Transportation headlines, Tuesday, November 25

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Anaheim’s new ARTIC: icon or eyesore? (OC Register)

The ARTIC during construction in October. Photo by DearEdward via Flickr creative commons.

The ARTIC during construction in October. Photo by DearEdward via Flickr creative commons.

The official name is Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center. Some like the three-story structure that resembles a band shell, others say it’s “not what the taxpayers had in mind.” The station will serve Amtrak and Metrolink trains, as well as OCTA buses, taxis and cyclists. It opens next month.

See the Expo Line’s Sepulveda Station (Curbed LA)

A few pics of the 80 percent-complete aerial station near the intersection of Sepulveda and Pico in West L.A. The station has a parking garage and will eventually have a residential building adjacent to it — but that may take some time. This is one of seven stations on the second phase of the Expo Line that is expected to open during the first half of 2016.

Tall freeway spans will be relatively safe in quakes, Caltrans says (L.A. Times) 

Excerpt:

Since 1971, Caltrans has spent more than $13 billion to reinforce the state’s bridges and interchanges. Engineers recently finished a years-long campaign to strengthen tall, flexible bridges and make short, strong spans more elastic. In Los Angeles County alone, Caltrans has reinforced 555 state-owned bridges, and local agencies have retrofitted about 280 more.

The bottom line, Caltrans engineers say, is that many of the big interchanges should be able to withstand a big quake. It’s probably worth noting that in the Bay Area and Southern California in the past half-century or so, earthquakes have proven more troublesome to roads than subways and other trains.

Market’s transit lanes get bold finish (SFBay.ca)

Check out the pic. The bus/taxi lane stands out a little bit.

UK’s first bus to run on human waste (Time)

The biomethane fuel is produced from sewage. It gets 186 miles per fill-up in case you were wondering. Quote of the day:

GENeco general manager Mohammed Saddiq said, “Gas-powered vehicles have an important role to play in improving air quality in UK cities but the Bio-Bus goes further than that and is actually powered by people living in the local area, including quite possibly those on the bus itself.”

 

Categories: Transportation Headlines

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6 replies ›

  1. Will Line 460 serve the new Anaheim Transit Center?

    I hope Metro will consider using human waste power its buses and trains because there is an unlimited supply at Union Station.

    • Both the City and County have waste water treatment plants that convert the gas from waste to electrical power.

  2. The Market St. lanes look super and L.A. should follow suit. Of course, motorists who have to find another artery won’t like them but if we can just get motorists to actually follow the rules it will be worth the time and expense to repaint them. P.S. I think the ARTIC station looks great! Can’t wait to visit it.

  3. I like the new futuristic look of the building, it’s has the more 21st century than any of the “new” stations being built here in LA. More stations should be built like this: a mixed used facility with modern designs.

  4. In the Curbed LA article there is referrence to a looming shortage of rail cars when the Expo Phase 2 and Foothill Gold Line start revenue service in 2016. What is the current status of the shortage, how long will it last and what mitigations are planned?