Press Release from Authority: Duarte Mayor John Fasana Joins Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority Board

Link: Press Release from Authority: Duarte Mayor John Fasana Joins Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority Board « I Will Ride Blog

Press Release from Authority: Duarte Mayor John Fasana Joins Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority Board
Posted by Albert

MONROVIA, July 17, 2009 – Duarte Mayor John Fasana was appointed to the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority board to serve as the representative of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Chief Executive Officer Habib Balian said today.

Fasana, who has represented the 30 San Gabriel Valley cities on the Metro board since its inception, was appointed to the Foothill Extension board by Metro Chairman and Glendale City Councilman Ara Najarian.

“Mayor Fasana has been the Foothill Extension’s staunchest representative at Metro and worked hard to ensure that Metro included funding for the line in Measure R and the Long Range Transportation Plan,” Balian said. “We look forward to his leadership on the Construction Authority board as we move toward construction of the line and keeping us on schedule to open to Azusa in 2013.”

Fasana will be sworn in at the July 22 Construction Authority board meeting.

“The Construction Authority has done a great job of getting the Foothill Extension ready to go, and now it is up Metro to fund it,” Fasana said. “The Extension is an economic stimulus project for the San Gabriel Valley and has the potential to create thousands of jobs and bring our economies back to life. I look forward to working the Construction Authority board to break ground next year.”

Fasana replaced Vivien Bonzo. “On behalf of the Construction Authority, I would like to thank Vivien for her service and commitment to the Gold Line since the Authority’s 1999 inception,” Balian said.

The Metro board is scheduled to consider its Long Range Transportation Plan at its July 23 board meeting. The draft includes $743 million, beginning in 2010, for construction of Phase 2A of the Foothill Extension. If approved, the Construction Authority can begin work on the Pasadena-to-Azusa section as soon as June 2010 and remain on schedule to operate the extension in 2013.

Construction of the Foothill Extension will create an estimated 30,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs, and is expected to take less than three years. The Foothill Extension will add 3.3 million passengers a year to the Gold Line and generate more than $2.7 million in fares. With the opening of the Eastside Extension and Foothill Extension, the Gold Line will carry an estimated 55,000 riders every day.

###

Contact: Eric Moses
(213) 438-1755
eric.moses@consensusinc.com

MTA finds support still strong for Measure R in survey (Source: Los Angeles Times)

Link: MTA finds support still strong for Measure R in survey - Los Angeles Times

MTA finds support still strong for Measure R in survey


Although the voters asked favored the sales-tax measure that took effect July 1, they say that the transportation authority's projects are moving too slowly.
By Dan Weikel
July 17, 2009
Public support for Measure R, the new Los Angeles County sales tax for highway and transit improvements passed by voters in November, remains hearty despite the recession, but there are concerns that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is not building projects fast enough, a new MTA poll shows.

The survey of 605 registered county voters found that 68% generally favor Measure R, which is expected to provide up to $40 billion during the next 30 years for highway and transit projects.

"Given the current economy there is strong support for moving ahead with transportation projects in the county," said Matt Raymond, the chief communications officer for the transportation authority. "There was a concern that support might have been waning."

In 2005, when the authority ran its first poll to gauge the prospects of a half-cent sales tax, 61% of voters supported it.

Raymond said the number of voters who "strongly favor" a half-cent tax has increased from 31% in 2005 to 45% in the poll. The survey indicated that the public believes that paying for local transportation projects will help bolster job creation during the recession. Unemployment in the county is more than 12%.

The poll shows, however, that 61% of registered voters believe that MTA's highway and transit projects are not happening fast enough to relieve traffic congestion, a concern that has been expressed by local elected officials, some of whom have MTA projects pending in their areas.

The survey was conducted in May by Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Associates, a political consulting and opinion research firm. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4%. MTA presented the results Thursday during a workshop on Measure R. The tax increase took effect July 1.

Pollsters found that voters strongly support the array of highway and transit projects that would be paid for by the sales tax.

About 90% said that highway improvements were very important or somewhat important, compared with 77% for light rail projects and 73% for extending the subway to West Los Angeles.

Another 73% said that it was important to expand bus service while 75% supported more carpool lanes and additional service on Metrolink, the commuter rail line that serves six counties.

dan.weikel@latimes.com

GEOFF SCHUMACHER: Show me the riders (Source: ReviewJournal.com)

GEOFF SCHUMACHER: Show me the riders - Opinion - ReviewJournal.com

GEOFF SCHUMACHER: Show me the riders

GEOFF SCHUMACHER
MORE COLUMNS

Advocates of dueling proposals to build a high-speed train from Las Vegas to Southern California have been filling a lot of local news columns lately. One train would terminate in Anaheim, while the other would stop in Victorville. One would use magnetic levitation technology and go 300 mph, while the other would employ conventional motorized technology and top out at 150 mph. One would be considerably cheaper than the other.

The comparisons are interesting, and the politics are even more intriguing. Which train proposal will gain the upper hand? Why did Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., suddenly change allegiances? Why is Victorville -- not exactly the shining star of the L.A. metroplex -- the desired terminus for one of the trains?

This is all fascinating, but amid these discussions, a fundamental question has yet to be sufficiently answered: How many Southern Californians really want to ride a train to Las Vegas? Without a decent answer, the debates over technology, speed and cost are moot. If nobody wants to take the train to Las Vegas, a lot of time and money could be wasted.

Here are some things we know:

-- Most residents of the American Southwest own cars. We drive almost everywhere, and we aren't accustomed to relying on other forms of transportation. The mass transit culture of New York City, say, just hasn't gained traction yet in this part of the country.

-- For many Southern Californians, driving to Las Vegas is a time-honored pastime, memorialized in everything from Hunter Thompson's book "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" to the recent hit movie "The Hangover." We know there's something about driving across the Mojave Desert that appeals to Southern Californians cooped up too long in the smog-draped hives of humanity hugging the Pacific. It takes them four to six hours to make the journey, just enough time to shake off their daily anxieties and gear up for a rip-roaring weekend in the gambling capital. And when they get here, they don't have to pay for or hassle with taxis or rental cars.

-- The highways linking Southern California with Las Vegas have some issues but for the most part motorists move along at a steady clip. It's not like the highways are so rough or narrow or congested that they represent a deterrent to making the drive.

-- Flying between Southern California and Las Vegas is cheap and easy. The flights are short, and the airlines offer affordable rates. There are several different airports in Southern California to choose from, giving most everybody a convenient option.

So, considering these things we know, is it possible there's no pressing need or demand for a high-speed train?

Here's another thing we know: Starting or ending your train trip in Victorville doesn't make much sense. That small inland city would be the western terminus for the DesertXpress, the conventional technology train.

Nothing against Victorville, but it isn't many people's idea of a vacation destination. If you live in Las Vegas and want to visit Southern California, you just don't think of stopping in Victorville unless you have family there.

And if you live in Southern California and want to go to Las Vegas, you'd have to drive to Victorville, park your car (probably for a fee) and then get on the train. I suspect that by the time most people escape the L.A. traffic and reach Victorville, they'd be inclined to drive themselves the rest of the way.

Maglev train advocates say their project would carry an initial passenger load of 43 million per year. DesertXpress supporters believe their train would carry 10 million. But what if these estimates are overly optimistic?

Consider the Las Vegas Monorail, which sold itself based on ridership estimates that, even in the best of economic times, it never came close to achieving. Today, the monorail is teetering on the verge of default and talking about a taxpayer bailout.

Consider also the Las Vegas Springs Preserve. It's a wonderful place, protecting historic open space in the middle of the city and educating the public about the desert environment. But the marketing research about visitorship was way off the mark, especially when it came to attracting tourists.

Finally, consider Amtrak, which ceased service to Las Vegas in 1997 primarily because of low ridership.

I'd like to be more optimistic. If millions of people rode a maglev train between Las Vegas and Southern California instead of driving or flying, it would be good for the environment. Even the motorized train probably would be a net gain.

But experience suggests the train would have to be an incredible bargain to attract the bulk of Southern Californians now driving or flying here. Both projects say they would be "competitive" with other modes of transportation. But "competitive" isn't going to cut it. It has to be dirt cheap, which surely would throw the business plan out of whack.

Much like professional sports, the high-speed train feels a little too ambitious and risky for Las Vegas right now. It feels like it ought to remain on the back burner a while longer.

Geoff Schumacher (gschumacher@reviewjournal.com) is the Review-Journal's director of community publications. His column appears Friday.

Cancel That! Accelerated Rail Projects just a Hypothetical (Source: LAist)

Link: Cancel That! Accelerated Rail Projects just a Hypothetical - LAist

Cancel That! Accelerated Rail Projects just a Hypothetical
Today a Metro committee on Measure R funds were to discuss the possibility of pushing up the opening dates of three rail projects in the county--the regional connector in downtown, the second eastside extension of the Gold Line and the Green Line to LAX. After the meeting, Foothill Gold Line Extension advocates (they want the line to run beyond Pasadena towards Ontario) announced that the acceleration of project timelines in the agenda were picked at random to study the feasibility of earlier than planned opening dates. Still, they contend that their project is shovel ready and Mayor Villaraigosa is behind the line opening as far as Azusa by 2013.

UPDATE 2-US looks to private investment for high-speed rail (Source: Reuters)

UPDATE 2-US looks to private investment for high-speed rail | Reuters

UPDATE 2-US looks to private investment for high-speed rail
Wed Jul 15, 2009 7:21pm EDT

* Participation seen from those with overseas experience

* Broadband another possible area for private investment

* Economic recession to dampen private investment in roads (Adds Alstom interview, LaHood quotes, highway funding)

By John Crawley

WASHINGTON, July 15 (Reuters) - The United States expects significant private investment in high-speed rail in coming years with firms from Europe and Asia -- where bullet and other trains are prominent -- to factor heavily in its development.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, speaking to policy experts and reporters, said rail would be a strong opportunity for outside participation with the Obama administration taking early steps financially and politically to advance new train corridors to compete with short-haul air and highway travel.

"Companies involved in (overseas) high speed rail are in the U.S. right now," LaHood said, noting that several states are vying for a piece of an $8 billion downpayment in federal rail funding from February's economic stimulus package.

"I think you'll see private investment in high speed rail -- from Europe and Asia, not just the U.S.," he said.

LaHood also said broadband expansion would be a good bet for private interests but was less optimistic about attracting near-term investment from outside government in U.S. road projects due to recession.

"That may wait a little longer," LaHood said.

Some U.S. and overseas corporations have recently looked into renting roads and levying tolls to finance repairs.

States with high-speed train plans in the works include Nevada and California. Experts define high speed above 120 miles per hour and very high speed -- like bullet trains -- in excess of 200 mph.

Experts say building U.S. high-speed rail corridors will require tens of billions of dollars in federal and private financing over many years.

IBM (IBM.N) , which provides technology for rail systems, has said some $300 billion will be spent around the world over the next five years on high-speed rail.

Amtrak, a government-subsidized for-profit company, is the only long-haul passenger railroad in the United States. And its signature line, the Acela, runs in the Northeast and only a fraction of the time at maximum speed due mainly to infrastructure limitations.

LaHood was not specific about which overseas entities might invest or seek contracts in rail projects.

Council, Residents at Odds Over Maintenance Yard Location (Source: www.santamonicadispatch.com)

Link: Santa Monica Dispatch » Blog Archive » Council, Residents at Odds Over Maintenance Yard Location

Council, Residents at Odds Over Maintenance Yard Location

By: Peggy Clifford

Published: July 16th, 2009

Expo Light Rail officials and City consultants told the City Council Tuesday night that the only possible location for the proposed Expo maintenance yard is in the Pico neighborhood in Santa Monica.

The proposed line will run from downtown Los Angeles to Culver City and from Culver City to Santa Monica.

A majority of the proposed line is located in West L.A. and West L.A. is far larger than Santa Monica. Yet, according to the officials, the only suitable site is In the smallest and most beset neighborhood in the smallest community on the line.

We find that impossible to believe – especially since Expo has the power to take whatever property it wants, including the proposed Santa Monica site. Indeed, an Expo official suggested that if it didn’t have its way with us, we might lose the line. “It could be a deal-breaker,” he said,

The site is a patchwork job. Located on both sides of the 1800 block of Stewart Street, it would include a busy, multi-track crossing. The land is owned by Verizon and the City. Verizon leases some of its land to Santa Monica College for student parking. The City has a 30-year lease with Lionstone, which plans to build a cancer research center on the site. Lionstone partner Dan Dubrowki told the Council that his company would fight any effort to break the lease and dislodge it from the site.
Most of the 30-plus residents who opposed the proposed location of the maintenance yard live in the Pico Neighborhood.

Several of them described the plan as “environmental racism.” Recent studies show that air pollution from the 10 freeway, which cuts through the neighborhood, lingers longer than previous studies showed. Several people noted that the City Yards, including recycling and waste management facilities, are located in the neighborhood, too.

Many of the speakers have lived in the neighborhood all their lives and are now raising their own children there. They recalled one of most shameful events in the town’s history when, in the early 1960s, City Hall allowed Caltrans to drive the new freeway through the Pico Neighborhood and demolish several blocks of handsome houses.

After a long discussion, four of the six City Council members took a staff recommendation that it approve the site, and directed staff “to continue to explore other possible sites…and ensure community involvement.”

Mayor Ken Genser, Mayor Pro Tem Pam O’Connor, and Council members Richard Bloom and Gleam Davis voted for approval. Council members Bob Holbrook and Bobby Shriver voted against approval, in the belief that belief that better sites were available in West L.A.

Council member Kevin McLeown was absent.

Ironically, earlier in the evening, Planning Director Eileen Fogarty described plans to create “conservation districts” in residential neighborhoods.
This entry was posted on Thursday, July 16th, 2009 at 2:34 am and is filed under Daily.

Covering Tomorrow’s Measure R Workshop (Source: I Will Ride Blog)

Covering Tomorrow’s Measure R Workshop « I Will Ride Blog

Covering Tomorrow’s Measure R Workshop
Posted by Albert

Metro’s Measure R Project Delivery Committee is set to host the last remaining Measure R workshop tomorrow – before the full board considers the Long Range Transportation Plan at next week’s board meeting. The meeting is set to take place at 9 am at the Metro building. For those who can’t attend, we’ll be covering the meeting live on our Twitter feed @iwillride.

Remember, while the Metro Board is expected to run through and review all-things Measure R, the issue set to take center-stage is a new proposal by Metro to possibly accelerate funding and construction of three rail projects: the regional connector, Gold Line Eastside Extension 2 and the Green Line to LAX. You can view tomorrow meeting’s handout here. LAist also has their take on the issue, and Streetsblog LA has an excellent write-up on the situation. Nobody’s sure how the plan will play out.

As for us? Well, considering the shovel-readiness of the Gold Line Foothill Extension, our supporters will be there tomorrow to ask Metro to amend the schedule to accelerate funding and construction of the most easily-accelerated of all rail projects. Mayor Villaraigosa seems to agree.

Streetsblog Interview: Introducing Art Leahy (Source: Streetsblog Los Angeles)

Link: Streetsblog Los Angeles » Streetsblog Interview: Introducing Art Leahy

Streetsblog Interview: Introducing Art Leahy

by Damien Newton on July 16, 2009



When entering Metro CEO Art Leahy's office, you can't help but notice that he's a sports fan and a native Angeleno. His wall is decorated with USC football paraphernalia and his bookshelf has a couple of Los Angeles Dodgers bobbleheads and other memorabilia from Dodgertown. When staff that happened to graduate from UCLA are in the room, they get ribbed. I also took some flack that my choice in favored baseball teams was also lightly mocked.

And Leahy appreciates what it means to be an Angeleno. "In Los Angeles people have vision and a belief in exceptionalism. When I say that Los Angeles is the best city in the world and I want it to have the best transit agency people don't bat an eye."

And what does the best transit system in America look like? Leahy professed no favorite project when I asked him if he had a favorite Measure R project, but did get excited and animated when we talked about bus routing. In Leahy's view, Metro's biggest challenge include making the buses run on time, and that buses that arrive and leave early are a bigger problem than those that run late.

"Our schedules are a contract with our customers. And if a bus leaves at 8:41 when it's supposed to leave at 8:42 that's breaking that contract. A bus that leaves a minute early is worse than one that leaves a minute late because someone is going to be waiting much longer than a minute for the next one and it can throw off the entire system. "

Leahy went on to explain that early leaving buses are going to be getting less and less people every time it stops while the other buses trailing are going to get more and more people. The increased boardings and alightings will leave the second bus running farther and farther behind schedule. All because one bus was early, the entire line can be thrown off for hours.

"Think about it this way. If a bus is one minute early on a five minute headway, and the bus behind is late for some reason, that second bus could have 40% more passengers than the one before it. Those passengers are going to think we need more buses, more service; but better service that runs on time would accomplish the same thing."

As a driver, Leahy himself wasn't immune to running ahead of schedule, but he tried not to. He even has a copy of a citation he received for running early framed behind his desk. According to Leahy, 15% of Metro buses actually run ahead of schedule, a number he and his staff are working on lowering. While the passage of Measure R brings new opportunities to Metro, it also requires that staff work harder to, in Leahy's words, "to be worthy of the public trust."

"We need to constantly be working. Constantly be thinking. The public trusted us, and we have to be constantly doing everything we can to be worthy of that."

The other major obstacle facing Metro, and every other transit agency, is funding.

"We're looking at zero state subsidy next year. And that means a $250 million dollar defecit. We're ok for the next 12 months, but after that we could be looking at making some changes."

7_16_09_leahy_blogdowntown.jpgLeahy, on the right, poses with a bunch of cartoon characters and Bart Simpson. Photo: Blogdowntown

People seem fascinated with the "local boy makes good" angle of Leahy's story. Leahy, the son of two transit drivers and himself a bus driver in Los Angeles who rose to become the head of the transit agency in the second largest city in the United States. However, according to Leahy, the choice to come back to run Metro wasn't about coming back to where he started.

"It's always great to come home, but I took the job because it's impossible to turn down one of the few jobs in the world where you can make a difference on a grand scale," Leahy responded to the numerous articles that focus on his return to Los Angeles."

We also talked about Leahy's tendency to walk to meetings when he has a chance.

"I'm not anti-car by any stretch, and I don't want to tell you that I'd never take a car if I were running late…but my first day here I had a meeting with the Mayor and people seem shocked that I wanted to walk to City Hall. Three different times I was told there was a car available, but it's just a couple blocks away. There is a time when it doesn't make sense to drive."

As for his own transit and driving habits…

"I take transit here for the most part. It's been three months now and I've driven in twice."

People that are familiar with Streetsblog interviews know that I always end by asking what, if anything, they would change about transportation in Los Angeles if they had a magic wand. Usually this question is one that gives people pause, but Leahy had a quick answer.

"I would want full federal funding for the Subway to the Sea and the Downtown Connector. Not only would we get those projects done as quickly as possible, but we'd also be able to do everything else that we want to do with the other money we'd save."

(editor's note: If you have ever read one of my interviews before, you've probably noticed the format is a little different for this one. Blame a lost tape recorder and my first time transcribing from short-hand. We'll be back to our usual format for the rest of this week's interviews.)

Streetsblog Los Angeles » Streetsblog Interview: Introducing Art Leahy

Wilshire/Normandie Purple Line Getting Gates (Source: Curbed LA)

Curbed LA: Wilshire/Normandie Purple Line Getting Gates

Wilshire/Normandie Purple Line Getting Gates

Wednesday, July 15, 2009, by Dakota

2009.07.goldline.jpg Those new fare gates that were promised to the city are coming to the Wilshire/Normandie Purple Line Station, reports Streetsblog, noting that the gates should be installed "by the end of the week or early next week." According to the blog, the Red and Purple Lines, Green Line, Blue Line and Gold Line (all in that order) will get the gates next. That pretty much refutes what we had reported this spring--that the Gold Line would be the first in the city to feature the turnstiles. Back in May, we also noted that Metro is adding a total of 379 fare gates

Private Sector Still Interested in HSR (Source: cahsr.blogspot.com)

California High Speed Rail Blog: Private Sector Still Interested in HSR

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Private Sector Still Interested in HSR

by Robert Cruickshank

Although some still seem to believe that the recession and state budget problems make HSR undesirable, that view isn't held by some of the most important figures - Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood (who at least in his public statements has turned out to be WAY better than I ever imagined) and the companies that would build and operate high speed rail in the US. The recession is bad, is likely to persist for some time, and runs a very real risk of taking another downward lurch. But as this Reuters article makes clear, there is still demand and capacity out there to build HSR:

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, speaking to policy experts and reporters, said rail would be a strong opportunity for outside participation with the Obama administration taking early steps financially and politically to advance new train corridors to compete with short-haul air and highway travel.

"Companies involved in (overseas) high speed rail are in the U.S. right now," LaHood said, noting that several states are vying for a piece of an $8 billion downpayment in federal rail funding from February's economic stimulus package.

"I think you'll see private investment in high speed rail -- from Europe and Asia, not just the U.S.," he said.

LaHood also said broadband expansion would be a good bet for private interests but was less optimistic about attracting near-term investment from outside government in U.S. road projects due to recession.


This is quite significant - not only because it suggests that HSR demand is robust, but that there is more interest in funding it than in funding roads. The fact that Ray LaHood is picking up on this suggests that the Obama Administration is aware of this and might be willing to plan its transportation priorities accordingly (although first they'll need to resolve the battle over the Transportation Bill, subject of tomorrow's post).

LaHood is joined by industry leaders such as Alstom and SNCF in this assessment:

Hitachi and Kawasaki Heavy Industries are leading train manufacturers.

Leading global players also include Canada's Bombardier, Germany's Siemens and France's Alstom....

Alstom's U.S. president, Pierre Gauthier, told Reuters in an interview the company concentrates on providing trains and signal systems but would not preclude other forms of investment in U.S. rail if a market develops.

"When you have this and good service, I think Europe has shown that people use this a lot," Gauthier said.

One of the key questions being asked right now as we look at the wreckage of the global economy is what will drive growth that can get us out of this crisis? Mass transit, including high speed rail, is obviously part of the answer. Neither California nor the US can afford to fall behind yet again. We wasted the prosperity of the 1980s and 1990s on more freeways and kicked high speed rail down the road. Now that we are in an economic crisis brought on partly by that failure to embrace sustainable transportation, we would be fools to miss a chance to use HSR to both rebuild our economy and put it on a much more sustainable and prosperous long-term footing.
Posted by Robert Cruickshank at 8:05 PM

New Train Lines to be Fast-Tracked Tomorrow? (Source: Curbed LA)

Link: Curbed LA: New Train Lines to be Fast-Tracked Tomorrow?

New Train Lines to be Fast-Tracked Tomorrow?

Wednesday, July 15, 2009, by Neal Broverman


At 9 a.m. tomorrow, the Metro board is holding the "Measure R Project Delivery Committee Workshop." For the layman, it's where the schedules and funding will be hammered out on the rail and freeway projects to be funded with the new half-percent tax increase LA County residents began paying this month. What's notable is that Mayor Villaraigosa and the rest of the Metro Board wants to light a fire under three of these projects and speed up their delivery to their public. How exactly? According to Streetsblog, the plan is to borrow against future Measure R income, with the debt being offset by projects that are cheaper, since they're built sooner and without inflation. The downside, according to Streetsblog, is "the accelerated project list means a $3.5 billion funding gap and a larger than anticipated operating defecit which would result in either fare increases or service cuts." It's one thing to build all these projects, but it costs big bucks to operate them. Meanwhile, the folks behind the I Will Ride blog are saying the Gold Line Foothill extension should be on the list (it currently is not) since it's shovel-ready. Tomorrow's meeting at Metro HQ Downtown is open to all, so there will be much public commenting and screaming.

Downtown Regional Connector that will connect various light-rail lines: Originally set to open in 2025, now maybe 2018

Green Line to LAX: Originally set to open in 2028, now maybe 2017

Eastside Extension II of Gold Line to Whittier: Originally set to open in 2035, now maybe 2018

So, how big would the Gold Line be with the extension to East LA, the further eastern extension into Whittier, and if the Foothill extension stretched to the Ontario Airport (which is what locals are advocating for)? Over 60 miles long by our calculations. (13.7 from Downtown LA to Pasadena, about 32.5 miles to Ontario Airport from there, 6 miles from Downtown LA to East LA, and 8.7 miles from East LA to Whittier)


· Measure R Acceleration Plans No Slam Dunk [Streetsblog]
· Villaraigosa Wants Gold Line Extension in 2013 [I Will Ride]

Measure R Acceleration Plans Aren’t a Political Slam Dunk (Source: Streetsblog Los Angeles)

Link: Streetsblog Los Angeles » Measure R Acceleration Plans Aren’t a Political Slam Dunk

Measure R Acceleration Plans Aren’t a Political Slam Dunk

by Damien Newton on July 14, 2009

Graph: Metro via LAist

The Internet is abuzz with the news that Mayor Villaraigosa and his allies on the Metro Board are pushing for the acceleration of three transit projects that are partially funded with the now incoming Measure R funds. LAist breaks down the new plans, outlined in a power point presentation for this Thursday's Measure R Committee Meeting at Metro Headquarters.

Those projects are moving opening dates of the regional connector in downtown from 2025 to 2018, the second Gold Line Eastside Extension to 2035 to 2018 and the Green Line to LAX from 2028 to 2017.

Meanwhile, the Gold Line Foothill Extension Authority is in "Why Not Us" mode, and is demanding that their favorite project, the Gold Line Extenstion to Azusa and beyond, be similarly accelerated.

But I have a different concern than what projects are getting accelerated and what project aren't: where is the money coming for this? After all, we know that sales tax revenues are coming in lower than expected so it's not like Metro is overly flush with cash right now.

Based on what is available in the power point, available on pages 28 and 29 for those following the presentation at home, it seems the plan is to borrow against future revenue. The interest created by the debt would be partially offset by the savings Metro will see because of avoiding the increased costs of doing construction in the future. At this point, there are no firm figures available to show us how much debt would be accrued or if the proposed acceleration would seriously damage Metro's ability to operate in the future; except that the accelerated project list means a $3.5 billion funding gap and a larger than anticipated operating defecit which would result in either fare increases or service cuts. In fact, the debt created by accelerating just the Downtown Connector is over two and a quarter billion dollars over more debt.

Of course, many transit advocates think the fares are too low as it is, and want to see them go up so that the system, as a whole, can run better. However, we have to recognize that it's not going to be an easy political decision for the board to raise fares in the short and long terms, especially after promising to use Measure R funds to keep fares low.

Bart Reed, executive director of the Transit Coalition, explains, "They haven't had the political courage to charge the right price for their service. To operate the kind of system that we need, they should be charging $2.25 per ride. Right now they are collecting an average of sixty-nine cents per boarding, and they can't run the kind of service they're talking about here on that amount."

All we have to evaluate these two proposals, accelerated schedule versus "strict" schedule, are these two sets of bullet points on the pros and cons of the acceleration. According to Metro, if we accelerated the schedule here would be the results, besides having these three rail projects done earlier,

* We would have up to $3.5 billion funding gap
* We would incur additional debt and operating costs
* We would save on construction escalation costs
* We would require 2/3 vote of the Board to accelerate Measure R funds

Conversely, here is what shape following the plan as passed by the voters would have for Metro's fiscal state:

* Projects would be delivered in accordance with Measure R Expenditure Plan
* After operating deficit is resolved there would be no funding shortfall
* We would not save in construction escalation costs
* We would not incur additional debt and operating costs

In other words, let's not mark down "Downtown Connector Opening Party" on our calendars for 2018 just yet. There's a lot of big and real fiscal hurdles that Metro needs to jump through to show it can afford the acceleration before Villaraigosa can deal with the politics of trying to get 2/3 of the Board to follow his wishes.

Proposing a new plan for Expo maintenance yard (Source: Santa Monica Daily Press)

Link: Proposing a new plan for Expo maintenance yard

Proposing a new plan for Expo maintenance yard
By Melody Hanatani



This empty lot located adjacent to Stewart Street and Olympic Boulevard may become the maintenance yard for the proposed Exposition Light Rail. photo by MAYA SUGARMAN.

July 14, 2009

DOWNTOWN — More than four months after the City Council rebuked a proposal to place a rail maintenance yard within earshot of residences, officials will return tonight with a different set of plans to create a sound buffer mixed-use development between the facility and homes.

The Exposition Construction Authority is proposing to build a maintenance yard to service the Westside portion of the light rail, which goes from Culver City to Santa Monica, at the old Verizon site on Exposition Boulevard, a plan that's received opposition from residents because the property faces homes in the Pico Neighborhood.

City staff has spent the past few months looking at different locations with the Exposition Construction Authority and has identified an alternative that would involve moving the noisier operations to the other side of Stewart Street, placing it right next to the city yards and farther away from homes, while the storage tracks and train washing facility would be located on the east side of Stewart Street. Doing so would still involve using part of the site owned by Verizon, which sits east of Stewart Street, but the yard would instead by separated from homes on the south side of Exposition Boulevard by a mixed-use development that will include residences and perhaps some neighborhood-serving retail.

City Hall owns the property — 1800 Stewart St. — where some of the louder operations would take place.

A representative from the Exposition Construction Authority could not be reached for comment.

The alternative plans have not however allayed concerns from residents about noise and health impacts from the maintenance facility.

The Pico Neighborhood Association is planning on sending a letter to the council opposing the plans, stating that it's disappointed that residents were not given an opportunity to participate in the process of finding new locations.

Maria Loya, the co-chair of the association, said the alternative creates a whole new set of problems, including forcing trains to constantly cross Stewart Street, creating safety issues.

She added that the proposed buffer is inadequate and defeats the purposes of separating the noise from homes.

"You're creating impacts to a whole new set of residents, which doesn't address the fact that we feel a maintenance facility should not face residential," she said.

Expo officials said they looked at more than 40 different properties from Downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica, searching for sites that would meet the facility's many physical requirements — located on land about six to 10 acres and is next to the main line, ideally in an industrial area away from homes, provide enough parking for employees, and have a reasonable shape that could accommodate the tracks. The criteria narrowed the list to a few viable candidates, including Bergamot Station and the Casden property off Sepulveda Boulevard.

The Casden site, which houses a cement factory, was taken off the list because its size was deemed inadequate along with other issues involving its configuration. Officials also nixed Bergamot because it was found to require property acquisitions and for its value in the cultural community. The station was however purchased in 1989 by City Hall to one day house such a facility, thought it has since grown to be one of Southern California's premier art and cultural centers, housing more than 30 galleries.

City staff hired a real estate consultant and engineering firm to review options for the maintenance yard, only to find that there was not a site that met all of Expo's operational requirements.

Kate Vernez, the assistant to the city manager, said if the alternative plan gets the greenlight from council, City Hall will ask Expo to include it in the environmental analysis that looks at the Culver City to Santa Monica phase of the light rail.

She stressed that the final decision as to where to place the facility will fall on the Expo board. If the board decides to go with the alternate plans, City Hall will also need to work around an existing lease it has with the Lionstone Group, a real estate investment firm, for 1800 Stewart.

Lionstone has a leasehold on the site until 2030.

The proposed alternative could also mean impacts to Santa Monica College, which has a satellite parking lot on Exposition Boulevard.

"The overall objective is to bring the Expo Light Rail to Santa Monica while sensitively dealing with neighbors and the college's needs," City Manager Lamont Ewell said.

melodyh@smdp.com

Expo Line Maintenance Yard, Take 2 (Source: Curbed LA)

Curbed LA: Expo Line Maintenance Yard, Take 2

Expo Line Maintenance Yard, Take 2
This sort of NIMBYism is all too often the cause of a lot of delays in LA country getting
Tuesday, July 14, 2009, by Dakota



The Santa Monica Daily Press reports the Exposition Construction Authority, which faced criticism from local homeowners over a proposal to turn an old Verizon site on Exposition Boulevard into an Expo maintenance yard, will present a new plan to the City Council tonight that involves essentially extending the area for the maintenance yard AND adding a "mixed-use development between the facility and homes." This is rather confusing, but here's more from the Santa Monica Daily Press: "City staff has spent the past few months looking at different locations with the Exposition Construction Authority and has identified an alternative that would involve moving the noisier operations to the other side of Stewart Street, placing it right next to the city yards and farther away from homes, while the storage tracks and train washing facility would be located on the east side of Stewart Street. Doing so would still involve using part of the site owned by Verizon, which sits east of Stewart Street, but the yard would instead by separated from homes on the south side of Exposition Boulevard by a mixed-use development that will include residences and perhaps some neighborhood-serving retail."

According to the paper, the city looked at 40 different properties from Los Angeles to Santa Monica--including the Casden property at Pico and Sepulveda Boulevard. (Is Casden, which is planning a mixed-use development on the site, going to share the area?) Meanwhile, this latest plan rankles the Pico Neighborhood Association, which has already sent of a letter of opposition.
· Proposing a new plan for Expo maintenance yard [SMDP]

USDOT Announces HSR "Pre-Applications"

Link: California High Speed Rail Blog: USDOT Announces HSR "Pre-Applications"

Tuesday, July 14, 2009
USDOT Announces HSR "Pre-Applications"

by Robert Cruickshank

California has some competition - 39 competitors, if you're counting by state. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood made that statement at a press conference in Las Vegas yesterday:

On Monday Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that 40 states had submitted 270 high-speed rail pre-applications seeking to qualify for stimulus money.

A total of $93 billion has been preliminarily requested. The Transport Politic offers a great overview of the state applications. California represents $22.3 billion of that total:

Caltrans met the Friday deadline to submit preliminary applications for $22.3 billion in passenger and high-speed rail projects in three main corridors: San Francisco-San Jose (which includes improvements to San Francisco's Transbay Terminal), Los Angeles-Anaheim and the Central Valley.

Many of these applications were for "regional" multi-state projects, such as the New England and the Midwest.

Nevada also submitted a multi-billion request, entirely for the maglev project:

Neil Cummings, president of the American Magline Group, the private consortium of firms that would develop the maglev line, said the commission proposed building the first, 40-mile segment between Las Vegas and Primm. The cost would be $1.6 billion.

The group also submitted a second application to the Transportation Department for planning money to continue developing the line to Anaheim.

DesertXpress, for its part, didn't put in an application for HSR stimulus funds, but intends to make use of the planned national infrastructure bank program to finance up to 70% of the estimated $5 billion cost, according to the Las Vegas Sun.

I confess I would be surprised if maglev got much money out of this. Ray LaHood has previously said that California and Florida are in the lead for HSR funds, and although that doesn't guarantee a thing, we've always anticipated CA could get as much as $3-$4 billion of the HSR stimulus funds.

As far as I can tell that should remain the case. The Midwestern application has its issues, including what Ray LaHood has described as a lack of leadership. New England's application is interesting but as they already have the Acela, one might expect USDOT to spread the money around a bit.

We'll find out later this fall what the USDOT's final decision is.

PS: Apologies for the spotty posting of late. I came down with the flu while in LA last weekend, and I'm only just now coming out of the worst of it.
Posted by Robert Cruickshank at 5:43 PM

Purple Line in puberty (Source: MetroRiderLA)

Link: Purple Line in puberty | MetroRiderLA

Purple Line in puberty

Contributed by Wad on July 13th, 2009 at 1:02 pm

Solair at Wilshire/Western Station

Images are by Yours Truly, shot for the anniversary. They can be seen on the MetroRiderLA Flickr pool.

It was today — July 13, 1996 — when the subway had been extended to Wilshire/Vermont, Wilshire/Normandie and Wilshire/Western stations. Back then, it had been known as the Red Line. Today, it is the same service but known as the Purple Line.

Koreatown has now had subway service for 13 years now. The definitive subway birthday story is my MetroRiderLA piece from 2006, its 10th birthday.

As the subway grew, so has the city. The Solair complex has finished construction atop the Wilshire/Western station, and the Wilshire/Vermont complex has a bustling retail hub around the subway station. The Summit on Sixth, a converted office building, is also open. The Wilshire/Normandie station remains mostly the same, though pretty much all trace of the Ambassador Hotel is now gone.

The best news, though, was from last November, with the passage of Measure R. It would reduce the importance of Koreatown as merely a branch of the busier Red Line, and raise it to the Wilshire trunk line it was meant to be.

Mid-July is also the birthday for the Green Line, which would now be 14, and the oldest of the siblings, the Blue Line, is 19 years young.

Two-car Purple Line train

Metro only ran two-car trains to Wilshire/Western during the midday on July 13.

Sales tax goes up to 9.75% (Source: Burbank Leader)

Link: Burbank Leader > Archives > Business > Sales tax goes up to 9.75%

Sales tax goes up to 9.75%

It rises another half-percentage point, after having gone from
8.25% to 9.25% in April.

By Zain Shauk

Published: Last Updated Wednesday, July 1, 2009 12:05 AM PDT
BURBANK — Los Angeles County shoppers will pay an extra half-cent on their purchases starting today, when the sales tax will jump to nearly 10% as part of an effort to fund regional public transportation developments, including new carpool lanes on a local stretch of the Golden State (5) Freeway.

The Measure R sales tax, approved by more than two-thirds of voters in November, is expected to generate $40 billion over 30 years for a series of Metropolitan Transportation Authority rail, bus, highway and road projects throughout the county, but will also add a burden on citizens and businesses during the recession, officials said.

Auto dealers will likely face the largest effect as shoppers feel the weight of a series of recent tax and fee increases, including the sales tax rising from 8.25% to 9.75%, said Glendale City Councilman Ara Najarian, who takes over today as chairman of the MTA’s Board of Directors.

“I think there may be some big-ticket retailers for whom the consumers will receive a significant increase in their total price,” Najarian said. “Those type of retailers may see a drop [in sales].”

The Measure R tax will hit consumer budgets just months after California instituted a 1% sales tax hike and nearly doubled the vehicle license fee, from 0.65% to 1.15% of a car’s value, as part of a plan to balance the state’s budget.

The collective tax and fee hikes will present another hurdle for the 15 dealerships along the Brand Boulevard of Cars in Glendale, many of which have struggled to attract customers during the recession. At least one dealer was mindful of the additional challenge, although he was optimistic that customers would ignore the hike, despite its nearing 10%.

“Of course I’m worried about it,” said Rich Smith, chief financial officer for Ellis Family Stores, which owns Glendale Dodge on Brand. “Do I think it’ll impact business? I really don’t because it’s not something that we really have a choice to pay or not to pay.”

But the overall effect of the series of hikes might be financially damaging for residents, even in light of the potential benefits of public transportation improvements, said former Glendale Mayor Larry Zarian, member of the California Transportation Commission.

The most significant local project will expand the Golden State Freeway to add new carpool lanes between the Ventura (134) Freeway and the Hollywood (170) Freeway.

That project is in its design stage and is set to begin construction in the fall, MTA spokesman Rick Jager said. It should be completed by 2013.

Zarian supported the local projects, but was opposed to the timing of the tax hike.

“When you pay increased taxes, you have less money to spend on your home, less money to go out and buy things from businesses,” Zarian said, contending that the effect of the latest surge in taxes would not help with the area’s economic recovery.

Najarian opposed Measure R when it went to voters because he felt area residents would pay equally for projects but not receive as many direct benefits from local construction as other communities, like the Westside and downtown Los Angeles.

Among Measure R’s most expensive projects will be the so-called Subway to the Sea, which will expand the Purple Line from downtown into Westwood, with longer-range plans for the beach communities. The allocation for that expansion is set at $4.2 billion, while another rail line to run from downtown Los Angeles to Culver City along Exposition Boulevard is projected to cost about $1.6 billion.

The Golden State Freeway carpool lane project, by comparison, is set at $610 million.

“I don’t think that we were getting a fair amount in relation to the money that we were putting in,” Najarian said, later adding that the Glendale-Burbank area was being short-changed. “We’re probably the least funded of any particular region.”

But Measure R received strong voter support, and the local freeway lane expansion project will offer valuable relief to an area that is expected to become more congested, said Kelly Markham, spokeswoman for the California Department of Transportation’s local district.

“There’s been a lot of concern about the increasing use of [Bob Hope Airport] in Burbank, and also the redevelopment of Empire Center has generated a lot more traffic, so we are seeing a lot more congestion there,” she said.

Increased local traffic along the Golden State Freeway has made the carpool lanes necessary to relieve congestion in Glendale and Burbank, Najarian and Zarian said.

And with widespread voter approval for Measure R, the MTA may have more weight as it tries to get all of its projects moving immediately, said Najarian, adding that the board may seek White House support to help get the developments started sooner than later.

“Because the residents of L.A. have agreed to this tax, that gives us a lot of credibility when we go to Washington and ask for special attention for our county, because not many other counties in the nation have done that, where the residents have stepped up to the plate to accept a higher tax for transportation projects,” Najarian said.



 ZAIN SHAUK covers education. He may be reached at (818) 637-3238 or by e-mail at zain.shauk@latimes.com.

Many hands out for stimulus rail money Maglev system among them, but not rival DesertXpress

Many hands out for stimulus rail money - Las Vegas Sun

Many hands out for stimulus rail money
Maglev system among them, but not rival DesertXpress

Sen. Harry Reid, right, listens as Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood speaks July 2 at a news conference to designate a high-speed-rail corridor.

By Lisa Mascaro (contact)

Tuesday, July 14, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Washington — A moment of truth has arrived for Nevada’s two proposed fast-train lines competing for the passenger-rich route between Las Vegas and Southern California.

On Monday Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that 40 states had submitted 270 high-speed rail pre-applications seeking to qualify for stimulus money.

Will the privately backed, $5 billion DesertXpress high-speed train between Las Vegas and Victorville, Calif., seek funding, even though its backers have promised they don’t need federal dollars?

Will the publicly backed, $12 billion magnetic levitation line between Las Vegas and Anaheim push forward, even after losing the support of its chief backer, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, because it had taken too long to develop?

The Transportation Department is not commenting on the proposals it received by Friday’s deadline.

But a spokeswoman for DesertXpress said the project did not pre-apply for funding because it intends to remain privately funded. (The project instead will seek federal government loans, which are available for up to 100 percent of the cost.)

The maglev line’s sponsors at the California Nevada Super Speed Train Commission did submit a pre-application for the project, a spokesman said.

In the end, it remains unclear whether Nevada will get any of the $8 billion now available for high-speed rail.

The Obama administration has launched an unprecedented outlay in rail as part of the economic recovery bill passed by Congress and signed into law this year. President Barack Obama’s budget has since requested another $5 billion over the next five years to further fund rail development.

Maglev is a technology untried on rail in this country, and LaHood said he expects most of the proposals will be for high-speed rail lines similar to those now operating in Europe and Asia.

LaHood noted that maglev proposals are very expensive.

“We’re going to consider proposals that are serious proposals, that have the kind of inter-modality, multi-state, regional approach,” LaHood told reporters during a roundtable at Transportation Department headquarters.

When asked if maglev would be considered a “serious” proposal, LaHood said, “I think it’ll be serious if we get one.”

Final applications are due next month.

Reid had been a longtime backer of the maglev train proposal as he sought a rail line between Las Vegas and Southern California, but he grew frustrated with the pace of development and switched his support to the upstart DesertXpress.

Traffic on the roads and in the air between the two destinations is at capacity, and the Las Vegas tourism industry depends on the easy flow of visitors from Southern California, who make up a great portion of the Strip visitors.

In a few short years the DesertXpress project has invested $25 million on engineering plans for the line to Victorville.

Critics say the Victorville line is a train to nowhere, as the high-desert outpost is 85 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. But project supporters envision giving travelers a Vegas-like experience from the time they step on the train for the ride across the desert.

DesertXpress supporters also see their train one day connecting to California’s proposed north-south line that is to make a stop in Palmdale, just west of Victorville, providing a connection into downtown Los Angeles.

DesertXpress is backed by Sig Rogich, a Republican political guru in Nevada who is a Reid supporter and co-chairman of Reid’s reelection group Republicans for Reid.

In early July, LaHood designated the Las Vegas-to-Southern California route a high-speed rail corridor, enabling a proposed line to qualify for stimulus money.

Already, 10 high-speed rail corridors exist nationwide, areas determined under previous administrations as focal points for fast-train development.

But LaHood downplayed the significance of the corridor designation, saying the department is open as it judges the best projects. “Even those that maybe are not as far along as other regions will be considered,” he said.

Neil Cummings, president of the American Magline Group, the private consortium of firms that would develop the maglev line, said the commission proposed building the first, 40-mile segment between Las Vegas and Primm. The cost would be $1.6 billion.

The group also submitted a second application to the Transportation Department for planning money to continue developing the line to Anaheim.

Cummings estimates the maglev project would be jointly financed with 20 percent to 50 percent in private investment.

Organizers of both projects promise to break ground in 18 months.

DesertXpress has maintained it will not seek public funds, but may apply for loans from the federal government through a project that is separate from the recovery funds. The group expects to finance 70 percent of the cost.

Rail experts have said no private rail lines exist because they are not profitable.

Testing the ground for subway to the sea (Source: 89.3 KPCC) This is the second article to appear on ground tests being done to extend the subway to the sea. Will Mayor Bradley's dream finally come true?

Link: 89.3 KPCC | Testing the ground for subway to the sea

Testing the ground for subway to the sea
Jul 13, 2009 | Brian Watt | KPCC

Drill rigs and hard hats are popping up at a few Los Angeles intersections this week. KPCC’s Brian Watt says L.A. Metro is testing the ground for the proposed Westside Subway Extension.

This is the latest item on L.A. Metro’s long to-do list for the subway to the sea – taking underground soil samples for an environmental impact report.

Crews plan to start digging today at the intersection of Highland and Selma avenues. They’ll begin tomorrow at Santa Monica Boulevard and Avenue of the Stars, and on Thursday at Wilshire Boulevard and Detroit Street.

The drilling in each spot goes from 9 in the morning to 3:30 in the afternoon for three weekdays.

It will block off the parking lane and up to one traffic lane in each area. People nearby should expect some noise and a little vibration from the drilling. L.A. Metro is looking at extending its Purple Line along Wilshire Boulevard to the city of Santa Monica and an extension west from the Hollywood/Highland subway stop via Santa Monica Boulevard.

Fare Gates for Metro Trains Are Coming, But Slowly (Source: Streetsblog Los Angeles)

Link: Streetsblog Los Angeles » Fare Gates for Metro Trains Are Coming, But Slowly

Fare Gates for Metro Trains Are Coming, But Slowly

by Damien Newton on July 13, 2009


Photo of PATH Station in Newark, NJ: Ho0n/Flickr
Despite a Board Report available on Metro's website that states that fare gates will be installed on all Metro rail lines by the end of the year (look on page 16 of this link); Meto staff reports that gates aren't going to be up and running anytime soon. Installation of gates has just begun at the Wilshire/Normandie Purple Line Station, but we're not at the point where we can even see the gates yet, they should start physically being installed by the end of the week or early next week.

Once the Wilshire/Normandie installation is completed, Metro will continue along the Red and Purple Lines, a process that Rick Jager estimates could take up to six months before moving on to the Green Line, then the Blue Line and finally, the Gold Line. Metro hasn't yet completed installation for the pilot program at certain Gold Line stations that was, according to the schedule linked to above, supposed to be completed by the end of June. A start date for the turnstiles to be operational hasn't been announced, nor whether they will begin operation "piecemeal" or wait until the system is installed at every rail stop.

While I still roll my eyes at the thought that these gates will Keep Us Safe From Terrorists, my real concerns are whether or not the gates will be a burden to those using the rails who are bringing extra baggage, baby strollers, bicycles or whatever onto the trains and whether or not the gates will cause a backup and make people miss their trains.

I'm going to be out of town at the end of this week and start of next, so if any Streetsblogger wants to take some pictures of the turnstiles as they're installed and describe how easy they are to use, there is a Streetfilms T-shirt in it for you.  Email me at damien@streetsblog.org.

Complete list of all proposed Light Rail, Subway and Rapidways for LA county

1. Metro Crenshaw Corridor
2. Metro Exposition Line Phase 1
3. Metro Exposition Line Phase
   
4. Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension Phase 1
5. Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension Phase 2
6. Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension
7. Metro Green Line Extension to LAX
8. Metro Green Line South Bay Extension
9. Metro Orange Line Extension
10. Regional connector
11. SFV East N-S Rapidway
12. Westside Subway Extension
    a) Segment 1 to Fairfax
    b) Segment 2 to Century City
    c) Segment 3 to Westwood
    
    Is there any to add to this list? I'm compiling an exhaustive list.
    

This Week’s Measure R Workshop; Accelerated Rail Projects; and Villaraigosa Wants Foothill Extension in 2013 (Source: I Will Ride Blog)

This Week’s Measure R Workshop; Accelerated Rail Projects; and Villaraigosa Wants Foothill Extension in 2013 « I Will Ride Blog

This Week’s Measure R Workshop; Accelerated Rail Projects; and Villaraigosa Wants Foothill Extension in 2013
Posted by Albert

This is the latest email from Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority CEO Habib Balian. Here he talks about this Thursday’s upcoming Measure R workshop, a few light-rail projects that are being pushed onto an accelerated timetable, and support for Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa’s transportation goals.

Here is a reminder that Metro’s Measure R workshop will take place this Thursday, July 16, at 9 a.m. at Metro headquarters. Please note that last week’s update had an error - the workshop is this Thursday, not Wednesday.

At the workshop, the Metro board is expected to review the Measure R schedule, funding cashflow, project implementation and regional participation and prioritization issues. From the handout that Metro is distributing for the meeting (click here to see plan), the primary discussion regarding rail projects will be about finding ways to accelerate funding and scheduling. This should be good news for the Foothill Extension, as the Construction Authority has already shown Metro a business plan that can expedite opening of the line to Azusa by four years.

However, the attached document only mentions accelerating the regional connector, Gold Line Eastside Extension 2 and the Green Line to LAX. The proposal would move the opening dates of the regional connector from 2025 to 2018, the Eastside Extension from 2035 to 2018 and the Green Line to LAX from 2028 to 2017. Other projects would remain on the schedule set out by Measure R, which includes the Foothill Extension opening in 2017.

We will be at the workshop to ask that the schedule be amended to accelerate the Foothill Extension by four years.

Speaking of the opening date for Measure R projects, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has set a goal to "build eight Measure R rail projects on time or ahead of schedule" in his second term in office. We are very supportive of his efforts, especially his plan for the Foothill Extension, which he declares will be open in 2013. You can see on his website (click here or see the image below).

We look forward to his support as we work on our public-private partnership to construct the line and have it operating in 2013. We can put thousands of people back to work, stimulate the San Gabriel Valley and Los Angeles County economies, relieve congestion and increase Metro ridership. When the Eastside and Foothill Extensions are open, Gold Line boardings are estimated to exceed 55,000 a day.

The next step after Thursday’s Measure R workshop is the Metro board’s consideration of the Long Range Transportation Plan, which will formalize the funding plan and construction schedule for the Foothill Extension. The meeting is scheduled for July 23 at 9:30 a.m. at Metro. Please save the date.

The Journey Continues…

Habib F. Balian

Three Rail Projects Could Have Timelines Moved Up, Mayor & Advocates Seeking More (Source: LAist)

Three Rail Projects Could Have Timelines Moved Up, Mayor & Advocates Seeking More - LAist

Three Rail Projects Could Have Timelines Moved Up, Mayor & Advocates Seeking More


Part of Metro's Power Point presentation (.pdf) for this week's meeting

On July 1st, our taxes in LA County increased a half penny on the dollar to fund a mix of transportation projects, whether they be rail, highway or something else, thanks to Measure R, which was voted in by the public last November. This Thursday morning, Metro will hold a Measure R committee meeting (.pdf) to discuss aspects of that and part of that discussion will be the possibility of moving up the timelines of three projects.

Those projects are moving opening dates of the regional connector in downtown from 2025 to 2018, the second Gold Line Eastside Extension to 2035 to 2018 and the Green Line to LAX from 2028 to 2017.

That has Gold Line Foothill Extension advocates worried.

"We will be at the workshop to ask that the schedule be amended to accelerate the Foothill Extension by four years," wrote Habib Balian, the CEO of the Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority, in an e-mail reprinted on a blog dedicated to the rail line. "Speaking of the opening date for Measure R projects, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has set a goal to 'build eight Measure R rail projects on time or ahead of schedule' in his second term in office. We are very supportive of his efforts, especially his plan for the Foothill Extension."

In Villaraigosa's plan, he envisions building eight rail projects on time or ahead of schedule including the Gold Line Foothill Extension to Azusa by 2013.

By Zach Behrens in News on July 13, 2009 6:00 PM

Duarte MTA open house, tours of light rail yards (Source: SGVTribune.com)

Link: Duarte MTA open house, tours of light rail yards - SGVTribune.com

Duarte MTA open house, tours of light rail yards
Staff Reports
Posted: 07/12/2009 04:24:44 PM PDT

In response to requests of Duarte City Council members and city residents, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has scheduled three tours and a community open house.

The open house will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 6, at the Duarte Community Center, 1600 Huntington Dr. The tours are scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 18, July 22, and Aug. 4 at the community center.

These tours will provide an opportunity to see all three of Metro's operating light rail maintenance yards.

A new rail maintenance facility is needed to complete and operate the Foothill Extension.

Included in the tours are the light rail maintenance yards for Metro's Blue, Green and Gold Lines in Long Beach, Lawndale and Los Angeles. Tours will begin at the Sierra Madre Villa Gold Line station.

For reservations, call Dave Monks at (213) 922-7456.

To submit information for briefs, e-mail news.tribune@sgvn.com

CurbedWire: Subway Soil Testing on Wilshire, Shy Still Painting (Source: Curbed LA)

Link: Curbed LA: CurbedWire: Subway Soil Testing on Wilshire, Shy Still Painting

CurbedWire: Subway Soil Testing on Wilshire, Shy Still Painting

Friday, July 10, 2009, by Neal Broverman



WILSHIRE BLVD: Many complain that the subway to the sea is a far-off reality. Well, courtesy of Metro, photo evidence that drilling has already started—though it's for soil-testing rather than installing tunnels at this point. The photo shows drilling near Wilshire and Fairfax, the likely terminus of the first leg of the Purple Line extension, and according to an article in the Beverly Press, Santa Monica Boulevard is being drilled too for a possible WeHo subway spur. And more Wilshire drilling is happening this weekend and next week, according to LAist.com. [BP/Metro]

Is this a time for state bullet train? (Source: Fresno Bee)

Is this a time for state bullet train? - Dan Walters - fresnobee.com

Is this a time for state bullet train?
Published online on Sunday, Jul. 12, 2009

By Dan Walters / The Sacramento Bee

California is mired in the worst recession since the Great Depression: its budget is riddled with deficits, its credit rating is dropping into junk status and Sacramento is issuing IOUs in lieu of checks.

Is this any time for the state to undertake construction of a high-speed railroad line between Northern and Southern California that will cost at least $40 billion, much of it from bonds to be repaid from a state budget that already is hemorrhaging red ink?

Yes, say its fervent advocates, contending that a bullet train, similar to those in Europe and Japan, will reduce air and auto congestion, reduce greenhouse gases and generate many billions of dollars in economic benefits.

Last year, California voters passed a $9.95 billion bond issue to provide initial financing for the system, with the rest to assumedly come from the federal government, private investors and perhaps revenue bonds.
The criticism continues, however, questioning both whether a high-speed rail system makes transportation and economic sense and the route adopted by the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA), especially running trains over the unpopulated Pacheco Pass between San Jose and the Central Valley.

Bullet train advocates have been touting California as qualifying for a significant portion of the $8 billion set aside in federal stimulus money for transit because of the bond issue.

Just a few days ago, however, the feds decided to place the Los Angeles-Las Vegas high-speed route promoted by Nevada interests, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, in the California system.

It raises the specter that huge sums would be spent to make it easier for Californians to spend their money in Las Vegas casinos.

Meanwhile, opposition to the Pacheco Pass route appears to be growing because it would mean routing trains down the bucolic San Francisco Peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose. The alternate would be to run trains over the Altamont Pass along Interstate 580 into the Stockton-Tracy area, a more heavily traveled commuter corridor.

Environmental activists in Palo Alto are complaining about the impact on their city and somewhat mysteriously, language appeared in the still-pending revisions to the 2009-10 state budget that makes allocation of $139 million in high-speed rail planning funds contingent on "alternative alignments" being considered. Advocates of the Pacheco Pass route consider it to be a poison pill and will try to get it removed before a final budget is enacted, if that ever occurs.

While $9 billion of the voter-approved bond issue is to be used for the system, if and when it is ever built, the remaining $995 million can be spent on local mass transit systems on the assumption that they will improve access to high-speed rail.

There is a suspicion among those who chart the erratic course taken by the bullet train project that when push comes to shove, its only tangible fruit will be those local projects.
Dan Walters writes for The Bee’s Capitol bureau. E-mail: dwalters@sacbee. com
 mail: P.O. Box 15779, Sacramento, CA 95852.

Why The CHSRA Was Right To Reject The Settlement (Link: www.cahsr.blogspot.com)

Link: California High Speed Rail Blog: Why The CHSRA Was Right To Reject The Settlement

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Why The CHSRA Was Right To Reject The Settlement

by Robert Cruickshank

Reports of the CHSRA's rejection of a settlement offer put forward by Menlo Park, Atherton, the Planning and Conservation League, and several other unnamed organizations have gotten some notice in the comments to the previous post, but it deserves its own entry.

Especially so I can explain why this was the right thing to do for not just the CHSRA, but the HSR project.

The California High Speed Rail Authority has rejected a settlement offer that Menlo Park, Atherton and environmental groups made in a lawsuit challenging the decision to run bullet trains through the Peninsula instead of the East Bay, an attorney for the cities said.

The offer, which the authority rejected in a closed session meeting July 2, would have required the agency to consider running trains through Altamont Pass, said Stuart Flashman, an attorney for the petitioners. Altamont Pass and Pacheco Pass were the two finalists for the route, and the authority selected Pacheco in 2007.

"What we are proposing is we would agree to dismiss the case if you would agree at the project level to restudy one Altamont alternative," Flashman said Thursday. "You throw this out now, and it may not come back. They decided they would just roll the dice."


Why should the CHSRA believe this? Although the specific parties to a settlement would be bound by its terms, others would not. Flashman has done a lot of work to sow doubt about the Pacheco choice. Menlo Park and Atherton have residents who would still be free to file their own lawsuits - suits that are almost guaranteed to occur should the CHSRA decide on anything other than a no-build option for the Peninsula.

More importantly, it would open the door to revisiting route choices by what is essentially blackmail. Route selection and design choices must be driven by what is best for the HSR project.

There's more:

Flashman noted that the authority did not make a counter offer.

Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Michael Kenny held a five-hour hearing in the case May 29 and must make a ruling by the end of August, Flashman said. In the meantime, he must go through about 35,000 pages of documents.

"I felt, and talking with my clients they also felt, that this would have been an opportune time to try and settle," Flashman said. "Essentially we were in a situation where everybody could form their opinions about who was likely to win."


Flashman is parsing his words carefully here, but this is as clear an admission of defeat as we'll probably ever get from him and his crew. One has to assume the CHSRA recognized this as well and therefore felt no reason to settle. A court victory for the Authority would also do much to discourage other frivolous lawsuits.

Still, would it have been good for the CHSRA to offer a settlement anyway? Especially since it's possible that refusing to do so might reinforce the incorrect view among the Peninsula NIMBYs that the CHSRA is unaccountable and hostile?

I don't believe it would have been, since I'm not seeing anything the CHSRA could have offered that would be better than a court victory. As I noted above, no settlement could stop others in Menlo Park and Atherton - or other cities - from suing. Flashman et. al. want to force reconsideration of the Altamont corridor, but that ship has long since sailed, especially with CA voters ratifying the plan to use the Altamont corridor as a high speed corridor anyway.

I still await the final verdict, in favor of the HSR project and its fair process, against NIMBYs and those so-called environmentalists who prioritize small-time parochial concerns over the much greater benefits to the environment of actually building HSR.

Who's Next on Google Transit? A Sampling (Source: LAist)

Who's Next on Google Transit? A Sampling

Yesterday was a big day for Los Angeles transportation. Metro, the county's behemoth transit agency, officially announced their partnership with Google. But the county is large and there are various partner agencies throughout. Here's a sampling, with more to come in later days, of where other city transit systems stand with Google Transit:

Los Angeles (LADOT): "Basically, our information, all of it, whether it's DASH or Commuter Express, will be included in whatever Metro provides [to Google]," said Laura Keller of the department's Public Information Office. However, Metro was a bit bemused upon hearing this and could not confirm this fact immediately. UPDATE: Metro is looking into the possibility, but Google wants to pursue individual agreements with every municipal operator.

Culver City: "Culver City is interested in the program," says Art Ida, who manages the city's transit division. "However, we do not have an expected implementation date."

Santa Clarita: The city's Webmaster, Ryan Drake, explains it from a technical side: "It is something we have looked into in the past but due to the way our routes are set up we are not able to provide them with the data they require. However, once we have fully implemented our new Transit Information Network (TIN) we plan on revisiting the application." When Google Transit was gearing up to launch a few years ago, the city had applied to be part of the beta test, but their application did not make it through.

Santa Monica (Big Blue Bus): Yes, hopefully by the end of the calendar year, they said in a comment left on Green LA Girl.

Who else locally is already on Google Transit? Burbank, Irvin, Orange County, Riverside, San Bernadino County, Foothill Transit, Metrolink and Thousand Oaks.

By Zach Behrens in News on July 10, 2009 10:15 AM

Metro rep tells WANA about possible new LB light-rail line (Source: Signal Tribune Newspaper)

Line: Metro rep tells WANA about possible new LB light-rail line | Signal Tribune Newspaper

Metro rep tells WANA about possible new LB light-rail line
July 10th, 2009 · No Comments


Randy Lamm and Cory Zelmer

BY NICK DIAMANTIDES
Staff Writer

Twenty years from now, there could be a new light-rail line linking The Blue Line at Long Beach to San Pedro and the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). That’s what Randy Lamm told the approximately 30 people who attended the monthly meeting of the Wrigley Area Neighborhood Alliance (WANA) last week at Jackie Robinson Academy.

Lamm is the project manager of a study being conducted by the Los Angeles County Transportation Authority (Metro). “I and Metro Transportation Planner Cory Zelmer are here to tell you about the progress we are making on what we call the alternatives analysis study for a 26-mile rail right-of-way that Metro purchased from Burlington Northern Railroad in the early 1990s,” Lamm said. “This corridor runs from just south of Union Station in Los Angeles to the east side of LAX and then southeast through the South Bay to Wilmington.”

Lamm explained that Metro is conducting the study to determine how to best utilize the 26-mile corridor. He added that, in the future, the transit agency might have to acquire additional right-of-way to link the corridor to the Blue Line (which runs from downtown Long Beach to downtown Los Angeles). He said that if that happens, a light rail might one day run along either Spring or Willow streets.

“We are looking at various alternatives and service options to serve the 26-mile corridor,” he said. “It’s a big area that traverses 12 jurisdictions.” He noted that the right-of-way varies in width. “It is very narrow in the northern area– probably only wide enough for one type of transit service,” he said. “It’s wider in the southern area and it also overlaps (for five miles) with another project that we are studying right now called the Crenshaw Corridor Transit Project that will run from Green Line Aviation Station near LAX to Crenshaw Boulevard and then north to Wilshire Boulevard.” He explained that part of the complexity of the alternatives analysis is making sure that whatever is done on the corridor is compatible with the Crenshaw Project.

Lamm told the audience that the Metro study is evaluating 13 different criteria, beginning with costs. He explained that his staff will try to estimate the capital costs as well as operating and maintenance costs of each of the alternatives being considered. Some of the other criteria include: the type of system that can fit in the right-of-way; travel time, reliability and connectivity; environmental benefits and impacts; environmental sustainability; financial feasibility; safety; and security.

Lamm explained that the study began with 25 alternatives, but his staff has narrowed the number down to four. The first of those is a train with local stops from Union Station to LAX. The next is a train with local stops running from LAX to either San Pedro or Long Beach. Third is a train with regional stops running from Union Station to either San Pedro or Long Beach. The fourth is an express train running from Union Station to LAX.
Lamm noted that the four alternatives could use light-rail (electric) transit, clean-burning diesel-powered trains, or commuter rail modes. He added that bus rapid transit was eliminated from further consideration after staff determined that it was not feasible on the 26-mile right-of-way for a variety of reasons.

He told the WANA audience that Metro began the study last year. “We have done extensive community outreach, beginning with five scoping meetings that we conducted in fall 2008,” he said. He added that seven technical advisory meetings have been held to date, five community meetings were conducted in spring 2009, and more will be conducted before the study is completed.

Lamm explained that so far the community meetings have shown that the public desires transit improvements along the 26-mile corridor and there is strong support for connections to LAX, downtown Los Angeles and the communities along the corridor. He acknowledged, however, that residents have also expressed concerns about environmental impacts, air-quality issues and safety due to the large number of grade crossings in the corridor.

After the presentation, Lamm and Zelmer fielded questions and comments from the audience. Several people said they would not want a light rail running on either Spring or Willow because those streets are already heavily used. Others expressed concern about parking problems caused by a large influx of commuters driving their cars to the light-rail stations.
Lamm replied that their concerns would be included in the analysis. He added that his staff expects to complete the study and make recommendations to the Metro board of directors by the end of this year. At that point, the board could approve one of the alternatives and vote to go forward with the next phase– an environmental review of the selected alternative. Lamm stressed that the study is the first small step in a very long process and the Metro board could decide to alter the alternative that it ultimately selects. A few days after the WANA meeting, Lamm gave essentially the same presentation at the monthly meeting of the Wrigley Association.

More Information
(213) 922-4004
www.harborsubdivision@metro.net

Green Line to LAX Takes Another Step (Source: LAist)

Link: Green Line to LAX Takes Another Step - LAist

Green Line to LAX Takes Another Step


At the Rosa Parks Station where the Blue and Green Lines meet | Photo by Fred Camino via Flickr

As talks to extend the Green Line closer to LAX continue, the city will still have to figure out how to get people to each terminal from the new station. Councilman Bill Rosendahl last week proposed that a study be conducted about the feasibility of extending the train line directly into the Central Terminus area so a people mover can deliver travelers to their terminals, according to his motion:

An on-airport rail link inside the LAX Central Terminal Area (CTA) would provide the greatest convenience to passengers and encourage the use of the city's mass-transit system. Space constraints, however, have made such a proposal difficult to consider. The pending purchase by LAWA of the Park One property, adjacent to Terminal 1, may provide the first real opportunity to build an on-airport rail link at LAX.

"If we don't make it accessible, people won't use it," Councilwoman Janice Hahn told the Daily Breeze earlier this week in regards to the people mover/rail link connection. "It's time to right that wrong for the public."

The Park One property the motion speaks of was approved for purchase today by the full council with the high price tag of $126 million. The Green Line motion passed a city panel on Wednesday and will hit the council in the near future. If the line is extended, Metro said it could be as late as 2018 before it is completed, according to the Breeze.

By Zach Behrens in News on July 10, 2009 5:20 PM

Downtown Streetcar Project Opens Website, Seeks Feedback (Source: Streetblog Los Angeles)

Link: Streetsblog Los Angeles » Downtown Streetcar Project Opens Website, Seeks Feedback

Downtown Streetcar Project Opens Website, Seeks Feedback

by Damien Newton on July 10, 2009


A street car on Tornoto's King Street. Photo: Kevinseanw/Flickr

Activist and blogger Eric Richardson, and indeed the whole Blogdowntown team so some extent, have been heavily involved in advocating for bringing streetcars back to Los Angeles on Broadway and beyond. Thus, it's little surprise that Richardson has the scoop on L.A. Streetcar Inc.'s new website designed to solicit feedback on potential routes for Los Angeles' streetcars of the 21st Century:

For many Downtowners, 2014 just can't get here fast enough.

That's the projected opening date for a Downtown streetcar planned to link South Park, Bunker Hill and the Historic Core. L.A. Streetcar Inc. (LASI) today launched a new website full of information about the project and its current status.

Most importantly, the site includes maps for three conceptual alignments currently under consideration.

The non-profit LASI was set up in 2008 to spearhead the streetcar project, following a model established in other cities like Portland. In January, the board named Dennis Allen its Executive Director and he's been hard at work on streetcar issues ever since.

What follows is an interview with Allen that touches on the choices behind the roots and other issues. If you're not familar with Blogdowntown and have some thoughts on the streetcar, please feel free to leave comments there as well as here. The folks at L.A.S.I. are familar with Blogdowntown and will be mining the site for feedback.

Appiphilia: Some Google Maps smartphone apps get L.A. transit info (Source: LA Times)

Link: Appiphilia: Some Google Maps smartphone apps get L.A. transit info | Technology | Los Angeles Times

Appiphilia: Some Google Maps smartphone apps get L.A. transit info
4:34 PM, July 10, 2009

Google mapsHave you noticed some new data points on your Google Maps app? Well, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has just hooked up with Google Maps to make it easier for passengers to plan trips using the MTA's buses and trains.

As mentioned on the LA Now blog, the MTA is the latest to add its info to Google's interactive maps. And you can tap into that on your iPhone as well. By tapping the transit icon (the bus in the middle), you can access schedules for the road and rail public transportation options to your destination. It includes the departure times, estimated travel time and price to hitch a ride.

The BlackBerry Google Maps app also offers transit details -- routes, times and distance. The MTA's info wasn't accessible when we tried to call it up with plans for a trip from downtown L.A. to Glendale and one from downtown to Irvine. Foothill Transit directions from L.A. to Claremont came up without issue.

Other transit agencies currently available through Google Maps include Foothill Transit and Metrolink.

-- Michelle Maltais