Transportation Headlines for Friday July 24, 2009

10 & 110 Freeways to get Express Toll Lanes in 2010
LAist

ARTIC designs unveiled
California High Speed Rail Blog

ATA to Congress: Fuel Tax is Most Effective Way to Fund Infrastructure
PR Newswire

Big Blue busing it
Santa Monica Daily Press

Board Wrap: LRTP and AnsaldoBreda Votes and Fare Gate Installation Delayed
LA Streetsblog

City Council’s approval of feasibility study could give green light to Green Line station near LAX
The Argonaut

Cleaner Amtrak locomotives on track for California
Central Valley Business Times

County Supervisors Rip Light Rail Company a New One
NBC News

Cuts to Dial-A-Ride service for seniors, disabled proposed
Press Enterprise

Dems. in Senate Pushing Transit Into Climate Change
LA Streetsblog

DOT chief 'deeply concerned' about dangers of cell-phone use while driving - Statement comes in response to release of previously withheld documents on cell phone use and highway deaths
Computer World

Green Line - LAX extension: City Council pays Park N' Ride; puts down a parking lot
Examiner

House Okays Additional $4 Billion for High-Speed Rail - Budget provision, if approved by Senate, will increase federal allocations for rail to $12 billion in this year alone
Transport Politic

Hundreds of California Cities Plan to Sue State Over Budget Solution
LAist

In Which The TAP Card Saga I Previously Ranted About Comes To A Successful (If Ultimately Doomed) Conclusion
MetblogsLA

Late night for lawmakers over state budget - Legislators approve several bills aimed at closing California's budget deficit but much work remains
Los Angeles Times

LAX passenger traffic drops for 15th straight month
Daily Breeze

Metro Approves High Speed Rail to Anaheim, Could Open in 2018
LAist

MTA Board approves toll rates for 10, 110 freeways
Pasadena Star News

MTA board delays decision on Gold Line extension
Pasadena Star News

MTA changes course, opening carpool lanes to solo drivers -- for a fee. Tolls will range from 25 cents to $1.40 a mile -- depending on traffic -- on the 10 and 110 freeways. The change is due in late 2010 or early 2011
Los Angeles Times

MTA Communication Off the Tracks
City Watch

MTA delays decision on Italian rail-car maker; 'despicable' lobbying alleged
Los Angeles Times

MTA's rail-car dilemma - Given the current contractor's past performance, the MTA should open bidding for its new light-rail cars
Los Angeles Times

Obama Admin Declines to Consider New Funding for Transportation
DC Streetsblog

On track: LA Metro Supports High-Speed Trains
Business Wire

Rep. Oberstar on the transportation bill and reform
PBS/Blueprint America

SB 375: Good Models or Good Planners?
Moving Slower

Submit Your Photo of Public Transit
Planet Save

TAP Up and Be Counted
The Bus Bench

Transportation: 10 Staffers to Know - Driving Transportation Policy Into the Future
Roll Call

Transportation Bill Not Likely to Pass Soon
Wall Street Journal

Transportation Headlines for Thursday July 23, 2009

Between Cell Phones And Higher Speed Limits, 25,000 Deaths And $1 Trillion Lost On US Roads?
Infrastructurist

BRU Joins National Effort To Raise Federal Funds For Transit Operations
LA StreetsBlog

Could $20-Per-Gallon Gasoline Make Us Happier?
National Public Radio

Denied Tax Revenues, Local Officials In California Are Fuming
New York Times

Designing The Future: High-Speed Rail And Federal Aid To Mass Transit
Daily Kos

Don’t Be So Square: Why American Drivers Should Learn To Love the Roundabout
Slate

Drivers Face Delays From 2,000 Stimulus-Funded Projects: US Motorists Are Likely To See More Construction Zones This Summer
Christian Science Monitor

Firm’s Track Record May Decide Fate Of Its MTA Contract
Los Angeles Times

How The Subway To The Sea Could Change Los Angeles’ Culture
Huffington Post

Local Road Work At Risk In New Budget Agreement
Capitol Weekly

(D.C.) Metro Discovers Problems In Additional Track Circuits
Washington Post

Opinion: High-Tech Highway Funding
Boston Globe

Opinion: The MTA And AnsaldoBreda: Economic Pressures Have Hitched Themselves To A Pending Board Vote On Switching Car Manufacturers
Los Angeles Times

Practical Measures To Increase Transit Advertising Revenues
U.S. Transportation Research Board (Executive Summary here)

Rethinking The Street Space: Why Street Design Matters
Planetizen

A Seat On The Bus?
The Nation

State Budget Plan Might Shut Down Some City Redevelopment Agencies
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Transforming Transportation (interview with Congressman James Oberstar)
Living On Earth

Transportation Headlines for Wednesday July 22, 2009

City Council Studies Extending Green Line To Airport
NBC Los Angeles

The Color Of Safety (The use of color in conveying safety messages, particularly in highway applications)
Federal Highway Administration: Public Roads

Council Moves L.A. Marathon Back To March, Shifts Route
Los Angeles Times

Culver City To Host 2nd Bicycle & Pedestrian Workshop
LAist

Downtown L.A. Streetcar Public Open House, July 29, 2009
LAStreetcar.org

Eye On The “Street:” Bike Space On Trains
LA StreetsBlog

Geographic Database For 2009 Released (National Transportation Atlas Database)
U.S. Department of Transportation

Hybrid2 Public Bike Concept Promises To Help Power City Buses
Endgadget

Know Your Road Lobbyists: The American Highway Users Alliance
DC StreetsBlog

Metro Board Preview: LRTP, AnsaldoBreda, Silver Line And Tolls
LA StreetsBlog

New Signs Let Riders Know When Buses Arrive
Santa Monica Daily Press

On The Waterfront: LNG-Powered Trucks Make Debut Thanks To Grant
Long Beach Press-Telegram

Opinion: Sacramento’s Kick-The-Can Budget: The Pact Doesn’t Deal With California’s Fiscal Problems; It Just Shifts Them To Local Governments
Los Angeles Times

Siphoning Of Local Government Coffers Called ‘Catastrophic,’ Lawsuits Threatened
Los Angeles Daily News

U.S. Withheld Data On Risks Of Distracted Driving
New York Times

What Would Our Headlines Look Like If Rail Travel Were Only As Safe As Car Travel?
Infrastructurist

Transportation Headlines for Tuesday July 21, 2009

Budget Accord Reached
Los Angeles Times

Drivers And Legislators Dismiss Cellphone Risks
New York Times

Improving Access To Healthcare By Improving Transportation Options
Transportation For America

Is Now The Right Time To Build A Railroad
Sacramento Bee

Metro To Hold Five Community Meetings In August For Westside Subway Extension Project
Metro Press Release

More ‘Subway To The Sea’ Community Meetings Scheduled
LAist

MTA Chief Recommends Against Italian Firm’s Rail Cars: Agency Staffers Report That The Cars Being Built By AnsaldoBreda Under An Existing Contract Are Too Heavy And Years Behind Schedule
Los Angeles Times

Off The Agenda: Metro Board Not Talking Bikes Or Rail Acceleration This Week
LA StreetsBlog

Opinion: High-Speed Rail Isn’t Pork – It’s An Organic Green
San Francisco Examiner

The Other Highway Funding Crisis
New Republic

Roadshow: No Surprise! Tom Campbell’s Gas-Tax Hike Proposal Has Detractors
San Jose Mercury News

Senate Agrees On $26.8 Billion Highway Trust Fund Rescue
LA StreetsBlog

Seniors TAP Their Way Into Transit System: New Bus Pass Is Easy To Use, Environmentally Friendly And Secure
Santa Clarita Valley Signal

Signs Of Change: How A New Font Called “Clearview” Is Changing America’s Highways
Hardest Year

Trend Favors A More Pedal-Happy Method Of Commuting, Inland Residents Say
Riverside Press-Enterprise

Valley Still Overlooked With Transit Planning
San Fernando Valley Business Journal

Transportation Headlines for Monday July 20, 2009

E-220 High Desert Corridor
High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Authority
Facebook Video: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=15618642181&ref=mf

15 most sustainable U.S. cities (LA is 13th!)
Grist

And Now A Tutorial On How To "Hack" Yourself To A Metro TAP Card Without Really Trying (Or Ending Up Getting One)
LA MetBlogs

Cargo shipments in LA, Long Beach continue to decline
Press Telegram

City to Host Informational Workshop about New 757 NoHo Express Transit Route
Santa Clarita Valley News Center

City Council Greenlights Alternate Plan for Rail Yard
Santa Monica Surf/Lookout News

Dozens injured in Muni Metro crash
San Francisco Chronicle

Find ways to keep the desert air clean
The Desert Sun

EXCLUSIVE: Siemens risks losses due to Iran ties
Washington Times

High-speed rail grants draw 278 pre-applications from 40 states
USDOT Fastlane

Hydrogen-fuelled bus launched in São Paulo
Business Mirror

L.A. roadblocks: Caltrans addresses N. 110 exit to N. 5 bottleneck with dynamic smart-stud systems
Examiner

LAX parking lot is airline workers' home away from home Buffeted by their industry's turbulence, airline employees save money by living part time in a motor home colony at LAX
Los Angeles Times

Making Buses Cool Again
Climate Progress

Metro Goldline Foothill Extension
NorthEast Pasadena

MTA takes issue with potential contractor's ties with Iran - Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a vice chairman of the board, and another member are concerned that Siemens Corp. helped provide technology to monitor calls in Iran
Los Angeles Times

Now is the perfect time to build a railroad
California High Speed Rail Blog

Oberstar Says 'Second Stimulus' Should Be Highway Bill
Journal of Commerce

Press Release from Authority: Duarte Mayor John Fasana Joins Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority Board
I Will Ride

Randal O'Toole: The Man, The Contrarian
Planetizen

San Diego putting the brakes on pedicabs
Los Angeles Times

Schwarzenegger orders 15% cut in state's vehicle fleet - The governor's action follows a critical audit revealing that possibly thousands of workers are given government cars to take home at night without justification
Los Angeles Times

Security officer shot at San Diego light-rail platform
Los Angeles Times

Siemens MTA Contract / Urgent Action Required
Corruption on Earth

Train's horn has locals sounding off - Sprinter about to get 4th set since last year
San Diego Union Tribune

Tweet! Tweet! O.C. bus agency on Twitter
OC Register

Two light-rail trains crash in San Francisco, injuring 44 - Both trains were full when the crash occurred near the West Portal shopping district. Three people were seriously injured and no deaths have been reported
Los Angeles Times

Transportation Headlines for Friday July 17, 2009

$155,000 sign welcomes motorists to O.C. - Orange County Transportation Authority unveils new sign.
OC Register

BART's largest union rejects contract proposal
San Francisco Chronicle

Bicycle Coalition Looking into a Vulnerable User Law for CA
LAist

Bike sharing that creates energy – and pays you to ride?
CS Monitor

Budget impasse threatens public works projects, Lockyer warns
Sacramento Bee

Budget mess makes California vulnerable to crippling credit downgrade, official warns
Los Angeles Time

Bus stops in need of digital switch & info
MetroRiderLA

California bill takes 710 extension underground
Land Line

California lawmakers target city, county funds to close budget gap
Sacramento Bee

Cancel That! Accelerated Rail Projects just a Hypothetical
LAist

Coalition for Clean Air Takes a Look at Your Commute
LA Streetsblog

Downtown L.A. Streetcar Public Open House
LAStreetcar.org

Extensive bus, light-rail cuts coming to VTA
Mercury News

Feds post proposed rules on positive train controls
The Transit Wire

How to increase your state’s chances of getting federal HSR money (Illinois knows)
Trains for America

Julius Shulman dies at 98; celebrated photographer of Modernist architecture
Los Angeles Times

Metro: Fast-tracked Rail Lines Chosen at Random
LA Curbed

MTA finds support still strong for Measure R in survey - Although the voters asked favored the sales-tax measure that took effect July 1, they say that the transportation authority's projects are moving too slowly
Los Angeles Times

Poll shows support still strong for Measure R sales tax hike
Los Angeles Times

Potholes would thrive under new budget plan
Capitol Weekly

Riders Can Use Google to Ride Metro
Eastside Sun

SMART to Use Heavier Rail Cars
SF Streetsblog

States clamor for high-speed rail stimulus funds as applications pour into DC
Transportation for America

Streetsblog Interview: The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition
LA Streetsblog

Transit Man
Transitman.org

TriMet's open source heaven: The 5 best transit-rider apps
Oregonian

Transportation Headlines for Thursday July 16, 2009

Chicago balances budget without cuts, increases
Metro Magazine

DC Metro signaling system continues to fail
USA Today

Federal bill extension keeps Inland road plans on course
Press Enterprise

Metro Clarifies Position on Access to Express Lanes
LA StreetsBlog

New Train Lines to be Fast-Tracked Tomorrow?
CurbedLA

NTSB issues safety recommendation to D.C. Metro
Metro Magazine

Private Section Interest in High Speed Rail
California High Speed Rail Blog

Riverside Co. transit projects appear on track
Press Enterprise

Streetsblog Interview: Introducing Art Leahy
LA Streetsblog

Streetsblog Interview: The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition
LA Streetsblog

Stimulus: DOT momentum creating jobs, rebuilding infrastructure
USDOT Fastlane

Trolley is cool and 'so cute'
Press Enterprise

U.S. Chamber Wants Congress to Expedite Transportation Bill
Journal of Commerce

U.S. Senate Committee OKs $20 billion for highway fund
Reuters

White House Staying Quiet For Now on Transit’s Role in Climate Bill
LA StreetsBlog

Wilshire/Normandie Purple Line Getting Gates
CurbedLA

Yelphikers Guide to ... Metro Orange Line
Yelp