Today's Headlines - more at Metro

9/21/2012

Expo Ridership, Bus vs. Train Riders, LB Bikes, iPhone & Transit, LA Street History, Transit Stations, Parking Day & More

$12 Million Investment Will Bring 2,500 New Bikes To Long Beach, Starting Downtown
Everything Long Beach

Aging, Polluting School Buses Remain On California Roads
California Watch

ARTIC Construction To Begin This Month
OC Metro

Automating The Process For Locating No-Passing Zones Using Georeferencing Data (123p. PDF)
Texas Transportation Institute

City Council Candidates Show No Love For SMO (Airport)
Santa Monica Patch

D.C. Declares Laughable "Transit Revolution" In Los Angeles While Metro Hacks Bus System
LA Weekly

Design & Development Of The LCO-140H Series Hydraulic Hybrid Low Floor Transit Bus (84p. PDF)
FTA BUSolutions Final Technical Report

The Difference Between Bus Riders And Train Riders ("Not all transit riders are the same. New figures out from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority highlight the sometimes glaring differences between the people using buses and trains.")
The Atlantic: Cities

Don't Miss The Bus, Gus: 7 Public Transit Apps (And One Workaround) For iOS 6
Wired

Energy Game Changer: Macro Energy Risks Affecting The Railway In Great Britain (82p. PDF)
U.K. Rail Safety And Standards Board

Expo Line Un-Reasonably Closing In On 2020 Ridership Goals ("Ridership on Phase I doubled since the line’s April opening from 9,000 riders to 20,000 riders. While clearly the current growth rate is not sustainable, the line will not be doubling its ridership every four months, the rapid growth points to Expo shattering ridership projections.")
StreetsBlog LA

Federal OK For High-Speed Rail
Sacramento Bee

High-Speed Rail On Federal Fast Track
San Francisco Chronicle

Interstate 215 Lanes Expected To Open Saturday
North County Times

Los Angeles Librarian Is All Over The Maps ("Glen Creason, map librarian at the downtown Central Library, helps preserve a street-by-street history of Los Angeles.")
Los Angeles Times

Open Transit Design: Why Stations Designed For Non-Transit Users Are Most Successful ("At L.A.’s Gateway Center, for instance, America’s largest intermodal transportation facility links buses, long distance and commuter rail, light rail and the city’s subway system with a 3,000-car park-and-ride facility. Since Gateway Center’s completion in 2000, ridership on all modes of transit has increased from 7,000 people a month to 80,000. By providing a first-class environment for those taking advantage of the city’s expanded transit system, we believe the design of the station helped play a role in getting car-centric Angelenos to embrace transit, and buck the notion that public transit was not for everyone.")
Planetizen

Operations Guide To Improving Highway Capacity (4p. PDF)
Strategic Highway Research Program

Park(ing) Day (is today! : "PARK(ing) Day is an annual worldwide event where artists, designers and citizens transform metered parking spots into temporary public parks." Last year, 975 parks were created in 162 cities around the world)
Parking Day

President Obama Plans To Streamline HSR Approvals
California High Speed Rail Blog

Raising The Political Stakes, Schiff Seeks A Halt To 710 Tunnel Study
La Cañada Valley Sun

Safe Routes To School And Traffic Pollution: Get Children Moving And Reduce Exposure To Unhealthy Air (50p. PDF)
Safe Routes To School National Partnership

Transit Union Targets Swing State Riders In Voter Turnout Effort
Huffington Post

Want Healthier Seniors? Give Them Bus Passes
The Atlantic: Cities

Watch For Cell Phone Snatchers While Riding Trains, Buses
SCV News

A Whale Of A Bridge Emerges Over The 210 Fwy In Arcadia
Pasadena Independent


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

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

9/20/2012

Expo & USC Football, HSR, Measure J, 710, Amtrak, Carmageddon II, Bikes, WiFi & More

710 Tunnel Could Be Health Hazard
La Cañada Valley Sun

KGO San Francisco

Transportation Nation

Apple's iPhone Update Leaves Out Google Maps ("Some have found that searches for an in-town destination can pull up an entirely different city, and there is no built-in information about public transportation.")
New York Times

Zev Yaroslavsky, Los Angeles County Supervisor, Third District

California High Speed Rail Segment Receives Federal Approval
Reuters

Carmageddon Is Coming! ("As Brazil, China and India grow, cars follow -- and so does traffic. Are we doomed to nightmare commutes?")
Salon

Culver City Police: Expo Line Sept. 22 USC Football Game Parking Alert ("The Culver City Police Department is advising anyone using the Expo Line to get to Saturday’s game at the Coliseum to arrive early at the Culver City Expo line parking lot.")
Culver City Patch

Ditch Your Car This Week! We Double-Dog Dare You
Grist

Downtown One Of Four LA Neighborhoods To Receive Bike Share Program
Blog Downtown

Editorial: Time Out On Stadium -- Public Needs More Information Before Crawling Into Bed With New AEG Boss...Whoever That Is
Los Angeles Daily News

El Sereno Collective Wants To Transform Abandoned Caltrans Bungalows Into Arts & Community Center
Eastsider LA

Feds Approve First Leg Of Calif. High-Speed Rail
Associated Press

Fewer Americans Commuting Solo
USA Today

Future Of East County Bus System In Transit ("With discussions underway between Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Camarillo and Simi Valley about how to improve intercity bus travel, the biggest question becomes “Who is going to pay for it?”)
Thousand Oaks Acorn

Government Social Network Could Replace Emails, Phone Calls
Government Technology

Grand And Olive Set To Receive Bike Lanes
LADOT Bike Blog

Introducing, The Measure J Page
StreetsBlog LA

iOS6 Maps Comes Without Transit Directions, A Wrong Turn For Apple And iPhone Users
Huffington Post

LA Taxi Fares Are The Third Most Expensive In The World
Curbed LA
The World's Most Expensive Cabs
The Atlantic: Cities

League Of American Bicyclists Introduces "Diamond" Bike-Friendly Status
StreetsBlog Network
Beyond Platinum: Creating World-Class Biking Cities In The U.S.
League Of American Cyclists
Bike-Friendly America Program

Liberate Yourself From Costly Highway Expansion, State DOT! Here's How
StreetsBlog DC

Long Beach Box Traffic Rises But Falls In Los Angeles
Port Technology

Major Rail Program At L.A.-Area Ports Reviewed At AREMA Conference
Progressive Railroading

Mapped: Subway Stations With Wifi ("New Yorkers will have to wait until 2016 for Wi-Fi in all underground subway stations — putting it years behind other American cities like San Francisco, Boston and Chicago as well as international cities like Singapore and Hong Kong.")
New Tech City

Metro Gold Line Hosts Public Meetings On Environmental Impact Report
Pasadena Star-News

O.C.'s "Grand Central" Set For $188 Million Construction ("Actual construction is set to begin later this month on a 67,000-square-foot, three-story terminal building that will redefine the skyline between Honda Center and Angel Stadium. ARTIC stands for Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center.")
Orange County Register

OCTA Breaks Ground On $184M ARTIC Project
Metro Magazine

Outcry Against 710 Tunnel Plan For Southern California
Asbarez

Parking And Recreation: The Future Of Not Circling For A Spot
The Atlantic

Sale Of AEG Throws Curve Into Quest To Bring NFL Back To L.A. ("Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa says planned football stadium remains on track. But officials say new owners could seek different financial agreements.")
Los Angeles Times

Shuttle Endeavour Flyover Could Jam L.A. Freeways
Los Angeles Times

Street Fighting Man ("In this, the land of cars, all roads lead to Aram Sahakian. With one false move, one slight miscalculation, he could bring L.A.’s traffic to a hellish halt. There are plenty of powerful jobs in Los Angeles government, but even the mayor takes a back seat to this street-smart guy when it comes to keeping the city moving.")
Zev Yaroslavsky, Los Angeles County Supervisor, Third District

Two Road Projects Will Get An Infusion Of Leftover Funds
Riverside Press-Enterprise

USA Today: Homebuilders Pass On Garages, Build Front Porches
StreetsBlog DC

Van Nuys FlyAway Will Host Dance, Music Performance This Weekend
Los Angeles Daily News


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

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

9/19/2012

ExpressLanes, East SFV Transit Corridor, Gas Tax, Private Transit, Amtrak, Sidewalks, BH Bike Share, Streetcar Zoning & More


September 19: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (The 7th Street Viaduct opens linking downtown to Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

Amtrak California Continues Posting Ridership Gains
California High Speed Rail Blog

An Alarmingly Strong Link Between Lack Of Walkability And Diabetes
The Atlantic: Cities

Anaheim, OCTA Break Ground On $184M Multimodal Transportation Facility
Better Roads

Angelenos Have Lots To Say About Broken Sidewalks, Untrimmed Trees
Los Angeles Times

Beverly Hills Pursues Bike Sharing Program
Beverly Hills Patch

The Gas Tax Is Running Low, But What Should Replace It? ("The problem is twofold: First, the tax has failed to keep up with the rising cost of highway construction and repair. And second, improved fuel economy and the rise of hybrid and electric vehicles means that more driving won't be matched by higher gasoline sales, and that how much people pay for the roads won't necessarily reflect how much they use them.")
Wall Street Journal

Harbor (110) Freeway ExpressLanes To Open Nov. 10
Daily Breeze

Hidden Transit: How Companies Are Going The Last Mile ("Employers and building owners/managers taking responsibility for providing transit service to their employees, tenants, or customers. The data providers who track transit service often do not recognize that these privately provided services even exist, but once one starts looking for such "hidden transit," it begins to appear across the country, in urban, suburban, and rural locations. And it is helping people get access to jobs, personal services, and shopping.")
Urban Land

L.A.'s First Toll Lanes To Open Nov. 10 On 110 Freeway
Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles City Council Names Intersection For Ray Bradbury
Los Angeles Daily News

Mass Transit Announces Its Top 40 Under 40 List ("Honors under-40 professionals who have contributed to the transit industry.")
Mass Transit

Metro To Hold Community Meetings ("You are invited to a series of community meetings for the East San Fernando Valley Transit Corridor Project.")
Van Nuys News Press

MTA Staff Reiterates Its Backing Of CBS For Advertising Contract
Los Angeles Times

OCTA Planning To Raise Bus Fare, Further Showing What A Joke It's Always Been And Will Be
OC Weekly

Planning A Streetcar? Get The Zoning Right
StreetsBlog Network
Don't Forget The Zoning
The Transport Politic

Public Interest Group Makes Progress In Case Against Transit Patent Troll
StreetsBlog DC

Redevelopment In California: The Program That Disappeared
Stateline

The Slow Death Of Federal Transportation Funding
Fleet Owner

Traffic Control Center Ready For "Carmageddon 2"
KABC Los Angeles

Transit Group: Public Transportation Ridership Increases Tied To US Economy
The Hill

Washington, D.C.: New Network Maps, With Frequency!
Human Transit

"We'd Rather Work On Our Fixies": Cars Fade Into The Background
StreetsBlog DC

Will MAP-21 Require Thousands More Dangerous Stroads?
StreetsBlog DC


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

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

9/18/2012

Measure J, MAP-21, Carmageddon II, Gold Line Bridge, 710, 405 Carpools & More

2 Different Ways To Cut Driving By 1/5
The Atlantic: Cities

5 Reasons To Vote Yes On Transportation Measure J
CityWatch

AASHTO Head Pleads For Adequate Funding Levels For MAP-21
The Trucker

Aggregating VMT Within Predefined Geographic Zones By Cellular Assignment: A Non-GPS-Based Approach To Mileage-Based Road Use Charging
 (link to full-text report)
University Of Minnesota Center For Transportation Studies

California Agencies Get Millions In Federal Grants For Cleaner Buses
Los Angeles Times

Closure Of Nation's Busiest Freeway Drives "Carmageddon II" Fears In Los Angeles
NBC News

Data Needs For Assessing Rural Transit Needs, Benefits, And Levels Of Service (55p. PDF)
National Cooperative Highway Research Program

The Day The Streetcars (Almost) Died ("It was 30 years ago today, September 17, 1982, that surface streetcars on Market Street [San Francisco] were supposed to roll into history forever.")
Market Street Railway

Gold Line Bridge Over 210 Shows Design Elements, Beacon Media Gets A Peek At The Progress
Arcadia Weekly

Here's Your Chance To Influence MAP-21's Implementation
StreetsBlog DC

How Important Is Airport Transit Access?
Slate

Inside The Secret Program To Build The World's Best Maps
The Atlantic: Cities

Laser Bike Light Creates Your Own Tron-Like Virtual Lane
Gizmodo

Metro SR-710 Study Community Meeting
Boulevard Sentinel

OCTA Panel Denies I-405 Toll Lanes
Orange County Register

Private Developer Interested In Building North Texas Commuter Rail Line
Forth Worth Star-Telegram

Pro Walknomics/Pro Bikenomics
StreetsBlog LA

Procurement Of Airport Development And Planning Contracts (46p. PDF)
Airport Cooperative Research Program Legal Research Digest

Public Meetings To Discus Impact Of Gold Line Extension ("The draft environmental impact report for the Gold Line Foothill Extension from Azusa to Montclair will be available for public review at two upcoming meetings.")
Claremont-LaVerne Patch

Public Transportation Ridership Up For Sixth Straight Quarter
Progressive Railroading

Rail-Volution 2012: Early Registration Ends Soon (Register early by September 24 for "Building Livable Communities With Transit, October 14-17, 2012, Los Angeles, California.")
Planetizen
Rail-Volution Website

Spinlister: Bikesharing By The People, For The People
GOOD

Study: 10% More Smart Growth = 20% Less Driving
StreetsBlog DC

Valley Freeway Lanes And Ramps Close For $140M Carpool Lane Project
Los Angeles Daily News

Women's Summit A Huge Success
League Of American Bicyclists


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

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

9/17/2012

Bike Share, Amtrak, 710, Crenshaw Blvd, MAP-21, Sidewalks, CicLAvia, Farmers Field & More

September 17: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (After more than half a century, the most successful streetcar line taking Angelenos to the ocean comes to an end)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

405 Freeway Connector Closes For 55 Hours
Los Alamitos-Seal Beach Patch

After 10 Hour Hearing, Downtown NFL Stadium Moves Ahead To Final Approvals (roundup of stadium approval news)
Curbed LA

Amtrak Reports Record Ridership, But Not In SoCal
North County Times

Approval Process for Farmers Field Continues Despite A Legal Challenge
KPCC Southern California Public Radio

Are "Veloways" The Future Of Cycling?
Crikey

Bike-Share And Bike Lanes: The Chicken And Egg Debate
StreetsBlog Network

Carmageddon Now A Big Bike Weekend
StreetsBlog LA

Chavez Ravine: Community To Controversial Real Estate (Numerous historic photographs tell the unique story of the area encompassing Dodger Stadium and Elysian Park)
LA as Subject via KCET

Cities Take Different Routes On 710 Freeway: San Marino Renews Support For Extension While Its Neighbors Grapple With Tunnel Option
Pasadena Sun

Clean Fuels Transit Grants Mean More Sustainable, Reliable Rides
U.S. DOT Fast Lane Blog

Crenshaw Boulevard Comes To A Crossroads ("Optimism and anxiety travel along its route, as a revived rail service push and an auto-free younger generation herald changes for one close-knit community." Part of an ongoing series about Los Angeles' iconic boulevards written by architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne)
Los Angeles Times

Editorial: O.C. Cities Balk At More Toll Lanes On I-405
Orange County Register

Gold Line Bridge Prompts Additional 210 Freeway Closures In Arcadia
Pasadena Star-News

Group Wants AEG To Pay $60M For Affordable Housing Near Proposed Downtown NFL Stadium
Los Angeles Daily News

House Passes Continuing Resolution Without MAP-21 Spending Levels
AASHTO Journal

Infrastructure Banks As Back Up? ("Is there a broader role the federal government can take in fostering innovative financing like these funds? If so, how? What more can states do? Or is this barking up the wrong tree?")
National Journal Transportation Experts Blog

L.A.'s Transit Revolution: How A Ballot Initiative, A Visionary Mayor, And A Quest For Growth Are Turning Los Angeles Into America's Next Great Mass-Transit City ("The most recent American Community Survey showed a 10.7 percent increase in the share of the metro area’s population that relies on mass transit to get to work, matched with a 3.6 percent increase in driving. And that’s before several of the key Metro projects have been completed or the waning of the recession can drive new transit-oriented development.")
Slate

Metrolink Hires Michael P. DePallo As New Chief Executive
Los Angeles Daily News

Metrolink Looks To The East Coast For New CEO
KPCC Southern California Public Radio

Metrolink Marks First Test Of Positive Train Control System
Progressive Railroading

Officials Pleased With Early Desert-To-Riverside Bus Route
Riverside Press-Enterprise

Planning Commission Approves AEG's Proposed NFL Stadium In Downtown Los Angeles ("AEG was asked by the Planning Commission to increase funding for local parks, modernize a tunnel along Pico Boulevard, and hire a high-profile architect to design the two stadium garages that will be visible from the freeways, among other requests.")
Los Angeles Daily News

The Problem Of Fixing LA: Sidewalk Repair Is A Classic Example Of Dysfunction As A City
CityWatch

Red Tape A Stubborn Obstacle To Sidewalk Repair ("Peter Griswold wants volunteers to report broken concrete in lieu of a $10-million survey, but officials are wary.")
Los Angeles Times

Redone El Monte Bus Station Opens October 14
Curbed LA

Relay Rides: The Airbnb Of Transportation
Gadling
Relay Rides: How It Works (video)
via Vimeo

Santa Monica Council Won't Change Bus Ad Policy, Despite Non-Profit Protest
Santa Monica Lookout

Santa Monica Mayor Calls For Review Of BBB's Advertisement Policy
Santa Monica Mirror

SF Car Sharing Revs Up But Hits Bumps
San Francisco Chronicle

Taxes Show One Way To Save Fuel (Proposes that gas taxes change driver behavior far more than fuel-efficiency standards)
New York Times

Tour Red-Line Adjacent Part Two Of Civic Center's Grand Park
Curbed LA

UCLA Alum's Study Finds Excessive Traffic Noise Can Negatively Impact Health ("A study by UCLA alum Alexander Schaffer says commuters who use the Los Angeles train system often can have health problems later in life.")
UCLA Daily Bruin

Veteran New York Area Transit Leader To Head Metrolink ("Metrolink names Michael DePallo chief executive of the commuter rail line that is still dealing with the aftermath of the deadly 2008 Chatsworth crash. He replaces John Fenton, who left in May.")
Los Angeles Times

Walk, Parade, Jump Rope, Perform And More With Us At CicLAvia On October 7! ("Strollers wanted! Performers and artists needed! Volunteers and crafty friends, too!")
Los Angeles Walks

What Would Happen If Washington Cuts Transpo Funding 35%?
StreetsBlog DC


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

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