CAHSR, Beverly Hills Subway, Federal Gas Tax, Expo Line, Port Of LA, Social Media In Transit & More

May 4: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (Los Angeles gets its very first interurban rail line -- to Pasadena, and L.A. transit responds to the 1974 national fuel crisis)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

710 Freeway: Residents Talk Health Concerns
San Marino Patch

American Manufacturers, Workers Creating Passenger Rail That's Built To Last
U.S. DOT Fast Lane Blog

Bev Hills Subway Meeting Set ("The public hearing on the Purple Line that Beverly Hills has requested with Metro has been scheduled -- it will take place May 17 at 1:30 pm at Metro HQ.")
Curbed LA
BH Councilman: PTA's Subway Disaster Video Kind Of A Disaster
Curbed LA

California Bullet Train Board Approves Environmental Studies
Los Angeles Times

CBO Report Says Federal Gas Tax Must Increase Due To Proposed CAFE Standards
Daily Tech
How Would Proposed Fuel Economy Standards Affect The Highway Trust Fund? (10p. PDF)
Congressional Budget Office

Controller Wants Big Changes At City Transit Agency
EGP News

Does Suburban Local Service Get Cars Off The Road?
Human Transit

Downtown Ranked The "Most Walkable Neighborhood In Los Angeles"
Blog Downtown

Editorial: MTA's Rail Car Reasoning
Los Angeles Times

Expo Excitement And Expectation ("This has always been a city that looks to the future for inspiration. As tracks continue to be set firmly into the concrete of L.A.'s Westside, we think that Southern California will finally be able to shed its image as a place where the car dictates the way we travel, and build.")
Huffington Post

Five Signs California Is Ditching Its Car Habit
National Geographic

Getting Things Done: What's At Stake For Congress In The Transportation Bill
Natural Resources Defense Council Switchboard Blog

Higher Fuel Standards Could Reduce Federal Transportation Funds By $57 Billion By 2022
Transportation Issues Daily

Hundreds Of Communities Across The Country Host National Train Day Events On May 12
MarketWatch

LA Port Adopts Clean-Air Program For Ships
Journal Of Commerce

Lane Closures Expected In Metro Gold Line Extension Project
Arcadia Patch

A Little TIFIA Takes Transportation Projects A Long Way
U.S. DOT Fast Lane Blog

Metro Postpones Century City Subway Station Vote; Agrees To Hearing With Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills Courier

New Fuel Standards Could Lead To Higher Gas Prices
American Public Media Marketplace

Officials Dig In To I-5 Truck Lane Project
KHTS

Pitching Duel: In L.A., Fight Takes Off Over Struggling Airport ("Locals Call In Baseball's Tommy Lasorda to Rally for Ontario; Hearing Birds Chirp.")
Wall Street Journal

Proactive Assessment Of Accident Risk To Improve Safety On A System Of Freeways (102p. PDF)
Mineta Transportation Institute

The True Cost Of Driving And Travel Behavior
Planetizen

Use Of Social Media In Public Transportation (66p. PDF)
Transit Cooperative Research Program

Why Johnny Can't Ride To School: Safe Routes On The National Stage
League Of American Cyclists

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.

CicLAvia, 710, BRT Ratings, PCH History, Santa Clarita Commute, Mileage-Based Fees, Expo Phase II & More

May 3: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (Los Angeles gets its first subway -- 70 years before the Metro Red Line -- and half a million people are on hand for Union Station opening to the public)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

710: Crescenta Valley Residents Air Traffic, Health Concerns
Montrose Patch

Advancing The Science Of Highway Safety
National Cooperative Highway Research Program

BRT Systems Get An International Rating Standard
Transportation Nation
BRT Standard
Institute For Transportation & Development Poicy

California Bill Would Accelerate L.A. Transportation Projects
Land Line

Canceled Bus Runs Draw Attention To Absent Drivers: MUNI Cancellations Remain High, Leaving Passengers With Long Waits And Many Questions
Bay Citizen

Caltrans To Add Truck Lanes To I-5 For Santa Clarita Commute
Glendale News-Press

CicLAvia Heading Deeper Through The Eastside, But When?
StreetsBlog LA

Congress To Hash Out Transportation Compromise
Southern California Public Radio

Do Honor Systems On Mass Transit Work Better In Smaller Cities? ("Later this month, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board is expected to vote on whether to make sure people are paying to ride its growing network of light rail and subway lines...While it might seem odd for a transit system to take more than 20 years to try to patch up a steady leak in one of its only sources of revenue, L.A.'s not alone. According to the American Public Transportation Association, 13 other North American light rail systems – including Sacramento, Portland, and Charlotte – have similar proof-of-payment systems that essentially rely on the honesty of riders.
The Atlantic: Cities

Does York Boulevard Bridge Need A Road Diet?
Highland Park-Mount Washington Patch

Estimating The Economic Impact Of Transportation Investments (webinar : June 29)
State Smart Transportation Initiative

From Roosevelt Highway To The 1: A Brief History Of Pacific Coast Highway
LA as Subject via KCET

Good News For The Westside: New Bike Lanes Appear On Sepulveda Boulevard
StreetsBlog LA

Huizar, Living Streets, Unveil Parklet Designs For El Sereno Street, York Blvd.
StreetsBlog LA

LAX Named 2nd Worst Airport In America (Among 22 major U.S. airports, LAX ranks #20 for location, #20 for baggage handling, #21 for terminal cleanliness, #21 for check-in and security process, #21 for staff communication, and #22 for impression of safety standards)
CBS Los Angeles
America's Best And Worst Airports
Travel + Leisure

Metro Board Approves Contract With Kinkisharyo
Rafu Shimpo

Metro Fail: Taps For A TAP Card
Blogging Los Angeles

Mileage-Based Fees Or Bust: New Report Says No More Excuses
StreetsBlog DC

NCHRP Meets DOT Execs' Unique Needs (2p. PDF)
National Cooperative Highway Research Program

No Strangers On The Train ("A whole new world of L.A. culture has just opened up for me; I'll be first in line when Expo reaches Santa Monica in a few years.")
Santa Monica Daily Press

Ontario Airport Looks Awfully Lonely
Riverside Press-Enterprise

Opinion: Dodgers: Full Stadium, Empty Parking Lot
Los Angeles Times

What Are The Best Transportation Practices For Measuring Transportation Communication?
Talking Transportation

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 Design, 710 Gap, LADOT Review, Westside Traffic, America Fast Forward, Metro Rail Cars, Title VI, L.A. Zipcar & More

$38 Million Railroad Project Breaks Ground In Pico Rivera
Whittier Daily News

710 Freeway Meeting Draws A Crowd At La Cañada High
La Cañada Valley Sun

A Bold Plan For Sustainable California Communities (SCAG's long-range transportation plan "will bring 12 new subways to Los Angeles that will connect residents to major regional employment and commercial centers. It will reduce congestion, even with four million more residents, and allow more people to live near transportation options, which studies show residents want more now than ever before. It will improve air quality and public health, saving the region $1.5 billion a year in health-care costs. None of this would be possible if we maintained the status quo.")
Wall Street Journal

California's Rough Roads: Road Conditions Are Another Thing That California Finds Itself Ranked Near The Bottom
NBC San Diego

Celebrating Transit And Remembering Riots: L.A. Moves Forward And Looks Back All In One Weekend
StreetsBlog LA

Clowns To The Left, Jokers To The Right: Media Portrayals Of The Car-Free
StreetsBlog Network

Condos And Hotel Planned For Spring Street
Los Angeles Downtown News

Controller Urges Total Overhaul Of L.A. Transportation Department
Los Angeles Daily News
City Of Los Angeles Department Of Transportation (LADOT) Comprehensive Management Review: Final Report
(220p. PDF)
Los Angeles City Controller

Editorial: Buckled Sidewalks Emblematic Of City Government's Failure
Los Angeles Daily News

Editorial: Of Bias And Buses ("It's disconcerting to see the MTA being scolded by the Federal Transit Administration for once again courting a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Critics also say that Metro has prioritized rail service over bus service.")
Los Angeles Times

Expo Today, America Fast Forward Tomorrow
Los Angeles Area Chamber Of Commerce

FHWA: Small Investments In Bike/Ped Infrastructure Can Pay Off In A Big Way
StreetsBlog DC

L.A. Metro Is Buying Rail Cars From Japan, Is It Sending Jobs There Too?
Southern California Public Radio

Long Beach Transit Takes Innovative Path
Metro Magazine

Metro Starts Beverly Hills Subway Drill Testing
Beverly Hills Courier

National Bike Month: A Good Time To Put On Your Helmet And Saddle Up (Where bike lanes and pedestrian trails have been launched over the past four years, "communities saw an average increase of 49 percent in the number of bicyclists and a 22 percent increase in the number of pedestrians.")
U.S. DOT Fast Lane Blog
Report To The U.S. Congress On The Outcomes Of The Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program SAFETEA-LU Section 1807 (105p. PDF)
Federal Highway Administration

Opinion: MTA, In A Switch, Does Right On Rail Cars
Los Angeles Times

Opinion: Westside Traffic Pushing Residents To Brink: Gridlock Traffic On The Westside Has Some Residents Ready To Move
Century City Patch

Review: Lackluster Expo Line Reflects Metro's Weak Grasp Of Design
Los Angeles Times

Suburban Swap: Trading A Backyard For A Train Station
Wall Street Journal
Transit Communities Pick Up Speed (video)
Wall Street Journal via YouTube

Two Reasons The Back-Up Plan For A Transportation Bill Probably Won't Work
Transportation Issues Daily

Under The Wire, Metro Enters Nearly $1B Deal For New Rail Cars
Curbed LA

Will Bike Share Get Smarter?
Next American City

Zipcar Aims To Make Car Sharing A Way Of Life
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.

Metro Railcars, Expo Art & Dreams, Bergamot Station, Regional Connector, Car-Free Youth, Congestion Pricing & More

May 1: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (L.A. gets its very first female streetcar conductor and says goodbye to Los Angeles Motor Coach Company)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

Aging Infrastructure Little Addressed By Presidential Candidates
Scripps News

Businesses Along New Expo Line Hoping To Cash In
Southern California Public Radio

Drivers Pay Secret Road Tax In $15 Billion For Car Repair
Bloomberg

Elated Commuters Say Metro's New Expo Line Will Save Them Time, Money
CBS Los Angeles

Engineers, Residents Concerned About Safety Surrounding New Expo Line
NBC Los Angeles

Environmentalists vs. Infrastructurists ("Are regulations really tripping up projects that badly? If so, what's a reasonable way to speed things along? Should there be categorical exclusions for certain types of projects? If so, what kinds?")
National Journal Transportation Experts Blog

Expo Line Begins Regular Schedule, Full Fares On Monday Morning
Blog Downtown

Expo Line: Progress In Reverse ("The trains also have to stop at traffic lights all along the route and with each deflating stop you could see the passengers wince as memories of LA's bus routes and clogged surface streets coursed through them. Is this just a glorified bus route?")
USC Annenberg Neon Tommy

A Faceoff Between Experts Is On The Horizon As "Subway To The Sea" Drama Continues
Southern California Public Radio

FRA Guidance On Pedestrian Safety Still Misses The Real Problem
StreetsBlog DC

Galleries' Survival Threatened By Railway Expansion Plans ("The expansion of the new Exposition Light Rail (Expo) connecting downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica means major changes to the Bergamot Station Arts Center, a 7.4-acre complex that houses 35 galleries in several metal-clad industrial buildings. An 18-year-old art space is being threatened with destruction and gallery owners worry they could be pushed out by rising rents when the new railway stop opens in 2015.")
Art Newspaper
Guidance On Pedestrian Crossing Safety At Or Near Passenger Stations (30p. PDF)
Federal Railroad Administration

Highway Bill Enters Legislative Homestretch
Associated Press

How To Make Transit (And Biking And Walking) Sexy
The Atlantic: Cities

Labor Groups Want MTA To Buy American On $900 Million Rail Car Contract
LA Weekly

LA's Newest Rail Line Offers Transportation And Art Exhibit All In One
Forbes

A Low-Cost Way To Improve Transit: Add Joy
Grist

Metro Awards Rail Contract To Japanese Firm Despite Union Protests
Los Angeles Times

Metro Board OKs Regional Connector EIR/EIS
Rafu Shimpo

Metro Bus Detours For Tuesday's Occupy L.A. May Day Caravan
LAist

Metro OKs $900M For New Rail Cars
Los Angeles Daily News

"No Subway Under BHHS" Video Hits 3,000 Views
Beverly Hills Patch
Plenty Of Hurdles Still Remain For Progressive South Figueroa Corridor Project
StreetsBlog LA

Obama: Highway Bill Used To Be The "Easiest Bill To Pass In Washington"
The Hill

Obama Hits Congress On Transpo Bill
Transportation Nation

Opinion: The New Earmarkers: Cost Analysis For Transit Projects Gives Way To "Social Equity (subscription required)
Wall Street Journal

Riverside-Figueroa Bridge Destruction: Insult To Pedestrians
LA Creek Freak

Robertson And Sepulveda Boulevard Construction Projects Begin April 30
Culver City Patch

Scenes From Day One On LA's Brand New Expo Line (extensive photo essay)
Curbed LA

The Secret Energy Drain On Cities: Streetlights
The Atlantic: Cities

Southland Leaders Celebrate Metro Expo Line Opening At Dedication Ceremony
Southern California Public Radio

Travel Demand Forecasting: Parameters And Techniques (170p. PDF)
National Cooperative Highway Research Program

Trucking Provision In Transportation Bill Divides Industry
Transportation Issues Daily

Twenty Years After The Riots: An Expo Line ("The success of the Expo Line will hopefully enhance an extended Measure R to expedite other projects such as the Downtown Light Rail Connector and the Wilshire Subway (Purple Line) extension to the Westside.")
CityWatch

Use Of Performance Measurement To Include Air Quality And Energy Into Mileage-Based User Fees (173p. PDF)
Texas A&M University Transportation Center For Mobility

What's The Secret To World-Class Transit Systems? Congestion Pricing
StreetsBlog

Yes, Los Angeles Has A Rail Network Believe It Or Not
Forbes

Young People Are Driving Less And Explaining Why (audio testimonials)
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! Expo! Expo!, Bike Nation, Expo II Bikeway, Highway Bill, Union Station, CAHSR & More

As America's Waistline Expands, Costs Soar ("The new performance testing proposed by transit officials for buses, assuming an average passenger weight of 175 instead of 150 pounds, arise from concerns that heavier passengers might pose a safety threat. If too much weight is behind the rear axle, a bus can lose steering. And every additional pound increases a moving vehicle's momentum, requiring more force to stop and thereby putting greater demands on brakes.")
Reuters

Assembly Candidates Push For Gold Line Expansion, Education Funding ("Jobs and transportation were among the hot topics at a forum Thursday night featuring the five candidates running for the 41st Assembly District serving Pasadena, South Pasadena and nearby cities.")
Pasadena Sun

Barbara Boxer Determined To See Highway Bill Passed Despite Hurdles
Desert Sun

Bev Hills PTA: Subway Will Destroy Brandon, Brenda
Curbed LA

Beverly Hills' Response To Metro's Delayed Subway Vote ("The BH City Council's request for an additional public comment period has been granted, according to the following press release from the City of Beverly Hills.")
Beverly Hills Patch

Bike Nation Responds: Open Data, Social Media, New Kiosks, New Bikes And More...
StreetsBlog LA

Brookings: Suburban-Style Zoning Linked To Educational Inequality
StreetsBlog DC
Housing Costs, Zoning, And Access To High-Scoring Schools (31p. PDF)
Brookings

Bullet Train's Low Operating Costs Are "Elephant In Room," Experts Say
California Watch

Can California Afford High Speed Rail? Jerry Brown Still Bullish, Likens It To Cathedral Building
Huffington Post

C'mon N' Ride The Train: The Expo Line Finally Opens To The Public
LAist

Cost Of Owning And Operating Vehicle In U.S. Increased 1.9% According To AAA's 2012 "Your Driving Costs" Study
AAA Press Release
Your Driving Costs, 2012 (12p. PDF)
AAA

Editorial: Cars, Trains And Partisan Posturing
New York Times

Expo Line Express: Opening Day Filled With Festivals, Free Rides (video)
Leimert Park Beat

Expo Line Grand Opening (audio)
USC Annenberg Intersections South LA

Expo Line Offers Free Parking Spaces For Cars And Facilities For Bikes ("The La Cienega/Jefferson station has 576 parking spaces and 12 bike rack spaces and the Culver City station has 586 parking spaces, numerous bike racks and 8 bike lockers.")
Culver City Patch

Expo Line Opening
(video : "Los Angeles residents celebrate the grand opening of the Expo Line at USC.")Annenberg TV News

Expo Line Opens To The Public With Free Rides This Weekend
Los Angeles Times

Expo Line Opens Today; MTA Worked Out The Glitches Until The Last Minute
LA Weekly

"Expo Line" Opens Up Trains To The Westside
My Fox LA

Expo Line Opens Variety Of Possibilities For Riders
Los Angeles Times

Expo Line Opens With Fanfare, Free Rides
Los Angeles Wave

Expo Line Safety Concerns
Annenberg TV News
Exposition Light Rail's Unfinished Safety Jobs
Najmedin Meshkati, USC via Scribd

Financing Surface Transportation In The United States: Forging A Sustainable Future -- Now! (76p. PDF : Summary Of The Fourth International Conference)
Transportation Research Board

Free Expo Line Rides Offered Today, Tomorrow Between L.A. And Culver City
Long Beach Press-Telegram

Highway Bill Conference Committee Schedules First Meeting
The Hill

L.A. Metro Unveils New Expo Line, Approves Billions More In Rail; Gadfly In Obama Mask Isn't Happy
LA Weekly

LA's Transit Dreams Coming True?: On The Tracks Of Los Angeles' New Expo Line
Architect's Newspaper

Last Bastion Of Free Parking? Loyola Marymount To Charge Students
LA Observed

Legal Challenge Looms For Regional Connector ("Thomas Properties Group, one of four Financial District property owners concerned about construction impacts along Flower Street, submitted a draft lawsuit to the agency on Thursday.")
Los Angeles Downtown News

Metro Caves To LACMA Arm-Twisting On Fairfax Subway Station
CityWatch

Metro Opens Unfinished Phase I of Expo Line To Fanfare
USC Annenberg Neon Tommy

MTA Shirks Responsibility By Sending Jobs Building Rail Cars To Japan
Los Angeles Wave

Now Arriving...! (USC professor of physics and astronomy Clifford Johnson pronounces Expo Line as a city-changing experience. His verdict: "just magical")
Asymptotia

On High-Speed Rails, A New Challenger In Italy ("It took over five years, a roughly $1.3 billion investment and a neck-and-neck race with Italy’s national rail lines to get Europe’s first private operator of high-speed, domestic trains on track.")
New York Times

Opinion: The Civic Advantage Of Coalescence ("Do you ever wonder why the subway ends in North Hollywood instead of turning east to Burbank and Glendale? Or why the Gold Line turns right when it gets to Pasadena? Or why the Westside is getting light rail and a subway extension while you get nothing?")
La Canada Valley Sun

Our View: Make Bike Lanes The New Freeways
Pasadena Star-News

Panorama: Expo Line's La Cienega/Jefferson Station
Los Angeles Times

Smart Growth Strategies Prompt Dumb Objections
California Planning & Development Report

Southland Leaders Celebrate Metro Expo Line Opening At Dedication Ceremony
Southern California Public Radio

State Of The Union: Shortlisted Teams Unveil Vision Boards For LA's Union Station Area ("The boards, presented in front of a packed house at the station yesterday, will hold no weight in the team selection. That choice will be made, by the end of June, on the much more nuts-and-bolts basis of qualifications, interviews, data collection, draft alternatives and implementation strategies, aka 'scope of work.'")
Architect's Newspaper

State Senators, Gold Line Officials Lobby For Funds To Fill Foothill Extension Funding Gap
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Touring The Expo Line Phase II Bikeway
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