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ART OF TRANSIT: An Expo Line train with a new paint job at the Exposition Park/USC station.
Could NYC’s ‘wacko-nutso’ Janette Sadik-Khan be right for L.A.? (L.A. Times)
Interesting opinion piece by Times staffer Robert Greene. Sadik-Khan is Mayor Bloomberg’s transportation commissioner who has compiled a long list of accomplishments by narrowing streets in the Big Apple, building miles of bike lanes (some protected even) and pushing for more public transit. That has also earned her enemies: the “wacko-nutso’ label comes from the New York Post’s gossip writer Cindy Adams.
As it happens, Mayor Bloomberg’s tenure in New York is about to end (his replacement will be elected tomorrow) and it’s questionable whether the next chief of Gotham will want to keep her around. As it also happens, the city of Los Angeles has a vacancy for general manager for its Department of Transportation. And there’s this: Sadik-Khan went to Occidental, while Mayor Garcetti has taught there.
Here’s a Source post from earlier this year on a talk Sadik-Khan gave while in town. And below is a TED Talks appearance by her:
If she leaves NYC, her timing is good: Looks like Chicago is also looking for a chief for its transportation department, Streetsblog reports.
Winnetka residents say lack of toilets along Orange Line a problem (Daily News)
Some residents complain that an alley near the Pierce College stop has turned into an impromptu restroom. The Community College District says the problem belongs to Metro. Metro says the problem is on college-owned land and that Metro has only installed restrooms (as do most transit agencies) at major hubs, i.e. Union Station.
FigAt7th plans to open new stores next year (Brigham Yen)
It’s about time; the quasi-underground mall has been getting a makeover for some time and it now appears that boarded up windows will become actual stores by mid-2014. I think there’s a Loteria in the works; they have tasty tacos, me thinks. The mall is across the street from the busy 7th/Metro Center that serves the Red Line, Purple Line, Blue Line and Expo Line.
Rail to Redlands project update shows increased costs (San Bernardino Sun)
The San Bernardino Association of Governments wants to extend the San Bernardino Metrolink line east to Redlands, adding three additional stations. A previous cost estimate was $156 million; the revised one is that such a project would cost $200 million to $300 million. The hope is that a rail extension could also link up with a bus rapid transit project that would run from Redlands to downtown San Bernardino to Loma Linda.
Categories: Transportation Headlines
Yeah, uh-huh safety issues. Whatever.
So adding restrooms is a safety issue while an alley becoming a cesspool of public urination and defecation which leads to huge public safety sanitary concerns is not. Gimme a break.
The rest of the world is able to figure this stuff out. All you guys do is come up with lame excuse one after another.
Why can’t Metro just add restrooms and keep them clean?
Yeah, yeah, we know. Funding problems. You guys have no money and you guys need to raise taxes to do so. Whatever. Same old excuses over and over again.
If you can’t afford restrooms and janitors, then find ways to make money to help fund those expenditures.
My local Taco Bell has a cleaner restroom than Union Station. Maybe we should just put Taco Bells at all the stations and let them figure it out how to keep the restrooms tidy and in order.
Hi Metro Rider;
It’s as much a safety problem as it is a money problem.
Steve Hymon
Editor, The Source
Have they ever smelled the bathroom at Union? There are flies that don’t dare in there. I do feel Metro should look at making the user experience more homely though. For example, maybe a fountain at the entrance, and restroom, an atm Maybe, hand heater for a quarter (maybe the last one is too much)…. Things like this show that you are not stranded while waiting for a connection say. Restrooms, are just civil, and will help me/us smell less dirty diapers on rides, OR better yet, witness a diaper changings on rides.. Ive also seen sick people lose their lunch as well as lost lunch on metro platforms more times that I would like. So, to any official reading, Please install restrooms at every station, for ticket holders only. We are all sick of the odor of the gold line, and i’m not talkin East LA to Pasadena.
Could you put some boards or something over the dirt and mud we now have to walk over since you dug up the cross walks at the North Hollywood parking lot a few weeks ago, please?
Hi Kathy;
I’ll send your request over to customer relations. Best,
Steve Hymon
Editor, The Source