Today's Headlines - more at Metro

10/29/2012

Metro Communications, Orange Line Debut, 405 Widening, Downtown Streetcar, Expo Line, LAX Connector, Metrolink, Measure J, Westside Subway & More

October 29: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (Metro's Orange Line, Los Angeles County's first bus rapid transit line, opens to overwhelming crowds. This look back includes scenes from opening day and videos documenting Los Angeles dignitaries' planning visit to the birthplace of BRT -- Curitiba, Brazil)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

Alameda-Corridor East Showdown With COG Planned For Tuesday
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Angelenos Against Gridlock Urges Utility Companies & Outside Agencies To Expedite 405-Related Work
Angelenos Against Gridlock via Scribd

Assessing Highway Tolling And Pricing Options And Impacts: Volume 1, Decision-Making Framework (125p. PDF)
National Cooperative Highway Research Program
Volume 2, Travel Demand Forecasting Tools (272p. PDF)

Better Transportation Options = Healthier Lives (infographic)
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

A City Where Everything Is A 15 Minute Walk Away ("Another day, another proposal for a new Chinese city. The 1.3 square-kilometer Great City, designed by Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill will be a massive new development that is completely sustainable, affordable, and, most strikingly, car-less. The masterplan, which has been planned for 80,000 people, will be built around a massive transit hub at its center, with all destinations to be within a few minutes walk, a planning innovation that would make “Great City” China’s (and the world’s?) first pedestrian-only city.")
The Atlantic: Cities

Congressman Earl Blumenauer Explores State Of Transit Development in Rail~Volution Plenary
Planning Report

Developing Multilevel Memorandums Of Understanding With Utility Companies (52p. PDF)
Federal Highway Administration

Does Your City Need A Transit Riders Union?
The Atlantic: Cities

Downtown Streetcar Could Leave Local Landowners With More To Pay
LA Observed

Freight Transport Efficiency: A Comparative Study Of Coastal Shipping, Rail And Road Modes (62p. PDF)
New Zealand Transport Agency

Future Metro Gold Line Station Will Offer Rosedale Residents A Faster Way To Commute ("Important developments continue to evolve around Rosedale, the finest brand new master-planned community in the San Gabriel Valley. The future Metro Gold Line boarding station that is scheduled to open in 2015, will give Rosedale residents the opportunity to leave their car at home and enjoy a more efficient, faster commute to employment centers in downtown Los Angeles.")
Asian Journal

Get On Board The Expo Line: There's Lots To Do Along The New Light Rail Line That Connects Culver City To Downtown L.A. (A Westside high school student who just turned 16 and got his drivers license explains why he will still use the Expo Line to get around)
LA Youth

Hurricane Sandy Provokes The Largest Preemptive Public Transportation Shutdown In U.S. History
The Atlantic: Cities

Identification Of Utility Conflicts And Solutions (184p. PDF)
Strategic Highway Research Program

In An Entrenched Car Culture, Painting A Bolder Face On Mass Transit (“Make metro cool.” That was Michael Lejeune’s task 10 years ago when he was hired as the first creative director of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority...With support from 20 internal writers, photographers and other creative hires, Mr. Lejeune, 49, began chipping away at the blind spot he perceived...")
New York Times

Knabe Calls On Metro To Speed Up Planned LAX Connector
Diamond Bar-Walnut Patch

Long Beach Councilman James Johnson To Hold Hearing On Wilmington Railyard Proposal
Long Beach Press-Telegram

Measure J Campaign Hauls In Nearly $2 Million ("The ballot item would extend a half-cent Los Angeles County sales tax for transportation projects. Staples Center's operator and the Dodgers are among the donors.")
Los Angeles Times

Megabus Return To California? ("They’re on their final set of test runs between San Francisco and Los Angeles.")
Cyclelicio.us

Metro Board Wants To Get Rail To LAX By The End Of The Decade
Curbed LA

Metrolink 20th Anniversary Report (54p. PDF : "This report is the story of how our agency came to be and how we’ve grown over these 20 years to become a safety and customer service leader in the rail industry." A comprehensive overview and history containing numerous photos and charts illustrating Metrolink's leadership in providing transit connections, safety and environmentally conscious service)
Metrolink

NACTO Wrap-Up: Cities Are Doing It For Themselves ("As NACTO’s first ever national conference drew to a close today, transportation chiefs from Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Chicago and New York all talked about the progress their cities have made and shared their frustration at the lack of attention to cities and transportation in the state and national political arenas.")
StreetsBlog

NY Governor, MTA Chief Say Subways In "Jeopardy" Over Flooding Threat
Transportation Nation

Port Of Los Angeles Wins Environmental Award
Los Angeles Sentinel

Preliminary Regional Connector Work To Begin
Los Angeles Downtown News

Public Transportation Use Climbs With Gas Prices
Pasadena Star-News

Route 66, 2.0: A Gorgeous Glow-In-The-Dark Smart Highway
GOOD

SanBAG To Manage 15 Freeway Construction Project
Contra Costa Times

Santa Ana Next In Line For LRT?
Railway Age

Santa Monica Bike Center Pushes Pedaling For Commuters ("City program aims to get commuters out of their cars by letting them test-ride a bike for two weeks, for free, to see if they like the experience.")
Los Angeles Times

Transit Center Staying Downtown To Preserve Funding
Riverside Press-Enterprise

Wendy Greuel And Eric Garcetti Endorse Train Tunnel Through Sepulveda Pass, But Funding Is An Open Question
LA Weekly

Westside Subway Construction Faces Years-Long Delay
Los Angeles Daily News

Work Officially Begins At Site Of LA's Second Tallest Tower
Curbed LA

World-Class Cities Rely On World-Class Transportation
U.S. DOT Fast Lane Blog

Yes On Measure J Campaign Rakes In $2 Million; "No" Campaign Raises Just $5,000, But Vote Is Likely To Be Close
LA Weekly


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