How We Roll, Thursday, August 5

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Happy Hump Day+1 courtesy 1,000 Italian Foo Fighters fans who really want the band to come to their town….

I aw an impressive number of people walking to/from the Wilco show at the Greek last night, perhaps even a few from the Red Line’s Vermont/Sunset Station, 1.7 miles distant…For those still riding a high from the show…

Some tweets of note…

Good question. It’s a rail car issue. In order to run more frequent service during peak hours, the trains have to be shorter.

On 91 freeway, a $2-billion attempt to keep up with traffic (L.A. Times) 

For years, nothing could be done to the 91 due to an agreement with the private firm that ran the toll lanes along the freeway that prevented lanes from being added. Orange County eventually purchase the toll lanes, clearing the way for a series of projects to reduce congestion delays. Is it working? Can it ever work? Some numbers suggest that while traffic remains very tough between OC and Riverside County, it’s not quite as brutal as before.

Majority say global warming contributing to drought (PPIC)

A new poll of Californians shows that 62 percent of those surveyed believe the impacts of climate change have already begun while only 10 percent believe no impacts will ever be felt. A majority of residents also believe that global warming is a serious threat to the state’s future. Check out the press release for more info on how the results break down by political party and ethnicity — some interesting stuff.

BTW, if you’re looking to reduce your carbon footprint, taking transit instead of driving alone is generally speaking a good place to start.

L.A. City Council says no to Uber and Lyft at LAX (LAT)

At least for now by an 11 to 2 vote. Councilmembers say they want to take a closer look at issues to ensure passengers are safe. The airport is the only place that the City Council can assert its authority over the ridesharing services and, of course, the taxi industry would rather not have cheaper competition.

In other airport news, the city of Los Angeles has agreed to give authority over Ontario Airport to…Ontario. Officials there say local ownership is better.

The Coliseum is the only venue that wants to host the NFL (Curbed LA)

Of existing stadiums in our region, only the transit-friendly Coliseum seems open to the idea of hosting an NFL team while that team (or teams) waits for a new stadium to be built in not-so-transit-friendly locations either in Inglewood or Carson. I suppose that’s good, with the Coliseum a few long spirals from two Expo Line stations.

The downside, of course, is it’s kind of cray cray that the NFL can’t play permanently in the Coliseum or the Rose Bowl. For those dying to see NFL games in person, my advice as someone who once covered the NFL many moons ago: bring a book. Most of your time at the games will be spent enduring television timeouts.

I always forget to mention I occasionally blather and photograph non-transportationy things on Twitter and Instagram.

 

 

Categories: Transportation News

2 replies

  1. Ride-share services like Uber has to be ultimate the dilemma of Democrat politicians: side with the taxi cab unions who hates them or with the Millennials who embraces them.

  2. Savvy Uber and Lyft riders are already figuring out ways to get around LAX anti-Uber/Lyft regulations. All they do is just hop on any number of shuttles that take them to the offsite parking lots, the Aviation Green Line Station, rental cars, hotels, and once they’re off the LAX property, they hail Uber and Lyft from there.

    http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/los-angeles/1604035-uber-lax.html

    The City of LA can wait all they want for studies, the people want it and they’re figuring out ways to get around it.