LOS ANGELES | Transportation News & Discussion

[SoCalKid]

NSMP, at the last metro board meeting (saw your posts on twitter), what was your impression of the next steps for blue/expo grade separation? Do you think they'll go back and study a fully underground flat junction?

[OhioGuy]

L.A. Olympics and Paralympics: what our transit system will look like in 2028

You probably heard the announcement earlier this hour by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti: an agreement has been reached with the International Olympics Committee for our region to host the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, pending a vote by IOC members in Lima, Peru, in September.

In terms of local transportation, a lot will change between now and 2028. That is thanks to Measure R and Measure M, the two transportation ballot measures approved by L.A. County voters in 2008 and ’16, respectively.

Many Olympic events (here’s a map) will be clustered in a few areas around our region, with three major “sports parks” adjacent to rail or bus rapid transit lines in downtown Los Angeles, the Sepulveda Basin in the San Fernando Valley and the Long Beach waterfront. Other venues are also near transit (Santa Monica Beach, the Rose Bowl, the new football stadium in Inglewood, StubHub Center, to name a few) or will be served by shuttle buses from transit and other destinations.

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by SoCalKid

NSMP, at the last metro board meeting (saw your posts on twitter), what was your impression of the next steps for blue/expo grade separation? Do you think they'll go back and study a fully underground flat junction?

With LA 2028 all but a done deal, Expo/Blue Line upgrades should be at the top of the list for most important projects. I really don't care if there are other projects in front of the line. You can't marry yourself to a strict 30-40-year schedule because new needs and priorities will inevitably come about over the course of several decades.

[caligrad]

Like Quixote says. With LA mostly getting the Olympics within the next decade. Not only does the Blue line need a serious upgrade (maybe grade separation) But also, the South Bay and west side are going to need to be beefed up with a few more lines. Yeah we survived in the 80s the last time the Olympics were here but now LA is a totallllly different ball game. The region as a whole. Sorry but "Busways" aren't good enough. Also. Right about now, the Vermont line seems highly necessary. Linking downtown with exposition park AND the Carson cluster of events. Vermont is wide enough to get this done easily and quickly.

Waiting for the day the blue line breaks away from its current route down Washington to continue northward through the arts district and etc. and continue on to Union Station. Want to spur even more development on the east end of downtown, give that area a rail line. With land prices cheaper on that end, Developers, like they are already, would jump on the opportunity.

[NSMP]

Between the start of the new budget year (and Garcetti's second term as chair) and Metro going dark in the month of August, there was little attention paid to the substance of the report. I, to be frank, think it's going to sit on a shelf. Express is going to get the full work up from a contractor, as are grade separations.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I think that will be that.

[NSMP]

Also, not to be even more of a wet blanket, but there are not going to be any super ambitious transit accelerations because of the Olympics. I mean, I really really doubt it. We might be a target for some of the first major cash allocations from CA SB1, but I find it very unlikely that Congress is going to pony up brand new non-programmatic $ for rail (which they hate) in CA/LA (which they also hate)

[Car(e)-Free LA]

I really wanted Garcetti to negotiate funding from the IOC for the Sepulveda Line from Expo/Westwood to Van Nuys to be completed by 2028. It is very relevant for connecting the Airport to the Westside (Volleyball, Olympic Village at UCLA, transfers to purple and expo) to the Orange Line (transfers to Valley Sports Cluster. I also think a short blue line extension to CSU Dominguez Hills/the South Bay Sports Cluster should happen.

[Quixote]

I think it's abundantly clear at this point (if it wasn't already) that even four half-cent sales taxes dedicated to transportation funding aren't anywhere near enough to meet our true transit needs, which easily amount to well over $100 billion. I really, really resent the Silent Generation and Baby Boomers for having repeatedly voted down those ambitious transit proposals in 1968, 1974, and 1976. Now the Gen Xers and Millennials are left to undo the mess they created. Thanks a lot, idiots. #ithelpstohaveabrain

[ocman]

https://theringer.com/eric-garcetti-...s-80fc1ebb9f17

Garcetti:

So everything from Elon Musk, who we’re working with on new tunneling technology to speed it up, to, as we talked about, bringing public transportation to the airport and downtown. It’ll be a pretty transformed city.

[NSMP]

Originally Posted by Car(e)-Free LA

I really wanted Garcetti to negotiate funding from the IOC for the Sepulveda Line from Expo/Westwood to Van Nuys to be completed by 2028. It is very relevant for connecting the Airport to the Westside (Volleyball, Olympic Village at UCLA, transfers to purple and expo) to the Orange Line (transfers to Valley Sports Cluster. I also think a short blue line extension to CSU Dominguez Hills/the South Bay Sports Cluster should happen.

Yeah but Garcetti is focused on replicating the success of 84 which means leveraging funding for city programs, not new more-expensive regional projects. New infrastructure increases the risk of budget overruns, an impractical risk if, say, your primary reason for hosting the Olympics is to develop your bona fides for higher office. Garcetti is cautious, more than anything.

[NSMP]

Originally Posted by ocman

https://theringer.com/eric-garcetti-...s-80fc1ebb9f17

Garcetti:

Musk is blowing smoke up everyone's ass. Of course we have very tech-credulous people in positions of power in Metro, but ultimately the technology is vaporware at best.

[SoCalKid]

Originally Posted by NSMP

Between the start of the new budget year (and Garcetti's second term as chair) and Metro going dark in the month of August, there was little attention paid to the substance of the report. I, to be frank, think it's going to sit on a shelf. Express is going to get the full work up from a contractor, as are grade separations.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I think that will be that.

So how do we push our elected leaders to take this seriously? I write mine about grade separation and Metro every year or so, but there has to be more we as a group collectively can do.

[saybanana]

Why aren't streetcars/trams often mentioned when it comes to future LA transit? While too expensive to build subways or light rail everywhere, the core of LA should have many options on every major street. Like Western, LA Brea, Melrose, Beverly, SMB, Olympic. Alvarado, Sunset. Anyway, I would love a circular tram route like Along Western from Hollywood Blvd to Olympic and down Fairfax.

[Quixote]

^ Because streetcars are just as slow as buses (they're caught in the same traffic as private automobiles) and don't have the flexibility of buses.

This is the problem with LA having so much medium-high density spread out across a large area. It's too dense and commercial for streetcars to be effective, yet not nearly dense enough to justify the cost of grade-separated rail.

[bzcat]

Originally Posted by saybanana

Why aren't streetcars/trams often mentioned when it comes to future LA transit? While too expensive to build subways or light rail everywhere, the core of LA should have many options on every major street. Like Western, LA Brea, Melrose, Beverly, SMB, Olympic. Alvarado, Sunset. Anyway, I would love a circular tram route like Along Western from Hollywood Blvd to Olympic and down Fairfax.

BRT on those corridors make much more sense.

[bzcat]

Originally Posted by OhioGuy

L.A. Olympics and Paralympics: what our transit system will look like in 2028

I know the map is labeled correct (Measure M projects) but somewhat irresponsible of Metro to insulate this is the map for 2028. There is no way the entire WSAB is open before 2028, no way Lincoln Blvd will be even close to reality, and it will be a miracle to get Crenshaw beyond the Purple line.

[saybanana]

Originally Posted by bzcat

BRT on those corridors make much more sense.

There is already BRT on almost all the Corridors called the Metro Rapid Red buses. Isnt there a transport upgrade option that isnt as expensive as subway/light rail?

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by bzcat

BRT on those corridors make much more sense.

Buses just aren't an option for choice riders (if we're being honest), unless they're for first/last mile. LA's simply too geographically vast for buses or bicycles to be the average person's primary mode of transportation. The only way to fundamentally change how Angelenos travel is by building an extensive heavy rail system and making our metro area more DTLA-centric.

[caligrad]

Originally Posted by NSMP

Also, not to be even more of a wet blanket, but there are not going to be any super ambitious transit accelerations because of the Olympics. I mean, I really really doubt it. We might be a target for some of the first major cash allocations from CA SB1, but I find it very unlikely that Congress is going to pony up brand new non-programmatic $ for rail (which they hate) in CA/LA (which they also hate)

LOL I actually love your last sentence because its true. Congress hates Mass transit or "Free transit" as they call it and they really do hate CA and LA especially haha. I don't get it.

[NSMP]

Originally Posted by saybanana

There is already BRT on almost all the Corridors called the Metro Rapid Red buses. Isnt there a transport upgrade option that isnt as expensive as subway/light rail?

Metro rapid isn't BRT. Just regular buses painted red.