Category Archives: Projects

Tying the Big Blue Bus to the future Expo Line to Santa Monica

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Big Blue Bus & the Expo Line

I plucked the above power point from the Westside/Central Service Council agenda — it explains the process that Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus [BBB] will use to eventually integrate service with the Expo Line when the project is completed all the way to Santa Monica.

It’s an interesting challenge for the BBB because a lot of its service is already east-west oriented and the Expo Line, of course, will also run mostly east-west. The challenge, I’m guessing, will be connecting some major destinations via bus to the rail line — i.e. Century City, UCLA, Santa Monica College, Main Street in Santa Monica and the whole Venice scene.

Any specific recommendations, Source readers?

Paving work completed at Expo Line’s Culver City station; no more muddy messes

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A view of the paved parking lot from the train platform. Photo by Metro.

A view of the paved parking lot from the train platform. Photo by Metro.

Because I know this is an issue that spurred a lot of complaints — and probably some car washing bills — earlier in the rainy season, I wanted to post this nice photo of the newly paved parking lot at the Culver City station.

Metro passes along their thanks to patrons for their patience for the past couple of weeks while paving work was taking place. The work was done quickly with one minor delay due to last week’s rain.

Also, this reminder: if the Culver City parking lot is filled, there is usually free parking available at the La Cienega/Jefferson station in the parking garage and near the Crenshaw station in the garage belonging to the West Angeles Church of God in Christ, just north of the station on Crenshaw Boulevard. 

More info on Expo Line parking here.

Work to begin March 20 on new Expo Line bridge over Venice Boulevard; there will be traffic impacts

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Click above to view larger.

Click above to view larger.

This is a big part of the project. The existing phase 1 ends at an aerial station just shy of crossing Venice Boulevard. The new bridge will carry the two tracks over Venice and toward Palms and eventually Santa Monica. It’s a big structure and, therefore, there will be traffic impacts that are detailed above in the notice from the Expo Line Construction Authority, the agency building the line that Metro will eventually operate.

 

Upcoming public meetings to discuss East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor project to improve north-south travel

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BRT Alignment

Bus Rapid Transit Alternative

 

LRT Alignment

Light Rail Transit Alternative

 

Working with the cities of Los Angeles and San Fernando, Metro is studying north-sound transit improvements in the San Fernando Valley, mostly along Van Nuys Boulevard. Among the options being studied are bus rapid transit and light rail (all four of the alternatives are below). Here’s a recent post on the Alternatives Analysis study for the project; maps of the bus rapid transit and light rail options under study are above.

The draft environmental study for the project — officially known as the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor – is just beginning. There are four meetings to give the public a chance to learn more about the project and provide feedback. 

The public can leave official comments on the project via email, the project’s Twitter feed (use the hashtag #ESFVscoping) or on this form on the project’s Facebook page. Metro is trying to make it easier for people to officially comment on projects and it’s good to see social media now part of that effort.

This scoping period is the time when the public tells Metro what’s most important for them about this project and which questions they most want the study to answer. Comments will be accepted until May 6.

The format and information provided at each public meeting will be identical. In the first half hour of the meeting, the public is invited to roam around and visit information stations around the room.

Meeting Dates, Locations, and Information

Saturday, March 16, 2013, 10 am-12 pm

Panorama High School
8015 Van Nuys Boulevard
Panorama City, CA 91402
Served by Metro Rapid Line 761 & Metro Local Line 233; DASH Route – Panorama City/Van Nuys

Tuesday, March 19, 2013, 6-8 pm
The City of San Fernando Regional Pool Facility
208 Park Avenue
San Fernando, CA 91340
Served by Metro Rapid Lines 794 and Metro Local Lines 224 and 234

Thursday, March 21, 2013, 6-8 pm
Arleta High School
14200 Van Nuys Boulevard
Served by Metro Rapid Line 761 and Metro Local Lines 158 and 233

Wednesday, March 27, 2013, 4-6 pm
Marvin Braude Constituent Service Center
6262 Van Nuys Boulevard
Van Nuys, CA 91401

Validated Parking available at City Hall Parking Lot (Sylvan/Sylmar Av Entrance)
Served by Metro Orange Line, Metro Rapid Line 761, Metro Local Lines 154, 156, 164, 233 and 237 and DASH Routes Panorama City/Van Nuys and Van Nuys/Studio City

Can’t make it in-person? Then, view and comment via a live-stream of the presentation beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 21, 2013, or on-demand at:  http://ustream.tv/channel/eastSFV.

Overview

The Study is evaluating the following alternatives:

  • No Build: Establishes a baseline for comparison with the other alternatives being evaluated.  It represents conditions predicted for the year 2035 if no new project is constructed. It does incorporate other new projects that are already included in adopted plans
  • Transportation System Management (TSM): Evaluates the benefits of   lower cost operational improvements including enhanced bus frequencies for Van Nuys Rapid Bus 761 or other bus lines, traffic signal synchronization, off-board fare collection, bus stop amenities/improvements, bus schedule restructuring, intersection and road improvements, etc.
  • Bus Rapid Transit (BRT): Similar to the Metro Orange Line, BRT would generally operate in dedicated lanes with some portions operating in mixed-flow traffic.  BRT typically provides higher frequency, speed and reliability when compared to standard Rapid or Local Bus service. The BRT route being evaluated for this project would travel from the Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink Station southeast along San Fernando Road and then south on Van Nuys Boulevard with three possible options for the project’s southern terminus.
  • Light Rail Transit (LRT): Similar to the Metro Gold, Blue, Green, and Expo Lines, LRT operates with standard gauge passenger railcars, on exclusive right-of-way with overhead electric power. A two-car train set can carry approximately 300 passengers. Stations are typically spaced about one mile apart. Under this Alternative, Metro would also need to build a new LRT maintenance facility. The LRT Alternative route would travel from the Sylmar/San Fernando Metrolink Station southeast along San Fernando Road and then south on Van Nuys Boulevard to Ventura Boulevard.

Foothill Extension Construction Authority approves route for Gold Line from Azusa to Montclair; project still needs funding

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Click above to see larger version.

Click above to see larger version.

The Board of the Construction Authority on Wednesday approved the route, which covers 12.3 miles along an existing rail corridor from Glendora to Montclair with stations in Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Pomona, Claremont and Montclair.

The Gold Line is currently being extended from eastern Pasadena to the Azusa/Glendora border — that part of the project is being paid for by the Measure R sales tax increase approved by L.A. County voters in 2008. This is the second phase of that project, which is in Metro’s long-range plan. As the news release notes, funding will need to be found in order to build this part of the project.

It’s an intriguing project. If completed, the Gold Line could eventually run all the way from Montclair to downtown Los Angeles and then to Long Beach via the Regional Connector project (not to mention the other leg of the Gold Line from Union Station to East L.A. and eventually either South El Monte or Whittier). The trip from Montclair to Old Town Pasadena is estimated to take about 40 minutes — it would be an alternative to the increasingly congested 210 freeway. The trip from Montclair to downtown Los Angeles about 64 to 70 minutes depending on the station in downtown.

Here’s the final environmental study for the project. And below is the news release from the Foothill Extension Construction Authority, the independent agency that is planning and will build the project:

MONROVIA, CA – At their meeting last night, the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority (Construction Authority) board of directors approved the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) for the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension light rail project from Azusa to Montclair. The 12.3-mile light rail extension includes future stations in the cities of Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Pomona, Claremont and Montclair; as well as two new grade-separated crossings (at Lone Hill in Glendora and Towne Avenue in Pomona). The project would extend light rail service between Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties, terminating the line at the multi-modal TransCenter in Montclair where multiple bus lines from throughout San Bernardino County and Metrolink already connect. The proposed extension is planned to run mostly at street level and parking is planned at each station.

“This is an important next step in our effort to connect Los Angeles, the San Gabriel Valley and Inland Empire by light rail and a very exciting milestone,” said Doug Tessitor, Chairman of the Construction Authority board of directors. “The Construction Authority is steadfastly committed to completing our mission of building the Gold Line out to Montclair, and hopefully further to Ontario Airport. Our decision last night allows us to move forward with designing the project as we seek funding to build the line east of Azusa.”

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Upcoming meetings for Community Leadership Council for Regional Connector project

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Metro’s Regional Connector project will connect Metro’s Blue, Expo, and Gold lines via a 1.9-mile extension of light rail tracks beneath downtown Los Angeles. Early pre-construction activities, such as utility relocations, are already underway and construction of the three new stations and track is expected to begin in late 2013/early 2014.

As part of the ongoing community engagement process, Metro has established the Regional Connector Community Leadership Council (RCCLC). The mission of the RCCLC is to foster, advance and promote community-based dialogue and information-sharing regarding the needs and preferences of stakeholders in the neighborhoods where the Regional Connector will be constructed and operated.

The RCCLC is comprised of a diverse group of stakeholders from along the alignment, with all meetings open to the public. In addition to monthly meetings of the full RCCLC, smaller Station and Area Committees meet on a regular basis to discuss issues specific to their geographical neighborhood.

To sign up to be notified of upcoming committee meetings and to receive the meeting agendas, please visit: http://tinyurl.com/rcclclist

The current upcoming RCCLC and Station/Area Committee Meetings are as follows:

Regional Connector Community Leadership Council: 
April 2 @ 1:30 p.m. (No March Meeting)
Metro Headquarters, One Gateway Plz, Los Angeles

Station/Area Committees:

2nd Street/Hope Place: March 12 @ 1 p.m.
Metro Headquarters, One Gateway Plz, Los Angeles

1st Street/Central Avenue: March 13 @ 4 p.m.
244 S San Pedro St, Los Angeles

Financial District: March 19 @ 9 a.m.
626 Wilshire Blvd Ste 200, Los Angeles

2nd Street/Broadway: April 10 @ 2 p.m.
To Be Determined

Please RSVP for the meetings you plan to attend as this assists the stakeholder-led committees in making logistical arrangements. These meetings do not typically consist of public presentations, but rather are working group-style committee meetings consisting mainly of stakeholder-led group discussions.

Reminder: why Election Day in Los Angeles matters if you care about transportation

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Click above to find your polling place if you live in the city of Los Angeles.

Click above to find your polling place if you live in the city of Los Angeles.

As you may have heard, there’s a primary election Tuesday in Los Angeles to elect the next mayor of the second-largest city in the nation — a city with about 3.8 million inhabitants and some well-known transportation challenges.

So even if you get all scratchy and/or break out in hives during campaign season, I’m here to kindly remind you to vote because there’s a lot at stake. Strike that. There’s tons at stake. Look up your polling place here.

Here’s why. Metro is a county agency and is overseen by a 13 member Board of Directors who serve as the deciders on most significant issues. The Mayor of Los Angeles gets a seat on that board and gets to fill three other seats with his appointees.

So let’s do some math! A majority of the Metro Board — i.e. seven votes — is required to approve most items. Four of those seven votes are controlled by the Los Angeles mayor. That means that the mayor controls more than half the votes needed to approve items that have impacts (hopefully always very positive!) across Los Angeles County.

Here are some items that are likely to confront the Metro Board in the next four or so years, meaning they’re items likely to confront the lucky soul (if luck is the right word) who becomes the next mayor of the City of Angels and/or Parking Lots:

•Although there’s nothing currently on the table, there will likely be a discussion in the next four years about Metro’s fare structure — all large transit agencies have to confront the fare issue at regular intervals. If you’re one of the readers who has left countless comments on this blog calling for distance-based fares, then this might interest you.

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14-day closure of key Wilshire/I-405 off-ramp planned beginning March 8 — this Friday

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065_SB_I-405_WB_Wilshire_Off_Ramp

Here’s the news release from Metro:

As part of its continuing work to improve the Wilshire/I-405 Interchange, The I-405 Sepulveda Pass Improvements Project plans to close the southbound I-405 off-ramp to westbound Wilshire Boulevard for two weeks beginning at 8 p.m. Friday, March 8, 2013.  The new ramp is scheduled to open by 6 a.m. Friday, March 22.

The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) and Caltrans advise motorists to plan ahead, adjust their travel times, or share the ride during this time to reduce traffic impacts.

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