Today's Headlines - more at Metro

8/27/2010

Metro TAP, Beverly Hills Tunneling, SoCal HSR Impact, Smart Phone Bike Share, Bus Strike Authorization & More

Bus Drivers Authorize Strike Against L.A. MTA
LA Weekly

Bus Rider's Union Launches Attack On 30/10 In Effort To Fight Fare Hikes
StreetsBlog LA

Californians Dreaming About The Next Metropolis
New Republic

California Legislature Passes Toll Road Privacy Bill: California State Senate And Assembly Pass Legislation Restricting Use Of Motorist Travel Histories Created By Toll Road Agencies
The Newspaper: A Journal Of The Politics Of Driving
Full-Text: Senate Bill 1268 (6p. PDF)

Caltrans Announces Planned 110 Freeway Closures
Pasadena Star-News

Catching The Bus Just Got Harder For Us
Long Beach Press-Telegram

City Agency To Study East Valley Transportation Woes (Pacoima, Panorama City)
San Fernando Valley Business Journal

"Don't Tunnel Under BHHS" Said BHUSD Board Of Ed.
(p. 1, 20 of 48p. PDF)
Beverly Hills Courier

Editorial: MTA And Its Beleaguered Transit Access Pass System: Someday Los Angeles May Have An Efficient Electronic Pass System For Bus And Train Travel. But For Now, The Switch Is Proving To Be A Poorly Planned, Confusing Mess
Los Angeles Times

Grand Avenue Project Faces 2-Year Delay Over Funding: The Developer Of The $3-Billion Hotel, Condo And Retail Development Plans To Request An Extension On Its February 2011 Deadline And May Seek Another If The Economy Doesn't Improve
Los Angeles Times

How The Stimulus Is Changing America
Time

Judge Upholds L.A.'s "Clean Truck" Initiative
Los Angeles Times

Metro Explains How To Open A Door
Blogging LA

NYC Subway Goes Wireless ("In addition to consumer services, the Transit Wireless solution will serve public safety organizations by providing the source of a cell phone’s signal within a station, improving incident response times.")
Mass Transit

Planning For Billion Dollar Project: LA City, County MIA (I-405)
CityWatch

Proposed South Bay Transit Center Near LAX Gets $1.45M Grant ("The transit center will be the connecting hub for two light rail lines - the Green Line and the Crenshaw/LAX Line - buses and a "people mover" to take people into the airport.")
Daily Breeze

Report: SoCal Gets $700 Million Boost From State's High-Speed Rail: The Study Highlights The Positive Impact The Project Will Have On The Region
OC Metro
Full-Text Report: Thinking Ahead: High-Speed Rail In Southern California (31p. PDF)
UC Irvine Institute Of Transportation Studies

[Beverly Hills] Residents Speak About Westside Subway Extension At Board Of Education Meeting (p. 3 of 20p. PDF)
Beverly Hills Weekly

Running Bike-Sharing Networks Through Smart Phones
Grist
Sobi: The Social Bicycle System (video)

Strike May Halt Project (215 widening in San Bernardino County)
San Bernardino Sun

The True Cost Of A Gallon Of Gas
Natural Resources Defense Council On Earth Blog
The Price Of A Gallon Of Gas (video : thought-provoking public service announcement for clean energy and climate legislation)

8/26/2010

"Metro" Turns 50!, Metrolink Settlement, Watts Green Corridor, Moving Around Downtown, Road Data, 6th Street Bridge & More

50th Anniversary Of L.A.'s "Metro Rail"...Say Whaaat?!: Celebrating The 1960 Birth Of Our Modern Rail System (The story behind the birth of "Metro" on August 26, 1960)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

6th Street's Fate Delayed By Environmental Review
(6th Street Viaduct over the Los Angeles River)
Blog Downtown

America Bikes
(A coalition of leaders from the bicycle community advocating for positive outcomes for bicycling in the federal transportation bill)
America Bikes

Amtrak Power And Communication Lines Falter
("While social networking would allow Amtrak to communicate directly with passengers searching their smartphones for answers, Romero said Amtrak's priority is communicating with mass media.")
WTOP

California To Deploy Nation's First Mass Mobile Alert System
Government Technology

Connecting The Dots (Los Angeles' Downtown Peoplemover, Metro's Regional Connector, Broadway's Downtown Streetcar and other proposals throughout history to get people around downtown)
Blog Downtown

Digging History At Broadway Place
Blog Downtown

Found In L.A.: Parking Meter Activism
LAist

Good Question Of The Week: Transfer Penalties
Human Transit

Introduction To Road Data - Part One
("Even more important than visualization is the network aspect of the roads associated with the map data. The underlying map data used to route vehicles are an integral part of any vehicle routing application. The map may impact the visualization part of those applications, but it is even more important when it comes to the networking properties of the map data. Why? Because the algorithms, which determine how to assign stops and how to drive to and sequence stops, are completely dependent on the map's network dataset.")
Directions

LA County Sidewalk Riding: Part 4
LADOT Bike Blog

Metrolink Offers $200-Million Settlement In Chatsworth Rail Disaster: The Offer, Which Matches The Liability Cap Established Under Federal Law For Passenger Train Accidents, May Be Challenged As Inadequate By Victims Of The 2008 Crash
Los Angeles Times

A New "American System"? ("The City of the Angels may be about to give birth to a new version of the "American System" -- the national-state-local transportation partnership that, for over a hundred years, helped propel America into global economic leadership...It will be ironic if the city that gave us the freeway is the same one that shows us the path toward a much-needed new American Plan -- one that gets us Beyond Oil.")
Huffington Post

New Report: Follow The Money For Sustainable Transport
The City Fix
A Paradigm Shift Towards Sustainable Low-Carbon Transport: Financing The Vision ASAP
(66p. PDF)
Institution For Transportation & Development Policy

A New Vision For Transportation In Los Angeles: Improving Infrastructure In Urban Core Communities (Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency and Housing Authority submit application for Tiger II funding for Watts Green Corridor Project)
Natural Resources Defense Council Switchboard Blog

Libertarian Road Trip 2010!
Next American City
Restoring Trust In The Highway Trust Fund (41p. PDF)
Reason Foundation

Opinion: Hate To Say We Told You So...
(Metro turnstiles)
MetroRider LA

Park Smart Pilot Has Cut Traffic In Park Slope, DOT Finds
("NYCDOT's Park Smart program, which raises the price of on-street spaces when demand is highest, has helped more people find parking in Park Slope while relieving the traffic caused by cruising for a space, according to new data released by the agency.")
StreetsBlog NY

Riverside Officials Promoting Greenfield Site For HSR Station
California High Speed Rail Blog

Vista Street Requires More Money For Bike Boulevard (Long Beach)
Gazettes

8/25/2010

Expo Phase I Walk Score, Paratransit & Technology, Incremental BRT Projects, Interactive Pavement Condition Maps, Maglev, Why Our Railways Suck & More


Accused Tagger Arrested For Allegedly Vandalizing Freeway Bridges
Los Angeles Times

Augmented Metropolis
("The architecture of the contemporary city is no longer simply about the physical space of buildings and landscape, more and more it is about the synthetic spaces created by the digital information that we collect, consume and organize; an immersive interface may become as much part of the world we inhabit as the buildings around us.")
Bldg Blog
Augmented City 3D via Vimeo (video)

The ARC Effect: How Better Transit Boosts Home Values And Local Economies
Smart Growth Online
Full-Text Report (12p. PDF)

Calif. Bill Would Protect Privacy Of FasTrak Users
("Drivers who use FasTrak or other automatic systems to pay tolls would enjoy more privacy under a bill passed Monday by the California Assembly.")
Riverside Press-Enterprise

California Transit Association 45th Annual Fall Conference & Expo (San Diego : September 14-15, 2010)
California Transit Association

Capitol Corridor, UP Join Forces On Federal Funds
Railway Age

Confusion Surrounding Bike Lanes In Northridge Exemplifies LADOT's Need For Better Public Outreach
LAist

Evaluating Rail Transit Criticism (74p. PDF : Evaluates criticism of rail transit systems, examines claims that rail transit is ineffective at increasing public transit ridership and improving transportation system performance, that rail transit investments are not cost effective, and that transit is an outdated form of transportation)
Victoria Transport Policy Institute

Expo Phase I's Walk Score
Straight Outta Suburbia

Federal Civil Rights Review Raises Governance Questions At MTC
StreetsBlog SF

From Buses To BRT: Case Studies Of Incremental BRT Projects In North America (110p. PDF)
Mineta Transportation Institute

Google Defeated By Complexity Of L.A. Geography
LA Observed

Interactive Map Shows Where City Roads Need Fixin' ("The 'Pavement Condition Index Map' illustrates the condition of the street pavement across the city, pointing out in a very visual way where the asphalt needs a little TLC...Check out how the team pulled together the information.")
TreeHugger

Is Your Median A Mess? Here's Why
Eastsider LA

Maglev Is For Dreamers, But What's Wrong With Dreaming?: Is Existing Rail System Keeping Best Technology Down?
Baltimore Sun

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa Launches Bike-Safety Program
Los Angeles Daily News

MTA Criticized For Idle $46M Turnstile System
KABC-TV

The Politics Of Mode Choice ("Choice of transportation mode for new transit capital projects is often just as much a reflection of politics as it is a statement of “objective” technological benefits.")
Transport Politic

Positive Train Control Implementation Signals Challenges Ahead
Metro Magazine

Push For 3 Foot Passing Law Finds New Booster
StreetsBlog LA

(Road) Dieting Is Good For You And More Specific Car Dieting Options For The City
Rebuilding Place In The Urban Space

Safety Effectiveness Of the HAWK Pedestrian Crossing Treatment
(80p. PDF)
Federal Highway Administration

States Scramble For Transportation Funding Sources
Fleet Owner

Technology Helps Paratransit Services Go Lean
(4p. PDF)
Metro Magazine

U.S. High-Speed Railway: A Matter Of Cost And Demand
International Business Times

Villaraigosa Unveils Poster: Drivers, Give Cyclists 3 Feet!
LAist

Why Our Railways Suck (In Two Graphs)
Grist

8/24/2010

Boxer On 30/10, Pedestrian Tunnels, Smarter Parking Meters, Shared Corridors Conference & More

Accelerating Transportation Project And Program Delivery: Conception To Completion (104.p. PDF)
U.S. Transportation Research Board National Cooperative Highway Research Program

Barbara Boxer Says Mayor Villaraigosa's Transportation Initiative Should Serve As A National Template
Los Angeles Daily News

Boxer Renews Commitment To Villaraigosa's 30/10 Transit Plan: Facing Attacks On Her Effectiveness From Rival Fiorina, The U.S. Senator Said She Is Working On Getting Congress To Help Make Funds Available For Key Southern California Transportation Projects
Los Angeles Times

A City In The Cloud: Living PlanIT Redefines Cities As Software (Ambitious plan to build a prototype smart, green city in Portugal that can be rolled out worldwide, and to drag the construction industry into the 21st century)
Fast Company

Google Transit Feature: Number Of Stops
Trillium Solutions Blog

High-Speed-Rail Costs Irk States
Wall Street Journal

Impact Of Light Rail Implementation On Labor Market Accessibility: A Transportation Equity Perspective (18p. PDF : Reconnecting America has released a report that examines transit’s role in promoting social equity by exploring impacts of a light rail line on job accessibility among workers of different wage categories)
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute Of Public Affairs, University Of Minnesota via U.S. Transportation Research Board

Increasing Physical Activity Through Community Design: A Guide For Public Health Practitioners And Livable Community Advocates
(60p. PDF)
National Center For Bicycling & Walking

Initiative To Fast-Track Light-Rail Extensions Picks Up Speed
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Is LA Developing Tunnel Vision...Again?
(Los Angeles' 90-year old School Pedestrian Tunnel Program)
CityWatch

It's Official: Eli Broad Will Build His Art Museum Downtown
Los Angeles Times

Koreatown, Little Bangladesh Get Actual Borders
NBC Los Angeles

L.A. Tests High Tech Parking Meters That Message Ticketers When Your Time Is Expired

KTLA

A Methodology For Performance Measurement And Peer Comparison In The Public Transportation Industry (122p. PDF : Explores the use of performance measurement and benchmarking as tools to help identify the strengths and weaknesses of a transit organization, set goals or performance targets, and identify best practices to improve performance)
U.S. Transportation Research Board Transit Cooperative Research Program

MetroFlickr LA: LA Metro Gillig Bus
MetroRider LA

New Report: Better Transportation Means Healthier People
The City Fix

Proposal To Transfer Liability Of Fixing Damaged Sidwalks To Property Owners Draws Anxiety Of Local Residents
Argonaut

Shared Corridors, Shared Interests: ASME/ASCE/IEEE 2011 Joint Rail Conference (Pueblo CO : March 16-18, 2011 : A major, multidisciplinary North American railroad conference encompassing all aspects of rail transportation and engineering research: railroad infrastructure engineering, rail equipment engineering, signal & train control engineering, service quality & operations research, planning and development, safety and security)
American Society Of Mechanical Engineers
Publication Schedule

Showdown Brewing Over Bike Lane
Santa Monica Daily Press

Street Lights Could Go Dim In High Desert Town (The idea to turn off 70% of street lights could save Ridgecrest as much as $130,000)
California Streets

8/23/2010

Metro Turnstiles & TAP, 30/10, HSR & The Governors Race, Sustainable Mobility At The Movies & More

BBB Fares About To Go Up
Santa Monica Daily Press
New Fares Go Into Effect August 29, 2010: Two New Value Passes To Be Introduced!
Big Blue Bus

Bus Movements In San Francisco Animated
(video : fascinating 1-minute film showing every bus location for the entire month of June, 2010)
Flowing Data

California Jobless Rate Remains 12.3% In July
Los Angeles Times

Car-Less And Loving It: City National Plaza Event Looks At Alternate Ways To Get Around Los Angeles
Los Angeles Downtown News

Changing Travel Demands: Implications For Planning (vehicle-miles of travel)
Planetizen

Choosing Right Delivery Method Key To Project Success (p. 2 of 5p. PDF)
Federal Highway Administration Innovator

Do You Have Innovative Smart Growth Projects That Need Funding?
Planetizen

Finland Proposes World's First "Green Highway"
Wired

Has America Lost Its Transportation Mojo?
(Part 1)
AltTransport

HSR And The Governor's Race
California High Speed Rail Blog

L.A. Mayor Pushes Fast Funding Plan For 12 Big Transit Projects
Engineering News-Record

L.A. Program Aims To Make Parking Easier: The Yearlong ExpressPark Program Will Use New Meters And Pavement Sensors To Keep Track Of Parked Vehicles. Eventually, Signs Will Guide Drivers To Empty Spaces In City Garages And Lots
Los Angeles Times

Love This 1918 Los Angeles Map
LA Observed

MTA's $46M System Of Locking Turnstiles Sits Unused, Waiting For Fare Cards To Be Adopted
Los Angeles Daily News

New Evidence Links Sprawl To Parking Minimums
StreetsBlog Network

New Smog-Fighting Tactic Planned For San Bernardino
Riverside Press-Enterprise

A New Way To Pay?
("Are we raising the money and spending the money in ways that reflect how we actually use the highway system? What do we need to consider in the way of costs and benefits that we aren't taking into account now? Or is the highway-specific premise too limiting in a multimodal world -- is this conversation really about finding a more flexible and comprehensive way of paying for transportation?")
National Journal Transportation Blog

An Oil Well On La Cienega? A Bit Unusual: When The Wooden Derrick Was Constructed in 1907, It Was In The Middle Of A Bean Field. After The Boulevard Was Extended in 1930, Motorists Had To Zigzag Around The Well
Los Angeles Times

Opinion: 30/10 Is Too Good To Wait - Congress Needs To Act Now On The Innovative Plan To Fund And Speed Up L.A. Transit Projects
Los Angeles Times

Opinion: High-Speed Rail: Not Much In Other Continent Sized Countries
San Francisco Examiner

Opinion: Rail Agency: What, Me Worry? (High-speed rail)
San Diego Union-Tribune

Pedestrian Safety Will Guide Massive Street Makeover
Wall Street Journal

Planned 110 Freeway Closures Announced
Pasadena Star-News

The Public Hazards Of Privatizing Infrastructure
StreetsBlog Network

Public Private Partnerships, Public Transportation And Jobs For LA
Huffington Post

Rail Authority Stands By Its Ridership Projections
San Jose Mercury News

Reseda Boulevard Bike Lanes Extended, Wilbur Avenue Lanes Questioned
StreetsBlog LA

Residents Complain Of 405 Construction Noise (video)
ABC-7

Sustainable Mobility In The Movies
The City Fix

TransitDataFeeder: Open Source Web-Based GTFS Creation And Maintenance Tool
Trillium Solutions Blog

Transportation Policy's Third Rails ("Planners, bloggers and scholars get so easily lost in jargon and ego-driven wonkiness that they lose sight of the point of debating transportation policy: making moving between the places we live, work, socialize and otherwise operate more affordable, comfortable, simpler and less damaging to our planet's long-term survival.")
High Country News

Walk Score Helps Check Transportation Costs
Daily Breeze