Editorial: Whittier needs a Gold Line to call its own (SGV Tribune)
The lede to the editorial about the Eastside Gold Line Extension project is buried in the second-to-last paragraph:
But if the question is which one should be built first, we come down on the side of a Whittier line taking priority. It’s always been as tough a call for us as it is for Metro, as we have readers — constituents — in both areas. But what tips us to Whittier is that the cities along the 10 have both that freeway and its efficient express bus routes; Whittier remains one of the most isolated areas, transit-wise, in the county, and its trains would carry thousands of more riders every day.
Plus to get to South El Monte, “We have to address comments from EPA, Caltrans, Edison and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers” because of a Superfund site, power lines and Whittier Narrows, the project manager says. “If we don’t get them to approve it, there is no path forward to get this built.”
At this time, Metro is studying two main alternatives: extending the line to South El Monte or Whittier. The Whittier alternative currently includes three different possible routes to get tracks to Washington Boulevard. Under Measure R, the project is slated to be completed in the mid-2030s.
The potential ballot measure being studied by Metro doesn’t change that. The Metro Board would eventually have to choose between South El Monte and Whittier. The difference is that if the Metro Board asks voters to consider a 50-year half-cent sales tax increase, there could be funds to build the other alignment in the 2050s.
Metro just wrapped up community meetings this past week on the project. Going forward, work on the environmental and technical studies for the projects will continue.
The new Metrolink app — how to buy tickets on your smartphone (Metrolink)
Nicely done!
Tesla 3 sales surging before its debut (NYT)
It’s only $35,000 and a car for the masses, says the NYT. Ahem. The electric car can run up to 215 miles on a single charge and Tesla has been building charging stations across the nation. More than 100,000 deposits have been put down on the car, so says Tesla.
The car is out of my price range (I’m planning on keeping my 2007 Subaru until it wheels the bucket). But it’s impressive to see how many charging stations that Tesla has built across the country — if you stick to the main roads, you can take an electric car on a pretty decent national park tour around the West and rightfully thumb your nose at gas-guzzling RVs! Elon Musk doesn’t sit around and wait for government to build infrastructure.
Categories: Transportation Headlines
So the MTA has settled on which line no where while those traveling to and from the Westside see no relief even planned. Will it take total gridlock whereby emergency equipment will be unable to navigate thru it before the MTA responds to the ever growing problem. Hopefully no one dies as Century City, Westwood and those areas adjacent to the Sunset Bl. / Santa Monica Bl. burn to the ground. After all, currently Fire Trucks can’t fly.
“while those traveling to and from the Westside see no relief even planned.”? Yes, because the Expo Line is finished and about to open while the Purple Line Extension is under construction.
Both the Purple Line and the Expo Line will never relieve the current total gridlock on both Santa Monica Bl. and Sunset Bl. from West Los Angeles to Downtown L.A.traffic corridor. And much of Wilshire Bl. traffic eastbound feeds into the gridlocked Santa Monica Bl. traffic. A almost intact former Pacific Electric right of way still exists. Why not build light rail where it is needed instead of where some politician wishes to win favor with his constituents?