Category Archives: Transportation News

Transportation headlines, Friday, March 22: New CicLAvia route, bullet train to Bakersfield, car commuters and weight gain

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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.

CivLAvia map for April 21 celebration.

CivLAvia map for April 21 celebration.

CicLAvia updates map for April 21 … no Figueroa, but MacArthur Park is back (StreetsBlog LA)

No rush but sometime before April 21, make sure you check out the new CicLAvia route, which is heading straight down Main Street, with a right onto 7th. (Take the Metro Red,  Purple or Gold Line to Union Station.) And even if you don’t ride, join the celebration of L.A.’s beautiful and diverse neighborhoods.

Can the bullet train provide a needed boost for second-tier cities? (The Atlantic: Cities)

Everyone has an opinion on high speed rail in California. Generally it’s about money, or lack of, but the plan to start building in the Central Valley also has proved irksome to city dwellers who think — rightly or wrongly — that cities are the economic centers and really ought to get the train before the outlanders do. But are cities the best place to start?  Here’s an argument for a second-tier city starting line. What do you think?   

San Francisco set to push transit benefits for commuters (San Francisco Examiner)  

This has been on the books for several years but it looks like there’s new interest in enforcing it. Under San Francisco’s Commuter Benefits Ordinance, all businesses with 20 or more workers nationwide must offer one of three transit benefits: The pretax deduction, up to $245 per month, for transit or vanpool expenses; transit subsidies valued at $74, the cost of a monthly Muni pass, or a vanpool from a worker’s home to the place of business. Businesses with fewer than 20 employees are exempt. No such law here but Metro has a variety of voluntary employer-sponsored transit passes and programs that make commuting easier and save employers and employees money. Worth checking out.   

Study says car commuters put on more weight than active commuters (Streetsblog DC)

Thought for the weekend: Going to the gym may not be enough to keep pounds off if we drive to work, says a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The study specifically measured commuters who bike or walk to work or to transit and that, of course, is a real calorie spender. But even for those of us who walk a block or so from our cars to public transit, it’s calories spent and muscles moved. Another kind of mobility that adds up to better health for us … and for our air quality.

Take Metrolink to Auto Club Speedway’s NASCAR race

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Photos by Anna Chen/Metro

Metrolink Board Member Richard Katz and Councilmember Jose Huizar – both of whom are also members of the Metro Board of Directors – joined Brad Keselowski, winner of last year’s Sprint Cup, and Miss Sprint Cup at Union Station today to declare Auto Club Speedway Day in L.A. and encourage NASCAR fans to ride Metrolink to this weekend’s races.

Race fans looking for a stress-free, convenient and affordable way to get to Auto Club 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this weekend can simply take Metrolink. Metrolink has again partnered with Auto Club Speedway to provide direct train service to the Auto Club 400 on Sunday, March 24. Check out the time tables for the Speedway trains here; the Antelope Valley Line connects with three Metro Rail lines at Union Station while the Ventura County Line connects with the Metro Orange Line at Chatsworth.

Metrolink train tickets to the Auto Club 400 are only $19 for one round-trip train ticket. Metrolink’s Speedway trains stop at a specially constructed station just off the back straight-away at the race track. From there, passengers will board a free tram that takes them to the entrance. Trains depart ACS one hour after the end of the race or checkered flag.

The Metrolink trains to Auto Club Speedway are special trains; regular Metrolink tickets and passes are not valid. The Auto Club Speedway train tickets are sold only by Auto Club Speedway and are mailed out prior to the race. To purchase race and train tickets or for information on the Auto Club Speedway train schedule, call Auto Club Speedway at (800) 944-RACE, visit the Auto Club Speedway Ticket Office or buy online.

More information from Metrolink’s official press release under the jump.

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Transportation headlines, Thursday, March 21: bike rental ban in Yosemite?, Leimert Park station, when parking deals go sour

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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.

Fate of Crenshaw/LAX Line's Leimert Park station still a mystery (Curbed LA)

The awarding of a construction contract for the light rail project has been delayed and is now scheduled for the May meeting of the Metro Board of Directors. Metro staff told the Board's Planning Committee on Wednesday that best and final offers for the contract were received last week. The Leimert Park station will only be built if a contractor can fit it into the project's budget of $1.75 billion or so.

Trends in urban planning in 2012-13 (Planetizen)

Using streetcars to spur development and helping cyclists get around were two of the most frequent topics tackled on the blog in the past year.

Yosemite National Park considers banning bike rentals (San Jose Mercury News)

As part of a plan to protect the Merced River, the park is recommending getting rid of bike rentals, horse rentals, raft rentals, an ice-skating rink, swimming pools and an arts center. No, private cars are not being banned. The plan is the result of a long, convuluted process to satisfy the courts and environmental law. Seems to me it's basically a plan designed to fail; even some environmentalists who sued the park are disappointed.

I don't recall anyone ever visiting the car-congested Yosemite Valley and suggesting bike rentals are impacting anything. Sigh.

When public-private partnerships are a bad idea (Governing)

Interesting post looks at a pair of deals made by Chicago and Cincinnati, respectively, to allow private firms to run city parking lots and garages in exchange for big upfront payments. Governing suggests that cities starved for cash often ink deals that aren't good for anyone over the long-term.

 

Report gives America’s infrastructure a scathing D+ but applauds Metro’s America Fast Forward initiative for transit projects

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The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has released its report card on America’s infrastructure and it’s not one we’d be proud to show Mom. “Report Card for America’s Infrastructure” awarded our nation a dismal D+ and was particularly critical of the state of our nation’s roads, transit and aviation facilities. That segment earned a D.

Congressman Nick Rahall (D-WV), ranking Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, responded by criticizing plans to reduce the federal government’s committee for transportation programs and projects. “It is high time that we move beyond just rhetoric when it comes to the state of our infrastructure and recognize that it is about the money,” Rahall said.

One positive note was applause for Metro’s America Fast Forward initiative. “Los Angeles County’s move from car capital of the world to transit capital of the United States is being driven by $15 billion in transit funds approved by county voters and with the assistance of America Fast Forward, the innovative finance section of MAP-21, America’s new surface transportation law,” the report said.

“America Fast Forward offers over $20 billion in new federal lending power over the next two years. By helping communities leverage their transportation resources and stretch federal dollars further than they have been stretched before, America Fast Forward will reshape our nation’s infrastructure while employing tens of thousands of workers to build a stronger and more mobile America.

“Implementing America Fast Forward in Los Angeles County alone will create over 160,000 highway and transit construction-related jobs, increase ridership by an estimated 77 million trips per year, reduce emissions from vehicles and save an estimated 10.3 million gallons of gasoline annually.”

“Report Card for America’s Infrastructure,” released every four years, was compiled by a committee of about 30 engineers from around the nation, including Metro Deputy CEO Paul Taylor.

Check out the report and let us know what you think. Here’s the link.

Transportation headlines, Tuesday, March 19; art of transit, downtown streetcar seeks federal $s, pols take aim at Vegas bullet train

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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.

ART OF TRANSIT: Guess where this photo was taken! Answer after the jump. Photo by JACKIE.LCK, via Flickr creative commons.

ART OF TRANSIT: Guess where this photo was taken! Answer after the jump. Photo by JACKIE.LCK, via Flickr creative commons.

Obama seeks to use gas and oil money to develop alternative fuel cars (New York Times) 

President Obama wants to use royalties from oil and gas drilling on offshore oil fields to help fund research into vehicles powered by clean fuels. But political resistance is expected from some House Republicans who have been critical of spending on non-traditional technologies when it comes to vehicles.

Separately, the National Academy of Sciences released a report on Monday saying that an 80 percent decline in greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles in the U.S. is possible by 2050 but it’s going to take a lot more than simply upping fuel economy standards, which President Obama already did. Specifically, the Academy recommended more rebates for those who buy clean vehicles and greater gas taxes on those who buy inefficient vehicles.

BART tries letting bikes on board trains during peak hours (KALW radio)

There are still some restrictions in place, but the agency that runs heavy rail trains in the Bay Area wants to try to accomodate some cyclists who either have been wanting to use the train to help with their commute or, in some cases, have been ignoring the ban. As readers here likely know, Metro lifted its peak hour ban on bikes in 2011.

Las Vegas high-speed rail project beset by political mine fields (Las Vegas Sun)

The Victorville-to-Las Vegas bullet train, now called XpressWest, is hoping to get a $5-billion-plus federal loan to fund building the project. Not so fast. Two key Republicans in Congress — Rep. Paul Ryan and Sen. Jeff Sessions — are now urging U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to reject the loan application, saying the loan is too risky. The XPressWest project needs the federal loan to get more private investors. In related news, Ryan’s proposed federal budget for the 2014 fiscal year would end all spending on high-speed rail projects, which would be very problematic for California’s fledgling project that aims to eventually connect San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego.

Streetcar supporters return from Washington after rallying for funds (blogdowntown)

Los Angeles Councilman and Metro Board Member Jose Huizar traveled to the nation’s capital last week to meet with members of Congress and other federal transportation officials in an effort to secure federal funds to build the downtown Los Angeles streetcar project. The city of L.A. will be applying for a federal Small Starts grant to help pay for half of the $125-million project. This will be an interesting process, as many other cities have asked for similar grants for their own streetcar projects and Metro, of course, is pursuing a federal New Starts grant to help pay for the Regional Connector and Westside Subway Extension, two projects that extend the reach of transit in downtown Los Angeles. The key question is in a time of federal belt tightening — thank you, sequester — how much federal funds can the region expect? For what it’s worth, I hope everything here gets funded. The more layers of transit, the better.

City of L.A. to create transit plans for stations along Expo Line and Crenshaw Line (Curbed L.A.) 

The city of Los Angeles Planning Department continues its early efforts to create new zoning plans for areas around stations, the idea being to create opportunities for transit-oriented development and a better world for pedestrians. Point of emphasis: Metro has no say in the zoning plans — that’s the city’s purview. City website here

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Key Wilshire off-ramp to Westside opens early

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Metro’s I-405 project contractor, Kiewit Infrastructure West, reopened the Southbound I-405 off-ramp to Westbound Wilshire Boulevard at approximately 8 a.m. Saturday morning March 16, a full week ahead of schedule. That puts another early end to the third installment of “Ramp Jam,” with more ramp closures planned later this year.

The off-ramp is a key freeway exit point for motorists driving in from the San Fernando Valley and points north who access Westside jobs and other destinations. Originally closed on Friday night, March 8, the off-ramp was scheduled to be closed for two full weeks.

Kiewit  was able to begin partial construction of the new ramp in advance, minimizing the need for an extended closure. Kiewit used the week to complete the remaining ramp and tie it in with the portion already built.

Metro has committed to opening parts of the project as soon as they are completed, so rather than one big ribbon-cutting ceremony, roadway and freeway improvements will be delivered incrementally. The project is officially two-thirds complete.

Stay tuned for more installments of Ramp Jam. The next ramp closure – the Northbound I-405 off-ramp to Eastbound Wilshire Boulevard – is scheduled to take three weeks and will start this summer.  Specific dates will be released as soon as they’re available.

UCLA continues to make progress in reducing car trips to Westwood campus

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UCLA recently released its annual State of the Commute report. The gist of it: even as enrollment has climbed in the past 20-plus years, the number of car trips to and from campus has fallen. The folks at UCLA credit this drop to several factors, most notably policies to encourage students and staff to take transit to campus or to carpool or vanpool.

I’ve plucked a few graphics from it that I think are interesting; the ones above and the nifty info-graphic posted after the jump that sums up the report’s major findings.

The campus population at UCLA is about 68,000 people — about 41,000 students and almost 27,000 faculty and staff. About 56,000 students and staff commute to the campus on a regular basis. The nearest rail stations at present aren’t so near: the Culver City Expo Line station (eight-plus miles by the most direct route) and the Purple Line’s station at Wilshire/Western (11 miles from campus).

Of course, rail transit is on the way to UCLA. The Westside Subway Extension will stop at Wilshire and Westwood boulevards, albeit that won’t happen until — gulp — 2036 under the current funding scenario. Unless, of course, Metro can find a way to accelerate the project.

In addition, the second phase of the Expo Line will have a station at Westwood Boulevard, just south of Pico Boulevard. It’s a 2.2-mile walk between the station and the intersection of Westwood and Le Conte (the south side of the UCLA campus) or, at present, a 15 to 16 minute bus ride on the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus’ 8 or 12 lines. In the future, let’s hope that there’s speedier bus service between Expo, the Westside Subway and UCLA’s campus, not to mention safe and fast bike routes.

Big, entertaining graphic after the jump — please check it out!

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Transportation headlines, Monday, March 18; With Expo Line coming soon, plan to transform Bergamot Station area takes step forward

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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.

Council moves Bergamot area plan forward (Santa Monica Patch)

Great news, me thinks. The plan will guide development on 140 acres around the future Expo Line station at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica, with the Council voting last week to begin the formal environmental review process. As one city official puts it, the plan will help create a “city within a city” with new apartments, public plazas, 10 new streets and 15 new bike and pedestrian corridors. Critics fear traffic and the cars that will come from new residents but let’s face it — Santa Monica needs the housing to go with its many jobs and the area is being designed in such a way it should cut down on car trips by new and existing residents alike.

Here’s a slide from a city of Santa Monica power point released last year on the goals of the Bergamot area plan (on the map, left is north, top is east, etc.):

Designing the Districts PPT

One-way car flow on Colorado is better for traffic (Santa Monica Patch) 

Speaking of Santa Monica, city studies found that making Colorado a one-way street between Ocean Avenue and Fourth Street would not make traffic any worse. The Expo Line’s final Santa Monica station will be at Fourth and Colorado and the city is converting the street between the station and the Santa Monica Pier into an esplanade that will greatly curtail car traffic — and widen sidewalks to 55 feet on one side of the street. Gasp! Good news: so far the Earth has not ended because of such talk.

The bigger point about this item and the one above: the city of Santa Monica seems intent not just on having a new rail line, but using it to transform some public spaces badly in need of a change in direction.

Glendale infrastructure upgrades to benefit bike riders (Glendale News-Press)

City officials say they will increase the number of in-street traffic signal sensors that can detect cyclists in addition to vehicles. The city also says it’s planning miles of new bike lanes and a bike sharing program. You know what would be great? If officials from Glendale, Pasadena, Burbank and Los Angeles County got together and figured out some good bike routes between those cities. By “good” I mean “good” — not passable, not piecemeal, not bike lanes that are poorly maintained, unsafe or used for parking.

One other media note: who really knows what will happen with the proposed football stadium at L.A. Live — I don’t get any clear sense from the abundant media coverage of AEG’s announcement last week that it is no longer for sale. On the plus side, a football stadium would be near the Blue and Expo lines’ Pico station — which would get an additional platform under the stadium proposal. As for my personal opinion, I have no beef with a football stadium but I’d be more excited to hear about a baseball stadium in downtown proper — something that seems to work in many other cities around the world.

Transportation headlines, Friday, March 15; Bundy bike lanes opposed in Brentwood, transit use isn’t up everywhere

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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.

ART OF TRANSIT: Today's photo celebrates extremely rural transportation options. This is Benton Crossing Road looking east toward the White Mountains in Mono County, Calif. Photo by Steve Hymon

ART OF TRANSIT: Today’s photo celebrates extremely rural transportation options. This is Benton Crossing Road looking east toward the White Mountains in Mono County, Calif. Photo by Steve Hymon

On L.A.’s crowded streets, it’s a smoother kind of slow (L.A. Times)

Nice story by one of my former podmates — Gale Holland — on the city of Los Angeles’ 30-year effort to get all 4,000-plus traffic signals on the same synchronization system. City traffic engineers say speeds and travel times on some key corridors are down, but Gale didn’t have a hard time finding some motorists who aren’t seeing the improvement. My three cents: there’s still room for improvement when it comes to moving trains and buses along streets in L.A. and elsewhere.

Brentwood groups oppose bike lanes on Bundy (Brentwood Patch) 

The two groups say the city of Los Angeles plan to add the lanes and remove car lanes on Bundy between San Vicente and the Culver City border will make Westside traffic worse. Sort of related issue: I’m more interested in knowing how cyclists will be able to reach the VA Hospital station for the Westside Subway Extension — the station is a long walk from the retail center of Brentwood.

Mass transit use isn’t up everywhere (The Atlantic Cities) 

Atlanta, Memphis and Tacoma — ridership is down, despite the recent news that overall transit ridership was the second-most since 1957 according to the American Public Transportation Assn. The Atlantic Cities also believes there’s an interesting relationship — the aforementioned cities also recently rejected tax increases to fund transit.

Which major cities are leaders in reducing greenhouse gases (Smithsonian)

The headline is a little misleading because hard numbers do not exist in terms of how much greenhouse gases come from a city. However, things to reduce greenhouse gases can be measured and by that count these five seem to be faring well: New York City, London, Addis Ababa, Sao Paulo and Copenhagen.


Transportation headlines, Thursday, March 14; ridership gains and reasons to be optimistic about region’s transportation future

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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.

Ten reasons to salute Los Angeles’ transportation future (L.A. Times)

This slideshow on the Times’ Opinion blog touts the ExpressLanes, new transit projects, mobile apps and the new 6th Street Viaduct as reasons to be optimistic. Of course, some of the projects — such as the Westside Subway — are still a few years down the road.

Transit ridership falls since 2008 (Cato Institute) 

The folks at Cato take issue with the American Public Transportation Association’s news release headlined “Record 10.5 Billion Trips Taken On U.S. Public Transportation In 2012.” And the folks at Cato have a point, albeit a very small one: as the news release goes on to say, the record was actually set in 2008; 2010 was a good year and might have been better if Hurricane Sandy hadn’t temporarily shelved service in parts of the Northeast. The bottom line is 10.5 billion rides were taken on transit in the U.S. last year and I suspect we’re better off than if all those people who rode buses or trains were in their own cars.

Which transit agencies gained riders and lost riders last year? (Governing)

Using APTA’s ridership stats, Governing points out that Metro saw an 18 percent increase in the number of light rail passengers in 2012, a fact largely attributable to the opening of the Expo Line. Light rail also performed well in Dallas and Salt Lake City, two regions that have recently expanded their systems.