Transportation headlines, Tuesday, Feb. 16

by Fred Camino , February 16, 2010

Metro gets some rare screen time in the latest episode of CBS’ series “The Amazing Race.” The contestants are given the challenge of getting to LAX from downtown L.A. using public transportation. Union Station, 7th Street Metro Center, the Blue Line and the FlyAway all get starring roles. If you take away anything from the challenge, it should be that taking the FlyAway from Union Station is much faster than taking the Blue Line to Green Line to LAX Shuttle route.

The Planning Report has an excerpt from a discussion with Metro CEO Art Leahy at the Westside Urban Forum. Leahy talks about Measure R and its impact on the Westside (Subway to the Sea, Expo Line) as well as the challenges Metro faces distributing Measure R money in massive and competitive Los Angeles County. One interesting topic that’s brought up is the difference in transit operations now versus 20 years ago. While ridership of Metro buses is down a third of what it was then, Leahy reminds us that back then there was no rail and that the many municipal operators in the region have really bulked up their service.

The Daily Bruin has a story about how many UCLA students who commute to campus are growing tired of traffic and parking — and are now looking to public transit as an alternative. The majority of UCLA students commute and 25% of those students use public transit to get to school. UCLA offers subsidized bus passes for students and employees that can cut transit costs in half for commuters and saves the university money in the long run by reducing the need to build pricey parking garages.

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

The Amazing Race: Season 16, Episode 1 (video : The first leg of the new season kicks off in Los Angeles, requiring 11 racing teams to get from downtown to LAX solely via public transportation)
CBS

Architect Proposes Conceptual Plan To Improve Parking, Traffic Challenges On Culver Boulevard
The Argonaut

The Bikeway Network (includes a collection of bikeway types illustrations)
Reconnecting America

China Sees Growth Engine In A Web Of Fast Trains
New York Times

Editorial: Giving Transit What It Needs – California Senate Democrats And Gov. Schwarzenegger Are Offering Plans To Gut Prop. 42 And Raise The Gas Excise Tax. Sounds Bad? Not Really
Los Angeles Times

The Future Of Cities In The Internet Era
Next American City

High-Speed Rail Cash Lays Congressional Track For Billions More To Follow
New York Times

How To Properly Cross Rail Tracks On Your Bike
LA StreetsBlog

In Seattle, As In Most Cities, Transit Works Best When It’s Not Highway-Bound
Transport Politic

Is Privatization Inherently Bad, Or Just Botched?
Greater Greater Washington

LADOT And City Planning Revisit “The Errors Of The Past!”
SoapBox LA

Live Near A Freeway? Heart Disease Risk May Be Higher
Los Angeles Times
Study’s Abstract

Metro CEO Art Leahy Talks Budget, Operations, Capital Projects
Planning Report

Monrovia To Explore Environmental Impacts Of Proposed Rail Maintenance Yard (for Metro Gold Line extension)
Pasadena Star-News