Today's Headlines - more at Metro

3/09/2012

LAX Connector, Gold Line Bridge, Expo Line Trees, OCTA, LADOT, Transpo Bills, High-Speed Rail & More

52 Trees To Be Moved For Expo Line In Santa Monica
Santa Monica Mirror

$253 Million In Transportation Funding Adds To Economic Growth
Topanga Messenger

"All Communities" Convened Over SR-710 Gap Closure: Stakeholders Encouraged To Join Community Liaison Councils
EGP News

Boehner's Effort To Move House $260B Transportation Bill Lacks Support
The Hill

California High-Speed Rail Opposed, Tax Increase Plan Supported: Survey
Huffington Post

Editorial: SF Muni Should Give Students A Free Ride
San Francisco Chronicle

European "Superbus" Aims To Hit 155 MPH On The Track
The Atlantic: Cities

For L.A., How To Build An Airport Rail Connection That Makes Sense For Passengers? (Detailed comparisons of four connection types as well as four on-airport options)
The Transport Politic

Freeway 91 Project To Take 3 1/2 Years
Inland News Today

Get Ready For Chaos If Congress Can't Agree On Highway Bill
Washington Post

Gold Line Bridge To Cause More 210 Fwy Closures
Pasadena Independent

HSR Opponents Working Hard To Turn Me Into A Supporter
Mother Jones

Major LA Streets To Close To Accomodate Boulder's Path To LACMA (list of streets and map)
Southern California Public Radio

Motorists Not Turning To Public Transit Yet ("At this point we haven't seen any increase (in bus ridership) directly related to the gas prices...When looking at average weekday boardings, the OCTA experienced incremental ridership bumps throughout the summer of 2008 when O.C. experienced its highest average gas price record of $4.59 in June. But, their highest ridership increase did not come until three months after the record price.")
Orange County Register

New Organization At LADOT Marks The End Of An Era
StreetsBlog LA

OCTA Unveils Indoor Transit Simulator To Aid Those With Disabilities
OCTA Press Release

Opinion: Time To Get Our Heads Out Of Sand On California's High-Speed Rail
Bakersfield Californian

Reid Sells Transportation Bill As House Version Stalls
PBS Newshour

Seedy Hollywood Alley Becomes A Welcoming Pedestrian Thoroughfare: Organizers Hope EaCa Alley Is Just The First Of Many Such Rehabs In The Neighborhood -- But New Obstacles Add To The Challenge
Los Angeles Times

Senate To Complete Highway Bill Vote-O-Rama Next Week
The Hill

Senate To Consider Giving States More Control Of Spending On U.S. Highways
Bloomberg

South Gate Receives Grant To Upgrade Firestone Boulevard
Los Angeles Wave

Survey: Likely Voters Back Tax Increase, Oppose High-Speed Rail
California Watch

Traffic Safety Focus Of Union Pacific Neighborhood Study
(Unincorporated East Los Angeles)
EGP News

Transportation Survey Aims To Improve Mobility, Job Access And Air Quality ("The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), along with other state agencies, is conducting a survey of California residents’ travel behavior...We need to look ahead to a time when California will add millions of new residents and vehicles to our state transportation system.")
Caltrans Press Release

Update On Cloud-Computing For Next-Gen Traffic Management Applications
Terranautix

US House Speaker Ready To Drop Stalled Transport Bill
Reuters

Why Are Companies Defecting From Google Maps?
Digital Trends

Why Does Everyone Want A Train Set And Not Everyone Wants To Build A Train?
Forbes

What are transportation community leaders around the nation tweeting about today? Check out the Metro Library Twitter Daily, our online digest in newspaper format updated every day.

We invite you to visit Metro's The Source, your window to what's happening with agency news, funding and policy issues, and how to get the most out of transit and Los Angeles.

3/07/2012

Metrolink, Torrance MAX, SoCal Maps, House & Senate Transpo Bills, High-Speed Rail, El Monte Transit Village Transit's "Secret Language" & More

9th National Conference On Transportation Asset Management (April 16-18 : San Diego)
Transportation Research Board

10 Minutes With The Mayor: Still Upbeat On America Fast Forward, Loves CicLAvia
StreetsBlog LA

Advocates For Safe Walking, Cycling Push Police For Safer Streets
StreetsBlog LA

As Yet Another House Proposal Dies In Utero, Boehner Looks To Senate Bill
StreetsBlog DC

California's Bullet Train: A Fresh Start And A Change In Direction
Infrastructure USA

A Collision Of Visions On Bullet Train: The High-Speed Rail Line Would Transform California Lifestyles For The Better, Backers Say. Opponents See A Costly Social Engineering Folly
Los Angeles Times

Editorial: In Rail Debate, Both Sides Apply High-Speed Spin
Modesto Bee

El Monte Has Spent $1.3 Million On Legal Issues With Former Transit Village Developers
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Everything You Need To Know About The High Desert Freeway
Curbed LA

Experts See No New Transportation Bill Before Election
StreetsBlog DC

Explaining Transit's Secret Language
The Atlantic: Cities

Gen Y Most Likely To Find Alternate Transportation Methods As Pump Prices Rise, According To Latest American Pulse Survey
PRWeb

Guidebook For Measuring Performance Of Automated People Mover Systems At Airports (136p. PDF)
Airport Cooperative Research Program

House To Drop Controversial Transit Provision
Governing

How El Paso Ended Up With America's Best Smart Growth Plan (The nation’s 19th-largest city has adopted a detailed comprehensive transit-centric plan)
The Atlantic: Cities
Plan El Paso

Industry Signs Metrolink Parking Services Agreement
Diamond Bar Patch

Money For Nothing: Study Confirms Taking Public Transit Saves, Big Time
Next American City

New Head Of California High-Speed Rail Optimistic ("California's High-Speed Rail Authority has a new chairman. Dan Richard, a Brown appointee, is now the public point person for the agency, and no doubt, he's bracing to take a lot of the political heat over questions ranging from high speed rail's cost and its estimated ridership to whether we should go ahead with this project at all." Audio and text interview)
California Report

No Torrance, No MAX ("Since 1990, the Municipal Area Express (MAX) buses have been carrying commuters from various South Bay cities to employment sites in El Segundo. MAX service is jointly provided by the cities of El Segundo, Lawndale, Lomita, Torrance as well as the City and County of Los Angeles; Torrance,as the largest city in the South Bay, serves as the lead agency...Torrance’s share of MAX operating funds is the largest; a Torrance pull out might mean severely curtailed service, or the end of MAX altogether.")
More Than Red Cars

Occupant Volume Integrity Evaluation In Passenger Rail Cars (4p. PDF)
Federal Railroad Administration Research Results

Palm Rustlers Don't Pay A Dime For Damages To Public Land ("A local nonprofit slapped with a $450,000 lawsuit for removing palm trees from an LA freeway won’t have to pay a cent in damages, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill for damages caused by the removal.")
NBC Los Angeles

Republican Sen. Mike Enzi Warns Gas Tax Must Be Raised
Huffington Post

Policy Tools For A More Sustainable Town
The Atlantic: Cities

Senate Leaders Reach Deal On Transpo Bill, Setting Up Slew Of Votes Today
StreetsBlog DC

SF Supes: Buildings Must Offer Bike Parking
Bay Citizen

Six Notable And Unusual Maps Of Southern California (Unusual and important maps, including Metro Transportation Library's 1957 "Master Plan Of Freeways," are highlighted and placed in context)
LA as Subject via KCET

Trolley Bus In Wrong Place vs. Motor Buses In Right One
Human Transit

Union Targets GOP Leaders Over Transportation Funding
Washington Post

U.S. Conference Of Mayors Report: Nation's Transportation Infrastructure Needs To Keep Pace With Growing Exports
Progressive Railroading

What are transportation community leaders around the nation tweeting about today? Check out the Metro Library Twitter Daily, our online digest in newspaper format updated every day.

We invite you to visit Metro's The Source, your window to what's happening with agency news, funding and policy issues, and how to get the most out of transit and Los Angeles.

Expo Line, Angels Flight, Highway Bill, Regional Connector, Bullet Train, Best Bikeway Designs, Pedestrians Count! & More

AIA Mayoral Candidate Conversations: Kevin James
StreetsBlog LA

America's Counties Do The Heavy Lifting ("In 49 of our nation's 50 states, counties maintain the roads and bridges that connect us to each other, to our jobs and schools, and to the businesses and services we use each day. Many U.S. counties operate public transit systems. And when Americans need better transportation services--whether that involves roads that are safe and smooth or improved bus frequency--the counties hear about it first.")
U.S. DOT Fast Lane Blog

Angels Flight Fare To Double To 50 Cents Next Week ("The new fare will go into effect on Monday. Riders with Metro passes can still ride for 25 cents and regular users can still receive five rides at a 20% discount.")
Los Angeles Times

Angels Flight Increases Fare To 50 Cents Starting Next Week ("But will the extra quarter per ride really make a difference in profits?...The money Angels Flight makes from riders has never completely covered annual operations and maintenance costs, and most of the shortfall is covered by fundraising efforts.")
Blog Downtown

Boehner Rebuffs Report He's Lost Confidence In Mica Over Highway Bill
The Hill

Boehner Warns House GOP He Will Take A Detour On Highway Bill
The Hill

Borrowing Costs For Bullet Train Revised Upward ("California now will have to allot more than $700 million a year to repay billions of dollars to build the high-speed rail system's first phase, the nonpartisan legislative analyst's office finds.")
Los Angeles Times

City Adopts New Parking Credits Program
West Hollywood Patch

Cloture Vote On Transportation Bill Fails Setting Up Longer Fight In Senate
StreetsBlog DC

Driverless Cars Will Be A Boon To Pedestrians
Mother Jones

The Expo Line: Not If But When Will It Open
CityWatch

Flash Mob Shows How To Reduce Traffic Congestion
Transportation Issues Daily

From The Netherlands To America: Translating The World's Best Bikeway Designs (video)
StreetFilms

High-Speed Rail Board Chair: Lower Cost, More Bond Funds Up Front
Capital Public Radio

In The Bay Area, Transit Signs Are Surprisingly Poor
Transportation Nation

Ideas For Downtown LA: Relocate County Buildings To Enable Grand Ave Park Expansion By 2016
Brigham Yenc

LaHood: Time's Run Out To Pass Long-Term Highway [Bill] By Deadline
Governing

Metro's Regional Connector To Displace Weiland Brewery And Others In Little Tokyo
Blog Downtown

More Bike Lanes, Paths Planned For County; Three Key Projects Planned For San Gabriel Valley
Whittier Daily News

Nearly 200 U.S. Mayors Press For Passage Of Federal Transportation Bill
Sacramento Bee

Opinion: The Right Way To Fund Transportation
Politico

Pedestrians Count! 2012 -- Successes, Challenges And Data (May 3-4 : Los Angeles MTA Headquarters : "The seminar promotes pedestrian safety, transit access, healhty environments and sustainable communities coordinating with cutting edge research. The seminar explores latest best practices in pedestrian data collection and analysis with strategic community advocacy. Professionals, academics and community leaders will share their current and most promising work. Session topics will include walkability to transit and TOD, Sustainable Communities Strategies, health equity, and pedestrian data collection.")
California Walks

Research Finding: California High-Speed Rail Can Bring Positive Urban Transformations If Cities Consider Complementarities With Other Station Cities And How To Integrate Their Station In The Region
Market Watch
Planning For Complementarity: An Examination Of The Role And Opportunities Of First-Tier And Second-Tier Cities Along The High-Speed Rail Network In California (243p. PDF)
Mineta Transportation Institute

Santa Monica Debuts Two New Bikeway Designs
StreetsBlog LA

Senate Blocks Highway Bill, But Procedural Deal Could Be Forthcoming
The Hill

What's Behind These High Gas Prices (extensive infographic)
NPR

What are transportation community leaders around the nation tweeting about today? Check out the Metro Library Twitter Daily, our online digest in newspaper format updated every day.

We invite you to visit Metro's The Source, your window to what's happening with agency news, funding and policy issues, and how to get the most out of transit and Los Angeles.

3/06/2012

LA Pedestrians, Westside Subway, NoHo Depot, 210 Closures, South LA Light Rail, Complete Streets, High-Speed Rail & More

17 Transit Systems Given TSA "Gold Standard" Rating
Metro Magazine

Ad For Highway Bill Channels Reagan, Clinton
Journal Of Commerce

As The Economy Grows And Adds Jobs, Americans Keep Driving Less
StreetsBlog LA

Broad Coalition Leans On Congress To Pass Transportation Spending Bill
The Hill

The Benefits Of Bringing Light Rail Stations To South LA
USC Annenberg Intersections South LA

Check Out Sunset Triangle Plaza, LA's First Pedestrian Plaza
Curbed LA

"Complete Streets" Conference Wrap: Penalosa, Papandreou, Look To L.A.'s Future
StreetsBlog LA

Do Real-Time Updates Increase Transit Ridership?
The Atlantic: Cities

Driving Is A Dying Activity In America
Business Insider

It's Time To Love The Bus: America Needs To Accept The Fact That Its Most Despised Form Of Transport Is Also Its Hope For The Future
Salon

Job Creation Boosting Highway Spending In Congress
Huffington Post

John Mica Sidelined By House Leadership For Transpo Bill Rewrite
StreetsBlog DC

L.A. Public Transportation Extension Talk Heard In D.C.
LAist

London Finds Surprising Uses For Parking Data
Digital Communities

Los Angeles Seeks Pedestrians ("A growing group of Angelinos is finding ways to make transit, cycling, and walking (and, often, a combination thereof) relevant and viable in their daily lives.")
The Atlantic: Cities

Metro Set To Finally Begin Restoration Of Historic North Hollywood Train Depot, Still No Idea Of What To Do With It
LAist

[New York] MTA Aims To Install Interactive Touch-Screen Tablets In Subway Stations: "Virtual Assistants" Would Provide Directions, Give Status Updates For Subways, And Even Restaurant Reviews
New York Daily News

Running Freeways Through Cities Has Often Been A Costly Mistake. So, What Now?
Natural Resources Defense Council Switchboard Blog

Shallow Agreement ("What are the most radical transportation ideas that have been floated in the current debate? (Tying highway funding to domestic drilling? Eliminating mass transit from the highway trust fund? Something else?) What are the most tired arguments? How do these ideas relate to past highway bill debates? Is it really so different this time? And if so, how?")
National Journal Transportation Experts Blog

States Finding Tough Climate For Gas Tax Proposals
Boston Globe

Tall Obstacles Remain As States Look At Gas Tax Proposals For Transportation Infrastructure
Washington Post

[Today's] Key Vote On Senate Transpo Bill Could Go Either Way
StreetsBlog DC

Traffic: 210 East Closures Could Last Eight Nights
Glendora Patch

Trucker Fatigue Rule Faces Detour Through Courts
Politico

Wal-Mart Announcement Draws Mixed Reaction (A "major battle" may be looming for plans to locate the first Wal-Mart grocery store in Los Angeles County at Cesar Chavez and Grand near Chinatown)
Los Angeles Downtown News

Westside Subway Extension On D.C. Lobbying Agenda: Supporters Of The Subway Expansion Are Seeking Federal Funding, As Well As Financial Assistance For Other Projects
Beverly Hills Patch

What Is The Future Of Rail In California If High-Speed Rail Does Not Proceed In 2012?
California High Speed Rail Blog

Wider, Straighter, And Faster Roads Aren't The Solution For Older Drivers
StreetsBlog DC
Keeping Baby Boomers Mobile: Preserving The Mobility And Safety Of Older Americans (25p. PDF)
TRIP / AASHTO

Zipcar Future Metropolis Index (Los Angeles ranks #14 among U.S. cities that "demonstrate smart urban planning and policymaking." San Francisco comes in #1)
Zipcar via Slideshare

What are transportation community leaders around the nation tweeting about today? Check out the Metro Library Twitter Daily, our online digest in newspaper format updated every day.

We invite you to visit Metro's The Source, your window to what's happening with agency news, funding and policy issues, and how to get the most out of transit and Los Angeles.

3/05/2012

710 Gap, NoHo Train Depot, Regional Connector, Gas & Transit, LA Port Railyard, Transpo Bills & More

AASHTO's Vision Of Safe Streets For Seniors: Bigger Type On Highway Signs
StreetsBlog DC

Agency To Build Railroad Underpass At Baldwin Avenue Crossing
Pasadena Star-News

"All Communities Convening" On SR-710 Gap Closure In East LA On Saturday
EGP News

As Promised, Reid Sets Up Cloture Vote On Highway Bill
The Hill

As Pump Prices Soar, More Drivers Opt For Public Transit
San Diego Union-Tribune

As Transportation Bills Stall, Potholes Ahead ("If nothing happens before March 31, the consequences are very real: stalled construction projects, unfilled potholes, idled buses and --in theory -- lower gas prices.")
Politico

The Beauty Of Train Travel (photo essay)
Washington Post

Can Urban Highways Be Fixed? ("Within large cities, freeways -- which have never really been free, by the way -- have proven to be a perhaps well-intended but often decidedly bad idea. For the most part, they do a terrible job of conveying traffic within densely populated areas.")
The Atlantic: Cities

City Considers Colored Bike Lanes, Markings: Officials Are Looking At What Other Cities Have Implemented In Draft Bike Plan
Glendale News-Press

Deployment Of Practical Methods For Counting Bicycle And Pedestrian Use Of A Transportation Facility
University Of Minnesota ITS Institute

Fight Over Regional Connector As Deadline Nears: Landowners Say Flower Street Construction Would Devastate Business
Los Angeles Downtown News

First Poll To Ask Transportation Professionals About Sleep Habits And Work Performance (Results from "the first poll to ask transportation professionals, including pilots, train operators, truck, bus, taxi and limo drivers about their sleep habits and work performance.")
News Medical

Gardens On Top Of City Buses: This Would Never Work
The Atlantic: Cities

Good News: Cardin-Cochran Amendment Incorporated Into Senate Bill
StreetsBlog DC

GOP Tries To Revive Highway Bill
Politico

How The House And Senate Transportation Bills Changed Overnight
StreetsBlog DC

Intercity Passenger Rail: Implications For Urban, Regional, And National Mobility (102p. PDF)
Texas Transportation Institute

L.A.'s First Pedestrian Plaza Opens Sunday
Curbed LA

MTA's Long-Planned Restoration Of Historic North Hollywood Train Station Set To Begin: After 12 Years Of Stalled Plans, The 1890's-Era Structure Will Be Getting A New Life
North Hollywood Patch
History Of The 119-Year-Old North Hollywood Train Depot Explored ("Through both World War I and World War II, freight trains and Red Car trolleys stopped at Lankershim and Chandler on a daily basis as the community's population exploded.")
North Hollywood Patch

New Transfer Railyard Draws Protest Near Port Of Los Angeles
Southern California Public Radio

Off-Board Fare Payment Using Proof-Of-Payment Verification (129p. PDF)
Transit Cooperative Research Program

Parts Of 405 Freeway To Close At Night For Mulholland Bridge Work
Los Angeles Times

Personal Car Sharing Comes To L.A. ("Personal car sharing comes to Los Angeles on Monday. RelayRides, based in Boston, is expanding a service that allows car owners to rent their vehicles to other licensed drivers by the hour or the day.")
Los Angeles Times

Rail Authority To Accept Fresno-Area Bids Within Weeks
California Watch

Regional Connector F.A.Q. 2: What The Heck Is Going On?
StreetsBlog LA

RTC Announces Installation Of 150 New Solar-Powered Transit Shelters Valley-Wide ("These new transit shelters feature energy-saving LED lighting and solar panels that enable the shelters to power their own illumination without being connected to the local power grid...As a result, these 150 new bus shelters are estimated to save taxpayers about $54,000 a year in energy costs.")
Regional Transportation Commission Of Southern Nevada Press Release

Senate Responds To Massive Support, Adopts Several Important Amendments Into Overall Bill
Transportation For America

Senior Growth Redesigning Roads, Transit
Riverside Press-Enterprise

Smog In Los Angeles Down 85 Percent Since 1970's
Good Human

The Street Of The Future: No Humans Necessary
StreetsBlog

Streetcar Home (1950 Historic photograph of streetcars used as housing in Sun Valley)
Los Angeles Times

Ten Of The Best Urbanism Blogs On Tumblr
This Big City

The USA's 150 Scenic Byways Could Soon Lose Federal Funding
USA Today

Villaraigosa In D.C. Lobbying For Federal Funds
Mar Vista Patch

What Are The Best Alternatives For The 710 Gap Closure?
South Pasadena Patch

What It Takes To Build A Subway (Spectacular subway construction photos)
Architizer

Why Driverless Cars Will Increase Tensions In Cities And Suburbs Alike
The Atlantic: Cities

Work Zone Mobility And Safety Self Assessment: 2011 National Report (36p. PDF)
Federal Highway Administration

Zipcar's Cities Of The Future
The Atlantic: Cities

What are transportation community leaders around the nation tweeting about today? Check out the Metro Library Twitter Daily, our online digest in newspaper format updated every day.

We invite you to visit Metro's The Source, your window to what's happening with agency news, funding and policy issues, and how to get the most out of transit and Los Angeles.