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 blog.
$5-a-gallon gasoline may be on the horizon (L.A. Daily News)
The headline says it all. Drivers, this summer prepare yourself for some sticker shock at the pump as gas prices are expected to hit $5 by the end of August. Currently the average price of a gallon of gas in L.A. is $4.04. Experts say the spike in fuel costs is due to anxiety from Wall Street investors over turmoil in the Middle East.
Countdown to DesertXpress begins (Fast Lane)
Last Friday the Federal Railroad Administration released the final environmental impact report for the $6-billion DesertXpress that would provide high-speed rail service between Victorville, CA, and Las Vegas. The trip would take 85 minutes – about half the time of the best-case car trip – and tracks would run along the 15 freeway. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood is really pushing the job creation benefits of this line — although there are still big funding challenges ahead:
“Just think about the possibility. Factory workers building electric-powered trains. Engineers laying new track. Conductors, operators and ticket-takers helping passengers speed to their destinations. Americans of every trade advancing down the track to a better future.”
Buses vs. rail, and other pointless arguments (CityWatch)
Ken Alpern of the Transit Coalition tackles the bus versus rail rhetoric that has been brought up recently in light of Metro’s planned bus service cuts. Alpern sees it as a manufactured argument and notes that rail riders and bus riders are the same people – citizens looking to go from point A to point B. Alpern believes buses compliment rail in much the same way that surface streets compliment freeways and that developing both efficiently is best for everyone.
Categories: Transportation Headlines
It pushes people (hopefully) to move closer to rail. The reason bus service ‘stinks’ is because of traffic (in my opinion) and no dedicated lanes.
In my opinion, if you want a smart system, people SHOULD move towards rail stations, and bus service should just fill in the blanks, so to speak. People only need cars to get to rail stations if they’re in a bad location. Hardly Metro’s fault.
Taking a bus will never be as fast, reliable, environmentally friendly, or cheap (all things equal) as rail.
The way MTA designs system is people need their cars to use rail. People who don’t have access on cars have hard using rail. Remember, downtown LA is the only area people work, people do work in some where else. By putting lots of budget on rails, many bus service got cut, guess what the people who don’t go to downtown will drive, and the people who don’t drive suffer. The reason bus ridership is low is because the bus system stinks. MTA spent too much effort rail and kill the bus system that rails don’t reach. Thank you MTA and citywatch for encouraging MTA
the price of gas is only the price gouging of the oil companies not the problems in the middle east. we have seen this every time and they always say that it is the oil contries fault!!! yet the oil companies make billions yes billions of dollars on our backs!!!!