Transportation headlines, Monday, Nov. 30

by Steve Hymon , November 30, 2009

Me being me, the first headline that caught my eye this post-holiday Monday morning is courtesy of the NYT and runs under the headline, “Sex and the SUV: Men, Women, and Travel Behavior.” While I was offended at the use of the comma after ‘women’ — it’s not necessary, people — the story didn’t tell me all that much. Women have shorter commutes than men on average but tend to have more complex patterns to their daily trips. The author doesn’t provide explanations, but my one-cup-of-coffee hypothesis is that carrying the bulk of the responsibility for child-rearing likely has something to do with it.

On his blog, Brigham Yen provides an update of construction on the Lake Avenue station for the Gold Line. For those unfamiliar, the station is entombed in the middle of the 210 freeway with entrances on the bridge over the freeway. The idea is to give the station a beefier presence on Lake — a clock-tower has even been added for aesthetic effect. In my view, the same old problems remain. The station is more than one half mile from the heart of the business district on Lake, there’s no parking, bus connections can be infrequent and standing on a platform in the middle of a giant freeway is smelly, noisy and generally unpleasant.

Another victim of the sour economy? Radio traffic reports, according to an AP story posted on the KPVC website. Instead of taking to the air — which is pricey — reporters can freelance from home by monitoring traffic on computers, video monitors and call-ins from folks actually on the road.

The rest of today’s headlines, courtesy of the Metro library, are after the jump.

AC Transit’s Extensive Service Reduction Planning Process Yields Great Results
A Better Oakland

Architect Calls For Design Contest For High-Speed Rail
Palo Alto Online News

Bike Lanes Slated For Foothill
Glendale News Press

Bus Rapid Transit: Some Questions To Ask
Human Transit

The Cable Car Took Us There (historic Cape Horn Cable Car Viaduct, Lincoln Heights, 1890s)
Highland Park Blog

China Enters The Carpool Lane
Wired

County In Better Shape Than State, Zev Says
The Acorn

The Deadliest Roads Are Rural
National Public Radio

Doomsday Looming For Many Truckers At Los Angeles And Long Beach Ports: Clean-Air Guidelines Banning Older Rigs And Those Without Diesel Particulate Filters Take Effect Jan. 1 – Many Drivers Say The Changes Are Just Too Costly
Los Angeles Times

The Expo Line Should Connect, Not Conquer, Neighbors
CityWatch

Gasoline Fumes May Fuel Road Rage
Wired