A self-portrait of one Kings fan on the trip home on Metro after last night's 4-0 triumph over New Jersey. Photo by Mark Nakata, via Twitter.
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 Headlines blog, which you can also access via email subscription or RSS feed.
How legal challenge are affecting work on four L.A. rail lines (Curbed L.A.)
Thus far, the challenges aren’t impacting work. But the post is a good round-up of the three ongoing lawsuits and one legal appeal against, respectively, the Expo Line’s second phase, the Crenshaw/LAX Line, the Westside Subway Extension and the Regional Connector.
Environmental report for downtown football stadium blasted (Daily News)
Putting aside the verbiage in the headline, some environmentalists and other residents have criticized the draft environmental report by AEG, saying it doesn’t offer enough specifics on reducing car trips to the new stadium (if it’s built). My two cents: as long as there’s a glut of downtown parking, some people will insist on driving to games. I’m not sure why that’s the responsibility of AEG or any other downtown developer.
Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council wants more barriers to high-density development (L.A. Streetsblog)
The Council says it wants to preserve the single-family home nature of the community and, besides, that Boyle Heights doesn’t have the infrastructure needed to support more developments. I humbly suggest the opposite: new development would likely improve the community, help local businesspeople and lead to infrastructure being improved. Thus far, development along the Eastside Gold Line has been lacking and that’s really a shame.
Categories: Transportation Headlines
If a neighborhood becomes a more popular place to live, there are two choices: allow denser development, or allow prices to rise substantially. In my opinion, the latter results in a much greater change to the “nature” of a neighborhood…
Hi Matt;
Outstanding point. I think one of the long-standing tragedies of the L.A. area is this stubborn view by some people that greater density somehow leads to a decline in a neighborhood. As many cities have shown, density can be quite beautiful. I suspect the problem here is by density, people really mean ‘cars’ — they don’t want the additional traffic since transit has been in short supply. Hopefully those views will soon change.
Steve Hymon
Editor, The Source
I think that the folks of Boyle Heights need to take their cues from Pasadena. Allow mixed use development (retail first floor, second floor professional offices, 3rd+ housing [mixed unit sizes and income targets]) and a focus on higher density along the transportation core (Gold Line and major axial streets) and lower density elsewhere. This is the way ahead in So Cal for smarter growth. South Pasadena has been allowing some higher density around the Mission Station too.