Category Archives: Policy & Funding

Four years later: the status of Measure R transit projects

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Work on the Measure R-funded Expo Line Phase 2 along Olympic Boulevard in Santa Monica. Photo by Expo Line Fan.

We’re one week shy of the fourth anniversary of the passage of Measure R by Los Angeles County voters in 2008. The half-cent sales tax approved for 30 years upended everything: a host of transit and road projects that otherwise lacked funding suddenly had some dollars behind them.

Or to put it in less bureaucratic terms: projects such as the Westside Subway Extension were basically dead — it was a nice idea that lacked one cent in funding. Measure R gave it life.

To put it mildly, there’s a lot of balls in the air at Metro right now because of Measure R. To help all of us remember what-is-where, I’ve put together a brief status update for the transit projects covered by Measure R. I’ll write about some of the road projects later this week.

Before launching into this list, a quick sentence about Measure R: It’s not just building projects. The sales tax increase also provided money for bus and rail operations as well as local transportation projects by returning 15 percent of Measure R proceeds to local cities and unincorporated areas. Here’s the full Measure R expenditure plan.

Also, a word about completion dates for projects: they are subject to change depending on funding (not all the money is coming from Measure R), construction timelines and other factors that impact large infrastructure projects. It’s also important to note that the Measure J ballot measure proposes to accelerate some projects scheduled for the second and third decades of Measure R. More information is available here.

Measure R transit projects

Orange Line Extension: The four-mile extension of the Orange Line busway between Canoga Park and Chatsworth opened this summer. Originally slated to receive Measure R funding, the project was finished on-time and on-budget and didn’t need the Measure R dollars.

Expo Line Phase 2: The 6.6-mile extension of the Expo Line light rail from its current terminus in Culver City to 4th & Colorado in Santa Monica is under construction by the Expo Line Construction Authority. The projected completion date of construction work is late 2015. Project website

Gold Line Foothill Extension: The 11.5-mile extension of the Gold Line light rail from eastern Pasadena to the Azusa/Glendora border is under construction with work being overseen by the Foothill Extension Construction Authority. The estimated completion date for construction is late 2015. Project website

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Happy 20th Anniversary, Metrolink!!!

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A Metrolink train in Camarillo in 2006. Photo by KaroliK, via Flickr creative commons.

A Metrolink train in San Clemente in 2011. Photo by Loco Steve, via Flickr creative commons.

A midday Metrolink train at the Fullerton station in 2008. Photo by SP8254, via Flickr creative commons.

An early map of the Metrolink system. Date unknown. Photo from Metro Transportation Library and Archive’s Flickr page.

It’s pretty amazing that in sprawling Southern California commuter rail was all but absent for most of the latter half of the 20th century. That changed when five counties — Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino and Riverside — agreed to come together and foot the bill for a commuter railroad with Los Angeles Union Station as its main hub.

The arrival of Metrolink and the Metro Red Line brought Union Station back to life. Metrolink also targeted the long-distance car commuter, finally giving them an alternative to long, slow freeway commutes across the region. Entering its third decade, Metrolink should fare well as linkages improve to the Metro system and more development is hopefully targeted near stations. Source readers: What do you think are the main challenges for Metrolink in the next decade?

Here is a good interactive 20th anniversary report from Metrolink and below is the news release from Metrolink:

LOS ANGELES – The west coast’s largest commuter rail system, Metrolink, will celebrate 20 years of service on Friday. To date, Metrolink has transported more than 100 million people throughout Southern California.

Metrolink began operations on Oct. 26, 1992 with three routes, 11 stations and 112 miles of track in two counties. It initially carried 2,300 daily passengers. Today, Metrolink offers seven routes, 55 stations and 512 miles of track in six counties. Average weekday ridership consists of over 44,000 boardings.

“This is a tremendous milestone,” Metrolink Board Chairman Richard Katz said. “When you consider the tens of thousands of lives we impact each and every day, our positive impact on improving air quality and reducing congestion…it can be overwhelming. Our employees and crews take great pride in their work and being a part of this occasion is very special for everyone associated with Metrolink.

“The safety of our passengers and crews is and always will be Metrolink’s core value,” he said.

(More photos after the jump!)

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Conference on preserving and expanding transit at UCLA School of Law on Nov. 2

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The UCLA School of Law is hosting a conference on transit on Friday, Nov. 2. One of the speakers will be Stuart Cohen of TransForm, a transit activist group — that’s him in the above video. From the school:

Public transit in California and the nation—including the shuttles, buses, and passenger rail that serve our communities—has been battered by recession and dwindling public sector budgets. At the same time, ridership in many areas has spiked. This free conference at UCLA Law (co-sponsored by Berkeley Law) will highlight the challenges facing transit and explore solutions to overcome them and develop a world-class transit system. Art Leahy, Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles Metro, will be the keynote speaker. Simulcast is available with registration. Attorneys attending the live event can earn 4.25 hours of MCLE credit.

More information, including registration, can be found here.

 

LAX FlyAway tickets on Union Station and Van Nuys routes now available online — and you don't have to print them!

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I checked it and it works! It was easy-peasy. Photo by Steve Hymon/Metro.

As Tony the Tiger might say, that’s great! One less thing to do at Union Station for those headed to LAX. Here’s the news release from Los Angeles World Airports, the city of Los Angeles agency that operates LAX:

(Los Angeles, California – October 16, 2012) – Tickets to ride the FlyAway® nonstop bus service to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on the Union Station and Van Nuys routes can now be purchased on-line. The link to purchase on-line is

https://efleet.digital-dispatch.com/bauerslax/ .

On-line purchased tickets are good for up to 30 days after purchase date.  At time of boarding, customers can present printed confirmation as a boarding pass or have the capability to access the confirmation e-mail on their phones to be scanned by the bus driver.

Airport officials noted that the bar code is good for as many scans as the number of tickets purchased in a single transaction.  There is no need to print multiple copies of the confirmation unless passengers are traveling separately.

Tickets are $7 per passenger each way, with children five years old and under riding free (limit two per paying passenger).  All major credit cards are accepted.  Cash is not accepted at this time.

On-line ticketing for the LAX FlyAway® between Westwood and the airport is expected at a future date.

Passengers ride dedicated, clean-fuel, high-occupancy buses to reduce ground traffic congestion and vehicle emissions around LAX and the region.   LAX FlyAway® bus service is also in compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.

For additional information on the LAX FlyAway® log on to www.lawa.aero/flyaway or dial1-866-IFLYLAX (1-866-435-9529).

September ridership for Metro buses and trains; Expo Line carrying more than 20,000 per average weekday

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Here’s the latest Metro ridership estimates for September 2012. The Blue Line and Orange Line set ridership records in September while the new Expo Line went north of 20,000 average weekday boardings for the first time. Bus ridership is slightly up over the past two Septembers.

Bus Ridership Estimates

Bus – Directly Operated

Sep. 2012 Sep. 2011 Sep. 2010
Average Weekday Boardings 1,136,819 1,129,920 1,111,510
Average Saturday Boardings 736,160 738,461 730,017
Average Sunday and Holiday Boardings 548,019 541,698 534,317
Total Calendar Month Boardings 28,568,475 29,390,654 28,933,363

Directly operated bus ridership includes Orange and Silver Line ridership.

Bus – Contract

Sep. 2012 Sep. 2011 Sep. 2010
Average Weekday Boardings 48,755 46,248 46,392
Average Saturday Boardings 26,968 24,557 24,555
Average Sunday and Holiday Boardings 20,212 18,796 18,895
Total Calendar Month Boardings 1,182,449 1,163,413 1,166,932

 

Bus – Systemwide

Sep. 2012 Sep. 2011 Sep. 2010
Average Weekday Boardings 1,185,574 1,176,168 1,157,902
Average Saturday Boardings 763,128 763,018 754,572
Average Sunday and Holiday Boardings 568,231 560,494 553,212
Total Calendar Month Boardings 29,750,924 30,554,067 30,100,295

Directly operated bus ridership includes Orange and Silver Line ridership.

Orange Line

Sep. 2012 Sep. 2011 Sep. 2010
Average Weekday Boardings 31,787 26,883 25,052
Average Saturday Boardings 18,542 15,327 14,125
Average Sunday and Holiday Boardings 13,717 11,521 10,306
Total Calendar Month Boardings 778,965 683,456 634,122

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Metro staff report on proposed improvements to Pico Station for Blue and Expo lines to serve Farmers Field

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Pico Station Improvements staff report

Interesting item that will be heard in the Board of Director’s Finance committee on Wednesday afternoon (1 p.m., Metro Board Room, 3rd floor) on a proposed agreement with AEG to add a second platform to the Blue and Expo lines’ Pico Street station (pdf download here). That’s the station, of course, that’s two blocks from Staples Center and the proposed Farmers Field football stadium.

The Metro staff report proposes that the new platform be on the west side of the tracks and that it would eliminate one lane of traffic in that spot on Flower Street, as studied in the environmental documents for the stadium. The report also looks at the issue of street closures near the tracks during big events in order to minimize the number of cars crossing the tracks.

AEG is paying for the improvements and additional staffing that will be needed. All of this is conditional on an NFL team relocating to Los Angeles. And, might I add, if it’s the Chargers, let’s hope last night’s second half was a terrible, horrible aberration.

Work starting on other bridges for Gold Line Foothill Extension

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Here’s the good word from the Foothill Extension Construction Authority, the agency building the 11.5-mile light rail line from Pasadena to the Azusa/Glendora border, funded by Measure R:

Throughout the 11.5-mile Pasadena to Azusa construction project now underway, there are a total of 17 existing bridges that must be altered or replaced to accommodate the dual-track light rail system. Although we have focused much attention on the I-210 Gold Line Bridge over the last year, there will be many stories to tell about these other bridges that support our project and require significant work in the coming months and years.

[Above] is a map of the existing structures along the corridor and photos of the first three that FTC crews are preparing for construction. Lead paint removal on the 700-linear-foot San Gabriel River Bridge (top left), built in the early 1900s, is now complete. The bridge will soon be demolished and a new dual-track light rail bridge will be constructed. Two single track bridges within the Azusa shared corridor – at Palm Drive (bottom) and Citrus Avenue (top right) – will be renovated. Two additional single track bridges will be built alongside the existing bridge in these two locations to support two light rail tracks and one freight track.

Also, here’s the latest video update on the construction of the bridge for the Foothill Extension over the eastbound lanes of the 210 freeway:

Transportation headlines, Friday, October 12

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Here is a look at some of the transportation headlines gathered by us and the Metro Library. The full list of headlines is posted on the Library’s Headlines blog, which you can also access via email subscription or RSS feed.

The Endeavour resting this morning near LAX in preparation for its two-day journey to the California Science Center. Photo by David Islas via Flickr creative commons; click above for a larger view. The Expo Line is your best bet transit-wise to see the shuttle on Saturday as it approaches Exposition Park.

Good morning, folks. Headlines is back after a short break. I’ll probably need a couple of days to catch up on the latest news from transpo-world that I think is worthy of your attention. In the meantime, let’s begin with everyone’s favorite topic…TAP cards!

The latest Metrolink TAP solution (L.A. Streetsblog)

Writer Dana Gabbard, who has long covered the TAP saga, looks at the latest proposal from Metrolink on how to deal with locked gates at Metro Rail stations. The problem, of course, is that Metrolink customers have paper tickets that won’t get them through Metro’s locked gates.

And the solution to be considered by the Metrolink Board of Directors? Provide paper TAP cards to those who buy Metrolink one-way, round-trip, weekly and weekend tickets and provide temporary 30-day TAP cards to Metrolink customers with a monthly pass. To say the least, Dana is unimpressed that after years of implementing TAP, the paper TAP cards will initially be distributed by hand to Metrolink passengers.

How to see Endeavour ride into the sunset (ZevWeb)

The space shuttle’s journey is scheduled to resume at about 1:30 p.m. this afternoon as it heads toward the California Science Center. Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky’s website offers tips on where to see the shuttle enroute — it’s a little tricky — along with other interesting facts about the big move.

Measure J hopes to extend half-cent sales tax (KPCC)

The radio station talks to very few proponents and opponents of the proposal on the Nov. 6 ballot to continue the Measure R sales tax until the year 2069 in order to accelerate transit and road projects. The story doesn’t dig very deep into the proposal.

Beverly Hills school board opposes Measure J (L.A. Times)

The Times donates 352 words of real estate on its website to the less-than-shocking news that the Board of the Beverly Hills Unified School District opposes Measure J. The BHUSD has sued Metro to try to stop tunneling for the Westside Subway Extension under the Beverly Hills High campus and Measure J proposes to accelerate subway construction. I wonder if the Times will publish stories about every city council or school board that resolves one way or the other on Measure J.

Transit tax may hurt Gov. Brown’s Prop 30, Ridley-Thomas warns (L.A. Times)

News that’s actually interesting: Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, also a member, of the Metro Board of Directors, tells a community forum that having Measure J on the same ballot as Prop 30 will lead voters to believe they’re being over-taxed and that if Brown’s tax measure fails, counties already struggling financially will have to contend with more budget cuts. Metro Board Member Richard Katz provides the counter-view, saying that Prop 30 appears of Measure J on the ballot and that Prop 30 is facing serious opposition from both the left and right.

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Transportation Secretary LaHood bring big check to L.A. for Crenshaw/LAX light rail project

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From left, Assemblyman Mike Feuer, Santa Monica Councilmember Pam O’Connor, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Lakewood Mayor Diane DuBois, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Congresswoman Janice Hahn. Photo by Steve Hymon/Metro.

A news conference with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was held Wednesday at the Green Line’s Aviation station for the recently announced $545.9-million federally-backed TIFIA loan Metro will receive to help fund construction of the Crenshaw-LAX Line. The loan was first announced in 2010, with the deal closing earlier this month.

Many of the speakers congratulated Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who successfully lobbied Congress to adopt his America Fast Forward program to expand the TIFIA loan program. In plain English: the program will make it far easier for transit agencies to borrow money needed to build projects

“This is a program that the Mayor came to us with,” said Secretary LaHood. “He had a great vision…The U.S. Department of Transportation is very proud to provide the MTA with this $545.9-million TIFIA loan to help build a new light rail line along the Crenshaw corridor.”

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Metro Silver Line and Foothill Silver Streak riders can soon ride either line, using the same ticket and paying the same fare

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The new program begins Sunday, when the new El Monte Station is open to the public. Here’s the news release from Metro:

When was the last time something actually became easier? Soon transit riders will be able to hop aboard either the Metro Silver Line or the Foothill Transit Silver Streak using the same ticket or paying the same fare for travel between the brand new El Monte Station and downtown Los Angeles.

Metro and Foothill Transit have teamed up to offer this new easy and convenient combined service for all Silver Line and Silver Streak riders, as part of a one-year demonstration program. Beginning Sunday, Oct. 14, when the new El Monte Station opens, all categories of Foothill Transit 31-Day passes and Metro 30-Day, 7-Day or Day passes will be accepted on either Metro Silver Line buses or Foothill Silver Streak buses, and riders paying cash will pay the same fare ($2.45, one way) no matter which bus they take.

Patrons wanting to travel on the El Monte Busway can just board the first bus to arrive — Metro Silver Line or Silver Streak — show their fare media from either Metro or Foothill Transit and be on their way.

Metro Silver Line buses operate every 5-10 minutes during morning and afternoon peak periods, every 15 minutes midday and every 60 minutes late at night. The Metro Silver Line travels from El Monte Station to the Artesia Transit Center, with several stops in downtown Los Angeles. The Foothill Transit Silver Streak operates approximately every 10 to 20 minutes during morning and afternoon peak periods, every 20 minutes midday and every 60 minutes late at night. The Silver Streak travels from Montclair Transit Center to downtown Los Angeles.

For more information on this new easy and convenient fare arrangement, including cash and pass fares, visit foothilltransit.org/silver or metro.net/silverline.