Friday, March 6, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Stimulus Package includes money for the Gold Line.
LA transit's funding sources vary: county, city, state, federal, sales tax and fares. Dealing with an array of funding sources and NIMYYisms planning is next to impossible. This is how much time is added to completing projects.
California has enough pork to be in hog heaven - Los Angeles Times
California has enough pork to be in hog heaven - Los Angeles Times
One constant barrier to rail progress in LA: NIMBYISM (Not in my back yard). Here is a classic example.
This article is just the start of much more opposition as wealthy residents of the west LA will become aware that the Expo line is coming.
Residents rally against Expo maintenance facility
Residents rally against Expo maintenance facility
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
In my research, this is only quote I have seen where "success" is asscoiated with a mass-transit project.
Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Monte_Busway
"
It mentions, "the few, " so I naturally wonder what the other ones are.
"
The El Monte Busway, is a high occupancy vehicle lane running from Los Angeles (Los Angeles Union Station) to El Monte, California.
The busway opened in 1974 to buses only, then became open to carpools in 1976. The eastern terminus of the busway was near El Monte Bus Station in El Monte at Baldwin Avenue, until it was extended 2 miles (3.2 km) in 2005 to I-605. The busway runs largely parallel to the San Bernardino Freeway, part of Interstate 10 in California, where it occupies the space between the eastbound and westbound lanes of Interstate 10. The Metrolink San Bernardino rail line tracks lie in between the eastbound and westbound lanes of the busway. The western terminus of the busway is at Alameda St. near Union Station. The resulting carpool roadway is one of the few indisputably successful* mass transit projects undertaken in Southern California. Bus ridership is approximately 18,000, and in addition to the 100 buses an hour along the busway during peak periods, the roadway carries 1,600 carpools and vanpools during peak hours.[1]
"It mentions, "the few, " so I naturally wonder what the other ones are.
2 Wikipedia articles on Future expansion of the sytem: Crenshaw Corridor • Regional Connector. Save time and read these.
Reading the report from the MTA is time-consuming and two articles give the best outlines I have seen to date.
Crenshaw Corridor, click here.
Regional Connector, click here.
Crenshaw Corridor, click here.
Regional Connector, click here.
Stimulus Package and Transit Projects in LA
Source: Just click here.
Stimulus funds eyed for transit projects
By Sue Doyle, Staff Writer
Posted: 02/18/2009 11:14:11 PM PST
Updated: 02/18/2009 11:15:16 PM PST
Hundreds of millions of dollars for new buses and car-pool projects that serve San Fernando Valley drivers are part of the Los Angeles County transportation agency's blueprint for spending its $1 billion share of federal stimulus dollars.
California is expected to receive $3.6 billion in highway and transit project funding under the $787 billion federal plan.
Metro's 13-member board will hash out the massive proposal at its monthly meeting next Thursday, but the transportation agency has laid down a spending outline.
"Much of this is still a moving target," said Metro board member Richard Katz, at Wednesday's planning and programming committee meeting. "We want to keep the process moving because the clock is ticking."
Metro is under a 120-day federal deadline to approve road and transit projects countywide that could be completed in three years, or it risks losing the money to the state where it will be redistributed.
Los Angeles County should receive about $1 billion, and it will compete for even more money, said David Yale, Metro's director of regional planning.
The largest chunk of Metro's proposal spends $264 million to buy 453 new buses. There's $20 million set aside to rehabilitate 200 buses and keep them operating. About $2 million is under consideration to build more exits and other safety improvements at Metro's 7th Street station for its Red Line subway.
There's $113 million set aside under Metro's plan for the county's 90 cities, which are lining up with projects to spend the money, from pothole repairs to traffic-light synchronization. Yale said Metro's board will likely consider increasing the money to $200 million or more.
The county transportation agency is considering a $200 million boost for a 10-mile car-pool lane project on the north 405 Freeway through the Sepulveda Pass and another $200 million for a car-pool lane project on Interstate 5 between the 118 and 170 freeways. Those highway projects are close to going out to bids.
City leaders also are closely watching Sacramento to see what will happen with transportation funding as legislators battle over the state's $42 billion deficit.
Without knowing how much money to expect from the state, county officials are unsure how to proceed with some highway projects, which are typically paid for through a combination of federal, state and local dollars.
Stimulus funds eyed for transit projects
By Sue Doyle, Staff Writer
Posted: 02/18/2009 11:14:11 PM PST
Updated: 02/18/2009 11:15:16 PM PST
Hundreds of millions of dollars for new buses and car-pool projects that serve San Fernando Valley drivers are part of the Los Angeles County transportation agency's blueprint for spending its $1 billion share of federal stimulus dollars.
California is expected to receive $3.6 billion in highway and transit project funding under the $787 billion federal plan.
Metro's 13-member board will hash out the massive proposal at its monthly meeting next Thursday, but the transportation agency has laid down a spending outline.
"Much of this is still a moving target," said Metro board member Richard Katz, at Wednesday's planning and programming committee meeting. "We want to keep the process moving because the clock is ticking."
Metro is under a 120-day federal deadline to approve road and transit projects countywide that could be completed in three years, or it risks losing the money to the state where it will be redistributed.
Los Angeles County should receive about $1 billion, and it will compete for even more money, said David Yale, Metro's director of regional planning.
The largest chunk of Metro's proposal spends $264 million to buy 453 new buses. There's $20 million set aside to rehabilitate 200 buses and keep them operating. About $2 million is under consideration to build more exits and other safety improvements at Metro's 7th Street station for its Red Line subway.
There's $113 million set aside under Metro's plan for the county's 90 cities, which are lining up with projects to spend the money, from pothole repairs to traffic-light synchronization. Yale said Metro's board will likely consider increasing the money to $200 million or more.
The county transportation agency is considering a $200 million boost for a 10-mile car-pool lane project on the north 405 Freeway through the Sepulveda Pass and another $200 million for a car-pool lane project on Interstate 5 between the 118 and 170 freeways. Those highway projects are close to going out to bids.
City leaders also are closely watching Sacramento to see what will happen with transportation funding as legislators battle over the state's $42 billion deficit.
Without knowing how much money to expect from the state, county officials are unsure how to proceed with some highway projects, which are typically paid for through a combination of federal, state and local dollars.
Monday, March 2, 2009
As the Daily News claims.......
Source: http://www.dailynews.com/opinions/ci_11809388
Promise: Pursue construction of the "Subway to the Sea," which would extend the existing subway under Wilshire Boulevard to Santa Monica.
Kept? Getting there. Villaraigosa convinced Congress to repeal a ban on tunneling for a subway under parts of the city. He also led a campaign to pass Measure R, a half-cent on the dollar sales tax to raise money for transportation projects, including the Subway to the Sea. But the project is
still far far off, and may only even reach Westwood by 2032.
Promise: Pursue construction of the "Subway to the Sea," which would extend the existing subway under Wilshire Boulevard to Santa Monica.
Kept? Getting there. Villaraigosa convinced Congress to repeal a ban on tunneling for a subway under parts of the city. He also led a campaign to pass Measure R, a half-cent on the dollar sales tax to raise money for transportation projects, including the Subway to the Sea. But the project is
still far far off, and may only even reach Westwood by 2032.
The Mayor Talks about The Subway, One-Way Streets and Toll Lanes on Freeway Lanes.
Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-transpo-mayor-villaraigosa16-2009feb16,0,5834037.story?page=2
Do you favor building a Subway to the Sea? What would be your preferred route?
A
Subway to the Sea was one of my earliest campaign proposals, and under
my administration, we have finally laid the foundation for the
construction of this long-awaited project. With the passage of Measure
R, we have secured funding that will allow us to build this extension.
As chairman of the MTA, we took the crucial step of approving the
planning study and initiating the Environmental Impact Report.
Now
that we have secured a local source of revenue, I intend to continue my
work with officials in Sacramento and Washington to leverage more
funding as soon as possible.
I remain open to any of the routes
currently under consideration by the MTA, with an emphasis on
connecting the most people to as many jobs as possible.
Do you favor making more Los Angeles streets flow one way? Do you favor putting toll lanes in place of freeway lanes?
In
November 2007, my administration unveiled the Olympic-West Pico-East
initiative -- a smart, safe and innovative way to ease traffic flow on
two of L.A.'s busiest cross-town boulevards.
Do you favor building a Subway to the Sea? What would be your preferred route?
A
Subway to the Sea was one of my earliest campaign proposals, and under
my administration, we have finally laid the foundation for the
construction of this long-awaited project. With the passage of Measure
R, we have secured funding that will allow us to build this extension.
As chairman of the MTA, we took the crucial step of approving the
planning study and initiating the Environmental Impact Report.
Now
that we have secured a local source of revenue, I intend to continue my
work with officials in Sacramento and Washington to leverage more
funding as soon as possible.
I remain open to any of the routes
currently under consideration by the MTA, with an emphasis on
connecting the most people to as many jobs as possible.
Do you favor making more Los Angeles streets flow one way? Do you favor putting toll lanes in place of freeway lanes?
In
November 2007, my administration unveiled the Olympic-West Pico-East
initiative -- a smart, safe and innovative way to ease traffic flow on
two of L.A.'s busiest cross-town boulevards.
Olympic-West Pico-East is a two-phase project
that will affect a seven-mile stretch of both streets between La Brea
Boulevard and Centinela Avenue. Phase 1 ensures consistent rush hour
parking restrictions along Olympic and Pico and boosts enforcement
efforts of parking rules by L.A. DOT officers. Phase 2 alters signal
timing to allow commuters to move more quickly along Olympic heading
west and Pico heading east.
According to a L.A. DOT study,
travel speeds westbound on Olympic Boulevard were improved by as much
as 31% and eastbound on Pico Boulevard by 45%. That means commuters
will spend less time facing stop-and-go traffic or enduring the slow
crawl of cars clogging the 10 Freeway and most major streets.
that will affect a seven-mile stretch of both streets between La Brea
Boulevard and Centinela Avenue. Phase 1 ensures consistent rush hour
parking restrictions along Olympic and Pico and boosts enforcement
efforts of parking rules by L.A. DOT officers. Phase 2 alters signal
timing to allow commuters to move more quickly along Olympic heading
west and Pico heading east.
According to a L.A. DOT study,
travel speeds westbound on Olympic Boulevard were improved by as much
as 31% and eastbound on Pico Boulevard by 45%. That means commuters
will spend less time facing stop-and-go traffic or enduring the slow
crawl of cars clogging the 10 Freeway and most major streets.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
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