FEMA & Transit, Grapevine History, ExpressLanes, Measure J, Bike Boxes, ACE & More

November 2: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (Last day of service for Pacific Electric's Watts Local Line)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

110 Freeway Toll Lanes Open Nov. 10
Beverly Hills Patch

At Strathmore And Westwood, It's UCLA's Bike Box
StreetsBlog LA

Deadline Extended Again For California High-Speed Rail Bids
Fresno Bee

FEMA Covering Costs Of Power, Transit Through Next Week ("The federal government has agreed to cover the entire cost of efforts to restore emergency power and providing emergency public transportation in hard-hit areas of New York, Connecticut and New Jersey through the end of next week.")
Wall Street Journal

From Footpaths To The Grapevine: A Brief History Of Southern California's Ridge Route (includes numerous historic images and maps)
LA as Subject via KCET

Grim Scenes From New York's Flooded Subway System (photo essay)
The Atlantic: Cities

Honolulu Rail Project Up In The Air, Again ("The long-debated plan to ease nightmarish traffic commutes isn't going anywhere if a veteran politician has his way. Outlying residents say the line is a matter of social equity.")
Los Angeles Times

HOT Lanes Are Heating Up In Los Angeles
CityWatch

Legal Challenge To Stadium Plan Dropped: Resolution Hinges On AEG Pledge Of $15 Million For Affordable Housing
Los Angeles Downtown News

Los Angeles Economic Growth Outpacing The United States
Pasadena Star-News

Measure J Aims To Start The Engines On Public Transportation
KPCC Southern California Public Radio

Measure J For Justified...And Jobs
CityWatch

One Way Around The Traffic Muddle In Brooklyn: Riding A Bicycle
New York Times

Op/Ed: Yes On Downtown Streetcar
StreetsBlog LA

Opinion: Vote "No" On Measure J -- It Cheats All Of Us
Beverly Hills Courier

San Gabriel Trench Project To Create 8,900 Jobs ("The trench, 30 feet deep, 65 feet wide and 1.4 miles long, will be the largest single component of the Alameda Corridor East Construction Authority's program to construct grade separations at 20 crossings.")
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Subway Service In New York City (wrap-up of recovery status)
New York Times

Transit Ridership Set Records On Parade Day
San Francisco Chronicle
After Bay Area Transit's Big Day, Can Extra Service Continue? ("Bay Area trains and buses are crowded places nowadays, as expensive gas and jam-packed freeways push more commuters onto transit in record-breaking waves. Many casual riders discovered that first hand Wednesday, when more people packed onto BART and Caltrain than in any day in history after both operators beefed up service for the World Series parade.")
Silicon Valley Mercury News

Transit Tax Measure Fuels Debate Over Price Of Fares ("Foes of Measure J, which would extend a transit tax, say the cost of running new rail lines ahead of schedule will leave Metro no choice but to sharply hike fares, reduce bus lines or both.")
Los Angeles Times

U.S. Roads And Bridges Are Getting Smarter
Government Technology

WeHo Could Be Getting Very Long New Parking Meter Hours
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.

ExpressLanes, Measure J, NYC Commuters, SM Traffic, HSR Delay & More

Image Of The Day (A Brooklyn resident snapped this overhead picture of the line of commuters waiting for the Manhattan-Brooklyn bus line -- it is six blocks long)
via Instagram

Californians' Commute Times Rank 10th Longest In US
California Watch

Commuting Becomes Challenge For NJ After Storm
San Francisco Chronicle

East L.A. Artist Brings "Freeway Kids" Out Of Hibernation
Eastsider LA

How City Council Candidates Will Fight Traffic (Santa Monica)
Santa Monica Patch

Key Milestone In Bullet Train Project Is Delayed ("The deadline for submitting bids on the first segment will be pushed back from this week to Jan. 18. Officials say the project is not falling behind.")
Los Angeles Times

Measure J And The Future Of (Transit In) L.A.
StreetsBlog LA

Metrolink Trains Systemwide May Be Delayed By Water Main Issue
Los Angeles Times

More 210 Lane Closures Coming Monday, Tuesday Nights ("Eastbound lanes on the 210 freeway will be closed Monday night as construction on the Gold Line bridge continues.")
Monrovia Patch

More Than 20,000 Transponders Pre-Issued For 110 Freeway Toll Lanes
Los Angeles Times

New York Subway System Faces Weeks To Recover From Storm
Bloomberg

Officials Want $22.5MM "Cushion" On Downtown Streetcar Tax
Curbed LA

San Diego Chooses Between Two Bicycle Boosters For Mayor
StreetsBlog DC

S.F. Getting "Green Lanes" For Bikes
San Francisco Chronicle

Some Subways Return, But Slim Hope For A Better Commute
New York Times

Transit In The NYC Region, After The Storm: Rebuild It Better
StreetsBlog Network

Will Los Angeles Ever Be A Safe Place For Kids? Meet The Women Charged With Creating Safe Routes To Schools
StreetsBlog LA

Why A Broad Coalition Of Grassroots Groups Oppose Measure J
Uprising

Why Recovery Aid Is Getting To Roads Faster Than Transit
StreetsBlog DC

Yes On Measure J
La Opinión


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.

ExpressLanes, Santa Monica Bikes, WeHo Parking, Measure J, Omnitrans BRT, NY Subways & More

2012 Election: Presidential Race, Transportation & The States -- A Reading Guide ("Transportation has been a mostly neglected issue on the presidential campaign trail this year. That has left media organizations and political and transportation analysts to try to fill the void in differentiating where President Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney stand on transportation issues and what the election of one or the other might mean for state governments. With a week to go before the nation chooses a chief executive who may determine the future of transportation for decades to come, here’s a reading guide on the candidates.")
The Council Of State Governments

The Article That Predicted The New York Subway Storm Surge Problem
The Atlantic
New York Is Lagging As Seas And Risks Rise, Critics Warn (September 10, 2012 : "The most vulnerable systems, like the subway tunnels under the Harlem and East Rivers, would have been unusable for nearly a month, or longer, at an economic loss of about $55 billion.")
New York Times

BH Chamber Of Commerce Announces Local Endorsements (Measure J)
Beverly Hills Patch

Bus Riders Union: Transit Justice, Not Corporate Welfare -- No On Measure J
StreetsBlog LA

Crippled New York Subways Could Hamper Storm Recovery
Associated Press

First sbX Vehicle Arrives For Testing At Omnitrans Headquarters
Omnitrans sbX Bus Rapid Transit Project via Facebook

For Streetcar, It's The $62.5 Million -- Make That The $85 Million Question: Ballot Measure Will Ask For $22.5 Million More In Taxes Than Is Generally Discussed
Los Angeles Downtown News

Green Lane Project (webinar : today)
Association Of Pedestrian And Bicycle Professionals

Harbor (110) Freeway ExpressLanes Opening Date Nears ("The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has issued more than 20,000 transponders ahead of the Nov. 10 debut of the ExpressLanes on the Harbor (110) Freeway, officials announced Tuesday.")
Daily Breeze

Ignoring Port, Councilmember Johnson To Hold Own Hearing Regarding SCIG Railyard
StreetsBlog LA

Intermodal Passenger Connectivity Database Released
Metro Magazine

Keeping The Trains Running: A Leadership Interview With The Head Of The Surface Transportation Board
Washington Post

A Market-Oriented Approach To Aviation ("What are the advantages of tailoring aviation investment to the areas with the highest traffic? What are the disadvantages? Can the ideas for aviation be replicated in surface transportation? What protections need to be in place for underserved? How do these ideas impact the notion that all citizens should have access to public transportation?")
National Journal Transportation Experts Blog

Measure J: Moving Today For Tomorrow
Jewish Journal

New York Restores Partial "Fare-Free" Bus Service
The Hill

NJTransit Service Suspended, With Major Storm Damage
Wall Street Journal

NY MTA: Some, Not All Buses Back, No Timetable For Subways (Includes interview with MTA Chair Joe Lhota about the challenges ahead)
Transportation Nation

OCTA CEO: Local Control Key To Rail Service Integration
Metro Magazine

Opinion: Measure J Equals Gentrification, Racism, And Pollution With Public Funds
Los Angeles Daily News

Santa Monica Bike Center in The LA Times & Could Be A Model For Region
StreetsBlog LA

Smarter Traffic Signals Could Make Commuting Easier
Governing

Temple City Awarded $1 Million In Grants For Signal Improvements, Bike Lanes
Pasadena Star-News

Transit Center Looking For A Home
Riverside Press-Enterprise

West Hollywood May Extend Some Parking Meter Hours To Midnight
Los Angeles Times

Westside Subway Construction Faces Years-Long Delay
Los Angeles Daily News

Who Should Foot The Bill For Sandy's Damage To Tracks And Train Tunnels?
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.

Measure J, Express Bus Lanes, Expo & USC Football, Metro Ridership, OCTA, Torrance Transit, Hurricane Sandy & More

$12 Billion For Rail In Los Angeles And Fewer Riders
Hawaii Reporter

Burden For Rebuilding Infrastructure May Fall To States
Washington Post

Claremont Officials Angry Over Measure J ("The city was originally supposed a part of the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension project, but recently learned the line would stop in Azusa.")
Claremont-LaVerne Patch

Combining Local And Express Bus Services In One Lane
The Transport Politic

Culver City Police Announce Parking Alert For USC Football Game Saturday ("Once again, the Culver City Police Department is urging those planning on attending this Saturday’s 4 p.m. game at USC by catching the Expo Line to arrive at the Culver City Metro parking lot early.")
Culver City Patch

Everyone's Riding The Rails ("Metro ridership hit record highs in September, with an average of 92,120 weekday boardings for the Blue Line and 31,787 for the newly-extended Orange Line. The newish Expo Line is now above 20,000 average weekday boardings. Overall, the Metro rail system was up 12 percent over the last year.")
Curbed LA

In U.S. Building Industry, Is It Too Easy Being Green? (With supporting evidence from a USA TODAY analysis, Thomas Frank examines the LEED points system and finds that certification, and the tax breaks and other rewards that go with it, can be easily obtained without proven environmental impact)
USA Today

Infographic: The Many Connections Between Transportation And Health
StreetsBlog DC

L.A. County Voters To Decide Fate Of Transit Tax Extension
USC Annenberg Neon Tommy

Long Beach Has Started Creating Quick, Cheap Public Plazas
Curbed LA

Metro Hurdles And Hallelujahs: Progress Despite The Roadblocks
CityWatch

Move L.A.: Why You Should Vote Yes On Measure J For Jobs
StreetsBlog LA

[New York] MTA: In 108 Years, The NYC Subway System Has Never Faced A Disaster As Devastating As This
Business Insider
This photo from a surveillance camera sums it up -- floodwaters pouring into the PATH station in Hoboken, NJ 
via Wall Street Journal

No One Knows When New York's Subway Will Reopen
The Atlantic: Cities

NY MTA: All Seven Subway Tunnels Flooded
Transportation Nation
Update: Buses Back By 5 PM, No Timetable For Subways

Obama: "Transportation Is Going To Be Tied Up For A Long Time" By Hurricane Sandy
The Hill

OCTA Cuts Hours Due To Budget Constraints
California State University, Fullerton Daily Titan

Opinion: Clear The Expo Line Tracks ("The Westside light-rail project is too important to be derailed by a last-ditch neighborhood effort.")
Los Angeles Times

Preservationists Build Coalition To Save Undeveloped Silver Lake Parcel ("The property was once part of a Pacific Electric streetcar line, which ran from downtown and cut through Silver Lake en route to Glendale and Burbank. Pacific Electric owned two lines, the green car line and the red car line.")
Los Angeles Times

Torrance Transit Launches Express Service
Metro Magazine

Transit Meets A Hurricane ("Transit agencies from Virginia to Massachusetts shut down service during Hurricane Sandy. Here is how WMATA, SEPTA, NJ TRANSIT, MTA, PANYNJ, RIPTA, and the MBTA kept their riders informed about Hurricane Sandy -- before, during, and after.")
Storify

Updates On Surfliner, FlyAway And Metrolink/TAP
StreetsBlog LA

Will Politicians Suffer For Opposing High Speed Rail?
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.

Metro Communications, Orange Line Debut, 405 Widening, Downtown Streetcar, Expo Line, LAX Connector, Metrolink, Measure J, Westside Subway & More

October 29: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (Metro's Orange Line, Los Angeles County's first bus rapid transit line, opens to overwhelming crowds. This look back includes scenes from opening day and videos documenting Los Angeles dignitaries' planning visit to the birthplace of BRT -- Curitiba, Brazil)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

Alameda-Corridor East Showdown With COG Planned For Tuesday
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Angelenos Against Gridlock Urges Utility Companies & Outside Agencies To Expedite 405-Related Work
Angelenos Against Gridlock via Scribd

Assessing Highway Tolling And Pricing Options And Impacts: Volume 1, Decision-Making Framework (125p. PDF)
National Cooperative Highway Research Program
Volume 2, Travel Demand Forecasting Tools (272p. PDF)

Better Transportation Options = Healthier Lives (infographic)
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

A City Where Everything Is A 15 Minute Walk Away ("Another day, another proposal for a new Chinese city. The 1.3 square-kilometer Great City, designed by Adrian Smith and Gordon Gill will be a massive new development that is completely sustainable, affordable, and, most strikingly, car-less. The masterplan, which has been planned for 80,000 people, will be built around a massive transit hub at its center, with all destinations to be within a few minutes walk, a planning innovation that would make “Great City” China’s (and the world’s?) first pedestrian-only city.")
The Atlantic: Cities

Congressman Earl Blumenauer Explores State Of Transit Development in Rail~Volution Plenary
Planning Report

Developing Multilevel Memorandums Of Understanding With Utility Companies (52p. PDF)
Federal Highway Administration

Does Your City Need A Transit Riders Union?
The Atlantic: Cities

Downtown Streetcar Could Leave Local Landowners With More To Pay
LA Observed

Freight Transport Efficiency: A Comparative Study Of Coastal Shipping, Rail And Road Modes (62p. PDF)
New Zealand Transport Agency

Future Metro Gold Line Station Will Offer Rosedale Residents A Faster Way To Commute ("Important developments continue to evolve around Rosedale, the finest brand new master-planned community in the San Gabriel Valley. The future Metro Gold Line boarding station that is scheduled to open in 2015, will give Rosedale residents the opportunity to leave their car at home and enjoy a more efficient, faster commute to employment centers in downtown Los Angeles.")
Asian Journal

Get On Board The Expo Line: There's Lots To Do Along The New Light Rail Line That Connects Culver City To Downtown L.A. (A Westside high school student who just turned 16 and got his drivers license explains why he will still use the Expo Line to get around)
LA Youth

Hurricane Sandy Provokes The Largest Preemptive Public Transportation Shutdown In U.S. History
The Atlantic: Cities

Identification Of Utility Conflicts And Solutions (184p. PDF)
Strategic Highway Research Program

In An Entrenched Car Culture, Painting A Bolder Face On Mass Transit (“Make metro cool.” That was Michael Lejeune’s task 10 years ago when he was hired as the first creative director of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority...With support from 20 internal writers, photographers and other creative hires, Mr. Lejeune, 49, began chipping away at the blind spot he perceived...")
New York Times

Knabe Calls On Metro To Speed Up Planned LAX Connector
Diamond Bar-Walnut Patch

Long Beach Councilman James Johnson To Hold Hearing On Wilmington Railyard Proposal
Long Beach Press-Telegram

Measure J Campaign Hauls In Nearly $2 Million ("The ballot item would extend a half-cent Los Angeles County sales tax for transportation projects. Staples Center's operator and the Dodgers are among the donors.")
Los Angeles Times

Megabus Return To California? ("They’re on their final set of test runs between San Francisco and Los Angeles.")
Cyclelicio.us

Metro Board Wants To Get Rail To LAX By The End Of The Decade
Curbed LA

Metrolink 20th Anniversary Report (54p. PDF : "This report is the story of how our agency came to be and how we’ve grown over these 20 years to become a safety and customer service leader in the rail industry." A comprehensive overview and history containing numerous photos and charts illustrating Metrolink's leadership in providing transit connections, safety and environmentally conscious service)
Metrolink

NACTO Wrap-Up: Cities Are Doing It For Themselves ("As NACTO’s first ever national conference drew to a close today, transportation chiefs from Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Chicago and New York all talked about the progress their cities have made and shared their frustration at the lack of attention to cities and transportation in the state and national political arenas.")
StreetsBlog

NY Governor, MTA Chief Say Subways In "Jeopardy" Over Flooding Threat
Transportation Nation

Port Of Los Angeles Wins Environmental Award
Los Angeles Sentinel

Preliminary Regional Connector Work To Begin
Los Angeles Downtown News

Public Transportation Use Climbs With Gas Prices
Pasadena Star-News

Route 66, 2.0: A Gorgeous Glow-In-The-Dark Smart Highway
GOOD

SanBAG To Manage 15 Freeway Construction Project
Contra Costa Times

Santa Ana Next In Line For LRT?
Railway Age

Santa Monica Bike Center Pushes Pedaling For Commuters ("City program aims to get commuters out of their cars by letting them test-ride a bike for two weeks, for free, to see if they like the experience.")
Los Angeles Times

Transit Center Staying Downtown To Preserve Funding
Riverside Press-Enterprise

Wendy Greuel And Eric Garcetti Endorse Train Tunnel Through Sepulveda Pass, But Funding Is An Open Question
LA Weekly

Westside Subway Construction Faces Years-Long Delay
Los Angeles Daily News

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

World-Class Cities Rely On World-Class Transportation
U.S. DOT Fast Lane Blog

Yes On Measure J Campaign Rakes In $2 Million; "No" Campaign Raises Just $5,000, But Vote Is Likely To Be Close
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.