Transpo tweets, bullet train, A Line: Metro News Now, Nov. 18

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Dept. of Twitter: 

Looks like as many bikes as cars in that photo.

Not sure what to make of it either.

Nice lookin’ Amtrak.

What if instead of getting rid of those tracks we had modernized the rail system. Rail service under Cahuenga Pass didn’t begin until 2000 — 48 years later. ☹️

All fine points by the people/Martians.

Good to know unread emails stretches to five digits.

***

•Metro CEO Phil Washington has an op-ed in the Long Beach Post on the project to modernize the A (Blue) Line and the recent reopening.

•Good article in the LAT about disagreements among state lawmakers over the state’s high-speed rail project.

Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to concentrate on completing a 170-mile segment between Bakersfield and Merced (construction is currently taking place on an 119-mile segment between Madera and Wasco). There are elected officials in our region pushing instead to use funds to upgrade Metrolink commuter rail and Amtrak between Burbank and Anaheim, saying that would benefit more overall commuters.

There are also unresolved questions on the table, including how to hook up the 170-mile segment (if that gets built) in the San Joaquin Valley to commuter rail system for the Bay Area. And this challenge: securing the $60 billion still needed to build a bullet train between L.A. and S.F.

•This article in the NYT looks at the recent Twitter post of police questioning a woman with a churro cart inside a New York subway station (without a permit, which are hard to acquire). The video has received 2.7 million views as of this afternoon.

Transit police say the woman wasn’t arrested but received a summons — her 10th in recent months. Many viewers see it as over-policing, especially at a time when there are other issues they think need more attention. Others see it as enforcing the rules.

•The state of California is approving an increased number of oil and gas well permits, according to Citylab.

***

Things to listen to whilst transiting: Wild Thing, a podcast dedicated to Bigfoot, including whether Bigfeet actually exist. It’s been out for a while — but I just recently discovered. Wish we had some sasquatch in our neck of the woods. Stitcher and Apple.

Things to watch whilst transiting: I’ll nominate two Nextflix offerings: “El Camino,” the Breaking Bad movie that I’ve watched twice and is just shot-by-shot perfect. Also, the series “The Kominsky Method” starring Alan Arkin and Michael Douglas as an agent and acting coach, respectively.

Music to listen to whilst transiting: great song by aforementioned Liz Phair…

 

Categories: Transportation Headlines

3 replies ›

  1. That cycling picture was from a special event. The daily average number of cyclists since has been about 20 – or about 18 more per day than the new bike lane on Figueroa. I love biking in the city but let’s be honest with ourselves.

    • Since the bridge opened on Saturday, November 16, more than 917 people have recorded bike rides over the bridge in the westbound direction on Strava and more than 771 people have recorded bike rides over the bridge in the eastbound direction. Countless others have bicycled across the bridge without using Strava.

      Today (Wednesday), more than 40 people recorded bike rides across the bridge in each direction on Strava. There is demand to bike across the bridge. It’s hard to justify a bridge by the number of people swimming across a river. The bike lane on this bridge is justified. Let’s celebrate that someone from the East Bay now has the entire Marin headlands open to them.

      Westbound: https://www.strava.com/segments/22142699 (917 since 11/16, 41 on 11/20
      Eastbound: https://www.strava.com/segments/22231245 (771 since 11/16, 40 on 11/20)

  2. Everyone just needs to calm down on the CHSR project. We have been building interstate freeways for decades and we are still building them in some places and they are falling apart in other places. The CHSR project is not going to get built all at once or faster than is reasonable for such a large construction project. The project needs to continue along at a steady place. Would have preferred the Germans, French or Japanese involved in helping us deliver a really good project, but that train has left the station.

    Having said that, I am a firm believer they choice the wrong initial segment. Should have been Los Angeles to Bakersfield and via I-5 and not Palmdale. That would have automatically connected northern and southern California. You could be running Amtrak San Joaquins or Surfliners over this section maybe with Talgo type equipment – generating revenue- while you are building the other segments. And this segment stays viable even if the rest of the CHSR never got built.

    For the time being my fixes are- at Merced , figure out a medium/long term temporary hookup with the San Joaquins, Capitals and Altamont Express trains to serve as much of the north as possible.
    Then, once you reach Bakersfield, make the short link to LA the next priority to connect the whole state as mentioned before.

    Bottom line, don’t stop building, build smarter and keep going at a steady pace and bring on sections as completed.