Category Archives: Projects

Metro to host industry forum on May 1 to discuss public-private partnerships to help build the Sepulveda Pass Transit Corridor

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Sepulveda Pass Event Invitation

On May 1, Metro will host an industry forum for potential concession partners to discuss public-private partnerships that could be used to help build the Sepulveda Pass Transit Corridor project. The forum, to be held at Union Station, is a chance for invited officials from the development, investment, finance and construction industries to meet with Metro and learn more about the project.

Several potential concepts have been studied previously for this corridor, including bus rapid transit, light rail and managed lanes. One scenario involved building a tunnel or tunnels that would carry tolled lanes for motor vehicles and a transit facility. See this earlier Source post that includes a chart on the different concepts.

Very preliminary estimates indicate that the tunnel scenario could cost at least $6 billion, and likely more, depending upon the length of the tunnel. Measure R is scheduled to provide about $1 billion for the Sepulveda Pass Corridor, and under Metro’s long-range plan this money would not be available until 2030 with the project not completed until 2039. If Metro waits until the 2030s, when the Measure R funding becomes available, it will probably be too little, too late to build a project that could really make a difference for commuters.

Therefore, to accelerate much-needed additional capacity in the Corridor, Metro is investigating a public-private partnership, in which a consortium of private firms would design, build, finance, operate and maintain a project. Because of the significant investment required to build a project, the facilities would be privately operated so that the concession could generate sufficient revenue to repay their investment.

The forum on May 1 is an opportunity for interested parties to discuss the project and financing concepts with Metro. Attendance is expected to be high, with partipants coming from across the United States and the world.

California High-Speed Rail Authority announces bid results for first 28-mile segment of rail construction

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Authority Announces Bid Results on Central Valley Construction Project 041213

Some interesting news from the California High-Speed Rail Authority on Friday; the agency released the results of the bidding competition to design and build the first 28-mile segment of bullet train tracks between Fresno and Madera. The low bid of $985 million came in below agency expectations, which is good news. This is the first of five construction contracts to be awarded to complete the 130-mile Bakersfield-to-Merced section of the project.

The Sacramento Bee has a good story about the bidding process. The $985 million does not include real estate acquisitions that still must take place or a separate project to shift Highway 99 slightly to the east in the Fresno area in order to accommodate high-speed rail tracks but the bid does include a tunnel and several significant bridges. Excerpt:

The Merced-Bakersfield line is proposed to be the backbone of a 520-mile, $68 billion passenger rail system linking San Francisco and Los Angeles with electric trains capable of traveling at up to 220 mph. Trains are not expected to carry passengers until 2022 at the earliest, when the authority hopes to operate between Los Angeles and Merced, where passengers would connect on existing Amtrak or other commuter train lines to the Bay Area.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority’s Board of Directors still must approve the contract for the first 28-mile segment that went out to bid. That is expected to happen “within weeks,” said an agency spokesman, with the Authority hoping to begin construction later in the year.

A rendering of a bullet train along Shaw Avenue in Fresno. Source: California High-Speed Rail Authority.

A rendering of a bullet train along Shaw Avenue in Fresno. Source: California High-Speed Rail Authority.

Union Station past and present, in photographs

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Union Station opened in 1939.
The quick history of Union Station.
A wide view of Union Station and the surrounding area.
And the closer view.
The entrance facing Alameda Street. Photograph courtesy of Metro. ©2013 LACMTA
The iconic main concourse. Photograph courtesy of Metro. ©2013 LACMTA
Interior of the Patsaouras Transit Plaza, built at the rear of the station in the mid-1990s. Photograph courtesy of Metro. ©2013 LACMTA
The mural inside the Patsaouras Transit Plaza. Photograph courtesy of Metro. ©2013 LACMTA
The very cool glass ceiling in the transit plaza. Photograph courtesy of Metro. ©2013 LACMTA
The bar at Traxx.
Here are some historical photos from the station over the years. Photo: Library of Congress.
Amtrak, Metrolink and Metro Rail are the three railroads serving the station these days. Photo: Library of Congress.
Another pic from 1939. Photo: Library of Congress.
The actress Kim Novak at Union Station in 1956. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
Undated photo probably from the 1970s, maybe the ’80s. Photo: Library of Congress.
An Amtrak conductor helps passengers at Union Station in 1974. Photo: U.S. EPA.
Passenger trains at Union Station in 1971. Photo: Drew Jacksich/Wikimedia Commons.
Metrolink cab cars at Union Station today.
The station is much busier these days, serving as the hub for Metrolink, Amtrak and Metro Rail.
The Red/Purple Line subway platform under Union Station.
The subway has portals at both ends of Union Station — and they’re both very busy.
The very busy Gold Line platform at Union Station.
All those passengers add up to big crowds in the tunnel that serves the train platforms and connects the transit plaza to the front of the building.
A Metro Rapid bus leaving the transit plaza.
There are actually several bus stops at Union Station. Here’s the one at Cesar Chavez and Vignes.
The bus stop at Cesar Chavez and Vignes has more boardings than the transit plaza.
Bus passengers crossing Cesar Chavez to reach Union Station.
And here’s the Silver Line stop at Alameda and the 10 freeway.
It’s a busy stop used by Metro’s popular Silver Line and Foothill Transit, among others.
Another bus stop on the Alameda Street side of Union Station.
Union Station also has many spaces that areren’t used on a daily basis. This is the old ticket room.
Behind the old ticket counter.
And then there’s the Harvey House as seen from a portal in the kitchen door.
Old cabinets and drawers in the old ticket room.
A booth at the Harvey House as seen through a window.
View from upstairs at the Harvey House.
The classic view of Harvey House.
The counter.
Another view.
The old kitchen at Harvey House.
This sign is stored in the kitchen.
And here’s the old bar at Harvey House.
You have to see it in color to appreciate it.
Another issue: parking. Here’s the original, small garage now used by station employees.
There’s also a four-story underground garage for the public which rarely fills up.
This is the parking lot in front which separates Union Station from Alameda Street.
That puts a lot of pavement between Union Station and park space at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument.
There are two nice courtyards. This is the north one that has outdoor seating for Traxx.
The plaza on the south side.
The station also has several exterior halls that are often quiet.
Another view.
The hallway between Union Station and the MWD Plaza.
And the oft-quiet walkway on the far side of the transit plaza.
There has been a nice boost in businesses in the station in recent years.
Ice cream was a tasty addition in 2012.
A currently vacant retail space in the main concourse.
What’s this? Union Terminal in Cincinnati, which opened in 1933 and is now a museum. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
…Whereas Union Station remains one of the nation’s great train stations!

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been both shooting and collecting photos of Los Angeles Union Station, the best of which I’ve put in the above slideshow; click on the first image to begin the slideshow. You can also watch the slideshow on The Source’s Flickr page or as a video on YouTube.

For those interested in the old ticket room and Harvey House, there are a bunch of photos about halfway through the slideshow. After years of looking through Harvey House through the windows, I finally had a chance to go inside. It’s spectacular.

Some quick background: Metro purchased Union Station for roughly $70 million from Catellus in 2011. The purchase gave Metro direct control over Southern California’s largest rail and bus hub, including  development rights on 40 acres of land. Buying Union Station also prevented the facility from being tied up in a real estate trust that would have kept a very public space in private hands well into the future.

In 2012, Metro hired Gruen Associates in association with Grimshaw Architects of London to develop a master plan for the facility. In March, both a Metro staff report and PowerPoint were released that explained the early findings of the Master Plan process: making Union Station work as a transit hub will be the top priority. I tried to take some of the photos to reflect issues raised thus far by the Master Plan team.

The Master Plan process is important considering the Metro Rail system will be growing in the next three decades because of funding supplied by the Measure R sales tax approved by L.A. County voters in 2008. The California high-speed rail project is slated to arrive at Union Station when funding for that segment is secured. Bottom line: an already busy facility is going to be a lot busier. Here’s the Master Plan home page on metro.net.

TAP validators being moved at 7th/Metro station

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Early construction work involved removing a section of floor to install wires for the validators. Photo: Metro.

Early construction work involved removing a section of floor to accommodate the validators and their electronics. The photo shows the current location of the validators; the new ones will be in a line across the floor. Photo: Metro.

This is something that has been discussed before on this blog and the comments board and now the work is underway: Metro is relocating stand-alone validators at 7th/Metro Station in order to make it easier for customers to TAP when transferring between the Red/Purple Line subway and the Blue Line and Expo Line.

Work began earlier this week; the idea is to move the existing validators and add some news ones to form an array of validators that will serve a lot of customers at once. Customers will be able to walk by the validators and tap without having to go out of their way and queue up at inconveniently placed equipment.

Metro tested the validator placements in a variety of arrays and found that this particular array encouraged the best crowd flow and most frequent tapping by customers. The arrays were vetted by Fire-Live-Safety personnel as well as ADA staff.

Metro asks that everyone be courteous and careful while the work takes place.

Groundbreaking held for Gold Line bridge over Santa Anita Avenue in Arcadia

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Arcadia and Foothill Extension Construction Authority officials at this morning’s event. At center in the white jacket is Construction Authority Board Chair Doug Tessitor and at right in dark jacket Board First Vice Chair Sam Pedroza.

Here’s the news from an email from Habib Balian, the CEO of the Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority, the agency building the 11.5-mile extension of the Gold Line from Pasadena to the Azusa/Glendora border:

This morning, the City of Arcadia hosted a ground breaking ceremony for the Santa Anita Bridge, a new grade-separated crossing being built by the Construction Authority as part of the Pasadena to Azusa extension. The $12.5 million bridge is being paid for by the city and its residents.

In 2006, after it was determined that the street traffic on Santa Anita did not meet the official requirements to mandate a separated crossing, the city took the issue to its voters. Nearly 72% agreed that they were willing to pay for the grade separation over Santa Anita Avenue rather than have a street-level crossing. [Above] is a city-provided rendering of the future bridge, as well as photos of Construction Authority Board Chairman and Vice Chairman Doug Tessitor and Sam Pedroza, along with city officials, at today’s event.

As I remarked during today’s ceremony, work on Santa Anita Avenue is scheduled to begin at the beginning of May, following the re-opening of Colorado Boulevard. It will take approximately seven months to complete the extensive work necessary to lower the street in the area of the railroad crossing, as well as construct the new bridge. Long-term lane closures are planned, and we appreciate everyone’s patience during this construction activity. The businesses will be open in the area, and we encourage patronage of these businesses during this very impactful period.

At today’s event, Mayor Harbicht and Councilman Kovacic both remarked about the Construction Authority’s good work. It is especially meaningful to hear positive feedback on our work and efficiency during an active construction period. We thank the city officials and staff for their continued dedication and support of the project. It is our continued partnership that helps to move this important project forward.

The Journey Continues,

Habib F. Balian

Subway tunnel washing makes a difference: check out these pics of grime-free tunnel walls

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The clean portion of the wall is on the right; the waiting-to-be-cleaned section on the left.

Crews continue to make progress in the long term tunnel power washing project in the Red and Purple Line tunnels. The above photos show what the walls look like after being cleaned — they're now dust and grime free!

Work began at Union Station and is moving at a pace of roughly 200 feet a night. The cleaning is being done on Sunday through Thursday nights after 9 p.m.; the washing is the reason that Red Line trains are running 20 minutes after p.m. and Purple Line trains are only running between Wilshire/Vermont and Wilshire/Western.

All liquids from the cleaning process are being recaptured and properly disposed of by Metro.

Customers are reminded to find all planned service advisories at metro.net.

A better look at those sparkling clean tunnel walls.

 


Late night full closure of northbound 405 between 10 and Olympic on April 12 to 14

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Here's the news release from Metro:

The I-405 Sepulveda Pass Improvements Project will implement a full directional northbound freeway closure for approximately one-mile from the I-10 connector to the Olympic Boulevard on-ramp for the nights of Friday, April 12, Saturday, April 13, and Sunday, April 14, 2013.

The full northbound freeway closure is scheduled to prepare roadway and stage k-rail for additional lane and median construction.



Scheduled closure times:


Friday: Lane reductions at 11 p.m., full northbound closure at 1 a.m., open at 6 a.m.


Saturday: Lane reductions at 11 p.m., full northbound closure at 1 a.m., open at 7 a.m.


Sunday: Lane reductions at 11 p.m., close at 12 a.m., open at 5 a.m. Monday

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The northbound Olympic Boulevard on-ramp will be closed during the freeway closure.

Northbound Detour: From Olympic Boulevard, go north on Cotner Avenue to the northbound Santa Monica Boulevard on-ramp.
 From northbound I-405, exit to the westbound I-10, exit Bundy Drive North, go east on Santa Monica Bl to the northbound I-405 on-ramp.

Construction is dynamic and schedules are subject to change without notice. Work activity is subject to weather conditions.



For additional project information and ongoing construction updates, visit www.metro.net/I-405 or call the project hotline at 213-922-3665. The latest updates are also available on Twitter at www.twitter.com/I_405.



President Obama’s proposed budget calls for $130 million for two Metro projects: Purple Line Extension and Regional Connector

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This page from the U.S. Dept. of Transportation booklet of budget highlights. Click above for the full document (pdf).

This page from the U.S. Dept. of Transportation booklet of budget highlights. Click above for the full document (pdf).

Some very welcome news via the proposed budget released today by President Barack Obama: the budget includes $130 million to help fund two of Metro’s big rail projects: the Purple Line Extension and the Regional Connector. The budget allocates $65 million to both projects.

This is the first time that both projects will actually receive federal money. The funds are extremely significant because they help supplement Measure R funds for two projects that are both very expensive and need additional funds. Although Congress still must approve the budget, historically these type of funds don’t change much during budget negotiations.

There’s another reason the money is important. The funds are the first payment for more federal dollars that will flow to both projects in future federal budgets via the federal New Starts program that helps local transit agencies pay for big, pricey transit improvements — such as new rail lines.

Formal agreements that detail the New Starts money are expected to be signed between Metro and the Federal Transit Administration later this year. The subway will be asking for $2.3 billion in New Starts money and has a budget of $2.4 billion for its first phase to La Cienega Boulevard. The Regional Connector will be asking for $671 million in New Starts money and has a budget of $1.3 billion.

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