LOS ANGELES | Transportation News & Discussion

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by FromSD

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.

From Urbanize Los Angeles:

LAX Metro/Transit Center Station scheduled to open in November 2024

The LAX People Mover is set to follow in late 2025



JULY 17, 2024, 8:00AM
STEVEN SHARP

Metro's long-awaited LAX/Metro Transit Center Station is scheduled to make its debut in November 2024, according to a staff report unearthed by @numble.

Located on a roughly 9.5-acre property at 96th Street and Aviation Boulevard, the project site sits between the K Line's vehicle maintenance and storage facility and the easternmost LAX Intermodal Transportation Facility. The at-grade stop, designed by Grimshaw Architects, will serve Metro's K and C Lines, as well as buses.



Altogether, plans call for:

--a 16-bay bus plaza with capacity for charging infrastructure;

--a multi-level active transportation and bike hub;

--a vehicle drop-off zone;

--a customer service center;

--public toilet facilities beyond the fare paid zone;

--commercial space; and

--a sculpture by Los Angeles artist Glenn Kaino, which will be incorporated into the station's hub structure.



[...]

[craigs]

Pic of the Wilshire/Fairfax D Line subway station under construction, from Streetsblog LA:

[citywatch]

Over another yr & a half?! RIDICULOUS!

• Video Link

[craigs]

Los Angeles Metro's North Hollywood station sees 40% drop in crime and incidents

The “Tap to Exit’ pilot program appears to help increase rider safety, Metro officials said.

Helen Jeong, Amber Frias
NBC Los Angeles
July 16, 2024

Nearly two months since the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) began requiring subway riders to tap their cards in and out of the North Hollywood station, the number of crime and other incidents dropped over 40%, officials said.

The “Tap to Exit” pilot, which started on May 28 with the goal of ensuring that everyone pays for each subway ride, is now being considered to be a permanent program at the station before expanding across the transit system, according to Stephen Tu, Deputy Executive Officer of Station Experience with the LA Metro.

“Through the “Transit Watch” app, which is our “See Something, Say Something” app, we've actually seen reported crime and incidents down over 40% for things like fights and disturbances, graffiti vandalism and drug use,” Tu said.
. . . .

[FromSD]

Congresswoman Maxine Waters has come out against the Inglewood People Mover project set to link the K Line to So Fi Stadium. She was an early supporter but changed her mind after cost estimates reached $2 billion. She believes that the money would be better spent elsewhere to benefit local residents. She makes some valid points, but it's odd that she waited so long to voice her opposition. I'm sure this is causing quite a bit of controversy among the local political leadership--most notably Mayor Butts of Inglewood, a big proponent of the project.

From the LA Times, 18 July 2024:

July 18, 2024 9:28 AM PT
Share
Blasting a $2-billion people mover that would link SoFi Stadium to one of Los Angeles’ newest rail lines, Rep. Maxine Waters is on a mission to halt a project she called “ridiculous.”

“To the degree that I can do anything to stop it, I will do it,” she said Wednesday. “It’s a project that has turned out to be totally unnecessary and totally much too costly.”

The veteran lawmaker argues the elevated people mover — once touted as a marquee piece for the 2028 Olympic Games — won’t help those living in the working-class but gentrifying community. She suggested the Inglewood Transit Connector, or ITC, will be more useful to ferry fans flocking to the cluster of multibillion-dollar stadiums that have come to dominate the city of 107,000.

https://www.latimes.com/california/s...mover-olympics

[LAsam]

^ Very happy to see Metro's "Tap to Exit" not only tested, but yielding successful results. By my recollection it's not very uncommon on other systems to have this policy in place. I seem to remember in NYC, Chicago, London, Tokyo, and Paris having to do this.

[craigs]

Originally Posted by LAsam

^ Very happy to see Metro's "Tap to Exit" not only tested, but yielding successful results. By my recollection it's not very uncommon on other systems to have this policy in place. I seem to remember in NYC, Chicago, London, Tokyo, and Paris having to do this.

BART up in the Bay Area also requires a tap to exit the system.

[craigs]

L.A. to get $77 million in federal funds to add electric buses before Olympics, hopes for millions more


U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg announces a $77-million grant for Los Angeles on Thursday at the Coliseum. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Rachel Uranga
Los Angeles Times
July 19, 2024

Standing before the renowned peristyle at the Los Angeles Coliseum, where the 1984 Olympics opening ceremony was held, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Thursday touted a $77-million infusion of cash for Metro to pay for more electric buses.

The buses will help ferry tens of thousands of fans across the city in what is being trumpeted as a “transit-first” Games, and are among thousands of details that officials need to get in order before Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Olympics. The cash influx aids a larger effort by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority as it pushes to turn its fleet of 2,000-plus buses all-electric by 2030.
. . . .
MTA aims to acquire battery-electric buses, charging equipment and supporting infrastructure to operate reliable zero-emission services spanning multiple cities within L.A. County.
. . . .
Buttigieg spent the day in Los Angeles riding the subway, getting on trains, taking buses and touting funds the region had received as part of the Biden administration’s $1-trillion infrastructure bill, which has pumped millions of dollars into Metro’s expanding rail system and the port, as well as getting new projects off the ground. But most Los Angeles officials had their minds trained on the 2028 Olympics, with the Paris Games just days away.
. . . .

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by craigs

BART up in the Bay Area also requires a tap to exit the system.

I assume BART (and other systems that require a tap to exit) does this because of its distance-based fares.

[craigs]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

I assume BART (and other systems that require a tap to exit) does this because of its distance-based fares.

Yes, that is the case for BART. I don't know about the other systems. But it does have the benefit of making it just a little harder to get away with fare evasion, especially at the downtown stations where there are always personnel watching the fare gates.

[craigs]

Note: Each 10,000-foot, double-stacked train is the equivalent of 750 cargo trucks taken off the road.


Port of Long Beach breaks ground on $1.6 billion ‘Green Gateway’ rail expansion

John Donegan
Long Beach Post
July 18, 2024

With a turn of ceremonial dirt, Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, Congressman Robert Garcia and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg broke ground on a $1.6 billion project that has been years in the making: a massive expansion of the Port of Long Beach’s railyard.

The project will double the yard’s acreage and triple its annual cargo volume to five million shipping containers a year, all while reducing the need for smog-spewing cargo trucks that inundate the local freeways with pollution and traffic. “It is indeed a great day at the Port of Long Beach,” Richardson said to a seated audience of several hundred.

Construction will be broken up into 10 individual projects, with the first to be completed by 2027 and the last by 2032. Once finished, the port’s new railyard site — dubbed by engineers as the Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility, by politicians as the “Green Gateway” — will handle up to 17 trains a day, with room to assemble and strip down a chain of rail cars up to 10,000 feet long. On a hamstring-shaped plot, the yard will include 36 new tracks that will be linked by regional and national rail systems to 30 major hubs nationwide, including far-flung cities like Chicago, Atlanta and Columbus, Ohio.
. . . .

[AndrewK]

Originally Posted by craigs

Yes, that is the case for BART. I don't know about the other systems. But it does have the benefit of making it just a little harder to get away with fare evasion, especially at the downtown stations where there are always personnel watching the fare gates.

People just hop the fare gates, even (and perhaps especially) downtown. That’s why new evasion-proof gates are being installed at Civic Center right now (and eventually all stations across the system).

[llamaorama]

Speaking of evasion proof fare gates, I had an idea the other day. I know it's unusual for light rail systems to have platform screen doors, but if they did then the entire station could be enclosed. That would have two benefits - it would keep out fare evaders( meaning the problem kind of vagrants), AND the station could be air-conditioned.

Platform screen door proposals in the USA always get shot down because they are very expensive and sold as a solution for subway and heavy rail systems mostly to prevent occasional accidents and suicides. Also underground stations have complexities when it comes to any kind of construction.

In contrast, on a light rail system, their purpose would be to enclose and secure the station, and unlike a in an underground scenario, you could just build another light rail platform from the ground up a bit further from the existing one.

We have self-driving cars, I see no reason why a LRV with a human operator can't roll past some kind of RF marker or something and the train stops in alignment with doors.

As for if this has ever been done - the tram in Doha has air conditioned stations with PSD's and a lot of BRT systems in Latin America have them. There are also PSD's on regional rail stations in South Korea.

LA, especially a line like the Green Line or the Crenshaw Line, would be a good candidate for something like this. Stations that are higher ridership, there's only a few stations on the route, and it's a place where AC would be appreciated, and also a place where station security is a big area of concern.

[craigs]

Originally Posted by AndrewK

People just hop the fare gates, even (and perhaps especially) downtown. That’s why new evasion-proof gates are being installed at Civic Center right now (and eventually all stations across the system).

California transit systems like BART, Muni Metro, and LA Metro intentionally eschewed the stronger fare-evasion barriers common in East Coast systems (especially New York) for philosophical and aesthetic reasons. But as the North Hollywood tap-in/tap-out experiment reminds us, fare evaders commit a huge percentage of crime and disorder on our trains, so the California systems are starting to harden up when and where possible.

[sopas ej]

From The Eastsider:

Rolling out new bus stops

Jul 17, 2024
By Jesús Sanchez


A new bus stop shelter in Echo Park courtesy the Sidewalk and Transit Amenities Program.

A new and improved type of bus stop is coming to your neighborhood.

The city’s Department of Public Works announced the launch of its new Sidewalk and Transit Amenities Program (STAP), which will install 3,000 new bus shelters across the city.

According to a press release from the Department of Public Works, the goal of the STAP program is to ensure that 75% of all bus riders in each of the 15 city Council Districts will use the new transit shelter.

The new bus shelters feature real-time bus arrival information, large canopies, additional shade, and increased lighting. Digital displays will display arrival times and advertisements.

According to a spokesperson with the Department of Public Works, the 3,000 shelters will be rolled out in phases. The first round of shelters will go to neighborhoods with a priority on equity, including Boyle Heights. The new shelters have already been seen in Echo Park.

[...]

[LineDrive]

Originally Posted by FromSD

Congresswoman Maxine Waters has come out against the Inglewood People Mover project set to link the K Line to So Fi Stadium. She was an early supporter but changed her mind after cost estimates reached $2 billion. She believes that the money would be better spent elsewhere to benefit local residents. She makes some valid points, but it's odd that she waited so long to voice her opposition. I'm sure this is causing quite a bit of controversy among the local political leadership--most notably Mayor Butts of Inglewood, a big proponent of the project.

From the LA Times, 18 July 2024:

July 18, 2024 9:28 AM PT
Share
Blasting a $2-billion people mover that would link SoFi Stadium to one of Los Angeles’ newest rail lines, Rep. Maxine Waters is on a mission to halt a project she called “ridiculous.”

“To the degree that I can do anything to stop it, I will do it,” she said Wednesday. “It’s a project that has turned out to be totally unnecessary and totally much too costly.”

The veteran lawmaker argues the elevated people mover — once touted as a marquee piece for the 2028 Olympic Games — won’t help those living in the working-class but gentrifying community. She suggested the Inglewood Transit Connector, or ITC, will be more useful to ferry fans flocking to the cluster of multibillion-dollar stadiums that have come to dominate the city of 107,000.

https://www.latimes.com/california/s...mover-olympics

The cost is insane and it’s connectivity is minimal. Other alternatives might be better - including the original plan but also connecting it southward to the C line. And/Or connecting it to the LAX PM.

[hughfb3]

Originally Posted by LineDrive

The cost is insane and it’s connectivity is minimal. Other alternatives might be better - including the original plan but also connecting it southward to the C line. And/Or connecting it to the LAX PM.

My idea is for Inglewood to select the same mode as Sepulveda. The Vancouver skytrain is the same as the JfK Airtrain people mover and Detroit people mover, it could in the future not be a single project but a precursor for a future longer line.

[bzcat]

Originally Posted by craigs

I was under the impression that CAHSR will electrify the Metrolink tracks between Hollywood Burbank Airport and Union Station. Is that incorrect?

CAHSR and Metrolink will share partial ROW (but not tracks) between Union Station to Burbank. CAHSR is laying down its own tracks in this section. Whereas in Bay Area, CAHSR paid for Caltrain electrification so they share tracks. This is the main difference why Caltrain is already undergoing electrification while Metrolink is still stuck with freight locomotive.

Also, the main reason why LA to SD portion was left out in the Phase 1 build out plan was due to lack of existing passenger-only ROW heading east/south from Union Station out of LA basin. Imagine if CAHSR only planned to build it to San Jose and not San Francisco...

Bay Area politicians foreseen this problem that CAHSR will only build to San Jose and declare mission accomplished. So they passed a law to force CAHSR and Caltrains to work together to bring thru-service to San Francisco. Most SoCal politicians don't even know Metrolink is not the same agency as Metro.

From the CAHSR website about the Bay Area section:

"The San Francisco to San José project section differs from others because state legislation defined the alignment. Per the requirements of Senate Bill (SB) 1029 and regional multi-agency agreements, high-speed rail service along the San Francisco to San José corridor will be a blended service with Caltrain and high-speed rail service sharing tracks."

https://hsr.ca.gov/high-speed-rail-i...o-to-san-jose/

Here is what CAHSR says about Burbank to LA section:

"The approximately 14-mile project section proposes to utilize the existing railroad right-of-way to the greatest extent possible, adjacent to the Los Angeles River, through the cities of Burbank, Glendale and Los Angeles with proposed stations near the Hollywood Burbank Airport and at LAUS."

https://hsr.ca.gov/high-speed-rail-i...o-los-angeles/

And of course Palmdale to Burbank is going to be completely separate ROW in a tunnel (this is a good thing... but it also means Metrolink electrification is on its own timetable)

https://hsr.ca.gov/high-speed-rail-i...le-to-burbank/

[bzcat]

Originally Posted by llamaorama

Speaking of evasion proof fare gates, I had an idea the other day. I know it's unusual for light rail systems to have platform screen doors, but if they did then the entire station could be enclosed. That would have two benefits - it would keep out fare evaders( meaning the problem kind of vagrants), AND the station could be air-conditioned.

Platform screen door proposals in the USA always get shot down because they are very expensive and sold as a solution for subway and heavy rail systems mostly to prevent occasional accidents and suicides. Also underground stations have complexities when it comes to any kind of construction.

In contrast, on a light rail system, their purpose would be to enclose and secure the station, and unlike a in an underground scenario, you could just build another light rail platform from the ground up a bit further from the existing one.

We have self-driving cars, I see no reason why a LRV with a human operator can't roll past some kind of RF marker or something and the train stops in alignment with doors.

As for if this has ever been done - the tram in Doha has air conditioned stations with PSD's and a lot of BRT systems in Latin America have them. There are also PSD's on regional rail stations in South Korea.

LA, especially a line like the Green Line or the Crenshaw Line, would be a good candidate for something like this. Stations that are higher ridership, there's only a few stations on the route, and it's a place where AC would be appreciated, and also a place where station security is a big area of concern.

Enclosing the C-line station is a good idea... they are very noisy with poor air quality so putting roof and walls around the platform will be a significant benefit to the riders. I disagree it will do much for the A and E line stations. Most of them cannot be enclosed properly without rebuilding the stations. I would rather we spend the money on grade separation for these two lines than enclosing the stations.

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by bzcat

And of course Palmdale to Burbank is going to be completely separate ROW in a tunnel (this is a good thing... but it also means Metrolink electrification is on its own timetable)

https://hsr.ca.gov/high-speed-rail-i...le-to-burbank/

Palmdale to Burbank in 13 minutes is some badass shit. No car will ever be able to compete with that.

And I think Metrolink should have its own dedicated tracks, anyway.