Category Archives: Projects

Transportation headlines, Friday, May 17

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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.

L.A. Philharmonic concerned about potential subway noise (L.A. Times)

The story reports on the ongoing process by Metro to protect the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Colburn School from any noise from Regional Connector trains that will pass under or near the buildings. Metro CEO Art Leahy told the Times that the Regional Connector is being designed to have zero net impact on acoustics at either building.

Two other points to add: Metro has hired Rick Talaske, a renowned acoustic engineering consultant, to assist with the Regional Connector project. And, the project will not go out to bid until appropriate sound levels for trains are determined. In other words, the construction firm or firms that wins the contract to build the Regional Connector will have to build the project to the sound standards mandated by Metro and agreed upon with both the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Colburn School.

Orange crush (ZevWeb) 

Very good story on crowing on the Orange Line busway, particularly at peak hours. Excerpt:

While improvements are planned to handle the growth in ridership during off-peak hours, rush hour is a different story.  One additional bus trip will be squeezed onto the back end of the peak traffic period but, after that, the agency is just about maxed out on how many buses it can run at a time. Among other issues, the line is constrained at intersections with north-south roadways, which are managed by the city of Los Angeles’ Department of Transportation.

“Running buses every 4 minutes during rush hour is the best we can do under the current traffic configuration,” Hillmer said. “The city is reluctant to go below the 4-minute frequency level.”

Jonathan Hui, a spokesman for the city agency, said it allows buses to pass through the intersections every two minutes, but they only get special priority—early or longer green lights—every four minutes. That preferential treatment is important to keep the line moving swiftly.

“Not everybody can get the green at the same time,” Hui said. “The Orange Line is obviously important, but so are drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists.”

The two agencies are currently working on a solution to the problem. Hillmer said possibilities include sending two buses in tandem through intersections, or shortening the length of the green lights the buses get, which could enable more of them to get through.

Is future baseline the baseline of the future? (Thomas Law Group) 

A good look at the legal arguments in the Neighbors for Smart Rail versus Expo Line Construction Authority case made earlier this month before the California Supreme Court. In the case, Neighbors for Smart Rail (which wants the train to go underground in the Cheviot Hills and Rancho Park area) is challenging the EIR for the second phase of the Expo Line project, saying it was improper for the Construction Authority to use future traffic conditions as the baseline for determining the train’s impacts. The Authority argued using future conditions is a better way to gauge the real impacts.

According to the blog, four Justices seemed receptive to Neighbors for Smart Rail’s arguments, another Justice seemed to favor the Construction Authority’s stance and two other Justices didn’t say anything during the hearing. A ruling is expected within 90 days. With construction of the project underway, it remains to be seen if an unfavorable ruling would impact work — or whether the Court just wants to clarify how agencies should handle the baseline issue in future EIRs.

New concept developed to better connect the Regional Connector to Grand Avenue; community funding, however, will be needed

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One of the three new stations for the Regional Connector project will be at 2nd and Hope Street. Due to the topography of downtown Los Angeles, that presents some challenges for future patrons: those exiting the station bound for Grand Avenue would have to walk uphill to reach the many attractions along Grand Avenue, including the front side of Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, MOCA, the Colburn School and the Broad, the new art museum that is presently under construction.

At the request of members of the Regional Connector Community Leadership Council’s 2nd/Hope Committee – a group of area residents and stakeholders interested in the Regional Connector project — Metro has developed a concept that would provide a direct connection from the new station to Grand Avenue.

Before I go any further, it’s important to understand that this proposed concept is not presently funded as part of the project. Metro intends to put the concept in the package going to construction firms interested in proposing to build the Regional Connector project as an option in order to determine the additional cost of the connection concept. The Contractor will price the connection concept as an option and will honor this price proposal for 180 days from the awarding of the contract. The funds related to this connection would need to come from contributions from the community. The Design/Build construction contract for the project is expected to be awarded around the end of this year.

With that caveat in mind, please flip through the above slide show. The first several renderings show the station as is planned. The entrance would be at 2nd/Hope and a series of elevators would take patrons 77 feet below street level to the station concourse.

Under the proposed concept that Metro has developed, a second level could be added to the station as well as a bridge over Hope Street, subject to community funding. In this concept, the elevators would stop both at ground level and at bridge level, 23 feet above Hope, at the same level as the proposed GTK Way Plaza deck.

The 2nd/Hope Committee will now have to begin to discuss ways to raise the funding to build this proposed connection. I personally think it’s a very intriguing idea that will make an already good project even better and even more attractive to potential riders.

Metro staff issues long-range plan funding forecast

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LRTP forecast report

One of the challenges of having an ambitious agenda when it comes to building transportation projects is staying on top of funding and evoling project cost information. In a perfect world, things such as revenue streams and project budgets never budge; in the real world they change frequently and adjustments have to be made to accomplish the Long Range Transportation Plan mobility improvements.

Thus, the above report from Metro staff that forecasts the costs of carrying out the agency's long-range plan and changes that may need to be made to pay for them. The changes will be reviewed and considered by the Metro Board of Directors at this month's round of meetings, beginning later this afternoon with the Finance Committee.

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Long term closure of Alondra Boulevard Bridge slated to start in June

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The Alondra Boulevard Bridge and a segment of Alondra Boulevard will be closed starting June 10 for construction work. Here’s the press release from Caltrans:

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will fully close the Alondra Boulevard Bridge and a segment of Alondra Boulevard in both directions between Freeway Drive and Marquardt Avenue beginning Sunday, June 9 at 9 p.m. 

Both the bridge and this portion of Alondra Boulevard will remain fully closed until mid-to-late 2014. The work involves bridge demolition and reconstruction, retaining wall construction and roadway improvements on Alondra Boulevard.

The Alondra Bridge demolition will take place during nighttime work in six weekends — with three weekends of demolition work scheduled per each half of the bridge. The work will occur overnight on Friday and Saturday nights.

  • The demolition work is scheduled to begin on Friday night June 14 to Saturday morning June 15; and Saturday night June 15 to Sunday morning June 16.

Up to five more weekends (weather permitting) of demolition work are scheduled for:

  • Friday night 6/21 to Saturday morning 6/22; and Saturday night 6/22 to Sunday morning 6/23; 
  • Friday night 6/28 to Saturday morning 6/29; and Saturday night 6/29 to Sunday morning 6/30;
  • (Then, switching demolition work to the opposite side of the bridge and freeway):
  • Friday night 7/5 to Saturday morning 7/6;     and Saturday night 7/6 to Sunday morning 7/7;
  • Friday night 7/12 to Saturday morning 7/13;  and Saturday night 7/13 to Sunday morning 7/14;
  • Friday night 7/19 to Saturday morning 7/20;  and Saturday night 7/20 to Sunday morning 7/21.

Overnight, Directional Full Closures on the Santa Ana Freeway (Interstate 5) between Valley View Avenue and Carmenita Road will occur during the bridge demolition weekends.  One direction of I-5 will fully close each night and the other direction – with a reduced number of lanes –  will remain open to traffic during the bridge demolition. The time schedule for freeway connector and ramp closures during the demolition work will be announced in early June.

Long-Term On-Ramp Closure:  the northbound I-5 on-ramp at Alondra Blvd. will fully close beginning 12:01 a.m. on June 10.

Local commuters are encouraged to use the marked detours on Valley View Avenue, Artesia Boulevard, and Carmenita Road. Please consider the detour in your commute and allow extra time to arrive at your destination.

The motoring public, residents and businesses are encouraged to sign-up for regular notification on freeway lane and ramp closures and local street closures by calling the toll-free I-5 South Corridor Improvement Projects Hotline (855) 454-6335 or visiting www.I-5info.com

The work is part of the $110 million Santa Ana Freeway (I-5) HOV Widening and Alondra Boulevard Bridge Project to construct one carpool and one general purpose lane in each direction, from North Fork Coyote Creek Bridge to Marquardt Avenue, reconstruct overcrossings at Alondra Boulevard and North Fork Coyote Creek, and realign and upgrade adjacent frontage roads. The 57-year-old Alondra Blvd. Bridge will be widened from a four-lane to a six-lane bridge, with three lanes in each direction, and will also be longer to accommodate a wider I-5 freeway. The contractor is C.C. Myers, Inc. of Anaheim, Ca.

Metrolink posts details on TAP-enabled tickets for its customers

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As has been discussed previously on The Source, Metro is preparing to begin latching gates at Red and Purple Line subway stations beginning this summer, with gates at other Metro Rail stations to be latched subsequently. All Metro riders will need to ‘tap’ their TAP cards to get through the gates.

That, of course, is an issue for Metrolink passengers who get free transfers to Metro as part of their fares — Metrolink uses paper tickets, not the plastic “TAP” cards that have become the norm on Metro. In order for Metrolink passengers to get through latched gates, Metrolink and Metro have worked together to develop paper TAP cards for Metrolink customers.

The following has been posted to Metrolink’s website and explains the transition from the current ticketing system to TAP-enabled paper tickets. Bottom line: The TAP-enabled Metrolink tickets for destinations in Los Angeles County (the area served by Metro) will be available through Metrolink ticket machines and for those purchasing Metrolink monthly passes. Metrolink customers will have to ‘tap’ those tickets when using Metro Rail and will continue to show their tickets to bus operators on Metro bus lines.

Many more details below from Metrolink:

Metrolink to provide TAP-enabled tickets

Metrolink and Metro have worked collaboratively to create a Metrolink ticket that is compatible with the Metro TAP system. TAP-enabled tickets will be dispensed from Metrolink Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) to allow passage through Metro’s turnstiles leading to Metro rails lines and stations.

All Metrolink tickets with Los Angeles County destinations will be TAP-compatible, and all riders will be required to physically tap their tickets at the turnstiles and validators when transferring to a Metro Rail line. When boarding a bus, the current policy of simply showing the bus operator your Metrolink ticket will still be in effect. Tapping is not required on buses.

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Rep. Howard ‘Buck’ McKeon authors letter supporting Metro New Starts projects

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The federal New Starts program helps local transit agencies build large and high impact transit projects; Metro is seeking $2 billion of New Starts money to help fund the Purple Line Extension and the Regional Connector.

The letter from Rep. McKeon (R-Santa Clarita) is very helpful, given the uncertainty of transportation funding in Congress these days. The 25th district that McKeon represents includes Santa Clarita, Palmdale, Lancaster and parts of eastern Ventura County.

Full northbound I-405 closure from Santa Monica Boulevard to Wilshire planned from 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. Friday

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Here’s the news release from Metro:

The I-405 Sepulveda Pass Improvements Project contractor is scheduled to conduct a full northbound I-405 freeway closure from Santa Monica Boulevard to Wilshire Boulevard in West Los Angeles beginning Thursday night, May 9 2013 from 12 a.m. to 5 a.m.

The full northbound freeway closure is scheduled to prepare the Santa Monica bridge for the approach slab repair work scheduled for Friday night, May 10.

  • Detour: Exit at the Santa Monica Boulevard off-ramp, right on Santa Monica Boulevard, left on Sepulveda Boulevard, right on Wilshire to the northbound I-405 on-ramp.
  • Traffic control officers will be deployed.
  • CHP will be monitoring the area surrounding the closure.

What to expect:

  • Construction schedule is subject to change based on daily progress and field conditions.
  • Notification of ramp closures will be provided on a daily basis through the PM Closure e-mail notices. Subscribe to daily e-mail alerts at www.metro.net/405.
  • For a listing of daily closures and latest updates visit our website at www.metro.net/405 or follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/I_405  and Facebook at www.facebook.com/405project

First part of Wilshire peak hour bus lanes to begin on June 5

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WBRT with Text Bubbles_2013-02-08 (1)

This is a Metro project that the city of Los Angeles is building. The Metro Board approved the 7.7 miles of peak hour bus lanes on parts of Wilshire within the city of L.A. back in May 2011. The first part to be built will be the easternmost section, shown above in pink between South Park View and Western.

Here’s the news release from Metro:

A comprehensive plan to shorten bus trips between downtown and Santa Monica on one of the busiest traffic corridors in Los Angeles County starts Monday, May 13 as the first phase of work begins on new, bus lanes along Wilshire Boulevard from MacArthur Park to Western Avenue.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) bus lanes have been initially designated for a 1.8-mile stretch in both directions along Wilshire. Contractors will remove lane striping next week, mark and install long-line striping May 20-24, mark pavement with “Bus Only” messages and install “Bus Lane” signs May 29-June 1.

The new bus lanes become effective 7 a.m. Wednesday, June 5. Only transit buses will be permitted to use the lanes during peak hours of 7-9 a.m. and 4-7 p.m. weekdays. Drivers of cars and trucks are subject to a citation if driving in BRT lanes during those hours.  All vehicles are permitted to use bus lanes during off-peak hours and on weekends. To acquaint motorists with the new lanes, a short period will be observed when warnings may be issued.

When the entire Wilshire Boulevard BRT project is completed in late 2014, it is designed to cut bus commute times by 15 minutes on 12.5 miles between downtown and Centinela Avenue in Santa Monica. Street improvements and selective street widening will be made along 9.9 miles of Wilshire Boulevard with BRT lanes on 7.7 miles.

BRT bus lanes are used in New York, Chicago and Boston to improve travel times and service reliability, encourage automobile drivers to shift to public transit and improve air quality.

During peak hours, Metro operates buses every two minutes on Wilshire Boulevard west of downtown. There are 53,000 daily boardings with 44 percent of those during rush hours.

The Wilshire Boulevard BRT is funded by a $23.3 federal grant combined with an $8.2 million local match from the city of Los Angeles.