Transportation headlines, Monday, December 22

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Lack of new San Fernando Valley rail lines draws complaints (Daily News) 

Two Metro Board Members — L.A. Councilman Paul Krekorian and Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich — aren’t happy that that the current rail construction boom has bypassed the Valley, thus far. Metro officials say that planning is done at the countywide level without focusing on just one region. There are two future Measure R transit projects being planned in the Valley — the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor and the Sepulveda Pass Transit Corridor. More planning is needed to determine exactly what each will be.

Foothill Transit wants to take over two Metro bus lines leaving from El Monte Station (San Gabriel Valley Tribune)

Foothill Transit is looking at taking over two routes that run between El Monte Station and Pomona — the 190 and 194 buses. There are still several issues that would need to be worked out but Metro officials say that such a move would free up some money and provide staff needed for train operator positions that must be filled. Foothill Transit would get a significant bump in ridership and riders may get less expensive rides.

A scourge is spreading! MTA’s cure: Dude, close your legs (New York Times) 

manspread

In the wake of Johnny T’s viral video on proper etiquette on the New York City Subway (warning: some mildly offensive language, etc.), the NYT runs on a story on manspreading and has a simply awesome video interview with Johnny T, who happens to be a puppet. The article looks at those who are pushing back against men who feel the need to treat the subway as if it’s their couch and/or lounge chair and/or ManCave. That list includes the New York MTA, which has debuted a new poster (above).

LAX’s mind-blowing transportation plan (Curbed LA)

The above headline is a summary of a more profane one. If you can get past that, there are some new renderings of the Automated People Mover planned for LAX that will connect with the Aviation/96th Station for the Crenshaw/LAX Line. The people mover will have three stops at airport terminals, another at a new pickup/dropoff facility and another at a consolidated rental car facility. As Curbed notes, the people mover and new facilities are designed to help spread out airport traffic and keep vehicles out of the often clogged horseshoe road that serves the terminals.

Here’s how much safer transit is than driving (Streetsblog Network)

Nice graphic based on a recent study that shows that riding commuter rail is about 20 times safer than driving, riding light rail or a subway about 30 times safer and riding the bus about 60 times safer. However, factoring in walking or biking to reduces the impact although transit still comes out twice as safe as driving. The study’s author says transit agencies should use this as a marketing point instead of focusing on “see something, say something,” which suggests a heightened sense of risk of taking transit. Interesting and yes, I’ll share with my colleagues. 🙂

11 replies

  1. Last I checked, SFV had two rail lines running through it, the Metrolink Antelope Valley Line and the Metrolink Ventura County Line, a.k.a. Amtrak’s Surfliner to Goleta. Coordinated fare policies, timed bus transfers and increased headways anyone?

  2. Just to drop you a line to tell you that the new 734 and 744 lines really, really suck. Why try to fix something that wasn’t even broken in the first place? I now have to walk from my house on Woodman Ave to Magnolia and Sepulveda Blvd instead of Magnolia and Van Nuys at 5 in the freakin’ morning in order to be at my job at UCLA at 7:00 AM. What is the point of all this? So you can suck an additional $3.50 in order to fork over $7 for a day pass, when it will normally cost me $3.50?? WHO DOES THIS BENEFIT? IT’S AN INCONVIENCE!! PUT IT BACK THE WAY IT WAS!!. MTA = Moneysucking Transit Authority.

  3. I am not so sure turning these two lines to Foothill Transit is a win-win to the riders. Foothill Transit does not have a good reputation on running reliable schedules because their buses are so poorly maintained. The lower fare from the Foothill Transit does not worth it in exchange for poor service.

    • Seconded. Foothill Transit runs very poor service and kept me waiting on the curb for an hour just last week because one of their late night buses never showed up. I was rather hoping that Metro can buy out FT and not the other way around.

  4. […] Have a transportation-related article you think should be included in headlines? Drop me an email! And don’t forget, Metro is on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Pick your social media poison!  Lack of new San Fernando Valley rail lines draws complaints (Daily News)  Two Metro Board Members — L.A. Councilman Paul Krekorian and Supervisor Michael D. [continue reading] […]

  5. How much faith can North Los Angeles tax payers have in Metro when the tax payers have been shorted billions in Measure R development funds, and the pages for the projects that Metro says will help close the funding gap still feature buses and bicycles. Not a mass transit rail line for even marketing purposes, let alone the money or MTA support.

    I stopped going to the ESFVTC presentations because it was like an infomercial for buses. The agency’s biased for denying the Valley transit infrastructure is ever-present in the actual dollars spent, budgets, and the staff’s words to the public.

    I’m happy that the Valley is standing up for itself and good luck to Metro trying to pass another tax increase (or extension for those who think that is different than an increase) without the ~20% of the electorate who lives north of Mulholland. The Valley helped kill Measure J and they will deny another tax increase without their projects funding explicit in the measure’s language. That’s what the politicians are saying in reflection of their constitutes and Metro should listen.

    • The valley ought to form a constuction authority like was done for the Gold Line. Take charge of your own destiny. Build the line and hand it over to MTA to run. The ESFVTC rail line needs be the line that runs in the tunnel under the pass and goes at least to the Expo line.