Construction scheduled to begin tonight on bridge over 210 for Gold Line Foothill Extension

Posted by

The Foothill Extension will take the Gold Line from its current terminus in Pasadena to the Azusa/Glendora border. It’s a project funded by Measure R, the half-cent sales tax increase approved by L.A. County voters in 2008.

The Santa Fe Railroad's Super Chief crosses the old bridge over the 210 freeway's eastbound lanes in 1971.

The last station on the Gold Line at present is at Sierra Madre Villa in the middle of the 210 freeway. The old Santa Fe rail right-of-way continues east along the 210 for about a mile. The new bridge will carry the tracks over the 210′s eastbound lanes as the tracks curve south toward downtown Arcadia, where there will be a new station — the old bridge was torn down years ago because of seismic concerns.

The Foothill Extension Construction Authority, the independent agency building the line, is currently selecting a contractor to build the rest of the line. The Authority says the scheduled completion date is 2015.

Here’s the news release about the bridge from the Construction Authority, which we received late Friday:

CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON I-210 GOLD LINE BRIDGE

After nearly a year of design work, permit approvals and hiring of subcontractors, crews will start work on the I-210 Gold Line Bridge next week. The 584-linear foot bridge crosses over the eastbound lanes of the I-210 Freeway between Baldwin and Santa Anita Avenues, and will facilitate connection between the existing Sierra Madre Villa Station in East Pasadena and the future Arcadia Station. It is the first component of the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension light rail project from Pasadena to Azusa to move from design to construction.

Over the next few months, crews will clear the center and southern freeway medians, build a 500 foot long temporary retaining wall, and then start work on the massive foundations for the bridge structure. Intermittent late-night closures of the Eastbound I-210 Freeway will be necessary during the year-long bridge construction. The Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority will issue regular construction notices to update the community on bridge construction activities and schedules.

Continue reading →

Sen. Schumer plugs elements of America Fast Forward last week

Posted by

As we’ve crossed the halfway point of 2011, Metro’s government relations staff are still plugging away and hoping to persuade Congress to make America Fast Forward [AFF] the law of the land.

AFF would provide government loans and other financing that would allow Metro to accelerate the construction of 12 Measure R transit projects. As things stand now, those projects would be built between now and 2038. With AFF, Metro is hoping to condense that timeline to the next decade or so.

The goal is to make AFF part of the next multiyear transportation spending bill, which is already two-plus years overdue. On the plus side, AFF continues to get some plugs from both sides of the aisle — including the following one from Sen. Charles Schumer (D-New York). Here’s the email from Metro CEO Art Leahy to staff:

Yesterday [last Thursday], key elements of America Fast Forward received a significant boost in Washington, D.C. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the third Ranking Senate Democrat and the Chair of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee unveiled the Democratic Senate’s job creation plan that focuses primarily on “A Highway Bill that will put people back to work building critical infrastructure,” as well as creating a National Infrastructure Bank.

Continue reading →

Transit forecast for Tuesday, July 5

Posted by

For a complete list of planned service advisories please visit the Service Advisories page on Metro.net. And for the latest service alerts follow @MetroLAalerts on Twitter.

Blue Line

After 8:15pm, Blue Line trains run every 30 minutes due to construction work for the future Expo Line.  Please see schedule here.

Dates: through Thursday.

Gold Line

Due to maintenance work after 9pm, trains may be delayed 1-2 minutes.

During this time, trains in both directions will share East LA Atlantic bound track at Mariachi Plaza, Soto, and Indiana stations. Please check train destination signs and announcements before boarding.

Dates: through Wednesday.


Don't forget: Meet Me @ Metro II starts this weekend!

Posted by

The above video is an edit of last year’s Meet Me @ Metro, a unique performance art experience where the performers and the audience ride together on Metro Rail.

I rode along last year and the show exceeded my expectations – read my take on it here.

Last year was such a success that the Watts Village Theater Company has brought back the concept for another year with an expanded route, schedule and artistic vision.

This should be a great family event for the holiday weekend. Performances start at 11am on Saturday and Sunday at The Watts Towers Art Center and goes down to Long Beach on the Blue Line with 5 station stops along the way.

Tickets on Saturday are $11 and Sunday is pay-what-you-can. Tickets can be purchased online.

If you can’t make it this weekend, there are two more performances next Saturday and Sunday.


Go Metro Weekends, July 1-3

Posted by

Kick off your Independence Day Weekend with Metro. All weekend long there’s the Anime Expo, fireworks with Daryl Hall and John Oates at The Hollywood Bowl and the Everything is Festival at the Cinefamily theatre. On Saturday don’t forget to check out the sequel to last year’s unique transit event, Meet Me @ Metro. There’s also Metro’s own Art’s a Trip tours of the art of the Metro Rail system. And for more sustainability action, and a chance to win an electric scooter courtesy of Transit TV there’s a screening of What is the Electric Car? at the Silverlake Library on Saturday.

Don’t forget, buses and trains are on Sunday schedules on Monday, July 4th!

All events are subject to change or may be be sold out, please check with the venue before making plans.  To plan your trip and to check all other transit options, please consult Google Transit or the Metro Trip Planner.

Friday, July 1

New Kids On The Block + Back Street Boys at Staples Center
The best of 90′s boy bands join forces this Friday at Staples.
Website: http://www.staplescenter.com/
When: 7:30pm
Price: $29.50-$99.50
Where: Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St.
Nearby Metro Rail: Blue Line Pico Station
Nearby Metro Bus Stops: Figueroa/Pico (81, 442, 445, 460, 701, 721, Silver Line), Olympic/Figueroa (28, 728)

Anime Expo 2011
North America’s largest anime and manga convention.
Website: http://www.anime-expo.org/
When: All weekend
Price: $50 one-day pass; $65 two-day consecutive pass; $75 four-day pass; $35 kids 6-12; 5 & under free
Where: L.A. Convention Center, , 1201 S. Figueroa St.
Nearby Metro Rail: Blue Line Pico Station
Nearby Metro Bus Stops: Venice/Figueroa (33, 81, 442, 445, 460, 733) Pico/Figueroa(30, 81, 439, 442, 445, 730, Silver Line)

Everything is Festival at The Cinefamily
An insane and eclectic five day celebration of everything we both love: discovery, weirdness, and just plain fun.
Website: http://www.cinefamily.org/
When: Various times, all weekend
Price: $10-$14
Where: The Cinefamily, 611 N. Fairfax Ave.
Nearby Metro Bus Stops: Melrose/Fairfax (10/48, 217, 218, 780)

Dance Downtown – Bollywood/Bhangra
Two left feet? Learn how to dance and shake it, move it and groove it under the stars with live music/DJ and beginner dance lessons sprinkled throughout the evening. No experience necessary.
Website: http://www.musiccenter.org/
When: 6:30pm
Price: FREE
Where: L.A. Music Center, 135 North Grand Ave.
Nearby Metro Rail: Red/Purple Line Civic Center Station
Nearby Metro Bus Stops: Temple/Grand (2/302, 4, 10/48, 92, 445)

More weekend events, after the jump Continue reading →

Five new apps from the winners of Metro's Developer Challenge

Posted by
Smart Ride shows real time bus arrivals on handy map interface.

Smart Ride shows real time bus arrivals on handy map interface.

Back in March we told you about Metro’s Developer Challenge – an invitation to developers to create apps using Metro’s open transit data for a chance to win some big cash prizes.

Well, a few months have passed, the clever developers have worked their magic and Metro’s judges have chosen the winners. Here they are (with some brief commentary on the apps I’ve tried out):

Best Mobile App: L.A. Metro Alerts by Ross MacFarland (Android)

Ross MacFarland has developed an Android app that “Provides NextBus arrival times to Android phones. Highlights include bookmarking of stops and the ability to get alerts when buses/trains are a desired amount of time away.”

I don’t have an Android device and haven’t had the chance to test this app, but here’s what Metro’s judges had to say: “A great app that’s easy to use…just pick it up and use the tool – all very intuitive.”

Best NextBus Mobile App: Smart Ride By Aaron Bannert (iOS)

Aaron Bannert taps into realtime NextBus data for his app Smart Ride which “Allows the user to access nearby routes and stops, check real-time arrival predictions, track the progress along a route, and watch for transit alerts. A Favorites list can also be created for easy access to one’s favorite stops.”

Of all the apps I tried, this is my favorite. The interface is simple and the functionality is robust. For mobile iOS (iPhone, iPad) users, this app is a godsend! It uses GPS data to round up nearby stops and lists the next three arrival times (real time) for each stop. One of my favorite features in the map mode, which lets you view all nearby stops (and upcoming arrivals) from a Google Maps interface. Another fantastic feature for regular riders: stops can be saved so you can find out when your next bus is coming without any hassle.

Here’s how the Metro judges describe the app: “Has a great look and feel, and provides a route and stop selection process that is easy to use.”

Best Mobile App (College): CSULA Transit by Robert Martin and Andrew Greene (iOS)

Cal State L.A. developers Robert Martin and Andrew Greene win the college category with this iOS app that “Displays real-time updates for all buses arriving at the Cal State LA campus using NextBus prediction services. Also displays upcoming Metrolink train arrivals.”

The app includes the major transit stops for CSULA including the University Transit Center, El Monte Busway and Cal State Metrolink Station. Users can click on their stop and find the next trip times for all arriving transit. The software is simple, focused and fast. Should be a boon for transit oriented Cal State coeds.

Here’s what Metro judges had to say: ““A simple yet user-friendly app with a design well suited for handhelds.”

Don’t have a smart phone? Check out the best web mashups after the jump. Continue reading →