Transportation headlines, Friday, Dec. 4

by Fred Camino , December 4, 2009

Newsweek takes a look at new train stations around the globe that are being built to accommodate high speed rail networks. Knocking the airport of its perch as the architectural symbol of success and connectivity, these stations are not just functional but built with an artistry and scale that reflects their reemerging influence. The article throws out some interesting numbers: in the next decade France plans to double its high-speed network to over 1,800 miles and Spain hopes to have over 3,500 miles of track. I can’t help but wonder if the United States will have any high-speed rail by 2020.

LAist checked out a photography exhibit in Santa Monica called Without a Car in the World: 100 Car-less Angelinos Tell Stories Living in Los Angeles. They call it one of the best art shows this year. LAist has a photo gallery of quotations from Angelinos that are displayed at the exhibit, many commenting on how unfriendly the city is for those without cars. One quote, while utterly cynical, caught my eye: “I think having a car in Los Angeles is a necessity – I really do”. While I obviously disagree, a reason I’ve not included this exhibition in our Go Metro Weekends roundup is because the gallery location is over half a mile away from the one and only Metro bus line that serves its vicinity. Ironic, don’t ya think?

This article from the Huffington Post wasn’t included in this morning’s headlines, but I wanted to mention it because it’s about something I’ve thought about. Joel Epstein thinks funding our future rail system could be helped by selling naming rights of the stations to big business and philanthropies. My idea has always been to get Hollywood celebrities to back up their green talk with green cash. And what better way to cement your legacy than on a piece of infrastructure that could be around hundreds of years from now. People with money to spare, give it some thought.

The rest of today’s headlines, compiled by the Metro Library, after the jump.

Anaheim Pushing Expensive, Slow Monorail Option As Part Of OCTA’s Go Local Program
TransitRider OC

Cal Plaza Trains Offer Holiday Spirit And L.A. History
Blog Downtown

City Bike Committee Votes To Support Ciclovia
CicLAvia

Do You See A Pattern? An Architectural Theorist Who Has Inspired Smart-Growth Advocates, Counterculture DIY-ers, And Computer Programmers
Slate

Freeway Project Comes In $8 Million Under Budget
Simi Valley Acorn

Go See This: 100 Car-Free Angelenos Tell Their Stories
LAist

L.A.’s New Take On “Car Culture:” Green Car LaunchPad
Earth2Tech

Letter To Speaker Pelosi With Principles For Transportation Spending
Transportation For America

Mayor’s Electrical Vehicle Dream Blows A Fuse!
CityWatch

Meet The Silver Line
NBC Los Angeles

Message To President Obama & Congress: Create Long-Term Sustainable American Jobs By Taking Action Now On Six-Year Highway & Transit Bill
PR Newswire