Transportation headlines, Wednesday, September 17

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Union ploy may throw Kinkisharyo off track (Antelope Valley Press)

The firm hired by Metro to build new rail cars wants to build an assembly plant in Palmdale. This editorial chastises the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 11 and other Antelope Valley residents for using legal tactics to try to force Kinkisharyo to hire union workers or do a full blown environmental impact report for the facility — which may mean the facility has to be located elsewhere. The new light rail vehicles are needed sooner rather than later for the second phase of the Expo Line, the Gold Line Foothill Extension and as replacement cars for the Blue Line.

Kuehl, Shriver square off in L.A. County Supervisor debate (L.A. Times) 

Coverage of last night’s debate in the race for the third district, currently held by Zev Yaroslavsky. The Purple Line Extension was one issue discussed.

An eye in the sky, accessible to the hobbyist (New York Times)

A new drone with camera attached sells for about $1,300 — meaning these things are just going to get more popular. I recently watched a photographer use a drone at CalTech to photograph wedding pics and I’m curious how long it will be when drones are used to either photograph transit and/or the transportation industry.

On the hunt for fireflies in Utah (High Country News)

Not a transportation article, but a good read for those interested in or fascinated by the American West. Scientists have known for 30 years that fireflies — most often seen in the Midwest — were in Utah, but it wasn’t until recently that they secured proof.

6 replies

  1. Can Kinkisharyo actually leave the state? I thought there was something in the contract that said they had to build the plant in California with workers from California? Or am i just mixing that up with something else?

    • Kinkisharyo can do whatever they want because Kinkisharyo doesn’t need to sell their product to LA. If they see that doing business is a hassle in CA they can leave elsewhere and they’ll just do fine without the LA market. These unions and their crazy demands are the reason why the manufacturing jobs in CA are all gone. In the end, everyone loses because of these unions who block any progress from getting anything done; they’re no worse than NIMBYs.

      • Yeah, crazy demands like a livable wage, 8 hour days, weekends off, vacations, no child labor…

  2. Technically known as a quadcopter rather than a drone, someone did shoot an aerial HD video of our Metro Blue Line Willow station with a DJI Phantom with attached GoPro Hero 3 action cam.

    • Hey Tony;

      Thanks for clarification and heads up on that video.

      Steve Hymon
      Editor, The Source