On performing inside the NYC subway station, Bublé called it: “The most authentic organic way to make music. . . You see some of the greatest musicians in the world come down here and play.”
Click here to see other art happenings inside New York’s subway system.
Artwork by Sheila Klein at Hollywood/Highland Station. Titled Underground Girl, the artwork frames the station interior as an undulating, organic and sensual space. Metro Art Tours begin at this station on the first Thursday and first Saturday of each month.
Did you know that Metro has worked with more than 300 artists to enhance nearly 100 stations in the Metro system? For those adventurous types out there, Metro offers walking tours that provide insights into the artworks, the artists who created them and the processes of making them. Explore the Metro system and learn a bit about Los Angeles County’s most far reaching art gallery.
Upcoming tours:
Thursday, May 2 at 7 p.m. Meet at the street level entrance to the Hollywood/Highland Metro Rail Station on Hollywood Bl near the corner with Highland Ave.
Saturday, May 4 at 10 a.m. Meet at the street level entrance to the Hollywood/Highland Metro Rail Station on Hollywood Bl near the corner with Highland Ave.
Sunday, May 5 at 10 a.m. Meet at the information booth inside the entrance to historic Union Station at 900 Alameda St in Downtown Los Angeles.
For directions and details about Metro Art Tours, visit metro.net/art and click on Art Tours.
While docent programs are commonly found at museums around the world, Metro is the first transit agency to benefit from such a program.
Free tours are offered the first Thursday, Saturday and Sunday of every month and focus on the artwork along the Red Line (special request tours of other lines, including the Expo Line, can be arranged by calling 213.922.2738). The tours are round trip and last approximately two hours. Tours are led by trained Metro Art Docent Council volunteers. No reservations are required! Look for safety vest-wearing docents at the meetup spot.
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’sHeadlines blog, which you can also access viaemail subscriptionor RSS feed.
Transportation’s addiction to petroleum products isn’t going away, so says the above video by the group Face the Facts USA.
The President has tapped Charlotte Mayor Anthony R. Foxx to replace Ray LaHood as the next U.S. Transportation Secretary. The nomination comes after months of media gossip and uninformed speculation that was — shocker!! — basically 100 percent wrong. Foxx, 42, does not have a particular background in transportation but as mayor for nearly four years supported an extension of the Blue Line light rail project and a plan to bring streetcars back to Charlotte.
After reading this long list of suggestions from civic leaders/activists, my first suggestion for the next mayor: find some civic leaders/activists who can better articulate/write their vision for improving the City of Angels & Parking Lots. In short, here’s my suggestion: build stuff. Lots of stuff. Homes, parks, transportation projects, bike lanes, sidewalks — all the stuff that makes you wince with envy when visiting other cities. A lot of L.A. looks old and tired and needs a boost; those who fear traffic impacts may want to consider living in a region with millions less people, cars, jobs, businesses and other places to go.
The park at the Cornfields may close next January in order to finally be built as originally envisioned — more landscaping, a pavilion, etc. If so, passengers on the Gold Line will have a front row seat to watch construction.
Transportation planner Jarrett Walker thinks agencies are asking the wrong question when they simply ask riders which seat layout they prefer. The more significant question, he says, is this: how much capacity do riders prefer on their trains? The issue, of course, is that fewer seats means more capacity.
Activity continues to ramp up on the southwest corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Ogden Drive, where Metro will soon be digging an exploratory shaft for the Purple Line Extension project. The site is located directly opposite LACMA, as the above photo shows.
Metro took possession of the site on April 1 and is prepping the area and bringing in equipment in order to begin drilling around June 1. The shaft will be approximately 40 feet by 20 feet and 75 feet deep. Once drilling begins, it should take about six months to reach that depth with work occurring between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. from Monday through Friday.
The exploratory shaft will be used to gather more data about geologic and soil conditions in the area. The first phase of the subway project will run for 3.9 miles from the current Wilshire/Western station to Wilshire/La Cienega.
The current schedule has tunneling beginning in 2015 with the segment opening to the public in late 2022. The project is funded by the Measure R sales tax increase approved by L.A. County voters in 2008 and is seeking matching fundsfrom the federal government’s New Starts program that helps local transit agencies build large and pricey projects.
RTD Denver celebrates the grand opening of the W Line, their newest light rail line. If you happen to be in Denver today or tomorrow, hop on a train and ride for free.
This Sunday is Fiesta Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. Enjoy food, music and dancing at this free event. Festivities will take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Show your TAP card at the O’Reilly Auto Parts exhibitor booth at Fiesta’s World Cup Sports Center lot to claim a free souvenir while supplies last. The Fiesta Broadway main stage will be located across from City Hall in Grand Park, and the event will sprawl down Broadway between Temple Street and 5th Street.
Bus lines detouring for Fiesta Broadway include: 2, 4, 30, 33, 40, 45, 70, 71, 76, 78/79, 83, 84/68, 92, 96, 487, 733, 745 and Metro Silver Line. Detours will be in effect from 12 p.m. Saturday, April 27 to 5 a.m. Monday, April 29 or until barricades are removed.
Lines 2, 4, 45, 83, 84 and 745 begin detouring tonight at 7 p.m. due to event set up. For more details, check Metro’s Service Advisories. The best way to reach Fiesta Broadway is by the Metro Red/Purple Line to either Civic Center Station or Pershing Square Station.
Also this weekend, check out EXHIBIT A at Automata, an art theatre located in Chinatown. The puppet performance tells the story of a hot, dry summer in Silverlake. There are performances on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and on Sunday at 4 p.m. General admission is $18. (Metro Gold Line to Chinatown Station, Metro Bus 45 to Broadway/Chinatown)
Gary Baseman: The Door is Always Open opens at the Skirball Cultural Center this weekend, head over to see some unusual cartoon art. While there, you can also visit Noah’s Ark. General admission is $10, go Metro to get a discount. The center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. (Metro Rapid 761 or Bus 233 to Sepulveda/Skirball)
