Today's Headlines - more at Metro

12/02/2009

Transportation Headlines for Wednesday December 2, 2009

TheSource.metro.net

Airline Safety: The Next Generation Of Smart Planes
Christian Science Monitor

Another Red-Light Probe For Metrolink
Los Angeles Times

Bellflower Path For Cyclists, Walkers Opens
Long Beach Press-Telegram

Bringing LA Together: Little Tokyo
CityWatch

Broadway Improvement Plan Gets A Hearing: Plan To Transform Thoroughfare Would Take Four Years, Cost $30 Million
Los Angeles Downtown News

CalTrans Changes Signs On 110 North; Richard Ankrom’s Famed “5 North” Installation Feared Lost
Franklin Avenue

December Will Be A Big Month For HSR
California High Speed Rail Blog

Don’t Let The Reason Foundation Railroad California
California High Speed Rail Blog

Here’s Your Chance To Support Complete Streets In State Planning Guidelines
LA StreetsBlog

The Highway To Play A Vital Role in The Progress Of Civilization
(Disney’s animated 1958 film discussing “future” highway and automobile technology)
LA StreetsBlog

In New Orleans, LaHood Unveils $280M In Streetcar And Bus Grants
DC StreetsBlog

Intelligent Roads: Several Approaches To Keeping Streets Clearer
Financial Times

Job Cuts Loom As Stimulus Fades (Highway construction companies begin seeing business slow down)
Wall Street Journal

Laughter On The Go (Transit TV comedy)
Santa Monica Daily Press

Metrolink Engineer May Have Run Red Signal, Prompting New Concerns About Rail Safety
Los Angeles Times

Parking Cash-Outs: Better Than Free Parking
Way2Go Environmental Defense Fund

Ready, Steady, Go!: Countdown Stoplight Brings Fun To Traffic Control
Wired

Solar-Powered Sensor Controls Traffic
Electronics Design, Strategy, News

Stair Wars: Santa Monica Keeps Them Open, Echo Park Locks 'Em Out
LA Curbed

Surface Transportation: Efforts To Address Highway Congestion Through Real-Time Traffic Information Systems Are Expanding But Face Implementation Challenges
(new report: 43p. PDF)
Government Accounting Office

Tired Of Being Dumped On, El Segundo Threatens To Sue
LA Curbed

Villaraigosa Announces Electric Car Infrastructure Plan
Los Angeles Times

What GOOD Ideas Do You Have?
(L.A. 2.0 event to identify five key urban strategies to improve the physical environment of Los Angeles)
LA StreetsBlog

Who Wants To Buy A New Locomotive? General Electric Hopes Amtrak Does
DC StreetsBlog

12/01/2009

Transportation Headlines for Tuesday December 1, 2009

TheSource.metro.net

Alameda Corridor Could Tap Ports For Cash As Early As 2011
Cunningham Report

Better Bikeways: Getting Rolling With Improved Signage
GOOD

Build It Right Or Don't Build It
CityWatch

Calif.'s OCTA Launches Text Messaging
Metro Magazine

Driven With Distraction
(DOT Secretary LaHood on texting while driving)
Washington Post

Engineers Who Hacked Into L.A. Traffic Signal Computer, Jamming Streets, Sentenced
Los Angeles Times

Entering The Superproject Void
New York Times

The Fight To Make North Figueroa Bike Friendly
Flying Pigeon

Gold Line Lake Station In Pasadena Adds Watchtower, Remains Deafening
Curbed LA

If You Don't Have Safe Streets, All The Light Rail Lines In The World Aren't Going To Save Your City
National Resources Defense Council

LA City Bike Plan: Only 28 Miles Of New Bike Lane
C.I.C.L.E.

LaHood To Congress: It's Time To Talk About A Gas Tax Increase
LA StreetsBlog

Lancet Study: We Must Reduce Auto Dependency
DC StreetsBlog

LAPD Tackle Cyclists At Friday's Critical Mass
LA StreetsBlog

Lobbyists Rush To High-Speed Rail
Politico

MacArthur Park Gentrification Watch? Westlake Theatre Plan Moves Forward
LA Curbed

Maybe Metro Isn't So Bad After All?
LA StreetsBlog

Neighborhoods Win Input Extension On Bike Plan
CityWatch

New California Clean Air Guidelines Come With A Hefty Price Tag
Mother Nature Network

Opening High-Speed Rail To The Market - Before The Market's Even There
Transport Politic

Peds Or Cars? No Certain Plan For Chick Hearn Court Closures
Blog Downtown

Rush Is On For Stimulus' High-Speed Rail Dollars
USA Today

State Legislative Committees Hold Trio Of Hearings Downtown
LA StreetsBlog

Supporters Map Route For Bicycle Loop Around Downtown Riverside
Riverside Press-Enterprise

Washington's Newest Gravy Train: High-Speed Rail
Center For Public Integrity

WeHo General Plan Taking Shape (desire for more density and transit hubs without gridlock)
WeHo News

11/30/2009

Transportation Headlines for Monday November 30, 2009

TheSource.metro.net

AC Transit's Extensive Service Reduction Planning Process Yields Great Results
A Better Oakland

Architect Calls For Design Contest For High-Speed Rail
Palo Alto Online News

Bike Lanes Slated For Foothill
Glendale News Press

Bus Rapid Transit: Some Questions To Ask
Human Transit


The Cable Car Took Us There
(historic Cape Horn Cable Car Viaduct, Lincoln Heights, 1890s)
Highland Park Blog

China Enters The Carpool Lane
Wired

County In Better Shape Than State, Zev Says
The Acorn

The Deadliest Roads Are Rural
National Public Radio

Doomsday Looming For Many Truckers At Los Angeles And Long Beach Ports: Clean-Air Guidelines Banning Older Rigs And Those Without Diesel Particulate Filters Take Effect Jan. 1 - Many Drivers Say The Changes Are Just Too Costly
Los Angeles Times

The Expo Line Should Connect, Not Conquer, Neighbors
CityWatch

Gasoline Fumes May Fuel Road Rage
Wired

Gold Line Lake Ave Station Construction Update
Brigham Yen

High-Speed Rail Authority Eyeing San Gabriel Valley Cities For A Station
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

How To Make Trucks Safer On Highways
National Public Radio

"Insecurity Cameras" To Track All Of Town's Traffic
(Tiburon, Calif.)
National Public Radio

L.A., Long Beach Ports' Feud Resurfaces
Los Angeles Times

Major Health Benefits Seen From Reduction Of Greenhouse Gases
WorldChanging

New Chief, New Relationship With Cyclists?: LAPD Creates Bicycling Working Group
LA StreetsBlog

New Los Angeles Metro Line For Foodies
Times (London)

New Report: Road Funding From Non-Road Users Doubled In 25 Years
DC StreetsBlog

Nobody Walks In L.A.? Not If cicLAvia Has Its Way: The Coalition Wants To Make Sundays Virtually Car-Free, Transforming The City's Streets Into Giant Bike Lanes - A Neighborhood Test Run Is Planned For Next Spring
Los Angeles Times

On Two Wheels, The Road Looks Different
National Public Radio

Personal Rapid Transit: Future Or Elevated Fantasy?
National Public Radio

Problems With A Front-Loaded Infrastructure Package
Transport Politic

Rail Yard Looks Like A Possibility
Santa Monica Daily Press

Railroad Crossing Safety Call
Glendale News Press

Roads Closed Due To Station Fire To Reopen Monday Morning
LAist

Sex And The SUV: Men, Women, And Travel Behavior
New York Times

Signal Fading On Radio Traffic Reports
Southern California Public Radio

Supporters Celebrate Metro Gold Line
Citrus College Clarion Online

These Traffic Reporters Do Their Work On The Fly
(history of Los Angeles helicopter traffic reporting)
Los Angeles Times

Why You're Not The Great Driver You Think You Are
National Public Radio

11/25/2009

Transportation Headlines for Wednesday November 25, 2009

TheSource.metro.net

Boxer Seeks White House Help On Highway Bill
Journal Of Commerce

Checklists To Rethink The Streetspace
Planetizen

"Cities For Cycling" Could Have Huge Impact On Bikeway Innovation
(new coalition of America's largest cities look to break the shackles of rigid federal roadway design guidelines)
Bike Portland

Congress For The New Urbanism Transportation Summit 2009 (slideshow presentations now online)
Congress For The New Urbanism

DeFazio, Perlmutter Drafting New Version Of Wall Street Transport Tax
DC StreetsBlog

DHS Launches Critical Infrastructure Web Site
GSN
Link to website
Link to plan (188p. PDF)

Downtown's Angels Flight Clears Latest Hurdle
Curbed LA

Environmental Defense Fund Starts Transportation Blog
The City Fix
Link to EDF Way2Go website

Great Los Angeles Walk 2009: Eight Hours And 17.4 Miles Later, We Did It!
Franklin Avenue

Hip-Hip-Hooray! San Gabriel Valley Comes Together To Celebrate Future
I Will Ride

Interview: Joseph Boardman, AMTRAK, President & CEO
(video: speaking on federal appropriation funding, light-rail, modernization capacities, security)
C-SPAN

LA Animated: Sic Regional Transit
LA Observed

Little Change To Southland Gasoline Prices
Los Angeles Daily News

OCTA Board Finalizes Bus Cuts: Decreased Frequency, More Transfers, And No 24-Hour Service
TransitRider OC

Proponents Say Transit Should Be A Free Ride
InTransition

Proposed Locally Preferred Alternative For 2 Freeway Terminus Not Preferred By Locals
LA Curbed

Travel Demand In The Context Of Growing Diversity: Considerations For Policy, Planning, And Forecasting (6p. PDF)
Transportation Research Board

Underground Psychology: Researchers Have Been Spying On Us On The Subway – Here’s What They’ve Learned
Slate

U.S. Highway Travel Rises As Economy Recovers
Reuters

The War On Trucking Continues
Logistics Management

What Will It Take For Caltrans To Decide To “Fix-It-First?”
LA StreetsBlog
Sierra Club Fix It First Webpage

11/24/2009

Transportation Headlines for Tuesday November 24, 2009

TheSource.metro.net

Are Minorities Being Shortchanged By The Stimulus?
Time

Bike Thefts Becoming A Growing Problem In Los Angeles – What Can Be Done?
LA StreetsBlog

CA Senators, Governor Ask Obama To Fund High Speed Rail
LAist
Press Release from the Office of Senator Barbara Boxer with text of letter

Capitol Corridor Runs Cleaner-Burning Diesel Train (audio)
National Public Radio

Chicago’s Private Parking Meter Bungle
Planetizen

Cities Use Cash To Encourage Carpooling
(audio)
National Public Radio

Commuter Rail Collisions Spur Takeover Talk (audio interview with Deborah Hersman, Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board)
National Public Radio

Congress’ Safety Agenda Faces Obstacles
National Public Radio

Critics Say Roads Safer, But Danger Still Lurks
National Public Radio

The Days May Be Grim, But Here’s A Good Word To Put In Your Pocket
New York Times

Desire For Streetcars Gets A Look In Long Beach
Long Beach Press-Telegram

"Diverging Diamond" Traffic Flow: Way Of The Future?
National Public Radio

Everyday Solutions, Inc. Selected As Transportation Technology Provider For Los Angeles Unified School District
AjaxWorld

Explore Metrolink With So.CA.TA (Day After Thanksgiving Study Tour)
LA StreetsBlog
Tour The Entire Metrolink System In One Day! (p.5)

Federal Stimulus Funds For Transportation Projects Not Making Much Of An Economic Impact - Yet
Contra Costa Times

From East To West, Steel Rail Pulls L.A. Together
Los Angeles Times

Golden State Highways Are A California Nightmare
(Recent study ranks California 49th for quality of pavement)
National Public Radio

Life Without Measure R: Massive Transit Cuts In Orange County
LA StreetsBlog

North American Cities That Have (Or Had) A Pedestrian Mall
Urban Review STL

O.C. Transit Agency Finalizes Another Round Of Deep Cuts In Service
Los Angeles Times

On The Road To Safety (Weeklong series of stories and conversations about highway safety: Monday, November 23 – Sunday, November 29)
National Public Radio

Our View: Metrolink Should Hold A Fare Sale
Pasadena Star-News

Plan Approved To Cut Bus Service
Orange County Register

Road Work Aims To Unclog Congestion
Riverside Press-Enterprise

SF Port’s Parking System Pays Dividends
San Francisco Examiner

Study Sees Transit Saving Californians’ Energy, Cutting Greenhouse Gas
Sacramento Bee

Study: “Walkable Neighborhoods” Could Save State $31M
Sacramento Business Journal

When It Comes To Making [Government] Data Sexy, You Can’t Be Too Graphic
CNN

Will Federal Stimulus Money Spark A High-Speed Rail Renaissance In The U.S.?
Scientific American

11/23/2009

Transportation Headlines for Monday November 23, 2009

TheSource.metro.net

Blue Line Commuter Passengers Face Delays Because Of Construction Work [Today]
Los Angeles Times

Bus-Rail Debates In A Beautiful Abstract City, And In Los Angeles
Human Transit

California Budget's Going To Be Dreadful
Los Angeles Times

Canada-USA High Speed Possibilities
Trains For America

Commentary: Redirect New Infrastructure Stimulus Toward Mass Transit
Detroit News

Compromise In The Air For Downtown Connector, Expo Phase II
LA StreetsBlog

Kick Off Set For Gold Line Extension To Azusa
Sierra Madre Weekly

L.A. Central Faces Foreclosure: $1 Billion Project Was Envisioned As Retail Counterpart To L.A. Live
Los Angeles Downtown News

LA Transpo: How About Some Good News?
CityWatch

Little Tokyo Wary Of Proposed Light-Rail Connector Line: The Community Fears That Construction, Noise And Hundreds Of Daily Trains Could Ruin Business And Property Values, But Metro Has Offered Up An Underground Plan That Seems To Be Easing Concerns
Los Angeles Times

MacArthur Park Gentrification Watch?: Westlake Theatre Plan Moves Forward
LA Curbed

Metro Unveils New Regional Connector Plan: Little Tokyo Working Group Endorses New Concept For Metro Regional Connector
Rafu Shimpo

Metrolink Delays Vex Riders And Officials
Riverside Press-Enterprise

San Gabriel Valley Cities Eye Measure R Funds To Replace Dwindling Transit Revenue
Pasadena Star-News

Senate Health Bill Holds Onto Grants For Healthier Transportation
DC StreetsBlog

Senators Push To Restore Federal Highway Funds
Wall Street Journal

Some On Metrolink Board Question Leadership Of David Solow
Los Angeles Times

Tracking The DASH Online
LA Metblogs

Traffic Solutions: Councilman Studying Elevated Podcar System
LA Curbed

11/20/2009

Transportation Headlines for Friday November 20, 2009

TheSource.metro.net

1 Clean Truck Program, 2 Ports, And Now 2 Strategies
Southern California Public Radio

710 Tunnel Feasible, Study Says
Pasadena Star-News

Congestion Pricing: Will Southern Californians Warm Up To HOT Lanes?
Urban Insights

Conservatives And Public Transportation: Join Us For An Upcoming [Online] Debate
Tranpsortation For America
Registration and more information for December 7 event

Delays Expected On Metro Blue Line [Today And This Weekend] For Track Installation
Los Angeles Times

For Creating Jobs, Transit Operating Aid Is Best Bet
Mobilizing The Region

Gang Injunction, Proposed Rail Yard Topics At Joint County/City Meeting In Monrovia
Pasadena Star-News

LADOT Launches Real-Time DASH Downtown LA Arrival Times
L.A. City Council President Eric Garcetti

LA Loves A Street Party
cicLAvia

L.A. Mayor Seeks “Creative” Funding To Prevent 7MPH Gridlock
Bloomberg

L.A. Metro Takes Aim At Cheaters: Turnstiles Annoy Some Commuters, But Transit Officials Fret It Would Cost Too Much To Dump The Pilot Project - Even If They Wanted To
Neon Tommy, Annenberg Digital News

Los Angeles Without Traffic! (photo essay of major streets, car-less)
Inhabitat

Measure R Funding Followup – It Pays To Check The Math!
SoapBoxLA

Metro Say Fully Underground Connector Feasible, Could Cost 20% More
Blog Downtown

Metrolink Fare Rise Plan Angers Riders
San Bernardino Sun

MTA Committee Okays Crenshaw Light Rail, Green Line Extension
Daily Breeze

New Study Quantifies High Personal Costs Of Building CA Cities For Cars
SF StreetsBlog
“Windfall For All” Report Highlights (17p. PDF)

Pelosi: Passing A Wall Street Transport Tax Would Require Overseas Buy-In
DC StreetsBlog

Placentia To Settle Caltrans Claim Over Failed Rail Project
Los Angeles Times

Rough Road To Gold, Part 4: Gold Line Finally Arrives In East Los Angeles
EGP News

Santa Monica City Council Endorses Hybrid Proposal For Light Rail Maintenance Yard Location
Argonaut

Study Finds Higher Air Pollution Near Santa Monica Airport
Los Angeles Times

Survey Finds Many Commute Stress-Free
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

A Tale Of Two Cities’ Crossings: Different Takes On Congestion
Daily Journal Of Commerce Oregon

Tarnished Gold (vandalism and neglect go unaddressed at Highland Park Station)
Highland Park 90042 Blog

Transit Use Is Growing, But Not Where You Think
(Top 10 Metro Areas With Largest Growth; Charlotte NC Ranks First)
Planetizen

Web 2.0 Applications For Improving Public Participation In Transport Planning
Andrew Nash, Vienna Transport Strategies
Full text of paper (25p. PDF)

Welcome To The Blogroll: CicLAvia And City Of Lights
LA StreetsBlog

What Do Two Nobel Laureates Know That L.A.’s Mayor Doesn’t?
Biking In LA

Wheel Squeal Considered, Santa Monica Votes For Hybrid Yard
LA Curbed