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San Gabriel Valley COG recommends tunnel option for 710 (Pasadena Star News)
The vote was 16-7 with the votes going as you might expect. Some cities urged the Council of Governments to hold off from taking a stance on the project given that the draft environmental study was just released in March, the public comment is still open and Metro has yet to choose a preferred alternative.
The draft study proposes five alternatives for improving traffic in the area near and beyond the gap in the 710 between Alhambra and Pasadena: the legally-required no build option, a freeway tunnel, light rail, bus rapid transit and traffic signal/intersection improvements. To learn more about the project, visit the SR-710 North Study’s home page.
In related news, a cost benefit analysis for the project was released on Friday.
And one clarification for the above article: No date has yet been set when Metro will select a preferred alternative.
Big decision but not difficult: kill Boston 2024 (3Wire Sports)
Could the Coliseum host the Summer Games for a third time? Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
Based on interviews with International Olympic Committee officials, writer Alan Abrahamson says that Boston doesn’t stand a chance to secure the 2024 Summer Olympics. And that the smartest thing that the United States Olympic Committee could do is rescind the decision it made last year to make Boston the candidate city for the U.S. — and instead make Los Angeles the choice.
Excerpt:
You know what they know how to do in Los Angeles?
Tell stories. In film and in our increasingly digital world.
You know what wins Olympic bids?
Story-telling. And humility. Which the USOC, the embodiment of the American medal machine, could use a dose of — if it manages this turn-around the right way, which actually could and should be super-easy.
Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington D.C. lost out to Boston last year. Since, opposition to the Games has been on the upswing in Massachusetts, with many residents fearful of the cost.
Of course, L.A. has twice been host to the Games. What’s interesting is that the last time — in 1984 — the L.A. area had zero inches of either Metro Rail or commuter rail. And still the Games were widely heralded as both a financial and civic success. Metro Rail today has 87 mails of tracks and will be adding about 31 more miles before 2024 if all goes as planned thanks to the Measure R half-cent sales tax increase approved by L.A. County voters in 2024. That could include the long-coveted Metro Rail connection to LAX via a people mover the airport says it will build (if, in fact, the people mover is completed by then).
Stay tuned. This one is getting more interesting by the day. Abrahamson has been covering the Olympics for years — including stints at the L.A. Times and NBC — and is well sourced in the international Games network.
14 new views of the big redesign at the L.A. Convention Center (Curbed LA)
Looks nice and, of course, the Convention Center is already transit friendly — adjacent to the Silver Line, other Metro buses and the Pico Station shared by the Blue Line and Expo Line. A city of L.A. panel last week chose the winning design for the reboot. Los Angeles does well when it comes to attracting convention business but tends to be ranked below some other large U.S. cities such as Las Vegas, Chicago and Atlanta.
London’s Tube will soon run all night (CityLab)
Service currently ends around midnight on the popular rail system, meaning a lot of people have to scramble to the bus. In September, however, a few rail lines will begin running all night on the weekends.
San Bernardino: rapid bus off to slow start (Press Enterprise)
The new sbX bus between San Bernardino and Loma Linda seems to be fast, but ridership is below expectations. Still, other bus rapid transit lines are in the works in the Inland Empire, where they are seen as an affordable way to improve transit.
What $1,900 rents you in Los Angeles right now (Curbed LA)
I love this feature that sets a price and then finds five apartments that can be had for said price — and then allows readers to vote on it. It’s also a nice reminder about the price of rents in region.
I do my makeup on the train — mascara, blush and lipstick (Zocalo Public Square)
Isabel Ramirez. Photo by Zocalo Public Square.
The latest in the series of rider profiles by Zocalo.
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Things to listen to on transit: Marc Maron’s podcast and interview with President Obama that was recorded last week in Maron’s Highland Park garage.
Movies worth seeing whether you get there via transit, foot, bike or car: “Inside Out.” All board the train of thought!
For non-transportationy things, you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram.
Categories: Transportation Headlines
“Of course, L.A. has twice been host to the Games.”
Also to note is that both times, Los Angeles got it by default because no one else wanted to do it. We never actually “won” or “outbeat” other host cities because there were bar none both times.
In 1932, the reason was the Great Depression
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1932_Summer_Olympics#Host_city_selection
In 1984, the reason was the big financial loss of the 1976 Montreal games and the boycott of the 1980 Moscow games
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_Summer_Olympics#Host_selection
Although I agree that Los Angeles got to host the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympics by default, in both cases the Games ended up becoming among the most successful financially as well as two of the best remembered. It was the ’32 Games that introduced the concept of an “Olympic Village,” housing for the athletes and coaches to stay during the Games. And many of us 40 years old and older remember the ’84 Games. I had been hoping that Boston could overcome the significant opposition from Massachusetts citizens (as well as many Bostonians) against Boston’s 2024 bid [especially because Beantown is close to “Apple Grande” where I live], but the USOC really had no choice now but to give the City of Angels a chance to achieve Olympic glory for a third time.
Sure, I wouldn’t mind LA actually competing with other host cities and winning 2024 bid so we can strike off the record books that we’re the only city that got the Olympics twice by default. Winning by default isn’t something to be proud of; it’s like winning the gold medal because you’re the only competitor in that sport. What good is that?
Winning through competition is the real glory.
If Boston doesn’t want it, LA is more than happy to bring the Olympics here and I am hopeful LA stands a chance against other potential host cities. In many ways, since 2024 is following right after Tokyo 2020, it would be a great way for LA to study how Tokyo does it too and perhaps maybe bring along some good mass transit ideas from Tokyo as well.
Boston as a location made no logical sense because of its poor infrastructure. Los Angeles will have a great opportunity to show how it handles tens of thousands of visitors with the Special Olympics in a few short weeks. As opposition in Boston intensifies, this will only make LA look better.