Pedestrian View Of Los Angeles

This blog focuses on rail lines in LA country that exist, are under construction or under consideration. The Californian high-speed rail project and southern CA to Vegas project will also be covered. Since most of the relevant developments in the news, rail websites and blogosphere take place on weekdays, this blog will be updated primarily Monday through Friday and occasionally on the weekends. Your comments, criticism and suggestions are encouraged. Miscellaneous stuff will also appear here.

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Friday, May 15, 2009

Santa Monica Residents weigh in on future of Civic Center visavis Expo Line Phase 2.

Making their voices heard
Making their voices heard
Residents weigh in on future of Civic Center
By Melody Hanatani
write the author


May 13, 2009
MAIN STREET — Armed with sticky notes, markers and most importantly, opinions, residents on Monday met with city officials to give their input on an elaborate proposal for the future of Downtown and the Civic Center.

City Hall is planning on a number of improvements to the area in anticipation of the Exposition Light Rail, which is expected to bring several hundred passengers with each inbound train to the terminal of Colorado Avenue at Fourth Street, impacting a notoriously congested section of Santa Monica.

Some suggested improvements that have been placed on the table include extending the freeway off-ramp at Fourth Street to Main Street via Fujinomiya Drive, perhaps taking it all the way to Ocean Avenue, constructing a roundabout at Main Street in front of the Rand Corp., and some changes to improve traffic and the pedestrian experience on Colorado Avenue.

City officials are also proposing to "deck" or cover the I-10 Freeway and build a park that would be contiguous with the Palisades Garden Walk.

Residents split up into breakout groups where a city planner at each table led a discussion about the proposed changes, gauging their interest on a number of topics, including the freeway decking, off-ramp, roundabout, and parking. Many said they didn't like the idea of creating a roundabout in front of the Rand Corp., while the consensus seemed to favor the proposal to create a plaza off the Expo stop, requesting that it be hardscape.

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While residents seem to have mixed opinions on many of the issues, one thing they generally agreed on was that covering the freeway was a good idea and extending the off-ramp might not be.

Some even suggested to direct all northbound traffic to the Fifth Street exit and force cars on the Fourth Street off-ramp to head south, dispersing the traffic even more.

Paul Casey, a long-time resident, said that decking worked well in Seattle where a park was created over the freeway.

"It can really connect the Civic with Downtown to make it a fluid experience so that you're not aware that there is a freeway," he said.

Dennis Allard, an Ocean Park resident, spoke favorably of the idea to cover the I-10 Freeway from Fourth Street to Ocean Avenue, noting it would essentially be an extension of the McClure Tunnel.

He was less enthusiastic about the proposal to extend the freeway off-ramp, adding that the bigger issue with traffic is getting on the I-10, not off.

"I'm not sure if we're going to need that," he said.

He said the better solution would be more mass transit, adding that he would like to see more lines added to Santa Monica.

"(Expo) should be one of 10 rail lines we put in," he said.

Mike Spinelli, a Sunset Park resident, said that he had concerns with the freeway off-ramp suggestion, which he believes might push traffic onto Fifth Street where cars could be stopped every several minutes to wait for a passing train, causing further congestion.

He was among the many residents who seemed interested in exploring the idea of extending the off-ramp to Main Street, but felt it would not be a good idea to have it cut through Palisades Garden Walk.

City officials said that if a street is to cut through the park to Ocean Avenue, it would not necessarily be open at all times, perhaps closing during holidays and on days of events.

Casey said that pushing the off-ramp down to Main could help address some of the traffic issues at Fourth Street, especially if cars are not allowed to go north.

The Pico Neighborhood resident spent much of his time stopping at various tables during the community meeting, occasionally giving his opinion.

He said the overall vision for the Civic Center gives Santa Monicans a place in the city that is not "car dominated."

"It's the only place we have to work with, where we can have people first, not cars first," he said.

Venice residents want to bring a Red Car back to the beach town as the centerpiece of a proposed museum celebrating Venice's colorful history

Venice sees Red Car as center of history museum | L.A. Now | Los Angeles Times
Venice sees Red Car as center of history museum
6:12 AM | May 15, 2009



Venice was put on the map a century ago thanks in part to the famed Red Car trolley system. Now, some residents want to bring a Red Car back to the beach town as the centerpiece of a proposed museum celebrating Venice's colorful history. The Argonaut has details:

A heritage foundation in Venice is now hoping to bring back that connection to the beachside community’s early days by restoring an old Pacific Electric trolley car to be used as a centerpiece of a new proposed Venice Heritage Museum. Members of the Venice Heritage Foundation say the Orange Empire Railway Museum has offered to donate a 1904 Red Car to be incorporated into the museum project, which they plan to create at Centennial Park. The site along Venice Boulevard is a fitting location for such a museum, as the original Pacific Electric Railway system used to run nearby until service stopped in the 1950s, members said.

Photo: Los Angeles Times

South Bay leaders push for light rail line: Harbor Subdivision that starts just south of downtown L.A. and loops around Inglewood, Redondo Beach and Torrance, before coming to an end on the border of Carson and Wilmington.

South Bay leaders push for light rail - The Daily Breeze
South Bay leaders push for light rail
By Gene Maddaus, Staff Writer
Posted: 05/14/2009 07:11:41 PM PDT

In a test of the South Bay's regional clout, local officials are lobbying for continued funding for a train line that could someday link Torrance to the county's passenger rail network.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has been gauging local support for the project over the past year and plans to complete an initial report by November.

But the South Bay is still far from getting its own commuter train. Under the timetable for Measure R, the countywide sales tax voters approved last fall, the South Bay extension of the Green Line will not open until 2033 to 2035.

Given that, the MTA is not planning to spend any money in next year's $3.9billion budget to study the idea. That dismays local officials, who argue the South Bay is underserved and who want to keep the project's momentum going.

Several South Bay officials appeared at the MTA's budget session Thursday to lobby for $5 million to proceed with an environmental analysis of the line.

"To not move forward with this is ludicrous," said John Parsons, a former Redondo Beach councilman who now chairs the city's Chamber of Commerce board. "It becomes a game of who has the most political pull."

The South Bay has not traditionally been as aggressive about lobbying the MTA as have other regions. The San Gabriel Valley, for instance, has long been well-organized and highly vocal about extending the Gold Line east from Pasadena.

The county's suburban areas must also contend with the argument that transit dollars would be better spent in higher-density corridors, such as Wilshire Boulevard and the Regional Connector in downtown L.A.

The Harbor Subdivision is a 26-mile freight line the MTA bought in the early 1990s. It starts just south of downtown L.A. and loops around Inglewood, Redondo Beach and Torrance, before coming to an end on the border of Carson and Wilmington.

It's not clear how much of it could be used for a light rail service, but South Bay officials want to at least use it to extend the Green Line from its current terminus at Marine Avenue to the South Bay Galleria and to Crenshaw Boulevard in Torrance.

Some even hope it could go all the way to San Pedro or to the Blue Line in Long Beach.

Alan Patashnick, the MTA staffer who oversees the Harbor Subdivision project, said that given the long time horizon, funding an environmental report at this stage might be premature.

"The environmental document could easily get stale," he said, if there is a long gap between the completion of the report and the beginning of funding.

In that case, staffers might have to redo the environmental report, which would mean any money spent now would be wasted.

But Pam O'Connor, a Santa Monica city councilwoman who acts as the South Bay's representative on the MTA board, argued that it's best to keep moving forward to position the line for success.

"We don't know when it would be funded but that doesn't mean you sit back and wait," O'Connor said. "Let's give this project a chance."

O'Connor offered a motion Thursday to include the $5 million for the Harbor Subdivision in next year's budget. The motion was joined by Supervisors Don Knabe and Mark Ridley-Thomas, and it will be taken up again at a subcommittee meeting May 20 and by the full board May 28.

gene.maddaus@dailybreeze.com

San Francisco/Los Angeles High Speed Train Makes the List!

High-speed rail among top 100 U.S. infrastructure projects, CG/LA says
High-speed rail among top 100 U.S. infrastructure projects, CG/LA says

The top 100 infrastructure projects in the United States include several high-speed rail and passenger-rail projects, according to a list released earlier this week by CG/LA Infrastructure L.L.C.

The "Top 100 U.S. Strategic Infrastructure Projects" list features projects that have a total estimated value of about $465 billion.

Rail projects included in the "new infrastructure" category include six high-speed passenger-rail projects, such as a line in San Francisco/Los Angeles and the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative. The list also includes 18 urban mass-transit projects, such as Michigan's Regional Rail Link and northern Virginia's Dulles Access Corridor Project.

CG/LA estimates that 2 million new jobs would be directly and indirectly created each year between 2010 and 2014 through the development of the top-100 infrastructure projects.

5th District candidates

Los Angeles City Council, 5th District
Jewish Journal: If elected, what will be your top priorities?

Paul Koretz

Paul Koretz: My first priority will be to address the current budget and finance mess in Los Angeles. The city needs to go through programs one by one and eliminate waste and duplication and determine where cuts can be made that will have the least impact on services. Secondly, I would work to improve constituent services and accessibility in the 5th District. Third, we need a comprehensive regional traffic management program that addresses how the city’s thoughtless land-use patterns contribute to unsustainable traffic. We can create a rapid transit system that reaches all parts of Los Angeles County. I would focus on having the subway and the Expo Line reach through the Westside to the ocean by the time my 12 years on the council are complete.


David Vahedi

David Vahedi: One is public safety. I will fight to keep us all safer by securing our fair share of police officers, funds to buy updated equipment for our police officers and firefighters, and funds for new fire stations. I will also provide additional officers to patrol near our houses of worship during the Sabbath. Secondly, improving infrastructure, from sidewalks that are safe to building public parking to fostering a strong small-business environment and adding fire stations. Thirdly, give every resident a voice and make sure we get our fair share of city services. Assure that taxpayer money is not wasted or squandered.


Quentin Kopp, chairman of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, said some segments of a 200 mph bullet train that's planned for the length of California -- like routes between San Francisco and San Jose, or Los Angeles and Anaheim -- could be ready for passengers as early as 2014 or 2015.

Will Smart Meters, High-Speed Rail Be Built in California by 2015?
Will Smart Meters, High-Speed Rail Be Built in California by 2015?
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May 14, 2009, By Matt Williams, Assistant Editor

SACRAMENTO, Calif. --Two centerpieces of President Barack Obama's economic platform -- "smart" electricity grid technology and high-speed train service -- are still in the formative stage, and it's generally too early to know when and where those systems will mature.

But two government officials speaking Thursday at Government Technology's Conference on California's Future weren't hesitant to talk timelines.

Quentin Kopp, chairman of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, said some segments of a 200 mph bullet train that's planned for the length of California -- like routes between San Francisco and San Jose, or Los Angeles and Anaheim -- could be ready for passengers as early as 2014 or 2015.

The completed Sacramento to San Diego line could cost approximately $45 billion, Kopp said, with some of that coming from the $8 billion set aside in the U.S. economic stimulus package for high-speed rail. Approximately $12 billion to $16 billion will come from federal grants, he said, in addition to $9 billion from general obligation bonds, and a portion of $1 billion per year over the next five years that's included with Obama's spending plan. Billions more will be raised from private equity.

Despite the state's troublesome budget outlook -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed Thursday selling state-owned assets like fairgrounds and sports arenas to bridge a $15 billion deficit -- Kopp said building the high-speed rail and securing funding is almost a certainty.

"It appears to me that money is the lesser of our problems," Kopp said about the rail project.
Smart Meters for Almost All

Paul Clanon, executive director of the California Public Utilities Commission, was equally bullish about the prospects for next-gen technology.

Within the next five years, 75 to 80 percent of Californians will have "smart meters" in their home and business, Clanon said.

Smart meters are updated electricity readers that send and receive data in real time between customers and utility companies. Smart meters are one component of the smart grid, which is expected to improve energy efficiency, reduce costs and improve reliability.

The smart grid will cost a lot up-front to build, Clanon said. California will spend $4.5 billion over the next five years on smart meters, he said. Coincidentally that's the same amount included for smart grid technology in the federal government's economic stimulus package.

Why go to such effort?

"The grid in California is as dumb as a box of rocks," Clanon explained.

Bullet train board OKs federal stimulus proposal for: Los Angeles-to-Anaheim and San Francisco-to-San Jose corridors as well as selection and negotiation of right-of-way acquisition in the Merced-to-Bakersfield section.

Central Valley Business Times
Bullet train board OKs federal stimulus proposal


SAN FRANCISCO
Comment Print Email Digg Newsvine
May 8, 2009 12:03am

• Says it has ‘shovel-ready’ projects for federal funding

Central Valley segment is one of them

California high-speed train officials Thursday approved a list of shovel-ready construction projects likely to qualify for $8 billion in federal stimulus funding for high-speed trains – including a segment in the Central Valley.

The nine-member California High-Speed Rail Authority Board gave the go-ahead to add the projects to the state's official request for a portion of the high-speed and intercity rail funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) by the expected Aug. 1 submittal deadline.

Federal rail officials have established initial criteria for stimulus money to complete individual projects that are “ready to go” with preliminary engineering and environmental work completed and that demonstrate “independent utility.”

"We are confident that California's system is well ahead of every other high-speed train project in the country and should be a leading candidate to receive stimulus funding," says Board Chairman Quentin Kopp. "Ours is the only one with billions of dollars in voter-approved state funding committed to the project, with environmental clearances already in place and with construction elements already identified and ready to go."

The project elements selected by the Board on Thursday are spread throughout California's planned 800-mile system.

They include:

• The entire Los Angeles-to-Anaheim and San Francisco-to-San Jose corridors, where the Authority is expected to have completed the project level environmental document, and qualified and selected design build teams to begin construction of the sections by the 2012 deadline.

• Identification, selection and negotiation of right-of-way acquisition in the Merced-to-Bakersfield section, including the system’s planned maintenance facility, which Mr. Kopp says is likely to be in Merced.

Authority staff also will work before the deadline to identify other “shovel ready” projects that advance the Authority’s high-speed rail plan and that meet the federal criteria, according to CHSRA Executive Director Mehdi Morshed.

States across the country are vying for a share of the bullet train money added by President Obama just before Congress approved the massive plan to invigorate the economy.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority is responsible for building high-speed train service covering 800 miles at speeds over 220 MPH. Voters approved Proposition 1A on the November 2008 ballot putting a down payment on what will be America’s first high-speed train system.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Stantec awarded construction management support services for the next seven years on the Los Angeles Metro Orange bus rapid transit line extension and the widening of a 16-kilometre stretch of Interstate 405

Edmonton business briefs: Stantec, K-Bro and AutoCanada
Edmonton business briefs: Stantec, K-Bro and AutoCanada


edmontonjournal.comMay 14, 2009 11:01 AMBe the first to post a comment





Bob Gomes, President & CEO of Stantec.

Bob Gomes, President & CEO of Stantec.
Photograph by: Rick MacWilliam, Edmonton Journal

EDMONTON — Stantec (TSX: STN) reported a 22.5 per cent first-quarter profit increase on strong growth in the environment, transportation, buildings and industrial sectors.

Earnings were $20.7 million, 45 cents a share, on $404.8 million revenue, compared with $16.9 million revenue, 37 cents a share, on $291.8 million revenue in 2008.

“Clearly, this performance is continued testament to the strength and sustainability of our business model, demonstrating that we are well positioned to continue to succeed under current market conditions,” said CEO Tony Franceschini, who retired Thursday after 10 years at the helm. He was succeeded by Canada vice-president Bob Gomes.

Major projects awarded in the quarter included construction management support services for the next seven years on the Los Angeles Metro Orange bus rapid transit line extension and the widening of a 16-kilometre stretch of Interstate 405; design of a microturbine cogeneration plant at the 53-story Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers; and engineering services for the new 115-megawatt wind farm near Pincher Creek.

Shares rose seven cents to 26.50 in morning trading.

An Introduction to the blog "I Will Ride"

Streetsblog » Welcome to the Blogroll: I Will Ride
Welcome to the Blogroll: I Will Ride

by Damien Newton on May 14, 2009


(Editor's Note: From now on, Streetsblog is going to begin featuring blogs before they get added to our blogroll. As the the local traditional media continues to retreat in its transportation coverate, it's important for all of us to have as many "media outlets" at our disposal as possible.)

In February of this year, a new blog appeared that focused on the efforts to extend the Gold Line Foothill Extension. Over the last three months, I Will Ride has become a consistent and well-written voice for its favorite project, the San Gabriel Valley and transit expansion in general.

If the name sounds familiar, it's because the I Will Ride website used to belong to a group of college students who were promoting the Gold Line extension. It's since been turned over to the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority who have used it to promote the project. Some people have complained that the site isn't clear about who is running it, that the site purports to be "grassroots" when it's really "astroturf."

While it may not be covered in Gold Line Foothill logos, the first post at I Will Ride tells of the site being turned over from the students to the Construction Authority so it's not like they were trying to keep the site's owners a secret. Regardless of the site's sponsors, there is such a dearth of coverage of transportation issues, that we need all the writers we can get.

The main voice at I Will Ride, "Albert," has done yeoman's work, appearing at public events, twittering some long and dry meetings, and doing the research that is needed to promote the project. In truth, the entire blog's point of view can be described in one line from their twitter feed from last Saturday's meeting with Art Leahy.

The tax will begin soon and we need to make sure we get our fair share. Even though many of the cities opposed Measure R, the residents voted for it mostly for the Gold Line. The county needed those votes to pass the sales tax. We need to make sure we all get the benefit.

Personally, I've learned a lot about the politics surrounding the Foothill Extension, including why supporters refer to it as the Brain Train, from the site. Besides, can you name another transit project that would get a college mascots out to support it? Bruins for Traffic Relief, the ball is in your corner.

Post Measure R Forum Update and Funding Clarification from Habib Balian

Post Measure R Forum Update and Funding Clarification from Habib Balian « I Will Ride Blog
Post Measure R Forum Update and Funding Clarification from Habib Balian
Posted by Albert

If you missed our live-tweet @iwillride of the Measure R and Economic Recovery Information Forum this past Saturday, below is a summary of the meeting and an update on the status of funding for the Foothill Extension that was recently sent out from the Construction Authority’s CEO, Habib Balian. You can still visit our Twitter page to go more in-depth into the conversations that took place at the forum.

There was also a video that was shown at the Measure R Forum entitled “Waiting.” Care to guess what it’s referring to? The video is pasted below and also contains a tune known to brighten your day.

On Saturday, Assemblymember Ed Hernandez and the San Gabriel Valley Legislative Caucus hosted a Measure R and Economic Recovery Information Forum where elected leaders – including Assemblymember Mike Eng, Mayors Joe Rocha of Azusa, John Fasana of Duarte and Cory Calaycay of Claremont, City Councilmembers Keith Hanks of Azusa (Construction Authority chair), Doug Tessitor of Glendora (JPA chair) and Sam Pedroza of Claremont – along with Construction Authority gubernatorial appointee Lara Larramendi and Ed Rendon of the Teamsters Joint Council 42 – outlined the economic and jobs benefits that the Gold Line and other Measure R projects will bring to the fastest-growing portion of Los Angeles County. Councilmember Uriel Macias from Azusa and Citrus College Trustee Sue Keith were also in attendance providing support. Along with presentations focused on Foothill Extension readiness, Caltrans projects, and Alameda Corridor East progress, there was a candid discussion and Measure R Delivery update by Metro’s new chief executive officer, Art Leahy.

Leahy emphasized the Foothill Extension is a priority for Metro but he did not commit to when the funds will flow. “We are duty bound, honor bound, to do the project,” Leahy told the nearly 100 people in attendance at the Azusa Senior Center. He also recognized there is a rift between the Westside and San Gabriel Valley leaders and pledged to work to build consensus on the long-range plan.

Metro is currently analyzing financial data to determine how and when it will fund the projects promised to voters in the November ballot initiative. The board will discuss its finances and planning this Thursday (special board meeting on the budget), May 20 (public hearing on the budget and long-range plan) and May 28 (general board meeting). There is no Measure R Oversight Committee meeting in May.

Lastly, you may have heard some news that the Gold Line received federal stimulus package funding. The news refers to funding provided to the Eastside Extension, not the Foothill Extension. The Eastside Extension is scheduled to open in about a month. As we confirmed this morning, so-called “New Starts” stimulus rail funding went to projects currently in the federal grants stage. Had Metro included the Foothill Extension in its previous attempts at updating Long Range Transportation Plan and committed a small amount of funding, we would have been positioned to compete. As it stands today, our efforts are focused on securing Metro’s commitment of Measure R funding in 2010; this means revenue service to Azusa in 2013. The Extension is guaranteed to receive at least $735 million to help us build the line to Claremont by 2017. The total project cost from Pasadena to Montclair is $1.2 billion.

The Journey Continues…

Habib F. Balian

Video Shown at Measure R Forum: “Waiting”
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Map: Where Star Trek was Filmed in SoCal

Map: Where Star Trek was Filmed in SoCal - LAist: Los Angeles News, Food, Arts & Events
Star Trek made a killing this weekend for obvious reasons: it was really, really good and it didn't matter if you were a Trekkie or not.

And the fact that it wasn't 100% green screen and computer generated graphics was one of the redeeming factors. “So much incredible stuff happens in Star Trek that I wanted to keep it feeling as real as possible,” Director J.J. Abrams said in production notes provided by Paramount Pictures, via Wired Magazine's Underwire. “I didn’t want to have it all be green screens and CG.”

Noted Spots:

* The most obvious spotted locale was pointy Vasquez Rocks, a short drive up the 14 from the 5 freeway and a popular spot for many movies, including previous Star Treks.
* Without giving away spoilers, a few scenes were shot at Dodger Stadium.
* The Enterprise's engine room was actually the Anheuser-Busch beer plant in Van Nuys.

Our View: MTA skips Gold Line - SGVTribune.com

Our View: MTA skips Gold Line - SGVTribune.com
Our View: MTA skips Gold Line
Posted: 05/13/2009 06:30:02 PM PDT


WHEN it comes to decisions by the MTA, the old saying "the truth is stranger than fiction" applies.

Earlier this week, the MTA indicated it would throw $66.7 million in federal stimulus dollars at the Eastside Extension, a light-rail project that is nearly complete. Meanwhile, the here in the San Gabriel Valley got zero dollars. Local officials estimate the Gold Line Foothill Extension to Azusa would have created 26,530 new jobs, while the Eastside, since it will open in a month, won't create any new jobs. Instead, the money will help the MTA pay off its bond a little faster.

We are not making this stuff up. It's all true. The MTA, the powerful transportation board that takes federal dollars for new projects, has said to hell with creating new jobs with stimulus money. While the Eastside line will be a fine addition to rail transit in the county, it didn't meet the spirit of the $787 billion stimulus bill because it is a month shy of opening!

How could Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who runs the L.A.-based MTA, go against the spirit of the Democratic Congress and Democratic President Obama? Because like bullies on the playground, they've done it before and always gotten away with it. The power structure of the MTA heavily favors L.A. city projects, including the mayor's pet project, an exorbitantly expensive subway extension into West L.A.


 A new 2010 MTA budget includes $11 million for preliminary work on the subway, plus $60 million for a westside light-rail line extension for Expo, which is not yet in operation. This will grease the skids for federal funds in the future. The new MTA budget gives Gold Line Foothill a measly $126,000 for a staff worker whose job it will be to tell the Metro Gold Line Foothill Construction Authority "no." We stand corrected. The MTA will create one job.

With Villaraigosa all but certain to run for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2010, how can the Democrats support someone who turned his back on President Obama? It was Obama who insisted the federal stimulus for transportation be used to create jobs, not for hoarding. Remember the cry only "shovel-ready projects?"

There is no other rail project in the state that is more "shovel ready" than the Gold Line Foothill. It has been studied, planned, environmentally cleared and is ready to go. All the cities welcome it and some have even built stations and mixed use projects. Students from Citrus College and Azusa Pacific University have signed pledges to ride it. It has no opposition. Yet it was bypassed for federal funds.

The MTA will say well, the Gold Line will get money from the new Measure R half-cent sales tax. While it is scheduled to receive $735 million, the question is when. The Gold Line Foothill Extension folks are ready to start filling jobs now, for construction to start in June 2010 and completion of Phase One by 2013. But the MTA is talking about delaying the funding until 2013 and pushing back roll dates to 2017. At a meeting today, the MTA is talking about how the funding originally predicted from the sales tax ($40 billion over 30 years) will be considerably less. Some say the obfuscation and delays are happening, just as the San Gabriel Valley officials predicted last October when they campaigned against the measure. There are no guarantees when it comes to the MTA.

If and when the Gold Line Foothill gets Measure R funds, it will only be enough to extend the line to Azusa. The second phase to Montclair/Ontario will cost more - that's where the federal funding could've come in handy. It could become the first rail line in Southern California to connect to an airport - in this case, Ontario International Airport. Not even Villaraigosa or the previous configurations of the MTA were able to accomplish that task. Not even the Subway to the Sea will do that.

Peninsula cities need strong high-speed rail voice

Editorial: Peninsula cities need strong high-speed rail voice - Inside Bay Area
Editorial: Peninsula cities need strong high-speed rail voice
MediaNews editorial
Posted: 05/13/2009 12:01:00 AM PDT

IT'S TIME FOR San Mateo County cities to be heard. Loudly.

They need to become a significant factor in ongoing plans to electrify the existing Caltrain commuter line in concert with the creation of a new electrified high-speed rail system ticketed for the same Peninsula corridor.

The stakes are high. For a number of local communities — especially San Bruno, Burlingame, San Mateo, Redwood City, Atherton and Menlo Park — the future of longtime residential neighborhoods and, in some cases, thriving downtown business districts may well hang in the balance.

This is not an idle warning. What is being planned in private could alter these towns, and more, for generations to come.

The two major worries involve the anticipated construction of high-rise grade separations, in frequent concert with eminent domain, that would split cities in half and destroy homes and businesses forever in the process.

It's not a pretty picture. But the wheels, so to speak, are in motion.

A primary impetus was the November 2008 election success of Proposition 1A, which was approved by California voters — including those on the Peninsula.

The ballot measure's success has provided nearly $10 billion to get the electrified high-speed system (designed to run eventually from San Diego to Sacramento and San Francisco) started.

Its eventual total cost is expected to run many times more than that initial figure.

The Peninsula's Caltrain corridor is seen as ideal territory for high-speed rail. The right-of-way (which would be widened considerably to include high-speed trains) from San Jose to San Francisco is already owned and operated by Caltrain's taxpayers, including those in San Mateo County.

In addition, Caltrain officials, based in San Carlos and faced with increasingly serious financial problems of their own, want to electrify their system. High-speed rail can help to facilitate that ambitious goal.

The rush also is on to grab billions of dollars of federal stimulus dollars for early use on the Peninsula, on the Anaheim-Los Angeles corridor (currently served by the Metrolink commuter rail system), and in the San Joaquin Valley.

The aim of the high-speed rail advocates is to begin construction on those rail sections by 2012. Time is of the essence.

San Mateo County cities urgently need a seat at the bargaining table. The interests of the Peninsula, so far, are only barely on the radar screen at the state level.

The real political muscle is in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento and other power centers.

Frustrated, Atherton and Menlo Park have taken the bold step of suing to try to protect their communities.

Other neighboring county towns have asked to be involved in lobbying efforts, but not the legal action. Their top priority has been a subway — similar to BART's North County underground route south of Daly City to Millbrae — rather than the installation of unsightly berms or concrete viaducts.

BART's link with San Francisco International Airport is a pair of soaring viaducts. Belmont and San Carlos feature Caltrain berms.

Potentially affected municipalities involved in the latest electrified rail effort need to band together. If they don't, their individual recommendations and complaints will be watered down and muted to the point of irrelevance.

A tri-county Caltrain Joint Powers Board already has a vested interest in full cooperation with the high-speed rail people. Caltrain's hard-pressed fiscal condition virtually mandates such a posture.

The Peninsula's elected state representatives, so far, have been reluctant to come out loud and clear for preserving the historic ambience of the region's relatively small cities.

There is enormous pressure on the lawmakers from a variety of sources to fall into line.

Seven months after the election, there is no firm set of high-speed rail/Caltrain electrification plans. These are said to be more months away.

The eventual engineering details, some of which will need to be available for examination as federal authorities weigh pleas for stimulus money, are going to be critically important here.

Few areas of California would be more severely affected by the introduction of high-speed trains in concert with an existing (electrified) commuter line than San Mateo County (and portions of Santa Clara County), if the setup is implemented poorly with little or no consideration for the quality of life or individual property rights.

It's going to be up to the Peninsula's own residents, along with its elected officials, to make sure that a potentially highly detrimental proposal doesn't become an inevitable, irreversible and damaging reality.

High-Speed Rail to Vegas possible by 2015

Train to Vegas possible by 2015 | possible, train, vegas - Local News - Victorville Daily Press
Train to Vegas possible by 2015
Comments 24 | Recommend 2
May 12, 2009 - 6:33 PM
BROOKE EDWARDS Staff Writer

VICTORVILLE • Victor Valley residents may be able to celebrate New Year’s Eve 2015 in Las Vegas without battling Interstate 15 traffic.

With federal hearings past and a related lawsuit moving toward settlement, the first dedicated high-speed passenger rail system in the United States could break ground in Victorville next year.

DesertXpress is a $3.5 billion privately funded project that will connect Victorville and Las Vegas, covering the 185 miles over newly built track at a top speed of 150 mph.

The train will drop visitors in Vegas in roughly an hour and 20 minutes and cost $110 round-trip, according to DesertXpress President Tom Stone. There also would be a possible future connection to Palmdale.

The Federal Railroad Administration, which is the lead agency reviewing the project, recently held a series of well-attended public comment meetings in Las Vegas, Barstow and Victorville on its draft environmental impact statement for DesertXpress. The public has another week to submit comments on the draft EIS, which took nearly three years and some $25 million to complete.

“There were over 100 people in attendance and every verbal comment that was provided was positive and supportive,” said Andrew Mack, DesertXpress vice president, of the Victorville hearing.

The main point of contention raised at some of the hearings, according to reports, is the competing California Nevada Interstate Maglev Project, a federally funded train that would run from Anaheim to Las Vegas with stops in Ontario, Victorville, Barstow and Primm.

According to the draft EIS, the railroad agency is looking at the projects as mutually exclusive because there’s not a large enough market to support them both.

The Maglev is roughly a year away from receiving its draft EIS from the federal rail agency.

Meanwhile, a lawsuit over the 2006 memorandum of understanding the city of Victorville signed with DesertXpress Enterprises LLC, Transit Real Estate Development and Inland Group Inc. for the rail terminal, maintenance and storage facility is moving toward a settlement, according to court records.

Investment company Niles LLC filed a civil suit against Victorville last June, claiming the city gave the train’s backers exclusive rights to develop land it didn’t even own.

George Soneff, attorney for Niles LLC, said he expects the settlement to be final the next time the city adopts an updated specific plan.

While it’s up to the contractor to determine the final sequence for the project, Stone said it’s typical for construction to start where the train’s maintenance facilities will be located. That means Victorville’s terminus — planned as a luxury development itself — could be under construction by the end of first quarter 2010, with more than 10 million people riding the rails annually by 2015.

Kulat said there’s no timeline yet for when DesertXpress’ final EIS will be released, but expects it will be within the next nine months — a target Stone called “quite conservative.”

Once the final report is released, Kulat said it’s up to DesertXpress to put together the funding and plans to move the project forward.

The deadline to submit public comments on the DesertXpress draft environmental impact statement is May 22. Comments can be sent to the Federal Railroad Administration at 1200 New Jersey Avenue S.E. MS-20, Washington, D.C. 20590, Attn.: DesertXpress EIS.

The full draft EIS is available at the Victorville public library and online at www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/1703.



Brooke Edwards may be reached at 955-5358 or at bedwards@VVDailyPress.com

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

LACMTA proposes $3.9 billion FY2010

LACMTA proposes $3.9 billion FY2010 budget
LACMTA proposes $3.9 billion FY2010 budget

Next week, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) will hold a public hearing to review its proposed $3.9 billion budget for fiscal year 2010.

The spending plan is $507 million, or 15 percent, more than the current budget, due in large part to new transit and highway projects. LACMTA plans to take on $636 million in new transportation programs in FY2010, funded largely by federal stimulus funds and the new Measure R transit sales tax the agency will begin collecting on July 1. For example, the agency will open the Metro Gold Line Eastside extension to East Los Angeles, continue construction on the Expo light-rail line between downtown L.A. and Culver City, and advance several planning studies for new transit projects.

However, like many transit agencies, LACMTA is facing higher operating costs and lower revenue in the coming year. California lawmakers eliminated state transit assistance, which had provided LACMTA about $100 million in operating dollars annually. In addition, transit sales tax revenue is projected to decline 10 percent in FY2010 due to the recession. The agency also is negotiating new contracts this spring with its major labor unions representing operators, maintenance employees and clerks.

LACMTA cannot raise fares in the coming year to help generate additional revenue, as mandated by Measure R. So, the agency proposes to cut expenses by more than $130 million, impose a hiring freeze and dip into reserves to balance the FY2010 budget.

The board will consider adopting the spending plan at its May 28 meeting. The next fiscal year begins July 1.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Should Low Income be a criteria for getting inexpensive access to mass transit?

Streetsblog » Finding Effective Arguments for Funding Mass Transit
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 4 Comments

Finding Effective Arguments for Funding Mass Transit

by Sarah Goodyear on May 12, 2009

How much should passengers pay for mass transit? What with the financial woes of transit systems around the country, it's been a hot topic. Today on the Streetsblog Network, we're looking at the question from a couple of different angles.

First, Yonah Freemark of The Transport Politic looks at the role of mass transit in promoting social equity, comparing policies in three US cities (Chicago, Washington and New York) and two European cities (Paris and London):

Waiting for the bus in Paris. Photo by julien via Flickr.

[W]hile these three U.S. transit systems provide advantageous fares to children, the elderly, and the disabled, they largely ignore the needs of impoverished adults. On the other hand, London and Paris provide generous discounts for university students, people in poverty, and the unemployed. In addition, London provides free passes for veterans and their dependents, while Paris offers relief for families with large numbers of children. In both cities’ cases, significant subsidies are provided to the transit operators by local and national governments to make up for lost revenue as a result of these discounts.

It would be difficult to argue that transportation should be reserved for only those who can afford it, and therefore fare schemes that incorporate the needs of the poorest are necessary. Not only should we be pushing vigorously for more transit, but we should be asking for cheaper transit, at least for those without good-paying jobs.…

In this time of mass unemployment and reduced incomes all around, we must work to reduce fares for people who cannot always afford the mobility options transit offers.

Of course, social-equity arguments aren't known for their political success in the United States.

Which is why, in an e-mail to the network, member Peter Smith -- erstwhile keeper of the SF Bike Blog -- has asked for help in making the case for funding transit to his new neighbors in Georgia:

[I] want to figure out a solid economic argument for mass transit -- a solid economic argument against car sprawl -- an argument that actually has rhetorical impact, can be stated in less than 500 words, uses plain speech, avoids any extraneous explanations about property taxes and federal and state excise taxes, drops in sales taxes, etc. To me, the 'economic development' arguments are dubious, for a number of reasons, but if that's the only way we can justify our transit plans in numbers, then I guess I'll have to use them. My hunch, though, is that we can stick to just simple capital and operating/maintenance costs in a straight comparison -- roads vs. transit.

Can anyone help him out? And no, he's probably not thinking along the lines of "that's what they do in France."


Transportation for America Releases Blueprint for Transportation Reform

Streetsblog » Transportation for America Releases Blueprint for Transportation Reform
Transportation for America Releases Blueprint for Transportation Reform

by Sarah Goodyear on May 11, 2009

Today Transportation for America is releasing a 100-page document called "The Route to Reform," in which they outline policy recommendations related to the upcoming reauthorization of federal transportation funding legislation (download the executive summary here or the full report here).

From the executive summary:

The next transportation program must set about the urgent task of repairing and maintaining our existing transportation assets, building a more well-rounded transportation network, and making our current system work more efficiently and safely to create complete and healthy communities. It should invest in modern and affordable public transportation, safe places to walk and bicycle, smarter highways that use technology and tolling to better manage congestion, long-distance rail networks, and land use policies that reduce travel demand by locating more affordable housing near jobs and services. And it should put us on the path towards a stronger national future by helping us reduce our oil dependency, slow climate change, improve social equity, enhance public health, and fashion a vibrant new economy.

Getting there from here will require some significant reforms. To meet these goals, the T4 America coalition offers four main recommendations for the upcoming transportation authorization bill:

* Develop a New National Transportation Vision with Objectives and Accountability for Meeting Performance Targets.
* Restructure Federal Transportation Programs and Funding to Support the New National Transportation Vision and Objectives.
* Reform Transportation Agencies and theDecision-making Process.
* Revise Transportation Finance So We Can Pay for Needed Investments.

This transportation bill is going to be of crucial importance to all the issues we discuss on this site on a regular basis. The T4A report provides a great overview of the key points on which advocates can push for reform. Take a look.


Stimulus money to fund Gold Line Eastside Extension and not the Foothill Extension

Gold Line Foothill Extension left out of stimulus funding - Pasadena Star-News
Gold Line Foothill Extension left out of stimulus funding
By Dan Abendschein, Staff Writer
Posted: 05/11/2009 05:04:17 PM PDT

.San Gabriel Valley leaders expressed dismay Monday after learning that the Gold Line Foothill Extension project won't get federal stimulus money.

The MTA will instead apply $66.7 million in federal funds to the nearly completed Eastside Extension which will connect East Los Angeles to downtown when it opens this summer, officials said


Local officials hoped that a cash infusion for the Foothill Extension would create 26,530 new jobs. Some said they believe the Eastside Extension will not create any new jobs.

"They gave it to a project they already had money for," said Michael Cano, the transportation deputy for Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich. "It is not keeping with the original intent of the stimulus funding."

Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials had requested $150 million in funding for the Foothill Extension project.

Because the Gold Line is not in MTA's Long Range Plan, it did not qualify under the guidelines for the stimulus money, according to MTA spokesman Rick Jager. The guidelines were released in March, after the agency had already requested funding, he said.

Proponents of the Gold Line have argued that getting federal money for it would create thousands of new construction jobs.

"Stimulus dollars were intended to create jobs and spur economic growth," Alisa Do, a spokeswoman for Rep. David Dreier, R-Glendora, wrote in an e-mail. "We know that the Gold Line Foothill Extension will create over 30,000 jobs just in the construction period alone."

The Eastside Extension was actually already scheduled to get the $66.7 million in funding next year, according to Federal Transportation Agency spokesman Paul Griffo.

David Yale, an MTA planning official, acknowledged that the $66.7 million would not create new jobs on the Eastside Extension. But he said it would help jobs to be created in the future.

"By paying off full-funding grants, the federal government will position itself to write new grants for 2010," said Yale. "Starting in October there will be more money for other projects... that is when you get the job creation."

There is no guarantee, however, that projects in Los Angeles County, including the Gold Line Foothill Extension, will be selected to get federal funds next year.

MTA board member and Duarte Councilman John Fasana said Foothill Extension never had much of a chance of getting funding in the first place.

"It was a stretch for it to qualify in the first place," he said. "We took a crack at it."

Some local politicians suspect the MTA never took the idea of getting stimulus funding for the Gold Line seriously.

"It's surprising they even applied for funding, because they've been such uneven supporters of the Gold Line," Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, said of MTA officials. "If they knew the Gold Line wouldn't qualify, I guess they had nothing to lose by making the request."

dan.abendschein@sgvn.com

(626) 962-8811, Ext. 4451




Saturday’s Measure R Forum to Focus on the San Gabriel Valley

Saturday’s Measure R Forum to Focus on the San Gabriel Valley « I Will Ride Blog
Saturday’s Measure R Forum to Focus on the San Gabriel Valley
Posted by Albert

This Saturday, May 9, 2009, Assemblymember Ed Hernandez (of the 57th Assembly District) and other San Gabriel Valley legislators are hosting an informational forum to discuss the potential impacts of Measure R on the San Gabriel Valley region. In addition to state elected officials, the speaker list includes Metro CEO Art Leahy, whose recent Measure R update was reported on LA Streetsblog.

The Assemblymember describes the meeting this way on this website: “In November of 2008, Los Angeles County voters passed Measure ‘R’, implementing a half-cent sales tax increase countywide that will generate $40 billion in funds towards traffic relief and transportation upgrades throughout the county over the next 30 years. Come and learn how these funds are being implemented and their impact on important San Gabriel Valley projects.”

The meeting will also include Measure R-related updates on the Foothill Extension, highway projects, the Alameda Corridor-East Project and the impact of the measure on jobs in the San Gabriel Valley.

Measure “R” and Economic Recovery Forum
Saturday, May 9, 2009
9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Azusa Senior Center
740 N. Dalton Ave., Azusa, CA 91702
Map

You can also follow the meeting on at http://twitter.com/iwillride. Tweet your questions for the Q&A period.



Report on the Foothill Extension Rally

Report on the Foothill Extension Rally « I Will Ride Blog
Report on the Foothill Extension Rally
Posted by Albert



For those of you who missed our live-tweet of the rally, or just can’t stand live coverage in the form of 140 character text messages (learn to love it?), the best way to describe the event was: it went great!

With the “Brain Train” (explained below) rally starting on time at around 11 a.m., and with Mother Nature doing her best to remind us that a scorching summer is approaching, a very lively and enthusiastic crowd of yellow (gold!) shirts began to gather around the Citrus College campus center mall to begin another quest to convince Metro to fund the Gold Line Foothill Extension. The crowd that gathered was not limited to students but also various elected officials from the San Gabriel Valley, including Duarte Mayor and Metro Board Member John Fasana, and college administrators and professors from nearby colleges. While the crowd was a mixture of different backgrounds and professions, the rally gave way to a unifying message that was reflected by the various groups of speakers for the day.

Making the first appearance and speech on stage to rally the crowd up was Citrus College’s very own Fighting Owl mascot, who also deserves recognition for braving the near 100-degree temperature in a full owl costume for the entirety of the rally (that’s passion). The student speakers were represented by the presidents of various student bodies and campus clubs from Citrus College and Mt. Sierra College, and they reminded the crowd (and Metro) of the financial strain that a lack of alternative transportation puts on the students who are already facing rising gas prices and tuition. Each speaker told a personal story as they had made a case for building the extension ASAP. The elected officials who later took to the microphone included Azusa Mayor Pro Tem Uriel Macias and Glendora City Councilmember Doug Tessitor. They highlighted the economic benefits (thousands of jobs and billions of dollars) that the extension could bring to the San Gabriel Valley in the coming decades.

Citrus College President Dr. Geraldine Perri acknowledged a very serious problem that arises from relying on cars for transportation to work or school: even if you have your own reserved parking spot (as she does), somebody in desperate need of a place will take it (as she found out the morning of the rally). She said the time has come the build the Foothill Extension to ease the parking crunch at the region’s 12 colleges and universities. Reserved parking spot or not, supporters grumbled about the trouble they had finding parking at the Citrus campus, which is also one of the many reasons why they came out in support of the Foothill Extension in the first place.

Professor Glenn Dunki-Jacobs of Mt. Sierra College is probably tied with the Fighting Owl in terms of crowd-riling ability, but it is arguably fair to say that nobody beats the outspoken and energetic professor on his support for the Foothill Extension. Mindful of his own past as a student activist, he reminded the crowd of the responsibility that was placed upon them to make a difference as a unified voice in a growing San Gabriel Valley – and that they shouldn’t stand on the sidelines while others made decisions for them.

In the end, the rally kick-started a busy two-month period during which Metro is expected to determine when the Gold Line Foothill Extension will be funded. If Metro begins its funding commitment in 2010, the next phase of the Gold Line – from Pasadena to Citrus College – could be open in 2013.

Explaining the “Brain Train”: the rally was also known as the “Brain Train” rally because 12 colleges and universities – with more than 28,000 students and 3,500 faculty and staff – are located within a half-mile radius of the Gold Line Foothill Extension stations.


Bullet Train from San Diego to Vancouver? Washington and California officials are talking. What about Oregon?

West Coast rail might be on horizon - News - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington
West Coast rail might be on horizon
Transit: Federal funds prompt talks of upgrade

LES BLUMENTHAL; The News Tribune | • Published May 10, 2009


WASHINGTON — Washington state and California officials have held preliminary discussions about a high-speed, state-of-the-art rail line that would connect San Diego and Vancouver, B.C., with trains that could travel in excess of 200 miles per hour.
Click here to find out more!


The talks come just weeks after Congress approved a $787 billion economic stimulus bill sought by the White House that included $8 billion for high-speed rail in the Northwest and nine other corridors around the nation.

Washington state will seek nearly $900 million in federal money to double to eight the number of daily round trips from Portland to Seattle in the next three years or so. Even with the improvements, the trains will be able to travel at 110 mph over only limited sections of track.

But Scott Witt, director of the Washington state Department of Transportation’s rail and marine program, said that though he and others are focused on the “here and now,” high-speed trains running nearly the length of the West Coast aren’t just a fantasy.

“They would go like a son of a gun,” he said.

Witt envisions trains such as the Shinkansen, the bullet trains in Japan, or France’s TGV trains that regularly travel at near 190 mph. The bullet trains, in tests, have traveled at 277 mph, and the TGV trains have been tested at 320 mph. Both countries and others are working on Maglev or electromagnetic propulsion trains that could cruise at speeds approaching 400 mph.

POSSIBLE, NOT EASY

Constructing a truly high-speed West Coast rail corridor wouldn’t be easy. It would require entirely new rails and a new corridor that smoothed out grades and corners. Picking a route and deciding where the trains would stop would be politically bruising. And the cost could be astronomical.

The 1,500-mile line, by some estimates, could cost between $10 million and $45 million per mile to build. Witt said he has been talking with his counterpart in California for about three weeks.

“It’s very, very preliminary,” Witt said. “But it makes a lot of sense.”

An alliance with California and perhaps Oregon would make it easier to leverage federal planning funds, he said.

California voters last year approved the sale of nearly $10 billion in bonds for a San Diego to Sacramento high-speed train. In Japan and France, however, high-speed rail is funded not by borrowed money but with revenue from a steep gasoline tax, which also encourages people to take trains rather than drive.

Yet the reality in the Northwest, at this point, has more to do with the little engine that could than a bullet train speeding up the Interstate 5 corridor at near airplane speeds.

President Barack Obama called the $8 billion in the stimulus package for high-speed rail a “down payment” on bringing the nation’s rail system into the 21st century.

“This is not some fanciful, pie-in-the-sky vision of the future,” Obama said. “It’s been happening for decades. The problem is it has been happening elsewhere, not here.”

FOLLOWING THE FUNDING

The stimulus funding initially will provide grants for ready-to-go projects. The first of the grants could be awarded before the end of summer. Follow-on funding would be used for more extensive corridor programs and longer-range planning.

Federal officials estimate the existing intercity passenger rail service uses one-third less energy per passenger-mile than cars. If high-speed rail lines were built on all of the federally designated corridors, the officials said it could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 6 billion pounds annually.

Congress also has approved spending an additional $5 billion over the next five years on high-speed rail projects.

“We make no bones about it, this will not fund a high-speed rail network,” said Robert Kulat, a Federal Railroad Administration spokesman. “But it kicks it down the track.”

Since 1994, Washington state and Oregon have invested $1.1 billion in the rail corridor from Portland to Seattle, Witt said. Federal funding would help pay for some long overdue upgrades that could allow the trains to travel up to 110 mph near Kelso and Centralia.

The Talgo trains, built in Spain with a suspension system that allows them to lean going through corners, are capable of speeds up to 125 mph. But the trains are mostly limited to 79 mph until track, crossing and train control improvements are made.

The passenger trains share the tracks with freight trains on a BNSF mainline, and sometimes must wait because of track tie-ups. The Amtrack Cascades between Eugene, Ore., and Seattle averaged a 64 percent on-time performance for 2008.

Federal stimulus money will not allow an increase in service from Seattle to Vancouver, B.C. There now is one train a day, but that will increase to two a day prior to the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Last year, the Portland-Seattle line carried 750,000 passengers, an 82 percent increase over 10 years ago.

By 2023, the trains could be carrying 3 million passengers a day on 13 daily round trips between Portland and Seattle and four between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., according to the state’s rail master plan. Corridor improvements could reduce travel times from Portland to Seattle by almost an hour, from three hours and 25 minutes to two hours and 30 minutes.

But the cost — $6.5 billion — could be prohibitive. Even so, Witt said, federal stimulus funding was a start.

“It’s a huge opportunity,” he said.

Washington state has one other ace in the hole: Democratic Sen. Patty Murray. As chair of the Senate transportation appropriations subcommittee, Murray is positioned to help.

“This is real stuff about moving people, creating jobs and reducing greenhouse gases,” Murray said.

As for a high-speed San Diego to Vancouver run, Murray said not to dismiss it out of hand.

“Obviously it would be in the future and it would be great,” she said. “But if this (stimulus spending) can lead to that, it would be amazing.”

lblumenthal@mcclatchydc.com

Les Blumenthal: 202-383-0008


[Caption]

In preparation for the 'Bullet Train,' state and local transportation officials struck a deal this week to one day upgrade rail service connecting the Central Valley to the Bay Area, paving the way to tap into a planned high-speed rail system linking Northern and Southern California

Groundwork laid for bullet train link | Recordnet.com
Groundwork laid for bullet train link
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By Zachary K. Johnson
Record Staff Writer
May 09, 2009 6:00 AM

STOCKTON - State and local transportation officials struck a deal this week to one day upgrade rail service connecting the Central Valley to the Bay Area, paving the way to tap into a planned high-speed rail system linking Northern and Southern California.

This new corridor would house both the Altamont Commuter Express train and a supplement spur of a planned bullet train running up and down the spine of the state.

The California High Speed Rail's mainline is set to enter the Bay Area further south through the Pacheco Pass, but the new Altamont spur will boost regional transportation and still tie into the system promising to take travelers to Los Angeles at speeds exceeding 200 miles per hour.

There are no dates for when regional trains will start rolling, but environmental studies are under way.

This week the California High Speed Rail Authority and the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission agreed to work together to develop that new rail corridor through the pass. Officials said it could enhance and expand the ACE line connecting Stockton to San Jose and further link the rapidly growing Valley to jobs throughout the Bay Area.

"This is great news for the Central Valley," said Assemblywoman Cathleen Galgiani, D-Livingston, whose district includes part of San Joaquin County. She has authored both pending and past high-speed rail legislation, including a bill that last year opened up funding for the Altamont corridor as part of a $10 billion measure passed by voters in November.

The Northern California branches of the main high-speed rail line will terminate in San Francisco and Sacramento. The San Francisco leg crosses into the Valley near Los Banos. Northern San Joaquin Valley officials would have liked to see that spur cross through the Altamont, but local officials are happy about the planned supplemental spur through the Altamont.

The agreement would improve ACE service by allowing trains to run on new, agency-owned tracks used for passenger rail only, regional rail officials said. ACE trains currently run on privately owned track shared with freight trains.

The plan is that both ACE trains and future high-speed rail trains would travel along the new corridor, connecting to other transportation systems. One idea is to connect to a planned Bay Area Rapid Transit extension in Livermore, officials said.

The ultimate goal is to have high-speed trains on electrified tracks, though the terrain through the hills would prevent the trains from reaching the more than 200 miles per hour the trains could reach on the system's proposed main line, said Brian Schmidt, planning director at the Regional Rail Commission.

Just where new regional rail stops might sprout in the East Bay depends on where the job growth is, Executive Director Stacey Mortenson said.

"Wherever the numbers are, ... we'll send the train there."

Development is possible because the Rail Commission and the High-Speed Rail Authority are working in tandem, she said. The memorandum of understanding is just the first of many that will increase in specifics, she said.

Environmental planning is currently under way and is expected to continue for at least another 12 months, she said.

Contact reporter Zachary K. Johnson at (209) 546-8258 or zjohnson@recordnet.com.


California high-speed rail agency seeks local partnerships, prioritizes two 'shovel-ready' projects: the Los Angeles-to-Anaheim and San Francisco-to-San Jose corridors

California high-speed rail agency seeks local partnerships, prioritizes two 'shovel-ready' projects
High-Speed Rail 5/8/2009

California high-speed rail agency seeks local partnerships, prioritizes two 'shovel-ready' projects

Yesterday, the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s (CHSRA) board authorized a plan to enter partnerships with local agencies and transit providers to develop infrastructure projects in the Altamont Pass Corridor, and collaborate on linking a high-speed rail system between Sacramento and Merced.

The partnership pacts will guide future cooperation between agencies to enable all parties to have a role in planning high-speed train service, according to CHSRA.

"We want to work cooperatively with both Sacramento and the San Joaquin Rail Commission to ensure that we achieve the best, most efficient and most cost-effective results as the high-speed train system is developed in the future," said CHSRA Chairman Quentin Kopp in a prepared statement.

The authority plans to develop an intermodal facility in Sacramento that would serve as the future home of the city’s high-speed train service. The project’s first phase — which calls for relocating tracks — is expected to start soon.

The board also approved two “shovel-ready” projects that members believe will qualify for federal stimulus dollars. The projects will be added to the state's official request for a portion of the high-speed and intercity rail funding that will be appropriated sometime after the application deadline of Aug. 1.

The projects are the Los Angeles-to-Anaheim and San Francisco-to-San Jose corridors
, which are slated for construction by the stimulus act’s 2012 deadline; and right-of-way acquisition in the Merced-to-Bakersfield corridor, which includes a planned maintenance facility.

CHSRA is responsible for building an 800-mile high-speed rail system in the state. In November 2008, voters approved Proposition 1A, which calls for establishing a 220 mph system.


Work begins on final leg of 405 Freeway's northbound carpool lane

Work begins on final leg of 405 Freeway's northbound carpool lane - Los Angeles Times


Work begins on final leg of 405 Freeway's northbound carpool lane
The $1-billion project is designed to ease congestion between the 10 and the 101, one of the busiest traffic corridors in the nation.
By Dan Weikel
May 9, 2009
Construction began Friday on the last leg of a carpool lane for the northbound San Diego Freeway through western Los Angeles, a $1-billion project designed to ease congestion on one of the busiest traffic corridors in the nation.

Officials for the California Department of Transportation and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority say the additional lane will reduce delays on the north side of the 405 Freeway and allow motorists to travel continuously in a carpool lane from Orange County to the San Fernando Valley. Stretching 72 miles, it will be the longest high-occupancy-vehicle lane in the country.





The new lane will run 10 miles from the 10 Freeway north to the 101 Freeway interchange. Plans call for new on- and offramps, bridge construction, 18 miles of retaining walls and widening the busy Sepulveda Pass area. Completion of the project is scheduled for spring 2013.

"This is the most congested freeway section in the nation," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said at a groundbreaking ceremony along the 405. "With the federal stimulus, we can finally move forward with this project. The money is the shot in the arm we needed." About $190 million of construction money will come from economic stimulus money established by Congress and President Obama. The freeway work is expected to create about 18,000 jobs.

The governor appeared with an entourage of state and local officials, including Caltrans Director Will Kempton and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Every day, motorists make about 300,000 trips on the 405 Freeway through the Westside, while more than 500,000 drivers converge daily on the 405-101 interchange, one of the most heavily used in the country.

The 405 is a principal route for those traveling from the San Fernando Valley to the Westside, Los Angeles International Airport, the South Bay and Orange County. The highway's northbound carpool lanes are complete except for the stretch between the 10 and 101 freeways.

Workers are also finishing a section of the southbound carpool lanes between the 90 and the 10.

"We've got to do something about this gridlock," Villaraigosa said. "We've got to invest in getting more people into each car. . . . This is what this project will do."

MTA officials estimate that the project will cost $1.034 billion. The authority's board awarded Kiewit Pacific Co. the construction contract in late April.

The project has enough money from local, state and federal sources to continue work for 15 months. MTA officials are concerned that $662 million in state funding might not be available in time to keep the project on schedule. If the lane is not finished on time, they say, MTA could lose more than $200 million in federal funds.

Kempton said $48 million from the state Traffic Congestion Relief Program is guaranteed for the project and will be provided when needed. The balance of $614 million is expected to come from the sale of transportation bonds approved by voters in November 2006.

H.D. Palmer, deputy director of the state Department of Finance, said the state would issue more bonds when the carpool lane and other transportation projects need more money to keep construction going. The state sells bonds as needed to avoid paying more interest than necessary.

Palmer said the sale of state transportation bonds has gone well lately despite the recession. In April, he said, two issues of state transportation bonds raised $13.34 billion, more than expected.

dan.weikel@latimes.com


Sunday, May 10, 2009

Antonovich disappointed Gold Line Foothill extension denied Stimulus Funding

The West Ranch Beacon - News & Commentary for the Santa Clarita Valley » Antonovich disappointed Gold Line Foothill extension denied Stimulus Funding
Antonovich disappointed Gold Line Foothill extension denied Stimulus Funding


Posted by admin under County of LA , Transportation

The United States Transportation Department’s failure to include the Gold Line Foothill Extension in the federal stimulus package is a major disappointment. ”The reported purpose of the stimulus funding plan was to create jobs and provide economic recovery for our communities by fast-tracking ‘shovel-ready’ projects that required funding to move forward,” said Antonovich. “It is ironic that the Gold Line was passed over. The Gold Line Foothill Extension would have been a model project for the federal government to fund, given its ‘ready-to-go’ status and its direct impact on the economic development of cities and communities in the San Gabriel Valley and Los Angeles County.”


An LA resident experiences mass transit in Portland Oregon

Los Angeles Downtown News and Information - LA Downtown News Online > Opinion > Portland Report
Portland Report


An L.A. Resident Considers the Streetcar
by Anna Scott
Published: Friday, May 8, 2009 4:34 PM PDT
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - Many people in Los Angeles have a serious case of Portland envy. I recently spent four days there, and it’s easy to see why.

During my time, I couldn’t help but think about why L.A.’s leaders seem to consider Portland the Shangri-La of urban planning, particularly in terms of mass transit, and even more so when it comes to the streetcar.

Fourteenth District City Councilman José Huizar last year launched an initiative to bring a streetcar back to Downtown after a 46-year hiatus. The effort, part of Huizar’s plan to revitalize historic Broadway, is partly based on Portland’s streetcar system, which opened in 2001 and is often held up as a model for other cities.

A few user-friendly features of the Portland streetcar that L.A. would be wise to rip off struck me right away: riders can enter through several doors and use automated machines onboard to purchase tickets; it’s free within downtown; and it’s closely linked to other public transportation.

On a single $2 fare one day, I took a bus from southeast Portland to a light rail station in the northeast Hollywood District (L.A. envy?), caught a westbound train that traveled over the Willamette River to the Pearl District, where I walked around a bit before riding the streetcar up to the northwest side of town. I also noticed a plethora of bike routes throughout the city and even designated bike areas on the streetcar.

It’s hard to imagine that kind of mobility in L.A. Even if a Downtown streetcar gets built, I’m ashamed to say there is a good chance I will still drive the mere five miles to work most days because of the indirect and often unreliable bus service between home and the office. And while I love biking around town, braving clogged Glendale Boulevard on weekday mornings is more than a little scary. Still, I hope that if and when it’s time to plot a Downtown streetcar route, planners will connect it to bus and subway stops such as the Seventh Street/Metro Center Station, and make it easy for bicyclists to get on and off.

Granted, Portland is much smaller than L.A. The city’s population is about 537,000, compared to L.A.’s 3.8 million, according to 2006 Census Bureau statistics. Most of Portland’s single-family residential neighborhoods are fairly near the city center, and the streetcar’s eight-mile loop covers a lot of ground within its relatively compact downtown area.

While L.A. faces more obstacles in creating a comprehensive mass transit network, a Downtown streetcar could go a long way toward uniting the sprawling Central City. As it is, the idea of walking from South Park to Bunker Hill (the current proposed Downtown streetcar route) is daunting.

While riding the Portland streetcar I noticed how pleasant most of the stops are, with small shelters, benches and sometimes greenery. An L.A. streetcar system with similar streetscape improvements could help make all of Downtown more walkable. It could also help integrate the area in other ways.

Let’s be honest — public transportation in Los Angeles is largely a socioeconomic issue: Most people only take it if they have to. While the DASH buses that circulate through Downtown see a good mix of riders, something as inviting and novel as a streetcar might encourage more people to utilize public transportation. In a recent interview Huizar noted, “There’s a demographic of people who will ride the streetcar but won’t ride a public bus.”

To be sure, the L.A. streetcar has a long way to go. Its estimated $100 million budget is so far only 10% funded. Portland’s $112 million system was paid for through a variety of sources including city parking garage bonds (the bulk of the budget), local improvement districts, regional transportation funds, and federal and city funding, according to Patrick Sweeney, a senior planner with the Portland Bureau of Transportation.

It is worth mentioning that for all of its handy public transportation and bike-friendly design, Portland is not gridlock-free. The eastbound streets out of the city center were bumper-to-bumper in the late afternoon every weekday I was there. But there does seem to be a willingness to plan ahead and put real investment behind even risky solutions.

For example, in its 1975 Central City Plan, Portland established a cap on the amount of parking allowed in its downtown. It’s the opposite of what we currently do here in L.A., which is to impose minimum parking requirements on developers but no maximums. Even Huizar’s plan for Broadway includes not just a streetcar, but also a new $50 million parking garage. Yes, Downtown L.A. is far larger and holds many more jobs than downtown Portland, so that may not be a workable step here, but it represents the kind of bold move that L.A. will eventually have to entertain again to get most of its residents thinking of streetcars, buses and trains as real alternatives to driving.

“The whole idea was to create an artificial scarcity to drive up the price of parking and encourage more people to use transit,” Sweeney said of the 1975 plan. “People working in the city know the city has a reputation for being progressive and pushing the envelope in terms of sustainability and livability. We’re always looking at what you do next to maintain that edge.”

Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com.


Make Sure High Speed Rail Authority Is On Track

We Need To Make Sure High Speed Rail Authority Is On Track - California Progress Report
We Need To Make Sure High Speed Rail Authority Is On Track



By Traci Sheehan
Executive Director
Planning and Conservation League

Last Thursday, residents from the Bay Area joined forces with PCL to attend the Senate budget subcommittee hearing on funding for California's High Speed Rail Authority. The goal of the group was to send a strong message - California must do High Speed Rail right!

With passage of Proposition 1A last November, voters elected to spend nearly $10 billion to construct a high speed train system that would stretch from Los Angeles to San Francisco and Sacramento. Support for this mega-project in such lean economic times is proof that California is willing to invest in a clean and innovative transportation network to meet future demands. However, since the election, many High Speed Rail supporters are becoming disillusioned with the process the Authority is undertaking to plan the route.

Constructing such a vast train system will require careful planning and a great deal of outreach to ensure the best, most efficient train is built at the least cost and with the least environmental impact. It's a tough task but if the Authority fails in this early planning stage to do it right, the entire system could be doomed to fail. Instead of High Speed Rail for the 21st Century, Californians would be stuck paying the bill for our own version of Boston's "Big Dig."

That's why PCL is teaming up with local residents who care about High Speed Rail to encourage the State legislature to provide the needed scrutiny and oversight of the Authority and their work. Last Thursday's subcommittee hearing was our first chance to testify before the Senate and we made the most of it. Thirty residents spoke, all asking for increased oversight and better community outreach. The subcommittee members heard our message loud and clear and committed to helping us achieve these goals.

Many, including PCL, support the recommendations made by the Legislative Analyst's Office that perhaps the time had come to transform the Authority from the small study-based group that was needed prior to passage of 1A, and create an organization that's capable of building the system. The High Speed Rail system will be the biggest construction project this state has ever undertaken. We need to get it right at the departure to make sure we have a successful arrival.

Traci Sheehan is the Executive Director of the Planning and Conservation League, a statewide, nonprofit lobbying organization. For more than thirty years, PCL has fought to develop a body of environmental laws in California that is the best in the United States. PCL staff review virtually every environmental bill that comes before the California Legislature each year. It has testified in support or opposition of thousands of bills to strengthen California's environmental laws and fight off rollbacks of environmental protections.
Posted on May 10, 2009




Boxer applauds Gold Line money

Boxer applauds Gold Line money - Leftovers from City Hall
Boxer applauds Gold Line money
By Tania Chatila on May 8, 2009 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | ShareThis

I spotted this in my inbox this morning:


Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today lauded U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's announcement that $66.7 million in the economic recovery package will be used for Metro's Gold Line Eastside Extension project.

This funding is part of a $742.5 million commitment for transit projects in nine states.

Senator Boxer said, "The people of Los Angeles know gridlock, traffic congestion and poor air quality all too well. I am so pleased that funding from the economic recovery package will be used to support this important transit project to ease congestion, reduce air pollution and improve our daily lives."

The Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension Project, a six-mile light rail project that includes 1.8 miles of tunnel and eight new stations, will connect Los Angeles Union Station with East Los Angeles via Little Tokyo/Art District and Boyle Heights.

Senator Boxer has helped secure federal funding for the project and visited the project's construction site last year.



Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other officials broke ground Friday on the widening of the Sepulveda Pass —using federal stimulus money, will create an estimated 18,000 jobs.

Carpool lane coming to Sepulveda Pass - LA Daily News

Click here for map of proposed construction.



WESTWOOD — With weekend gridlock building on the 405 Freeway behind them, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other officials broke ground Friday on the widening of the Sepulveda Pass — which they hailed as the nation's largest highway project using federal stimulus money.

The $1 billion project will create an estimated 18,000 jobs, Schwarzenegger said, helping ease the nation's economic crisis, which has sent unemployment above 10 percent in California.

"This money is exactly the kind of shot in the arm that we need," Schwarzenegger said during a news conference on the road between the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the 405 Freeway. "We're going to rebuild California, and we're going to put people back to work."

Rep. Howard Berman, D-Van Nuys, said construction of the 10-mile northbound car-pool lane — stretching along one of the most congested sections of highway from the Santa Monica Freeway to the Ventura Freeway — should be completed by 2013. Berman said the finished project will significantly improve the commute to and from the Valley.

"It's going to mean less time stuck in a car, taking what is perhaps the most congested artery anywhere in America and helping to loosen it up, which means quicker time to work, (improving) car pools and will help fuel efficiency and people's quality of lives," said Berman.

"This is going to be a magnet, and it's going to keep people from leaving the area, and it's
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going to create jobs."

Danny Curtain, director of the California Conference of Carpenters, who was among more than a dozen workers in orange hard hats at the news conference, said the project will help the construction industry, which has been hard hit by the recession.

"It's public works jobs like this that are really holding it together," Curtain said. "It's very important."

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said he hopes the Sepulveda Pass widening will inspire more motorists to carpool.

"Look, folks, we've got to do something about the gridlock," he said. "We've got to invest in car pools, in getting people out of their single-passenger automobiles. That's what this does. This will connect us from the San Fernando Valley all the way to Orange County.

"We'll be able to move people who are willing to get three in a car and move them through the traffic."

Schwarzenegger said that, when completed, the project will save more than 7 million vehicle hours every year.

"Imagine the 7 million hours it will save us," he said. "It means those 7 million hours can be spent with the children and the families rather than getting stuck in traffic.

"It's important to get people and vehicles moving again. You know that's economy power — to move people and goods faster."

The governor said the Sepulveda Pass widening project will use $190 million in state-expedited stimulus package funds. That stimulus money is among the $372 million currently in the hands of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

While not addressing the issue of the additional $614 million still needed to complete the $1 billion project, the governor said California will ultimately receive $4.5 billion in stimulus money.

The $614 million is money originally approved by voters in a bond measure but withheld by the state as it grappled with its massive budget deficit.



Stimulus train money for rail between LA and Sacramento, but not San Diego

San Diego News Network: Local Politics, City And County Government Alicia DeLeon Torres: Mass transportation in SD
Alicia DeLeon Torres: Mass transportation in SD



The Obama Administration had great foresight (and an advocate in Vice President Joseph Biden) to provide Amtrak with $1.3 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding aka stimulus funds. According to Amtrak’s website, the plan is to “repair and rehabilitate Amtrak’s systems, infrastructure and rolling stock as well as accelerate progress on Americans with Disabilities Act compliance and station accessibility efforts”. Huh?

‘Got it - Amtrak is going to improve the rail system, repair equipment, hire new employees, and be ADA compliant.

Unfortunately for us Amtrak stimulus funding for California is targeted for areas between, and including, Los Angeles and Sacramento. Huh?

Does Amtrak know that there are some critical needs south of Los Angeles? The 6:10 am and 5:10 pm trains between San Diego Santa Fe Station and Los Angeles Union Station are busy “commuter trains”. It means a bunch of people regularly take those trains to and from work every day. I’m one of those crazy people.
Click here

As a regular commuter, I appreciate Amtrak rails, trains, and employees (wonderful people) more than the general public. ‘Notice no mention of ticket prices or food quality - that’s another blog. I - and I’m sure my fellow commuters - are also highly sensitive to the fact that we were left out of the stimulus plan.

Hence my open letter to Amtrak’s President and CEO:

“Dear Mr. Joseph Boardman,

Please include the San Diego to Los Angeles Amtrak Corridor (aka Pacific Surfliner) in your stimulus plan.

The tracks are worn out in several places with the worse being at Fullerton. Actually, maybe I should thank you for this, since I’ve become more religious while riding the rails. I usually recite an “Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be…” when passing through the Fullerton.

Additionally, the train breaks down every now and then (at least 4 times since August 2008). Once we had to be pushed by another train from Solana Beach to Los Angeles Union Station. It took 6 hours and became a prominent “Dear Diary” moment (mostly because I had so much time to write while sitting on that train - did I mention it took 6 hours to get to work that day?).

Actually, train service gets “interrupted” quite frequently. This past month has been exciting! A Metro Link derailed ahead of us, thus interrupted service for all other trains. Service ended at Anaheim for the morning. Since I couldn’t get to work, I decided to get back on the same train after it turned around (as did many of my co-commuters) and head back to San Diego. That was a bonus ride. Apparently, many of the riders began drinking alcohol bought from the Cafe at or before 10 am. The train ran out of alcohol before noon - somewhere between Oceanside and Solana Beach. I know this because the café attendant announced, over the intercom, that our train had made Amtrak history by running out of all forms of alcohol before the commute end.

There are other non-stimulus funding related items that need attention. I will save them for another time - another blog. Until then -

Thank you for your consideration, and attention to these issues.

Sincerely - A San Diego to Los Angeles Commuter”

Alicia DeLeon-Torres is a Commissioner for the City of San Diego’s Commission on Gang Prevention an Intervention, and the National Director for National Asian Pacific American Families Against Substance Abuse.