Category Archives: Transportation Headlines

use for ‘Trans Headlines’ badge

Transportation headlines, Tuesday, May 24

Posted by

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.

Golden Gate BART and other transit dreams (San Francisco Chronicle)

Photo credit: BART.

Ever wonder why BART doesn’t venture north into beautiful and wealthy Marin County? Back when the Bay Area Rapid Transit agency was being formed in the late 1950s, it was going to include five counties. After San Mateo County opted out, Marin County also dropped out because because of the expense of the plan and plans to alter the Golden Gate Bridge to accomodate trains. Nonetheless, this blog has some of the early BART renderings of what the train would have looked like in Marin County. One of the more striking images is the one to the right — with trains running on a lower level of the Golden Gate. Hmm. Here’s a link to BART’s website, which has a good history of the agency.

Bike path goes dark (The Eastsider LA)

More than 100 LED lights along the new section of the Los Angeles River bike path in the Elysian Valley have gone dark after thieves ripped out the copper wiring that the lights depend upon. The city says it won’t rewire and turn on the lights until it figures out a way to prevent such thefts, which have plagued the city in recent years. Hmm. Good thing it’s bright and sunny 24 hours a day in L.A.!

Candidates may want to consider their ‘climate pasts’ (New York Times/Greenwire)

Several of the GOP candidates either running for president in 2012 or thinking about it have supported cap-and-trade systems for CO2 emissions in the past. A good thing, you say? Maybe not. Some GOP insiders say candidates who believe climate change is a problem and something should be done about it, could lose support from within their own party. Hmm.

Transportation headlines, Monday, May 23

Posted by

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.

Don’t pull the plug on high-speed rail (Sacramento Bee)

The editorial prods Gov. Jerry Brown to fix the parts of the state’s bullet train program that need fixing — political oversight, to name one — but to keep the project moving along. Although naysayers can point to problems, the Bee says that the good news has outweighed the bad on high-speed rail and leadership will be needed to keep federal funds flowing and not frighten away the potential private investors that will be needed later.

Federal transportation bill may have to wait until 2012 (Streetsblog DC)

The multiyear transpo spending bill that Congress should have passed two years ago may still have to wait longer. The problem: Some members of Congress want to greatly expand spending on things like transit and others — specifically Republicans — want to slash government spending. In the meantime, the last bill passed, in 2005, may get another short-term expansion. Metro is hoping the next multiyear bill includes America Fast Forward, the program to use government loans and financing to accelerate the building of transit projects.

Gas prices could plummet for summer driving season (USA Today)

Supply is expanding, gas prices fell 16 percent last month and Americans drove 2.3 percent less than they did a year ago at this time. How much gas prices may fall remains to be seen – the average in California was still $4.21 as of last Monday, according to the Energy Information Administration. And while I know that no one likes to pay high gas prices, including yours truly, it’s fair to wonder if national goals such as putting more efficient cars on the road, easing smog and importing less foreign oil will suffer if prices shrink too much. The Metro Board of Directors is scheduled on Thursday to vote whether to reduce the cost of a day pass from $6 to $5 to help spur ridership and help customers grapple with a tough economy and high fuel prices.

Transportation headlines, Friday, May 20

Posted by

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.

Ban Cars In L.A.’s Downtown? An Idea That Just Might Work (GOOD)

The above video was produced by Cal Poly San Luis Obispo architecture students and Gensler – an architecture firm that is making the move from Santa Monica to downtown L.A. later this year. After a series of animated infographs – did you know 36% of downtown L.A.’s geography is devoted to parking? – a proposal is made to ban parking from the core of downtown. The video then presents an imaginative vision of a downtown L.A. that is walkable, livable and self sustaining thanks to smarter land use.

Five Great Ways To Get People To Ride Bicycles To Work (TreeHugger)

Did Bike to Work Day inspire you to commit to a daily bike commute, or do you a need a little more incentive? How about cash? Or a free bike? Or, more realistically, $5 a gallon gasoline? Check out this TreeHugger post for the full list.

Speaking Out on the Streetcar (L.A. Downtown News)

The Downtown News attended Tuesday’s streetcar meeting and heard what locals had to say about the $125 million project. While most were positive about the project, many wanted to see the route extended to Union Station to offer better connections for people who don’t live in downtown. I’m in full agreement. Since Union Station is the region’s transit hub, connecting it to the streetcar could transform the project from a local perk to a true regional amenity. And when you’re spending millions, why not get the most bang for the buck?

Transportation headlines, Thursday, May 19

Posted by

Portland mayor boosts money for cycling, takes money from roads (Oregonian)

Mayor Sam Adams boasted recently he’s increasing spending on bike infrastructure in Portland by 17 percent with money largely raised from gas taxes on motorists — and guess what, motorists are complaining. The Oregonian interviewed 18 motorists at a local Arco station and found 14 that said they were against having money diverted from roads to bike lanes and such. Of course, that’s a nice journalistic trick. Reporter goes to the place where he/she will find people who will likely say exactly what you need them to say after being informed — maybe in an unbiased way, maybe not — about the bike funding situtation. “This is intended to save lives and reduce injuries among the city’s growing number of vulnerable road users,” Adams told The Oregonian. “The public – and that includes auto commuters – has told us that they want us to focus on eliminating conflicts on our streets.”

Are you ready for the two-mile challenge? (Welcome to the Fast Lane blog)

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood points out that 40 percent of urban trips are two miles or less and 90 percent of those trips are taken by car. What to do about it? Create a contest that challenges people in the warm months to use their bikes instead of their cars for short trips. You can do it, too. My vow: no more driving to the gym for spin class.

New Mexico Road Runner train faces scrutiny (New West)

In 2006, New Mexico did what other places in the West couldn’t quite manage up to then: launch a brand new commuter rail service. The train connects Albuquerque and Santa Fe and is cheap to ride — a day pass purchased online costs $7. And the train has free wi-fi. But the project cost $400 million to get off the ground and — surprise! — isn’t turning a profit. That has some Republicans asking questions about whether the service should be continued or sold off to a private entity. As per usual, the politicians conveniently forget that roads are subsidized, too.

 

Transportation headlines, Wednesday, May 18

Posted by

Proposed Inland Empire train would connect San Bernardino and Redlands (KCET)

A plan is afoot in San Bernardino County to link two of its larger cities, Redlands and San Bernardino, using existing rail tracks and refurbished Metrolink trains. On either end of the nine-mile corridor are the planned Intermodal Transit Center & Transit Village in San Bernardino and the University of Redlands. The San Bernardino Association of Governments (SanBAG) is heading up the $150-million project, which is expected to run at half-hour headways during rush hour and one-hour headways at other times. Additional phases of the project could eventually link it to the rest of the Metrolink system.

Amtrak chugs deeper into the red (Wall Street Journal)

Despite 18 consecutive months of increased ridership, the national rail line still requires assistance from the federal government — 16 percent of operating costs — to balance its books. That sounds like a bargain to me for all its mobility benefits. But many in Congress are looking to cut spending and Amtrak appears to be fair game. An interesting point, however, is that Amtrak’s commuter-oriented service tends to break even or come very close. The Acela in the Northeast Corridor makes a profit; the Capitol Corridor from Sacramento to San Jose comes close, as does the Pacific Surfliner from San Luis Obispo to San Diego via L.A. It’s the long distance lines that require the deepest subsidy, but they often serve rural areas with few alternatives to the train.

Yellow hybrid stickers for carpool lanes set to expire (L.A. Times)

A program that aimed to spur hybrid sales with the carrot of a solo ride in the carpool lane will come to an end on July 1, after a six-year run. The program seemed to serve its intended effect, boosting hybrid sales from 85,000 statewide in 2004 to over 350,000 in 2007. With gas prices now nearing all-time highs, it seems like a good time to wean the state off the perk. However, the Times notes that several hybrid owners — who have come to depend on the yellow sticker for their long commutes — are scrambling to figure out a way to stay in the carpool lane. Go Metro?

Transportation headlines, Tuesday, May 17

Posted by

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.

Study: $2 trillion needed for U.S. infrastructure (Washington Post)

The results of a new study from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) echo the warnings we’ve been hearing for years now: infrastructure in the United States is in a sad state. We’ve fallen behind China, Brazil and India. According to ULI the price tag for fixing the U.S.’s crumbling roads and bridges is a massive $2 trillion. While competing nations push billions into infrastructure investment our government has been struggling for years to get a long-term infrastructure funding plan in place.

The FlyAway to LAX $4.6M deficit (Daily News)

According to officials the FlyAway bus system to LAX has taken 1.16 million vehicles off the road in the past year at the cost of $4.6 million.  The Van Nuys to LAX route continues to be the most popular while the Westwood to LAX route has proven to be a bit of dud – it averages only seven passengers per bus. Despite the deficit, FlyAway continues with plans to expand – with routes planned for Santa Monica, Culver City and Valencia. My opinion: the FlyAway is a fantastic but flawed service that needs way more marketing and a more sensible fare payment system.

The Freeway That Ate Summer (KCRW)

As we reported yesterday, Metro is already preparing Angelenos for the closure of the 405 freeway in the Sepulveda Pass on the weekend of July 15. KCRW’s and L.A. Observed’s Kevin Roderick views the closure as a sort of traumatic event – the kind you see in summer disaster blockbusters – that will push Angelenos to their limits and “test our ability to adapt.” Maybe it’s just because I’ve grown used to Blue Line closures every weekend, but I don’t think closing a road for one weekend (no matter how well traveled) is enough to ruin summer.

Transportation headlines, Monday, May 16

Posted by

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.

Editorial: California’s high-speed train wreck (L.A. Times)

The editorial piece argues that the bullet train is still well worth building for the sake of California’s future. But, says the Times, recommendations issued last week by the state Legislative Analyst’s Office need to be followed to get the project back on track. In particular, the paper wants to see another agency take over the planning and building of the line. Why? The Times says that the Board of the California High Speed Rail Authority operates on political patronage and makes bad decisions. Example: the newspaper says the train would be faster if it followed the 5 freeway into the L.A. metro area instead of a timely and expensive detour through the Antelope Valley.

Brookings study highlights need for Metro express routes (KCET So Cal Focus blog)

As we posted last week, the Brookings Institution released a study that found that 26 percent of the jobs in the L.A. area were reachable by a transit trip of 90 minutes or less. Writer Matthew Fleischer says that statistic backs up his argument that Metro needs more express routes to speed up commutes by transit and make transit more attractive to more people. In particular, Matthew would like to see the Orange Line busway make its way across the Valley a lot faster than it presently does.

U.N. to launch road safety campaign (The Guardian)

The United Nations has taken note that 1.3 million road deaths each year worldwide along with another estimated 50 million people who are injured, according to the World Health Organization. Obviously that’s a number they would like to see significantly reduced. The Guardian also has some interesting numbers, showing that the top three nations in the world for road fatalities are India, China and the United States. In terms of the the most fatalities proportional to population, the Cook Islands are the leader.

 

Transportation headlines, Friday, May 13

Posted by

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.

To the Angels game on a rail deal (L.A. Times)

Metrolink's Antelope Valley Line -- seen here at the Action station -- recently added an express train. Photo by SpokkerJones, via Flickr.

Columnist Chris Erskine writes a charming ode to day at the ballpark courtesy of the new Angels Express Metrolink service. Chris finds the $7 round-trip fare  quite the bargain, and the chance to have someone else doing the driving… priceless. As he puts it: “I suppose you could drive the 60-mile round trip on your own, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter with each passing furlong. Do you ever have those dreams where you’re braking in your sleep? I do.”

Our View: New train service great for commute (The Signal)

Here’s a second helping of good news about Metrolink’s recently improved service. A new express train from the Antelope Valley and Santa Clarita to Union Station in L.A. has The Signal singing praises and hopeful for a future where locals don’t have to squeeze their cars through the Newhall Pass every morning getting to work. A 50-minute Metrolink ride is a mighty tempting alternative and the Signal thinks it may be enough to restore faith in Metrolink as a viable alternative.

Continue reading →

Transportation headlines, Thursday, May 12

Posted by

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.

Amtrak faces congestion and criticism as it turns 40 (Washington Post)

Ridership is up, but the railroad still must often share its tracks with freight haulers and only one corridor — the Northeast — remains profitable. Many in Congress blast the subsidies the railroad needs while others say roads get government handouts, too, and that Amtrak would perform better if government would actually make some serious investments in it. Check out the accompanying photo gallery.

Washington, California and the curious case of the railroad to somewhere (Transport Politic)

Yonah Freemark says that despite the mounds of criticism, it makes sense to begin California’s high-speed rail project in the San Joaquin Valley. For one, it’s in between San Francisco and Los Angeles and thus a necessary part of the route. For another, it’s the part of the system where bullet trains will reach their highest speeds. Freemark also has issues with the report released this week by the California Legislative Analyst’s Office that found problems with the planning of the line.

In-N-Out comes to Texas (O.C. Register)

Texans go nuts as the first two stores of the burger chain open in the Lone Star State — along with the usual drive-through. I wonder if it will be like the drive-thru at stores here in the Golden State in which cars sit and idle and idle and idle and idle while waiting for those tasty burgers. I like In-N-Out, too, but do the respectable thing people and park the car and wait inside.

Transportation headlines, Wednesday, May 11

Posted by

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.

America’s biggest (and least) gas-guzzling cities (Forbes)

Using data from the Center for Neighborhood Technology (a think tank based in Chicago) Forbes has come up with a picture of how America consumes gasoline. You may be surprised to find out that despite our congestion and fabled car-culture, Los Angeles ranks near the bottom of the list. It’s second to last in fact, losing only to New York. Angelenos on average consume 680 gallons of gasoline per year. Compare that to North Carolina’s Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill where residents on average burn through 1,074 gallons per year! FYI: at $4 a gallon that means the average Angeleno spends $2,720 on gasoline alone.

Streetcar could ride farther north, south (L.A. Downtown News)

The current downtown L.A. streetcar route envisioned by non-profit L.A. Streetcar Inc. is hardly set in stone. Next week the public will be welcomed to share their own route ideas and suggestions at a scoping meeting hosted by Metro on May 17. Metro is in charge of the project’s environmental analysis – an essential step in receiving federal funding, which will be necessary to build the project. As for the route, Metro officials say that everything will be examined thoroughly — and one big factor will be where a maintenance facility can be located.

Expo rail builders listen to Santa Monica at design kick off (The Lookout)

The Lookout offers a review of the latest Expo Line Phase II meeting in Santa Monica. Typical worries about traffic and construction impacts surfaced but overall the vibe was one of excitement. One point of contention, even among long-time Expo rail boosters, is the proposed design of the 26th Street Station. Specifically, how the station interfaces with nearby Bergamot Arts Center. Despite being adjacent to the station, the Art Center’s 800,000 yearly guests would face a longer walk due to the design of the station. The construction contractor noted that any design change would cost millions.

What history tells us about high-speed rail (Gilroy Patch)

This is an interesting and controversial interview with Stanford University historian Richard White, who feels that high-speed rail investment is mirroring transcontinental railroad investment in the 19th century. White’s upcoming book is about how the transcontinental was a fiasco, so his viewpoint isn’t quite as rosy as the one shared by high-speed rail proponents. His main problem with high-speed rail in California is the lack of mass transit (or more importantly, mass transit usage) at the destinations – something he thinks will doom ridership.