LOS ANGELES | Transportation News & Discussion

[202_Cyclist]

theWatusi:

" Cut out the crap. This thread (and all the others in this sub-forum) are for discussing transportation proposals/developments not for political and economic theory."

This is ridiculous. Transportation infrastructure doesn't just fall down from the sky. The decisions about whether to invest in infrastructure and mobility and how to allocate resources to support this goal are inherently political. Measure R was approved as a result of a successful political campaign. There is one political party in Washington that wants a more robust commitment to infrastructure investments, while, on the other hand, there is another political party that proposed gutting Federal New Starts and passenger rail funding. As squeamish or uncomfortable as it might make some people, politics is inseparable from these investments.

[all of the trash]

Anyone else just sometimes get really drunk and stoned and board the blue line and ride it around in circles while listening to four tet, lil b and portishead

[202_Cyclist]

I remember reading before that the stated reason why the Crenshaw Line might not connect directly to the airport was potential interference with air traffic control technology. There are direct airport-rail connections at many other airports, however.

Crenshaw/LAX Light Rail Misses Airport by a Mile

By Ryan Deto
Thursday, Feb 2 2012
LA Weekly

"As they tout a posh redo of the Tom Bradley International Terminal meant to reposition LAX as a travel hub for the new millennium, Los Angeles leaders are creating a potentially hobbling obstacle for the airport. The other big mass-transit infrastructure project nearby, the "Crenshaw/LAX" Metro light rail, will stop a full mile short of LAX.

That fact is almost certain to baffle and anger travelers to LAX, and help cement the old joke that "Los Angeles planning is an oxymoron."

Other cities are watching the situation with curiosity. Seattle Sound Transit spokesman Bruce Gray says his city's lone light-rail line was built from downtown straight to Sea-Tac Airport. It took "40 years of planning, voting and bickering" before its completion in 2009, and the airport stop is, predictably, "the busiest station on the line. People love it to get to and from the airport," he says..."

http://www.laweekly.com/2012-02-02/n...il-misses-LAX/

[theWatusi]

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

This is ridiculous. Transportation infrastructure doesn't just fall down from the sky. The decisions about whether to invest in infrastructure and mobility and how to allocate resources to support this goal are inherently political. Measure R was approved as a result of a successful political campaign. There is one political party in Washington that wants a more robust commitment to infrastructure investments, while, on the other hand, there is another political party that proposed gutting Federal New Starts and passenger rail funding. As squeamish or uncomfortable as it might make some people, politics is inseparable from these investments.

This is not a political forum. If you want to discuss politics in depth there are other places on the net for that.

When these threads turn into a back and forth about the merits of public funding for transportation casual readers who want project specific information get turned off.

[M II A II R II K]

The Mayor’s Office, Measure R and Multiple “Plan B’s”


January 30, 2012

By Damien Newton

Read More: http://la.streetsblog.org/2012/01/30...ce-and-plan-b/

When the Mayor and his staff in city hall say that nothing is off the table when it comes to accelerating project development and construction for the transit projects funded by the Measure R sales tax, they aren’t just talking. While the Mayor promised that there was a “Plan B” if his efforts to change federal law to favor communities that tax themselves to build transit don’t go anywhere in D.C.

- Now, on the eve of announcement of a new federal transportation bill from leadership in the House of Representatives, the Mayor’s office is pursuing three different options to leverage the expected $40 billion in sales tax revenue over the 30 years between 2009 and 2039. Besides the pursuit of federal dollars, there is also the possibility of asking L.A. County voters to tax themselves again and working with equity firms in China to finance the projects.

- “Plan A” is still the 30/10 or America Fast Forward plan to change federal law to reward communities that choose to tax themsleves to expand transit. If enacted, the Mayor’s proposal would create interest free loan programs that would allow projects to get started earlier and would re-prioritize federal grant programs. When Republican leadership in the House of Representatives and Democratic leadership in the Senate announced proposals last year, both included major increases in the TIFIA loan program which is a major provision of America Fast Forward.

- Earlier this month Assemblyman Mike Feuer, a close ally of the Mayor when it comes to transportation expansion in Los Angeles, announced new legislation that would allow L.A. County voters to vote on extending the Measure R transit tax, creating opportunities to speed up the construction time of projects through bonding and perhaps add to or improve existing projects. Supporters of transit expansion have dubbed the proposal “Measure R+.” But it could also be dubbed, “Plan B.” Getting “Measure R+” from legislative proposal to passage by L.A. County voters is a tall bill. First, AB 1446 must be approved by a pair of committees in the State Assembly before moving to final passage on the Assembly floor. Then the process has to repeat itself in the Senate.

.....

[BrandonJXN]

Originally Posted by all of the trash

Anyone else just sometimes get really drunk and stoned and board the blue line and ride it around in circles while listening to four tet, lil b and portishead

I do that but on the Gold Line and listening to Future Garage.

And does ANYONE know of an EXACT date of when the Expo Line is going to open? It's agonizing having to wait and wait and wait.

[202_Cyclist]

California lawmakers to consider Gold Line extension


Image courtesy of the Los Angeles Times.

Los Angeles Times
February 7, 2012

"A proposal to extend the Gold Line light-rail system from Azusa to Montclair in San Bernardino County faces a hiccup: the state law authorizing the project limited it to Los Angeles County.

So Assemblywoman Norma Torres (D-Pomona) introduced a bill this week to authorize the Gold Line extension to go beyond the county line at Claremont. The measure would also allow the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority to operate part of the Gold Line in San Bernardino County.

The Gold Line runs from East Los Angeles to Pasadena, while construction is underway on an extension to Azusa. Francisco Estrada, Torres' chief of staff, said AB 1600 is not meant as a slight to any city. "We are not bypassing Claremont, just extending the line from Claremont to Montclair," he said...."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/cali...gold-line.html

[JDRCRASH]

Please no advertising spam.

[Swede]

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

Please no advertising spam.

Taken care of.


On topic: must say I'm impressed by the way LA is moving forward with (rail) transit. LA is still used over here as the one example used as a low-density car-dependent sprawl "city". I don't, but I'm just one voice among many in the urban planning debate in Sthlm.
/this in a city less dense than the Netherlands.

[pesto]

Originally Posted by Swede

Taken care of.


On topic: must say I'm impressed by the way LA is moving forward with (rail) transit. LA is still used over here as the one example used as a low-density car-dependent sprawl "city". I don't, but I'm just one voice among many in the urban planning debate in Sthlm.
/this in a city less dense than the Netherlands.

This is still quite common. I run into Americans that have no idea that LA has ANY subways.

As a side note, LA County is twice as dense as the Netherlands but I'm not sure what that proves. Except that it it denser than Stockholm, I suppose.

Interestingly, the excellent rail network around Amsterdam allows people to commute from towns and villages many miles away, across miles of fields. I don't know how to define "Metro Amsterdam" but I would guess it is not as dense as one would think, looking just at the inner city. But still denser that metro LA, I would guess.

[Beta_Magellan]

What measure of density are you using? There’s average density, weighted density, perceived density, Lorraine I am your density…all sorts of density.

[JDRCRASH]

Originally Posted by Swede

Taken care of.

Thanks.

On topic: must say I'm impressed by the way LA is moving forward with (rail) transit. LA is still used over here as the one example used as a low-density car-dependent sprawl "city". I don't, but I'm just one voice among many in the urban planning debate in Sthlm.
/this in a city less dense than the Netherlands.

Yes, the momentum of the change in LA's view of rail transit is accelerating; and its only going to get better, especially once the Expo Line opens in a few months, and construction of the Gold Line extension to Azusa in full swing this year or next.

Perhaps it's a long shot, but by 2016 election season we might have enough countywide support to propose a Measure R2, with a completely new set of projects like a Vermont Corridor, Silver Line, and pehaps even a Whittier subway.

[Swede]

Originally Posted by Beta_Magellan

What measure of density are you using? There’s average density, weighted density, perceived density, Lorraine I am your density…all sorts of density.

I'm oldskool, so average density is what I use unless specified. Though I should have specified that I meant the whole metro area of Stockholm.

The momentum is needed, stop building for a few years and many will stop seeing any potential for new lines IMO.

[ChiPsy]

Fun map of LA's 1906 Electric Lines (I'm new to this thread so I apologize if this was posted before):

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/histo...lines-1906.pdf

I'd be curious to know how much of this coverage, particularly the NE sections (e.g., DTLA to near West side), will be approximated by what's being built now.

My wife and I visited LA for the first time this year and were very pleasantly surprised by its sidewalk vibrance -- we're eager to check out the transit system next time out.

[202_Cyclist]

Too bad the Republicans in Congress have zero desire to invest transit that will improve mobility and put Americans back to work. Also note, the Westside subway will create an estimated 44,000 good jobs. This is more than twice as many as the RepuB(P)licans worked themselves into a fit over regarding the Keystone pipeline.

L.A. Metro’s Westside Subway Extension, Regional Connector projects get jumpstart in President’s proposed Fy13 Budget

Monday February 13, 2012

Mayor urges Congress to Approve Funding in President's Budget

"Los Angeles Mayor and Metro Board Chair Antonio Villaraigosa today welcomed the inclusion of $50 million in President Obama's proposed FY13 Budget for the Westside Subway Extension and $31 million for the Regional Connector Project, calling the actions a vote of confidence for two priority, regionally significant transit projects that will bring improved mobility, jobs and economic development to the Los Angeles region.

The proposed funding within the President's Fiscal year 2013 budget - if approved by Congress later this year - can be combined with L.A. County's voter-approved Measure R sales tax revenue and could jumpstart construction of both projects in 2013. Funding for the subway would go toward extending the Metro Purple Line to Westwood, and the Regional Connector would link several rail lines together in Downtown L.A.

"President Obama's proposed budget makes it more likely than ever that shovels could soon break ground on these transit improvements that will greatly expand connectivity throughout the L.A. region," said Mayor Villaraigosa, who also serves as Metro Board Chair. "The President has come through for Los Angeles County. Now it's Congress' turn: the House and Senate should pass the New Starts transit funding in the President's budget so we can put people back to work."

http://www.metro.net/news/simple_pr/...d-Fy13-Budget/

[M II A II R II K]

Metrolink pushing forward with system designed to prevent crashes


February 11, 2012

By Dan Weikel and Richard Simon

Read More: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...367,full.story

More than three years after the deadly Metrolink crash in Chatsworth, the commuter railroad is forging ahead with the most sophisticated collision avoidance system in the country despite efforts in Congress to relax requirements to install the safety improvement nationwide. Metrolink already has made substantial progress developing its $201-million positive train control system, which uses an array of electronic gear to monitor and, if necessary, take control of trains to prevent collisions and derailments.

The vast majority of track-side communication stations and radio antennas for the new system have been installed along the railroad's 512 miles of track. Other equipment has been added to a group of locomotives, and a sophisticated dispatching system is under development. Involved in the project are Union Pacific and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Co., which have spent years working on positive train control. Both companies operate freight trains on the same tracks as Metrolink, which serves six Southern California counties.

The entire system is expected to be operational next year, meaning that Metrolink would be one of the first passenger railroads in the nation to fully deploy a state-of-the-art train control system that marries global positioning technology to computers and digital radio communications. It also means that Southern California could find itself serving for years as a groundbreaking and isolated safety test lab if Congress decides to postpone the deadline from 2015 to 2020 for installing the technology.

.....

[pesto]

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

Too bad the Republicans in Congress have zero desire to invest transit that will improve mobility and put Americans back to work. Also note, the Westside subway will create an estimated 44,000 good jobs. This is more than twice as many as the RepuB(P)licans worked themselves into a fit over regarding the Keystone pipeline.

L.A. Metro’s Westside Subway Extension, Regional Connector projects get jumpstart in President’s proposed Fy13 Budget

Monday February 13, 2012

Mayor urges Congress to Approve Funding in President's Budget

"Los Angeles Mayor and Metro Board Chair Antonio Villaraigosa today welcomed the inclusion of $50 million in President Obama's proposed FY13 Budget for the Westside Subway Extension and $31 million for the Regional Connector Project, calling the actions a vote of confidence for two priority, regionally significant transit projects that will bring improved mobility, jobs and economic development to the Los Angeles region.

The proposed funding within the President's Fiscal year 2013 budget - if approved by Congress later this year - can be combined with L.A. County's voter-approved Measure R sales tax revenue and could jumpstart construction of both projects in 2013. Funding for the subway would go toward extending the Metro Purple Line to Westwood, and the Regional Connector would link several rail lines together in Downtown L.A.

"President Obama's proposed budget makes it more likely than ever that shovels could soon break ground on these transit improvements that will greatly expand connectivity throughout the L.A. region," said Mayor Villaraigosa, who also serves as Metro Board Chair. "The President has come through for Los Angeles County. Now it's Congress' turn: the House and Senate should pass the New Starts transit funding in the President's budget so we can put people back to work."

http://www.metro.net/news/simple_pr/...d-Fy13-Budget/

50M isn't much but it's better than nothing. Too bad Crenshaw and Foothill can't be shut down and the money diverted to Purple.

[JDRCRASH]

^ Just because Crenshaw and Foothill aren't as important as Purple doesn't mean they should be "shut down" altogether. They are not the culprits here, and no matter how you slice it those projects are needed (a region as vast as LA may never have enough rail). What it really means is that we need even more federal and private funding...

[202_Cyclist]

Gold Line backers reach accord with Monrovia landowner

The construction authority overseeing the rail project's extension from Pasadena to Azusa will pay the property owner $24 million to settle six suits over the price of 4.8 acres needed for a maintenance yard.

By Dan Weikel
Los Angeles Times
February 15, 2012

"Facing a 2015 construction deadline and the uncertainty of a long court fight, the builders of a San Gabriel Valley light-rail project have agreed to pay a Monrovia property owner $24 million to settle six lawsuits related to a dispute over the price officials offered him for his land.

Under the settlement, the Gold Line construction authority will give George Brokate of Excaliber Property Holdings his asking price for 4.8 acres in Monrovia that are needed for a maintenance yard for the Foothill extension, which will run from Pasadena east to Azusa.

Brokate's attorneys contended, among other things, that rail officials undervalued their client's property on the southwest corner of Evergreen and Shamrock avenues at $5.8 million during condemnation proceedings..."

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...,6878837.story

[pesto]

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

^ Just because Crenshaw and Foothill aren't as important as Purple doesn't mean they should be "shut down" altogether. They are not the culprits here, and no matter how you slice it those projects are needed (a region as vast as LA may never have enough rail). What it really means is that we need even more federal and private funding...

You seem to think that DC is full of fools (I admit sometimes I agree with you). You don't think that staffers notice that LA is spending tons of money on projects with little ridership potential and then comes begging for money for "critical" projects it can't afford? You can bet the lobbyists for every other city project in the country are pointing this out daily.