Today's Headlines - more at Metro

2/22/2013

CicLAvia, Toll Lanes, Parking Apps, Subway Cell Service, Bike Plan, WeHo, Mayoral Candidates & More

February 22: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (I-405 carpool lanes open through the Sepulveda Pass)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

The 2013 Mayoral Candidate Interview Series
StreetsBlog LA

Beat Traffic: Pay Freeway Toll
MyFox Los Angeles

The Best Parking App We've Ever Seen ("SpotAgent uses real-time parking citation data from the city to calculate your risk of getting a ticket at any given location.")
The Atlantic: Cities

Cell, Wi-Fi Service May Be Coming To A Light Rail Line Near You
Blog Downtown

Delaying Car And Home Ownership Has Helped Millennials Dramatically Reduce Their Debt
The Atlantic: Cities

Despite "Fix-It-First" Rhetoric, Obama Still Promoting Highway Expansions
StreetsBlog Network

Editorial: More Freeway-Toll Plans? Slow Down, Southern California
Los Angeles Daily News

Gondolas Could Help Seattle Rise Above Traffic Mess, Some Say ("As crosstown traffic becomes intolerable, a few Seattle thinkers are suggesting gondolas -- from Capitol Hill to Belltown, or the waterfront to the convention center.")
Seattle Times

L.A.'s Master Bike Plan Speeds Ahead ("“We plan to install 200 miles of bikeways in the next five years, and at the rate we’re going, it’ll probably be a little faster than that,” Villaraigosa said.")
USC Annenberg Neon Tommy

Letters: Tunnel Vision In Beverly Hills
Los Angeles Times

Long Beach: Pine Avenue Redevelopment Underway (And This Is Good)
StreetsBlog LA

A Mapped History Of Train Travel In The United States ("The first steam engine railway travel took place 209 years ago today. Here, the story of how the Civil War impeded, and then accelerated, the progress of America's trains.")
The Atlantic: Cities

Mayor Announces CicLAvia Route To Venice
USC Annenberg Neon Tommy

The Most Pro-Transportation Mayor Of The Bunch
CityWatch

NBCUniversal To Fund Burbank Projects To Ease Impact Of Expansion
Burbank Leader

New Toll Lanes Aim To Reduce Traffic
UCLA Daily Bruin

Ray LaHood: Big Air Delays Coming If Sequester Hits
Politico

Santa Monica To Look To Development To Pay For Transit Improvements
Santa Monica Lookout

Still No Cell Phone Coverage For SF Muni But LA Metro Considers Plan
The Transit Wire

Think Tank: Obama's Warning About "Crumbling Roads" Overblown
The Hill

Value Capture Mechanisms To Fund Transport Infrastructure (107p. PDF)
New Zealand Transport Agency

West Hollywood Needs Your Help: Planned La Brea Bike Lanes Could Be Replaced By Sharrows
Biking In LA

West L.A.'s Huge, Unpopular, Expo-Adjacent Mixed-Use Must Be Stopped!
CityWatch

Zoning A Healthier Los Angeles?
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.

2/21/2013

Gold Line Frequency, Gold Line Foothill Extension, Westside Subway, CicLAvia Heads To The Beach, Bike Lanes, L.A. Bus Procurement, Carpool Lanes & More

February 21: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (Southern California's Mount Lowe Railway opened 111 years ago today. Check out several rarely seen photographs from the Metro Library collection of what was once the steepest railway in the world, attracting more visitors than either Yosemite National Park or Catalina Island)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

An App That Tells You How Walkable A Street Really Is
The Atlantic: Cities

Beverly Hills Sues Federal Government Over Subway Aimed At Local High School
LA Weekly

Bike Lane Draft EIR Goes To Public Hearing
Rancho Park Online

CicLAvia Unveils Official Map For 4/21 CicLAvia To The Sea (The new route for Sunday, April 21 runs from Union Station all the way to Venice Beach, primarily along Venice Boulevard)
StreetsBlog LA

Cities Group Worried About Funding In Obama Infrastructure Plan
The Hill

City Files Federal Environmental Lawsuit In Subway Case (p.4+ of 20p. PDF)
Beverly Hills Weekly

Evaluation Of Methodologies For Visual Impact Statements (160p. PDF)
National Cooperative Highway Research Program

Fact Sheet: The President's Plan To Make America A Magnet For Jobs By Investing In Infrastructure
Whitehouse.gov

Final Environmental Impact Report For Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension From Azusa To Montclair (Azusa To Montclair Extension) Project (links to documents)
Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority

Final L.A. Traffic Signals Synchronized; Rosendahl Lauds Effort
Pacific Palisades Patch

Kevin James Clarifies Position On Subway Station
Century City News

L.A. Bus Buy Creates New U.S. Jobs...Let's Make Sure Other Cities Follow Suit ("L.A. Metro awarded a $305-million contract for 550 clean-fuel buses to New Flyer Industries, a Canadian company with dedicated manufacturing plants in the U.S. The bus order means that the company will expand its factory operations in St. Cloud, Minn., add a third shift, hire 150 women and men from the local community and create another 50 jobs in Los Angeles. L.A. Metro took a longer-term view of how "big-ticket" transportation purchases -- most of them supported by federal funds -- can stimulate high-quality jobs and manufacturing in the United States.")
Huffington Post

Making Your City More Walkable? That's Not "Zoning"
StreetsBlog DC

Map: 6th CicLAvia Biking Event Heads To Venice Beach In April
KPCC Southern California Public Radio

Metro Diary: Three Trains, A Tourist, Some Eager-Beaver Sheriffs, And A Former Foster Child...All In The Space Of An Hour
StreetsBlog LA

The Myth Of The Commuting Criminal ("Research has repeatedly shown that crime doesn't necessarily accompany transit, but that lingering fear still threatens new transportation projects.")
The Atlantic: Cities

New Report Shows How NYC Could Cut 90% Of Its Carbon Footprint By 2050
Inhabit New York City
90 By 50: NYC Can Reduce Its Carbon Footprint 90% By 2050 (56p. PDF)
Urban Green Council

Oppose The Expo Line Or Wilshire Bus Only Lanes? Then You Probably Want To Fight Bike Lanes Too
StreetsBlog LA

Public Debt And The Quest For Efficiency ("Now certainly is the time public officials should look at repairing their infrastructure. Historically low interest rates -- for both tax-exempt and taxable debt -- provide an opportunity to inject necessary capital much more affordably. Much of our infrastructure that is most in need of repair is deteriorating at a rate that far exceeds current interest rates. This means, for example, that not repairing a bridge for the next four years might incur an annual cost three times higher than borrowing for repairs would, taking into account the rate of deterioration as well as the increasing cost of materials.")
Governing

Readers Respond To Proposed Bike Lanes
LA Observed

Solo Drivers In Carpool Lanes? Lawmaker Wants Freeway Reform
CBS Los Angeles

Transit News Shorts From Around The Region: FlyAway Fare Hike, Najarian v Antonovich, LOSSAN And More...
StreetsBlog LA

Twice As Many Gold Line Trains Will Run On Weekends
Pasadena Sun

Urban Planner James Rojas Reminds Us To Shut Down The PowerPoint
Next City

Villaraigosa Celebrates Bike Plan Progress, Rallies For More
StreetsBlog LA

White House Infrastructure Plan Shifts Focus From New Building To Repair
Transportation Nation


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.

2/20/2013

Westside Subway, Expo Line II, Gold Line Eastside, Hollywood Development, Synched Streetlights, Streetcars Across California, CAHSR & More

February 20: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (Senator Barbara Boxer visits and praises construction for the Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension. Less than two years later, the light rail line opens to broad acclaim)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

Battle For Quieter Train Crossings Continues ("On March 5, the California Public Utilities Commission could rule on [San Clemente]'s plan to install 80-decibel horns at the seven crossings. The plan is to sound those horns in place of the 112-decibel horns of approaching trains. Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Amtrak oppose the city's request.")
Orange County Register

Bev Hills' Purple Line Battle Expands, Embroils Mayoral Races
Curbed LA

Beverly Hills Fights L.A. Subway Extension
Courthouse News Service

By-Passing Tomorrow For Easy Implementation Today ("Chuck Marohn, and his Strong Towns message, is revolutionary in that he is a credible transportation professional who is single-handedly taking on the transportation profession. And winning.")
Place Shakers

City Sues FTA To Block Subway Funding
Beverly Hills Patch

Comment: Think Small ("Peter Zellner espouses the value of fine-grain development for Los Angeles.")
Architect's Newspaper

Congress Looks For Road Repair Funds
Politico

A Day In The Life Of 3 Million London Commuters, In 1 Minute
The Atlantic: Cities

The Downtowners Of Distinction Winners ("The prizes were created to recognize the individuals who came up with and nurtured efforts that not only enhance their bottom line, but also benefit the district in which they are located. In each case, the project has made its surrounding community, and by extension all of Downtown, a better place in which to live, work or visit.")
Los Angeles Downtown News

Downtown's Worst Ideas, Concepts And Plans Of The Last 40 Years
Los Angeles Downtown News

Expo Line Construction Shuts Down Lanes In Santa Monica
CBS Los Angeles

Expo Line Inches Closer To SaMo, Construction Causing Closures
LAist

Expo Line West Rising (construction photos)
LA Observed

Good Times For L.A. Bikers, But What About The Rest Of Us? ("At City Hall, these initiatives have become a fashionable - and cheap - way of showing constituents that they're doing something to deal with congestion when in fact they're doing next to nothing. This is otherwise known as cynicism wrapped under the cloak of public service. Actually, increased ridership has only made L.A. streets more dangerous.")
LA Observed

LADOT Ready To Embrace "Floating" Bike Lanes For Westwood, But Is West L.A.?
StreetsBlog LA

LA's Traffic Lights Now Synced; Aims To Increase Air Quality, Decrease Traffic
Blog Downtown

Lawmaker Wants To Open Southland Car Pool Lanes For Off-Peak Use ("Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles) said his AB 405 will create a test program that could be expanded to other congested freeways in Southern California that do not open up car pool lanes to all traffic after rush hour. It would allow single-passenger vehicles to use the car pool lanes in off-peak hours in a five-mile stretch of the 134 between the 170 and 5 freeways.")
Los Angeles Times

LAX Shuttle From Expo Line To Open In Spring
Los Angeles Sentinel

Long Beach: City Approves RFQ To Redesign "Functionally Obsolete" Civic Center
StreetsBlog LA

Massive Mixed-Use Project In Hollywood Clears A Hurdle ("Over objections, the planning agency approves the proposed $664-million Millennium Hollywood development that will consist of two towers flanking the iconic Capitol Records Tower.")
Los Angeles Times

Not To Be Outdone, LA Builds Parklets With Exercise Bikes (and swings!)
Architizer

Obama To Flesh Out Plans For Infrastructure Projects ("It revives the president’s call for creation of a National Infrastructure Bank, which could bring public and private financing together to plan projects. The proposal would also allow issuing new America Fast Forward bonds to follow up on the Build America Bonds program from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.")
New York Times

Opinion: Bike Lanes Poised To Shape The Future Of Lankershim
North Hollywood-Toluca Lake Patch

Plan To Ready Region For Bullet Train Network
San Diego Union-Tribune

The Preservation Of Santa Monica's Palisades Park
LA as Subject via Los Angeles Magazine

Residents Enjoy Free Public Transport In Tallinn (Beginning January 1, Estonia's capital became the largest European city and first European capital to provide free public transit to all residents. How is it going so far?)
Euro Cities

San Juan To Implement "Quiet Zones" At 5 Rail Crossings
Orange County Register

Today In L.A. History: Los Angeles Drives Traffic Innovation. Yes, Really ("Introduced during the 1984 L.A. Olympics, the citywide signal synchronization program picked up steam in 2005 when then mayoral candidate Antonio Villaraigosa campaigned on a promise to finish the project. He can check its completion off his list as of 12 p.m. this afternoon. The system, which synched up all 4,398 of the city’s traffic signals, is not only believed to reduce travelers’ commute time by 12 percent, but will also significantly reduce the city’s air pollution—by about 1 million metric tons of carbon pollution annually—say officials.")
Los Angeles Magazine

U.S. Department Of Transportation Releases Funding To University Transportation Centers
U.S. DOT Press Release

U.S. States Ramp Up Transportation Spending With Funding Law
Reuters

Walkonomics Sets Out to Create A New Way To Measure Walkability
StreetsBlog DC

War Over Infrastructure Around Unlikely Industry NFL Stadium
Curbed LA

Will Streetcars Invade California? ("Like so many other streetcar projects around the country, the L.A. project is being put together entirely outside the traditional public transit structure. (L.A. Metro is supportive but has nothing to do with the project.) And as Tangri and others often point out, when business leaders promote – and pay for – a transit project, it’s going to have different a completely different goal: economic development rather than mobility. “We talk a lot about transit-oriented development,” he said, "But this is development-oriented transit.")
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.

2/19/2013

Gold Line, Westside Subway, Big Blue Bus, Metrolink, LA Biking, CAHSR, Gas Tax & More

40th Anniversary Special: The Buildings That Shaped Downtown
Los Angeles Downtown News

As Gold Line Ridership Plateaus, Metro Looks To Add Speed
Curbed LA

Biking In L.A.? (Gulp) You Bet! ("A transplanted Midwesterner learns that, with a little care and a lot of luck, it can be done. And it sure beats sitting in traffic.")
Los Angeles Times

Bill Would Merge Transportation, Planning Agencies: Goal Is Increased Transit Use, Elimination Of Duplicate Services
Chicago Tribune

Boehner Calls Obama's Bluff On Infrastructure (But Who Will Call Boehner's?)
StreetsBlog DC

Bus Service Partnership Allows Option For California Trip
Las Vegas Review-Journal

California High-Speed Rail, Amtrak Partner To Research Joint Train Purchases ("The two agencies could order as many as 60 trains over the next 10 years.")
Campbell Patch

Car-Share Could Be Hitting Local Streets
Santa Monica Daily Press

City Of Beverly Hills Files Lawsuit In Federal Court To Block Subway Funding (2p. PDF)
City Of Beverly Hills Press Release

Courier Correct! Mayor Brien Gives In / City Of Beverly Hills Sues Feds On Metro Tunnels
Beverly Hills Courier

Downtown NFL Stadium Off For Another Year: No Team In 2013
Curbed LA

Editorial: Beverly Hills Subway Spat ("Concerns about the proposed route beneath Beverly Hills High School have become part of the mayoral campaign there.")
Los Angeles Times

"Fix It First" Fantasy ("Is an immediate investment in infrastructure really important? Would it make more sense to figure out a way to fix our long-term funding needs? What do Obama's consistent requests to Congress do for the overall attention to infrastructure? The White House says there has been progress since Obama first took office -- 300,000 miles of U.S. roads repaired, 22,000 bridges repaired, and 6,000 miles of rail improved. Did that make a difference?")
National Journal Transportation Experts Blog

Gaming For Good: Smart Phone Game Supports Bike Advocacy
The Transit Wire

Gas Tax Hikes Or Pay-Per-Mile: How Should The U.S. Fund Roads?
The Car Connection

Governments Look For New Ways To Pay For Roads And Bridges
New York Times
Major State Transportation Legislation, 2012 (5p. PDF)
National Conference Of State Legislatures

High-Speed Rail Buzz Overpowers Daily Chug Of Freight Trains
KQED
Passenger Rail And Freight Rail Are Friends, Not Enemies
California High Speed Rail Blog

Investing In Transportation Could Save Billions In Energy Costs, Says Report
AASHTO Journal
Energy 2030: Doubling U.S. Energy Productivity By 2030 (34p. PDF)
Alliance To Save Energy
Report Summary (16p. PDF)

Korean Mass Transit Moving Towards Wireless Power
Slash Gear

LA City Planning To The People And The Pols: Drop Dead, We Know Better
CityWatch

LASD Continues Campaign Of Intimidation Against Metro Customers
StreetsBlog LA

A "Little Disappointment" That Big Blue Bus Is Behind The Times ("City Council hears update on when the bus system will have real-time signs and mobile apps.")
Santa Monica Patch

Metro Continues Transit Manners Campaign With New Platform Decals
Blog Downtown

Metro Warns Expo Construction Will Snarl Traffic
Santa Monica Patch

Metrolink Explains Why It Hasn't Fixed Its Long-Standing Accounting Problems
KPCC Southern California Public Radio

New Toll, Carpool Lanes Considered For 5 Freeway In Northern Los Angeles County ("Metro officials are looking into building a new combination of toll and carpool lanes along 13-1/2 miles of the Golden State (5) Freeway.")
Los Angeles Daily News

Opinion: An MTA Power Play ("Even as the mayor's race plays out in full public view, a behind-the-scenes political fight is being waged that could bring further change to the MTA board. Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, joined by representatives of a few local officials in the San Gabriel Valley and elsewhere, are attempting to oust Glendale City Councilman Ara Najarian from his MTA seat -- which some see as punishment and others as a power grab..")
Los Angeles Times

Permits Approved For Rail Line Between LA And Las Vegas
KTNV

Prolific Westside Developer Planning 150 Apts. For DT SaMo ("150 new units in Santa Monica, near the future Expo Line terminus.")
Curbed LA

Ray LaHood: "It's Not Just About Emissions" ("This is the third and final installment of our exit interview with departing U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. In the first, he talked about his proudest accomplishments, why he decided to leave, and why it’s important to fund bike/ped improvements with federal dollars – and he made it clear he’s still not giving us any answers about where to find more money for transportation. In the second, he talked about Republicans who get it, why TIGER was a game-changer – and he let slip some good news about the Chicago Riverwalk. Part three is more of a grab-bag — I hadn’t expected to get almost 40 minutes one-on-one with the secretary!")
StreetsBlog DC

"Red Car Mural" Debuts As San Marino Celebrates Its Centennial ("A mural celebrating San Marino's Pacific Electric Railway trolley system made its official debut last week, a gift to the city to mark its centennial anniversary.")
Los Angeles Times

Santa Monica Braces For Expo Line Extension
KABC Los Angeles

Santa Monica Officials Rethink Lincoln Boulevard Bus Lane
Santa Monica Lookout

SCAG Sees Longer Economic Recovery Period, With L.A. County Trailing Orange County
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

U.S. DOT's First-Ever Freight Plan May Include 3,000 New Highway Miles ("It’s hard to believe, but, despite the fact that freight makes up 25 percent of all transportation emissions, the nation has never had a strategic plan for how to move goods.")
StreetsBlog DC
U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood Establishes National Freight Advisory Committee
U.S. DOT Press Release

Wash. Lawmakers To Propose 10-Cent Gas-Tax Hike
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Westside Neighborhood Council Discusses Bike Lanes For Westwood Blvd
Rancho Park Online

Working Through The Evolving Legacy Of Metropolitan Transportation Planning (10p. PDF : "A featured article in the November-December 2013 issue of the TR News present the developments, influences, and workings that have shaped the practice of metropolitan transportation planning during the last 50 years. The urban planning provisions of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1962 were considered pivotal in the transition of the highway program from a rurally oriented, civil engineering–based activity to a new framework that had a major urban component and that was multimodal, interdisciplinary, and involved local officials.")
TR 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.