Today's Headlines - more at Metro

12/09/2011

SCAG Plan, Transportation Bill, High-Speed Rail, Complete Streets, ONT Airport & More

An Agency Guide To Overcoming Unique Challenges To Localized Congestion Reduction Projects (67p. PDF)
Federal Highway Administration

Bipartisan Coalition Urges Obama To Support Six-Year Transportation Bill
Progressive Railroading

California's High-Speed Retreat From High-Speed Rail
CityWatch

City May Join Effort For Local Control Of ONT
Riverside Press-Enterprise

City Passes Plan To Start Un-Paving And Spiffing The LA River
Curbed LA

Combating The Myth That Complete Streets Are Too Expensive
StreetsBlog DC

Council OKs Plan To Revive Riverfront
Los Angeles Daily News

Downtown History: The Big Life Of Prudent Beaudry -- Remembering An Early Mayor And Major Landowner Of Downtown ("Beaudry was also involved in the Second Street Cable Railway Company, which provided cable car service for the outlying community of Angelino Heights, connecting it with Downtown.")
Los Angeles Downtown News

Farmers Field Traffic Congestion Could Be Stemmed With Mass Transit Tickets
Huffington Post

FHWA Transportation And Civil Rights Symposium Keeps An Important Conversation Going
U.S. DOT Fast Lane Program

Get There For Free With Metro's Holiday Fares
Everything Long Beach

HopStop Data Reveals Top Urban Travel Trends
(infographic)
Hop Stop

In London, Riding The Underground Turns Into A Game
GOOD

Is There A Secret $50 Billion To Fund Transportation Bill?
Transportation Issues Daily

LaHood Seeks Federal Texting-While-Driving Ban
USA Today

Las Vegas Monorail Serves 50 Millionth Rider
Progressive Railroading

Margo And Hall Join School Board, Goldberg Assumes Board Presidency ("Top 12 goals for the coming year" include "Stop the Metropolitan Transportation Authority from tunneling under BHHS as part of the Westside Subway Extension, even if that means stopping the subway from being built.")
Beverly Hills Patch

Pasadena Moves To End Red Light Camera Program
Pasadena Star-News

Pomona's 71 Freeway/Mission Blvd. Interchange Is Fully Open
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Public Transportation Ridership Continues To Grow; Agencies Continue To Raise Fares And Cut Service ("Alexander in Los Angeles described to us how cuts have affected him.")
Transportation For America

Senate Republicans Suggest Ways To Fill $12 Billion Gap In Highway Bill
Land Line

So. Cal Approves Transportation/Sustainability Plan ("The Regional Council of the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) unanimously approved the release of its Draft 2012-2035 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS) for public review and comment. The draft presents a long-term strategic investment plan for transportation and housing through 2035.")
Metro Magazine

Teamwork In U.S. Railroad Operations (136p. PDF)
U.S. Transportation Research Board Circular

University Avenue To Trousdale Parkway: A Brief History (video : brief history of street adjacent to USC featuring "then and now" photographs)
KCET via YouTube

USB Sticks Lost By Railway Commuters Are Unencrypted And Often Infected
IT World

Why We Should Consider A Per-Mile Road Tax
CNN

Would Roads Be Safer And Greener Without Red Lights?
GOOD

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.

12/08/2011

Expo's Neighbors, Metro & Occupy, Transit Benefit, Transpo Bill, Bike Snobs, People Mover History & More

40 Years Ago: $420 Million Transit Plan Proposed To Link Downtown And LAX
Blog Downtown

Are Urban Bicyclists Just Elite Snobs?: As Cycling's Popularity Rises, The Cyclists Are Despised. If Riders Want To Change Cities, They Need A New Attitude
Salon

As The High-Speed Rail Debate Rages On, Stanford Historian Becomes Big Critic
KQED

At $100 Billion, Californians Have 2d Thoughts About High-Cost, High-Speed Rail
Investors Business Daily

Bipartisan House Group Pushes Six-Year Transportation Bill
The Hill

Climate Change Is Adding A Premium To Infrastructure Costs
American Public Media Marketplace

Copper Thefts Around Tracks Bedevil BART Officials
San Francisco Chronicle

Expo Line Neighbors Worried About Peeping Riders
Curbed LA

Fare Hikes Probably To Cover Part Of [D.C.] Metro's $120 Million Gap
Greater Greater Washington

It's "Deja Vu All Over Again" -- Transit Benefit To Be Cut In Half At The End Of The Year
Transportation For America

LAUSD Superintendent Asks Board To File Suit Blocking Transportation Cuts
Daily Breeze

Long Beach Council Doesn't Back Anti-Railyard Resolution, Seeks More Info
Long Beach Press-Telegram

Metro And The Occupy L.A. Eviction
StreetsBlog LA

My First Ride On The Metro Gold Line To Los Angeles Union Station
Yahoo Voices

O.C.-L.A. 3rd In U.S. Job Growth In October
Orange County Register

OMB: Senate Seeking Too Much Highway Money To Fund Transportation Bill
StreetsBlog DC

Privacy Screens?: Newest Attempt To Snare Expo Gains Key Ally
StreetsBlog LA

Public-Private Partnerships Won't Solve New York's Transpo Funding Crisis
StreetsBlog

Requiem For A Train. High-Speed Rail Is Dead In America. Should We Mourn It?
Slate

Ridership Up On Mass Transit Shows More People Are Working
USA Today

Spinlister: Peer-To-Peer Bike Sharing Gets Rolling
Fast Company Exist

Transit Village Legal Issues Mount: Lawsuit, Restraining Orders Filed Against Former Executives
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Union, Transit Groups Call For Extension Of Commuter Benefits
The Hill

What City Has The Best Public Transportation?: The Community Answers
GOOD

Whatever Happened To The Downtown People Mover? (Look at proposed systems in Miami, Detroit and Jacksonville)
The Atlantic: Cities

The World's 10 Best Transit Poems
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.

12/07/2011

Expo Phase II, LA's Embrace Of Transit, WeHo Bike Lanes, OC Toll Lanes, Transit For Retail & More

Are America's Subways And Roads Overpriced?
Washington Post

Are Toll Lanes The Answer To Traffic Congestion?: The Orange County Transportation Authority Board Held A Special Meeting To Discuss Policy At A Time When Toll Proposals Are Spreading In The Region
Orange County Register

Bike Garages Hit Los Angeles Area
Bike Radar

Council Considers Adding Bike Lanes To Weh0's Major Streets: Bicycle Task Force Recommends Adoption Of Bike Lanes On Fountain Avenue, San Vicente and Santa Monica Boulevards
West Hollywood Patch

Editorial: Public Supports Do-Over On Rail Question
Los Angeles Daily News

Experts Struggle To Express Direness Of Infrastructure Problem To A Wary Public
Washington Post

The Future Of Cities? An Unusual Way Of Untangling Gridlock (video interview with New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan)
MSNBC

Good News For Bikes In Expo Phase II
StreetsBlog LA

High-Speed Rail Has A Bad Day
Politico

Imagine: Rapid Transit From Sherman Oaks To Lakeview Terrace ("Metro is considering a Rapidway project running between Ventura Boulevard and Lakeview Terrace, via light rail, streetcar or bus.")
Sherman Oaks Patch

It's Time To Meet 21st Century Realities With 21st Century Rail
U.S. DOT Fast Lane Blog

LaHood Defends High-Speed Rail Program At House Hearing
StreetsBlog DC

LaHood Squares Off With Critics Of High-Speed Rail
The Hill

Manhattan Beach Examines Trolley Plan
Daily Breeze

Mass Appeal: LA's New Embrace Of Public Transit ("A new survey of Southern California voters sponsored by Move LA, Natural Resources Defense Council and the American Lung Association in CA found that 80% of respondents supported local government expanding public transit — which includes trains, buses and light rail.")
CityWatch

New AASHTO President Says Innovation Must Pave The Way During Lean Times (video)
AASHTO via YouTube

Southbound 405 To Close For Freeway Widening Project: According To Metro, Lanes Will Start Closing at 10P.M. From Dec. 6-8 And Dec. 13

Swedish Group Offers Insurance For Public Transit Scofflaws ("Planka.nu (which roughly translates to "free ride now") has been offering a $15 a month insurance plan that will pay the $175 fine for any policyholders who get caught not having paid their fare. Planka.nu has commuters' best interests at heart: they think public transit should be free. Swedish authorities beg to differ and have spent millions to replace those turnstiles with hop-resistant glass panels.")
The Atlantic: Cities

Track Work Curtails Some Metrolink, Amtrak Trains This Weekend ("Heads up for those thinking about hopping on a train this weekend to go Christmas shopping in Orange and San Diego counties.")
Los Angeles Times

Transit Tax Break To Be Sliced As Parking Tax Break Increases
California Streets Blog

Transportation Forecast ("As both parties hone their job-creation messages, transportation infrastructure spending has emerged as a key area ripe for action. But how to pay for much-needed projects as gas tax receipts dwindle remains a bone of contention.")
Politico

Urban Retailers Call For More Transit, Less Parking ("The nation’s top retailers agreed that the need for mass transportation is beginning to outweigh the need for traditional parking design, according to speakers during day two of the International Council of Shopping Centers’ 2011 New York National Conference & Deal Making event.")
Globe St.

Was Ridesharing Ignored In The Senate Transportation 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.

12/06/2011

Expo Testing, Metro TAP, CA HSR Poll, Infrastructure Banks, 1921 L.A. Information Men, Calif. Greenhouse Gases & More

90 Years Ago Today: Los Angeles Railway Rolls Out "Information Men" Public Service
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

Announcing The 2012 TED Prize Winner: The City 2.0
TED Prize

As Washington Drags Its Feet, States Take The Lead On Mileage Fees
StreetsBlog DC

Calif. Takes Big Step Toward Greenhouse Gas Limits (First of two parts)
NPR

Development Of An Integrated Adaptive Transit Signal Priority (ATSP) And Dynamic Passenger Information (DPI) System (124p. PDF)
Caltrans

Earphones Are Cited In Many Railroad Deaths
Pittsburgh Tribune
Foreigners Want America's Public Assets ("It seems like foreign governments and corporations are craving U.S. public assets like toll roads, electrical grids and railways. In the case of our largest creditor, the Chinese government, they don’t want any more U.S. Treasuries, but they do want to own the hard assets that comprise our nation’s infrastructure.")
Reuters

Four Cities That Need Congestion Pricing ("People often come to Los Angeles and shake their head solemnly at the effect that urban sprawl has had on the environment and low-income residents. They have obviously never been to Delhi.")
This Big City

Green Bike Lanes In Los Angeles: City Officials Waste $15K On Premature Paint Job
LA Weekly

A Guidebook For Sustainability Performance Measurement For Transportation Agencies
(203p. PDF)
National Cooperative Highway Research Program

High-Speed Rail Looking More Uncertain
KALW Crosscurrents

Infrastructure Banks Explained: A Common State Tool Gets Mixed Marks
Stateline

LaHood To Testify Before House Panel On Rail
The Hill

Metro Expo Line Begins Testing Trains Ahead Of Expected 2012 Opening
Southern California Public Radio

Metro's TAP System Moving Forward, But Some Snafus Remain For Bus Riders
StreetsBlog LA

Plan To Drill For Transportation Funding Is Full Of Holes
Natural Resources Defense Council Switchboard Blog

The Smart Growth Priority Advocates Are Forgetting
The Atlantic: Cities

State Sues Alleged "Palm Rustlers": State Seeks Damages To Replace Stolen Palms That Belong To Taxpayers ("The state of California has filed a civil suit against a ring of alleged “palm rustlers,” that it claims stole palm trees from public land along the Santa Monica Freeway.")
NBC Los Angeles

State Voters Would Now Reject High-Speed Rail Project, Poll Shows ("64% of those surveyed want another vote on the $98-billion project and that 59% would oppose it if another vote were taken.")
Los Angeles Times

Widening Project Prompts Overnight Freeway Closures In San Fernando Valley
CBS Los Angeles

Wireless Internet Now Aboard California Amtrak Trains
KCET

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.

12/05/2011

Union Station Plan, Transpo Reauthorization, Transit & Terrorism, Smart Growth, Reframing Planning, Buy American & More

After Tolls Rise, Less Traffic And More Train Riders Into Manhattan
New York Times

Another Delay: Will There Ever Be A New Reauthorization?
StreetsBlog DC

The Best Smart Growth Plans In America
The Atlantic: Cities

Bicycle Plan Considered For Malibu
Malibu Times

Buy America House Bill Could Boost American Businesses That Build Transportation Components
Transportation For America

California High-Speed Rail Authority Spends Millions To Polish Image
Sacramento Bee

Cooperation Asked For Spring Street Bike Lane Touch Up
Blog Downtown

Dems Want "Buy America" Provisions In Highway Bill
The Hill

Eyes On The Street: Green Light For Bikes In Santa Monica
StreetsBlog LA

FHWA Cuts Red Tape, Frees State DOTs To Deploy Innovative Solutions
AASHTO Press Release

For Transit Agencies, Terrorists Are Moving Targets: Riders' Eyes And Ears Among Most Critical Defenses For Rail Systems
In Transition

From Our L.A. Examiner Collection: Photos Of Past L.A.-Area Wind Damage
USC Libraries

Happy Critical Infrastructure Protection Month (includes link to White House proclamation)
Transportation Nation

High-Speed Rail Authority Spending Millions On PR
San Francisco Chronicle

House Pushes Highway And Transit Reauthorization Bill Back To 2012
AASHTO Journal

House, Senate Not Likely To Agree On Long-Term Transportation Bill This Year
National League Of Cities

Is Smarter Transportation A Slippery Slope To Public Transit?
Digital Communities

L.A. Faces $72-Million Shortfall: Officials Call For Cuts To Police, City Attorney's Office, Street Services, And Elsewhere. The Costs Of Cleaning Up After Windstorms And The Occupy L.A. Encampment Could Add To The Red Ink
Los Angeles Times

LADOT: Building A Bus Only Lane Isn't As Easy As It Sounds
StreetsBlog LA

Land Use Panel To Suggest Changes For Area Around Union Station
Blog Downtown
Advisory Services Panel --Union Station, Los Angeles (December 4-9)
Urban Land Institute

A New Challenge For This Politician (Retinitis pigmentosa is slowly robbing Ventura Mayor Bill Fulton of his sight. In a few months he will move to Washington, D.C., where he has a nephew with the affliction and where the mass transit system will allow him to lead a normal live without driving)
Los Angeles Times

New Understanding Of Pricing Impacts On Travel
Planetizen

NY MTA Wants Apps On Getting Around, But Key Data Still Hidden
Transportation Nation

Older People Are A Larger Portion Of U.S. Population (Elderly people are now a greater portion of the population than at any time since the government began keeping track, with those age 65 and older rising to 13 percent of the population over the past decade)
New York Times

Opinion: Here Comes Our Stuff -- But How It Gets To The Dock And Beyond Should Concern Californians
Sacramento Bee

Reframing The Planning Discussion (Robin Rather, CEO of Collective Strength, speaks about how planners can build support for planning in their communities and counter critics)
American Planning Association

The Transportation Planning Rule Every City Should Reform
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.