BH Subway, LA Walks, LA Parks, Bike Lanes, Transpo Bill & More

75 Years Ago This Weekend: California Inspires The World With One Of America's Greatest Infrastructure Projects (And Celebrations) Ever
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

After 30 Years, A Boyle Heights Intersection Gets A Traffic Light
StreetsBlog LA

Alleged Bus Driver Shooter Could Face Death ("Prosecutors charged Anthony Craig Chambers, 41, of murder with special circumstances, but have not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty.")
NBC Los Angeles

Beverly Hills Subway Approved After Fiery Films
Associated Press

Beverly Hills Subway Tunneling Under 90210 High School Approved By Metro
LA Weekly

BH Officials Ready For Court Fight Against Subway Route ("Lawsuits filed under the California Environmental Quality Act and National Environmental Policy Act could challenge Metro's plans to tunnel under Beverly Hills High School as part of the Westside Subway Extension.")
Westwood-Century City Patch

Brace, Bev Hills: Metro Approves Purple Subway To Westwood
Curbed LA

Construction Quality Assurance For Design-Build Highway Projects (8p. PDF)
Federal Highway Administration

Designing A Walking LA: An Interview With Los Angeles Walks Founder Deborah Murphy
Core 77

Infographic: The United Bike Lanes Of America
GOOD

LA's Median Park Size Is 6.66 Acres And Other Facts About Our Crappy Park System
Curbed LA
Los Angeles Park Score (Los Angeles ranks #25 out of 40 cities; includes interactive map)
Trust For Public Land

Land Use And Traffic Congestion (292p. PDF)
Arizona DOT

Los Angeles And The Case For Transit Oriented Development: TOD Since The Red Line (Part 2 of 3)
StreetsBlog LA

Metro Approves Plan To Tunnel Under Beverly Hills High School Despite NIMBY Objections
LAist

Metro Approves Subway-To-The-Sea Tunnel Under Beverly Hills High School
CBS Los Angeles

Metro Board Approves Tunneling Under High School To Reach Constellation Blvd.
Beverly Hills Patch

Metro Officials Meet With Skeptical South Pasadena Residents Over 710 Study
Pasadena Sun

Metro To Force Riders To Pay On Purple And Red Lines By Dec. 1
Los Angeles Times

MTA Plans To Lock Gates On Red, Purple Lines
North Hollywood-Toluca Lake Patch

Sen. Boxer: "Great Progress" On Highway Bill Negotiations; Deal Possible By End Of June
The Hill

A Tracking-Based Traffic Performance Measurement System For Roundabouts And Intersections (link to full-text PDF)
University Of Minnesota Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute

Transportation Board Rejects Claims That Digging Under Beverly Hills High Would Be Dangerous
NBC Los Angeles

Westwood, Century City Leaders Applaud Subway Approval
Century City 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.

BH Subway, Expo Bikeway, Arcadia Gold Line, Alameda Corridor, Metro Railcars, HSR Emails & More

Bullet-Train Builders Covering Their Tracks? ("Beleaguered high-speed rail authority mulls destroying emails after 90 days.")
Orange County Register

Cheviot Homeowners File Second Suit Against Expo Bikeway
StreetsBlog LA

Commentary: Fear Plays Too Big A Role In Subway Discussion
Beverly Hills Patch

Creating An Effective Program To Advance Transportation System Management And Operations (18p. PDF)
Federal Highway Administration

Fearless Prediction: Metro Will Pass The Westside Subway Route Under Beverly Hills High School
StreetsBlog LA

Group That Backed Downtown Stadium Criticizes Environmental Report ("The Natural Resources Defense Council says the document on the proposed football stadium failed to fully analyze traffic-related health risks.")
Los Angeles Times

How Can 13 Miles Of The 405 Cause So Much Trouble?
LA Observed

It's Official: Arcadia's Colorado Boulevard Starts Four-Week Closure Wednesday
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

L.A.'s Changing Skyline: A Brief History Of Skyscrapers In The City Of Angels
LA As Subject via KCET

Los Angeles And The Case For Transit-Oriented Development (Part 1 of 3 : "This is the first in a three-part series on Transit Oriented Development and Los Angeles. Today’s piece is an introduction and a look at Metro’s role. Tomorrow looks at the history of TOD on the Red Line. Friday examines what L.A. has to do to embrace true Transit Oriented Development.")
StreetsBlog LA

Los Angeles City Council OKs Financing Deal For Alameda Corridor
Los Angeles Times

Metro Board May Vote On Subway Tunnel Today
Beverly Hills Weekly

Metro Board Meets Thursday On Westside Subway Extension
Westwood-Century City Patch

MTA Pact With Japanese Firm Complies With Rules, U.S. Says ("Federal Transit Administration rejects assertions by labor, activists and competitors that the deal to build rail cars violates 'Buy America' requirements.")
Los Angeles Times

NIMBYs, Design Flaws, History, And Rail Transit ("Even as the Los Angeles Times -- and plenty of transit riders -- celebrated the opening of the first leg of the Expo Line toward Santa Monica, unknowns lingered for rail transit in L.A.")
KCET

O.C. Freeways Among Most Congested
Orange County Register

One More Time: Here Are 4.6 Billion Reasons To Support Bike Infrastructure
StreetsBlog DC

States Eye New Tolls To Fund Highways
Associated Press

Swept Up In Parking Ticket Mania
Los Angeles Times

Tea Party Republicans Take Aim At Bike-Ped Funding In Conference
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.

Farmers Field, Arcadia Gold Line, Gas Tax, BH Subway, Bike City Rankings & More

25 Awesome And Unusual Bike Racks (photo essay)
Flavorwire

2012 State Rankings Released
League Of American Bicyclists
California's Bicycle Friendly State Report Card (2p. PDF)

AEG's Farmers Field Proposal In Los Angeles Needs More Work
Natural Resources Defense Council Switchboard Blog

Analysts: Traffic Congestion Down 30% Last Year
StreetsBlog DC
INRIX Traffic Scorecard

Anti-HSR Initiative In Circulation -- But For The 2014 Ballot
California High Speed Rail Blog

Arcadia's Colorado Boulevard Might Close Wednesday For Gold Line Work -- Really
Pasadena Star-News

BHUSD: Metro Must Delay Subway Decision ("The school district is calling on Metro to delay the decision on the subway and hold a meeting of geologists to discuss the safety of a subway in the area.")
Beverly Hills Patch

Candlelight Vigil For Slain MTA Bus Driver ("Hundreds turn out Monday night for a candlelight vigil for Alan Thomas, the MTA bus driver fatally shot on Sunday morning." Includes photo essay)
West Hollywood Patch

Despite Helpful Bev Hills Suggestions, Metro Will Probably Approve Its Own Purple Line Plans
Curbed LA

Development Of A Regional Public Transportation GIS Architecture And Data Model (49p. PDF)
University Of South Florida National Center For Transit Research

The Elephant In The Room: Raising The Gas Tax (includes California gas tax breakdown infographic)
Frying Pan News

First Plan Revealed For Rail From Union Station To Santa Ana
Curbed LA
Pacific Electric ROW / West Santa Ana Branch Corridor: Alternatives Analysis Report Initial Executive Summary (24p. PDF)
SCAG

Has The Passion Gone Out Of America's Fabled Love Affair With The Automobile?
Washington Post

Honolulu Passes Los Angeles As Worst U.S. City For Drivers
Washington Post

How To Avoid The Worst Traffic Jams In The Most Congested U.S. Cities (#1: "Los Angeles: Northbound on the San Diego Fwy/I-405 from I-105/Imperial Hwy interchange through the Getty Center Dr. exit. This 13-mile stretch typically takes 33 minutes to drive with 20 minutes of delay.")
The Atlantic: Cities

How'd They Do It: City Worked Hard To Avoid "Sportsaggeddon"
StreetsBlog LA

In Los Angeles, Demand-Based Pricing for Curbside Parking Goes Live
Smart Planet

Long Beach Airport Has State's Lowest Average Airfares Again
Long Beach Press-Telegram

Metro Staff Report Says Subway Under BHHS Is Still The Best Way To Go ("Despite arguments from experts hired by Beverly Hills city and school officials, a report released by the MTA for an upcoming meeting on Thursday sticks with a proposal to tunnel under Beverly Hills High.")
Westwood-Century City Patch

New Report Says Stay On Track With Westside Subway Development
LAist

Pam O'Connor On SCAG's Regional Plan (interview : "The passage of the Southern California Association of Governments’ Regional Transportation Plan in April is a testament to the diplomatic efforts of leaders like Pam O’Connor, Councilmember with the City of Santa Monica and the immediate past president of SCAG’s Regional Council. TPR asks President O’Connor how Southern California’s Metropolitan Planning Organization was able to build consensus across six counties and nearly 200 cities. Answer: through a persistent, bottom-up approach that respected the decisions of local policy makers and planners.")
The Planning Report

Price Points: Music, Transit And Revival ("Looks like a rapid-transit station - but where? Palm trees suggest it's somewhere semi-tropical - but somehow not Spanish. Yet it's named "Mariachi Plaza." What's that about?")
Spacing Vancouver
Separate But Eco: Livable Communities For Whom?
StreetsBlog LA

Research Without Borders: The Growing Role Of International Cooperation And Collaboration At The Transportation Research Board (10p. PDF)
Transportation Research Board

The State Senate Decides Whether To "Give Me 3" On Thursday ("California real estate observers are noting a shift from Hollywood to downtown L.A. for residents and scenesters that is in turn driving more interest in commercial real estate in the retail sector.")
StreetsBlog LA

"Trendy" Downtown LA Attracting Businesses
NuWire Investor

Update: Orange Line Extension Bike Path
LADOT Bike Blog

Westsiders Say Expo Bikeway Violates Environmental Laws
Curbed LA
Angeleno Homeowners Fight Bicycle Path
Courthouse News Service

What Will New York City's Bike Share Program Mean For Rider Safety?
The Atlantic: Cities

Worst Traffic Congestion Not In Los Angeles, But We Have The Worst Freeway In America
LA Weekly


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, Variable Parking Pricing, CAHSR, Weekend Ridership, Value Capture & More

May 22: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (A rail division is born 105 years ago, important labor agreements are decided and Pacific Electric retires five major streetcar lines)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

Accelerating Progress In Obesity Prevention: Solving The Weight Of The Nation
(479p. PDF)
National Academy Of Sciences

America's Top 50 Bike-Friendly Cities
Bicycling

Area Around Santa Monica's First Expo Stop Begins Taking Shape
Santa Monica Lookout

Could Design Flaw Derail The Expo Line? (video)
CBS Los Angeles via Yahoo

Design Flaw At Expo And Blue Line Junction Has Regulators On Guard
Los Angeles Times

Downtown Parking Experiment Will Use GPS And Flexible Pricing
Blog Downtown

Expo Junction Built With Flaw But Metro Says It's Under Control
Curbed LA

Here's How Downtown's New Variable Parking Pricing Works
Curbed LA

High-Speed Rail: Money, Politics, Timing Come Together
Capitol Weekly

House Members Try To Work Their Will In Conference
StreetsBlog DC

New Parking Meter System Goes Into Effect: Rates Could Hit Up To $6 An Hour
Los Angeles Downtown News

Not Waiting For The Feds ("What if the transportation didn't have to wait around for Congress and the White House to make a move? Are there examples of states or regions taking initiative where the federal government is failing? What stands in the way of states or localities acting on their own? Does it make sense to diminish the power of the congressional purse strings if Congress can't do its job? If the federal government is essential to infrastructure, what can be done to make sure it actually can take care of the nation's needs?")
National Journal Transportation Experts Blog

Our View: Manage Bullet Train Bucks
Pasadena Star-News

Plans For Potential $7 Billion Train Through Downey Finally Unveiled
Downey Beat

Promoting People-Oriented Development Around Transit
Natural Resources Defense Council Switchboard Blog
Notes On Transit-Oriented Development
Moule & Polyzoides

Rail Authority Policy To Purge E-Mails Draws Critics' Ire ("Investigators, lawyers and bullet train critics want to pore over the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s trove of documents, looking for evidence. So it’s an unusual time to purge five years’ worth of bullet train project e-mails, critics say. Nevertheless, that’s what the agency is contemplating.")
California Watch

Separate But Eco: Livable Communities For Whom?
StreetsBlog LA

Ten To 20 Percent Jump In Metro Riders To Downtown Over The Weekend
Los Angeles Daily News

Top 5 Places To Eat Off The Metro Expo Line
LA Weekly

U-Pass Program Extended For The Summer
California State University Long Beach Daily 49er

US Chamber To Congress On Transportation Bill: You're Doing It Wrong ("The US Chamber of Commerce expressed its exasperation with lawmakers for the way Congress is attempting to fund a transportation bill crucial to highway projects and repairs.")
Christian Science Monitor

U.S. DOT Spells Out Priorities For Conference Bill
StreetsBlog DC

The Value Of Value Capture
StreetsBlog DC

The Week Ahead: Highway Talks Move Into Week Three
The Hill

When Does California Get Back To Pre-Recession Employment?
LA Observed


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 Junction, Beverly Hills Subway, Arcadia Gold Line, 710 Plans, LA Bikes, Caltrans, TOD & More

May 21: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (Personal automobile ownership skyrockets, prompting the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to call for a comprehensive highway study in the early 1920s)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

Bergamot Transit Village Taking A Pause, May Come Back With More Housing
Curbed LA

Bev Hills Threatens To Sue At Subway Showdown, Gains Ally
Curbed LA 

Beverly Hills Brings Its Best Face And Smartest Brains To Yesterday's Subway Hearing
StreetsBlog LA

Beverly Hills Offers Metro Alternative Routes To Constellation Boulevard: The Three Proposed Options Would Reach Constellation Boulevard In Centruy City Without Tunneling Under Beverly Hills High School
Westwood-Century City Patch

Beverly Hills Urges More Subway Study
Zev Yaroslavsky, Los Angeles County Supervisor, Third District

BHUSD Reaction To Metro Public Hearing
Beverly Hills Patch

Cleveland's RTA Joins NASA To Test Bus Powered By Hydrogen Fuel Cells
Cleveland Plain-Dealer

Cut Commuting Costs By Biking To Work ("The number of Americans who bike as their primary means of transportation to work has increased almost 40 percent in the past decade -- and with good reason.")
Kiplinger
Bicycle Commuting Savings Calculator
Kiplinger

Downtown L.A.'s Many Communities Live, Work, Play Side By Side ("No longer the 9-to-5 area it once was, the city this week hosts NBA and NHL playoffs while small bars and eateries serve new residents who have poured into the community.")
Los Angeles Times

El Sereno Residents Review SR-710 Plans
EGP News

Expo Line Junction Design Flaw Prompts Inspection Order ("The junction has presented significant safety issues and requires a special inspection program because of subsequent 'non-standard' repairs, the state regulator says.")
Los Angeles Times

Four Weeks Of Closures Planned On Colorado Blvd. In Arcadia For Gold Line Construction
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

A Framework For Developing And Integrating Effective Routing Strategies Within The Emergency Management Decision-Support System (132p. PDF)
Mineta Transportation Institute

How Many Agencies Does It Take To Make A Better LA Street?
StreetsBlog LA

Jerry Brown On HSR: "Plant The Seeds Of Future Growth"
California High Speed Rail Blog

Land-Use Plan Calls For New Growth Near Transit
San Francisco Chronicle

Local Governments Review Use Of Old Pacific Electric Right-Of-Way
Free News Press

Los Angeles Lives By Car, But Learns To Embrace Bikes ("Mr. Villaraigosa said he wanted the city to establish 40 miles of bike lanes and paths a year, a policy inspired by his own “nasty spill” dodging a taxicab and a part of his effort to cut back on automobile use here. “No question about it: bike ridership is up dramatically in L.A.,” he said. “You see it all over the city.")
New York Times

Metro Bus Driver Fatally Shot In West Hollywood
NBC Los Angeles

Metro Bus Driver Fatally Shot By Passenger In LA
Associated Press

Metro Bus Driver Shot, Killed In West Hollywood ("The 51-year-old driver was leaving a layover area near Santa Monica Boulevard and West Knoll Drive when the lone passenger allegedly shot him. The passenger was taken into custody, but the motive is unknown.")
Los Angeles Times
Suspect In Metro Bus Driver's Slaying Identified
Los Angeles Times

Metro Considering Cell Service For Subways ("The agency received a status report Thursday on the feasibility of cell phone and wi-fi service on the Red and Purple Lines.")
Brentwood Patch

Metro Officials Meet With Skepticism On 710 Gap: Proposals Fail To Impress Residents, Who Question MTA Data's Validity
La Cañada Valley Sun

One Of The Best-Ever Videos Of A Transportation Project? (includes must-see video)
Transportation Issues Daily

Panama Extension May Help Competing Ports Topple L.A. From Its No. 1 Position
Bond Buyer

Parking: What If Meters Reset Based On Demand? ("In Downtown Los Angeles a pilot program will begin Monday as LADOT tests the wireless program. You'll also be able to put more money in the meter via cellphone.")
Hollywood Patch

Public Invited To Learn About And Comment On I-405 Improvement Project
Orange County Breeze

Public Transportation Is Habit-Forming -- And That's A Problem! ("Why does this matter? Because, APTA argues, public transportation systems are expected to add some 200 million new trips this year “even as gas prices fluctuate by as much as 50 cents per gallon.” On the bright side, that means fewer emissions and congestion on the road. But on the downside, most transit systems are poorly equipped to deal with this surge.")
Washington Post

Rancho Cucamonga Council OKs Improvement Contract
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

The Real Meaning Of Last Friday's House Vote On Transportation-Keystone XL
Transportation Issues Daily

The Right Way To Zone For Transit-Oriented Development
The Atlantic: Cities

School District Threatens To Sue Over Subway Route
Sacramento Bee

South Pasadena Seeks Input In Audit Of Caltrans Properties
Pasadena Star-News

State And Local Officials Celebrate Early Opening Of Montebello Freeway Bridge On Monday
Whittier Daily News

Study Predicts "Resilient Walkable" Places Will Lead The Housing Recovery
StreetsBlog DC
The Shifting Nature Of U.S. Housing Demand (50p. PDF)
Demand Institute

Transit-Oriented Bergamot Area Plan Taking Shape
StreetsBlog LA

We're Still Here, Still Golden: Don't Believe The Tales Of Gloom. Californians Aren't Fleeing
Zócalo Public Square

What Really Matters For Increasing Transit Ridership
The Atlantic: Cities

Wilshire Ramps By The Numbers
Zev Yaroslavsky, Los Angeles County Supervisor, Third District


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.