Gold Line Bridge, LA Bike Share, Social Media, Measure J, Cornfield, Hollywood Boulevard & More

The Los Angeles Transportation Headlines will be taking a holiday break next week. 

We return on Wednesday, January 2, 2013.  

Happy Holidays from the Metro Library and Archive staff!

Santa Claus and "Miss Dreamliner" Sharon Girot welcome new and modern 

Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority buses, December 15,1959.  

Click here to enlarge image. 

More information can be found in the January, 1960 issue of The Emblem, 

the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority employee news magazine.

9 Technologies For Building The "Road Of The Future"
The Atlantic: Cities

The 12 Best Things To Happen To L.A. Pedestrians In 2012
Los Angeles Walks

2012's Year In Maps
The Atlantic: Cities

Behind The Signs: A Look At The DOT Sign Shop (video : "There are more than two million signs in New York City. Ever wonder where they come from?")
NYC DOT via YouTube

The Best And Worst Times To Be At LAX: 2.24M Holiday Travelers Expected
KPCC Southern California Public Radio

Bike Nation Announces Nine Kiosks For First Rollout Of Los Angeles Bike Share In April 2013
StreetsBlog LA

Bike-Share Company Plans To Start In Downtown L.A. This April
Los Angeles Times

Bike Stations To Spring Up In Downtown Los Angeles, Long Beach
Long Beach Press-Telegram

Costs Balloon For Repair Of Iconic Railroad Bridge In Old Torrance
Daily Breeze

Do Places Seem Farther Away When You Have To Walk To Get There? ("Turns out pedestrians who live in cities consistently over-estimate the amount of time it takes to walk somewhere. Why this matters to density.")
The Atlantic: Cities

Editorial: California Should Not Waste Money On Needless PR ("California taxpayers do not need to spend millions of dollars publicizing a newly reconstructed bridge. The recent revelations about a costly state PR contract help explain why voters mistrust state fiscal oversight. Legislators and state agencies need to carefully monitor spending, to ensure that the state uses tax money wisely...Gov. Jerry Brown last week cancelled a nearly $10 million contract Caltrans had with a public relations firm for work on the new San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.")
Riverside Press-Enterprise

The Future Of City Driving: Per-Mile Car Insurance
The Atlantic: Citiesa

Gold Line Bridge: The Art Of Design (16p. PDF : Beautiful photographs illustrate the statistics, concept, design, artistry and construction of the San Gabriel Valley's new work of public art -- "This pioneering collaboration resulted in the creation of a sculptural bridge built for the same cost originally estimated for a more conventional structure of its size.")
Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority

Government Agencies Working Together On Transpo? YES!!! (LAWA and Metro on Green Line to LAX; Expo Line Construction Authority, Metro and CPUC on Expo/Blue Line "frog"; and other collaborations)
CityWatch

How Social Media Moves New York: Part 2 -- Recommended Social Media Policy For Transportation Providers (16p. PDF : "The goals of social media in transportation are to inform (alert riders of a situation), motivate (to opt for an alternate route), and engage (amplify the message to their friends and neighbors). To accomplish these goals, transportation providers should...")
New York University Rudin Center For Transportation

Incorporating Greenhouse Gas Emissions Into The Collaborative Decision-Making Framework (207p. PDF)
Strategic Highway Research Program
Practitioner's Guide To Incorporating Greenhouse Gas Emissions Into The Collaborative Decision-Making Framework (229p. PDF)
Strategic Highway Research Program

Just Transportation: Is Los Angeles Making Progress On Transit For All? ("Does rail over bus represent progress? We asked Tom Rubin, a transportation expert. The following is a discussion of transit ridership over the past 30 years in Los Angeles.")
KCET

LA Metro Offers Free Rides Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve
KPCC Southern California Public Radio

Light Rail To Los Angeles International: A Questionable Proposition? ("New proposals for light rail connections to LAX put in question whether an extension project will offer any major benefits.")
The Transport Politic

Los Angeles Metro Sprawling Out Slightly Less Than New York
Curbed LA
Residential Construction Trends In America's Metropolitan Regions: 2012 Edition (42p. PDF)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office Of Sustainable Communities, Smart Growth Program

"Miss Subways": A Trip Back In Time To New York's Melting Pot (From 1941 to 1976, more than 200 New York women were honored with posters touting their ambitions and successes. The first African American "Miss Subway" was honored in 1948 -- the same year Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers. A new New York Transit Museum exhibit tracks them down to find out what happened to them. Article includes "then and now" photo essay)
NPR
"Miss Subways" Remembered In New Book (includes news feature video : "The Miss Subways are hoping to raise money to buy MetroCards for riders affected by Hurricane Sandy. It's their way of paying tribute to the subways and this city.")
WABC New York

More Cars On The Road Make You Late, But Some Cars Make You Much Later Than Others ("The central finding of the the paper, published today in Scientific Reports, is that while keeping 1% of all drivers off the road cuts traffic congestion by 3%, eliminating the same number of drivers from particular neighborhoods can reduce travel time for everyone else by a whopping 18%.")
The Atlantic: Cities

New Plan Aims For Growth Near "Cornfield"
Los Angeles Downtown News
Cornfield Arroyo Seco Specific Plan (98p. PDF)
City Of Los Angeles

These Bikes Are Wishing You A Very Happy Holiday (Must-see photos)
The Atlantic: Cities

This New Device Puts Traffic Patterns In The Hands Of The People ("TrafficCom is an automated traffic-counting device cheap enough that any citizen can find out how much car or bike traffic is on their street--and then work with the city to make changes to urban design.")
Fast Company: Exist

Time To Restore Democracy? (22p. PDF : "Measure J could have won in all these places if the voter threshold was 55%. Our [presentation] makes the case for lowering the voter threshold.")
Move LA

Toll Road Irony Is Not Funny (Orange County toll roads)
Public CEO

When Hollywood Boulevard Became Santa Claus Lane (Archival images illustrate the history of decorating Hollywood Boulevard for Christmas since 1928)
LA as Subject via KCET

X Train Aims To Make A Party Of The Southern California-Las Vegas Trip
Vegas INC


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.

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

Division 5, 2012 In Review, 405 Tolls, Walkability, Grand Avenue, OCTA & More

December 20: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (Aerial construction photos illustrate the opening of the Hollywood Freeway through the Civic Center which promises "the building of other freeways throughout Los Angeles")
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

2012's Biggest Transportation Successes
The Atlantic: Cities

Arthur Winston Division Centennial Celebration 12-19-12 (video : Film from yesterday's celebration of the 100th anniversary of "Division 5" which began as a Los Angeles Railway property in 1912 and is still in use by Metro to this day)
via YouTube

Author Jeff Speck On Walkability And The One Mistake That Can Wreck A City
StreetsBlog DC

Grand Avenue Tower To Break Ground
Los Angeles Downtown News

Ideas For Sepulveda Pass Include Tunnels Requiring Toll Roads
Westwood-Century City Patch

Improving The Department Of Transportation: A Conversation With Ray LaHood
Washington Post

In Homage To Daniel Inouye, Feds Commit To Funding Honolulu Transit
StreetsBlog DC
Feds Sign $1.55B Commitment For Honolulu Rail Project
Honolulu Star-Advertiser

LACMTA Addresses LRT Track Gauge Flaw
Railway Age

L.A. River Revitalization: A Century-Old Idea's Time Has Come
KCET

LeBron James, Bike Commuter
StreetsBlog Network

Officials Ask For Answers On Who Makes Final 710 Decision
Pasadena Star-News

See Tons Of Gamechanging LA Projects That Never Got Built (Metro Transportation Library & Archive has supplied numerous resources for this pending A + D Museum exhibit)
Curbed LA

Supervisors Taking Issue With OCTA Board Majority ("Ongoing tensions within the Orange County Transportation Authority have begun to bubble over in recent weeks as several county supervisors, who also serve on the OCTA board, are going public with their discontent regarding how the $1-billion agency is being run...as the board undergoes a major transition with 10 of its 17 seats changing hands this month.")
Voice Of OC

Wash. Gov Proposes New Fuel Tax For Education ("Gregoire’s solution? A new tax on refineries to help pay for school bus costs.")
Transportation Nation

What Do Anti-Density NIMBYs And Road-Wideners Have In Common?
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.

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

Metrolink, LAX Transit, 2013 Funding, New House Transpo Chair, CA Gas, Walkability & More

All Eyes On Bill Shuster, New Transportation Chairman ("Shuster wants to explore — but not necessarily enact — a bevy of funding opportunities, including the gas tax, more tolling, a miles-traveled fee for vehicles and tying energy production to infrastructure.")
Politico

The Best Open Data Releases Of 2012
The Atlantic: Cities

Californians Continue To Purchase Less Gas
California High Speed Rail Blog

The Cycle Path To Happiness ("Scientists are confirming what most cyclists instinctively know -- that riding a bike has extraordinary effects on our brain chemistry.")
The Independent (U.K.)

Dangerous Intersections: LA Gets A Few Crosswalk Makeovers, But Are They In The Right Places?
KPCC Southern California Public Radio

A Few Surprises In New Bike Scores
The Atlantic: Cities

Fix For Flawed Light Rail Junction In Downtown L.A. Is Outlined  ("L.A. County transit officials choose a permanent repair option that they say should eliminate safety concerns at the busy intersection of the Blue and Expo lines.")
Los Angeles Times

Foot Forward: Walkability Is The Key To Fixing Cities (interview with author Jeff Speck, author of new book: Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step At A Time)
Grist

Go Metro, Metrolink To 2013 Tournament Of Roses® Celebrations
Mid Valley News

Gold Line Bridge Captures Local Heritage, History
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Is 2013 The Year Of New Transportation Funding?
Governing

LAX Could Have A Subway Stop Connecting To Metro By 2020
Curbed LA

Long Beach: The Simple Art Of Beautification
StreetsBlog LA

Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition Looks Ahead For Big 2013
StreetsBlog LA

Map: Light Rail Stations, Metro Rail Connection Proposed For LAX Passengers
KPCC Southern California Public Radio

Metro Planning Stations To Bring Light Rail To LAX
KABC Los Angeles

Metrolink To Buy Newest, Cleanest Locomotives ("The revolutionary locomotives are expected to reduce emissions by 86%.")
Metrolink News

Miami-Orlando Passenger Train Project Clears Key Hurdle ("The first privately run rail link between two major U.S. cities.")
Reuters

New "Zebra Crossing" Aim To Make 53 LA Intersections Safer
Blog Downtown

[N.Y.] MTA Chief Will Resign As He Looks At Mayoral Bid ("Joseph J. Lhota, the chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, has informed the Cuomo administration that he is stepping down from his position, according to four people with direct knowledge of his plans. He is expected to resign on Friday, allowing him to pursue a candidacy for New York City mayor as a Republican.")
New York Times
A Transit Chief In The Mayor's Office?
The Atlantic: Cities

Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus Sees Improvements, Some Setbacks ("Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus will see some $14 million in technological improvements over the next few months, including a new fare collection system that will allow travelers to use the Transit Access Pass (TAP) cards -- used by L.A. Metro -- to pay fares.")
Santa Monica Lookout

Sprawl: What Happens When You Legislate Against Vibrant Streets ("You can look around L.A. and find all kinds of places where streets have been widened to try to handle what they perceived as future traffic needs," Norquist says. "It's wrecked the character of these streets.")
KCET

Time Out For Bullet Train Is What Is Needed
Bakersfield Californian

Walk Score Ranks The Bikeability Of Every Address In 36 Cities
StreetsBlog DC

WeHo's Robot Parking Garage Will Have Glass Wall, Plaza, Art
Curbed LA
Council Takes Another Step Toward Automated Garage
West Hollywood Patch


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.

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

Expo Line Development, Gold Line Bridge, Burbank Buses, Crosswalks, Mileage Fees & More

Blumenauer: Let's Stop Hiding In Fear Of A Mileage Fee
StreetsBlog DC

A Brief History Of The Barnes Dance ("The Barnes Dance, sometimes called a scramble, is an intersection where car traffic halts for a bit so pedestrians can cross in all directions -- including diagonally.")
The Atlantic: Cities

Burbank To Pursue Advertising On City Buses To Generate Revenue
Burbank Leader

City Officially Unveils "Continental Crosswalk," Promises 50 More In Next Three Months
StreetsBlog LA

Cliff Dwellers, Is This A Big Deal? ("People in Washington D.C. are obsessed with the fiscal cliff, but let's move the discussion beyond that. What are other risk factors to infrastructure in 2013? What is the best prediction of how the fiscal cliff negotiations could impact transportation? How important is it for the construction industry to watch Congress next year? Where will the infrastructure economy grow? Where will it shrink?")
National Journal Transportation Experts Blog

D.C. To Start Testing Streetcars Next Spring (The first in the nation's capital since 1962)
Transportation Nation

Editorial: Congratulations, Streetcar Team
Los Angeles Downtown News

Gas Consumption Keeps Falling In State
Sacramento Bee

Gold Line Bridge Completion Ceremony
Pasadena Patch

How Britain Is Helping Its Citizens Buy Bikes
The Atlantic: Cities

LA Gets Serious About Walkers With 53 Continental Crosswalks
Curbed LA

LA's Last Coin-Op Meter
Curbed LA

LACMTA Begins Utility Relocation Work For Regional Connector
RT&S

Largest Single Public Art / Transit Infrastructure Project In California Completed ("The Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority...marked the completion of the landmark Gold Line Bridge by giving guests a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to walk across the largest, single public art/transit infrastructure project in California, the 584-linear foot sculpture that will serve as the Gateway to the San Gabriel Valley.")
PR Newswire

Light Rail Plan For Los Angeles International Airport Advances ("Airport agency and Metro, formerly with competing visions, get together on four possible light rail station sites at LAX.")
Los Angeles Times

Money-Making, Congestion-Reducing Express Lanes Spread On California Freeways
USC Annenberg Neon Tommy

NACTO 2012: Leading City DOT Commissioners Talk Transportation Politics
StreetsBlog

Post-Sandy Gaps In The NYC Subway Map Remain Stubbornly Unrepaired
Transportation Nation

Study: Transit Apps Make Us Happier Commuters
Fast Company Design

Toll Lanes Could Help Fund The 405 Transit Corridor Project
Curbed LA

Train Travel Makes A Comeback ("Despite some political and economic hurdles, more communities are reviving intercity rail links or making plans for new ones.")
MSN Money

The Typical Municipal Budgeting Process Is Rigged Against Infrastructure Investments
The Atlantic: Cites

We Fought For The Expo Line...Now It's Time To Fight For The Neighborhood ("Four questions must be posed before either LA City Planning or the LA City Council dismisses any and all opposition to this gigantic [Casden/Sepulveda] project.")
CityWatch

W.H.L. Corran's City Of Los Angeles In 1891 (Did you know that USC used to be considered "West Los Angeles?")
Los Angeles Magazine


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.

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

Regional Connector, 710, OC Transit, Lankershim Bridge, Bike Lanes & More

December 17: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (A high-profile and complex reconfiguration of Figueroa Street under Temple Street to link it to Sunset Boulevard and help traffic flow through downtown Los Angeles)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

10 Trends That Are Changing Cities Forever (changing culture in IT, smartphones, Facebook games, "Office of New Urban Mechanics," less bureaucracy and more leadership, moving away from paper toward big data, and more)
Business Insider

Best Practices: New Green Bike Lane In Thousand Oaks
StreetsBlog LA

Commute To Work On The Roller Coaster Train ("A Japanese train based on a theme park ride could make getting around cleaner -- and more fun...A number of municipalities in Japan have shown an interest in the system.")
New Scientist

Downtown Property Owners Fight MTA Subway Tunnel Plans
Los Angeles Times

Expo Work To Impact Bundy Traffic ("Closures on Bundy Drive and Exposition Boulevard in West LA to last through the spring. Olympic and Cloverfield intersection to close overnight starting Sunday.")
Brentwood Patch

Families And Transit-Oriented Development: Creating Complete Communities For All (28p. PDF)
Center For Transit-Oriented Development

First Phase Of Glendale Narrows Riverwalk Opens ("The $2.1-million project includes horse facilities, park areas and a half-mile trail along the Los Angeles River. One resident sees a 'huge improvement' over what was there before.")
Los Angeles Times

Ford Tries To Sell More Cars By Looking To A Future With Fewer Cars
StreetsBlog DC

Hearing: Northeast Corridor Future: Options For High-Speed Rail Development And Opportunities For Private Sector Opportunities
U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee

High-Speed Rail Not Just For Tourists
Vegas Inc.

House Dem's Bill Requires Treasury To Study Taxing Cars By The Mile
The Hill

How To Make Privately Owned Public Spaces Truly Open To The Public
The Atlantic: Cities

Keeping Everyone In The Loop: 50 Years Of Chicago "L" Graphics
Imprint

Keeping Public Transit "Absolutely Essential" In OC (interview with outgoing OCTA CEO Will Kempton)
Voice Of OC

LA Mayoral Debate: Green Economy, Jobs Take Center Stage ("The candidates all supported the expansion of public transportation.")
KABC Los Angeles

Locals Hate Centipede Look Of Lankershim Pedestrian Bridge
Curbed LA
Bridge Over Troubled Lankershim Gets Thumbs Down
North Hollywood-Toluca Lake Patch

LA Planners Leapfrog NYC DCP, Approve Plan With No Mandatory Parking
StreetsBlog LA

No Parking Required In Mixed-Use Plan For Cornfield Area
Curbed LA

Metro Board Member Blasts 710 Supporters Who Want Him Ousted For His Opposing Views
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Opinion: California Road Funds Fall Far Short
Orange County Register

Opinion: CEQA Stunts Economic Growth
Orange County Register

Protecting NYC Transit From The Next Storm: Searching For Specifics
StreetsBlog Network

Rapid Bus Transit Planned For Foothill Boulevard In Rancho Cucamonga, Neighboring Cities
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Screw Lawsuits: DTLA Regional Connector Rail Line Starts Work
Curbed LA

Smart Growth And Economic Success: Benefits For Real Estate Developers, Investors, Businesses And Local Governments (30p. PDF)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Some Central Valley Farmers Welcome High Speed Rail
California High Speed Rail Blog

Some Chafe At Downtown L.A.'s Business Improvement Districts
Los Angeles Times

Transforming Public Transportation Institutional And Business Models (84p. PDF : "Addresses a wide range of issues important to continued efficient operations, including responding to the needs of affected customer markets, improving operating procedures, implementing effective capital asset management, carrying out long-term planning and mission definition, improving and expanding functional areas as well as expertise and technical skill sets of the workforce, identifying and improving necessary business practices, identifying and implementing innovative funding mechanisms, implementing performance measures and improved governance models, identifying required organizational structures, and instituting effective area-wide collaborative practices. The report identifies the components of transformative change and develops a substantive typology to assist agencies in organizing and structuring an approach to defining and implementing components of productive change. The report further examines potential consequences of change that should be considered by agencies or organizations contemplating new institutional and business models.")
Transit Cooperative Research Program

UCLA Planning Students Design A River-Friendlier North Atwater
Curbed LA

U.S. Moves Ahead On New Downtown L.A. Courthouse ("A $318-million contract is awarded to the architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Clark Construction Group. The new facility will be built at Broadway and 1st Street.")
Los Angeles Times

When Bicyclist And Pedestrian Fatalities Increase, Shouldn't Investment Follow?
Mobilizing The Region

Why Greece's Creaky Trains Have Become The Transit Option Of Choice
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.

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

Blue Line Safety, LACMTA Advertising, Gold Line Bridge, Regional Connector, Road Pricing, LA Ped Safety & More

December 14: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (Griffith Park's Travel Town turns 60 today, and we look back at the heroic efforts of local bus drivers rescuing Angelenos during the 1963 flood caused by the Baldwin Hills Reservoir Dam failure)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

2012 Policy Report Card: Transportation Forecast
Politico

Amtrak's Next-Generation Train Service, One Step Closer
Wall Street Journal

Caution: Slow Down -- Some Pasadena Council Members Say Freeway Tunnel Opposition Vote Should Go Back To The...
Pasadena Weekly

CBS Holds On To Los Angeles County MTA Advertising Contract
Los Angeles Times

Editorial: McCarthy's Bid To Kill High-Speed Rail Is Baffling
Sacramento Bee

Evaluating Complete Streets: The Value Of Designing Roads For Diverse Modes, Users And Activities (17p. PDF)
Victoria Transport Policy Institute

Finally Getting Serious About Measuring How Much People Walk And Bike
StreetsBlog DC

Gold Line Rail Bridge Is California History "With Some Artistry"
Transportation Nation

Google Maps for iOS 6...Finally ("But the map battles are not over. In 2004, Steve Coast founded Open Street Map -- an outfit that creates maps from information contributed by users and makes the results available for free.")
American Public Media Marketplace

How Sandy Might Tweak Today's High-Speed Rail Privatization Hearing
Transportation Nation

L.A. County Population Tops 9.9 Million, 26% Of State
Los Angeles Times
California Demographic Research
California Department Of Finance Demographic Research Unit

L.A. County Transit Officials OK More Funds For Blue Line Safety ("The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board allocates $6.78 million for improvements. Eight deaths have occurred along the Blue Line this year.")
Los Angeles Times

Local Funding Options For Public Transportation
Victoria Transport Policy Institute

Manhattan Beach: The City Built On San Dunes Celebrates Its Centennial ("To sell lots, the developers promoted Manhattan Beach to the rest of the region as a forward-thinking investment, organizing excursion trains on the Santa Fe Railroad for prospective buyers. Beginning in 1903, curious Southern Californians could also reach Manhattan Beach on the Los Angeles Pacific Railroad, an electric interurban line that ran hourly cars to Manhattan Beach. (It later became part of the Pacific Electric Railway.)")
LA as Subject via KCET

Metro Preps DTLA Streets For Construction Of Regional Connector
Blog Downtown

[N.Y.] MTA Seeks $5 Billion In Sandy Aid After Firing Lobbyists
Bloomberg

New York Totally Wins At Transit Ridership Diversity
New York Magazine

Opinion: How To Turn Measure J Defeat Into Victory (Denny Zane and Gloria Ohland of Move LA)
Los Angeles Daily News

Panic As SaMo Considers Halting Development Agreements
Curbed LA

Pedestrian Deaths On Railroad Tracks: The Failure Of Design
StreetsBlog DC

Safer Than You Think! Revising The Transit Safety Narrative (9p. PDF)
Victoria Transport Policy Institute

Taking A Bike Tour Of Watts, With A Team Of L.A. City Planners
StreetsBlog LA

Toward More Comprehensive and Multi-Modal Transport Evaluation (19p. PDF)
Victoria Transport Policy Institute

Traffic Delays For Regional Connector Work
Los Angeles Downtown News

Traffic Jams, Solved ("Jonas Eliasson, a co-designer of Stockholm's famous congestion pricing system, recently gave a TEDx talk called "How to Solve Traffic Jams" (via The Transportationist). It's one of the clearest and most persuasive discussions of road pricing I've ever heard, and with the video nearing 300,000 viewers, I doubt I'm alone. I've summarized the talk here, but if you've got ten minutes to spare I highly recommend the whole thing.")
The Atlantic: Cities
Jonas Eliasson: How To Solve Traffic Jams (video)
via TED

What are LA's Worst Pedestrian Intersections?
KPCC Southern California Public Radio

Zebra Spotting At Fifth And Spring
StreetsBlog LA


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.

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

"tExpo Line Corridor," MAP-21, BH Tunneling, iPhone & Google Maps, Vine Street, LGB & More

Analysis Of Managed Lanes On Freeway Facilities (159p. PDF web-only document)
Transportation Research Board National Cooperative Highway Research Program

Board Of Education Approves Two-Month Extension Of Agreement With $15K Per Month D.C. Lobbyist Firm (p.4 of PDF : "The Board of Education unanimously approved extending its agreement with Venable, the Washington, D.C. based lobbying firm contracted to fight tunneling under Beverly High, by two months Tuesday night.")
Beverly Hills Courier

Bridging The Fiscal Cliff ("Declining federal expenditures will hit transportation spending hard. How should states and cities keep up their investments?")
The Transport Politic

Bus Company Leader Named Minn. Transportation Head
Minnesota Public Radio News

California Bullet Train Heading For Political Collision On Funding ("Republicans retained control of the House in last month's elections, and the No. 3 figure in the GOP hierarchy -- Bakersfield Rep. Kevin McCarthy -- last week reiterated a House resolution declaring that no more federal money be allocated for the bullet train.")

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/12/11/5045315/dan-walters-california-bullet.html#storylink=cpy

Sacramento Bee

Finally Getting Serious About Determining How Many People Bike And Walk
StreetsBlog DC

Gold Line Bridge Shows Off Its "Sensuous" Finished Form
Curbed LA

Google Maps Is Back ("Google just sent word that Google's hotly anticipated maps app for iOS is now available in the iTunes store. Oh, and it's got voice-guided turn-by-turn directions, among other features.")
The Atlantic: Cities

Here They Are: The Best And Worst American Transportation Projects
StreetsBlog DC
Smart Choices, Less Traffic: 50 Best And Worst Transportation Projects in The United States (38p. PDF)
Sierra Club

Hollywood's Southern Vine Street Could Become Peru Village
Curbed LA

LA Announces (t)Expo Line Corridor Along Expo Line ("Today Mayor Villaraigosa revealed to the world what the Los Angeles Mayor's Council on Innovation and Industry has been up to and it is: the (t)expo Line, a "technology corridor" along the Expo light rail line.")
Curbed LA

London Buses To Offer NFC Contactless Payments ("Passengers on the city's 8,500 vehicles will be able to buy tickets by swiping a credit, debit or charge card by an NFC (near field communication) reader" beginning today)
BBC (U.K.)

Long Beach Airport's New Concourse Opens
Los Angeles Times

The Los Angeles Times Really Doesn't Think Drivers Should Be Fined For Parking At Broken meters
StreetsBlog LA

Making The Most Of MAP-21: A Guide To The 2012 Federal Transportation Law -- And How To Use It For Positive Change In Your Community (110p. PDF)
Transportation For America
Handbook Summary Page

Muni Offers Free Passes To Low-Income Youth (audio)
KALW

Panic As SaMo Considers Halting Development Agreements
Curbed LA

Photographing The Dawn Of Amtrak ("In the summer of 1974, a young photographer named Charles O'Rear spent a month or so riding the young intercity train system named Amtrak. "I probably rode it 5,000 miles," says O'Rear, now 71. The project was one of many O'Rear did for Documerica, a program initiated in 1971 by the newly formed Environmental Protection Agency to document American life at the time, from people to wildlife to landscapes.")
The Atlantic: Cities

Shuster Names New GOP Members Of House Transportation Committee
The Hill

Sit In Public Art While Awaiting Muni
San Francisco Chronicle

Smartphone App Helps Drivers Find Available Parking Spaces In DTLA
Blog Downtown

Transit Agency Intergovernmental Agreements: Common Issues And Solutions (56p. PDF : "Explores transit-related issues that have the potential to require intensive and time-consuming negotiations related to the development of intergovernmental agreements (IOMs) and memoranda of understandings (MOUs).")
Transit Cooperative Research Program Legal Research Digest

What's The Public Looking For In The Union Station Master Plan?
Curbed LA

Whites Ride Transit Less Often Than Everyone Else (infographics for New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Miami, Boston)
Transportation Nation


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.

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

Expo Corridor Homes, 710 Tunnel, OC Toll Roads, Big Blue Bus, Bike Share, Metro Board & More

December 12: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (The Southern California Rapid Transit District announces the considerations for developing the first four rapid transit corridors from downtown Los Angeles -- to the San Fernando Valley, along Wilshire Boulevard, parallel to the San Bernardino Freeway and south to Long Beach -- 46 years ago today)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

Big Blue Bus Still Behind The Curve On Digital Tools ("BBB made it’s data available to Google, but Google is it’s own locked up data ecosystem that can not be fully tapped into by other developers. Metro makes it’s data available in a format independent third party developers can access, and many other applications take advantage of that information...Lacking from Big Blue Bus, yet embraced by Metro, is engagement through social media platforms like Twitter. This omission becomes more glaring as time goes on, especially with how pro-active Metro has been.")
StreetsBlog LA

Bike Nation USA Bringing Bike Sharing To Downtown L.A.
USC Annenberg Neon Tommy

California Lost More People To Other States Than It Gained In 2011
Sacramento Bee

Cities Vote To Oust Metro Board Member Ara Najarian For 710 Stance
Pasadena Star-News

Editorial: See Whether Toll Lanes Work Before Planning More
San Bernardino Sun

Even American Drivers Like Mass Transit More Than They Think ("A research duo reports that nearly 30 percent of regular car commuters in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, gave up their full-time parking permits immediately after a brief free-transit trial, with most downgrading to an occasional permit and a few making a full switch to transit. About 25 percent had stuck with the change six months later.")
The Atlantic: Cities

Eyes On The Street: Sepulveda Blvd. Bike Lane Turning Into "Express Lane" For Scofflaws
StreetsBlog LA

L.A. Planners Look To Ensure Expo Line Doesn't Price Residents Out Of Their Homes
USC Annenberg Neon Tommy
Building Livable Communities: Enhancing Economic Competitiveness In Los Angeles (24p. PDF : "This report will demonstrate why planning efforts need to focus on transit corridors -- not Transit Oriented Developments (TODs) -- to promote long-term development of livable communities that integrate residential, commercial, and everyday amenities through an integrated transit network.")
Los Angeles Business Council Institute

Las Vegas: $1 Bus Trip From Riverside Begins
Riverside Press-Enterprise

MAP-21 Gives Transit Execs Some Certainty In 2013
Progressive Railroading

MTA To Decide Thursday Between CBS And Titan For Ad Contract
Los Angeles Times

Najarian: Vote For MTA Seat Was "Orchestrated"
Glendale News-Press

No Seoul-Style Platform Doors For New York Subways, Even In New Stations ("There's really only one known way to prevent straphangers from falling -- or being pushed -- onto the tracks...It's called a platform screen door, and some transit experts say they can't understand why the M.T.A. has no plans to install any, even in the new stations being built.")
Capital New York

Number Of Protected Bike Lanes In America Nearly Doubled In 2012
StreetsBlog Network

OCTA CEO Decision Delayed ("The agency's board members rescheduled a vote on the selection of the agency's next CEO until next year. Monday was the last day for outgoing chariman, Paul Glaab, former mayor of Laguna Niguel.")
San Juan Capistrano Patch

Opinion: Expect Changes To State's Environmental Law, CEQA, In 2013
Los Angeles Daily News

Opinion: Watch Out MTA Scofflaws, Free Rides Are Coming To An End ("There will always be some holes, though. At the transfer station at 7th Street and Metro Center, passengers are supposed to pay when they switch lines. But the TAP card validators are so discreetly placed that not many people use them.")
Los Angeles Times

Orange County Toll Roads Under Review By California ("With ridership and revenue on Orange County's toll roads falling short of projections, the state of California has launched a formal inquiry into their economic viability.")
Los Angeles Times

Pam O'Connor Appointed Mayor In 4-3 Vote (In addition to serving on the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors, "O'Connor represents the city on the Exposition Light Rail Construction Authority Board, which oversees the extension of light rail into Santa Monica. She was recently president of the Southern California Association of Governments.  On the city's website, she describes herself as a "strong advocate for public transit," an "enthusiastic urban explorer" and regular user of Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus")
Santa Monica Patch

ParkMe Launches Real Time Solution For Los Angeles County Drivers Who No Longer Need Luck To Find A Parking Spot
Business Wire

Pasadena Hammers 710 Tunnel, Stops Short Of Opposing It ("Council at Monday meeting can't garner five votes to stand against freeway extension.")
Pasadena Sun

Pasadena Threatens To Oppose 710 Freeway Tunnel
KTLA

Pomona Residents Gather To Hear Plans For Possible 71 Freeway Widening
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Ray LaHood Answers Atlantic Cities Reader Questions (video)
The Atlantic: Cities

Santa Monica To Consider Slowing Down Development ("City planning department says it can't handle the large volume of applications it's receiving to build over-sized developments, mostly in downtown.")
Santa Monica Patch

Seven Jiu-Jitsu Moves For Advocates To Use MAP-21 To Their Own Advantage
StreetsBlog LA

A Sober, Data-Based Approach To Bicycle Advocacy
The Atlantic: Cities

State Of Montrose: 710 Tunnel, Downtown Glendale Expansion (video)
Montrose-La Crescenta Patch

What's Behind The Rise In Cyclist And Pedestrian Deaths?
StreetsBlog Network
New NHTSA Analysis Shows 2011 Traffic Fatalities Declined By Nearly 2%
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

When Government Does Things Better Than Private Enterprise
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.

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

Free Rides, I-710, Mobile Apps, Expo Development, OCTA, Top Books & More

10 Intersections To Be Screwed By SaMo's Trailer Park Killer
Curbed LA

2012 Year In Review: Social Media ("But even as agencies flocked to social networks, they often struggled to use these new communication channels effectively. And that’s where 2013 comes into play. Going forward, social media use needs to become more sophisticated. Truly engaging with residents means more than simply posting links to press releases -- it means two-way communication and keeping social media pages active with current content on a regular basis.")
Government Technology

Bike Path's "Missing Link" Poses Problems For Neighbors, Bikers
Orange County Register

Fare Hike Proposal Includes $112 Monthly MetroCard, $2.50 Single Ride (New York)
Wall Street Journal

Free Bus, Train Rides On Christmas And New Year's Eves
LAist

Highway Deaths At Lowest Level Since 1949; Bike, Truck Fatalities Rise
Los Angeles Times

Holiday Shopping On The Fly (An increasing number of holiday gifts are being purchased at airports)
New York Times

I-710 Expansion Plan Proposed In Pasadena
KABC Los Angeles

[D.C.] Metro Examines Fatigue Among Bus, Rail Operators
Washington Post

Mobile App Finds Available Parking (" The free app, called "Parker", features a map displaying the user's location and the number and location of parking spaces currently available. The app also provides detailed information about parking rates, time limits and more. Voice guidance alerts motorists to available spaces to make the parking experience even smoother.")
Government Technology

More Expo Development Hate: Pols Attack Sepulveda Mixed-Use
Curbed LA

Najarian Metro Board Seat In Danger Over Opposition To 710 Big Dig
StreetsBlog LA

New Hampshire Weighs Selling Naming Rights To Bridges And Overpasses
AASHTO Journal

New IDEAs For Highway Systems: Annual ProgressReport, January 2013 (241p. PDF)
Transportation Research Board

NY MTA Enters 21st Century: You Can Now Claim A Lost Or Stolen Metrocard Online
Transportation Nation

Obama Administration Again Calls For $50 Billion In Infrastructure Spending In Fiscal Cliff Talks
AASHTO Journal

OCTA Board Leaves Leadership Post In Limbo ("Board will wait until January to decide what to do about an illegal vote that appointed an inside candidate to the agency’s $255,000-a-year executive post.")
Orange County Register

Opinion: Better Living Through Information -- Big Data And Urban Systems ("The amount of available urban data will soon overwhelm the number of people trained to work with it. The McKinsey Global Institute has projected that “The United States alone faces a shortage of 140,000 to 190,000 people with analytical expertise and 1.5 million managers and analysts with the skills to understand and make decisions based on the analysis of big data.” Several academic institutions are working to meet this growing demand. NYU is bullish enough on big data that they will be supporting 50 full-time senior researchers in this area through their Center for Urban Science and Progress over the next five years, and in 2013 they will begin offering a graduate degree in Urban Science and Informatics geared toward producing graduates for public agencies, private data providers, startups, and non-governmental organizations.")
Planetizen

Opinion: Stop New Freeway Toll Lanes
San Bernardino Sun

Pico Rivera Dedicates Passons Boulevard Underpass
Whittier Daily News

Public Transit Advocates Tout Ridership Growth To Warn Against Budget Cuts
The Hill

A Roundabout Freeway For Pedestrians In China (Must-see photos)
Inthralld

State DOT CEOs Throw Support Behind Nation's High-Speed Rail Program During T&I Hearing
AASHTO Journal

Three California Commuter Rail Projects Get State Funds
RT&S

Top 10 Books: 2013 ("Planetizen is pleased to release its eleventh annual list of the ten best books in urban planning, design and development published in 2012.")
Planetizen

Transit To Jobs Equals Economy ("Trying to market a city without transit is like trying to sell a cell phone without a camera...What is transit's role in the economy? How important is it to job growth? We know transit is essential in densely populated areas, but how can it be useful in less densely populated areas? Should transit systems prioritize work commutes over other kinds of travel? How should cities and towns develop and market their transit systems? What is the future for transit?")
National Journal Transportation Experts Blog
How Transit Benefits The Economy
Natural Resources Defense Council Switchboard Blog

What To Do When The Bus Doesn't Come And You Want To Scream. An Experiment
NPR

Who Made That Subway Signage? ("When Noorda and his partner Massimo Vignelli took on the subway signs, they didn’t just update them -- they invented what they thought of as a new grammar for New York City.")
New York Times

World's Second Most Polluted City Turns To Buses ("Ulan Bator [Mongolia] has more than 210,000 registered vehicles, almost quadruple the number in 2006...Now the authorities hope to alleviate the gridlock by spending more than $200 million on a bus rapid transit system (BRT), in the hope that commuters can be tempted out of their vehicles.")
AFP


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.

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

Ridership Jumps, Green Line LAX, Crowdsourced Commute, CAHSR, Transit's Gender Gap & More

December 10: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (The first section of the Long Beach Freeway opens to traffic 60 years ago today)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

$53.7 Million Will Go To Widening 15/215 Freeway Interchange In Devore
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Bradbury Square Unveiled
Los Angeles Downtown News

Caltrans Blowing Up Another Bridge Next Month
Santa Clarita Valley News

Census Data Show Public Transit Gender Gap ("The latest data from the American Community Survey of the U.S. Census show: Of the people who take public transportation to work, 50.5 percent are women and 49.5 percent are male. That might not seem like a difference worth mentioning until you consider the workforce overall.")
Transportation Nation

Construction Along Foothill Boulevard In Upland Half Complete
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Crowdsourcing Your Commute ("Useful commuter information -- such as road conditions, traffic density or even the punctuality of buses, trams and trains -- doesn’t have to come from government offices. A new study explores how commuters in one California city share travel information via specialized social networks, accessible from mobile apps.")
New York Times
Solo Drivers Say They Benefit From App Communities
The Atlantic: Cities
Connected Commuting: Research And Analysis From The New Cities Foundation Task Force In San Jose (42p. PDF)
Executive Summary (4p. PDF)

Editorial: The Cracks In The Nation's Foundation ("The need for investment in public works, never more urgent, has become a casualty of Washington’s ideological wars. Republicans were once reliable partners in this kind of necessary spending. But since President Obama spent about 12 percent of the 2009 stimulus on transportation, energy and other infrastructure programs, Republicans have made it a policy to demonize these kinds of investments.")
New York Times

Final Tally Shows Measure J Rejected By Voters
Beverly Hills Courier

A Framework For Collaborative Decision Making On Additions To Highway Capacity (175p. PDF)
Strategic Highway Research Program

"Going To The Olympics" Mural To Return To The Hollywood Freeway
KCET

High-Speed Rail Adopts Hiring Policy Targeting Disadvantaged Workers
Central Valley Business Times

House Transportation Chief To LA: Build Light Rail To LAX...Or Else
KPCC Southern California Public Radio

L.A. Metro Launches "Riders Club" For Seniors
Metro Magazine

LA's Very First Public Transit Took Angelenos To The Bar In 1873
Curbed LA

LACBC Starts Save The 1st Street Bike Lane Campaign And Some Alternate Designs For The "LAPD Lane"
StreetsBlog LA

LaHood: "We're Not Giving Up On High-Speed Rail" In California
StreetsBlog DC

McCarthy: CA High Speed Rail Is A Poor Investment For Taxpayers (video : testimony before House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure last week)
via YouTube

Miami-To-Orlando Passenger Rail On Track ("Florida East Coast Industries, a Coral Gables-based railroad and real estate company, insists it can build and operate the project — dubbed All Aboard Florida — without any public subsidy.")
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

Obama Pushes Ahead With High-Speed Rail Plan
Washington Post

Preliminary Assessment Of California's Cost Estimates And Other Challenges: Testimony Before The Committee On Transportation And Infrastructure, House Of Representatives (21p. PDF : "Based on an initial evaluation of the California High Speed Rail Authority’s (Authority) cost estimates, GAO found that they exhibit certain strengths and weaknesses when compared to best practices in GAO’s Cost Guide...The California high-speed rail project faces many challenges. Chief among these is obtaining project funding beyond the first 130-mile construction segment. While the Authority has secured $11.5 billion from federal and state sources, it needs almost $57 billion more...")
U.S. Government Accountability Office

Proximity Information Resources For Special Events (28p. PDF : "The initial IDEA proposal described the development of a mobile application to assist in management and communications during large events, such as events hosted at the National Mall.")
Transportation Research Board IDEA Program

Smaller Cities Taking On Big Transit Projects
StreetsBlog DC

The "Strong Core" Theory Of Los Angeles (interview with USC researcher Samuel Krueger who made headlines recently with his research on the Wilshire-Santa Monica Corridor)
The Atlantic: Cities

This Week In Transportation: Battle Is Joined Over Amtrak Privatization
The Hill

Use Of Public Transportation Jumps ("More Americans are taking public buses and trains, a report finds. L.A. County Metro's ridership rose 1.7% in the first part of the year, and the Riverside Transit Agency's has surged 27% since 2002.")
Los Angeles Times
More Than 7.9 Billion Trips Taken On Public Transportation As Ridership Increased By 2.6% In First Three Quarters Of 2012: Seven Consecutive Quarters Of Ridership Increases Show Growing Demand
American Public Transportation Association Press Release

Want To End The Scourge Of Surface Parking? Tax Land, Not Buildings
StreetsBlog Network

What Can L.A. Do About Climate Change? UCLA Report Lays Out Plan ("You're calling for more transportation and bus riders, but that assumes the roads are fine. They're not.")
Los Angeles Daily News

When A Door Closes, A Window Always Opens...Because Someone Will Saw Through The Fence (The former transit property is having a rough go of it these days)
StreetsBlog LA


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.

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

Expo Line, Union Station, High-Speed Rail, LA's First Streetcars, Boyle Heights, Measure J & More

December 7: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (Pacific Electric's Red Cars roll into Owensmouth [Canoga Park] 100 years ago today, and one of the region's earliest proposals for freeways envisions the County crisscrossed by stop-free "pleasant thoroughfares")
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

The $100 Million "X Train" Will Be A Party From L.A. To Vegas
Forbes

Are Toll Roads Coming To Your Local Freeway?
Redlands-Loma Linda Patch

Calif. Agency Sponsors Children's Play Area ("Calif.-based Montebello Bus Lines (MBL) partnered with The Shops at Montebello to open a transportation, environment and conservation-theme play area for kids.")
Metro Magazine

Deficit-Reduction Talks May Fuel Gas Tax Increase
Governing

The Expo Line Draws A Gold Rush ("In addition to construction of this phase of the Expo Line is a gold rush of sorts by developers, who are promising projects that are transit-oriented and tailored to the needs of a train-traveling public. It’s all supposed to be a part of an enlightened development strategy to relieve the traffic-clogged community with multi-story, high-density housing near the line -- so people can whiz off to their jobs– and ground floors given over to retail space. Santa Monica officials have strongly pushed the Expo-adjacent, multi-use projects, shuttle services and bike facilities. Some residents though are alarmed by the hundreds of thousands of square feet of potential development and see the coming wave of projects as a tsunami.")
KCRW Which Way LA?

Fans And Foes Debate California's High Speed Rail On Capitol Hill
KPCC Southern California Public Radio

Hahn: High-Speed Rail Project "Critical" To Calif., U.S. Economy
CBS Los Angeles

How John Brockman Changed Downtown
Los Angeles Downtown News

Intersection Near Library Named For Bradbury
Los Angeles Times
Ray Bradbury Would've Crisscrossed LA With Monorails
Curbed LA

L.A. Council Votes To Regulate Valet Parking Operators ("The rules would require valid California driver's licenses for all workers, permits, liability insurance and proof of off-street spaces.")
Los Angeles Times

LA Preparing To Buy Silver Lake's Corralitas Red Car Property ("The privately-owned, 10-acre property in Silver Lake known as the Corralitas Red Car property is one step closer to becoming a public park. The City Council has determined how much it is willing to pay for the former Pacific Electric Railway right of way, and yesterday directed the city find the cash to make the purchase.")
Curbed LA

L.A.'s First Streetcars Were Horse-Powered (Rarely seen archival images from the late 1800s illustrate this extensive must-see look back at Los Angeles' earliest public transportation)
LA as Subject via KCET

LaHood Defends California High-Speed Rail Plan
The Hill

Last Stop For Track 16: Iconic Gallery Space Becomes The Train Platform ("It’s a sad irony for those of us who crave more mass transit that a special spot has to fall to make way for the Expo Line.")
KCRW Which Way LA?

Manhattan Beach Council Balks At Hiring Consultant For Trolley Study
Daily Breeze

A "Movement For Movement" Puts Walking Front And Center
StreetsBlog DC

Now Is The Time For More Transit, Not Less
Natural Resources Defense Council Switchboard Blog

On Track For The Future: Crowds Come Out And Are Ready To Comment On The Union Station Master Plan
Los Angeles Downtown News

Our View: Give Toll Road Drivers A Break
Pasadena Star-News

Public Transit Is Having A Moment
Voice Of San Diego

Report: Bus Market To Grow 5% Annually
Metro Magazine

Riding The Subway As Therapy ("Public transportation is an inherently contradictory experience. You insert yourself into a highly public, perpetually crowded environment and immediately retreat into the privacy of your own interior world.")
The Atlantic: Cities

"Starting From The Beginning" For Some Metro Owned Sites In Boyle Heights
StreetsBlog LA

Thom Mayne Wins 2013 AIA Gold Medal: The Bad Boy Of Los Angeles Architecture Comes Away With One Of Architecture's Most Prestigious Honors ("He has been celebrated for projects such as the California Department of Transportation District 7 Headquarters in Los Angeles (2004)")
Architect Magazine

Transit Officials Ask Congress For Billions In Storm Aid
New York Times

Transportation Would Suffer Because Of Fiscal Cliff And Impact On Economy
Kansas City Star

Turning Measure J's Defeat Into Victory ("Out of disappointment emerges opportunity: It’s important to remember that Measure J was actually “Plan B” for financing the 30-10 plan to build out LA County’s Measure R funded rail expansion in 10 years instead of 30. “Plan A” was an innovative federal financing package – called America Fast Forward -- that was a combination of two proposals: 1) the TIFIA (Transportation Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act) low-interest loan program and 2) a new class of qualified tax credit bonds called “Qualified Transportation Improvement Bonds” or QTIBs.")
Move LA

Will We Finally See An Increase To State And Federal Gas Taxes?
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.

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

Expo Line, Union Station, Measure J, Transit Tax Law, OCTA, CAHSR, I-10/605, Mobile Technologies & More

Appointment Of OCTA's Chief Exec Violated State's Open Meeting Law
Voice Of OC

Back To Square One: The Story Of Ray Bradbury Square In Los Angeles ("Ray Bradbury Square will be dedicated on December 6th at 2 p.m. in a ceremony held in Maguire Gardens.")
Huffington Post

California County Cancels Transportation Tax Recount (Think Measure J lost in a squeaker? Alameda County's transportation sales tax measure received 66.52% of the vote -- 700 votes short out of 350,000 cast)
Transportation Nation

California High-Speed Rail Too Expensive, McCarthy Says ("California’s $68.4 billion high-speed rail project is looking for too much money from the U.S. government and should be reconsidered, said California Representative Kevin McCarthy, the U.S. House’s third-ranking Republican.")
Bloomberg

California High-Speed Rail Brawl Hits House Floor
Politico

California Legislature Must Restore Democracy To Transit Funding
California High Speed Rail Blog

Caltrans To Fix 605-10 Freeway Interchange
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Current Hazardous Materials Transportation Research And Future Needs (126p. PDF : web-only document)
Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program

Dispelling The Myths: Toll And Fuel Tax Collection Costs In The 21st Century (79p. PDF)
Reason Foundation

Editorial: Rethinking Prop. 13 ("Advocates of Los Angeles County's Measure J, a sales tax extension for transportation funding, are frustrated that they fell just short of the required two-thirds in November, and they also are discussing a change to 55%, perhaps just for transportation sales taxes, or perhaps more broadly.")
Los Angeles Times

Expo Line Ridership Is Increasing
USC Daily Trojan

Flyover Connector To Be Built Between 10 And 605 Freeways
Baldwin Park Patch

Free Muni For Low-Income Youth Funded ("The Metropolitan Transportation Agency voted unanimously to spend an estimated $1.6 million in federal funds dedicated to improving transit performance and ridership on a 16-month program offering free Fast Passes to low-income San Franciscans under 18.")
San Francisco Chronicle

How This Government Agency Is Saving $500 Million By Using Social And Mobile Technologies ("Most people don’t look to Jefferson City, Missouri as a source of technical innovation, and they especially would never think to look at its government. But they’d be surprised to learn that the Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT) is one of the most innovative organizations using social and mobile technologies in the country. In fact, they are a model for how government can and should cut spending by leveraging new technologies.")
Forbes

Integrated Risk Management For Improving Internal Traffic Control, Work-Zone Safety, And Mobility During Major Construction (80p. PDF)
Iowa State University Institute For Transportation

JetBlue To Eliminate Day Flights At Bob Hope Airport ("Bob Hope Airport officials approved additional parking rate increases this week to tackle steady revenue drops caused by declining passenger activity that’s expected to be exacerbated by JetBlue’s decision to eliminate all daytime flights at the airfield as of Jan. 6.")
Burbank Leader

LA Council President Asks AIA-LA Members If Merging Planning With Building & Safety Is A Good Idea
The Planning Report

Lowering Threshold To Pass Transportation Taxes Not A Hit With Everyone
Los Angeles Daily News

Metro Holds First Union Station Master Plan Community Meeting
LADOT Bike Blog

Mica Bids Farewell To Transportation Chairmanship At Portrait Unveiling
The Hill

Midsize Cities On The Move: A Look At The Next Generation Of Rapid Bus, Bus Rapid Transit, And Streetcar Projects In The United States (52p. PDF)
Reconnecting America
Introduction Webpage

New L.A. Bridge Calls For Public Review
KCET

Pay By The Mile To Drive? State Takes A Serious Look (Washington state)
NWCN

Senate Hearing Will Detail Hurricane Sandy's Transit Damage
Transportation Nation

State Senator Carol Liu Introduces Bill To Eliminate 2/3 Rule For Transit Taxes ("SCA 4 is a constitutional amendment, which requires a 2/3 vote to send to the voters.")
California High Speed Rail Blog

Students React To Measure J ("Fewer projects will be constructed and completed in the next 20 years because potential borrowing is limited to the expected revenues from the existing Measure R, which expires in 2039...")
USC Daily Trojan

Surgeon General Announces Call To Action On Walking
StreetsBlog DC

Tax Measure Gets Things Rolling For LA Streetcars
San Francisco Chronicle

Think About The Transportation Sector ("The U.S. therefore needs a 3-step mass transit program to help our communities thrive, protect our climate, and promote human health.")
Huffington Post

Toll Lanes Considered For I-10
Riverside Press-Enterprise

Transpo Tax Fails With 66% Of Vote: Time To Change The Rules?
Curbed LA

UCLA Environmental Researchers Release Citywide Plan, Call On Candidates To Adopt
UCLA Newsroom
Vision 2021 LA: A Model Environmental Sustainability Agenda For Los Angeles' Next Mayor And City Council (85p. PDF)
UCLA Institute Of The Environment And Sustainability

Why California's Two-Thirds Local Ballot Threshold May Be Worth Keeping
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.

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