Today's Headlines - more at Metro

10/14/2011

LaHood Leaving, Zarian Passes, Mini-Bus Anniversary, Car Sharing, CicLAvia, Walkable Cities & More

40 Years Ago Today: DASH Debuts as Mini-Bus In Downtown Los Angeles
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

Car Sharing Goes Electric
GOOD

Cargo Surge Takes A Holiday At L.A., Long Beach Ports
Los Angeles Times

Carnahan And LaTourette Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Bolster Transit Service
StreetsBlog DC

Computer Benefits Work For Us (new website launch : "The commuter benefit is an employer-provided federal tax benefit that allows working families to save money on their daily commute, saves businesses of all sizes critical dollars that can be reinvested to create new jobs, helps reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality, saves energy and enhances our national security. However, without immediate Congressional action the future of the transit portion of the commuter benefit, at its current level, is in jeopardy.")

Cost Of California's High-Speed Rail Could Triple According To New Report
Railroad.net

Cuomo Seems To Be Zeroing In On "Surprising" Choice For Next NY MTA Chair
Transportation Nation

Dems Use Amtrak Ridership Numbers In Privatization Fight
The Hill

Ex-Glendale Mayor Larry Zarian Dies At 73 ("[Zarian] served as a member and chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He also was tapped by President Reagan to serve on the National Highway Safety Commission and was appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to the California Transportation Commission.")
Los Angeles Daily News

A Focused Approach To Safety: Guidebook (48p. PDF : "The Federal Highway Administration has developed the Focused Approach to Safety in order to better address the most critical safety challenges by devoting additional attention to high-priority States. The purpose of the Focused Approach is to further decrease the number of fatalities and serious injuries on the Nation's highways through a more targeted delivery of technical assistance and resources.")
Federal Highway Administration

Former Glendale Mayor Larry Zarian Dies Of Cancer: The 73-Year-Old Once Known As "The People's Mayor" Was Active Throughout The Community
Glendale News-Press

For The Love Of Cities: The Love Affair Between People And Their Places
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

GM To Bicyclists: We're Sorry We Offended You
Transportation Nation

LaHood: Communities Should Embrace Next-Gen Bikeway Design Guide
StreetsBlog DC

LaHood To Lawmakers: Pass Transportation Portions Of The Jobs Act
The Hill

Lawmakers File Bill To Give Local Transit Systems Funding "Flexibility"
The Hill

Light Rail Builder Outlaws Sponsored Trips To Asia For Board Members
Downey Beat

The Lost Hills Of Downtown Los Angeles
LA as Subject via KCET

Metrolink CEO John Fenton Talks About Safety Culture (audio interview)
Progressive Railroading

New Roads Post-Storm Make New Orleans Cycling City
Associated Press

Open Letter To Gov. Jerry Brown -- And A Challenge To Meet With L.A. Cyclists
Biking In LA

Operations Transparency: Acting On Public Transportation Data ("Public transit operators need to start implementing operations transparency in order to maximise customer satisfaction and on-time performance."
Computer World (U.K.)

Ray LaHood Rules Out Running For Office After Cabinet Term
Los Angeles Times

Ray LaHood Won't Stay At USDOT Past 2012
StreetsBlog DC

RENEWing LA Through CicLAvia
Huffington Post

Science, Traffic Merge At Convention Center This Weekend
Orlando Sentinel

18th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems: Keeping The Economy Moving
ITS World Congress

Streetcar Serenity ("In some places, streetcar and light rail opponents have now shifted their argument from complaining that the new transit vehicles will be too noisy to complaining that they will be too quiet.")
The Atlantic: Cities

Subway Or Rail Delays Make You Late Again? Wake Up Earlier If Delays Occur On Your Regular Rail, Subway Or Bus Routes!
Travalarm App

"Subway Surfer" Becomes A Mini-Celebrity, Worrying Transit Officials
New York Times

Transpo Committee Dems Submit Deficit-Reduction Ideas To Super Committee
StreetsBlog DC

A Transportation Bill That Freezes Funding Is A Bill That Reduces Funding ("The American Crisis In Transportation Coalition is opposing the latest proposal from Congressman John Mica to freeze transportation spending at current levels in the next surface transportation bill, calling the proposal irresponsible and unresponsibe to the transportation needs of America.")
MarketWatch

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood To Leave Obama Cabinet At End Of President's Term
Washington Post

Transportation Secretary To Leave Post After 2012
Wall Street Journal

Travel Apps Come Top In Consumer Satisfaction League
Tnooz

Why Ranking Cities Can Be Such A Tricky Business
The Atlantic: Cities

Why Walkable Cities Aren't Always The Ones You'd Think
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.

10/13/2011

Blue Line, Infrastructure Bank, Smart Transportation Apps, El Monte, DOTs & HSR, Climate Change & More

Arceo Walk, Small Investment, Big Changes In El Monte
StreetsBlog LA

Can Smart Transportation Apps Curb Greenhouse Gases?
Government Technology
Wireless And The Environment: A Review Of Opportunities And Challenges (71p. PDF)
BSR / CTIA

DOT And The States: Knee-Deep In The Business Of American High-Speed Rail
U.S. DOT Fast Lane Blog

Federal Transportation Funding And Policy Update
Transportation Issues Daily

Flooded Bus Barns And Buckled Rails: Public Transportation And Climate Change Adaptation (128p. PDF)
U.S. Federal Transit Administration

FTA Chooses Crenshaw Line For Federal Fast Track, Will It Lead To Faster Start Date?
StreetsBlog LA

Highway Trust Fund Opposition Loses Talking Point
Politico

House Leader Says Obama Infrastructure Bank Proposal Is "Dead On Arrival"
Washington Post

Jobs Council Pushes I-Bank, Transport Spending
Journal Of Commerce

LaHood: Rail-Trails Are The Best Health Care Program
StreetsBlog DC

La Verne And Industry Swap Transportation Funds For Solar Carport Project
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Las Vegas RTC Launches Tourist-Friendly Website


Los Angeles Daily News

Virgil Village Set To Get A Little Friendlier Toward Non-Drivers
Curbed LA

Will New Infrastructure Funding Survive The Demise Of Obama's Jobs Bill?
StreetsBlog DC

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.


10/12/2011

Crenshaw/LAX, LA History Comes Alive, Farmers Field, High-Speed Rail Funding, 710 Freeway, Transit Funding, Westwood & More

America's Commutes Start Earlier And Last Longer
BBC (U.K.)

Ban Hybrids From The Fast Lane, And Everyone Slows Down
New York Times

California GOP Looks To Pull Back Millions In High-Speed Rail Funding
The Hill

CicLAvia: Where's Next?
StreetsBlog LA

Exposition Park Could Get A Space Shuttle Skyscraper
Curbed LA

Feds To Expedite Approval Time For Crenshaw/LAX Light Rail
Daily Breeze

Freeway Ramps? Longer Trains? Traffic Requests Around Farmers Field Already Adding Up
Blog Downtown

GM To College Students: Stop Pedaling, Start Driving ("GM is trying to convince college students that driving a Buick is hipper than riding a fixie.")
StreetsBlog DC

House To Consider Infrastructure Bank Proposal (House Committee hearing today)
The Hill

Kicking Hybrids Out Of Carpool Lanes Backfires, Slowing Traffic For All
UC Berkeley Newscenter
Dual Influences On Vehicle Speeds In Special-Use Lanes And Policy Implications (25p. PDF)
UC Berkeley Institute Of Transportation Studies

L.A. Parking Lots Facing More City Regulations Under Proposed Law
Los Angeles Daily News

Los Angeles History Comes Alive All Day, All In One Place: Next Week's LA As Subject Annual Archives Bazaar Will Be Largest Ever
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

Obama Shows The Crenshaw Line Some Love, Speeds It Up
Curbed LA

Pavement Finally Hardens: 710 Fwy North At 105 Fwy Reopens
Daily Breeze

Reroute.It Clarifies Cost, Benefits Of Travel Choices ("When choosing between walking, biking, hailing a cab, taking the bus, or driving my own car for trips around town, a new app aims to put the relevant costs and benefits of these choices—to me and to society and the planet—at my fingertips.")
Greater Greater Washington

Transportation Projects Chosen For Federal Fast-Tracking Lean Multi-Modal ("LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has become a champion for federal loan programs because of his zeal to expand transit in his city. The Crenshaw/LAX project is a cornerstone of his efforts and will provide a critical transit connection to the airport. The city has done a good job attracting federal interest and assistance, and the FTA is already helping them shorten the approval time for the project.")
StreetsBlog DC

UCLA's city LAB Presents Two Visions Of A More Urban, Pedestrian-Friendly Westwood
UCLA Daily Bruin

U.S. Neighborhoods Struggle With Health Threats From Traffic Pollution: Government Scientists Are Investigating The Connection Between Air Pollution And An Array Of Health Effects, Including Asthma, Heart Disease And Autism
Scientific American

What Do The NBC Lockout And A Dark Staples Center Mean For Downtown?
Blog Downtown

What The Cycling Movement Can Learn From Occupy Wall Street
StreetsBlog Network

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.

10/11/2011

Orange Line Extension, 710 Freeway, DesertXpress, Road & Bridge Tolls, CAHSR, Transit Open Data, Port Of L.A. & More

About Those Bicycles ("Should the federal government include bike paths and walkways in its national transportation scheme? Are states or cities more appropriate places to create and maintain alternatives to driving? How should government at any level regard cyclists and pedestrians? Are cycling/walking enthusiasts equipped to advocate to policymakers in Washington? How do such alternative forms of transport impact in the larger transportation debate?")
National Journal Transportation Experts Blog

Blissfully Boring Orange Line Extension Should Fulfill Promise To Open In Summer 2012
Curbed LA

California Transit Association's 46th Annual Fall Conference & Expo (November 2-4 : San Jose)
California Transit Association

Car-Sharing Gets Personal
The Atlantic: Cities

City Gains Ground In 710 Freeway Fight: Cedillo Bill Restores City Authority On Surface Highway
La Canada Valley Sun

Congress: Partisanship Hogties Federal Transportation Funding
Planning Report

DesertXpress Hopes For Federal Loan, Aims For 2012 Start On Work
Las Vegas Sun

Drivers Paying More Tolls To Use Roads, Bridges (includes state-by-state interactive infographic)
USA Today

El Monte Transit Village Developers Attracted Few Foreign Investments
Pasadena Star-News

Freeze Sought For California High-Speed Rail Funding
Modesto Bee

How Intersections Now Sense What Will Zoom By ("In Pleasanton, Calif., radar-like sensors can more easily detect bicycle traffic, providing safer crossings for cyclists and motorists.")
Governing

How Open Data Could Make San Francisco Public Transportation Better ("Instead of relying on almost-never-correct schedules, Kicker Studio has come up with an innovative system to use the city's data streams to give up-to-date transit information...Kicker discovered that NextBus--the system that updates riders on when the next bus is coming--runs off schedule data and only allows for four updates per year. That means in the case of any delays--and there are many--predicted arrival times are way off, and MUNI has no central communications system (drivers just write down incident reports and turn them in at the end of the day).")
Fast Company

L.A.'s Citywide Block Party
The Atlantic: Cities

Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator Officially Launches
MarketWatch Press Release

Mica, LaHood To Talk Rebuilding Infrastructure
The Hill

Muni To Put Cameras In Cabs To Enforce Phone Ban ("Muni will be installing video cameras aimed at operators on the Metro rail lines to comply with a new order by the California Public Utilities Commission.")
San Francisco Chronicle

New Carpool Rule Slows Traffic For All
UC Berkeley ITS Transportation Letter

Obama Speeds Southland Light Rail, Wind Energy Projects
Los Angeles Times

Opinion: Former Mayor Calls For Santa Monica Boulevard Subway Alignment ("Former Beverly Hills Mayor Nancy Krasne speaks out against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's proposal to dig a subway tunnel under Beverly Hills High School to reach Constellation Boulevard in Century City.")
Beverly Hills Patch
Westwood-Century City Patch edition (comments differ)

Opinion: L.A. Needs This Jobs Generator: A Railway Port Facility, The Southern California International Gateway, Has Been In Limbo For Far Too Long
Los Angeles Times

Should California Put Hybrids Back In The Carpool Lane?
KQED

Should Metro End Its Red-Light Camera Program?
Plus Metro

TRIS Turns 40: Results Of A 2007 User Satisfaction Survey On The Transportation Research Information Service (60p. PDF)
U.S. Transportation Research Board Circular

UCLA cityLAB Tries To Lift Westwood's Curse
California Planning & Development Report

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.

10/10/2011

Gold Line Foothill Extension, Metro TAP, CicLAvia, Model Street Manual, Infrastructure Bank, Streetcar Appeal & More

The Appeal Of Modern Streetcars Continues To Mount, But There Are Obstacles To It Bringing Mobility Gains
Transport Politic

Brown Vetoes 3 Foot Passing Law
Cyclelicious

Bullet Train's Environmental Benefits Remain Murky
California Watch

CicLAvia: A Car-Free Day In Downtown LA ("For five hours in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, an estimated 130,000 bicycle riders, skateboarders and walkers ruled the road.")
KABC-7

CicLAvia Founders Take Over L.A., Consider San Fernando Valley Route For Bicycle Event
Los Angeles Daily News

CicLAvia Tries To Attract Other Cities ("This time, event organizers will show representatives from six cities how to start their own event.")
Los Angeles Times

Cycling For Everyone (video : The world's cycling experts share their experiences in bike advocacy)
Dutch Cycling Embassy via Vimeo

Cyclists Roll Through Downtown L.A., East Hollywood And More
(CicLAvia)
Los Angeles Times

Does The Elusive Infrastructure Bank Already Exist?
StreetsBlog DC

Gold Line Officials Exempted From State's Conflicting-Offices Law
Los Angeles Times

Let Me Tap, Tap, And Tap With My TAP
Plus Metro

Metrolink Rolls Out 10 New "Bicycle Cars"
Southern California Public Radio

Model Street Manual: A Generic Road Map To Sustainable Transportation Planning
StreetsBlog LA

[New York] MTA Declares More Subway "Holidays ("An MTA pilot program that has declared a slew of historically lower-ridership days -- such as Columbus Day and New Year’s Eve -- “minor holidays” is making its debut, a change that will provide fewer trains on seven lines and an initial savings of $200,000 a year.")
New York Post
National Infrastructure Bank: More Bureaucracy & More Red Tape
(October 12 : live webcast)
U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee

New App Let's Bus Riders Find Nearest Stops
Ventura County Star

Officials Warn Monday Commuters To Avoid The 710 Freeway
Los Angeles Times

SANBAG Seeks Fed Funding For Nationally Significant Project
San Bernardino Sun

San Francisco Bay Area Enacts Sea-Level Rise Policy: Among The First Of Its Kind, The Regulations Will Force Developers To Assess Flooding Risks And To Seek State Approval On Projects
Scientific American

Seeking The Steve Jobs Of Transit
Human Transit

September Jobs Report Emphasizes Need For Infrastructure Jobs
Infrastructurist

Should Seattle Spend Millions To Plan More Streetcars? Proposition 1, A $204 Million Plan To Boost Transit, Street And Bicycle-Pedestrian Funding In Seattle, Might Also Decide Whether The City Makes A Huge Future Investment In Streetcars
Seattle Times

SMART Muni App Designed Over A Weekend
San Francisco Chronicle

South Pasadena To Create 24 Miles Of Bikeways
Los Angeles Times

Supreme Court Allows Pollution Fees On Sprawl To Continue
Natural Resources Defense Council Switchboard Blog

Weather Hurts Attendance At Commute 90067 Event
Westwood-Century City Patch

With Conflict-Law Exemption, Reyes Wants To Rejoin Rail Board
Los Angeles Times

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.