Category Archives: Transportation News

Transportation headlines, Tuesday, March 1

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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 blog.

L.A. City Council expected to pass ambitious bike plan (L.A. Times)

The plan would add more than 1,600 miles of bike lanes and routes in the city of Los Angeles — with more than 200 in each of the next five years. But, as one council member notes, it will be up to the city to be vigilant to actually do the work, as the city has a sky-high pile of plans that were never implemented. One thing that should help: 10 percent of the Measure R local return funds received by Los Angeles are scheduled to go to the bike plan. Here’s a good piece at Grist explaining how more cycling could improve the American economy.

Big Blue Bus contemplating future Expo Line (Santa Monica Lookout)

Santa Monica’s bus agency is holding six public meetings to discuss what service changes may be needed when the Expo Line is finished (which is scheduled for 2015). It’s good to see them thinking way ahead of the game, as buses will be key to help people get to and from the train stations. I’m interested, in particular, to see how Santa Monica connects the train to destinations such as Santa Monica City College and Main Street.

Can Silicon Valley workers be lured out of their cars? (GOOD)

The local bus agency pondered that question and recently announced 20 express buses will be “equipped with wi-fi,  comfortable reclining seats, and bike racks. Other amenities that may be included are storage areas, tray tables, and cup holders.” Fares are also going up to pay for it. And the buses may reach deeper into more affluent neighborhoods, too. It will be interesting to see how this one plays out.

Transportation headlines, Monday, Feb. 28

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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 blog.

The high-speed rail debate continues:

A lost cause: The high-speed rail race (Washington Post)

Why the Washington Post is wrong about high speed rail (CommuterPageBlog)

High Speed to Insolvency: Why liberals love trains (Newsweek)

Here’s triple dose of high-speed rail debate that will keep you away from your work this morning. The Washington Post pens yet another editorial bemoaning high-speed rail noting that despite its popularity across the globe, the mode often requires subsidies to operate. CommuterPageBlog strikes back saying that high-speed rail is necessary to diversify our transportation portfolio. George Will posts a particularly inflammatory editorial on Newsweek, claiming the main purpose of high-speed rail is to rob individuals of the freedom – or at least the illusion of freedom – offered by the private automobile. One commenter offers a thoughtful rebuttal to this assertion:

To drive a car, I had to take a government class, then a government test, then pay the government a fee to get a government card that lets me drive. To buy the car, I had to choose a model the government allows on the road, pay the government a fee to transfer the title and register it, then get it inspected at a government licensed shop, and insured by a government licensed firm. And THIS makes me a “master of my fate”??

California roads are massively subsidized (California High-Speed Rail Blog)

On a related tangent, the California High-Speed rail blog posts some stats compiled by SubsidyScope regarding highway funding – namely that user-fees do not fully fund our nation’s roads. Local and state funding only cover 39 percent of the cost (can also be thought of as a highway’s farebox recovery ratio) and even when federal funding is taken into account user fees only cover 51 percent.

The Metro Blue Line claims its 103rd death, how can we prevent more? (KPCC)

In the wake of the Blue Line’s latest tragic collision with a pedestrian, KPCC’s Kevin Ferguson wonders if enough is being done to prevent such accidents from happening. A USC professor of civil engineering blames the fact that the line runs at grade, but does not address the fact that other trains across the globe run at grade without matching the Blue Line’s deadly toll. For more information on what Metro has done to address safety along the Blue Line, read our four part series:


Metro to hold public meeting on location of maintenance facility for Crenshaw/LAX Line

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Here’s the news release:

Metro will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, March 1, and a public hearing on Thursday, March 31, to update the community and to receive verbal comments on the evaluation process of the proposed maintenance facility sites for the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor Light Rail Project.

Metro staff is analyzing four sites for the development of a new maintenance facility, which will be used to store, maintain, repair, and clean light rail vehicles. The four sites are located in the cities of Los Angeles, Inglewood, Hawthorne and Redondo Beach. Metro staff will also update the community on an analysis of parklands and historic resources.

The meetings will take place at,

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Flight Path Learning Center

6661 West Imperial Highway

Los Angeles, CA 90045

(Served by Beach City Transit Line 109 with connections at the Metro Green Line Aviation/LAX Station)

Continue reading →


Transportation headlines, Friday, Feb. 25

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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 blog.

Awkward! Subway complicates Beverly Hills Council meeting (Curbed LA)

A blow-by-blow of a discussion involving the subway’s route through Beverly Hills and the efforts of city officials to work with Metro.

A call to slow down high-speed rail in California (NPR)

This segment focuses on the town of Corcoran in the San Joaquin Valley along the proposed route. The locals there have mixed views of the project — there are concerns about noise and financial viability — and many of those concerns are echoed at higher levels in the state.

Is gasoline cheaper than water? (DC Streetsblog)

It’s not exactly news that gasoline in the U.S. is cheaper than in many other countries, but Streetsblog also points out that gasoline — due to low taxes — can be cheaper than bottled water. Experts argue that low gas taxes promote waste, dependence on cars and discourage the U.S. from making investments in transit.

Primer on federal transportation bill (Pew Center for Climate Change)

If you want to geek out on transportation policy, this 10-page pdf provides a pretty good overview of the issues. Keep in mind the next big federal transpo bill has the potential to speed up construction of Measure R projects — if it includes language expanding loan and bond programs that transit agencies can use to get the up-front cash needed to build the projects.

Your tweets and visions for Union Station

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With the news of Metro’s impending purchase of Los Angeles Union Station, I asked Metro followers and friends on Twitter and Facebook what they’d like to see at Union Station that isn’t there now. Here are their answers:

Tomdemie @metrolosangeles Supermarket and shopping restaurant

lensovet @metrolosangeles better integration and transfers between modes. a few months ago you had to stand on a freeway to take southbound expresses

trainman74 Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge.

Denise_V @metrolosangeles I’d like to see more security/police there. At night it’s filled with odd people.

jasonburns @metrolosangeles RE: Union Station – Reopen Harvey House as a 24-hour diner. http://bit.ly/gG21en

dennisthai @metrolosangeles would love to see a bar there and TVs broadcasting sports or news @ union station.

tomato1972 @metrolosangeles Peet’s!

Sorry, tomato1972: Starbucks beat ‘em to it and is coming soon!

busblog A Pink’s hotdog stand.

ayogist @metrolosangeles: What would you like to see @ Union Station that isn’t there now? / a subway line to the westside while i’m still alive!

andiedavino @metrolosangeles i’d like to have the signs working 4 @PACSurfliners trains 830/1010 so i know for sure which platform they r dept from

mrnonel @metrolosangeles Union Station needs better fast food concessions.

Dairenn @metrolosangeles It would be nice if Traxx could come back. Is there WiFi?

There is not wifi at this time that I’m aware of. But Starbucks usually provides it.

Silverk79 @metrolosangeles how a bout an In & Out burger restaurant!!??
malcolmbmiller @metrolosangeles more room for passenger drop off. have to jump out of a moving car to avoid getting yelled at! see #union #station #DC

From Metro’s Facebook page:

Brigham Yen I want to see Union Station become a destination itself in the future like many other train stations in the world (like in my dad’s hometown Taipei). I want to see LAUS continue to add more retail, restaurants, and entertainment, making LAUS an attraction itself, and then maybe people won’t find it a “hassle” to transfer there anymore as they may just end up staying to eat, shop, or just hang out.

Via email to sourcemetro@gmail.com:

Steveland Harris: How about one of those Best Buy Mobile vending machines for electronics on the go?

Transportation headlines, Thursday, Feb. 24

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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 blog.

Tackling transportation’s triple-threat to the nation (NRDC Switchboard)

NRDC Federal Transportation Policy Director Deron Lovaas recommends adopting a “fix-it-first” rule, requiring that funding goes to repairing current transportation infrastructure before we build new highways. He would also like to see a national oil conservation program and innovating financing for passenger and freight rail.

Give cyclists 3 feet…drive bike friendly (Be a Green Commuter)

Source contributor Sirinya sent along word that UCLA is launching its own bicycling safety and awareness campaign called “Give Cyclists 3 feet…Drive Bike Friendly.” The program represents a partnership with the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition and L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. At the state level, State Senator Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) is introducing a bill that would legally require motorists to give bikes at least 3 feet of passing distance.

$1 Million for streetcar project up for council vote on Friday (Blogdowntown)

On Friday, the Los Angeles City Council will vote on allocating $1 million to the proposed downtown streetcar’s preliminary engineering and environmental impact reports. The money would come from the city’s annual take of Measure R “local return” funds. Those are the funds that are sent back to all 88 cities in L.A. County each year for local transportation projects.


Court dismisses Expo Line lawsuit

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Here is the news release from the Expo Line Construction Authority:

COURT DISMISSES NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP’S CHALLENGES TO DELAY EXPO LINE

Phase 2 of the Expo Line project from Culver City to Santa Monica takes another step forward as the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles rendered an important decision, officially dismissing challenges to the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR).  In a decision issued February 22, 2011, Judge McKnew denied community group Neighbors for Smart Rail’s Petition for Writ of Mandate which challenged the project’s FEIR and proposed mitigation measures. This follows a tentative ruling issued in December, 2010.

This ruling confirms the Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority’s (Expo Authority) confidence in the Phase 2 project’s compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  The alternative selected through the environmental review process is the result of many meetings and briefings with communities and key stakeholders, thousands of public comments, and reflects the highest standards for design, public safety and environmental protection.

The judge’s decision dismissed each of Neighbors for Smart Rail’s legal challenges to the FEIR including standards for conducting environmental review of the project’s impacts; baseline data used in projecting future conditions surrounding impacts; cumulative impacts of traffic, parking, noise, air quality and other proposed corridor developments; selection of alternatives carried forward for study in the FEIR; and recirculation of the draft environmental impact report (DEIR) for review.

The Expo Authority looks forward to starting the design-build process on Phase 2, which is essential to the full realization of the entire project connecting downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica.  The Expo Line will bring greater mobility to the region by connecting the Westside to the region’s existing rail network. The communities along this alignment have been traditionally underserved by public transportation and are among the most traffic-congested in the nation. Phase 1 of the Expo Line, between downtown Los Angeles and Culver City, is 86% complete and expected to partially open this fall.


Transportation headlines, Wednesday, Feb. 23

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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 blog.

How Hard Will the Senate Fight Back Against House Spending Cuts? (Streetsblog DC)

Last Friday, the House approved a budget bill for the remainder of this fiscal year that included major cuts to transportation funding – including high-speed rail, new starts funding, Amtrak and rail safety programs. Will the Senate and President approve the budget or will the House agree to an extension of current spending levels? Both sides seem unwilling to back down, which means a shutdown of the federal government could result.

Santa Monica’s Love/Hate Relationship with Bergamot Plan (The Lookout)

The Bergamot Transit Village adjacent to the future Expo Line in Santa Monica is a development project that is warming up to normally development-averse Santa Monica residents. A recent community workshop on the project saw optimism from 140 Santa Monica residents who envisioned a walkable arts-centric transit oriented development. While the fear of increased traffic and density still loom, the workshop shows that Santa Monica residents are willing to deal if the project is done well.

Local Property Owner Sues to Stop $120 Million Gold Line Project in Monrovia (Monrovia Patch)

A Monrovia property owner has filed a lawsuit against the Gold Line Construction Authority claiming the authority failed to comply with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQUA) in the environmental report. The property owner has land that would acquired through eminent domain for use as a rail maintenance yard for the line. Habib Balian, CEO of the construction authority, says all CEQA requirements were met and that litigation is to be expected for such large projects — but will not slow down the land acquisition.


The art of transit

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photo/copyright by Freddie Scott, via Flickr

A damp and foggy night at the Northport station on the Long Island Rail Road. The photo was taken with a Canon EOS 40D (a digital SLR camera) and exposed at 1/15th of a second with an aperture of f/7.1, a 55mm focal length and ISO of 1250.

To submit a photo or photos of something transportation-related, post them to Metro’s Flickr group or email them to sourcemetro@gmail.com. The photos we’ve featured can be seen in these galleries on Flickr. Or click on the ‘art of transit’ below.

Transportation headlines, Tuesday, Feb. 22

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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 blog.

Bullet train to Vegas seeks massive federal loan (Las Vegas Sun)

The private firm that wants to build high-speed rail between Victorville and Las Vegas wants to borrow nearly $5 billion from the Federal Railroad Administration to build the 185-mile line. That would allow them to repay the loan over several decades at the same interest rate charged the government — but it’s also a much larger loan than the FRA usually provides to private railroads. The project is expected to cost in the neighborhood of $6 billion. Travel times are expected to be 85 minutes each way and the private firm is saying they plan extension west to Palmdale, where the bullet train between Anaheim and San Francisco would stop.

More rail to Coachella Valley? (mydesert.com)

Speaking of rail plans, denizens of the Palm Springs and Indio area would like Amtrak to have daily train service to L.A. — at present the Sunset Limited train only stops three days a week in both directions and the L.A.-bound train stops at 5 a.m. Amtrak has been negotiating with Union Pacific to run more frequent trains — the UP owns most of the track — but obtaining those rights won’t be easy or cheap.

Can pedestrian activity be revived on South Lake Avenue in Pasadena? (L.A. Streetsblog)

Putting aside the location of this issue, Brigham Yen raises a question relevant to many parts of L.A. County: How does parking impact business districts? In the case of South Lake, it looks like a mini-downtown area, with all the buildings coming right up to the street. Behind the businesses, however, are massive parking lots and many customers enter stores through the rear. Brigham believes that saps the streetside of Lake of people and he proposes closing the rear entrance to get more people onto the actual sidewalk. I think it’s worth trying. It would also help if someone — anyone — built a restaurant/bar that was interesting on South Lake, which is mostly populated by chain restaurants. I bet the Caltech kiddies (the ones 21 and over, I mean) would love a nice local watering hole. I’d call it “The Slide Rule.”