LOS ANGELES | Transportation News & Discussion

[LosAngelesBeauty]

Wow thanks for posting that LAdude! I hope many of us transit geeks on this board will attend

[Bootstrap Bill]

Originally Posted by ThreeHundred

Hollywood & Vine.

It's been nearly a decade since I've been there. Looks totally different!

[pesto]

anybody attend Mayor V.'s 10 year plan meeting and willing to share?

The W Hotel subway entrance now looks pretty much like the renderings from a few years back. Maybe better.

[Quixote]

^ Streetsblog LA has a Youtube video on the presentation...

Move L.A. Wants to Get Moving!

By Stephen Box
December 15, 2009

Denny Zane is calling on the Measure R Champions and challenging them to engage in a second round of battle, this time mobilizing to embrace the 30/10 campaign which will leverage the anticipated $40 Billion in funding and then expedite the process so that 30 years of transit construction can be completed in the next 10 years.

This "all or nothing" campaign has several anticipated benefits, including significant discounts on American product, significant environmental impact, significant employment opportunities, and, most of all, the completion of the 12 mega-transit projects that are currently in line, all within 10 years.

...

• Video Link

[Quixote]

I hope this project not only revitalizes a rather seedy part of Downtown, but also sparks a streetcar revolution. Streetcars are cheaper and quicker to construct than LRT and they are more attractive than buses. Since LA cannot build a dense rail network in the inner city, streetcars are the way to go IMO.

Streetcar Project Receives Federal Funding, Wants to Ask for More

By Eric Richardson
December 14, 2009

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Streetcar, Inc. and Councilman Jose Huizar last week announced $250,000 in Congressional funding, but the project's sights are set on bigger dollar amounts. Executive Director Dennis Allen said that the project plans to apply for $25 million out of a $280 million grant fund just created for "urban circulator projects."

Until now, the project had been unsure whether it would be going for federal money to cover part of its estimated $90 - $100 million construction cost. "If you go for the federal funding, it just extends your timeline," said Allen. Funds from the new grant program, announced on December 1 by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, come with drastically reduced requirements, allowing them to be put to use much quicker.

...

[202_Cyclist]

I hope this project not only revitalizes a rather seedy part of Downtown, but also sparks a streetcar revolution. Streetcars are cheaper and quicker to construct than LRT and they are more attractive than buses. Since LA cannot build a dense rail network in the inner city, streetcars are the way to go IMO.

After much delay, DC finally received its streetcars from the Czech Republic this week.

[Quixote]

The FEIR for Expo II has been released and can be viewed here.

[northbay]

how likely is it that theyre gonna go venice/sepulveda?

[Quixote]

^ The Expo Authority selected the Expo-Colorado alignment as the LPA back in April.

[northbay]

so basically none.

thanks for the quick answer westsidelife.

[JDRCRASH]

It makes sense, really. Venice should have it's own line into Downtown.

[electricron]

Originally Posted by JDRCRASH

It makes sense, really. Venice should have it's own line into Downtown.

While I agree Venice should have rail too, I disagree that it needs to head downtown. Look at all the neighborhood problems they had with the Expo line, that basically followed an old freight railroad corridor. Imagine the problems they will have in a street environment.

[Quixote]

^ Huh? Wouldn't street-running rail, especially on a wide street such as Venice Blvd., be less susceptible to NIMBYism?

[dktshb]

Originally Posted by Westsidelife

I hope this project not only revitalizes a rather seedy part of Downtown, but also sparks a streetcar revolution. Streetcars are cheaper and quicker to construct than LRT and they are more attractive than buses. Since LA cannot build a dense rail network in the inner city, streetcars are the way to go IMO.

Streetcar Project Receives Federal Funding, Wants to Ask for More

By Eric Richardson
December 14, 2009

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Streetcar, Inc. and Councilman Jose Huizar last week announced $250,000 in Congressional funding, but the project's sights are set on bigger dollar amounts. Executive Director Dennis Allen said that the project plans to apply for $25 million out of a $280 million grant fund just created for "urban circulator projects."

Until now, the project had been unsure whether it would be going for federal money to cover part of its estimated $90 - $100 million construction cost. "If you go for the federal funding, it just extends your timeline," said Allen. Funds from the new grant program, announced on December 1 by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, come with drastically reduced requirements, allowing them to be put to use much quicker.

...

Good news but where specifically where are the streetcars going to run? Just down Broadway? Anybody have a map layout of how extensive this will be?

[Quixote]

^ http://www.lastreetcar.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/LASI_Alignments_rev005_20090707_web1.pdf

[electricron]

Originally Posted by Westsidelife

^ Huh? Wouldn't street-running rail, especially on a wide street such as Venice Blvd., be less susceptible to NIMBYism?

Why would it? If there were any schools on Venice Blvd, the crazys would want the light rail tracks to go over or under its crossing street. Imagine that in the median of a city street. Or worse yet, fencing in the tracks so kids and cars can't cross at all, all in the name of safety.

[dktshb]

Thanks Westsidelife. There are certain elements of all 3 that I like but none of them as a whole. I suppose I would also like a line either up Main or Los Angeles St. too.

I'd also like to see one go up Sunset from Union Station to Vermont (connects to the red line there) and then up Vermont ending at Griffith Park with stops in Los Filez and Silverlake and just below Dodgers Stadium, but I suppose that would never happen. Sunset Junction Silverlake and Los Feliz would be well served by it.

[bmfarley]

Originally Posted by Westsidelife

^ Huh? Wouldn't street-running rail, especially on a wide street such as Venice Blvd., be less susceptible to NIMBYism?

Streetcars are definately not a win-win. They compete for space that cars and pedestrians use and are slow... providing less incentive to use. IMO, streetcar may be best applicable to a small area, contained to an individual town like Glendale or Pasadena or Long Beach. But, traversing longer distances with the objective to reduce congestion by providing travel time benefits... better modes are light or heavy rail.

[bmfarley]

Originally Posted by dktshb

Good news but where specifically where are the streetcars going to run? Just down Broadway? Anybody have a map layout of how extensive this will be?

Maps are online... just look. they are basically running up and down Broadway with turn-around areas up on Bunker hill and down by 11th or 12th.

A good question.... where will the streetcars be stored and maintained?????

[geoking66]

Why does it matter? Streetcars for all intents and purposes are just LRT embedded in the street. As long as the trains are interoperable (that is, a train can run on the Gold, Blue, Expo, etc), that's all that should matter.