Today's Headlines - more at Metro

11/16/2012

Expo II Proceeds, CAHSR, MAP-21, Metro Ridership, Next Transpo Secy & More

Bullet Train's Segment Completion Date Pushed Back ("The high-speed rail authority adds 12 months to the schedule for 130 miles of Central Valley track, meaning it would be finished by December 2017 rather than a year earlier.")
Los Angeles Times

Calif. High-Speed Rail Faces Crucial Court Ruling (Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley is expected to decide Friday whether to grant a preliminary injunction that would temporarily halt the ambitious infrastructure project.")
Associated Press

California High-Speed Rail Project Faces Crucial Decision In Lawsuit Over Environmental Review
Washington Post

Court Rules On Motion To Halt Expo Light Rail Construction ("Ruling in Expo's favor keeps work to the "build a modern transit system" from downtown Los Angeles into the Westside remains on track.")
Culver City Patch

Freakonomics Hucksters: "Save The Earth, Drive Your Car"
StreetsBlog DC

Gold Line Bridge Will Be Done In A Month
Monrovia Patch

How MAP-21 Pushed Transit To The Edge Of Its Own Fiscal Cliff
StreetsBlog DC

Judge Refuses NIMBY Request To Stop Work On Expo Extension
Curbed LA

LA Metro To Implement Clean Energy Flywheel Technology In Its Red Line ("VYCON’s kinetic energy technology essentially uses the flywheel system to store energy generated by braking, and then uses that energy when the train accelerates.")
Techno Buffalo

A Mass-Transit Proposal To Connect A City Using Aerial Gondolas (Are they coming to Austin?)
Fast Company Design

Metro Ridership Rose Double Digits In LA County
Diamond Bar-Walnut Patch

Mica Likely To Lose Transportation Committee Post
Orlando Sentinel

More Angelenos Riding Buses, Boarding Trains Thanks To Smartphone Technology
LAist

The Same "Empty Buses" Fallacy, Over And Over
Human Transit

T Says Smartphone Ticket App Is A Hit With Commuter Rail Riders
Boston Globe

A Sidewalk To Bridge Red And Blue
Better Cities & Towns

Top Metro Execs Asked About Crime Spike On Buses And Trains
NBC Los Angeles

Who May Be The Next Transportation Secretary? (16 potential nominees, including Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and OCTA CEO Will Kempton, are assessed)
Governing

Will The Next Transpo Chair Continue Attacks On Bike/Ped Funding?
StreetsBlog DC


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.

11/15/2012

Westside Subway, TAP, Pedestrian Hollywood, iPhone Transit, CAHSR, ExpressLanes, Lankershim Bike Lanes & More

California Regulator Issues Citations And Fines Against Transportation Services Uber, Lyft, And SideCar
TechCrunch

De-Uglifying Hollywood: How To Make Our City Pedestrian-Friendly
StreetsBlog LA

Exclusive: Crime Spikes On Metro Buses And Trains ("Robberies are up 42 percent over the first ten months of last year, and assaults are up 13.5 percent.")
NBC Southern California

Finally, iPhone Maps That Aren't A Total Disaster ("One of the biggest losses for people who live and visit metropolitan areas and need to know how to get around is Apple Maps's lack of public transportation information. Nokia has that.")
The Atlantic: Cities

Glossary For Regional Transportation Systems Management And Operations Terms: 2nd Ed. (38p. PDF)
Transportation Research Board

High-Speed Rail Jobs May Give Priority To Down-On-Luck Workers
Fresno Bee

High-Speed Rail Must Tame California's Tricky Terrain
San Francisco Examiner

Housing Near Transit Creates Thriving Communities
Natural Resources Defense Council Switchboard Blog

Interactions Between Transportation Capacity, Economic Systems, And Land Use (62p. PDF)
Strategic Highway Research Program

Is Mass Transit Bad For The Environment? ("According to the Department of Energy’s Transportation Energy Data Book, in 2010 transporting each passenger one mile by car required 3447 BTUs of energy. Transporting each passenger a mile by bus required 4118 BTUs, surprisingly making bus transit less green by this metric. Rail transit admittedly fares better, at 2520 BTUs per passenger mile, but even this is not the kind of slam-dunk advantage over the auto that transit advocates might hope for.")
TreeHugger

L.A. Freeway Tops 91 For Highest Peak Toll Rates
Orange County Register

LACMTA Begins Utility Relocation Work For Westside Subway Extension Project
RT&S

Lankershim Bike Lanes Could Arrive By Mid-2013
North Hollywood-Toluca Lake Patch

Long Beach: More Public Meetings To Be Held For Daisy-To-Myrtle Bike Path
StreetsBlog LA

Mayor Brien Turns On Beverly Hills, Praises Metro Tunnel Project
Beverly Hills Courier

Metro, City, Get Serious About Funding CicLAvia
StreetsBlog LA

New Look For Expo-Adjacent Retail The Platform In Culver City
Curbed LA

Next Steps For The Bike Movement In Santa Monica (Part 1 of 2)
StreetsBlog LA

NYC Transit Brass Cite Gains In Restoring Service ("The New York City subway system is now operating at 98 percent.")
Wall Street Journal

Rose Bowl USC/UCLA Game Ahead: Traffic & Parking Tips
Pasadena Patch

Single Drivers May Use HOV Lane For Fee
KPCC Southern California Public Radio

TAP Solution For Metrolink 2.0 ("Thursday at the Metro Board Executive Management Committee meeting the new solutions will be debated.")
StreetsBlog LA

Transportation Official Says 710 Tunnel Will Be Hard To Beat ("A Southern California Association of Governments official said Wednesday the twin-bore tunnel is the only viable option to complete the 710 Freeway from I-10 to I-210.")
Long Beach Press-Telegram

Voters Approve Transportation Spending, AASHTO's New President And More
Governing

What Kind Of Leadership Would Bill Shuster Bring To The Transpo Committee?
StreetsBlog DC


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.

11/14/2012

Gold Line Bridge, ExpressLanes, CAHSR, Parking & Solo Driving, LA Bikes & More

November 14: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (A 1933 report proposes a  comprehensive rail rapid transit system for Los Angeles and even predicts the need for a San Fernando Valley rail transit line along the current Orange Line right-of-way)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

10 Strategies For Attracting Development Near Transit In A Slow Growth Market (20p. PDF : adapted from last year's report on TOD in San Francisco)
Citizens For Modern Transit (St. Louis)
10 Strategies For Attracting Investment Near Transit: Lessons Learned From The San Francisco Bay Area (20p. PDF)
ULI San Francisco

Arcadia Gold Line Bridge Construction Nears Completion
Pasadena Star-News
Basket Bridge Construction Video
Metro Gold Line Foothill Construction Authority

The Architectural Spectacle That Is Munich's Metro (photoessay)
The Atlantic: Cities

California Kicks Off Cap And Trade For Carbon Emissions ("After 2015, the law also will include transportation fuels, meaning that oil refineries will need permits to account for the emissions from all the vehicles in the state.")
Whittier Daily News

Can The Asian Example Save California High Speed Rail?
Asia Society

ExpressLanes Quietly Open On I-110, Media Finds "Grumbling"..But Not Hysteria
StreetsBlog LA

For Pedestrians, Cities Have Become The Wilderness
The Atlantic: Cities

How L.A.'s First Toll Road Could Help Reduce Traffic (video : interview with Metro's Executive Officer for Congestion Reduction Initiative Stephanie Wiggins)
KCET

L.A. To Consider Free Parking At Meters For Some Veterans
KCET

Metro Breaks Ground For Westside Subway Extension (video)
Culver City Patch

Mica Waiting For Leadership Election To Address Transportation Committee Chairmanship
The Hill

New Balance To Build Train Station As Part Of Its Boston Headquarters ("Another corporate sponsor is making a major investment in rail transit.")
StreetsBlog Network
New Balance To Build Commuter Rail Station As Part Of Boston Headquarters Expansion
Architect's Newspaper

Obama's New Cabinet Can Make The Trains Run On Time ("He can set the tone for his new term with changes in a less-likely place: the Department of Transportation. The current secretary, Ray LaHood, is probably stepping down in 2013, and Obama’s signature transportation policy, a national high-speed-rail network, is in disarray.")
Bloomberg

Opinion: From The Valley To Downtown -- By Bike
Los Angeles Times

Pondering The Transponder: Sell Your Soul, Pay The Toll
Blogging Los Angeles

Shoup: Free Parking To Blame For California's Solo Car Commuting Habit
StreetsBlog DC

SoCal Bullet Train Route: Skyscraper-Tall Viaducts, 500-Foot Deep Tunnels, One Of The Steepest Grades In The World
Curbed LA

South L.A. Neighborhood Bike Ambassadors Confer With Planners On Bike And Mobility Plans
StreetsBlog LA

Trains, Pains And Fallout From The Election
Los Angeles Downtown News

Transit As A City's Bloodstream: The Video
Human Transit

We Shouldn't Be Surprised That Most Transit Referendums Won
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.

11/13/2012

ExpressLanes, Regional Connector, Gas Tax, OC Traffic, Bicycle Modeling & More

$1 Billion Plan To Ease Gridlock In South (Orange County)
Orange County Register

Alameda County Transportation Sales Tax Increase Still Trailing ("The Measure B1 sales tax increase was trailing Monday with 65.79 percent of the vote in support -- short of the 66.666 percent required for approval.")
Silicon Valley Mercury-News

Attacks On Bus Drivers Appear On The Rise, Fueling Safety Concerns
Kansas City Star

Bicycle Modeling Tool To Aid Infrastructure Development Decisions
Government Technology

Bullet-Train Planners Face Huge Challenge ("The 141-mile section from Bakersfield to L.A. will travel over two mountain ranges and more than half a dozen earthquake faults. Experts see it as the project of the century.")
Los Angeles Times

CHP To Begin Enforcing New Toll Lanes On 110 Freeway
KTLA

Communities Vote To Tax Themselves To Support Transit
StreetsBlog DC

Councilman Eric Garcetti Wants Certain Veterans To Park For Free At Los Angeles City Meters
Los Angeles Daily News

Enticing Car-Lite Households To Take The Next Step
StreetsBlog Network

Expanded Transportation Performance Measures To Supplement Level Of Service (LOS) For Growth Management And Transportation Impact Analysis (203p. PDF)
Florida DOT

Fullerton Wants Commuters To Share Bikes
Orange County Register

Gasoline Use In State Down From A Year Ago
Sacramento Bee

How To Be Savvier With Public Transportation
USA Today

Hundreds Come Out For DIY Public Hearing On Proposed Long Beach Railyard
StreetsBlog LA

Is Speed Obsolete?
Human Transit

Judge Lets Work Continue On Regional Connector
Los Angeles Downtown News

L.A. County Toll Lanes Get Smooth Start, Despite Some Grumbling
Los Angeles Times

LA's First Toll Lanes Open; Trips Cost Up To $15.40
Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Adopts Congestion Toll
USC Annenberg TV News

Map: 110 Freeway "FasTrak" Express Lanes Take A Toll On Drivers Starting Nov. 10
KPCC Southern California Public Radio

MBTA Mobile-Ticket Era Begins For Commuter Rail Riders Monday
Boston Globe

Moving The Dial On The Gas Tax (Is it time to talk about a gas tax increase? How could the idea be made more palatable to conservatives? Would a gas tax hike be easier to swallow if it was temporary? What longer-term strategies for infrastructure payment should be on the table? Will Washington be able to cope with such a discussion?")
National Journal Transportation Experts Blog

Nation's Highways Remain An Issue For An Obama Second Term
Washington Post

Newly Unflooded New York Subway Still Looking Pretty Horrible
The Atlantic: Cities

NY Commuters Still Struggling Through Post-Storm Transit Mess
Reuters

Our View: Are Toll Lanes A Slippery Slope?
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Pay Lanes: How It Works
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Public Transportation Systems Reaching Out To Veterans, APTA Says
Progressive Railroading

Residents Invited To Hear About Efforts Leading To Widening Of 71 Freeway
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Supporters Continue Push For Downtown Streetcar As Vote Nears
Blog Downtown

Texas Debuts Fastest Highway Speed Limit In Nation: 85 MPH
Los Angeles Times

That's Hot! High Occupancy Toll Lanes Open On 110 Freeway
CBS Los Angeles

TTC and LACMTA See Rise In Ridership
RT&S

Twin Redondo Hotels Start Work This Year Near Green Line
Curbed LA

An Update On The Expo Bikeway
Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition

Vine Street Again Possible Transit Center Site
Riverside Press-Enterprise

The Vote 2012
The Transport Politic

Yes, We Have No Carbon Tax
StreetsBlog DC


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.

11/09/2012

ExpressLanes, Antelope Valley Transit, Long Beach Rail Yard, Ballot Measures & More

November 9: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (A "tunnel shield" is lowered into the Metro Rail construction site at Union Station as part of launching the excavation process. Watch the video)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

Aging Drivers Present New Transportation Challenge
Associated Press

Antelope Valley Transit Wins Transit Excellence Award
Metro Magazine

"Brown Doggle?" Efforts To Use HSR As Cudgel Against CA Dems. Fizzle
StreetsBlog LA

The Evolution Of Urban Planning In 10 Diagrams
The Atlantic: Cities

Express Lane On 110 Freeway To Open Saturday
Los Angeles Times

ExpressLanes To Bring "Congestion Pricing" To Harbor Freeway
NBC Southern California

How To Create A Culture Of Public Transit: "The Marci Option"
The Atlantic

Lexus Lanes Coming To Los Angeles' Harbor Freeway
Blogging Los Angeles

Long Beach Councilman Johnson Holds A Packed-House Hearing For Community Members To Discuss BNSF's Proposed Los Angeles-Area SCIG Rail Yard
Natural Resources Defense Council Switchboard Blog

Measure J Gets 65% Support And Doesn't Pass
California High Speed Rail Blog

Measure J...Now What?
CityWatch

New York Subway Repairs Border "On The Edge Of Magic"
New York Times

Obama's Next Transportation Chief Faces Highway-Funding Quandary
Business Week

Opening Of Toll Lanes On 110 Harbor Freeway Delayed Until Saturday Night, Possibly Sunday Morning
Pasadena Star-News

Pro-Transit Initiatives Passed In A Majority Of Local Ballots On Tuesday
Progressive Railroading

SCIG Wilmington Railyard Battle Continues As Long Beach Area Residents Air Concerns
Long Beach Press-Telegram

Shuster Seeking Transportation Committee Chair
National Journal

Sustainable Growth: It May No Longer Be Sustainable ("Los Angeles County narrowly defeated Measure J, the Metro-sponsored extension of a public transit tax, a key hope for sustainable proponents. Only two very small local newspapers opposed the Measure, and its proponents outspent the winning opponents by over $100 to every oppositional dollar.")
CityWatch

Transportation Ballot Measures: 2012 Election Monitoring Results
Center For Transportation Excellence

Transportation Systems Face Major Storm Defense Costs
Reuters

Weather Blamed For Delay In Opening Harbor (110) Freeway ExpressLanes
Contra Costa 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.

11/08/2012

Measure J Post-Mortems, Post-Election Transpo Forecast, ACE, Bike Lanes, Headlines History & More


November 8: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (The Transportation Headlines began seven years ago today. After 2,000+ posts and more than one million emails, a look back at how it began)
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

Bikelash On Motor Avenue Bike Lanes? Palms Neighborhood Council, Koretz Will Get An Earful Tonight
StreetsBlog LA

Derrota De La Medida J Es Motivo De Celebración El LA
La Opinión

Curbed LA

Election Reveals Who Will Shape The Next Transportation Bill
StreetsBlog DC

A Good Year For California HSR Gets Even Better
California High Speed Rail Blog

LADOT Celebrates Los Angeles As A Bicycle Friendly Community At MacArthur Park
LADOT Bike Blog

L.A. Mayor Undaunted As Transit Tax Measure Lags ("With Measure J just short of the needed two-thirds majority, Villaraigosa says there are some 'very innovative' other ideas for accelerating transportation funding.")
Los Angeles Times

Measure J Defeated; Voters Void Metro's "Blank Check" (According to the numbers here, Beverly Hills residents voted 57% in favor of Measure J)
Beverly Hills Courier

Measure J Fails To Get Two-Thirds Majority
Monrovia Patch

Measure J Fails: Transportation Sales Tax Extension Fails To Get Necessary Voter Support
Huffington Post

Measure J's "Rejection" Was Not An Anti-Transit Vote
StreetsBlog LA

Measure J: Transit Tax Falling Short Of Two-Thirds Majority
Los Angeles Daily News

Mixed Bag For Closely-Watched Local Transit Races
StreetsBlog DC

More Gridlock For Transportation?
Politico

Nearly 70% Of Transit Measures Pass
Metro Magazine

Obama Victory Likely To Preserve Highway, Amtrak Funding
The Hill

Our View: COG Must Let The ACE Go
Pasadena Star-News

This DIY Traffic Counter Could Change Everything About Transportation Planning ("The little orange gizmo with a tube attached is called TrafficCOM (that’s COM for “community” and “computer”), and it allows users to measure the volume, rate, and speed of traffic on any street, then upload the data for immediate sharing.")
The Atlantic: Cities

Transportation Observers Unclear On LaHood's Future
The Hill

Villaraigosa Ties Measure J Loss To Voter Confusion, Preoccupied Unions
USC Annenberg Neon Tommy

Why Do Sidewalks Predict Whom We'll Vote For?
StreetsBlog


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.

11/07/2012

Measure J, Election Results, ACE Construction, Anaheim Streetcar, 6th St. Viaduct, Orange Line Art, Expo Parking & More

November 7: This Date In Los Angeles Transportation History (Los Angeles Railway opens "Division One.")
Metro Transportation Library Primary Resources Blog

Measure J:  64.72% (100% of precincts reporting)
County Of Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder

The Vote 2012 (page down for a roundup of transportation measure results from around the country)
The Transport Politic

8 Urban Policy Ideas For Obama's 2nd Term
The Atlantic: Cities

ACE Begins Construction Of San Gabriel Trench Project
RT&S

Anaheim Transit Project Goes Retro With Streetcars ("Anaheim is moving forward with a 3.2-mile trolley car system connecting the city's resorts, stadiums, convention center and regional transit center. But the mayor is concerned about cost.")
Los Angeles Times

Caldwell Beats Cayetano In Mayor's Race ("Former city Managing Director Kirk Caldwell won the hotly contested race for Honolulu mayor, defeating former Gov. Ben Cayetano in a contest widely seen as a referendum on rail.")
Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Design Team: New 6th Street Viaduct Will Be "More Than Just A Bridge"
Blog Downtown

Everything You Need To Know About New 110 And 10 Toll Lanes
Curbed LA

Free Work Parking Drives Solo Driver Rate
San Francisco Chronicle

Greyhound Launches Nonstop Bus Service Between Las Vegas And LA
Los Angeles Times

How Do You Capture The San Fernando Valley Through Art ("The Expo Line's opening last spring may have snagged all the headlines, but a few months later, the Valley debuted its own transit triumph: the Orange Line busway completed its 18-mile route connecting North Hollywood to Chatsworth. This light-rail-on-wheels has become an internationally recognized and locally beloved institution, and a new exhibition showcasing its public art program, explaining the process behind the artworks that are at 18 stations now dotting the San Fernando Valley.")
LA Weekly

In Obama's Second Term, Distinctive Transportation Policy Should Change Focus To Walking And Bicycling
Grid Chicago

Investigation Of Contributing Factors Regarding Wrong-Way Driving On Freeways (224p. PDF)
Illinois DOT

John Mica Elected To US House District 7 ("Mica is also the Chairman of the House of Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the 112th Congress.")
WKMG

L.A. County Transit Tax Measure Trailing
KCET

Leading House Transportation Dem Defeats Repeat Opponent
The Hill

[New York] MTA Crews Show How They Pump Water From East River Tunnels
NY1

Pay Lanes: A First In L.A. County Will Start Saturday
Daily Breeze

Realistic Community-Based Principles For The Next 4 Years
The Atlantic: Cities

Repairing The Subways Quickly (More on "dewatering" the New York subway system)
2nd Avenue Sagas

Trashy Culver City Expo Line Parking Lot Getting An Overhaul
Curbed LA

Will Long Beach One Day Viva Ciclovia?
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.