LOS ANGELES | Transportation News & Discussion

[Busy Bee]

This is like Exhibit A for the concept of subjectivism.

Probably a good time to post Milo...

[homebucket]

I also thought it was notable since the honk/beep/whistle occurred as the train was departing the station. Usually, I only hear the honking/beeping upon a train's arrival to the station. But perhaps the steam train whistle is more of a departure thing.

I don't really mind it though. It could be considered a unique LA quirk if they do decide to move forward with this new whistle.

[badrunner]

Originally Posted by homebucket

A nice video of testing the new cars, along with the horn/whistle! I gotta admit that whistle threw me off for a sec.

Link below:
https://www.reddit.com/r/LAMetro/com...3_car_testing/

It was a convincing whistle. I was half expecting it to make steam engine choo-choo sounds as it pulled away.

• Video Link

btw, this line will have to be double-tracked and electrified at some point, which probably means no more Metrolink steam trains.

[craigs]

Originally Posted by badrunner

It was a convincing whistle. I was half expecting it to make steam engine choo-choo sounds as it pulled away.(

Yeah, that is so old-timey that I half expected to hear the chug chug chug part too.

I think it's funny as hell.

[LAsam]

I've always enjoyed the ringing bell sound that the light rail trains make when the approach a station. The train whistle may take some getting used to, though

[202_Cyclist]

L.A., Long Beach Ports Invest $25 Million in Truck Charging


Los Angeles Times
July 3, 2024


Photo courtesy of the LA Times.

"The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will provide $25 million for an ambitious partnership with regional air quality agencies to jump-start charging infrastructure for electric heavy-duty drayage trucks in one of the nation’s most populous regions.

The $135 million in projects led by the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee will install up to 207 charging units at eight sites around Southern California in Wilmington, Rancho Dominguez, Rialto, Fontana, Commerce and the Port of Long Beach. Contracting for the projects is being administered by the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

“We’re investing with our Clean Truck Fund to get both zero-emission (ZE) trucks and infrastructure on the street as quickly as possible,” said Port of Los Angeles executive director Gene Seroka. “In addition to funding charging stations, we’re partnering with the state of California to offer vouchers of up to $250,000 toward the purchase of a ZE heavy-duty truck. Every day, we’re making progress toward our goal of a zero-emission port..."

https://www.latimes.com/b2bpublishin...truck-charging

[citywatch]

• Video Link

[craigs]

$500M grant will help extend LA Metro light rail line into San Bernardino County

KABC
July 9, 2024

A project to extend an LA Metro light rail line from Pomona to Montclair has received $500 million in funding from the state.

It will be the first LA Metro light rail line to cross into San Bernardino County.

The rest of the money for the $798 million project will be allocated by the end of the year.

Once this latest piece is complete, the A-line light rail will be the longest in the world, serving both Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.

Metro hopes to complete it by 2030.

[craigs]

From The A Line's Foothill Corridor construction update page:

Crews have completed initial clearance testing throughout the 9.1-mile corridor with an unpowered light rail vehicle. With this work completed, beginning next Monday, July 8, crews will begin active train testing, utilizing a powered light rail vehicle.

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by craigs

$500M grant will help extend LA Metro light rail line into San Bernardino County

KABC
July 9, 2024

A project to extend an LA Metro light rail line from Pomona to Montclair has received $500 million in funding from the state.

It will be the first LA Metro light rail line to cross into San Bernardino County.

The rest of the money for the $798 million project will be allocated by the end of the year.

Once this latest piece is complete, the A-line light rail will be the longest in the world, serving both Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.

Metro hopes to complete it by 2030.

Glad to know it'll finally get to Montclair! Too bad it couldn't be sooner than 2030, but glad to know it'll get there nonetheless!

[edale]

I have to say, I don't really understand why Metro keeps extending the A line further and further east. Does anyone have ridership figures for the recent A line extensions? Is the thought that people are going to use this light rail line to commute into DTLA? That'd take forever with all the stops and the relatively low speeds the train travels. If they offered express service with limited stops, it would function like a commuter rail line like Metrolink, but that's not how the line operates. I suppose people could use it to commute between suburbs in the IE and SGV, but unless your destination is walking distance from a station, there's pretty limited utility as it's not like these suburbs have good transit networks that people can transfer onto.

It seems to me that time and money would be much better spent focusing on expanding transit coverage in core parts of LA county than keep extending a light rail line from DTLA to San Bernardino.

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by edale

I have to say, I don't really understand why Metro keeps extending the A line further and further east. Does anyone have ridership figures for the recent A line extensions? Is the thought that people are going to use this light rail line to commute into DTLA? That'd take forever with all the stops and the relatively low speeds the train travels. If they offered express service with limited stops, it would function like a commuter rail line like Metrolink, but that's not how the line operates. I suppose people could use it to commute between suburbs in the IE and SGV, but unless your destination is walking distance from a station, there's pretty limited utility as it's not like these suburbs have good transit networks that people can transfer onto.

It seems to me that time and money would be much better spent focusing on expanding transit coverage in core parts of LA county than keep extending a light rail line from DTLA to San Bernardino.

I'm guessing this is designed mainly for trips between the IE and SGV. There might be some that commute all the way in from the IE to DTLA if they don't want to deal with the traffic and parking. Obviously for those that do such a commute, something like heavy rail or commuter rail with fewer stops would be preferred. They could also use the Metrolink San Bernardino line instead. And I think being a county agency, LACMTA needs to make sure even the far flung parts of the county receive their fair share of rail services in order to receive support of voter initiatives and funding, even if there are arguably more higher priority and higher ridership inducing lines in the pipeline in the denser core. One of the downsides of having to cater to a large and extensive group of people; they need to get their share of the infrastructure as well.

But yes, I agree that having the world's longest light rail line isn't necessarily the flex that LA Metro thinks it is.

[202_Cyclist]

Originally Posted by homebucket

I'm guessing this is designed mainly for trips between the IE and SGV. There might be some that commute all the way in from the IE to DTLA if they don't want to deal with the traffic and parking. Obviously for those that do such a commute, something like heavy rail or commuter rail with fewer stops would be preferred. They could also use the Metrolink San Bernardino line instead. And I think being a county agency, LACMTA needs to make sure even the far flung parts of the county receive their fair share of rail services in order to receive support of voter initiatives and funding, even if there are arguably more higher priority and higher ridership inducing lines in the pipeline in the denser core. One of the downsides of having to cater to a large and extensive group of people; they need to get their share of the infrastructure as well.

But yes, I agree that having the world's longest light rail line isn't necessarily the flex that LA Metro thinks it is.

On the other hand, would it be useful to extend this farther to the Rancho Cucamonga Brightline station?

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

On the other hand, would it be useful to extend this farther to the Rancho Cucamonga Brightline station?

Probably not necessary if there's already going to be transfer stations with Metrolink at Pomona, Claremont, and Montclair. Plus I think that would be where the LA County line ends, at Montclair.

[sopas ej]

Plenty of people live in the IE and commute into the SGV and LA County. Pasadena is a huge job center. If anyone is familiar with the 210 Freeway during rush hour (and non-rush hour), then you'll know that many people go through/to/from Pasadena.

Several centers of higher education along the current/to be extended A Line, too... PCC/Caltech, Citrus College/Azusa Pacific University, University of La Verne, the Claremont Colleges. Two major hospitals, too: Huntington Memorial in Pasadena (with adjacent/surrounding medical offices that seem to be constantly expanding) and City of Hope in Duarte.

Also, the areas that this line goes through/will go through are already upzoned, so there'll be plenty of TOD adjacent to and not far from the stations. It's already been happening in Pasadena, and some of the cities east of it.

The A Line is cheaper and runs more often than Metrolink.

I think the A Line to Montclair is a good thing.

[ColDayMan]

If they are going all the way to Montclair, why not extend it to Ontario International Airport?

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by ColDayMan

If they are going all the way to Montclair, why not extend it to Ontario International Airport?

The initial plan was to take it to Montclair.

I thought I read some time ago that there might be plans to extend it to ONT, but it would have to be funded by San Bernardino County. This is the first LA Metro Rail line that's gonna go outside of LA County. As it is now, aside from state and federal grants, San Bernardino County is funding construction of its section from the county line to Montclair, even though Los Angeles MTA/Metro will operate it.

[ColDayMan]

Gotcha, thanks!

[craigs]

Port of Los Angeles completes Pier 400 rail expansion project

FreightWaves Staff
yahoo news
July 11, 2024


Use of the expanded rail yard is projected to eliminate an estimated 1,200 truck trips per day by 2040, the port says. Photo: APM Terminals and Maersk

The Port of Los Angeles has announced completion of the Pier 400 rail expansion, a $73 million program to expand the on-dock yard at the container terminal operated by APM Terminals.

The project added five new storage tracks totaling 31,000 linear feet, new crossovers and turnouts, a concrete rail bridge with lighting, an asphalt access roadway, and modifications to the compressed air system. It also involved relocation of part of the lead track onto port property, realignment of the track connection to the storage yard, modifications to Reeves Avenue, and a relocation of the grade crossing from Nimitz Avenue to Reeves.

Use of the expanded rail yard is projected to eliminate an estimated 1,200 truck trips per day by 2040, the port says.
. . . .

[FromSD]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

Plenty of people live in the IE and commute into the SGV and LA County. Pasadena is a huge job center. If anyone is familiar with the 210 Freeway during rush hour (and non-rush hour), then you'll know that many people go through/to/from Pasadena.

Several centers of higher education along the current/to be extended A Line, too... PCC/Caltech, Citrus College/Azusa Pacific University, University of La Verne, the Claremont Colleges. Two major hospitals, too: Huntington Memorial in Pasadena (with adjacent/surrounding medical offices that seem to be constantly expanding) and City of Hope in Duarte.

Also, the areas that this line goes through/will go through are already upzoned, so there'll be plenty of TOD adjacent to and not far from the stations. It's already been happening in Pasadena, and some of the cities east of it.

The A Line is cheaper and runs more often than Metrolink.

I think the A Line to Montclair is a good thing.

I agree with all your points. People wonder why Metro is spending money building rail in the farthest reaches of the SGV instead of Central LA, but Propositions R and M were designed to apportion dollars across the whole county, not just in the City of LA. County voters wouldn't have given those measures the required two-thirds vote if they knew they'd have to wait half a century before they saw high quality rail transit.

The other thing about the Gold Line extensions is that the Foothill construction agency appears to do a good job getting the job done. Obviously it's easier and cheaper to build rail lines in less dense suburban areas, but still, both extensions of the Gold Line, by all appearances, seem to have gone without a serious hitch. Contrast that with the Crenshaw (K) Line, which still isn't complete and is seeing only 3000 daily users on the portion down to Westchester that opened almost two years ago.

Just as important, the various SGV cities seem to be enthusiastic about getting Metro rail stations in their downtowns. Contrast this with the reluctance of various South Bay cities, or the Westside LA neighborhoods that fought the construction of the Expo (E) and Purple (D) Lines. Hence the SGV cities have rezoned areas around rail stations to accommodate TOD, and quite a lot of that stuff has been built in cities like Pasadena, Monrovia and Azusa. Arcadia even allocated some of its own money to do additional grade separation in its downtown area. So even though the suburban eastern SGV doesn't seem to be the most likely candidate for rail transit, I think the potential for the new Gold Line extension is high.