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.
One of the entrances to the now-gone Broadway tunnel in downtown L.A. Photo by Metro Library and Transportation Archive.
The lost tunnels of L.A. (KCET SoCal Focus)
Great article on the many tunnels that once (and still) burrowed under hills around downtown L.A. Example: Broadway between Temple and Sunset once traveled in a tunnel under Fort Moore Hill. But construction of the 101 freeway reduced the Hill to a stump and that section of Broadway is now a freeway overpass. There’s also some intererestingness involving the old Pacific Electric tunnel.
Is it time for Metro Rail to get a facelift? (L.A. Streetsblog)
Not if it’s going to look like this, IMO. Click above to see fine example of Photoshop horribleness.
After three decades, federal tax credit for ethanol expires (New York Times)
Perhaps the headline should read “after three decades and $20 billion dollars…” About 40 percent of the nation’s corn crop is used to produce ethanol and growers didn’t put up much of a fuss, some saying they’ll still make plenty of money without the subsidy. Ethanol’s chief advantage is it comes from a renewable source but enviros have long complained that producing it requires more fuel than it saves.
Development at Universal City is shelved (Daily News)
The giant studio and office complex that NBC wanted to build atop the Universal City Red Line station has been put aside due to the sour economy. The developer, Thomas Properties, and NBC blame market conditions. It would have been a lot of jobs right on top of the region’s heaviest used transit line.
Ideas for downtown: redesign 888 International Tower Plaza into a pedestrian-friendly open space (Brigham Yen)
Brigham uses his camera to document a rather dreary plaza and how it could be spruced up into something that might actually attract human beings.
Categories: Transportation Headlines
All of the trains should be grey or silver, with an interchangable light that would color code whichever line the train is. The light should be just next to the sign with the destination. Sooner or later, as metro expands over the next seven thousand years (sarcasm), we will have to ditch the color coding all together. I would be happy to call the blue line the B Train, the gold line the G Train, purple the P Train, Expo, the E line, and so on…
Color coding the trains are a good idea, but there’s a much more cost effective approach than spending the money in wrapping/painting the trains with colors, especially with the consideration that trains could be used interchangeably with another.
Here are three cost efficient ways to do this:
A flippable cheatline
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Hph9YlPPhps/TwYMhuE9BVI/AAAAAAAAAGE/BOVeji2nmRs/s800/idea1.jpg
Flip down when Red Line, flip up when it’s a Purple Line
Install interchangeable panel railings
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-StSct1Oi5PE/TwYMhrnDW1I/AAAAAAAAAGA/jE_8ZjCpUjs/s800/idea2.jpg
Replace cheatline with correct color when needed
Install LCD signs with colored texts
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-rw663YaOgDY/TwYMiLCfSRI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/Htvx2Qm5K-o/s800/idea3.jpg
I’m not crazy about the paint scheme that they show on Streetsblog, but I like the idea of color-coded trains.
Certainly, you’re never going to see the Red/ Purple lines mixed together with the Blue or Gold or Green. I think it’s possible that even with the Crenshaw Line, everything that uses the Century Freeway tracks could be a shade of Green. That just leaves the Blue/ Gold lines once the Regional Connector is in place.
I remember, probably more than 10 years ago, going with a group of transit enthusiasts to explore the subway tunnel from 1st and Glendale to the end (at the Bonaventure foundation), back before the tunnel was sealed. It was actually pretty cool. And VERY dark.