L.A. Metro Area Transit: What's Next? - Page 112

dragonsky · #**2221** Posted: **Jan 1, 2012, 3:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metro - Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority - The Source

Final environmental document for Crenshaw/LAX Line approved by FTA
Metro - Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority - The Source
Posted Dec 30, 2011 by Steve Hymon in Projects

Good news for Metro on the final business day of 2011: The Federal Transit Administration has approved the Final Environmental Impact Statement/Report for the Crenshaw/LAX Line, the light rail project that will run between the Green Line and the Exposition Line.

The approval allows Metro to go forward with any necessary property acquisitions, utility relocation and the purchase of any rail cars needed for the project. It also makes Metro eligible for any federal funding requested for the project. (The bulk of the project will be funded by the Measure R sales tax increase approved by L.A. County voters in 2008).

Read More: http://thesource.metro.net/2011/12/3...proved-by-fta/

dragonsky · #**2222** Posted: **Jan 22, 2012, 5:05 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Press-Telegram LONG BEACH, CA

Port of Long Beach expansion to create thousands of jobs
By Karen Robes Meeks, Staff Writer
Press-Telegram LONG BEACH, CA
Posted: 01/19/2012 05:26:06 PM PST

LONG BEACH — After a year of negotiations, Port of Long Beach officials have reached a tentative lease agreement with Orient Overseas Container Line on the future Middle Harbor development — a partnership that could make Long Beach the nation's busiest seaport and create thousands of new jobs.

The 40-year lease with the Hong Kong-based container shipping and logistics service company is a $4.6 billion commitment to "the biggest port terminal project in North America," said Port Executive Director J. Christopher Lytle.

"This agreement will allow us to move ahead with construction of the most technologically advanced and greenest terminal in the world," said Lytle, who made the announcement Thursday at his first State of the Port address at the Long Beach Convention Center.

The agreement, which is expected to go before the Harbor Commission on Monday, validates the city's commitment to infrastructure, said Mayor Bob Foster.

"In order for this port to thrive, in order for it to remain the economic engine that it is, we have to expand and we have to be able to move greater volumes of cargo at greater velocities," Foster said.

Foster added that he had spoken to the president of OOCL at the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce event, which brought more than 600 city and business leaders.

"He said it's the largest commitment they've made anywhere in the world," the mayor said. "So it demonstrates that we are right in what we said. We're going to plan for the future. We're going to have a port for the future."

OOCL Chief Executive Officer Philip Chow said in a statement that he is very pleased with reaching an agreement with the port to operate the Middle Harbor project.

"It demonstrates our long-term commitment to the Port of Long Beach as the gateway of choice for North America and solidifies our economic partnership with the region," Chow said. "We look forward to seeing the positive impact that this commitment will have for years to come."

Chow declined requests for an interview after the State of the Port address.

Work is already under way on the $1.2 billion redevelopment project, which seeks to fuse two old shipping terminals encompassing 294 acres into a new 345-acre terminal. Improvements will include upgraded wharfs, water access and storage area and an expanded on-dock rail yard from 10,000 linear feet to 75,000, which means less local truck trips, Lytle said.

When completed in 2019, the Middle Harbor is supposed to help improve cargo movement by more than double, cut air pollution by as much as half and add about 14,000 permanent jobs to the local economy, officials said.

"This terminal will be the crown," Lytle said after the event. "It will be the terminal that will represent the highest efficiency, we think, of any terminal in the country. Customers will want to come to that terminal to have their cargo handled there."

The agreement comes at significant time, officials said.

"It's great, especially now with the down economy," Lytle said. "There's a lot of pessimism in the industry, but OOCL is taking that long-term view and looking ahead and realizing that this continues to be a premiere gateway."

OOCL, a Port of Long Beach customer since 1969, would take up roughly 305 acres, and could move into the new space as early as 2016, Lytle said.

"When they're up to capacity, that terminal would equate to the fourth largest port in the U.S. - that terminal alone, when it's up to 3.1 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units)," Lytle said.

With the Middle Harbor, Long Beach has the potential to overtake Los Angeles as the nation's busiest seaport.

About 6.1 million 20-foot-equivalent containers were moved in 2011 by Long Beach port shipping terminals, while more than 7.94 million cargo containers passed through the Port of Los Angeles last year. If this trend continues and the Middle Harbor reaches capacity, the Port of Long Beach would top 9 million TEUs.

"This lease, if it gets approved, is really going to shape the Port of Long Beach and Long Beach for the next 40 years," said Susan E. Anderson Wise, president of the Long Beach Harbor Commission. "It secures the future for us."

Read More: http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_19777252

dragonsky · #**2223** Posted: **Feb 25, 2012, 4:46 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Golden State Gateway Coalition

Truck Lanes Coming Soon!

The Interstate 5 Gateway Improvement Project Is Transitioning from Concept to Reality: Carpool Lanes Are Being Designed and the Truck Lanes Are Scheduled to Start Construction Later This Year.
By Tim Whyte
Interchange Editor

It’s a model of public-private, multi-agency cooperation, and later this year, you’ll see tangible signs of it coming to fruition: The Interstate 5 Los Angeles-Santa Clarita Improvement Project is scheduled to begin construction.

“This doesn’t mark the end of our journey,” said Tom DiPrima, president of the Golden State Gateway Coalition. “However, we have reached several key milestones in the evolution of this important improvement to one of our nation’s most crucial transportation corridors.”

Those milestones:

• The Phase 1 truck lanes project has its funding in place and has been put out for construction bids.
• Construction on Phase 1 is now scheduled to start later this year.
• The carpool lanes (high occupancy vehicle lanes) portion of the project is being designed.

The first phase of the project will consist of 4 miles of new truck climbing lanes in both directions north of the I-5 interchange with State Route 14. Construction bids are being accepted for this phase of the project, which is scheduled to start construction later this year, with completion expected in late 2013.

The second phase, consisting primarily of much-needed carpool lanes between Parker Road and the Newhall Pass, is being designed now and is expected to be ready to begin construction in 2014.

“All of the partners on this project are doing a tremendous job of bringing it to fruition,” DiPrima said. “We’re especially grateful to Caltrans and Metro for their support, and for recognizing its importance to the entire region.”

Caltrans (California Department of Transportation) is the lead agency for the project, and has been working with the support and cooperation of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The last significant pre-construction hurdle for Phase 1 was cleared in June when the California Transportation Commission authorized $53.6 million in funds for the project from the State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP).

The project has also received $56 million in funding support through Metro from Measure R, which was approved by Los Angeles County voters in November 2008 to provide funding for transportation improvement projects countywide.

Federal leaders have played important roles, too: U.S. Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon led the effort to secure a $1.6 million allotment from SAFETEA-LU, the national surface transportation authorization bill, in 2005, and also a $750,000 allocation in the 2010 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act.

“It’s truly been a team effort to bring us to this point,” said Victor Lindenheim, executive director of the Golden State Gateway Coalition, which was formed in 2002 to marshal public and private support for improvements to the I-5 “Gateway” in northern Los Angeles County. “It’s especially gratifying to see everyone’s hard work paying off, and to know the I-5 improvement project will soon start paying dividends for everyone who relies on I-5.”

The highly anticipated project is expected to directly create more than 6,000 jobs, with additional indirect benefits to the regional job market. Also among the project benefits are improved safety, reduced traffic congestion and smoother movement of goods in and out of the greater Los Angeles area.

“The truck lanes in particular will provide a noticeable benefit to every commuter who has to travel between the Santa Clarita Valley and the San Fernando Valley each day,” Lindenheim said. “Whether your commute takes you northbound or southbound, you know the Newhall Pass can be a major bottleneck for truck traffic. The Phase 1 truck lanes will alleviate that truck back-up that clogs the traffic lanes in both directions.”

It’s estimated that more than 19,000 trucks travel on I-5 in northern Los Angeles County every day.

“Obviously, that’s a lot of truck traffic,” Lindenheim said. “And now that this project is gearing up for construction, motorists will soon see very real, very tangible evidence that help is on the way, and not one commute too soon.”

Read More: http://goldenstategateway.org/

dragonsky · #**2224** Posted: **Mar 9, 2012, 4:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Long Beach Post

The County’s Bicycle Master Plan, which guides the development of bicycle transit and support facilities across the region, is officially updated. In addition to maintaining and updating current bike corridors, the new Plan also adds 832 miles of new bikeways.

Read More: http://www.lbpost.com/news/addison/1309300202

http://dpw.lacounty.gov/pdd/bikepath...nal%20plan.pdf

dragonsky · #**2225** Posted: **Mar 21, 2012, 2:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Widening of 5 freeway in L.A. continues
By ALEJANDRA MOLINA / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Published: March 19, 2012 Updated: March 20, 2012 5:35 a.m.

The $110-million project will widen nearly one mile of I-5 from North Fork Coyote Creek to Marquardt Avenue in Santa Fe Springs by adding a carpool and regular lane in each direction, Caltrans officials said.

This segment is part of a $1 billion expansion project that is set to add nearly 14 miles of carpool lanes – seven in each direction – and renovate bridges and off-ramps from Valley View Avenue to Florence Avenue. One regular lane will also be added in each direction. The planned improvements will make the freeway five lanes in each direction, up from three.

The project was broken down into six segments and began with the Carmenita Road interchange last year. The other portions include: Valley View Avenue, Imperial Highway, and Rosecrans and Florence avenues.

By 2013, all six projects, totaling nearly $1.6 billion, will be under construction and are expected to complete in 2016.

Read More: http://www.ocregister.com/news/count...direction.html

dragonsky · #**2226** Posted: **May 6, 2012, 1:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE

SAN BERNARDINO: Big shift coming for I-215 drivers
STAN LIM/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
BY DUG BEGLEY, STAFF WRITER
THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE
Published: 13 April 2012 01:33 PM

Aaron Steffans has grown accustomed to driving a changed Interstate 215 on his twice-weekly trips from Adelanto in the High Desert down into the San Bernardino Valley. Construction clutter from widening the freeway for the past five years has meant drivers have been one place one day, and on another strip of concrete the next.

“I think to myself ‘here we go,’ and just go with the flow,” Steffans, 36, said of his trips through the construction zone.

But an alteration beginning later this month might be the most drastic change the project to widen the freeway through downtown San Bernardino to Highway 210 has ever seen.

The “Big Shift,” as officials are calling it, redesigns how I-215 and the 210 connect, via Highway 259. The 259, a one-mile connection between the two freeways, is a state highway only because it has entrance and exit ramps to local streets, and therefore is assigned a highway number.

During a series of overnight closings starting May 4, a new connection will replace the existing 259 with the new ramp. This, officials said, is where it gets tricky, because northbound I-215 will access the new 259 and the 210 eastbound from the left side of the freeway, unlike most ramps that merge on the right where traffic is normally slower.

“The left lane will just go to the ramp,” said Tim Watkins, spokesman for San Bernardino Associated Governments, the agency overseeing construction.

On the south side, the reverse is happening. Traffic will move from the westbound 210 to the southbound 259 via the same ramp as northbound drivers will use. But southbound traffic will not join the main line of I-215 until south of Ninth Street, to allow for safer access.

When the southbound 259 traffic finally joins I-215, it will be into the fast lane, to the chagrin of some drivers.

Read More: http://www.pe.com/local-news/transpo...15-drivers.ece

About the 215 Widening Project

Work is more than halfway complete on the $723 million Interstate 215 Widening Project – a major corridor that connects residents, motorists, visitors, and goods movement in Southern California. The project, which started in 2007 and is expected to be completed in 2013, adds a general use and carpool lane in both directions between I-10 and SR-210 and an auxiliary lane from approximately SR-210 to just south of University Parkway. Connector ramps between I-215 and SR-210 are also being built and will greatly improve mobility between the freeways. New on- and off-ramps and reconstruction of all bridges and underpasses throughout the 7.5-mile project are part of the work as well as artistic wallscapes that reflect the San Bernardino Mountains, arrowhead, railroad history, and natural springs.

The project is a partnership among SANBAG, Caltrans, the City of San Bernardino and the Federal Highway Administration, which contributed $128 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to help stimulate our local economy. This major expansion and revitalization project will help reduce congestion and improve traffic flow on this important freeway that serves as a gateway to Victor Valley, Riverside County, Orange County, Los Angeles County and points beyond.

http://www.215news.com/

dragonsky · #**2227** Posted: **May 6, 2012, 1:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Los Angeles Times

New line, new choices
First-day riders envision using Expo rail for various purposes
April 29, 2012|Ari Bloomekatz
Los Angeles Times

For some, the opening of the Expo light rail line means an easier commute to work or school. For others, it's a chance to ride mass transit to Staples Center or to visit the museums in Exposition Park.

But for Ayanna White, a 31-year-old mother of four, including 3-year-old twin boys, the new rail line could give her something precious -- an extra hour of sleep each morning.

Read More: http://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr...-line-20120429

Those Who Squirm · #**2228** Posted: **May 19, 2012, 10:20 PM**

I voted for this project because it seems the most easily achievable, and it will leverage on what we already have, by eliminating a transfer for those traveling to or from Downtown. As the stations and lines are currently configured, it's 7th Street Metro Center that is really the heart of the MTA's rail system, because the Red/Purple, Expo, and Blue Lines all meet up there. The commuter trains and Amtrak, of course, along with the Gold Line, converge at Union Station which the Expo and Blue Lines don't reach at all. Ideally, if you live along one of the MetroLink lines and you need to commute to Culver City or some other place that is, or soon will be, along the LRT lines, you would be able to use MetroLink and MetroRail to make your commute. But without the Regional Connector, you always have to change trains at 7th Street.

As for MetroLink itself, electrification would be nice. But I would rather see the completion of the Run Through Tracks Project at Union Station. As it is, heavy rail trains arriving or departing Union Station must pull in and back out, or vice versa. When reaching the main line, the train may then have to reverse direction, which means a complete stop and a very slow, time-consuming process overall. When Union Station was built, nobody really thought anyone would want to ride a train from, say Chatsworth to Fullerton, but today it seems quite likely that someone would would want to do that very thing. Unfortunately, the article I linked to is old, and I haven't seen anything about the project in years. Now that the MTA owns the station, I suspect the proposal may have been quietly deep-sixed since they prefer to focus their resources on the local transit system.

dragonsky · #**2229** Posted: **Jun 27, 2012, 3:01 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by PASADENA STAR NEWS

Caltech bicyclists seek east-west corridors through Pasadena
By James Figueroa, SGVN
twitter.com/jfigscribe
Posted: 06/23/2012 07:12:06 AM PDT

Read More: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/ci_2...rough-pasadena

dragonsky · #**2230** Posted: **Jul 16, 2012, 3:12 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orange County Register

Packed O.C. freeways getting new lanes
Local freeways have far surpassed their anticipated capacity, and in an attempt to help relieve congestion, millions of dollars are being poured into them.
Published: July 12, 2012 Updated: July 14, 2012 8:42 p.m.

A major project under way involves connecting carpool lanes on the I-405, I-605, and the 22 so that commuters using those HOV lanes won't have to weave through general lanes to get from freeway to freeway. Since fall 2010, closures have been in progress along those freeways, specifically on I-405 and 22 freeway connector roads and ramps. Also in construction are portions of the 57 and the 91.

Caltrans is widening a section of the I-5 in Los Angeles County by adding 14 miles of carpool lanes between Valley View and Florence avenues.

Although billions of dollars have already been spent in widening the I-5 to as many as 12 lanes from Dana Point to Orange County's northern border, there are two more projects on the way.

In 2013, construction will begin on a $275 million project that will add a carpool lane in each direction between San Juan and San Clemente. In late 2015, work will begin on a $45 million project that will add a second carpool lane in each direction of the I-5 between the 55 and the 57.

Read More: http://www.ocregister.com/news/count...s-carpool.html

dragonsky · #**2231** Posted: **Aug 9, 2012, 1:31 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WeHo News

Mag-lev cars for WeHo?
Vol. 7 Issue 75
08/08/2012
By WeHo News staff, West Hollywood, California

How would you like to scoot across West Hollywood in under two minutes in an enclosed mag-lev car, bypassing traffic congestion while utilizing the greenest transportation tech available?

That was the question posed when Nick Garzilli, Sustainable Transportation Executive for Evacuated Tube Transportation Technologies (ET3) and JPods presented the West Hollywood City Council Monday with an out of this world, futuristic transportation plan that would act as a pilot project demonstrating his company’s product.

He claims that the ET3 system “is faster than jets, yet can accomplish 50 times more transportation per kilowatt hour than electric cars or trains at 1/10th the cost.”

He presented a plan to install the slower JPod Solar Powered Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) starter network in WeHo.

He asked for a letter of interest to allow his firm to develop a plan for the city that would allow ET3 to “connect to the Red Line and, when the subway is eventually built down there on Wilshire… to that.”

Read More: http://wehonews.com/z/wehonews/archi...articleID=7119

dragonsky · #**2232** Posted: **Aug 20, 2012, 4:20 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by US 101 Carpool Lane Improvement Project

Over the next four years, Caltrans and its partners will construct a six-mile carpool lane in each direction for vehicles with two or more passengers, along US 101 from Mobil Pier Road in Ventura County to Casitas Pass Road in Santa Barbara County. Additional improvements include: a pedestrian undercrossing in La Conchita, concrete barriers, southbound bike lane, median landscaping, reconstruction of existing drainage, closing existing median openings and installing Intelligent Transportation System elements such as underground vehicle detectors and Close Circuit TV cameras.

The $102 million project will alleviate congestion, encourage carpooling and improve air quality. The project is expected to begin spring 2012 and be completed in late 2015.

Read More: http://i-5info.com/

dragonsky · #**2234** Posted: **Aug 20, 2012, 4:36 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by I-405 Sepulveda Pass Improvements Project

The I-405 Sepulveda Pass Improvements Project will add a 10-mile HOV lane and improve supporting infrastructure such as ramps, bridges and sound walls on the San Diego Fwy. (I-405); while widening lanes from the Santa Monica Fwy. (I-10) to the Ventura Fwy. (US-101).

This project will reduce existing and forecasted traffic congestion on the I-405 and enhance traffic operations by adding freeway capacity in an area that experiences heavy congestion. In addition to these modifications, the project will improve both existing and future mobility and enhance safety throughout the corridor.

Project benefits include a decrease in commuter time, reduction in air pollution, and promotion of ridesharing.

The I-405 Sepulveda Pass Improvements Project will:

Add a 10-mile HOV lane on the northbound I-405 between the I-10 and US-101 Freeways
Remove and replace the Skirball Center Dr, Sunset Bl and Mulholland Dr bridges
Realign 27 on and off-ramps
Widen 13 existing underpasses and structures
Construct approximately 18 miles of retaining wall and sound wall

Read More: http://www.metro.net/projects/I-405/

dragonsky · #**2235** Posted: **Aug 30, 2012, 3:47 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by I-215 Widening

I-215 Widening

Caltrans began construction at the end of December 2007 on Phase 2 of the Interstate 215 (I-215) widening project from Orange Show Road to Rialto Ave., and serves as the lead agency for this $89 million section of the freeway-widening project. MCM Construction was awarded the contract on December 14, 2007. Phase 2 is scheduled for completion in 2010.

In the first 15 months since the beginning of the project, the following work has been completed:

Construction of two new on-ramps and two new off-ramps at Mill Street
Constructed one-half of the new Inland Center Drive Bridge
Widened the northbound Orange Show Road off-ramp
Constructed a new center median

Work to be completed over the next year:

The completion of wider bridges at Warm Creek and Lytle Creek
The completion of the Inland Center Drive Bridge
New on- and off-ramps at Inland Center Drive
New northbound on-ramp at Orange Show Road
Two new lanes, one carpool and one mixed flow, on the freeway
Completion of the widening of Mill Street

Caltrans will serve as the lead agency for construction on Phase 4 of the I-215 Widening Project spanning from Massachusetts Avenue to University Parkway. The $139 million contract was awarded to MCM Construction in November 2009. Funding is provided by State, Local and Prop 1b. Construction began in January 2010 with the closure of Highland Avenue on- and off-ramps.

Work in this phase consist of:

Reconstructing the bridges at Massachusetts Avenue, Highland Avenue and 27th Street
Connectors at I-215/SR-210
Southbound auxiliary lane from University Parkway to the I-215/SR-210 interchange
New northbound general-use lane
Local street and drainage improvements
Addition of soundwalls and aesthetic improvements.

The estimated completion date of this project is Summer 2013.

The entire project will expand and upgrade the I-215 from Interstate 10 to University Parkway. This estimated $800 million project has an expected completion date of 2013. Caltrans has partnered with San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG), the Federal Highway Administration and the City of San Bernardino to complete improvements to the corridor.

Nearly 174,000 motorists travel daily through the Phase 2 segment and it is projected to reach almost 220,000 by the year 2030. Improvements to the I-215 will aid in relieving congestion, improving access to the freeway and local streets and will improve safety by eliminating fast lane entrances to the I-215.

Read More: http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist8/projects...ning/index.htm

dragonsky · #**2236** Posted: **Oct 3, 2012, 4:32 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by blogdowntown

Federal loan approved for Crenshaw corridor train connecting Downtown to LAX
By HAYLEY FOX
Published: Tuesday, October 02, 2012, at 10:40AM

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — A light-rail line that will connect downtown L.A. to LAX by traveling through the Crenshaw corridor inches closer to construction this week, after the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) approved a $545.9-million loan for the project.

Read More: http://blogdowntown.com/2012/10/7026...nshaw-corridor

dragonsky · #**2237** Posted: **Oct 7, 2012, 4:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Los Angeles Times

Anaheim transportation center picks up speed
The $184-million project is being praised as iconic and futuristic by some. To others, it's the 'Crystal Cathedral of train stations.'
By Rick Rojas, Los Angeles Times
October 6, 2012, 5:05 p.m.

Soon it will sprout from an industrial patch between Anaheim's sports stadiums, a massive 67,000-square-foot structure with white steel ribbons arching high into the sky and a state-of-the-art transparent material that will let the Southern California sun gleam into what has been billed as the upcoming transportation hub of Orange County.

The Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center — known simply as ARTIC among transportation planners — will look like an iceberg beside the 57 Freeway by the time it's estimated to be finished in 2014.

Supporters hail the $184-million project as the realization of a long-held ambition and an essential piece of the transportation puzzle in Orange County, where current rail and public transit options might someday meet up with the promised California high-speed rail or other futuristic projects.

Read More: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...0,778435.story

dragonsky · #**2238** Posted: **Oct 8, 2012, 5:55 PM**

• Video Link

• Video Link

CicLAvia
http://www.ciclavia.org/

dragonsky · #**2239** Posted: **Oct 13, 2012, 2:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Anaheim considers Disney-area streetcars
Plan would take passengers from ARTIC transit hub to Disneyland, Convention Center, other stops on 3.2-mile route.
By ERIC CARPENTER / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Published: Oct. 9, 2012 Updated: Oct. 11, 2012 10:38 a.m.

ANAHEIM – Now that construction has begun on a major transportation hub near Angel Stadium, the city is looking at a $318 million plan to move thousands of tourists and employees to Disneyland and other destinations nearby.

The best way city planners say to move those people: streetcars. Think San Francisco – cars driven on a rail, powered by electricity – but without the vintage open-air feel or the clanging bells. Instead, the streetcars They would have a sleek, modern look, fully enclosed, similar to those used in Portland, Ore., and in European cities.

The City Council on Tuesday night reviewed the concept of streetcars that would run on a fixed guideway to Disneyland, shops and restaurants of GardenWalk mall and the Anaheim Convention Center, among other stops. Several council members expressed general support for the idea but ultimately asked for more time to study all alternatives.

The idea of streetcars is being recommended by city staff over an elevated monorail, which was Anaheim's initial focus. The system, called Anaheim Rapid Connection, would run on a 3.2-mile track mostly along Katella Avenue from the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center, the transportation hub under construction and set to open in 2014. The idea of ARC is to provide a cheap – maybe even free – ride for the millions of tourists who visit Disneyland annually and for some of the 51,000 workers in the 5-square-mile area in and around the Anaheim Resort.

Read More: http://www.ocregister.com/news/anahe...treetcars.html

dragonsky · #**2240** Posted: **Oct 20, 2012, 3:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CURBED LOS ANGELES

City Picks Swoopy Bridge Design to Become Sixth Street Icon
Friday, October 19, 2012, by Adrian Glick Kudler

Mayor Villaraigosa and Councilmember Huizar announced just minutes ago that they've selected HNTB's bridge design to replace the 1932 Sixth Street Viaduct (which has concrete cancer). The design, which is an over-the-top swoopy take on the current bridge's arches, seemed to be a favorite among the three finalists, and Villaraigosa promises it "will be a world-class, iconic piece of Los Angeles infrastructure." HNTB, with its partners Michael Maltzan Architecture, AC Martin, and Hargreaves Associates, won an international design competition, beating out AECOM and Parsons Brinckerhoff in the final round.

• Video Link

Read More: http://la.curbed.com/archives/2012/1...treet_icon.php
Read More: http://www.hntb.com/expertise/bridge...street-viaduct