Americans For Transit, Orange Line Opening, Union Station, Expo Line, UCLA, MacArthur Park TOD & More

June 15: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (A slew of dignitaries are on hand to inaugurate one of Los Angeles' earliest freeways)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

Analysis: Cities With More Walkers, Bike Commuters Are Less Obese
Governing
Governing Healthy Commuting Habits Study

Antonovich And Ridley-Thomas Discuss Regional Transportation With Secretary LaHood
Michael D. Antonovich, Los Angeles County Supervisor, Fifth District

Boxer Changes Her Tone, Adopts A Fighting Stance
StreetsBlog DC

California Employers Add 33,900 Jobs; Jobless Rate Falls To 10.8%
Los Angeles Times

Eavesdrop: Grimshaw And Gruen Take Union Station
Architect's Newspaper

Exploring The Expo Line And Its Surroundings: Phase 1 (Minus 2)
KCET

Final Hearing On I-405 Expansion Plan Tonight
Orange County Register

GOP Conferees: Highway Bill Ads Galvanized Supporters
The Hill

Homeowner's Complaints Lead To Transit Service Changes At UCLA ("Though this decision is being implemented next week, it is largely the result of persistent complaints of a single resident over the past decade.")
StreetsBlog LA

Infighting Could Derail Fed Transport Bucks For LA
CityWatch

Just Back: Los Angeles (Travel writer has high praise for Los Angeles transit)
New York Post

LA County Metro Reroutes More Than A Dozen Buses Due To Expo Light Rail Line ("Los Angeles County Metro is rolling out service changes this Sunday June 17 on bus lines throughout its system.")
Southern California Public Radio

McCormack Baron Salazar And Metro Announce The Grand Opening Of MacArthur Park Apartments Phase A ("Grand opening ceremony for the new Transit-Oriented Development be held on June 18th, 2012.")
PR Web

The Misunderstood Science Behind Fears That A Subway Tunnel Could Blow Up Beverly Hills High School
The Atlantic: Cities

Nearly 650 Miles Added To The U.S. Bicycle Route System!
League Of American Cyclists

New Bike Lanes On Burbank Blvd In NoHo ("New Burbank Blvd bike lanes intersect the Metro Orange Line bikeway-busway at Valley College Station.")
B.I.K.A.S.

The Next Big Start-Up Wave: Civic Technology
The Atlantic: Cities

No More Mr. Nice Guy: Transit Advocates Get Organized ("What do you do if there’s no transit rider organization in your area? You can just live with service cuts and fare increases – or you can organize. That’s the idea behind Americans for Transit, a brand-new nonprofit dedicated to building grassroots support for quality, affordable transit service around the country. “There’s no national organization doing this,” said Andrew Austin, the organization’s new executive director. “[The American Public Transportation Association] is a trade association that represents transit agencies...But right now there’s no prominent voice for transit riders.”)
StreetsBlog DC
Americans For Transit via Facebook

Orange Line Extension From Canoga Park To Chatsworth Opens On June 30
Los Angeles Daily News

Organizing Transit Riders: A How-To Manual (64p. PDF)
Good Jobs First

Planning In America: Perceptions And Priorities -- A Research Summary (22p. PDF)
American Planning Association
Press Release

Port Of Los Angeles Has Busiest May On Record
Daily Breeze

Rail Vehicle Bearing Defects Detection (36p. PDF)
TRB Safety Idea Project

Report Cites Benefits Of Bullet Train
The Business Journal
Moving Ahead With High Speed Rail: Why The Common Sense Approach Of The Revised Business Plan Deserves Support (44p. PDF : "A white paper that analyzes the current high speed rail proposal and provides recommendations for the California Legislature and the High Speed Rail Authority.")
TRANSFORM
Executive Summary (4p. PDF)

Road To Nowhere: Federal Transportation Infrastructure Policy (Infographic)
Council On Foreign Relations

South LA Bicycle Clubs Welcome The City To Watts Towers
USC Annenberg Intersections South LA

A Tale Of Two Rails: Xpress Sails, CAHSR Stuck
StreetsBlog LA

TOD Advocacy Keeps Chugging Along
California Planning & Development Report

Weekend Events Could Jam Traffic In Anaheim Area ("With opening of Disneyland's Cars Land, an Angels series at home and concerts in Anaheim, Orange County transit officials are preparing for severe congestion.")
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.

TAP, LA County Traffic Data, BH Lawsuits, Parking & More

June 14: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (Some Metro Rail cars get a memorable paint job)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

Apple Drops Transit Directions From Mobile Devices
StreetsBlog DC

Bev Hills School District Rehires Subway-Fighting DC Lobbyists
Curbed LA 
Board Of Ed Extends Contract Of D.C. Lobbyists ("The school district is spending $15,000 a month to persuade federal officials to oppose Metro's plans to tunnel under Beverly Hills High School.")
Beverly Hills Patch

Bloomberg Offers A Cash-Fueled Challenge For Cities To Solve Major Problems ("The grand prize winner will take $5 million to develop its idea, and four other cities will scoop up $1 million prizes. There’s no telling what kinds of projects cities will come up with, but we’ll be watching San Francisco and Philadelphia--the first two major cities in the U.S. to hire chief innovation officers.")
Fast Company Exist

Boxer Gets Props, As Transportation Negotiations Continue
Riverside Press-Enterprise

California APA Pooh Poohs Statewide Parking Reform Efforts
StreetsBlog Network
APA California Hints (Strongly) At Opposition To Parking Minimum Reform Bill
Market Urbanism

City And BHUSD's Metro Lawsuits Likely To Be Heard Before One Judge (p. 5+)
Beverly Hills Weekly
City Attorney Says City-BHUSD Cooperation On Metro Lawsuits Similar To Oil Well Litigation (p. 9)
Beverly Hills Weekly

Civil Engineers Likely To Grade U.S. Infrastructure "D"
Business Week

CTA To Raise Additional $1.8 Million In Immediate Revenue Through Innovative Deal With Groupon: Deal Will Encourage New Ridership, As 3-Day Passes Will Be Sold For Reduced Rates
Chicago Transit Authority Press Release
Groupon Buys 250,000 3-Day CTA Passes For About $2 Million: Discount Deal-Maker To Offer Them To Online Members For $9 Instead Of Standard $14
Chicago Tribune 

Customer Service For People With Disabilities: Taking Your Training To The Next Level ("A two-part Webinar designed for transit managers who want to help their staff take the next step in providing excellent customer service to riders with disabilities.")
Easter Seals Project Action

Democrats Bring Out Heavy Machinery To Blast GOP On Transportation Bill
Washington Post

Disney's Cars Land Feels Like Walking Into A Movie
Los Angeles Times


Expert: LA Public Transit Will Surpass NY (link to audio interview)
Transportation Nation

Eyes On The Street: Will Mandatory TAP Strand Disabled Passengers?
StreetsBlog LA

Giant Bike-Sharing Program To Launch In Anaheim ("Bike Nation, based in Tustin, is set to begin an automated kiosk program with 100 bicycles in Anaheim as soon as June 23.")
Orange County Register

Highway Conference Leaders Trade Blame For Negotiation Breakdown
The Hill

Integrating The HSM Into The Highway Project Development Process (42p. PDF)
Federal Highway Administration

Lincoln Heights Jail As A 24,000 Square Foot Urban Rooftop Garden? (One can't help but look forward to the future of the jail, which is folded into the Cornfield Arroyo seco Specific Plan and part of the Cleantech Corridor. Happily kayaking Angelinos can be seen making their way down the river, which can easily be accessed from the jail site. Overhead, the Metro Gold line passes through, while below Angelinos enjoy a bit of sunshine on a river overlook, a High Line-esque elevated parking structure.")
KCET

Messing With CEQA: Jerry Brown's Conventional Vision
KCET

New Evidence That Smart Growth May Reduce Local Congestion As Well As Overall Driving
Natural Resources Defense Council Switchboard Blog

New Traffic Data System To Help Ease Gridlock In L.A. County A Step Closer, Say Officials
Los Angeles Daily News

"No Document Exists" On Bullet Train's Speed, Lawsuit Claims ("According to a lawsuit filed by project opponents, the state High-Speed Rail Authority has not done any studies or written reports to verify that the trains actually will go fast enough to follow the law.")
California Watch

Passenger Pleads Not Guilty To Killing MTA Bus Driver With Shotgun Pulled From Suitcase
Contra Costa Times

Tablets And E-Readers Leap Past Music Players And Regular Cell Phones As "Technologies Of Choice" On Commuter Trains (2p. PDF)
DePaul University Chaddick Institute Technology Briefing

Tell Apple That Transit Directions Matter
Walk Score

Town Hall Meeting On Metro Takes Place Thursday
Beverly Hills Patch

Transportation Groups Call For Swift Passage Of A New Highway And Transit Bill ("The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials today joined with 16 other national transportation advocacy and trade organizations in urging Congress to pass an adequately funded transportation bill by the end of this month.")
AASHTO Press Release


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.

Gold Line, CAHSR & CEQA, Los Angeles TOD, Expo Line, Parking, Gas Prices & More

June 13: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (Groundbreaking for the Metro Red Line Segment 2)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

Better Use Of Public Dollars: Economic Impact Analysis in Transportation Decision Making (24p. PDF)
Eno Center For Transportation

Big Mystery: U.S Oil Production Hits 14-Year High, Gas Prices Not At 14-Year Low
Grist

Dems Tweet Pressure On GOP To Compromise On Highway Bill
The Hill

Downtown LA Tests Adjustable Parking Rate
KCRW Which Way LA

Environmental Groups Oppose Brown's Rail Lawsuit Preemption Plan
Los Angeles Times

Finding Your Station: Metro's "Call To Artists" For Public Pieces Along The Expo Line
Southern California Public Radio

High-Speed Rail: SCV Residents Just Say "No"
Santa Clarita Valley News

Los Angeles Looks At Ways To Avoid Displacement Near Transit ("To begin to avert displacement, Reconnecting America and the Housing Department have chosen four transit-oriented districts for housing preservation activities, which will be introduced over the next five years.")
Better Cities & Towns
Preservation In Transit-Oriented Districts: A Study On The Need, Priorities, And Tools In Protecting Assisted And Unassisted Housing In The City Of Los Angeles (51p. PDF)
Reconnecting America
Executive Summary

Metro Grants To Pave San Fernando Bikeway's Path: Burbank Works To Avoid Use Of General Fund Money To Complete Bike Master Plan
Burbank Leader

More Closures On I-405 This Summer
Canyon News

MTA Considering Expanding Gold Line Service
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

New Los Angeles Street Bike Lanes, First Street Lanes Begun
B.I.K.A.S.

Outgoing Metrolink Chief John Fenton On Commuter Rail And An Ostrich Egg
Southern California Public Radio

Planned Free Wi-Fi At LAX Halted Over Lack Of Competitive Bidding
Daily Breeze

Rolling Back CEQA For High-Speed Rail Sets A Terrible Precedent
Huffington Post

Santa Monica Resets Its Parking Meter System ("I don’t see how this increases turnover -- it just makes sure they get everyone to pay and they know how much they are getting,” said Professor Shoup, who is widely considered the intelligent parking guru. "Anytime someone says something isn’t about money, it’s about money.")
New York Times

The Summer Guide To Finding Public Art All Over Los Angeles
Curbed LA

Take A Look At Your New Union Station Bike Lanes
Curbed LA

"Take Fountain" And LA Drivers' Other Favorite Shortcuts (Traffic and shortcuts infographic)
Curbed LA

Tapping "Big Data" To Fill Potholes: Start-Ups Help States And Municipalities Track Effects Of Car Speeds, Other Variables On Traffic
Wall Street Journal

Traffic Jams: An Inside Look At The Worst Routes
Wall Street Journal

Under Economic Impact Analysis, Highway Expansion Loses Appeal
StreetsBlog DC

Want To Increase Cycling? Sharrows Won't Cut It
StreetsBlog Network

Where Is John Mica as Congress Takes Transpo Programs To The Brink?
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.

DesertXpress' New Name, 405 Ramp Closures, Expo Line, BH Subway, Positive Train Control & More

Apple's Homegrown Maps App Debuts (First Take) ("What we didn't see in Apple's Maps was public transit navigation. For now, you can get transit directions, but no turn-by-turn (or stop-by-stop) navigation like Google offers across hundreds of cities around the world.")
CNET

Bicycle Accomodations At The New Grand Park
LADOT Bike Blog

"Black Box" Proposal Divides Truckers
USA Today

Broadway's Historic Theaters Adapt to Ensure The Show Goes On
Blog Downtown

Cutting Highways Is Not So Popular ("Is it now passé to call for keeping infrastructure funding within the highway trust fund? What has changed since the beginning of this Congress that has allowed so many Republicans to comfortably say that current highway funding levels should be maintained? How does a conversation about the highway trust fund and its limitations impact the infrastructure debate? Was Broun's maneuver useful to the conversation or was it a distraction?")
National Journal Transportation Experts Blog

DesertXpress: The Tim Tebow Of High-Speed Rail?
Vegas INC

DesertXpress Vegas-California Rail Project Renamed ("DesertXpress Enterprises announced Monday that it's rebranding the project XpressWest to reflect its goal of a larger rail network across the western U.S.")
San Francisco Chronicle

From "Carmageddon" To "The Rampture": L.A. County Taking Your Questions On 405 Ramp Closures During Friday Live Chat
Los Angeles Daily News

House Attack On Safe Streets Makes Transpo Bill Ever More Elusive
StreetsBlog DC

Is It Time To Stop Building Convention Centers?
The Atlantic: Cities

L.A. Streetsblog Launches Tumblr, "Streetsblog Lite"
StreetsBlog LA

Metro Modifies Bus Routes To Accomodate New Expo Light-Rail Line In Los Angeles
UCLA Daily Bruin

Municipal League To Discuss Westside Subway Extension, Beverly Hills At General Meeting
Beverly Hills Courier

National Dump The Pump Day: June 21, 2012
APTA
Online Toolkit & Resources
APTA

Positive Train Control Mandate Adds To Remote Power Challenges
Progressive Railroading

S.F. Central Subway Tunnel Construction To Begin
San Francisco Chronicle

Stanley Cup: L.A. Kings Parade, Rally Planned For Thursday ("The parade is to start at noon near 5th and Figueroa, proceed south on Figueroa and end between L.A. Live and Staples Center.")
Los Angeles Times

The Trouble With Finding An Extra $2 Billion ("The Texas Department of Transportation, which often claims that it lacks the money to maintain its network of roads properly, surprised many state leaders in March when it announced it had an extra $2 billion.")
New York Times

Vegas-LA HSR Service One Step Closer To Reality
California High Speed Rail Blog


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.

DesertXpress, Expo Line, Gold Line Foothill Extension, CAHSR, Beverly Hills Subway, Transpo Bill & More

June 11: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (Los Angeles gets its first federal funding grant for preliminary subway engineering)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

$365,000 Salary For New High-Speed Rail Chief
Fresno Bee

Analysis Of Existing Data: Prospective Views On Methodological Pardigms (84p. PDF)
Strategic Highway Research Program

Arcadia's Colorado Boulevard To Be Fully Closed For Next Week
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Can Our Smart Phones Convince Us To Walk More?
The Atlantic: Cities

The Bottom Line Of All Our (Rail) Lines
CityWatch

Conservative Motion To Cut Transportation Spending Fails (And Fails Hard)
StreetsBlog DC

Council Declines To Amend Subway Resolution: The Panel Instead Chose To Focus On A Legal Challenge To The MTA's Decision To Tunnel Under Beverly Hills High School
Beverly Hills Patch

Digital Ads For Big Blue Bus Put On Hold & Thoughts On Budget Predicament
StreetsBlog LA

Environmental Objections In Path Of Bullet Train ("Rail construction could create more emissions in an area that already has dirty air and high asthma rates. Resolving the issues could delay the project and boost costs.")
Los Angeles Times

Even Most Republicans Don't Want To Slash Spending On Transpo
StreetsBlog

The Expo Line: Making South LA More Accessible
USC Annenberg Intersections South LA

High-Speed Rail: By The Numbers
Silicon Valley Mercury News

Highway Talks Veer Toward Stalemate
The Hill

High-Speed Rail From SoCal To Las Vegas Could Be In The Works
Cerritos-Artesia Patch 

Idea For L.A. To Vegas Train Gaining Support ("A private company has signed an agreement with the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority to tie the Vegas train to the California High Speed rail system.")
Walnut Patch

In Which The Rhetoric Of Fiscal Conservatism Ceases To Convince ("A large majority of the lower chamber endorsed the idea that the government should be using funds sourced outside of user fees – generally that means deficit-increasing debt — to pay for transportation investments.")
The Transport Politic

L.A. To Vegas High-Speed Rail Project Gains Momentum
Los Angeles Wave

Los Angeles Cuts Bus Line That Was Useful Parable
Human Transit

LV-To-LA Train Extension In Works
Las Vegas Review-Journal

Metrolink To Raise Fares, Add Service
Los Angeles Times

Metrolink To Resume Weekend Beach Trains
KABC Los Angeles

Ontario Develops Regional Compatibility Plan For ONT
San Bernardino Sun

OpEd: The Governor's High-Risk, High-Speed Rail Gambit
Los Angeles Daily News

Paper Or Digital? How Do You Want Your Map?
American Public Media Marketplace

S.F. Muni Cameras To Look For Abnormal Behavior
San Francisco Chronicle

Southland Gas Prices Decrease For 26th Day
Los Angeles Daily News

Toxic Pre-Recession Bank Deals Haunt Struggling Transit Agencies
StreetsBlog DC

Transportation Systems For Livable Communities: Summary Of A Conference (170p. PDF)
Transportation Research Board Conference Proceedings

Vegas Train's LA Link Advances: DesertXpress Still Waiting On $6.5B Federal Loan
Victorville Daily Press

What It Means: House Votes On Three Transportation Proposals
Transportation Issues Daily

With High-Speed Rail, Is California Buying A House While Slashing Its Bills?
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Zimride Social Rideshare Launches In Los Angeles
Examiner


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.