[LineDrive]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

What did you expect? But I see nothing about them ditching the subway portion. I still except them to incorporate it.

I expected them to get it right. This is a time period where LA is reinventing itself. It’s becoming a lot more dense & urban in nature (as opposed to the sprawl), it’s building upward, it’s building projects years in the making (LA river) and building a transit system that could change the living habits and opportunities for those who work in areas like DT, CC ... for those who visit areas like SM, Hollywood.... then they have the Olympics - a chance to show off the “new LA” to the world.

They have one hand go get this system right. Prioritize the most important projects - widening/improving the major interstates/routes, building rail in WEHO, Sepulveda, Vermont, Downtown, East side ... and if getting those projects right means not paying for so many bike lanes or not extending the slow-as-hell foothill light rail to nowhere - then so be it.

Los Angeles can either half ass this and regret it for decades (like they regret not continuing building Subways after the methane explosion, like they regret the ban on rail construction that led to the orange line being a woefully underserved glorified bus) or they can be the envy of the world. Doing this RIGHT means a few MUSTS for Metro (in order of priority)

• First and foremost: the ESFV and Sepulveda lines must be the same. Either both LRT or both HRT. They must form one continous line. If it’s LRT then it must be speedy and efficient meaning when in the Valley: limit the number of stations to 6 or 7, go underground subway as much as possible but at least do so in the middle of Van Nuys so as to avoid at grade crossings that slow down the system. And if it’s going to be LRT then it can not have a single at grade crossing south of the orange line: make it ALL grade separates from Orange line south. However IDEALLY, to knock this line out of the park and make it into signature success of the system: make the line HRT (even if it means only going half way up Van Nuys and not all the way to Sylmar due to price). Also this line must stop at LAX one stop underground at a major terminal and another stop underground at 96 & Century and finally it must must must stop at the Inglewood stadium.

• Crenshaw North must be built, entirely underground and the route that takes it past destinations that would provide highest ridership. Also, at Expo/Crenshaw that area must be redone so the two lines are connected (it’s my understanding you have to come upstairs out of the subway and cross the street and then pay a second fare to use Expo?!?!?

• A woefully under talked about and for some reason underprioritized project: BUILD THE VERMONT RED LINE EXTENSION! Build it as Subway to Gauge and then when Vermont widens you go elevated to Vermont/Athens (GL). Also, build a station at Vermont & Century so down the road it can be linked up with the Sepulveda line extending past Inglewood stadium.

• Put the Blue and Expo underground in the Flower St area, that Pico station should be a major underground subway station that is intergrated with Staples Center and LA Live and the convention center as well as all the South Park development.

• build the damn purple line to SM.

• When building the West Santa Ana branch - go with the alternative that brings the line into the Downtown transit core. Another station in that booming South Park area and the potential for future extensions is everywhere.

• Connect the damn Green to Norwalk MetroLink station. Common sense!

• eliminate the busiest at grade crossings for the expo and blue lines
to the best of their ability.

• at least explore the possibility of extending the Purple a little ways down Whittier.

• Convert Orange to light rail, grade separates. Build LRT from Pierce College to Glendale and meeting up with the Long Beach/Foothill line. Making one long LRT line that connects the SF Valley over to the foothill area, instead of making people go into downtown first.

• These three. are down the list but to really truly make this world class: Run the current Green line UP to meet with the Purple line in SM and run the current green line from redondo beach to meet up with the blue line down in the Long Beach area. Also extend the Red to Bob Hope airport and meet up with the Metro Link station there.