Here's a good Powerpoint doc on early findings of Union Station Master Plan process

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L.A. Union Station Master Plan

We posted the other day about a new Metro staff report on the Los Angeles Union Station Master Plan process. The thrust of the report: making Union Station work as a transit hub is the first and foremost priority of the master plan.

The above document is a companion to the staff report and contains some interesting maps and stats. Here’s a good one: Did you know that the bus stop at Cesar Chavez and Vignes serves as many riders as the stops on Patsaouras Plaza? Or that there are two bus plazas and four perimeter bus stops serving Union Station — and 60 percent of the boardings are at the perimeter stops?

Scroll through the document — some of the most interesting stuff is toward the middle and back. Happy reading!

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14 replies ›

  2. Regarding Gold/Red line transfers, if I am not mistaken, the Gold Line platforms are directly above the Red/Purple Line mezzanine and platforms. Why couldn’t there be an escalator and elevator connecting the two?

  3. This presentation by Don Sepulveda of Metro includes an illustration for the SCRIP (Southern California Regional Interconnector Project). This will finally happen thanks to funding from the bullet train project

    http://www.selfhelpcounties.org/focus/2012presentations/High-SpeedRail_Don.pdf

    ” …if there were a direct way to get from the Gold Line platform to the Red Line mezzanine” Years ago I asked then Metro CEO Roger Snoble about why that happened. He said the plans didn’t happen on his watch because as a true rail guy he would have made sure the stations were no so far apart. He did point out having downtown access from the Gold Line would be improved once the Little Tiokyo station opened. And indeed when I ride the Downtown Dash route D to Union Station about half te load out of the central core get off at the Gold Line station.

    • Hey Dana —

      Thanks for providing the link to the illustration — much appreciated!

      My hunch is there’s some kind of answer about the location of the Gold Line platform in the environmental studies for the original Gold Line project; I’ve never bothered to bird-dog it. I’ve had similar experiences with the Little Tokyo station.

      Best,

      Steve Hymon
      Editor, The Source

  4. Well, once the Regional Connector is open, I would guess that Gold-to-Subway transfers will be reduced SUBSTANTIALLY. The only compelling reason to transfer at Union Station will be if you’re planning on starting or ending your trip at Civic Center or Pershing Square, but even then a majority of those trips (particularly Civic Center) could probably be handled easier by walking to or from the nearest Regional Connector station. Or even transferring at 7th/Metro and backtracking. (as there’s much less walking involved in the transfer)

    I wouldn’t be surprised if transfers between the subway and the Gold Line at Union Station drop at least 95% once the Regional Connector is built.

    • Hi Robb;

      I think you raise an excellent point — I think there will still be transfers between Gold-and-subway at Union, but not on the order of today. I’ve always thought it was odd to build the Gold Line platform so far from the subway platform; I believe it was basically a matter of money and taking the easiest possible route.

      Steve Hymon
      Editor, The Source

  5. As a previous Red Line/Gold Line commuter in a former job, if there were a direct way to get from the Gold Line platform to the Red Line mezzanine, that would be awesome.

  6. What about Pedestrian Traffic Control?

    Ever try to get down to the Red/Purple Line after an inbound train disgorges its load? It is very difficult to fight your way across the stampede of exiting people who walk on the left side of the walkway, directly in front of the steps going down, to save themselves a couple of steps. Easy fix of extending the stairway handrail to direct the traffic to the right side of the walkway.

    Why do all the exiting passengers and entering passengers use the same set of gates? Why aren’t exiting passenger steered to the right and how about exiting gates without fire alarms?

    Missed numerous trains because Metro makes you fight your way through the stampede of cattle.

    Ever try walk down the tunnel after a train lets out…see slide 12. The tunnel is for two way traffic and it is very dangerous for an ADA person to try to get down the tunnel when a train load or two of cattle is stampeding down the tunnel without regard for other people. How about a courtesy campaign “Walk on the Right” or direction arrows in the pavement.

    Get the damm AMTRAK carts out of the tunnel…they can get where they need to go w/o every entering the tunnels. I’ve nearly been ran over twice by the speeding cart drivers that don’t care about other people.

  8. What is SCRIP (Southern California Regional Interconnector Project)? Is that the effort to change the Amtrak/Metrolink track alignment from a stub-end terminal to a through-tracked station with tracks continuing over the 101?

    • Hi Elson;

      Correct. It’s the run-through track project.

      Steve Hymon
      Editor, The Source

  9. First, I agree with Jonah. The rail growth projections for 2040 seem very conservative, especially if HSR traffic is added.
    Second, the addition the HSR station and its traffic will be the one item with the greatest impact, yet is seems like most of the planning is ignoring that fact. You need to know more about the HSR station before making changes to the existing station.

  10. What Metro needs to work on is moving the Silver line stop to Patsouras Transit Plaza until the future silver line station opens in 2014. PLEASE ADD SIGNAGE FOR THE SILVER LINE AT UNION STATION!

  11. I gotta say the heavy rail growth projections seem awfully conservative given that the Purple Line extension should be built out by 2040…