the surrounding community whether a station is wanted.

•The area is mostly low-density and residential and the Crenshaw station would be just one-half mile west of the current Purple line station at Wilshire & Western but 1.5 miles from the next planned station at Wilshire & LaBrea.

•Metro estimates that a Crenshaw station would have about 4,200 to 4,300 daily boardings in the year 2035 and would cost about $153 million to build. The line, if extended to the VA Hospital, is initially expected to generate about 80,000 boardings at new stations.

•There are no plans at this time for the planned Crenshaw light rail lane to come north of the Expo Line. A separate study said that if the Crenshaw Line is ever extended north to the Wilshire corridor, it shouldn’t be at Crenshaw but instead someplace to the west.

So what do you think? Take the poll and we’ll update you on results as the votes start to pile up.

@MetroLosAngeles Twitter Tuesday

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Welcome to Twitter Tuesday, a weekly feature here at The Source in which we’ll round up the latest Metro related tweets in the Twitterverse. To follow Metro on Twitter just search for @MetroLosAngeles. We recommend adding the #MetroLosAngeles tag to your tweets to get our attention.

Here’s what people have been talking about on Twitter lately.

Fare hike:

gometro anyone else enjoying paying more for @metrolosangeles for less frequent service? <3

Schedule changes:

joeTOCIE thank you @metrolosangeles for taking away the bus that usually gets me early to work..late again! Ughh

jtcal @metrolosangeles Why can’t you put a bus stop at Sunset and Westwood Bl for line 761 and why was it taken away 4 or 5 yrs ago?

Late buses:

jtcal @metrolosangeles Why does your 152 line going west always run late? 11:08 AM bus never showed up but 11:38 AM bus did?

joeTOCIE @metrolosangeles lies..there is no 7:04am 91/90 bus..guhh..this is pretty disappointing!

jtcal hey www.twitter.com/metrolosangeles – finally got on your line 656 bus at 1:25 AM instead of around 1:11…

LindseySaladbar More than 30 people at this bus stop, been here more than an hour. No bus. Spread the word, @metrolosangeles stinks.

joeTOCIE @metrolosangeles where can i send my complaints about busses in the san fernando valley? Coz this is too much..a week of late buses? Rly?

FYI: to send a complaint to Customer Relations you can use this Customer Comment Form at Metro.net, send an email to customerRelations@metro.net or call 1-800-464-2111.

Mobile web:

LAwithoutacar @metrolosangeles: a mobile version of website or an iphone app would be awesome & a way to get the hipsters on the bus

LAwithoutacar #metrolosangeles, when are we going to get a mobile version of http://www.metro.net? it would be a great help!

There actually is a mobile version of Metro.net, but I’ll admit that getting to it is not as obvious or robust as it should be. It’s a stripped down version of the main website and it doesn’t automatically load on my iPhone – the link to it is tucked away in the top right corner of the full blown website.

Random musings:

corpfatcat Saw a @metrolosangeles employee wield a can of Febreeze against the forces of uncleanliness #soldiersoffreshness

godVeveryone For decades the car culture has defined California-now I see more people walking, buying locally, interacting, taking @metrolosangeles

plusMETRO The best way to discover #dtla is to ditch your car and take @metrolosangeles Explore the city without the stress.

Hey Mr. President and Congress — readers believe in you!

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I posted a poll recently asking readers their opinion of whether the 30/10 Initiative would pass muster with Congress.

Seemed like a reasonable enough question. The 30/10 plan proposes to build 12 transit projects funded by the Measure R sales tax increase in the next decade by securing federal loans and other financing. Elements of the 30/10 will likely require law to be written and, as you know, Congress and President Obama are the deciders when it comes to writing law.

Given the steady stream of not-always positive media about Congress, I have to say the results of the poll surprised me — that readers were lopsided in their view that the folks in distant Washington D.C. would see the merits of the 30/10.

Here’s a comment left by reader Clark Johnson that perhaps reflects readers’ optimism:

I think that Congress will realize that Mass Transit projects around the nation not only create jobs but also are greener and move more people around major urban centers. Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco just a few communities that need to continue to build and work on Mass Transit. Smaller Cities need to manage their transit needs with Light rail & Trolleys too. Lets write our Congress and let them know that we must continue to invest in American Infrastructure and a more greener society- Mass Transit.

Not a bad idea — writing Congress. In fact, here’s a recent post listing the addresses and websites for all the members of Los Angeles County’s congressional delegation for attentive readers who like to fire off emails and letters to their elected representatives.

And while I’m at it, here’s an offer: If you write Congress or the White House and get an interesting response, pass it along to The Source and we’ll post it. Our email is thesource@metro.net.