LOS ANGELES | Transportation News & Discussion

[M II A II R II K]

Stuck on freeway? Signs show train times


Dec. 21, 2011

By ALEJANDRA MOLINA

Read More: http://www.ocregister.com/news/train...k-freeway.html

Orange County commuters stuck in freeway gridlock might consider a Metrolink train when heading toward downtown Los Angeles. In an effort to encourage motorists to ditch their cars, Caltrans and Metrolink launched a pilot program that displays train and freeway travel times on electronic signs located near the Anaheim and Fullerton train stations along the northbound I-5 and westbound 91.

Metrolink spokeswoman Sherita Coffelt said the travel times are only showcased when it's projected that taking the train will be faster for commuters. The signs display the next scheduled departure time from the closest station to downtown Los Angeles. For example, the sign could show that riding the 11:55 a.m. train will shave off 15 minutes from the commute to Los Angeles Union Station. Along the northbound I-5, O.C. commuters typically encounter traffic jams once crossing the L.A. county line, where the five-lane freeway narrows down to three lanes. An I-5 freeway improvement project is underway, but officials want to show commuters that trains are a viable alternative to freeway traffic.

"For travel between Orange County and downtown Los Angeles' Union Station, trains are often faster than freeways," said Malcolm Dougherty, acting Caltrans Director. "We want to give commuters real-time information to help them get to their destination quicker." Caltrans provides the freeway travel time information using data collected from its vehicle detector stations throughout the freeway system while Metrolink offers train travel times, including train departure and trip duration information.

.....

[pesto]

Originally Posted by M II A II R II K

Stuck on freeway? Signs show train times


Dec. 21, 2011

By ALEJANDRA MOLINA

Read More: http://www.ocregister.com/news/train...k-freeway.html

A good idea in theory, but propaganda in practice. This article even admits they won't show the train times when it is slower than driving.

On 101 on the Peninsula this has been confusing motorists for some years now. Sometimes the sign shows the trains beating cars when the trains aren't running (new of accidents and delays travels slowly apparently). And, of course, they measure your time to the train station, which is where pretty much nobody is going.

[202_Cyclist]

L.A. County voters may be asked to extend transit sales tax
Officials want an item on the November ballot to extend the Measure R levy at least 10 years so they can borrow against that anticipated revenue to complete projects faster.

January 06, 2012
By Ari Bloomekatz
Los Angeles Times

"Los Angeles transportation officials want to ask voters during next fall's presidential election to support at least a 10-year extension of the Measure R sales tax, a move that could raise billions more for transit projects and likely speed construction.

When officials convinced the county electorate in 2008 to overwhelmingly approve the half-cent levy for rail and other transportation efforts, it increased the sales tax in Los Angeles County to 9.75% — one of the highest rates in California.

At the time, the full effects of the recession had not yet hit. The tax was supposed to expire after 30 years and yield some $40 billion..."

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan...ure-r-20120106

[Ragnar]

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

L.A. County voters may be asked to extend transit sales tax
Officials want an item on the November ballot to extend the Measure R levy at least 10 years so they can borrow against that anticipated revenue to complete projects faster.

January 06, 2012
By Ari Bloomekatz
Los Angeles Times

"Los Angeles transportation officials want to ask voters during next fall's presidential election to support at least a 10-year extension of the Measure R sales tax, a move that could raise billions more for transit projects and likely speed construction.

When officials convinced the county electorate in 2008 to overwhelmingly approve the half-cent levy for rail and other transportation efforts, it increased the sales tax in Los Angeles County to 9.75% — one of the highest rates in California.

At the time, the full effects of the recession had not yet hit. The tax was supposed to expire after 30 years and yield some $40 billion..."

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan...ure-r-20120106

I will definitely vote "yes". They've actually done what they said they were going to do with the Measure R funds and are improving L.A.'s transit. I view this more as an investment than a "cost".

[K 22]

Expo is in pre-revenue operations so it looks like another 90 days (at least) to go.

[ltsmotorsport]

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

L.A. County voters may be asked to extend transit sales tax
Officials want an item on the November ballot to extend the Measure R levy at least 10 years so they can borrow against that anticipated revenue to complete projects faster.

January 06, 2012
By Ari Bloomekatz
Los Angeles Times

"Los Angeles transportation officials want to ask voters during next fall's presidential election to support at least a 10-year extension of the Measure R sales tax, a move that could raise billions more for transit projects and likely speed construction.

When officials convinced the county electorate in 2008 to overwhelmingly approve the half-cent levy for rail and other transportation efforts, it increased the sales tax in Los Angeles County to 9.75% — one of the highest rates in California.

At the time, the full effects of the recession had not yet hit. The tax was supposed to expire after 30 years and yield some $40 billion..."

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan...ure-r-20120106

So is 30/10 totally dead then or how does this all fit together? Not being totally up to date.

[202_Cyclist]

I attended a session at the annual Transportation Research Board meeting yesterday afternoon about light rail. One of the presentations was from the lead engineer from URS who spoke about the design-build issues of the Phase I Gold Line extension. He briefly mentioned the Crenshaw line to LAX and he said the groundbreaking should be in July, with serious work to begin in August-September this year.

[DJM19]

30/10 isnt getting enough support from congress, particularly the house. So the idea is seek favorable loans from foreign governments.

[202_Cyclist]

DJM19:
"30/10 isnt getting enough support from congress, particularly the house. So the idea is seek favorable loans from foreign governments.

This shows yet again how ridiculous our politics are. Republicans are accusing the President of foregoing 20,000 jobs for delayig the potential Faustian bargain of trashing our environment to build the Keystone pipeline. Meanwhile, Antonio Villariagosa has been traveling to Washington every opportunity he gets to try to get Congress to approve a loan to be paid back with dedicated sales tax revenue. This won't create 20,000 jobs but an estimated 160,000 jobs by the Republicans in Congress haven't seem to be in any hurry to create these jobs.

[JDRCRASH]

I would say 30/10 is more on-hold than dead. What needs to happen is an infrastructure bank being approved by Congress, but that might not happen until at least next year; of course, assuming Obama gets reelected and forces the current Congress to enter lame-duck status and compromise...

But that makes me wonder: What if the Measure R extension passes later this year, and what I mentioned above happens as well? Could we possibly turn this into another round of new projects like the Westside Extension Phase IV (Santa Monica), Vermont Corridor, or possibly even a Whittier subway??

[pesto]

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

DJM19:
"30/10 isnt getting enough support from congress, particularly the house. So the idea is seek favorable loans from foreign governments.

This shows yet again how ridiculous our politics are. Republicans are accusing the President of foregoing 20,000 jobs for delayig the potential Faustian bargain of trashing our environment to build the Keystone pipeline. Meanwhile, Antonio Villariagosa has been traveling to Washington every opportunity he gets to try to get Congress to approve a loan to be paid back with dedicated sales tax revenue. This won't create 20,000 jobs but an estimated 160,000 jobs by the Republicans in Congress haven't seem to be in any hurry to create these jobs.

Foreign funding seems unlikely without federal participation and guarantees.

As for deficits, govt. spending and job creation, this has been discredited as policy since about 1970 (check a decent economic history text regarding the death of Keynesian policy). This is not even controversial except in politics.

[202_Cyclist]

pesto:

As for deficits, govt. spending and job creation, this has been discredited as policy since about 1970 (check a decent economic history text regarding the death of Keynesian policy). This is not even controversial except in politics.

Then how do you explain the 2M - 3M new jobs created in the past two years, with over 200,000 new jobs created last month? It is not even controversial, except within the Republican party, that the Recovery Act created jobs and kept unemployment from being even much worse. John McCain's campaign advisor from 2008, Mark Zandi, even concedes this point.

U.S. Economy Gains Steam as 200,000 Jobs Are Added
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/07/bu...pagewanted=all

[M II A II R II K]

L.A.'s Antonio Villaraigosa discusses transit funding with China


January 20, 2012

Read More: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...0,391978.story

Fearing a stalemate in Congress over transportation funding, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is looking to the Chinese government as an option to possibly save his ambitious plan to build a dozen mass-transit projects in 10 years instead of 30. Villaraigosa said Thursday that he met with executives from China Investment Corp. in Beijing during his trip to Asia in December. The group was established in 2007 by the People's Republic of China, according to the corporation's website.

- "It's something that we see becoming more and more prominent … especially as federal resources become more and more constrained," Puentes said. He said that the way transportation projects are funded has significantly changed and that now "everything is out on the table." Villaraigosa plans to host a group of Asian companies in Los Angeles later this year to "finalize agreements, secure investments and create jobs here in Los Angeles," according to a news release from the mayor's office. It was unclear if members of the Chinese corporation would be on that trip.

.....

http://thesource.metro.net/2012/01/2...-fast-forward/

.....

China’s transportation investment in Argentina included $4.35 billion toward the renovation of three freight train lines to carry agricultural products to ports for export (to China), as well as over four billion dollars towards the improvement of the Buenos Aires subway and construction of a metro in Cordoba. As Freemark’s article notes, the urban projects seemingly offer no clear economic benefit to the Chinese.

The quid pro quo of the overall deal is instead preferential trade treatment for China (including its rail expertise and equipment) as well as improved access to Argentina’s agricultural products. From an earlier career with one of California’s largest agricultural producers, I have seen more than a few products grown in the Central Valley selling well in Beijing and Shanghai.

There is a larger picture here: With public funds in very short supply, many transit agencies and advocates in recent years have touted the benefits of public-private partnerships in which private capital is used to help build or operate transit. Of course, that private money usually gets something in return, whether it be operating revenues or construction contracts likely to yield a return in investment.

.....

[Rail Claimore]

Originally Posted by M II A II R II K

L.A.'s Antonio Villaraigosa discusses transit funding with China


January 20, 2012

Read More: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...0,391978.story




http://thesource.metro.net/2012/01/2...-fast-forward/

This makes so much sense it's actually funny. If the federal government has to constantly borrow money from China just to distribute money to the states for projects like this, why go through the middleman when you can go directly to the bank!

[pesto]

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

pesto:


Then how do you explain the 2M - 3M new jobs created in the past two years, with over 200,000 new jobs created last month? It is not even controversial, except within the Republican party, that the Recovery Act created jobs and kept unemployment from being even much worse. John McCain's campaign advisor from 2008, Mark Zandi, even concedes this point.

U.S. Economy Gains Steam as 200,000 Jobs Are Added
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/07/bu...pagewanted=all

Cyclist: I consider it part of the economic recovery that has been struggling to emerge over govt. insistence that it be slowed as much as possible by deficits, taxation and inefficiency.

Off subject, but read just this much and think about it: employment will always drift back toward full emloyment as people finally get desperate enough to take jobs way below their skill levels. But is this "growth"? Or have the qualilty jobs moved somewhere else due to fear that deficits, exessive regulation and an attitude of entitlement have left America a bad place to hire people? There's no clear answer, but don't reject it out-of-hand. And it really is educational to see how Keynesianism failed (except in politics) and economics moved on to endogenous growth theory, rational expectations, game theory, public choice and a dozen other new ideas that have explained things that previously baffled economists (and sociologists, psychologists, etc.).

[DJM19]

Originally Posted by pesto

Foreign funding seems unlikely without federal participation and guarantees.

As for deficits, govt. spending and job creation, this has been discredited as policy since about 1970 (check a decent economic history text regarding the death of Keynesian policy). This is not even controversial except in politics.

This is not remotely true.

[sopas ej]

Pre-revenue testing on the Expo Line starts on Monday. I assume this means the Expo Line will be opening for service in about a month or so?

From metro.net:

Expo Line pre-revenue service to begin Monday

[pesto]

Originally Posted by DJM19

This is not remotely true.

We're still off subject so I will be really short. Why would you cite a paid, left-wing attack dog to support the idea that Keynesianism is alive and well among professional economists? This is just the kind of guy that I'm saying is the last supporter of these dead theories.

Try citing one of the standard economic history texts. This isn't even controversial. Texts since Samuelson have downgraded "multiplier" theory and other Keyneisan conceits to an embarrassing interlude in economic history that never had theoretical support or positive results.

[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.

[pesto]

Originally Posted by 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.

Agreed.