Tag Archives: Purple Line

Draft alternatives released for Los Angeles Union Station Master Plan

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The Los Angeles Union Station Master Plan team is releasing its draft alternatives today for improving the venerable station as a transit center. Among some of the proposals (shown above) are replacing the parking lots in front of the station with open space, building a new bus terminal to handle most of the considerable bus traffic at the station and possibly replacing the current transit plaza at the rear of the station with other structures and/or green space.

While all the alternatives will work without high-speed rail, they each offer a variety of ways that high-speed rail could access the station, including configurations in which the tracks are above the current platform, below grade at both the east and west of the current Union Station and running through the current city of Los Angeles Piper Tech facility.

All four of the alternatives and much more will be discussed by Metro officials at a community meeting Thursday (May 2) from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo at the intersection of Central and 1st streets. The meeting will be live streamed at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/lausmp and will be recorded for later viewing.

Here’s a Q&A I put together on today’s news that covers the basics.

What do all the alternatives have in common?

That the historic Los Angeles Union Station built in 1939 is preserved and remains at the center of transit operations. The idea is to embellish the station so that it works as the region’s transit hub for many decades to come while better connecting it to the surrounding neighborhoods — i.e. Chinatown, Little Tokyo, the Arts District, the Civic Center and Boyle Heights.  While the details are not developed yet at this stage, all of the alternatives will create improved pedestrian and bike pathways, including a bike lane through the site.

Union Station is already serving about 10 times the number of people it did after opening in 1939. The expansion of Metro Rail, increased bus service and plans for high-speed rail make it extremely likely that Union Station will only get more crowded if nothing is done.

Do the alternatives propose building designs?

No, that comes later. The alternatives released today are concepts about where to put facilities and future development on the 47 acres of land (and in some cases beyond that) that Metro owns.

Of course, the design of any future buildings, open space and bike and pedestrian connections matter a lot — the devil is always in the details. At this point of the master plan process, however, Metro is first trying to determine where to put everything transit-related. In its current configuration, bus and rail operations at Union Station are widely dispersed. For example, there are five different locations where local and regional buses stop, leading to some confusion among riders and a lot of walking.

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Union Station past and present, in photographs

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Union Station opened in 1939.
The quick history of Union Station.
A wide view of Union Station and the surrounding area.
And the closer view.
The entrance facing Alameda Street. Photograph courtesy of Metro. ©2013 LACMTA
The iconic main concourse. Photograph courtesy of Metro. ©2013 LACMTA
Interior of the Patsaouras Transit Plaza, built at the rear of the station in the mid-1990s. Photograph courtesy of Metro. ©2013 LACMTA
The mural inside the Patsaouras Transit Plaza. Photograph courtesy of Metro. ©2013 LACMTA
The very cool glass ceiling in the transit plaza. Photograph courtesy of Metro. ©2013 LACMTA
The bar at Traxx.
Here are some historical photos from the station over the years. Photo: Library of Congress.
Amtrak, Metrolink and Metro Rail are the three railroads serving the station these days. Photo: Library of Congress.
Another pic from 1939. Photo: Library of Congress.
The actress Kim Novak at Union Station in 1956. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
Undated photo probably from the 1970s, maybe the ’80s. Photo: Library of Congress.
An Amtrak conductor helps passengers at Union Station in 1974. Photo: U.S. EPA.
Passenger trains at Union Station in 1971. Photo: Drew Jacksich/Wikimedia Commons.
Metrolink cab cars at Union Station today.
The station is much busier these days, serving as the hub for Metrolink, Amtrak and Metro Rail.
The Red/Purple Line subway platform under Union Station.
The subway has portals at both ends of Union Station — and they’re both very busy.
The very busy Gold Line platform at Union Station.
All those passengers add up to big crowds in the tunnel that serves the train platforms and connects the transit plaza to the front of the building.
A Metro Rapid bus leaving the transit plaza.
There are actually several bus stops at Union Station. Here’s the one at Cesar Chavez and Vignes.
The bus stop at Cesar Chavez and Vignes has more boardings than the transit plaza.
Bus passengers crossing Cesar Chavez to reach Union Station.
And here’s the Silver Line stop at Alameda and the 10 freeway.
It’s a busy stop used by Metro’s popular Silver Line and Foothill Transit, among others.
Another bus stop on the Alameda Street side of Union Station.
Union Station also has many spaces that areren’t used on a daily basis. This is the old ticket room.
Behind the old ticket counter.
And then there’s the Harvey House as seen from a portal in the kitchen door.
Old cabinets and drawers in the old ticket room.
A booth at the Harvey House as seen through a window.
View from upstairs at the Harvey House.
The classic view of Harvey House.
The counter.
Another view.
The old kitchen at Harvey House.
This sign is stored in the kitchen.
And here’s the old bar at Harvey House.
You have to see it in color to appreciate it.
Another issue: parking. Here’s the original, small garage now used by station employees.
There’s also a four-story underground garage for the public which rarely fills up.
This is the parking lot in front which separates Union Station from Alameda Street.
That puts a lot of pavement between Union Station and park space at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument.
There are two nice courtyards. This is the north one that has outdoor seating for Traxx.
The plaza on the south side.
The station also has several exterior halls that are often quiet.
Another view.
The hallway between Union Station and the MWD Plaza.
And the oft-quiet walkway on the far side of the transit plaza.
There has been a nice boost in businesses in the station in recent years.
Ice cream was a tasty addition in 2012.
A currently vacant retail space in the main concourse.
What’s this? Union Terminal in Cincinnati, which opened in 1933 and is now a museum. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
…Whereas Union Station remains one of the nation’s great train stations!

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been both shooting and collecting photos of Los Angeles Union Station, the best of which I’ve put in the above slideshow; click on the first image to begin the slideshow. You can also watch the slideshow on The Source’s Flickr page or as a video on YouTube.

For those interested in the old ticket room and Harvey House, there are a bunch of photos about halfway through the slideshow. After years of looking through Harvey House through the windows, I finally had a chance to go inside. It’s spectacular.

Some quick background: Metro purchased Union Station for roughly $70 million from Catellus in 2011. The purchase gave Metro direct control over Southern California’s largest rail and bus hub, including  development rights on 40 acres of land. Buying Union Station also prevented the facility from being tied up in a real estate trust that would have kept a very public space in private hands well into the future.

In 2012, Metro hired Gruen Associates in association with Grimshaw Architects of London to develop a master plan for the facility. In March, both a Metro staff report and PowerPoint were released that explained the early findings of the Master Plan process: making Union Station work as a transit hub will be the top priority. I tried to take some of the photos to reflect issues raised thus far by the Master Plan team.

The Master Plan process is important considering the Metro Rail system will be growing in the next three decades because of funding supplied by the Measure R sales tax approved by L.A. County voters in 2008. The California high-speed rail project is slated to arrive at Union Station when funding for that segment is secured. Bottom line: an already busy facility is going to be a lot busier. Here’s the Master Plan home page on metro.net.

Transportation headlines, Wednesday, April 10

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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 Headlines blog, which you can also access via email subscription or RSS feed.

ART OF TRANSIT: A Metro local bus on Broadway passes the entrances to Grand Park in downtown L.A. Photo by Steve Hymon/Metro.

ART OF TRANSIT: A Metro local bus on Broadway passes the entrances to Grand Park in downtown L.A. Click above to see larger; looks better larger! Photo by Steve Hymon/Metro.

Traffic zips in toll lanes but slows in free lanes (L.A. Times)

The Times kicks the tires of the ExpressLanes project and looks at the preliminary data released last month for the project on the 110 freeway. The gist of it: speeds are up in the ExpressLanes, down in the general lanes and some motorists are happy and others are very not happy. Transportation experts continue to back the project, saying it’s the best way to potentially add capacity to the freeway and it will take time for the public to get used to the lanes.

LADOT lays the ground for functional car share with Hertz; goodbye Zipcar? (L.A. Streetsblog)

The city of L.A. is considering switching its car-share vendor to Hertz from the current Zipcar. The issue is there are very few Zipcars in L.A. — just 40 (yikes!), mostly around UCLA and USC — and Hertz is seemingly offering the city a better deal by paying for exclusive parking spots and revenue sharing. My three cents: too bad it has to be one car share firm over another; it would be great if consumers had a choice.

Semi-related: As we posted recently, there are now four Zipcars available for rental at Los Angeles Union Station. More info here.

Mayoral candidates miss the train (LAObserved) 

Bill Boyarsky attends a community meeting over a proposed apartment complex at the future Expo Line’s Sepulveda station. Residents are worried about traffic and meanwhile, Boyarsky writes, neither of the candidates to be the next mayor of Los Angeles — Eric Garcetti and Wendy Greuel — are saying much about transit and what it will do to the city in the future. Excerpt:

What was missing here and in other city policy discussions was an examination of what these train lines would do for—and to—the city. In the Valley, there is talk of converting the popular Orange Line express bus to light rail, better able to handle the growing patronage. A Crenshaw rail line will be built and light rail is changing East L.A. The subway extension will remake the neighborhoods in the Wilshire corridor.

It’s definitely something for Greuel and Garcetti to discuss. But the subject deals too much with Los Angeles’ future to attract attention in a campaign where both candidates are worried about a short-term gain of votes in an election less than two months away.

A Los Angeles primer: the subway (KCET)

Fun and well-written post by Colin Marshall looks at the phenomenon that many Angelenos have never set foot or tushie upon the subway here — a subway system that Colin thinks is quite pleasant albeit somewhat limited. Excerpt:

Yet on the whole, those I introduce to our subway emerge impressed. Say what you will about their limited reach; the Red and Purple Lines surely must rank among the cleanest, most comfortable, least urine-smelling systems in America. You may lose twenty minutes waiting on platforms, but you’ll have taken a subway — in Los Angeles! Some transit observers regard this town as a child who, having broken a leg on the playground, started school only after a considerable delay: perhaps he hasn’t caught up with his peers yet, but you should’ve seen how far behind he was a year ago. This sense of Los Angeles in the remedial class intersects with the notion, correct or not, that transportation just works differently here: differently when we didn’t have a subway, and a different kind of subway now that we have one.

Read the whole thing. Colin makes some very cogent points about the region and its attitudes toward transportation and, more specifically, the changing attitudes of some younger residents toward the concept of automobile ownership.

It’s Tulsa versus Milwaukee in Parking Madness title game! (D.C. Streetsblog)

The funny-but-sad tournament is trying to determine which American city did the best job of turning its downtown area into a giant parking lot, i.e. a parking crater, to serve whatever buildings were allowed to remain. Check out the photos of Tulsa, which appears to have leveled a big chunk of its downtown since the 1970s to accommodate more cars. Geesh. If you’re just turning in, L.A. surprisingly got bounced in the tourney’s first round by Dallas. Speaking of L.A.-Dallas….that was a sour third period last night, Kings. 

Transportation headlines, Monday, 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 Headlines blog, which you can also access via email subscription or RSS feed.

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ART OF TRANSIT — Click above to see a larger version; black and white version after the jump. I was walking through Union Station last week with camera gear in tow and noticed some very nice late afternoon light on the old ticket room at the front of Union Station, used these days mostly for special events and filming. It will be interesting to see what is recommended for the gorgeous old room in the ongoing Union Station Master Plan process. We’ve had a couple of recent posts on the plan: a powerpoint on early findings by the architectural team in charge of the plan and a Metro staff report explaining that making Union Station work as a transit hub is the first priority of the plan. Both are very interesting. Thoughts on how you would like to see the old ticket room used? Comment please! Photo by Steve Hymon/Metro.

Wilshire Boulevard, a Main Street that stands apart (L.A. Times) 

The last of architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne’s series on major streets in the region and how they are changing (or in some cases not) with the times.

As would be expected, Hawthorne writes quite a bit about the Westside Subway Extension of the Purple Line, which will run mostly under Wilshire all the way to Westwood. If anything, Hawthorne writes, the subway will “intensify Wilshire’s traditional role as L.A.’s boulevard of reinvention.”

He also makes two other very interesting points: the first is that one way that UCLA could bring the campus closer to the subway station at Wilshire and Westwood boulevards is to develop the land it owns that is currently parking lot 36. First excerpt:

Because UCLA isn’t subject to local zoning or height limits, it could build atop the subway stop a very tall tower holding classrooms, apartments and even a museum or auditorium.

“We have a temporary building there now, but we do see this as a key site for UCLA in the future,” Jeffrey Averill, UCLA’s campus architect, said in an email. So do other architects, who look at the chance to design a tower on Lot 36 as the commission of a lifetime.

An architecturally bold skyscraper on the site “would dramatically change the image of the university,” said Neil Denari, an architect and UCLA professor who has produced a preliminary study for a cluster of connected towers at Lot 36. “It could be a kind of instant conversion to urbanism” for a school that until now “has been a drive-in, drive-out world.”

The other big point that Hawthorne makes is that the subway will bring visitors to the doorstep of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Excerpt two:

When the Getty Center opened on a Brentwood hilltop in 1997, inside a luxe billion-dollar campus by the architect Richard Meier, LACMA seemed to be falling even further behind in the chase for attendance. The Getty was right next to the 405 Freeway, after all, near the epicenter of Westside wealth.

Fast-forward 16 years and the conventional wisdom has dramatically changed. As became clear during the two recent Carmageddon shutdowns of the 405, when the museum was forced to close, the Getty’s reliance on the freeway system has become a liability. LACMA, on the other hand, will enjoy a new centrality once the Purple Line reaches Wilshire and Fairfax 10 years from now. It will likely get another boost in attendance when the subway is extended west to Rodeo Drive by 2025 or so.

Give the article a read – it’s very thoughtful. I also think that it’s inevitable that the subway will spur investment and some development near the new stations. As the real estate values rise near the stations, hopefully more investment will spread down to other parts of Wilshire that could use a boost.

And while on the subject, which pencilhead in City Hall decided strip malls along Wilshire were a good idea? Really? REALLY?

New York City commuter cycling stays flat in ’12 (New York Times) 

After three years of significant gains, the number of cyclists counted at six survey locations during the traditional riding season was flat last year, according to the city’s annual count. As with other places, one of the key questions bouncing around in New York is how many cyclists are actually using the new bike infrastructure aggressively installed under Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The mayor’s office says that thus far this year they are seeing more people riding and the traditional count didn’t include some places where new bike lanes were installed. It would be great to see a survey here across the region to see which bike infrastructure is being used and which isn’t — the idea being that perhaps the lanes not being used need to be modified to attract more riders. I’m talking to you, Venice Boulevard bike lanes!

At 40 years, San Francisco’s transit first policy still struggles for traction (San Francisco Streetsblog) 

Despite a plan adopted in March 1973 to give priority to transit, the bulk of San Francisco’s streets are still used to operate and store private vehicles, sometimes leaving little space for transit, pedestrians and cyclists, writes Streetsblog. Good post with some great photos and other visuals. Some interestingness: in San Francisco, about 45 percent of people drive to work and about 33 percent take transit — rates that stand apart from most other large American cities in which many more people drive and fewer people take transit.

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Service alert: night-time tunnel cleaning this week in downtown Los Angeles subway stations after 8:30 p.m.

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Photos by Metro.

Photos by Metro.

tunnel wash down 001

Customers may be curious about the reduced late night service through this Thursday on the subway in downtown Los Angeles. The above photos explain the reason: trains are single-tracking to accommodate some much needed tunnel cleaning that is taking place to ensure Metro has a clean, safe and reliable rail system. Thank you for your patience and Metro apologizes for any inconvenience.

Here’s the full service alert:

Red & Purple Line: Sun, Mar 17-21: due to maintenance after 8:30pm, Red Line will run every 20 min (10 min delay) and Purple Line will only run between Wilshire/Western and Wilshire/Vermont.

Red Line Boarding Change: Red Line will single track at Civic Ctr, Pershing Sq and 7th/Metro.

Purple Line Service Change: Purple Line will ONLY run between Wilshire/Western and Wilshire/Vermont. For travel to/from Downtown stations, transfer with Red Line at Wilshire/Vermont. Follow announcements at Wilshire/Vermont for proper boarding location.

Train Length Change: Due to reduced service, Red Line will run with 6-car full platform trains.

Why is service being changed? Facilities Maintenance will perform tunnel washing to ensure clean, safe and reliable Metro Rail service.

Metrolink-to-Metro TAP test goes well

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I happened upon the testing during the afternoon rush hour on Wednesday and everything appeared to go smoothly. With Metro preparing to latch gates at Red and Purple Line stations this summer, Metro and Metrolink are testing paper TAP-enabled tickets that will allow Metrolink passengers to get through the gates.

From Metro’s TAP staff:

On Wednesday, March 6, 2013, Metro and Metrolink collaborated on a successful test-latching of Metro’s fare gates in Union Station.

At approximately 9:00 a.m., two of the largest groups of Metrolink riders successfully transferred to Metro through latched gate arrays at the Alameda entrance to the station. For the first time ever, Metrolink customers were tapped through the gates by Metrolink staff using Metrolink TAP tickets. The successful testing continued through 5:30 p.m.

In addition, the new gate help phone installed near the gate array was tested. The gate help phones are designed to be accessible to those who may have trouble with their TAP cards, including customers with physical disabilities. Customers do not have to dial a number or push a button for assistance. An operator automatically responds when the customer comes into close proximity to the phone and can assist him or her by remotely opening the ADA accessible gate.

Standard operating procedures went smoothly and testing is expected to continue in future weeks. Metro and Metrolink are pleased that our collaboration has been successful so far and expect gate latching of Red and Purple Line stations to begin in June.

Coldwater Canyon closure announced; no need to completely freak out — there are transit options

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This map shows Metro bus and rail service that runs every 15 minutes or less during the day. Click above to see larger.

This map shows Metro bus and rail service that runs every 15 minutes or less during the day. Click above to see larger.

A news conference was held this morning to announce that the road — used heavily by commuters to travel between the San Fernando Valley and Beverly Hills — will be closed for a month. From the LADWP:

From March 23 to about April 26, crews will close Coldwater Canyon Avenue, from Ventura Boulevard to Mulholland Drive, from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. This project is part of a major improvement project to upgrade the city’s water infrastructure. Due to the narrow road conditions of Coldwater Canyon Avenue and the need to use heavy equipment to excavate the road, remove and replace pipe, the thoroughfare must be completely closed to traffic to ensure the safety of the crew and the public.

During overnight hours and on Sundays, one lane in each direction will be open. Details of road closures and alternative routes will be discussed at the press conference.

There are some transit work-arounds for those traveling between the Valley and Beverly Hills, namely using the Red Line to travel between the Valley and Hollywood. During rush hours, trains run every 10 minutes from the Valley headed south to Hollywood and downtown Los Angeles. Here’s the timetable.

On the Valley side, the 750 Rapid Bus serves Ventura Boulevard — with stops at Coldwater — and the Universal City Red Line station. The Orange Line busway also stops at Valley College and Laurel Canyon Boulevard (both near Coldwater Canyon) and serves the North Hollywood Red Line station.

On the Los Angeles side, it’s easy to use the subway to access several Rapid Bus lines that travel east-west across the basin:

•The 780 Rapid Bus stop at the Red Line’s Hollywood/Highland station and travels west on Hollywood Boulevard and then south on Fairfax Avenue through Beverly Hills to the Washington/Fairfax Transit Hub in Los Angeles.

•The 704 Rapid Bus stops at the Red Line’s Santa Monica Boulevard station and travels west on Santa Monica Boulevard all the way to downtown Santa Monica.

•The Purple Line subway travels west from a shared station with the Red Line at Wilshire/Vermont. The Purple Line terminates at Western Avenue and Wilshire, a major stop for the 720 Rapid Bus on Wilshire. The 720 travels west to downtown Santa Monica, with stops at major cross streets.

•Metro Bus 218 provides a direct route from Beverly Hills to Studio City via Laurel Canyon. (Thanks for the tip, Source reader!)

Here’s another link to see the 15-minute map above.

Results of gate latching at Metro Red and Purple Line stations: many more people TAP

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Here is some interesting data gathered from recent testing of gate latching at the Normandie, North Hollywood and Western stations on the Red/Purple Line subway.

The takeaways: 1) one-way fares, stored value and pass sales significantly increased when the gates were latched; 2) Free entries — i.e. mainly those not paying fares — dropped significantly when gates were latched.

Metro staff continue to work toward starting to latch the gates in the Red and Purple Line subway this summer. As part of that effort, paper TAP tickets are being tested for Metrolink passengers who transfer to and from the Metro system.

Normandie1

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Metro Board considers contract to have cell phone equipment installed in Red and Purple Line station areas

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The Metro Board will be considering a contract this month that would bring cell phone and wi-fi service to the subway system in Los Angeles. The Metro staff report on the contract is above.

Once installed, cell service would be available throughout the public areas of the Red and Purple Lines — i.e. the station areas — and the underground portions of the Blue, Expo and Gold lines. The service would serve a dual purpose: it would enhance public safety by making it much easier to reach police while underground and it could also attract new riders who want to be online during their commute or public transit trips.

The contract is with a firm named InSite Wireless. Under the contract, InSite would install the necessary infrastructure and then charge individual cell phone carriers a fee to have their equipment and signal placed underground. Metro, in turn, would make a minimum of $360,000 a year in revenue from those deals — a typical type of arrangement in the transit world.

As for the cell phone carriers, they have a pretty good incentive to put their signal underground — if they don’t do it, one of their competitors may. And in the cell phone business, having the largest service area is a pretty big draw for prospective customers.

The contract will first be considered by the Metro Board’s Executive Management Committee on Thursday. It would then likely go to the full Board for their consideration at their meeting on Feb. 28.

If approved, it would take about two years to get the equipment installed in the tunnels, the challenge being that the subway runs most of the day and night. Cell phone service would be completed first with wi-fi coming later; keep in mind that the internet can be accessed via cell signals.