LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 6.0

[Prahaboheme]

At Mateo is one of my favorite projects. It'll be a real compliment to the Arts District.

[ChelseaFC]

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[Resident]

Originally Posted by King Kill 'em

Hell no. A 101 cap park is way more important and would be more beneficial to downtown than the streetcar.

A streetcar would allow the convention center to book muuuuuch larger conventions that would bring in a lot more money to DTLA. It would also help tourism in DTLA by creating idiot proof transportation.

A cap over the 101 will.... replicate what is two blocks south with Grand Park and First and Broadway park

[Car(e)-Free LA]

I'd much rather have a transit mall on Broadway or Grand, than a useless downtown streetcar.

[Easy]

Originally Posted by Resident

A streetcar would allow the convention center to book muuuuuch larger conventions

How is the absence of a streetcar currently limiting the size of conventions? I keep hearing that it's the lack of hotel rooms.

It would also help tourism in DTLA by creating idiot proof transportation.

It's also going to be stuck in traffic during peak use. Even worse it will completely shut down when there are fender benders on the tracks or even worse when a fender bender or some other activity happens adjacent to the tracks. It will be good for tourists but any locals using it will learn that buses are actually better.

[mbb]

Originally Posted by Car(e)-Free LA

I'd much rather have a transit mall on Broadway or Grand, than a useless downtown streetcar.

I'd rather have the downtown streetcar form a central node of a useful streetcar network with spurs into e.g. Pico Union and Echo Park.

[black_crow]

The streetcar will come and there is nothing you can do about it.

It's a very important project for Downtown. I will use it frequently.

[NativeOrange]

The streetcar has got to be the most polarizing project ever on this forum. I can't wait for it, personally.

[Easy]

Originally Posted by NativeOrange

The streetcar has got to be the most polarizing project ever on this forum. I can't wait for it, personally.

It's good that it will get lots of residents that don't already ride public transportation to try it. My guess is that new riders will soon realize that public transportation on buses is pretty much the same as a streetcar, only better.

I totally get why people are excited. I would have been the same way before I became a regular user of public transportation. And I'm not against it now. It will definitely have benefits, but I'm not convinced that improved transportation will be one of them.

[Lipani]

Originally Posted by Resident

A streetcar would allow the convention center to book muuuuuch larger conventions that would bring in a lot more money to DTLA. It would also help tourism in DTLA by creating idiot proof transportation.

I'm in the convention industry and we typically use shuttles for events in DTLA. Not to say that a streetcar is a bad idea, but even if one is built we'd still use shuttles for most major shows. Attendees at doctor/financial conferences prefer to be pampered and direct routes to their hotels are part of that; although a streetcar could work well for something like WonderCon.

[Prahaboheme]

Without dedicated ROW, such as the Rampart line in NOLA or the Green line in Boston, buses probably will be more convenient. The added benefit will really come from streetscaping and financial investment in the areas adjacent to the streetcar.

[ChargerCarl]

Streetcars are a lot of things, but they aren't a mobility improvement over buses. Any argument for mixed traffic streetcars needs to be made on grounds other than increasing mobility to transit riders.

[Mojeda101]

^ An argument could be made that they have a better appeal than buses. I would imagine some still view buses as crowded and dirty and would be more willing to ride a streetcar. I'll definitely be riding it every time I come to Downtown.

I'll be adding 1133 to U/C when I see a photo of them digging. Unfortunately this rainy weekend might delay that.

[jgacis]

Originally Posted by Lipani

I'm in the convention industry and we typically use shuttles for events in DTLA. Not to say that a streetcar is a bad idea, but even if one is built we'd still use shuttles for most major shows. Attendees at doctor/financial conferences prefer to be pampered and direct routes to their hotels are part of that; although a streetcar could work well for something like WonderCon.

Shuttles are only one component of the transportation modes to/from the convention shuttles. WonderCon is one of many events that will gravitate visitors/tourists to use the LA street car. I've been to the Anime Expo many times and I've seen countless attendees up on Figueroa and around the area staying at nearby hotels. They walk and stream down Fig. to attend the show events in many groups and one can only imagine the utility of a streetcar not only for that show, but as a magnet to bring people to other places around its circuit. The LA street car, in my opinion, will be regularly packed throughout the year as the residential community and businesses increase.

[jgacis]

Originally Posted by black_crow

The streetcar will come and there is nothing you can do about it.

It's a very important project for Downtown. I will use it frequently.

Count me in!

[Resident]

Originally Posted by Easy

How is the absence of a streetcar currently limiting the size of conventions? I keep hearing that it's the lack of hotel rooms.



It's also going to be stuck in traffic during peak use. Even worse it will completely shut down when there are fender benders on the tracks or even worse when a fender bender or some other activity happens adjacent to the tracks. It will be good for tourists but any locals using it will learn that buses are actually better.

1. It allow more hotels to be within distance of the convention center.
2. I've yet to see a fender bender in the 3 years I've lived iN DTLA that would have stopped the streetcar. And as an actual local, no, we would not use a bus over the streetcar.

[Valyrian Steel]

Ugh. Commercials from the Yes On S clowns are airing.

[Eightball]

As a daily transit rider and car free dtla resident, i would love a downtown streetcar. And yes, it can subsequently be extended to adjacent neighborhoods.

I do ride buses but rail is a million times better. More spacious vehicles, much better ride quality, better acceleration etc etc

[Easy]

Originally Posted by Resident

1. It allow more hotels to be within distance of the convention center.
2. I've yet to see a fender bender in the 3 years I've lived iN DTLA that would have stopped the streetcar. And as an actual local, no, we would not use a bus over the streetcar.

You like to throw that "local" line around. You aren't the only one who lives downtown you know.

I live on the proposed streetcar route and I'm sure that I'll use it just not as much as I use buses.

My experience with public transportation is that there are frequent accidents next to the blue/expo lines that delay trains. You probably hear about the car/train collisions but for every one of those there are more car/car collisions and other police activity that don't involve a train, but the train is impacted because it can't drive around. Maybe this will be less frequent downtown but I think it may be more frequent.

[Easy]

Originally Posted by Eightball

As a daily transit rider and car free dtla resident, i would love a downtown streetcar. And yes, it can subsequently be extended to adjacent neighborhoods.

I do ride buses but rail is a million times better. More spacious vehicles, much better ride quality, better acceleration etc etc

I don't think that acceleration is really an issue when driving on city streets. And my daily silver line bus down flower routinely overtakes the expo train even though we have twice the number of stops. But I agree with you that rail has advantages and I generally prefer rail over buses. For me it's just that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages in just this instance. For example a streetcar has a single loop. If a train breaks down (and as a rail rider you know they do) the entire line shuts down until it's moved. A bus break down and it's a minor inconvenience for the people on the bus that have to wait 5 min for the next bus.