Today's Headlines - more at Metro

9/28/2012

Carmageddon II, 405, 710, AEG, BNSF, MAP-21, Gold Line, LA Oil & More

September 28: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (Preparations for a Wilshire Subway to La Brea Avenue)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog
And tomorrow is the groundbreaking anniversary for both the Red Line (1986) and the Expo Line (2006)

5 Doomiest Official Statements About Carmageddon II
Curbed LA

The 405's Nocturnal Racket Of Progress ("Neighbors near ground zero of the massive construction project have dealt for 2 1/2 years with shaking walls, pounding noises and the ever-present beep-beep-beep of trucks backing up.")
Los Angeles Times

710 Forum Draws Big Crowd ("The consensus of the panel at Wednesday’s South Pasadena City Council meeting was no on the 710, yes on Measure J.")
Monrovia Patch

Architects Call For Redesign Of L.A. Convention Center Hall, Part Of AEG NFL Project
Los Angeles Daily News

BNSF: New Report Shows Benefits Of Railyard Near Long Beach ("Developers of a controversial $500 million railyard project on Long Beach's western border say an updated environmental study released Thursday affirms the proposed project's environmental and traffic benefits to the community.")
Long Beach Press-Telegram
Southern California International Gateway (SCIG) Project: Draft EIR (link to documents)
Port Of Los Angeles

Canada's Rail System May Have Peaked...In 1968
The Atlantic: Cities

Carmageddon II Not Expected To Impact O.C. Traffic
Orange County Register

Carmageddon Is A Cause For Celebration Among LA Cyclists
NBC Los Angeles

Curtain Rising On MAP-21: DOT Helps Ease Transition Into New Transportation Era
U.S. DOT Fast Lane Blog

Driverless Cars Would Reshape Automobiles *And* The Transit System ("Changes in transportation technology have tended to be accompanied by changes to transportation systems, too.")
The Atlantic

Editorial: Don't Tempt Carmageddon ("Carmageddon, the sequel, comes to Los Angeles this weekend, when the 405 Freeway will be closed in both directions between the 10 and 101 freeways from midnight Saturday until 5 a.m. Monday.")
Los Angeles Times

Everyone Will Ride For Free On Kansas City's Downtown Streetcars
Kansas City Star

A Future For Very, Very Long Buses
Human Transit

Gold Line Bridge's Baskets Woven Piece By Piece At Gardena Plant
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Hoteliers See Cash In L.A. Gridlock ("A push by Palm Springs hotels to lure Angelenos to the desert this weekend for what is playfully billed as Carmageddon II.")
Desert Sun

The Impact Of The Economic Recession On Truck Traffic In Los Angeles (32p. PDF)
METRANS / California State University, Long Beach

LA County BizFed Backs Measure J To Create Jobs, Fight Gridlock
Asian Journal

LaHood: "New Transportation Era" Begins Monday With Highway Bill Implementation
The Hill

Local, State Officials Urge MTA To Drop 710 Freeway Tunnel Proposal
Glendale News Press

Los Angeles Postpones Vote On Bus Ads ("The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board postponed a vote on whether to award five-year advertising contracts for its 2,500 buses and train cars to incumbent CBS Outdoor Group Inc. or challenger Titan Outdoor LLC.")
Wall Street Journal

Mayor Bogaard Sends Letter To MTA Urging No 710 Tunnel
Pasadena Independent

Media Will Pool Helicopters For Carmageddon II
LA Observed

New Bike Lanes On Grand, Olive
Los Angeles Downtown News

New Fare Card Set For CTA, Pace ("Starting next summer, CTA and Pace riders will have the option to pay fares with their personal credit and debit cards as well as a new smart-card system called Ventra.")
Chicago Tribune

Opinion: Los Angeles' Mass Transit Wins Praise...In New York
Los Angeles Daily News
Los Angeles Is The Future: It Can't Stop, Won't Stop; Check Yourself, New York!
New York Post

Opinion: Metro Needs To Get Its Rail Plan Right ("Designs for other Measure R projects show similar failures to understand basic rail technology. And the timing couldn't be worse: New rules, coming into effect over the next few years from the Federal Railroad Administration, will give Metro more flexibility than ever to build a coherent, integrated system that blurs the differences between light rail, subways, commuter trains, and even high speed rail. But the advantages of the new regulations will be lost if Metro doesn't have the technological expertise to exploit them.")
Los Angeles Daily News

Planning Commission Gives OK To NBC Universal Expansion
Los Angeles Times

Politicians, Community Members Demand End Of 710 Study
Whittier Daily News

Port Of Los Angeles Recognized With Award For Emissions Reduction
Daily Breeze

Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus Gets A Fresh Face
Santa Monica Lookout

See The Sixth Street Viaduct Design Proposals: Animated!
Curbed LA

Should We Trade Infrastructure For Debt?
Transportation Nation

Targeting Our Efforts To Reduce National Oil Addiction (Los Angeles County ranks #1 in the U.S. for gasoline consumed : "We must improve access to existing transit systems. We can make existing transportation systems more effective and fair. Unfortunately, in the US, having a transit system and having access to that system are not the same. The Brookings Institution studies most populated metropolitan regions in the country; 30% of people in counties making up such regions or nearly 60 million people can’t access their public transportation systems.")
Natural Resources Defense Council Switchboard Blog
Where The Jobs Are: Employer Access To Labor By Transit: Los Angeles - Long Beach - Santa Ana
Brookings

Transit Center Staying Downtown
Riverside Press-Enterprise

The Tricky Politics Of Introducing A Streetcar To A City
StreetsBlog Network

Vans Help Developmentally Disabled Link To Jobs
Riverside Press-Enterprise

Why Japan's Rail Privatization Worked -- And Why Britain's Failed
National Review

Will Metro Rue The Day It Decided To Require Transponders For ExpressLanes Access
StreetsBlog LA


What are transportation community leaders around the nation tweeting about today? Check out the Metro Library Twitter Dailyour online digest in newspaper format updated every day.

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

9/27/2012

ACE, BART, Driverless Cars, FlyAway, Solo Commuting, NBC/Uni Plan & More

September 27: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (A restored MacArthur Park reopens following Metro Red Line construction)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

91 Toll Lane Prices Coming Down
Riverside Press-Enterprise

ACE Construction Board Supports Measure J On November Ballot
Pasadena Star-News

America's 50 Best Cities (Los Angeles is ranked last at #50, behind Anchorage, Omaha, Tulsa...)
Business Week

BART Puts Early Earthquake Warning System To Use
KGO San Francisco

Bus Agency Planning Massive Bus Replacement
Riverside Press-Enterprise

California Governor Paves Way For Driverless Cars ("Autonomous cars can make roads safer, free commuters from the drudgery of driving, reduce congestion and provide transport to people who can't drive themselves, such as the blind, disabled, elderly and intoxicated.")
Christian Science Monitor

Carmageddon 2: MTA & CHP Asking Public To Stay Off Roads This Weekend
My Fox LA

Carmageddon Copters: There Will Be Less This Time
Curbed LA

Census Shows Slight Decline In Solo Car Commuting
StreetsBlog DC

Central Americans To Get LA Neighborhood Designation ("Los Angeles has resurrected plans to brand the MacArthur Park/Westlake and Pico-Union neighborhoods to the all encompassing Central American Cultural District.")
Curbed LA

The Commute Of The Future: To Get Riders, Buses Try To Be More Like Trains; Skip Red Lights ("To make waiting for a bus less of a head-scratcher, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has a smartphone app that allows users to check bus schedules and determine when the next bus will arrive.")
Wall Street Journal

Free Muni Ride Cheat With Smartphone
San Francisco Chronicle

Hearing Tomorrow For NBC/Uni Plan, River Advocates Oppose
Curbed LA

How California Is Planning Growth For A Prosperous Economy And Clean Environment
Natural Resources Defense Council Switchboard Blog

Irvine FlyAway Route To LAX Renewed For Two More Years
Daily Breeze

Making Bus Stops Dignified And Multifunctional
GOOD

Making Parking Lots More Walkable
The Atlantic: Cities

Metro Diary: Planes, Trains, And Confusing Transfers With TAP
StreetsBlog LA

Next New FlyAway Route To LAX Will Serve Expo La Brea Station
StreetsBlog LA

NYC Transit Plans Traffic Signal Priority Test
The Transit Wire

A Nuyorican In LA: The Gaping Divide Between The Have-Cars And Have-Nots
ABC News

Relative Costs Of Transit Construction ("Although there are some rules of thumb for the ratio of tunneling cost to above-ground transit cost, the actual ratio depends on the city and project, and this would favor the mode that’s relatively cheaper.")
Pedestrian Observations

Republicans Can Privatize Amtrak If They Want To
Bloomberg

This Election Season, Americans Pony Up For Public Transportation (A photo of the Expo Line's inaugural operators graces this national news story)
Transportation Nation

TransComm Preview: Five Transportation Stories That Will Shape The Year Ahead
Talking Transportation

Transit Directions Field Test: Apple Maps vs. Google Maps ("The loss of transit directions in Apple Maps is a blow to iOS users. In our last mapping field test, CNET shows just how bad the user experience is.")
CNET

Videos From The 2012 CNU Transportation Summit
Congress For The New Urbanism

Why Britain's Railway Privatization Failed
The Atlantic: Cities

Wilshire Grand Replacement - Mixed Use
Los Angeles Downtown News


What are transportation community leaders around the nation tweeting about today? Check out the Metro Library Twitter Dailyour online digest in newspaper format updated every day.

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

9/26/2012

Carmageddon, ACE, Bike/Ped, 710 Tunnel, 405, Cell Phone Theft, Walkability & More

September 26: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (End of the line for Hollywood, and Metro memorializes a Lakers icon)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

405 Freeway Project Study To Weigh Long Beach Impact
Long Beach Press-Telegram

AIDS Walk L.A. Founder Sues Santa Monica Over Ban On Bus Ads
Los Angeles Times

ACE Struggles To Separate From San Gabriel Valley Council Of Governments
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Atlanta Transit Head Hired To Lead MBTA ("Will be the first woman and the second African-American leader of the T, arriving at a time of record ridership, as well as ­financial uncertainty.")
Boston.com

Bike/Pedestrian Plan Could Make San Clemente A Model For Everybody
Orange County Register

California Bike Commute Modal Share 2011
Cyclicious

"Carmageddon II" Success Requires 185,000 To "Park It," Officials Say ("Caltrans District 7 Director Mike Miles said that in order to avoid gridlock over the closure weekend, “we need to keep approximately two-thirds of the vehicles off the system that normally travel on the San Diego Freeway.”)
Los Angeles Times

Economic Review Of 6th Street Road Diet Shows Bike Lanes Don't Cause Loss Of Business
StreetsBlog LA
York Blvd: The Economics Of A Road Diet (85p. PDF)
Cullen McCormick / LA County Bicycle Coalition / LADOT Bike Program / Bikes Belong / UCLA Luskin School Of Public Affairs

The Economist: Don't Expect Driving Rates To Rise Again
StreetsBlog DC

For Second 405 Freeway Closure, Less-Dire Traffic Message Goes Out
Los Angeles Times

Help Decide On A New East-West Route In The Valley -- Polls Included!
LADOT Bike Blog

Lexus ES: Is This The First U.S. Car Commercial Filmed On A Street With A Protected Bike Lane?
Street Films

Liu: Toss The 710 Tunnel Study (La Cañada lawmaker latest to weigh in on controversy over Long Beach (710) Freeway extension.")
La Cañada Valley Sun

Metro Warns Of Increased Cell Phone Crimes On Blue And Green Lines
Blog Downtown

No One Is Scared Of Carmageddon II And It Will Be Our Downfall
Curbed LA

OCTA Board Postpones 405 Expansion Decision
Daily Pilot

Report Urges L.A./Ontario Airport Negotiations To Continue ("The city of Los Angeles should continue talks with government officials from the Inland Empire to determine if there is a way to transfer control of the struggling airport to them, the report advises.")
Los Angeles Times

Reseda Celebrates Its 100th Anniversary ("Each burg was linked by an expansive new boulevard, Sherman Way. Pacific Electric Red Car trolleys were soon added to carry commuters 25 miles downtown.")
Los Angeles Daily News

Should We Crowdsource Walkability Rankings?
The Atlantic: Cities

Time To Get Serious About Carmageddon 2 ("Drivers can’t get complacent and think Carmageddon 2 is no big deal. Here’s my conversation with Dave Sotero of the regional transportation agency Metro about the looming 405 shutdown.")
KCRW Which Way LA?

Tony Cruz: How Long Beach's Top Cyclist Went From Racer, To Ambassador, To Planner
StreetsBlog LA

Too Much Hype For Carmageddon 2 Or Not Enough?
KPCC Southern California Public Radio

Transit Ridership Rises In Second Quarter ("Michael Melaniphy, CEO of the APTA, sees a direct connection between a rise in jobs and the rise in ridership.")
American Public Media Marketplace

Walk Score Factors In The Ineffable Qualities That Make Neighborhoods Great
StreetsBlog DC


What are transportation community leaders around the nation tweeting about today? Check out the Metro Library Twitter Dailyour online digest in newspaper format updated every day.

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

9/25/2012

710, Bus Ads, Freeways & Health, Gold Line, Metrolink, OCTA, Looming Cuts, "Peak Car" & More

Automated Budget Cuts Looming For Transportation Programs ("In-demand and innovative transportation programs could face severe cuts come January due to an agreement made as part of the debt deal last year. But as a surprise to some, traditional highway programs funded mostly by the gas tax may be facing cuts as well.")
Transportation For America

BART Explains New Civilian Review Of Police Procedures
Mass Transit

California's Transportation Future Is Not A Series Of Tubes
California High Speed Rail Blog

Calif.'s OCTA Partners For Service Animal Training
Metro Magazine

Campaign For DTLA Streetcar Ramps Up; Needs Residents' Votes

Blog Downtown

Cargo Cyclists Replace Truck Drivers On European City Streets
Low-Tech Magazine

Congressman Schiff Throws Metro A 710 Freeway Curveball
Pasadena Now

County Supervisors Consider Compact With Port Of Los Angeles
My Valley News

Editorial: L.A.'s Battle Of The Bus Ads ("Though rival Titan has offered L.A. County a higher bid for the bus ad contract, an MTA analysis that sides with CBS is persuasive.")
Los Angeles Times

Finding Of The Day: 8% Of L.A. Childhood Asthma Cases Due To Freeway Proximity
The Atlantic: Cities
Near-Roadway Air Pollution A Major Contributor To L.A. Asthma
Science Blog

Freeway Pollution Risk "Very Important," Researcher Says
Riverside Press-Enterprise

Gabbard Examines Looks At Pending CA Legislation That Would Reorganize Regional Rail Service
StreetsBlog LA

Gold Line Montclair Extension Will Need A Lot Of Parking
Curbed LA

Google Car Zooms Toward Legal Status ("Mountain View company uses its clout to win legislative support for self-driving vehicles.")
Bay Citizen

Helicopters Warned Not To Buzz Westside During "Carmageddon II" Work
Los Angeles Times

How Not To Fix Your Economy: Prevent People From Getting To Jobs
StreetsBlog DC

L.A. Council Committee Approves AEG's Downtown Stadium Agreements
Los Angeles Times

L.A.'s First Official Bike-Friendly Street: Our Review
LA Weekly

Metrolink Adds 7 Chatsworth And Northridge Trains During Carmageddon 2
Northridge-Chatsworth Patch

Metrolink Finds New Boss In New York
Los Angeles Downtown News

NRDC / Move L.A. Push Governor On Smart Growth Bill, Praise Regional Plans
StreetsBlog LA
A Bold Plan For Sustainable California Communities: A Report On The Implementation Of Senate Bill 375 (35p. PDF)
Natural Resources Defense Council

New Poll: Americans Support Investment To Increase Transportation Choices
Mass Transit

OCTA Board Delays Vote On I-405 Expansion Proposals
Orange County Register

An Ornithological Curiosity: When Ostrichs Rules SoCal Tourism (archival images illustrate story which includes 1880s Ostrich Farm Railway between Downtown and Los Feliz, as well as ostrich farm tourism along Pacific Electric route)
LA As Subject via KCET

Panelists Blast 710 Extension At Pasadena Forum
Pasadena Star-News

Park It Here ("Let’s first examine the city’s new “smart” parking meters, soon to be installed on a city street near you, if not already. Lucky Santa Monica was the first to get these new city cash cows, more than 6,000 of them have been installed so far.")
CityWatch

Photos: Gold Line Bridge Nearing Completion
Monrovia Patch

Seeing The Back Of The Car: In The Rich World, People Seem To Be Driving Less Than They Used To
The Economist

Subway Riders Evade Fares With Android NFC Hack
GMA News

A Tale Of Two Projects: Urban Transportation In Los Angeles
Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition

Transit Diaries: Three Dozen Riders Sound Off On The Good And Bad Of Los Angeles' Trains And Buses
USC Annenberg Neon Tommy

The Tricky Politics Of Vacant Lots
The Atlantic: Cities

Why You Hate Cyclists
Slate

World's Longest Hybrid Bus A Herald Of Future Mass Transit?
Earth Techling


What are transportation community leaders around the nation tweeting about today? Check out the Metro Library Twitter Dailyour online digest in newspaper format updated every day.

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

9/24/2012

Expo, Gold Line, Foothill Transit, SoCal HSR, CicLAvia, Farmers Field, 405, 210, 710 & More

210 Freeway Closures Starting Sunday (yesterday)
Arcadia Patch

The 710: Spine Of LA Freeway System And Its Missing Link
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

2013 Transportation Funding: It's Higher. No, It's Lower
Transportation Issues Daily

After Teen's Death, NJT's "Another Train Coming" Warning System Aims At Keeping Pedestrians Safe
CBS New York

California High-Speed Rail Announces New Southern California Regional Director ("We are pleased that Michelle Boehm will be joining the High-Speed Rail Authority as its Southern California Regional Director,” said Jeff Morales, CEO of the Authority.")
Breaking Travel News

CicLAvia Westside Route Ride Canceled ("Interested in bringing the car-free event to Culver City, Venice and Santa Monica? Join the CicLAvia to the Sea Host Committee as it explores potential routes.")
Culver City Patch

Cities Forge Own (Bike) Paths (MAP-21 and local control of bike/ped funding)
Politico

Closure Of 605-405 Interchange Cancelled
Long Beach Press-Telegram

Editorial: Upping The Stakes In The 710 Fight ("Schiff's letter to MTA signals the battle over the freeway tunnel may be joined in Washington, D.C.")
Pasadena Sun

Expo Line Improvements Will Make It Safer, But Not Faster
Curbed LA

Feds Approve California High-Speed Rail Construction
Pasadena Star-News

Feds Seek Feedback On MAP-21 Transportation Performance Measures
The Transit Wire

Foothill Transit Promotes Gillespie, Festner, Raquel
Mass Transit

Free Bus Passes "Have Health Benefits," UK Study Suggests
BBC

Gold Line Environmental Report Details Need For Significant New Parking Buildings Along The Route
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

How Infrastructure Politics Turned Partisan: Looking Back On Four Years
Transportation Nation

Huizar Resolution Opposing All 710 Routes Passed By Committee, Heads To Council
South Pasadena Patch

L.A. Football Stadium Faces Crucial Hearing, New Lawsuit ("In conjunction with building the stadium, the plan also calls for the construction of two eight-story parking garages located on L.A. Live Way and Bond Street, a move that would entail a net increase of 1,112 parking spaces in the area. Additionally, AEG has proposed to pay for roughly $10 million in improvements to the Pico Blue Line station to better facilitate Metro rail traffic toward the stadium area and foster what they call “the most transit-friendly stadium in the country.”)
USC Annenberg Neon Tommy

L.A. Mayor To Receive APTA "Distinguished Service Award"
Metro Magazine

L.A. Prepares For Freeway Closure, Carmageddon II
USA Today

Línea Expo de Metro Llega a USC ("USC y Metro esperan que muchos de los fans usen el transporte público.")
Impremedia

The Mini Parks That Could Transform Los Angeles: A Simple But Radical Idea Is Set To Erode LA's Love Affair With The Car And Reclaim Some Street Space For Pedestrians
Guardian (U.K.)

MTA Making Safety Improvements At Expo Line Street Crossings ("The agency plans to spend $287,500 to improve crosswalks, pedestrian warning signs and traffic signals from Washington Boulevard and Flower Street to Jefferson and Hauser boulevards.")
Los Angeles Times

New Fears In Los Angeles As Highway Closes Again
New York Times

Park(ing) Day Around The U.S.
StreetsBlog DC

"Parklet" Mysteriously Emerges On Second Street
Belmont Shore-Naples Patch

President Obama Plans To Streamline HSR Approvals
California High Speed Rail Blog

Reminder: Amtrak Subsidies Pale In Comparison To Highway Subsidies
StreetsBlog DC

[Disabled] Rider Overcomes Her Fear Of Public Transit
OmniNews

Schiff Sends MTA A Letter Slamming The 710 Tunnel
Burbank Leader

Shifting Into High Gear At Pro Walk Pro Bike 2012
Street Films

A Tale Of Two Maps (Park(ing) Day vs. Space Shuttle Endeavour Day)
StreetsBlog LA

Thieves Snatch Smartphones From People's Hands On Public Transit
KPCC Southern California Public Radio

Trucks Will Roll Down An E-Highway In California Test: Trolley-Like System Could Let People Breathe Easier Amid Congestion
Wall Street Journal

Wider, Stronger Sunset Boulevard Bridge Over I-405 Set To Reopen ("The reopening Monday marks a breakthrough in the $1-billion 405-widening project, which has created epic traffic jams and led to unprecedented full-freeway closures.")
Los Angeles Times

Would Funds For High-Speed Rail Be Better Spent On Improving Existing Intercity Rail Service? (Pro and con arguments explained)
Wall Street Journal

Your Carmageddon II Questions Answered ("Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky addresses commuters' questions today during a live chat at Metro.")
South Gate Patch


What are transportation community leaders around the nation tweeting about today? Check out the Metro Library Twitter Dailyour online digest in newspaper format updated every day.

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