Today's Headlines - more at Metro

6/01/2011

Orange Line, 405 Closure, Grapevine Bullet Train, Leimert Park, L.A. Bicycling History, TIFs vs. RDAs, UCLA FlyAway & More

Bicycling Is For Everyone: The Connections Between Cycling In Developing Countries And Low-Income Cyclists Of Color In The U.S. ("Many of these riders live and/or work in neglected parts of Los Angeles including portions of Westlake/MacArthur Park, Downtown, South LA, Pacoima/Van Nuys, and East LA.")
StreetsBlog LA

California TIFs May Be The New RDAs (As redevelopment agencies face the chopping block in California, new legislation could allow tax increment financing districts to essentially replace them)
Bond Buyer

Caltrans Exhibit Features Archived Images From L.A.'s Bicycling Past ("A new exhibit inside the District 7 headquarters of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) features images—many contributed by L.A. as Subject member archives—of Southern California's bicycling past.")
L.A. As Subject
Caltrans Opens Museum Exhibit "Everyday Bicycling: Gearing Up For Transportation"
Caltrans Press Release

Commuters Will Be The Bellwether For Google Wallet
New Scientist

Countdown To 405 Closure: Mark Calendars For July 16-17
KHTSD

Does Smart Growth Reduce Carbon Emissions? Bet The House On It
("The National Association Of Home Builders would have us believe that development patterns have nothing to do with carbon emissions. But the research paints a dramatically different picture.")
New Urban Network
Can Smart Growth Policies Conserve Energy And Reduce Emissions? (11p. PDF)
Victoria Transport Policy Institute

From Here To There: A Creative Guide To Making Public Transport The Way To Go
EMBARQ
Full-Text Report (29p. PDF : Looks at brand identity, internal communication, user education, user information systems, marketing campaigns, public relations and external communication, user feedback systems and online engagement)

Good, Clean (American) Jobs ("Setting aside the cost of such investments for a moment, can there be a solid marriage between environmentalists, domestic-manufacturing advocates, unions, and the transportation community? Does it make sense for separate coalitions like this to come together to advocate for infrastructure investment?...Can highway maintenance be considered under the "green jobs" banner? Are domestic manufacturers a viable option for developers of high-speed rail or other transit products?")
Natioanl Journal Transportation Blog

The Grapevine: Back In Play As A Bullet Train Route ("Planners had a number of reasons to avoid the Grapevine when it was written out of the project in 2005. But more recently, a route following Interstate 5 has become appealing because of its shorter total distance -- roughly 85 miles -- as compared with two alternatives that would lay about 110 miles of track east of Bakersfield through Mojave and the Antelope Valley into Sylmar.")
Bakersfield Californian

Group Wants Congress To Use "Life-Cycle Budgeting" For Transportation Bill
The Hill

How Do We Build The Best Crenshaw/LAX Line?
CityWatch

Leimert Park Metro Stop's Future Remains Uncertain Following Board Vote
Southern California Public Radio

MTA: Think About Detours During 405 Closure July 16-17
Los Angeles Daily News

New Park Design In Los Angeles: Part One, Exhibition (June 2-8 : Six new Southern California parks make up an exhibit in Hollywood, including the Park 101 freeway cap park and Los Angeles State Historic Park (Cornfield))
Los Angeles Forum For Architecture And Urban Design

No More Play: Conversations On Urban Speculation In Los Angeles And Beyond
KCET

Orange Line Busway Makes Tracks For Chatsworth: Work On The $216-Million Extension From Canoga Park To Chatsworth Passes The Halfway Point
Chatsworth Patch

Pacific Coast Highway Sewer Project To Squeeze Summer Traffic
Los Angeles Times

Putting American Workers And Businesses Back In The Fast Lane (America Fast Forward article coauthored by President/CEO of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce & Executive Secretary/Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor)
Fox & Hounds Daily

Southern California Leaders Commend Bipartisan Support Of America's Transportation Infrastructure: Mobility 21 Officials Highlight Key Provisions To Accelerate Jobs
Business Wire

State Senate Approves Bill Encouraging Transfer Of Ontario Airport Control
Daily Breeze

State's High-Speed Rail Draws Spaniards' Attention
San Francisco Chronicle

Study: Building Roads To Cure Congestion Is An Exercise In Futility
StreetsBlog DC

Transportation Dept. Gets $100 Million For Wireless Apps
Information Week

UCLA Community Proposes Solutions To Save FlyAway Shuttle Service
UCLA Daily Bruin

Visiting Some Great San Francisco Bike Facilities (innovative bike lanes, sharrows, bike boulevards, and "The Wiggle")
L.A. Eco-Village Blog

Wheels Come Off Transport Program: Service Designed for City's Youth Falls Victim To Slow Economy
Burbank Leader

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