Metrolink, Green Line To LAX, OC Streetcar, Pershing Square, Torrance Transit, Measure J, CAHSR & More

October 26: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (Metrolink launches service 20 years ago today. We take an extensive look back at its debut, along with dedication photos and a promotional video from 1992)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

California High Speed Rail Authority Continues To Staff Up
California High Speed Rail Blog

The Case For Bus Transfers
The Atlantic: Cities

Closures Planned During Northbound 57 Widening
Orange County Register

Green Line Connector To LAX Could Arrive In 8 Years
Daily Breeze

Intercity Rail Passenger Systems Update, Fall 2012 (16p. PDF)
Transportation Research Board

It's Time To Welcome The Informal Workforce To The Urban Policy Table
Global Urbanist

Medida J Aborda Tema Vital Para Los Ángeles ("Es la Medida J, que estará en la boleta electoral el 6 de noviembre, vista por sus detractores como un cheque en blanco para una agencia desconectada con las necesidades de los pasajeros, pero por quienes la respaldan como la opción más viable para agilizar el transporte y el desarrollo del condado.")

La Opinión

Metro, AEG Agree To Expand Pico Boulevard Rail Station For Farmers Field
Los Angeles Daily News

Metro's Measure J Would Speed up Transit Projects, Bill Taxpayers Through 2069
NBC Southern California

Michael Lejeune: A Cooler Ride (lecture : October 25 : "Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) creative director Michael Lejeune and the supercharged creative team he leads have one goal: make public transportation cool. It’s a daunting task in a region as car-crazy as Los Angeles. But by applying a bold design strategy to the work of the nation’s third largest transit agency, Metro’s 20-person in-house studio team is moving the needle, fostering big change, and earning major design kudos along the way.")
UCLA Hammer

Oh, The Good Ol' Days: Getting Pine And Ocean Back To Its Former Glory (Long Beach revitalization)
StreetsBlog LA

Pershing Square Vision? Not So Good ("Pershing Square occupies a square block of prime downtown land. It was L.A.'s first park, once a grassy playground for fashionable couples. Now it's a concrete playpen for the homeless.")
Los Angeles Times

Soon You'll Be Able To Take A Train To A Streetcar To A Monorail To Disneyland
Curbed LA

South Pasadena Council Votes To Support Measure J
Pasadena Star-News

The Millennial Mile: How Do We Turn Less Driving Into More Bike Advocacy?
League Of American Bicyclists

Torrance Transit Celebrates New Services; Free Rides Today
StreetsBlog LA

Transit Initiatives Are Giving A Boost To Businesses, A Report Says
New York Times

Westside's Motor Avenue Gets Road Diet And Bike Lanes
StreetsBlog LA

What Really Happens When A City Makes Its Transit System Free?
The Atlantic: Cities

Whose Parking Regime Reigns Supreme? LA, SF And NYC Compare Notes
StreetsBlog


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 Analyzed, LA-OC Light Rail?, Measure J, MAP-21, HSR, 101 Fwy, 21st Century Streets, Bikes On Transit & More

13 Reasons You Should Start Biking To Work
Business Insider

At NACTO Conference, LaHood Delivers Straight Talk On MAP-21
StreetsBlog DC

The Best Cities For Green Commuters
The Atlantic: Cities

California Greenhouse Gas Law Faces Challenge
Transportation Nation

Commute Times And Other Data Paint Picture Of Ventura County
Ventura County Star

Council Votes To Take "No Position" On Measure J
Beverly Hills Patch

Free Rides On New Rapid Bus Route From Long Beach To Galleria
Long Beach Patch

Heated Cycle Lanes To Warm Dutch Winter Cyclists
BBC

High-Speed Rail Efforts Gain Momentum Across The Country
NBC News

Highway 101 Interchange Project In Thousand Oaks Clears Hurdle
Ventura County Star

[D.C.] Metro Shows Off Newest Rail Car ("The new car’s design addresses many of the concerns riders have been writing in about for years.")
Washington Post

Mapping Mobility: The Importance Of Information In Transportation
The City Fix

Measure J Transit Tax: Too Soon?
LA Weekly

Measuring The Street: New Metrics For 21st Century Streets (16p. PDF : "This report discusses key approaches to street design projects, and how results can be measured against goals for safety, serving all users and creating great public spaces while also maintaining the flow of traffic...In some cases, the increase is dramatic: on Brooklyn’s Pearl Street, where the DOT maintains retail sales have increased by 172 percent since a parking triangle was turned into a pedestrian plaza.")
New York City DOT

Metrolink Service To San Diego Contemplated
StreetsBlog LA

Mobility Summit Consensus: Prepare For High-Speed Rail ("High-speed rail is heading this way and Los Angeles County's collection of transit agencies need to coordinate their planning efforts to take full advantage of the new technology. That was the consensus Monday at the Valley Mobility Summit 2012.")
Los Angeles Daily News

Not A Word About Transit In Obama Jobs Plan
StreetsBlog DC

On The Ballot: A Key To Alameda County's Sustainable Transportation Future ("Measure B1 would generate a projected $7.8 billion over the next 30 years for projects selected using a “complete streets” approach aimed at improving the county’s streets, trails, and transit infrastructure to accommodate all modes of transportation. The measure would double the county’s existing half-cent transportation sales tax, with 48 percent of the revenue devoted to improving transit, 8 percent to bicycle and pedestrian projects, and 39 percent to roads and highways. If approved, it would represent an unprecedented commitment to non-motorized transportation.")
StreetsBlog SF
If Approved, Measure B1 Could Raise Billions For Transportation
Oakland North

Perfect Match: Metro Vancouver Melds Bikes And Transit (video : "TransLink views cycling as a complement to the agency's trains, buses, and ferries. In this follow-up, Streetfilms got to speak to TransLink officials about their vision for a transit system that works in tandem with active transportation, and to see some of the ways they're using bike infrastructure to bolster transit ridership.")
StreetFilms

Phase 2 Of Expo Line Project Faces Opposition
USC Annenberg TV News

Records Continue To Reveal Complex History Of Persistent PCH Problems
Malibu Surfside News

Seminar Analyzes Expo Line ("The seminar was part of a series hosted by METRANS, a partnership of USC and California State Long Beach, to address transportation challenges in Los Angeles.")
USC Daily Trojan

Smart Highways Will Charge Your Car, Tell You What The Weather Is
TreeHugger

State DOT's Social Media Activity On The Rise, AASHTO Survey Finds
Progressive Railroading

Street Design 101: New Guidebook For Cities Released
Next American City
Urban Street Design Guide (36p. PDF : "Charts the design principles and strategies that cities are adopting to confront 21st Century demands on their streets. It is based on the fundamental idea that streets are spaces for people as well as arteries for traffic. The guide is rooted in on-the-ground, built projects and great streets, and reflects international best practices and research in urban design, planning and engineering.")
NACTO

What It'll Take To Build A DTLA To Santa Ana Light Rail Line
Curbed LA

WUF Hosts Measure J Forum: Feuer, Zane & Rosenfeld Make Final Arguments For/Against Extension Of Measure R Sales Tax
Planning Report


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 Foothill, Measure J, Torrance Transit, I-405, CAHSR, Anaheim Streetcar, LGB & More

Amtrak's Chief Engineer Joins High Speed Rail Authority
Central Valley Business Times

Anaheim Council Backs Streetcar Plan ("Plan to run streetcars between transportation hub and popular tourist attractions could be running by 2018.")
Orange County Register

Beverly Hills City Council Votes 4-1 To "Not Take A Position In Support Of Measure J"
Beverly Hills Courier

Caltrans To Take up I-405 Widening Proposals
Orange County Register

Can Cities Be "Resilient" And "Sustainable" At The Same Time? ("The urban areas of the next 100 years will have to be both. But that’s tricky.")
Slate

City Officials Announce Final Design For New 6th Street Bridge
Blog Downtown

Construction Authority Board Endorses Measure J
Metro Gold Line Foothill Construction Authority

Developer In Gold Line Dispute With City Releases Letter On Lawsuit
Monrovia Patch

Expanded 405 In OC Won't Have Toll Lanes Because County Doesn't Know What To Do With Money
Curbed LA

FHWA Helps Cities And Towns Land Bike/Ped Funding
StreetsBlog DC

Gold Line Bridge Work Prompts 210 Freeway Closure
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Long Beach Airport Unveils New Terminal
StreetsBlog LA

Methodologies To Estimate The Economic Impacts Of Disruptions To The Goods Movement System (105p. PDF)
National Cooperative Highway Research Program

Metro Rail Ridership Is Way Up, Buses Flat
LA Observed

Miss Subways Of Yore Return To Pose For The Cameras At A New Transit Museum Show
Capital New York

Obama Visit To "Tonight Show" Could Snarl Traffic, LAPD Says ("Police are urging drivers to avoid streets near Los Angeles International Airport and NBC studios in Burbank beginning Wednesday evening.")
Los Angeles Times

Rare Glimpse Into Port Operations Draws Thousands
Long Beach Post

SFMTA To Combine Contracts For Its Central Subway Project
San Francisco Chronicle

Torrance Transit To Unveil Two New Bus Routes
Daily Breeze

Underground Scene: New York's Subway Back In The Day (vintage photos from the 1940s to 1960s)
LIFE

What's The Best Way To Figure Out What Bike Riders Really Want
The Atlantic: Cities

Why It Matters: Infrastructure ("From bridges to broadband, America's infrastructure is supposed to be speeding along commerce, delivering us to work and piping energy and water into our homes and businesses. But just repairing all the breakdowns and potholes would cost tens of billions more than we're currently spending each year. Experts warn the resulting infrastructure and innovation deficit is jeopardizing our global economic competitiveness. Traditionally nonpartisan territory, spending for transportation and other megaprojects is now routinely caught up in politics, with Democrats and Republicans divided over how to pay for public works and which ones.")
Associated Press

Work Officially Begins At Site Of LA's Second Tallest Tower
Curbed 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.

Orange Line, Expo II Suit, Blue Line Ridership, Measure J, OC 405 Widening, Gas Tax Law, PCH History, Transit PPPs & More

October 23: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (Our world-famous Pacific Coast Highway is graded through Rancho Malibu, while two of the biggest movie stars in the world dedicate the Orange County portion in Laguna Beach)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

Amtrak Hits A Train Speed Milestone In The Midwest
StreetsBlog Network

Bosse Goes On The Record: Vote "No" On Measure J
Beverly Hills Courier

Bus Riders Make Plea To Block Fare Increases
Orange County Register

Chicago Designers Invite The Public To Design The Next Great App
Transit Wire

Decision On Proposed BNSF Railyard Expected Early 2013
Long Beach Business Journal

The End Of The Road: The Idea That Took A Toll On How We Travel ("Wachs nominates Article 19 of the California state constitution as a Law That Shaped L.A. Since 19's passage in the early 1920s, the Golden State has taken a dedicated "cents per gallon" amount from purchases of gasoline and used that money for, as the text of the Article reads, "The research, planning, construction, improvement, maintenance, and operation of public streets and highways...." Contains numerous historic images)
KCET

Freeing Up Freeways ("With our virtual vacuum of public finance for such projects going forward, we need to ask: What’s the prognosis for more such transformative, big-budget efforts? And what methods work best to integrate ribbons of concrete into our communities?")
Metropolis Magazine

Good News, Bad News: Federal Highway Administration Interprets Transportation Bill
League Of American Bicyclists

Handshake: IFC's Quarterly Journal On Public Private Partnerships (122p. PDF : "This issue of Handshake turns to public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the road and rail sectors. Authors and interviewees explain how PPP approaches have changed the direction of their countries’ highway systems and the future of freight rail. Looking forward, the Director of MIT’s Center for Transportation and Logistics makes the case that logistics clusters are permanently transforming the economy, thanks in part to the roads and railways feeding into those hubs. Ultimately, however, mobility makes possible more than a strong economy -- it promotes social and political integration. As Ethiopia’s former minister of transport once told Juhel, “Without roads,
there is no democracy.”)
World Bank

Highway Robbery: How Congress Put Politics Before Need In Federal Highway And Transit Funding (35p. PDF : "This paper lays out specific recommendations for reforming federal highway funding, helping the government direct money where it’s needed most. Specifically, we identify three inefficiencies in the current funding system: The equity bonus program, an overly complicated and remarkably inefficient formula that distributes billions of dollars without any consideration of need; Minimum set-aside rules, which guarantee that certain small states get funding regardless of their share of total needs; Imperfections in the funding formulas, which understate certain highway and transit costs relative to each state’s need.:")
Center For American Progress

L.A.'s Do-It-Yourself Urbanism Featured In International Architecture Exhibition
StreetsBlog LA

LA's Orange Line Shows The Way For Montgomery BRT ("Why does the Orange Line work? It goes where people want to go, it's frequent, and it connects to the subway, major bus routes, and commuter rail. But more importantly, it gives riders a fast, pleasant experience that rivals driving in a place known for its car culture....One rider told me, completely unprompted, how much he liked the Orange Line. "Thank God for Metro," he said. "I'm glad they have all these buses and trains now. Back in the day, we didn't have none of this and you had to have a car.")
Greater Greater Washington

LA's Planning Dept Challenges Accusations Of Secret Planning, Low Participation On Mobility Element
CityWatch

NFL Really Wants Football In Dodger Stadium's Chavez Ravine
Curbed LA

Nonlinear Road Pricing (82p. PDF)
University Of Florida Transportation Research Center

OCTA Votes To Add One Lane To 405, Reject Tolls
Los Alamitos-Seal Beach Patch

Officials: Halt To Expo Line Expansion Could Cost 4,000 Jobs
CBS Los Angeles

Phase Two Of Expo Line Construction Caught In Political Web
NBC Southern California

Port Of Long Beach Gets $1.34 Million EPA Grant
Transport Topics

Public Transportation Use Climbs With Gas Prices
Whittier Daily News

Ridership Up On Metro Blue Line To And From Long Beach, MTA Says
Los Angeles Daily News

Rules For U.S. Bus Investigations Tightened After Fatal Crash ("The U.S. Transportation Department is adopting a rule forbidding the kind of reprieve that regulators granted a bus company that was supposed to be closed for safety violations before a fatal crash last year.")
Business Week

Smart Phone Thefts On The Rise On Mass Transit
Transportation Nation

South Pasadena Council To Vote On Resolution To Support Measure J
Pasadena Star-News

Study: Protected Bike Lanes Reduce Injury Risk Up To 90%
StreetsBlog DC

Train Or Plane? More Travelers Choose Both
New York Times

Transit Agency Rejects Toll Lanes For I-405 ("After hours of debate, the OCTA board voted 12-4 in favor of a $1.3 billion plan that adds one lane in each direction between Euclid Avenue and the I-605.")
Orange County Register

Westsiders Could Shut Down Expo Line Work Starting This Week
Curbed LA

Will Transportation Investments Keep Up With The Way Americans Travel? ("Has America’s long increase in driving turned a corner or just taken a prolonged pause? The answer matters a lot. Consider four scenarios:...")
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.

Anaheim Streetcar, OC 405, Measure J, HSR, Fare Increases, El Monte, 6th St. Bridge & More

6th Street Bridge Design Winner Announced
EGP News

Anaheim Considers $319 Million Streetcar Line
Orange County Register

Atlanta Picking Up The Tab For New Stadium As Transit Funding Stagnates
StreetsBlog Network

Bakersfield Votes To Sue CHSRA, But Rationale Seems Weak
California High Speed Rail Blog

Bus Riders Invited To Meeting On Fare-Increase Proposal ("The Orange County Transportation Authority says it must increase cost for riders in order to sustain and enhance service.")
Orange County Register

Calling On Fans Of Transit: Get In The Game
StreetsBlog DC

City Picks HNTB Design For Sixth Street Bridge
Los Angeles Downtown News

City Picks Swoopy Bridge Design To Become Sixth Street Icon
Curbed LA

Community Members Speak Out Against BNSF's Proposed Los Angeles-Area SCIG Rail Yard
Natural Resources Defense Council Switchboard Blog

Company Plans Rail Service From Las Vegas To Southern California In '13
Las Vegas Review-Journal

El Monte's Troubled Gateway Project Has New Developer With Questionable Track Record
Pasadena Star-News

Fate Of Controversial 405 Toll Road To Be Decided Monday ("County staff recommend adding toll lanes to the 405, but several OC cities, Long Beach and County Supervisor John Moorlach have come out against the proposal.")
Fountain Valley Patch

Foes Of Transit Sales Tax Extension Face Uphill Battle ("Measure J would extend the half-cent levy an extra 30 years, to 2069. Backers are an array of interests fueling their bid with money. The opposition is a relatively low-budget, grass-roots effort.")
Los Angeles Times

From Park(ing) Day To Park(d) Plaza
StreetsBlog LA

A Giant Step For L.A. ("As Los Angeles’ first pedestrian coordinator, Ocañas, 48, is front-and-center of a growing movement that aims to rethink streets as we know them.")
Zev Yaroslavsky, Los Angeles County Supervisor, Third District

"Hangover Part 3" Could Be A Traffic Headache For O.C. Cities ("A normally busy stretch of the 73 toll road will be closed for filming.")
Los Angeles Times

Hit 'Em Where It Hurts ("How can the link between consumers and infrastructure wonks be drawn more closely? Are there layers of complexity that make a consumer-friendly dialogue impossible? How do airlines, toll booth and turnpike operators, or transit authorities respond to their customers' discontent? Is it worth it to try to engage them about broader transportation policy? If so, how?")
National Journal Transportation Experts Blog

HNTB Wins Design Competition For Sixth Street Viaduct
StreetsBlog LA

Mitt Romney Taps Bushies For Transpo Advice
Politico

Mobile Payments: A Solution In Search Of A Problem?
CNET

OCTA To Choose Plan For I-405 Widening Monday
Orange County Register

Pollution Drop From Building Rail Yard Near L.A. Harbor Disputed ("Public health and environmental experts dispute predictions that air pollution will be significantly cut if a giant rail yard is built in the L.A. harbor area.")
Los Angeles Times

San Gabriel Valley's Last Airport Faces A Cloudy Future ("Flying enthusiasts seek to preserve small aviation outpost in El Monte against growing pressure to develop the land.")
Los Angeles Times

Saving Public Transit: Strategies For An Era Of Shrinking Budgets (conference : November 2 : "Attendance is free with registration, free web simulcast is free with registration...Art Leahy, Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles Metro, will be the keynote speaker.")
UCLA School Of Law

SOM Proposes Hovering Pedestrian Donut For Future Grand Central Terminal
Art Info

UCLA Expert Weighs In On Transit Debate: Expert Opines -- Rail vs. BRT ("UCLA Prof. Brian Taylor doesn't have a stake in the battle over Oahu's transit future. However, the transportation policy and planning expert does offer a unique perspective on what would be best for the island's transit needs – the city's proposed $5.3 billion rail project, or a bus rapid transit system.")
KITV Honolulu


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.