Today's Headlines - more at Metro

2/01/2013

710, Pacific Electric, Mayor Villaraigosa, Car Share, Grand Central Turns 100, Gas Tax, LAX & More

February 1: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (The landmark McClure Tunnel opens, and the birth of Metro coincides with the opening week of the Metro Red Line. We even tracked down a few photos of current Metro CEO Art Leahy on opening day here and here)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

710 Freeway Coalition Faces Growing Efforts Against Linking The Route To 210
Pasadena Sun

Before L.A. Became A Car Town, Commuters Actually Rode Mass Transit ("You can still take a virtual journey on one of the cherry-colored trams, thanks to this documentary footage of the very last Red Car to ride from downtown L.A. to Long Beach. Shot in April 1961, the film shows the rather nice interior of the cars, which have attractive rows of lights and pull-strings for passengers to signal stops. Its distressed orangish tint, meanwhile, kind of makes it look like the commuters are taking the Nonstop Express to Hell, as their blatting vehicle passes under the unfinished Santa Monica Freeway, through Watts and Compton and over the Los Angeles River.")
The Atlantic: Cities

Celebrating Grand Central, Then And Now (Read the February 2, 1913 New York Times article on the opening of Grand Central Station -- it turns 100 tomorrow)
New York Times
At Grand Central, A Century Of Connections
Wall Street Journal
How Grand Central Terminal Survived The Wrecking Ball -- And Lived To 100
Transportation Nation

China Transportation Briefing: 5 Trends To Watch In China's Urban Transport In 2013, Part One
The City Fix
Part Two Of Article

Editorial: We Don't Want High-Speed Rail Here
MyFox LA

Enviros Praise LaHood As "Unexpected Champion Of Green Policies"
The Hill

Gas Tax Loses Favor As Governors Look For New Transportation Money
Stateline

If Pols Won't Raise The Gas Tax, How Else Will They Fund Transportation?
StreetsBlog Network

The L.A. That Might Have Been ("A spiraling, 1,290-foot tower built of magnesium. A rapid-transit system with hundreds of miles of subways and elevated tracks. A comprehensive network of parks, beaches, and open spaces linked by greenbelts and parkways. These are just a few unrealized visions for Los Angeles featured in an upcoming exhibition at the Architecture and Design Museum, "Never Built: Los Angeles." Features archival resources from Metro Transportation Library & Archive)
LA as Subject via KCET

LAX Neighbors Plead With Airport Officials Not To Change Runway Configuration
Los Angeles Daily News

Metro Releases Alternative Analysis Report On 710 Study
EGP News

Najarian Gains Schiff's Support In Fight To Keep MTA Board Seat ("Congressman asks selection committee to reconsider councilman's December ouster from MTA board.")
Glendale News-Press

National Press: StreetsBlog Provides Your Antonio Villaraigosa Cheat Sheet
StreetsBlog LA

New Parking Plan Treats Montana Like Santa Monica Boulevard ("The plan calls for a big reduction in the amount of parking future developers would have to build, and in "transit oriented districts," such as on Montana Avenue and Santa Monica and Wilshre boulevards, the requirements would be scaled back the most.")
Santa Monica Patch

Next Stop For Mayor V: Washington? Next Stop For Metrorail: LAX?
CityWatch

Pasadena's First Bicycle Boulevard Is A "Go"
Pasadena Sun
Photo Gallery

Preparing Transportation For Climate Change
The Energy Collective
Systematic Impacts Of Climate On Transportation: Workshop Held By The Office Of the Secretary Of Transportation (26p. PDF)

Rethinking The Gas Tax: Suddenly It's The Theme Of 2013
Transportation For America

Say Hi To The Pink 'Stache: Lyft Ridesharing Comes To L.A.
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.

1/31/2013

Azusa Gold Line Station, Pacific Electric, Cornfields, HSR, California Bikes, OCTA, One-Way Streets & More

January 31: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (Arthur Winston retires after more than 72 years of Los Angeles transit employment)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

$92 Million Underpass Could Force Out Businesses
Orange County Register

710 Freeway Coalition Faces Growing Efforts Against Linking The Route To 210
Pasadena Sun

Advocates Call On Jerry Brown To Prioritize Biking And Walking In State Budget
Bryan Goebel

California Bike Coalition Sets An Amibitious Reform Agenda For 2013
StreetsBlog LA

The Case Against One-Way Streets
The Atlantic: Cities

Crowdfixing: Improving Transit With Social Media ("This “crowdfixing” concept has also been applied specifically to transit, most notably in cities across Europe. FixMyTransport is a UK-based website that uses a similar platform to SeeClickFix, letting residents voice their concerns about underperforming routes and unpleasant stations in British cities. The website’s platform uses critical mass to turn time-consuming transit nitpicking into effective lobbying. Collaborative approaches to improving infrastructure have also gained steam in Amsterdam and Vienna.")
Natural Resources Defense Council Switchboard Blog

Editorial: A Model For L.A. Planning: The Cornfields Arroyo Seco Specific Plan Is An Example Of Smart Development
Los Angeles Times

Exploring The Course Of The Future Metro Expo Line: Phase 2
KCET

FTA Continues To Cut Red Tape, Streamline Processes
U.S. DOT Fast Lane Blog

Funding Important Transportation Infrastructure In A Fiscally Constrained Environment (22p. PDF)
Reason Foundation

Imperial Highway On-Ramps Are ("A project to alleviate congestion on the 57 Freeway is on track to be completed in late 2014.")
Orange County Register

Mapping The Almost-Real City ("28-year-old Lynch posts an eclectic array of urban design work at his website...His creations over the years include a Google Map rendering that depicts the unbuilt Lower Manhattan Expressway and a hypothetical subway map of Boston.")
The Atlantic: Cities

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa For Transportation Secretary?
Huffington Post

Mileage-Based User Fees For Transportation Funding (link to report)
Rand Corporation

New OCTA Chairman Announces 2013 Goals
Orange County Breeze

New Taxpayer-Funded Train Just 28 Min. Faster (video : "CNN's Drew Griffin investigates how the federal government used billions of dollars for a high-speed rail plan with next to nothing to show for the investment.")
CNN
Keeping CNN Honest: 10 Ways Anderson Cooper Got The Rail Story Wrong ("Reporter Drew Griffin did an “exposé” of a Vermont rail project that spent .00006% of the federal stimulus money on needed track improvements and came in on time and under budget. Scandal! It amounts to a high-profile smear campaign on the high-speed rail program from a mainstream media source trying to expose government corruption and waste where none exists. Cooper makes it clear they’re going to stay on the story; they already did a similar takedown of the California rail program.")
StreetsBlog DC

OC Airship Could Be Future Of Air Travel ("The Aeroscraft could be used to carry cargo or transport troops. It might even become a floating hotel.")
NBC Southern California

Pacific Electric Red Car In LA Covered 25% More Mileage Than NYC's Subway Today (Metro Transportation Library presentation and maps highlight the history of Los Angeles' former 1,100+ mile interurban system)
Huffington Post

Photo: La Cienega Boulevard Buckles
LAist

Ray LaHood's Post-Cabinet Prospects Are Good
Washington Post

SFMTA's Bicycle Strategy Could Make SF Top In The Nation -- If It's Funded
StreetsBlog SF
Draft SFMTA Bicycle Strategy (31p. PDF)
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency

Study: People Who Bike Or Walk To Work Enjoy Their Commutes The Most
StreetsBlog Network
Commute Well-Being Among Bicycle, Car, And Transit Commuters In Portland, Oregon (1p. PDF)
Portland State University School Of Urban Studies And Planning

Unions To Obama: Replace LaHood With Transportation Funding Defender
The Hill

Watch: Construction On Azusa Gold Line Station Underway
Monrovia Patch

What Do People Think About Congestion Pricing?: A Deliberative Dialogue With Residents Of Metropolitan Washington (68p. PDF)
Metropolitan Washington Council Of Governments / Brookings Institution

Will Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's Transportation Track Record Pass White House Muster?
KPCC Southern California Public Radio

Will Villaraigosa Replace LaHood At DOT?
California Planning & Development Report


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.

1/30/2013

Ray LaHood, Leimert Park Station, Fig & Colorado Bike Lanes, Mini Parks, Move LA, La Cienega, & More

January 30: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (20 years ago today, Metro Red Line opens to the public. At the dedication ceremony the day before, Governor Pete Wilson proclaims, "In 30 years, this will be the most magnificent transportation system in the world.")
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

2-Mile Stretch Of La Cienega Shut Down After Road Buckles
Los Angeles Times

5 Ways The Next U.S. Secretary Of Transportation Will Be Forced To Follow Ray LaHood's Lead
The Atlantic: Cities

Bill Would Hike Or Extend $2.3 Billion In Car Fees
Los Angeles Daily News

Chicago Planners Push Boldest Bus-Rapid-Transit Question
WBEZ

The Cupboard May Be Bare But LA County Is On A Roll
CityWatch

L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Again, Cast As Possible Transportation Secretary
Los Angeles Daily News

Move LA's 5th Annual Transportation Conversation
Natural Resources Defense Council Switchboard Blog

A New Busway Or Elevated Train Line To Pasadena? What East L.A. May Get Out Of Closing The 710 Freeway Gap
Eastsider LA

A Pay-Per-Mile Road Tax Could Target Transpo Funding -- But It's Years Away
Transportation Funding

Rate The Debate: Which Candidate Gave The Best Answer To The Leimert Park Station Question?
StreetsBlog LA

Ray LaHood Exit Interview: We Are Behind On High Speed Rail
Huffington Post

Report: Bike Lanes Will Slow Traffic On Figueroa, Colorado ("The LADOT data on the potential impact of bike lanes is clear, but local experts and business owners disagree over what slower traffic would mean for Northeast L.A.")
Highland Park-Mount Washington Patch

Rivals Taking Aim At Purple Line-Adjacent Century City Tower
Curbed LA

Rosemead Approves Participation In Pro-Tunnel 710 Coalition
Sierra Madre Weekly

The Separation Of Church And Parking ("The story in most U.S. cities goes that on the seventh day, even parking enforcement officers rest. But thanks to slashed municipal budgets and seemingly never-ending congestion on the roads, that’s quickly and likely irrevocably changing.")
The Atlantic: Cities

These Airbags For Cyclists Might Save Your Life When A Car Slams Into You
Fast Company Exist

Two Mini Parks Opening Downtown
Los Angeles Downtown News

U.S. Transportation Secretary Departs, Leaving A Legacy Of Memorable Initiatives (A look back at how Secretary LaHood's nomination was assessed in 2009 compared to his legacy as he departs office)
Transportation For America

Villaraigosa, Granholm On Long List Of Rumored Successors To LaHood
The Hill

What Is Obama Looking For In A New Transportation Secretary
StreetsBlog DC

With Ray LaHood Leaving The Cabinet, Will Antonio Villaraigosa Have A Job In The White House?
KPCC Southern California Public Radio


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.

1/29/2013

DOT Secy LaHood, 405, Transpo Pension Overhaul, CAHSR, Union Station, HOV Lanes & More

Breaking: U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has announced he will not stay for a second term, but will remain at DOT until a successor is confirmed. Read the U.S. DOT Press Release and his announcement to fellow DOT employees.

405 Widening: OCTA Board Talks Options
Orange County Register

Bill Would Exempt Thousands Of California Public Employees From Pension Overhaul ("Three months after lawmakers enacted public pension rollbacks, a new measure has surfaced that would exempt thousands of public transportation workers from the law. The bill's author and its union sponsors say it's a necessary, narrow and reasonable tweak to the pension statute that will keep billions of federal dollars flowing into California.")
Sacramento Bee

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/01/29/5147713/bill-would-exempt-thousands-of.html#storylink=cpySacramento Bee

Class-Divided Cities: Los Angeles Edition
The Atlantic: Cities

Environmental Lawsuit Against State Bullet Train Settled ("The authority has faced three suits combined that were brought under the California Environmental Quality Act. In addition to the Chowchilla case, they included one brought by Madera Farm Bureau, Madera County, the Chowchilla Water District and others that allege the authority failed to consider all of the impacts of the project. The third suit involved a private company. The two remaining suits are going forward.")
Los Angeles Times

I Will Not Serve A Second Term; But We Have More Work To Do
U.S. DOT Fast Lane Blog

It's Official: LaHood Is Out
StreetsBlog DC

LaHood To Leave Transportation Department
New York Times

Major Mixed-Use Plan Announced For Fashion District Downtown
Los Angeles Times

Malibu Receives $14 Million For Pacific Coast Highway Projects
Malibu Patch

Metro Seeks Input For Union Station "Master Plan" Through Online Survey
Blog Downtown

Metro: Toll Lanes To Begin On 10 Freeway On Feb. 23
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Move LA Huddles With Business, Enviro, Transportation Leader At Annual Conference This Friday (includes complete conference agenda)
StreetsBlog LA

MTA Outreach Meeting On "710 Gap" Proposals Draws Strong Crowd
Pasadena Sun

[N.Y.] MTA Looking Into Tech That Will Alert Officials Of Riders Falling On Tracks
New York Post

Port Of Long Beach Approves Billion-Dollar Harbor Project
USC Annenberg Neon Tommy

Renderings Released For New Spring Street Parklets
Blog Downtown

Senior Citizens Drive Infrastructure Spending
Politico

A Short History Of Traffic Engineering (very short!)
Copenhagenize

South Park Tower Begins; What Do You Want At Union Station
Curbed LA

Will It Take An Earthquake To Bring The Subway To The Sea
Huffington Post

You Need Us To Tax Us, So Create Us A Nexus! ("The taxpaying public, as beleaguered as it is, remains committed to creating and fixing quality transportation/infrastructure projects and is probably willing to raise taxes in order to do it, so long as...")
CityWatch


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.

1/28/2013

Metro-Metrolink Transfers, 710, Expo Line, Metro Station Names, LAX, CAHSR, Bike Commuting & More

January 28: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (A 1976 proposal for 183 miles of rail rapid transit across Los Angeles County (half of it overhead) and ground is broken for the Metro Green Line)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

40 Miles To Work, On A Bike ("Mr. Edstrom usually commutes alone (not counting the coyote family that regularly greets him near the town of Hawthorne and trots alongside his bike), but he is one of a growing number of people who commute by bike from far-flung suburbs in Westchester County, New Jersey and Long Island, many of them riding year round even as temperatures drop well below freezing.")
New York Times

AC Transit Wins State's Highest Environmental Award
Daily Californian

Amtrak Improves Customer Service For Passengers With Hearing Loss
The Transit Wire

Analytical Procedures For Determining The Impacts Of Reliability Mitigation Strategies (268p. PDF)
Strategic Highway Research Program

Bicycle Corral Update
LADOT Bike Blog

California Still Hasn't Bought Land For Bullet Train Route ("Construction is supposed to start in July. High-speed rail officials say they can do it. But they face resistance from landowners, and if the schedule slips, costs could grow too high.")
Los Angeles Times

Car-Sharing Services Grow, And Expand Options
New York Times

Chinatown's Gold-Line Adjacent Blossom Plaza Still Not Moving
Curbed LA

Cognitive Dissonance In Transportation Funding
New Urbanism Blog

Cubic Acquires NextBus
The Transit Wire

Downtown Street Will Close For Expo Work ("The eastbound lane of Colorado Avenue between Fourth and Fifth streets will close permanently.")
Santa Monica Patch

An End To The Gas Tax?
Freakonomics

The Federal Role In Surface Transportation Funding
The Transport Politic

Final LAX Expansion Plan Unveiled
NBC Southern California

Freight Demand Modeling And Data Improvement (170p. PDF)
Strategic Highway Research Program

Freight Demand Modeling And Data Improvement Strategic Plan (39p. PDF)

National Cooperative Highway Research Program

L.A. Becoming More Bike Friendly, Thanks Partly To The Mayor's Elbow ("In 2012, the League of American Bicyclists for the first time put L.A. on its list of Bike Friendly Communities. Thousands of Angelenos who never cycle-commuted or even rode at all are now doing so. Based on the experience of cities like Paris, which saw traffic congestion drop by 7% after it installed an extensive bike-sharing and bike route program, L.A.'s new focus on cycling adds to a legacy of transit projects (such as the Expo Line) that Villaraigosa hopes to leave behind when his tenure ends in June.")
Los Angeles Times

KPCC Southern California Public Radio

Leaders Promote Moving Forward At Santa Monica's State Of The City ("With the Expo Light Rail line arriving in Santa Monica potentially as early as 2015, both City and County leaders used the event to celebrate the future without taking an eye off the present...Martha Wellborne, Executive Director of Planning for LA Metro, addressed the 300 some attendees about the future of light rail and subways in Los Angeles County...Also addressing the State of the City was Richard Thorpe, CEO of Exposition & Construction Authority... and Pam O’Connor was honored for her contributions in moving Santa Monica forward.")
Santa Monica Mirror

Wall Street Journal

Opinion: Has America Lost Its Infrastructure Edge? ("Once the world's No 1 in infrastructure, the US is now ranked 14th...China, which spends 9% of its gross domestic product on transport compared with America's 1.7%, is held up as an example of a country that gets it right: It is China, not the US that has the most bullet trains in the world. It is China that boasts the world's largest ports…China is now home to six of the world's 10 busiest container ports, while the US is home to zero.")
South China Morning Post

Pasadena Patch

Pedestrians And Cyclists Pledge To Keep The Peace On L.A. River Path
Eastsider LA

The Planners (New television series : "The Planners lifts the lid on the decisions behind planning approvals and refusals. In this observational documentary series, we'll tell the story through the eyes, ears and drawings of the Planners themselves - the people who interpret the rules, evaluate the proposals and make the recommendations.")
BBC (U.K.)

Poll: MARTA Riders Have Stronger Connection Than Nonriders To Atlanta Region (The results of a new poll show that even in a notoriously sprawling metro, transit riders have a stronger connection to their neighborhoods and the larger region)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Sepulveda v Woodley: Metro Weighs Options For Orange Line/FlyAway Connections
StreetsBlog LA

Smart Transportation Funding ("Motorists don't want to pay more than they do now, but transportation infrastructure is costly and there are no magic solutions. It is up to transportation professional -- planners, engineers and economists -- to tell the whole story: some funding options solve more problems than others. It is up to us to communicate this important concept to decision-makers and the general public during transport funding debates.")
Planetizen

"There's Just Too Much Traffic;" Metro Hosts Open House To Address 710 Freeway Options
KPCC Southern California Public Radio

Transportation Funding Changes Could Be Coming
Fox & Hounds

Two Spring Street Parklets Set To Open In February
Blog Downtown

Uh Oh: Metro Now Naming Stations To Honor People
LA Observed

Westchester Plans To Improve Sepulveda Boulevard Sidewalks
Daily Breeze

Wider I-405 Expansion May Get Another Look ("New membership on the OCTA might bring the matter to another vote; directors to hear a briefing on plans Monday.")
Orange County Register

You Don't Have To Be Superhuman To Commute By Bicycle
The Atlantic: Cities


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.