LOS ANGELES | Transportation News & Discussion

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

Delicious.

But still no plug doors in 2024 leaves me scratching my head.

Why do you want plug doors on a rapid transit service? Usually their advantage is that they offer better insulation in cold areas and better sound-proofing in suburban and intercity service. But their disadvantages are that they have a more complex mechanism which take slightly longer to open/close and which is more prone to breaking (particularly when people forcefully prevent them from closing). Plus they're heavier and more expensive. So sliding doors are usually considered as good or better for an application like this. I'm wondering if I'm missing something.

[craigs]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

Here's a look at the subway cars that could run through the Sepulveda Pass

I'm confused. This consortium is proposing these subway cars, but has Metro officially hired them?

[electricron]

Originally Posted by craigs

I'm confused. This consortium is proposing these subway cars, but has Metro officially hired them?

Could and will are entirely different verbs in the English language.

[craigs]

Originally Posted by electricron

Could and will are entirely different verbs in the English language.

Okay, wisenheimer. I'm confused about what was announced in that article. Was it just a press release from one of the competing consortia?

[Busy Bee]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

Why do you want plug doors on a rapid transit service? Usually their advantage is that they offer better insulation in cold areas and better sound-proofing in suburban and intercity service. But their disadvantages are that they have a more complex mechanism which take slightly longer to open/close and which is more prone to breaking (particularly when people forcefully prevent them from closing). Plus they're heavier and more expensive. So sliding doors are usually considered as good or better for an application like this. I'm wondering if I'm missing something.

I'm admittedly coming at it from a purely aesthetic concern.

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

I'm admittedly coming at it from a purely aesthetic concern.

Oh that makes sense then. If you prefer how they look that makes a big difference.

[homebucket]

Not sure if those renderings are close to production spec, but if they are, they look fantastic! Stadler is a great train manufacturer to go with.

[caligrad]

A Sepulveda line that links with the future purple line extension, expo line and LAX would do wonders for ridership. I know a lot of people in the Valley that would not hesitate to use it to get to the west side, LAX and Wilshire corridor and obviously Downtown. IF it means a 45-minute train ride compared to a car ride that's normally almost double that.

[sopas ej]

Let's hope so, Metro!



We’re On Track for the LA 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games

[SoCalKid]

Key things that Metro really needs to get done before the Olympics:

- The most obvious, of course, is completion of the D line extension. I don't think that is really in doubt.
- Completion of the portal widening for the B/D lines. Again, I don't think that is in doubt.
- Procurement of enough subway cars to run frequent headways on the B/D lines. This IS in doubt. From my understanding, the latest update is that they will have enough cars for 5 minute D line headways and 15 minute B line headways. That is not good enough and Metro needs to figure this out. 15 minute headways would be absolutely embarrassing for Metro and in my mind should be grounds for firing management.
- FIGURE OUT SIGNAL PRIORITY/PREEMPTION ON THE E AND A LINES! It's just absurd this hasn't been done yet. We cannot tell people this is a "car free olympics" and then making trains wait at red lights for cars. I understand there are some issues with pedestrian crossing phases, but right now trains wait for full traffic cycles, which are sometimes up to 180 seconds. It's just not acceptable. Metro and LADOT need to work together to make sure the trains rarely stop at red lights, and when they do, it's only to give enough time for pedestrians to finish crossing.
- Figure out the Washington Junction. This should mean closing the freeway entrance and every minor street in the area, plus adding pedestrian bridges over the tracks at Pico station.
- BRT/bus lanes - they need to stop dragging their feet and get a bunch of high quality bus lanes and BRT lines done.
- Inglewood People Mover - if they're going to do this, it better be done before the Olympics. There have been reports that it won't get done before the Olympics. If that's the case, I think the whole thing should be cancelled.
- Station renovations (particularly 7th/Metro). We need to make sure the stations present well for our international guests.

It seems like there hasn't been any leadership or urgency to get things done for the Olympics. We already seen the Sepulveda line and the East San Fernando Valley line go from 2028 to after 2028, which is extremely disappointing.

[caligrad]

^^^ So true. When it was announced we would be holding the 2028 Olympics (all those years ago) i remember the mayor going on TV saying LA WON'T! WE WON'T PROCRASTINATE! WE'LL START NOW!

Feels like we are in fact going to wait the last 3 years to rush to get all of these things done. It's a shame LA didn't push for earmarks for at least the Sepulveda line.

[craigs]

Los Angeles has been very ambitious about building out rail lines in the last decade. Of course, we want more--and we'll be getting more. The Olympics are just two weeks in summer, while Metro is playing the long game.

[TowerDude]

Haven't seen this posted much but they're making great progress on the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing over the 101 Freeway ... project looks to be finished sometime next year:

This pic is from the first half of June:


It will be the largest wildlife crossing in the world when it is finished:

They should probably eventually build a second crossing to the western side of those two cougar ranges too.

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by SoCalKid

Key things that Metro really needs to get done before the Olympics:

- The most obvious, of course, is completion of the D line extension. I don't think that is really in doubt.
- Completion of the portal widening for the B/D lines. Again, I don't think that is in doubt.
- Procurement of enough subway cars to run frequent headways on the B/D lines. This IS in doubt. From my understanding, the latest update is that they will have enough cars for 5 minute D line headways and 15 minute B line headways. That is not good enough and Metro needs to figure this out. 15 minute headways would be absolutely embarrassing for Metro and in my mind should be grounds for firing management.
- FIGURE OUT SIGNAL PRIORITY/PREEMPTION ON THE E AND A LINES! It's just absurd this hasn't been done yet. We cannot tell people this is a "car free olympics" and then making trains wait at red lights for cars. I understand there are some issues with pedestrian crossing phases, but right now trains wait for full traffic cycles, which are sometimes up to 180 seconds. It's just not acceptable. Metro and LADOT need to work together to make sure the trains rarely stop at red lights, and when they do, it's only to give enough time for pedestrians to finish crossing.
- Figure out the Washington Junction. This should mean closing the freeway entrance and every minor street in the area, plus adding pedestrian bridges over the tracks at Pico station.
- BRT/bus lanes - they need to stop dragging their feet and get a bunch of high quality bus lanes and BRT lines done.
- Inglewood People Mover - if they're going to do this, it better be done before the Olympics. There have been reports that it won't get done before the Olympics. If that's the case, I think the whole thing should be cancelled.
- Station renovations (particularly 7th/Metro). We need to make sure the stations present well for our international guests.

It seems like there hasn't been any leadership or urgency to get things done for the Olympics. We already seen the Sepulveda line and the East San Fernando Valley line go from 2028 to after 2028, which is extremely disappointing.

My goal is to try to watch the Men's Basketball Finals, gold medal game at Intuit Dome.

Initially, I was thinking of staying with a friend that lives in the western part of the SFV, but after looking at the Metro map, it seems like it would take a really long time and a cumbersome route (5 Lines, G -> B -> E -> K -> IPM) to get to the Intuit Dome via public transit, even with the 28 by 28 initiative. I'm guessing it would save more time, although cost more, to find a hotel or Airbnb along a Metro line that would require fewer transfers.

Also as you mention, it seems uncertain that the IPM would even be built in time for the Olympics. I'm no engineer or construction expert, but it feels like if they want it operational for the Olympics, they should have started construction already. I'm guessing there will be a shuttle instead, hopefully with dedicated lanes.

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by craigs

Los Angeles has been very ambitious about building out rail lines in the last decade. Of course, we want more--and we'll be getting more. The Olympics are just two weeks in summer, while Metro is playing the long game.

Yes. I'm not worried about the upcoming Olympics, if things fall into place like 1984, there won't be any traffic issues, and we didn't even have rail transit back then, though I admit that back then LA County had 1.5 million fewer people than now. Incidentally, I read somewhere that when LA hosted the Olympics in '84, it was the first city to host a Summer Games without having any rail transit since Rome in 1960.

Ultimately, the goal for Metro is to continue creating a robust transit system regardless of the Olympics. During those 2 weeks, we'll just have (hopefully) a lot of extra borrowed buses like in 1984. And contrary to what people think, many people actually did take those buses back then. And in downtown, during those Olympics, Figueroa and Flower were turned into one-way streets; it worked so well that they decided to keep them as one-way streets. I'm hoping the "temporary" Olympic bus lanes they'll be creating during the '28 Games will work so well that they'll keep them permanently.

Here's a video of the success of what was then the RTD during the 1984 Summer Olympics; kind of cheesy, but it's so from that era. Those middle-aged German tourists really loved the bus!
• Video Link

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by homebucket

My goal is to try to watch the Men's Basketball Finals, gold medal game at Intuit Dome.

Initially, I was thinking of staying with a friend that lives in the western part of the SFV, but after looking at the Metro map, it seems like it would take a really long time and a cumbersome route (5 Lines, G -> B -> E -> K -> IPM) to get to the Intuit Dome via public transit, even with the 28 by 28 initiative. I'm guessing it would save more time, although cost more, to find a hotel or Airbnb along a Metro line that would require fewer transfers.

Also as you mention, it seems uncertain that the IPM would even be built in time for the Olympics. I'm no engineer or construction expert, but it feels like if they want it operational for the Olympics, they should have started construction already. I'm guessing there will be a shuttle instead, hopefully with dedicated lanes.

I think your best bet would be to stay along one major transit line, or even book a hotel/Airbnb near the Intuit Dome that you'd be willing to walk to/from. I'm thinking come Olympics time, there'll be bus shuttles from various rail stations and temporary "mobility hubs" (read "park-n-rides"). It probably won't be as inconvenient as you'd think.

BTW I'm really excited for the upcoming LA Olympics. Gold medal game for basketball would be really fun to watch! Don't know how much tickets will be, but I'm hoping to catch ANYTHING in person. I wouldn't mind watching rugby sevens in Carson (I got into it during the Paris Games) or even BMX freestyle in the Sepulveda Basin. The marquee events of gymnastics and athletics will probably be expensive, but easy to get to by rail transit, being that they're in downtown and Exposition Park. Diving in Exposition Park would be fun to watch too.

I was thinking of volunteering for the Olympics but from what I've heard, you'd have to be available for 4 weeks. And it's done by lottery, they randomly select people based on a questionnaire, and people who speak more than one language are more likely to be chosen. And you can be assigned to do anything anywhere, from greeting athletes at the airport, or greeting them and directing them at the Olympic Village, to greeting and directing spectators at venues.

Edit:

Funny, I don't know if this'll be the case with the Olympics, but the Intuit Dome, which opens today with a Bruno Mars concert (performing tomorrow as well), will have free shuttle service from mobility hubs for all ticketed concertgoers going forward: Intuit Dome providing free shuttle service to all concerts

[Busy Bee]

How is "The bus. More easy for us" not an official slogan?

...

Love those Neoplan's...

[SIGSEGV]

so I'm in LA now visiting some of my wife's family and... is it normal for the FlyAway bus to Union Station to be completely full by the time it reaches terminal 7? We ended up walking to Terminal 1 to catch one... (with luggage and toddler... less than a fun walk!). Probably should have taken the shuttle to the Aviation Station instead, but thought the FlyAway would be easier with luggage during ~rush hour.

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by SIGSEGV

so I'm in LA now visiting some of my wife's family and... is it normal for the FlyAway bus to Union Station to be completely full by the time it reaches terminal 7? We ended up walking to Terminal 1 to catch one... (with luggage and toddler... less than a fun walk!). Probably should have taken the shuttle to the Aviation Station instead, but thought the FlyAway would be easier with luggage during ~rush hour.

My partner and I have only taken the FlyAway bus once, several years ago. The trip to LAX from Union Station was a breeze---we loved it. But, the trip back from LAX to Union Station was frustrating. I don't remember what terminal we were waiting at, but yeah, we waited there for close to an hour or more it seemed, as FlyAway bus afer FlyAway bus kept passing us and other people waiting for it, becuase they were completely full. I don't know how other people's experience with it has been, leaving LAX.

[LA21st]

Originally Posted by SIGSEGV

so I'm in LA now visiting some of my wife's family and... is it normal for the FlyAway bus to Union Station to be completely full by the time it reaches terminal 7? We ended up walking to Terminal 1 to catch one... (with luggage and toddler... less than a fun walk!). Probably should have taken the shuttle to the Aviation Station instead, but thought the FlyAway would be easier with luggage during ~rush hour.

Yes, its usually like that. The new train stuff will help aleve this, whenever it gets done.
Or maybe not, Flyaway might be faster to downtown actually lol. I dunno.

The train will help flow to the westside/central LA/Hollywood though.