Today's Headlines - more at Metro

5/10/2013

Crenshaw Line, Metrolink, Bicycle Advocacy, Transit Funding, Wilshire CicLAvia, L.A.'s "Underground" Art & More

May 10: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (Metro unveils two massive solar panel installations in the San Fernando Valley which ensure huge future savings for the agency)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

California Transportation Commission Approves Nearly $1 Billion In New Construction Projects To Improve Transportation And Drive Economic Growth
Caltrans News Release

CicLAvia Introduces Iconic Wilshire Boulevard Route For June 23rd Open Streets Festival (includes map)
StreetsBlog LA

Civic Engagement In The Digital Age (59p. PDF)
Pew Research Center

Cyclists Go Positive Against Mis-Information Campaign In Northeast L.A.
StreetsBlog LA

Executive Order Making Open And Machine Readable The New Default For Government Information
White House Press Release
Landmark Steps To Liberate Open Data
White House Blog

If You Pay Sales Tax At Amazon.com, Your Transit System Could Improve
StreetsBlog DC

Infographic: What Makes A Bicycle Friendly Community?
League Of American Bicyclists
Full-screen PDF of this must-see infographic

L.A.'s Underground Art Scene ("This is a story about Underground Los Angeles. Not the underground music scene — the underground art scene. The subway art scene...Red Line art may not be part of the normal tourist route, but it’s worth a morning or an afternoon. You need to get off the train at some of the 14 stations, wander around the platform, go up to a higher level to get a broad view. Explore both sides of the turnstiles. Once you’ve seen the art at one station, take the train in the same direction to the next station and enjoy the artwork there.")
Washington Post
Details: The L.A. Subway

LACMTA Receives More Than $390 Million from CTC And Caltrans For Improvements
RT&S

Lower Bus Fares? Why One Public System Is Considering It
GOOD

Metrolink To Offer Free Train Ride To Bicyclists On Bike To Work Day (May 16)
Metrolink Press Release

Mid-Town First, Metro Ready To "Break Ground" On Wilshire Bus Only Lanes
StreetsBlog LA

Nearly $70 Million Provided For Inland Projects
Riverside Press-Enterprise

Promoting Transportation Innovation: Champions Of Change
Natural Resources Defense Council Switchboard Blog

Rev. Lee Tells Crenshaw Coalition How To Win Their Goals
Front Page Online

Sepulveda Pass Improvements Project Now Expected To Cost $1.1B
CBS Los Angeles

Spring Street Park To Open In June
Los Angeles Downtown News

Traffic Pollution May Cause Higher Rates Of Childhood Diabetes
The Atlantic: Cities

Transit Commuters Are Stinking Low-Lifes, Subaru Tells Transit Commuters ("In recent Canadian editions of Metro — the free daily distributed at transit stops — Subaru ran a two-page spread spouting just about every negative transit, and transit rider, stereotype you can think of.")
StreetsBlog

Transit Officials Find $42.6 Million That Fell "Through The Cracks" ("Los Angeles' transportation department has identified a $42.6-million accumulation of cash that should have been paid to the city's general fund over a 17-year period.")
Los Angeles Times


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.

5/09/2013

405 Delays & Cost, 91 Tolls, Crenshaw Subway, Crenshaw Leimert, SCIG, ACE & More

$500 Million SCIG Rail Yard Approved For Port Of Los Angeles, Setting Stage For Lawsuits
Los Angeles Daily News

ACE To Close Baldwin Avenue In El Monte For Two Years
Pasadena Star-News

BNSF Rail Yard Project Approved
Los Angeles Business Journal

California Authority To Market High-Speed Rail Project To Minority-Owned Firms
Progressive Railroading

Crenshaw Subway Coalition Get Ready For Leimert Park Train Stop Showdown
Los Angeles Wave

Delays, Costs Build Up For 405 Freeway Project In L.A. ("The 10-mile project is expected to be mostly finished by mid-2014, a year later than anticipated. Meanwhile, who pays what for cost overruns is up in the air.")
Los Angeles Times

Free, Historic, Fun: National Train Day ("Education and entertainment knowledge converges on National Train Day, which returns to downtown LA's Union Station, and several other points around the nation, on Saturday, May 11. It's a free daytime celebration, backed by Amtrak, that offers stuff to do for wee conductors-to-be as well as those people who've been riding (and dreaming about) trains for several decades. For the little riders: Activites, model train exhibits, and educational-type displays are the focus. For adult fans, tours of luxury cars will be offered.")
NBC Southern California

Highway 91: Toll Lanes Coming To Corona Stretch
Riverside Press-Enterprise

Issues With The Crenshaw-LAX Line On Crenshaw Blvd
Los Angeles Wave

L.A. Council Approves Controversial Rail Yard For Port Complex ("Action sets stage for possible court challenges alleging environmental and civil rights violations. Backers say the project would bolster efficiency and create jobs.")
Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles City Council Approves Railyard Project Near Port Of LA
KPCC Southern California Public Radio

Los Angeles Transportation Authority Lands $390 Million In State Bond Funds
Progressive Railroading

Mark Your Calendars: The Big Parade Is Back In May 2013 ("This is urban hiking at its best: two days, 35 miles, 15 Los Angeles neighborhoods, some 80 public staircases, more than two dozen parks, and -- most importantly -- making new connections and friends.")
KCET

NBCUniversal Puts $13.5 Million Toward L.A. River Bikeway
KCET

Opinion: Rail Project Makes Sense For The Region
Long Beach Post

Study: Walkable Infill Development A Goldmine For City Governments
StreetsBlog DC

Walkable Communities Aim Of UC Riverside, Community Collaboration ("UCR researchers participating in $250,000 grant to develop walkability plans for two Riverside neighborhoods.")
UC Riverside Today

Why Historical Maps Still Matter So Much, Even Today
The Atlantic: Cities

You're An Urban Planner, Too: Design A More Walkable City With This Tool
GOOD


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.

5/08/2013

Crenshaw Line, L.A. Bridges, Road Pricing, Amtrak Bikes, CAHSR, ONT & More

May 8: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (Renowned urban planner Federick Law Olmsted, Jr. submits his major traffic street plan, one of the most important traffic studies in history, to the City Clerk.  The plan addresses convergence of rapid population growth, the rise in personal automobile ownership and the peak of streetcar system use in 1924 Los Angeles)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

3 Initiatives To Drive The New Secretary Of Transportation
Huffington Post

Advocates Of Distance Based Road Pricing Look To Oregon In The Coming Months
Road Pricing

Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner Adopts Wildly Anti-Bicycle Policy
StreetsBlog LA
Pacific Surfliner Rider Brochure (8p. PDF)

Caltrans Awards Los Angeles Region Nearly $194 Million To Improve Public Transit And Air Quality
Caltrans News Release

City Plans 20 Intersection Upgrades For Bridge Project
Los Angeles Downtown News

Crenshaw Line: No News Is Good News
Curbed LA

The Debate About Bike Infrastructure Has Been Settled
StreetsBlog Network

Designing A New Town Square For Our Crowded Urban Future
Fast Company Exist

Everybody Already Hates The Google Maps Redesign
The Atlantic: Cities

Growing Impact Of Social Media In Transportation Public Engagement
Transportation Issues Daily

Has High-Speed Rail Been Derailed? ("Four years after President Barack Obama declared high-speed rail a national priority, the financial hurdles seem higher than ever.")
Governing

High Speed Rail Is Not Like Toll Roads
California High Speed Rail Blog

The History Of Turning Left In Los Angeles ("Left-turn pockets didn’t appear on most L.A. roads until 1956; before then, cars waiting to turn left shared a lane with thru-traffic, as if inviting a demonstration of their rear bumpers’ effectiveness. Protected left-turn signals—first introduced on Sepulveda Boulevard in 1956—are still uncommon on L.A. streets today.")
LA as Subject via Los Angeles Magazine

If The Internet Sales Tax Fails, Expect Higher Gas Prices
Next Gov

LA Ad Town: Fake Elevated Line Edition ("This may be one of the more bizarre creative licenses I've seen in a while: The Red Line subway magically appears above ground in downtown LA, via this University of Phoenix spot.")
Franklin Avenue Blog

L.A. Board Seeks To Halt Decline At Ontario Airport ("Commissioners approve a plan to reimburse carriers for ads, incentives to lower rents and fees, and contracting out security and custodial work.")
Los Angeles Times

L.A. Is A Leader In Green Ports, Mayor Villaraigosa Says ("The world looks to L.A. for ways to reduce pollution, Villaraigosa says at a ports conference. He cites a modernization of the Port of L.A. and the state's tough emissions law.")
Los Angeles Times

Plans Move Forward On Los Cerritor/Bixby Knolls Bike Infrastructure
StreetsBlog LA

Transit-Oriented Development In The Chicago Region: Efficient And Resilient Communities For The 21st Century (62p. PDF)
Center For Neighborhood Technology

What Public Transit Data Teaches Us About How People Use A City
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.

5/07/2013

Expo Line Ridership, LA Streets, Anaheim Streetcar Project, LA/LB Ports, Rosemead Blvd & More

May 7: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (Freeway flyer bus service begins between the San Fernando Valley and downtown Los Angeles)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

The 6 (Surprising) LA 'Hoods With The Best And Worst Streets
Curbed LA

American Maglev Still Stuck At The Station
Earth Techling

Amtrak Subsidy Gone, States Must Pay The Freight To Keep Rail Routes
New York Times

Charlotte's Pro-Transit Mayor Is A Good Choice To Head The Department Of Transportation ("As a former mayor, Foxx would bring a much-needed urban perspective to our national transportation programs. The latest transportation bill shifted more funding to states, which typically prefer to spend on highway projects, at the expense of metropolitan regions. Having the mayor of a thriving city with a growing transit network at the helm of the national transit agency could help metropolitan areas get their fair share of the funding they need to serve their growing populations.")
Natural Resources Defense Council Switchboard Blog

Colorado Road Money Can Now Be Used On Transit Projects
Denver Post

Deconstructing New York's Bike-Share Freak Out
The Atlantic: Cities

Disneyland Driving Up Costs Of Anaheim Streetcar Project
Voice Of OC

Do American Transit Projects Suffer From A Democracy Deficit?
StreetsBlog Network

Exclusive First Look At Transbay Transit Center Construction
Curbed SF

Improved Bike ParkingAt Dodger Stadium? The Dodgers Earn An Incomplete
StreetsBlog LA

In The Wake Of The Times' Editorial, Our Challenge To Film L.A.
StreetsBlog LA

LA Expo Line Riders Appear To Be New Transit Riders
California High Speed Rail Blog

Letter Report On Review Of The U.S. DOT Strategic Plan For Research, Development, And Technology 2013-2018 (14p. PDF)
Transportation Research Board

Study Of Shipping Routes Maps Delivery Of Invasive Organisms ("Eggs or cells can be carried across the world in ballast water, posing a threat to local wildlife. Scientists find Los Angeles and Long Beach to be among the most vulnerable ports.")
Los Angeles Times

Temple City Businesses Have Mixed Feelings About Rosemead Boulevard Project
Pasadena Star-News

Waiting For Foxx ("What does Foxx's urban experience bring to the table for the Transportation Department? Does it matter that he knows little about highway funding formulas and infrastructure loan programs? What should Foxx be fighting for in the administration and in Congress? What can he learn from LaHood's experience? How should he handle the big issues coming up this year on water resources and passenger rail?")
National Journal Transportation Experts Blog

Why America's Population Density Is Falling
Reuters

Will The Nation's First Strategic Freight Plan Be Multi-Modal?
StreetsBlog DC

Your Rush-Hour Commute As An Animated Cartoon
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.

5/06/2013

Metro Station Gates, Arcadia Gold Line, Union Station, LA Road Conditions, Transit Clubs, Transit Social Media & More

Arcadia's Colorado Boulevard Closure Extended Three Weeks For More Gold Line Work
Pasadena Star-News

BART Can Begin Banning Unruly Passengers Next Week ("BART will be able to ban violent passengers or those who repeatedly deface buildings or trains, use them as bathrooms or harass other riders.")
San Francisco Chronicle

Bill To Change California's Environmental Review Law Advances
Sacramento Bee

Buy, Sell Or Hold: Sustainable Transit Edition
Motley Fool

Club Transit ("Why shouldn't riders be members of the non-profit organization that provides them transportation services on a regular basis? And why shouldn't they help govern that organization?")
The Transportationist

D.C. Streetcars' Success Will Be Measured By More Than Just Passenger Counts
Washington Post

D.C.'s Elegant Metro Map Suffers From Growing Pains
The Atlantic: Cities

DTLA's Latest Get: Palihouse Hotel Headed To South Park ("South Park Palihouse will be catty-corner from the Pico station of the Blue and Expo Lines -- so expect triple-enforced windows thanks to those train horns -- and across from a proposed mixed-user.")
Curbed LA

Editorial: Seeing Red Over A Green Bike Lane
Los Angeles Times

Enforceability Of Local Hire Preference Programs (40p. PDF)
National Cooperative Highway Research Program Legal Research Digest

For Los Angeles, An End To The "Free" Subway Ride ("This might not exactly come as a news flash to anyone who has traveled the subways of New York or the Washington Metro, but a gateless subway entrance is not the most effective way to motivate riders to pay their carriage.")
New York Times

For Planners, Investment In Social Media Pays Dividends ("As social media strategies recently employed by Los Angeles' Department of City Planning and New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority demonstrate, social media networks can be useful tools in connecting planners and public agencies to their communities. Their experiences show that an open conversation between decision-makers and the general public is important for creating more livable communities, and offer lessons for those considering utilizing such platforms.")
Planetizen

Heavy Rail, Or A Light Rail/BRT Mix? Garcetti And Greuel Discuss Options For Sepulveda Pass
StretsBlog LA

Historic LA Union Station Facing Renovation Plans
Hispanic Business

Incorporating Reliability Performance Measures Into The Transportation Planning And Programming Processes (157p. PDF)
Strategic Highway Research Program
Guide To Incorporating Reliability Performance Measures Into The Transportation Planning And Programming Processes (89p. PDF)
Technical Reference (198p. PDF)

L.A. Full Of Roads To Ruin For Cars ("The city gives its road network an average grade of C. But a Times analysis finds wide disparities, and they're not driven by wealth or political power.")
Los Angeles Times

LA's Alternate Realities ("This spring and summer, two complementary exhibitions in Los Angeles seek to bring the unfathomableness into focus. The first, “Overdrive: L.A. Constructs the Future, 1940–1990,” which is at the J. Paul Getty Museum through July 21, explores how the city emerged through fitful initial development, explosive postwar growth, and a distinctive built legacy. The second, “Never Built: Los Angeles,” which opens at LA’s Architecture and Design Museum on July 13, examines a stunning array of unexecuted projects to show why the city didn’t become something else." Metro Transportation Library & Archive resources are included in both exhibits)
New York Review Of Books

Macias And Hadjinian Elected As ACE Board Chair And Vice Chair (PDF)
Alameda Corridor-East Construction Authority News Release

Marin Grand Jury: Transit For Seniors Inadequate
Marin Independent Journal

Opinion: Rail Project Makes Sense For The Region
Long Beach Press-Telegram

Washington Post

Sustainability Busts Out Of Its Cubicle, Permeates DOT, HUD, And EPA
StreetsBlog DC

Telling The Story Of Inequality On Public Transit, With Maps ("With their Transit Quality + Equity web application, Sutedjo-The and Lee mapped the frequency of service on every bus route in San Francisco from the week of Oct. 1-7 last year and accounted for the average delay at each stop between the scheduled and actual arrival times. That map – effectively reflecting the quality of transit service – is then shaded according to the poverty levels by census tract across the city.")
The Atlantic: Cities

Tolling Most Popular Transportation Revenue Option, Survey Results Show
AASHTO Journal
The Time For Tolls Is Now: More Americans Prefer Transportation Tolls Than Taxes, Other Funding Options (2p. PDF)
America THINKS 2013 Tolling Survey
Priced Managed Lanes 2.0 (audio/video : "Panel of transportation experts discuss the trend of priced managed lanes and the results of a related America THINKS survey from HNTB Corporation.")
HNTB

The Uncertain Future Of Public Roads
The Atlantic: Cities

Villaraigosa Defends Faulty Metro Subway Science
Beverly Hills Courier

Where "Share The Road" Is Taken Literally ("'Woonerf' is what the Dutch call a special kind of street or group of streets that functions as shared public space -- for pedestrians, cyclists, children and, in some cases, for slow-moving, cautiously driven cars as well.")
New York Times

Will The Master Plan Preserve Union Station's Art Deco Charm?
KPCC Southern California Public Radio

With Ontario, Some Don't Know Much About Geography
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

With Security Eyes Focused On Airlines, Terrorists Look To Rail, Experts Say
NBC 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.