Category Archives: Transportation Headlines

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Transportation headlines, Monday, March 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.

Mass transit connector to LAX moves forward, but should it? (KCET SoCal Focus)

A provocative post from writer Matthew Fleischer argues that connecting the Crenshaw/LAX line and Green Line to LAX’s central terminal area is an overly expensive proposition given that the Metro Rail network doesn’t have enough reach to deliver the masses to the airport. What’s needed to justify the cost of something like a people mover, he writes, is a north-south 405 line connecting LAX to the San Fernando Valley and connecting with the future Westside Subway Extension and Expo Lines.

Measure R/710 lawsuit rejected (Neon Tommy)

An appeals court judge last week ruled that it was legal for Measure R to provide funding for a project to alleviate traffic in the area of the 710 gap between Pasadena and Alhambra. The cities of South Pasadena and La Canada Flintridge had sued, alleging that it was illegal for Measure R to set aside $780 million for the project without having done an environmental review. The gist of the ruling is that providing funding for a potential project is legal as long as proper environmental review is done. That makes sense, as Measure R — like many other similar measures across the nation — raised funds for projects that could only be built after they endured a long state or federal environmental process.

Growth and the Washington Metro (The Transport Politic)

A very smart post looks at development patterns and population growth near new Metro stations in the DC area and finds…in many cases, there has been relatively little growth. The conclusion: “In the case of many of these stations, land was not available, zoning was not free enough, and the neighborhoods were not attractive enough to see substantial change, at least over the past ten years.” Not surprisingly, the blog urges better planning efforts since building transit isn’t exactly a cheap proposition.

Transportation headlines, Friday, March 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.

Why Angelenos should take the bus more (KCET SoCal Focus)

With the price of gas possibly headed toward $5 per gallon, Zach Behrens writes that Metro may be in good shape to handle a surge in ridership — which is exactly what happened when the price of gas soared in 2008. Studies have found that transit riders, not surprisingly, want predictable, on-time transit trips and transfers and Metro’s on-time performance has been improving. In addition, the new NexTrip system that allows users to get real-time bus arrival info via their computer or cell phones.

Expo Line picks up speed (Zev Yaroslavsky blog)

The County Supervisor and Metro Board member looks at progress on the light rail line and also applauds the decision by the city of L.A. to pick up the tab for building a rail bridge over Sepulveda Boulevard on phase 2 of the project.

Sprawling from grace: the consequences of the ‘burbs (CNBC)

This is actually a press release for a program to air on April 20. The gist of it:

This eye-opening documentary explores the ravages of American suburban sprawl, what America has lost as a result, and the perils we face if we don’t change the way in which we build our cities. Americans have been lulled into a false sense of security by cheap energy that has allowed us to spread endlessly into our landscape. We are trapped behind the wheels of our automobiles and with the demand for oil outpacing the Earth’s ability to supply it, this suburban living arrangement will fail. Our love affair with the automobile is unsustainable…the wake up call is coming.

Well, no hyperbole there, eh? Obviously there have been some consequences to urban sprawl. But will it really fail? I’m guessing not. Electric and heating bills will likely get more expensive over time and there will be electric and hybrid cars. And, I’m guessing, there will be more rooftop solar panels, too.

A broken railroad line in Japan (New York Times)

This isn’t a story — just a single photograph. But it’s a powerful one and, as the caption explains, conveys some of the damage to infrastructure suffered in northern Japan as the result of the earthquake and tsunami earlier this month.

Transportation headlines, Thursday, March 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.

Infographic  video: watch the worst traffic in the country (Fast Company)

Check out this interesting video spawned from a new navigation app called Waze. The video shows the ebb and flow (or lack thereof) of traffic in L.A. using data grabbed from users of the app. Lesson learned: if you want to avoid bad traffic in L.A., work the graveyard shift.

City Council stalls development of Bergamot Transit Village (Santa Monica Daily Press)

The Santa Monica City Council told  the international development company Hines to go back to the drawing board with its proposed Bergamot Transit Village project. The Bergamot development was to be the first project to adhere to a new set of strict standards but city officials say the proposal – a “tall insular campus” – fails to meet these standards. Santa Monica was hoping for a village, critics said that Hines presented an office park.

Touching the third rail (The Economist)

The Economist’s tech blogger eschews planes and cars for a recent trip from Seattle to Portland, settling instead for what’s often referred to as “19th century technology” – the train. Not only is it cheaper than the alternatives, Amtrak’s Cascades line now offers something very appealing to a tech blogger on the go: free wi-fi.

Bus riders will soon be able to get arrival-time texts on their cell phones, [NYC] MTA says (NY Daily News)

I’m posting this story from New York City just to add some fuel to the bi-coastal New York vs. L.A. flame war. Sure, NYC may have the world’s premiere 24-hour subway system, but I’m happy to report that Metro has beat them to the punch on real-time bus arrival info. NYC MTA is planning on rolling out real-time arrival info on Staten Island routes by the end of this year, with a city-wide rollout in 2012 and 2013.


Transportation headlines, Wednesday, March 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.

Is West L.A. ready for its Expo Line? (CityWatch)

Over at CityWatch, Ken Alpern asks if West Los Angeles — with its expired community planning document — is ready to take full advantage of Expo Line Phase 2. This will be an important issue to discuss going forward, not only for West L.A., but for all L.A. County neighborhoods that will be home to new transit projects. Whether it’s transit-oriented development or improvements to bike infrastructure, there are a variety of ways that cities can maximize the positive impacts of new rapid transit. At this point, Alpern concludes that West L.A. is not doing enough.

The end of the road: saying goodbye to freeways (NPR)

Across the country, several cities have removed aging freeways in order to revitalize distressed neighborhoods. Several more, like Cleveland and New Haven, are considering following suit. For some cities, removing freeways has helped stitch together formerly separated neighborhoods. After a 1989 earthquake in San Francisco, the city’s waterfront Embarcadero Freeway was so damaged that it needed to be demolished. However, instead of replacing it with another freeway, the city went for a ground-level boulevard with a streetcar line and opening access to the waterfront and spurring investment in the community.

$4 per gallon gas – are we ready? (Planetizen)

While much of the talk of reducing gas consumption has focused on driving fuel efficient cars, Scott Bernstein argues we need to focus on making our neighborhoods more “location efficient” in the long run. Looking at his hometown of Chicago, Bernstein finds that residents who live close to destinations — meaning they drive less — tend to be more financially resilient to shocks in the price of gasoline.

City’s design, transit system can ease gas costs (USA Today)

Picking up on that theme, USA Today reports on a study published by CEOs for Cities that examines how cities will cope with higher gas prices. The authors conclude that cities where residents have alternatives to driving are better positioned to thrive in an era of $4 gasoline. According to Edward McMahon of the Urban Land Institute:

“Most trips in a car are not back and forth to work…Most trips — 80% to 85% — are lifestyle trips to the movies, the grocery store, taking the kids to school, and so on. What we found is if you live in a community where you can walk, ride a bike, take a short trip, those savings start to add up really quickly.”


Transportation headlines, Tuesday, March 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.

A chance to build again (New York Times)

In an editorial, the Times calls for the creation of an infrastructure bank to provide loans to state and local governments to build or rebuild build major infrastructure projects — including big-ticket transportation items. Here’s the editorial’s lead:

Many of the 85,000 dams in the United States are so old — an average of half a century — that every time one is repaired, two more become dangerously weak. Cities across the country discharge billions of gallons of untreated wastewater into rivers and lakes, and more than a quarter of all bridges are either deficient or obsolete.

The statistics are both frightening and familiar, though they tend to come up only in the “crumbling infrastructure” articles that appear after major disasters. In practice, government — with its lack of cash and consensus — keeps most of these projects on distant back burners until people actually lose their lives.

President Obama has proposed an infrastructure bank and last week three Senators — John Kerry (D-Mass.), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) and Mark Warner (D-Virginia) — offered a similar plan. We’ll see if it floats. Speaking of which, here’s a mighty interesting Times news story about the problems facing the Lake Isabella Dam, upstream of Bakersfield.

New York makes its case for bike lanes (New York Times)

The media — specifically New York magazine and then the New Yorker — has recently made a fuss over Mayor Bloomberg’s expansion of bike lanes. In Brooklyn, residents have even sued to have one bike lane removed near Prospect Park (no!! — that’s my old ‘hood!). As a result, the mayor’s office has released a two-page memo (pdf) making the case that bike lanes lead to fewer cycling accidents and enjoy the support of the majority of the community. Still, some fear the loss of parking and that Bloomberg is trying to remake New York into one of those progressive, classy European cities.

Busway for Van Nuys Boulevard eyed (Daily News)

The article provides a good overview of some of the proposals that will be studied to improve bus service along the busy thoroughfare. Among them are a busway down the median of the boulevard. Another option would provide grade separations at four highly-trafficked intersections. The study should get going later this year.

Improving transit speed downtown (Portland Transport)

Interesting blog entry about the slowness of light rail trains through downtown Portland and the desire of some people for a downtown subway to speed up those trains. Attentive readers know that Metro recently decided to build the Regional Connector underground, in part, to keep trains moving faster than vehicles.

Transportation headlines, Monday, March 21

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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.

With electric vehicles for mass transit, LA can step into the forefront (Los Angeles Daily News)

L.A. deputy mayor Austin Beutner thinks the future of L.A. can be found in electric buses. Green advantages aside, Beutner sees potential in capturing the electric bus manufacturing market and bringing the much sought after green manufacturing jobs to Los Angeles. At this Thursday’s Metro board meeting Beutner is proposing a pilot program that would bring 30 electric buses to the system for a trial of the technology and costs involved.

Designing the High-Speed Future (Next American City)

How will transit oriented development (TOD) around America’s high-speed rail system look and function? Next American City thinks it’s going to be taller and denser than traditional TOD and this article looks to foreign examples for inspiration.

LAX Connector Isn’t All It’s Cracked Up To Be (KCET)

KCET blogger Matthew Fleisher takes a look at plans to connect Metro Rail to LAX via the Crenshaw light project but concludes that “it’s just a vanity project.” Fleisher thinks the FlyAway serves LAX just fine and should be expanded to the new locations rather than investing in an airport connection for Crenshaw.

Metro plans to cut bus service as rail system expands (L.A. Times)

The news article looks at the proposed bus service changes that will be voted on Thursday by the Metro Board of Directors. Metro officials say the 1996 Consent Decree to increase service resulted in an inefficient level of service; the Decree was lifted by a judge in 2006. Here’s a short excerpt quoting Metro CEO Art Leahy:

Leahy, who began his career as a bus operator, said the decree forced Metro to add buses “without regard to whether it was better service or properly managed.” Along with the cuts, his plans also call for enhanced service on more than a dozen lines.

“I like buses; I grew up in the bus system,” he added. “But I also grew up in a system that was very efficient, a system where people worked very hard to make sure there was an efficient realization of taxpayer dollars. That’s the point here.”

A few facts omitted from the article but perhaps worth considering:

•Metro Rail is being expanded because 68 percent of L.A. County voters in 2008 voted for the Measure R sales tax increase to fund the program.

•The average number of people per hour on Metro buses overall should still be below that of other major transit agencies. If the changes go into effect, the average number of people on Metro buses will rise from 51 to 53. That number is 55 for many other transit agencies, according to Metro’s estimates.

•Metro CEO Art Leahy has said repeatedly he wants to have more resources to improve bus maintenance and on-time service, which in recent years has risen from 60 percent to 77 percent — a number that could obviously be better.


Transportation headlines, Friday, March 18

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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.

If L.A. freeways aren’t free (L.A. Times)

After two L.A.-area politicians — Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) and Gary Miller (R-Diamond Bar) — came out against Metro’s ExpressLanes project, the L.A. Times editorial board steps up to counter some of the arguments against the experimental program, which would let solo drivers pay a fee to use carpool lanes on parts of I-10 and I-110. The Times draws an interesting comparison: “If you want to park on Wilshire Boulevard in the middle of the day, you’ll probably have to put money into a parking meter.” By paying a small fee, drivers are available to avoid circling the block looking for a free spot. The writers also make the critical point that all the revenues generated are required by law to be reinvested in carpool and transit projects in those corridors.

Where to drill next: Main Street (NRDC Switchboard)

Deron Lovass makes the case that America’s largest untapped petroleum reserves are right in our driveways. It’s all the gasoline we could save by investing in public transportation — as much as four million gallons every day by 2030. And when commuters are spending less on gasoline, they can invest that money in their families and the local economy.

Editorial: law enforcement needs to crack down on people who phone, text while driving (Daily News)

Here are some eye-opening statistics about distracted driving: “The national survey by Consumers Union found that as many as 63 percent of drivers under age 30 admitted to using a handheld phone in the previous month. Nearly one-third also said they texted during the same time period.” Accordingly, the Daily News urges local law enforcement and the California Highway Patrol to prioritize cracking down on this dangerous form of distracted driving.

Transportation headlines, Thursday, March 17

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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.

Study finds access to real-time mobile information could raise the status of public transit (Next American City)

The results of a study from November of last year reveal that mobile technology has the potential to get drivers out of their cars and onto public transit. Eighteen regular car drivers were asked to go car-free for a week in San Francisco and Boston – two cities that have invested heavily in transit tech – and the results reveal that real-time personalized transit data made the transition surprisingly easy. Why? These apps provide a sense of autonomy that is similar to what the private automobile offers – the feeling of being able to pick up and go when you please – something that is typically absent in pubic transit mobility. Other results of the study reveal findings similar to our  “Why You Ride” series – namely that transit riders felt that they were saving money, helping the environment and leading a healthier lifestyle.

Build train shelters on freeway platforms to protect riders from noise and noxious rumes (Pasadena Real Estate Blog)

Pasadena blogger Brigham Yen shares a video of the noise Gold Line commuters must endure at freeway median stations and proposes that Metro come up with a solution to the deafening problem. One idea is an enclosed tube like those used in Curitiba, Brazil.

Metro Gold Line extension crucial to creation of jobs (Pasadena Star-News)

Construction jobs are down 38 percent and building a new light rail extension is a great way to bring these high-wage jobs back – so opines Cynthia Kurtz, CEO of the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership. Data from a study from the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. shows that the Gold Line extension in the San Gabriel Valley will bring 2,630 construction jobs and an additional 4,270 job in other industries. Kurtz worries that the elimination of redevelopment agencies will take funds from a planned (and essential) rail maintenance yard in Monrovia and delay the line and the jobs that come with it.

Deadline extension sought for system to avoid train crashes (L.A. Times)

The American Public Transit Association (APTA) is asking Congress for a three-year extension on a deadline for implementing positive train control (PTC) on the nation’s passenger railroads. Metrolink, which has been investing heavily in such as system after the 2008 crash, is disappointed with the request. Metrolink board chairman Richard Katz says APTA’s request is an example of “business as usual” for American passenger rail – which is currently behind foreign nations in implementing PTC. The Times has a nice animated infographic explaining exactly how PTC works to prevent collisions.

Transportation headlines, Tuesday, March 15

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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.

Reducing flight delays at O’Hare (Welcome to the Fast Lane)

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says a plan to modernize Chicago’s airport — the nation’s second busiest — is a go. The airfield will get two new runways, as well as new taxiways and a runway extension, which Secretary LaHood says should help reduce delays. Now, if they could do something about the weather…

Larger passengers may lead to bus design changes in the U.S. (Bloomberg)

The federal government at present assumes the average passenger weighs 150 pounds on a bus. But the Federal Transit Administration has proposed raising that to 175 pounds — meaning that’s what manufacturers have to take into account when designing safety features. The agency — putting it diplomatically — says the proposal reflects “changes” in the weight of Americans in recent decades.

Mapping all of America with key Census data — block by block (Primary Resources)

The Metro Library’s blog takes a look at the New York Times’ mapping project using census data collected between 2005 and 2009. As Primary Resources explains, readers can use the NYT data to look at trends within their own census tracts or even smaller areas such as city blocks. It doesn’t look like the NYT did much with transpo data — but I encourage our readers to play around with this database to see if they find anything interesting. If so, please let us know at sourcemetro@gmail.com. I just spent the past few minutes looking at some data on my own neighborhood. Interesting stuff.

Transportation headlines, Monday, March 14

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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.

A bike shop in Tokyo on Friday evening after the earthquake struck. Photo by Alex Williams, via Flickr.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.

In pursuit of a way home, commuters turn to bikes in Tokyo (The Urban Country)

Facing an arduous commute with rail lines shut down and roads clogged or damaged, many people in Tokyo visited the local bike shop to buy a bike. Some reports indicate that shops sold out of bikes quickly, perhaps because many of the city’s residents face commutes too long to walk.

Japanese rail lines running on limited basis (Bloomberg)

Many rail lines around the country on Monday were running, at best, limited service. Crowds were very heavy in the Tokyo subway, which is normally the world’s busiest with eight million daily boardings.

Interactive map of the damage from the Japanese earthquake and tsunami (New York Times)

The map shows the great extent of the damage to the country and its infrastructure and also allows viewers to see well organized photos from across Japan. The photos are informative, surreal and in many cases very sad.

Toll lane project faces renewed opposition in Congress (L.A. Times)

Rep. Gary G. Miller (R-Diamond Bar) and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) both told The Times they oppose Metro’s ExpressLanes project to charge single motorists a variable toll to use carpool lanes on parts of the 10 and 110 freeways. Rep. Miller said it’s a form of double taxation; Waters said it creates a system of haves and have-nots. The story also noted that similar congestion pricing projects have been implemented in many other locales, including San Diego, Texas and Florida, where the toll lanes caused rush hour speeds to rise in both the toll lane and general purpose lanes. It remains unclear if the project could be stopped at this point even if Congress and the White House were to oppose it, which hasn’t happened anyway. Metro received a $210-million grant — initially approved by the Bush administration — to try the tolling experiment for one year. The money is also being used to purchase new Metrolink rail cars, rebuild the El Monte Transit Center and add an extra carpool lane on the 10 freeway between downtown L.A. and the 605 freeway. For more information on the toll lanes, which could open by 2012, visit the ExpressLanes FAQ on Metro’s website.

Census maps for L.A. County (blogdowntown)

Check out the informative maps created with recently released data from the 2010 Census. One of the maps tracks population growth (or loss) by census tract in L.A. County. Among the tracts that were big gainers: Playa Vista on the Westside and tracts in downtown L.A. and downtown Pasadena.