Metro Seek Millions for Westside Subway & Connector

$77.6 million from the federal government is sought by Metro and two members of congress to fund preliminary engineering for the westside subway and the regional connector. Both Rep. Diane Watson and Rep. Henry Waxman have written letters in support of Metro obtaining the money, despite a coalition of 14 others who rather see the money go elsewhere. $77.6 million is a drop in the bucket compared to the total costs of these projects, but Metro sees it as a "crucial test," as Metro puts it: "Do the projects meet the [Federal Transit Administration's] requirements for funding? And does the FTA want to find a way to get L.A. County — the nation’s most populous county — into the New Starts program?" their blog asks.

By Zach Behrens in News on December 17, 2009 1:29 PM

As Metro Tries to Grow Rail Service, Controversies Grow with Them (Source:Streetsblog Los Angeles)

Streetsblog Los Angeles » As Metro Tries to Grow Rail Service, Controversies Grow with Them

Wednesday, August 19, 2009 21 Comments
As Metro Tries to Grow Rail Service, Controversies Grow with Them

by Damien Newton on August 19, 2009

Metro via Blogdowntown
Three potential Metro rail projects have been in the news recently, and two of them are being dogged by controversy as another continues to cruise during its early phases.

The controversy that might be newest to long-time readers is the objections of Little Tokyo residents to the proposed Regional Connector. Residents are up in arms over the impact that the project will have on their community regardless of whether it is built at-grade or below-grade. The Local Blog, Little Tokyo Unblogged explains the opposition in a harshly worded editorial entitled Metro Regional Disconnect:

And here we are today, being asked to take yet another “one for the team,” so some hypothetical riders in the future can travel from Long Beach to Pasadena and not have to pay a transfer fare of $1.25 or have to transfer from one train to another--something millions of people do in public transit-oriented cities throughout the world every day. Or, as someone at the meeting pointed out, is Little Tokyo being asked to sacrifice in order to “fix” a gap in Metro’s original vision of “seamless travel “ that ineptitude or lack of foresight created?

One entire block and maybe 20-30 family-owned businesses, who are already hanging on by a fingernail thanks to the current economy. So people don’t have to transfer trains? Buy a transfer ticket? To fix something that shouldn’t have been broken in the first place?

A second concern over the impact of construction, which is estimated to take up to four years would have on their community regardless of whether the trains are built at-grade. Little Tokyo blogger Rafu Shimpo explains the concerns:

“It’s quite devastating what could happen over four years (of the construction),” said Akemi Kikumura Yano, CEO of the Japanese American National Museum, which hosted the event.

“Possible massive disruption, in terms of access, not only to the Japanese American National Museum, but to Little Tokyo in general, I think that is a major concern for us… How are we going to survive?” she said, during the Q&A portion of the meeting.

It sounds like an ugly fight is brewing with Metro and rail activists taking on the Little Tokyo community. Hopefully Metro can find a way to work with the community as the Connector is viewed by many as the most important part of Metro's expansion plans.

The other controversial rail project is Phase II of the Expo Line. Having survived attempts to derail the project in South L.A., so far; Expo now faces challenges to the second Phase of the project. However, this time the opposition isn't coming from Cheviot Hills, it's coming from Santa Monica.

Over the last two weeks, a series of articles and opinion pieces from Santa Monica based news papers shows that residents there are readyying for a fight over the location of the rail yard that would house the light rail trains when they aren't on the tracks. The two main arguments are that the yards will be bad for Santa Monica College, and that because of the yard's proximity to lower-income housing, that the yard's construction and operation are an environmental justice violation.

The last rail line that's been in the news is the Westside Subway, aka the Subway to the Sea. A series of informational meetings were held in August, and thus far the controversy over this project has been a funding one that is confined to funding squabbles at the Metro Board level. Streetsblog contributer Alexander Friedman was at the West Hollywood meeting and was thrilled that Metro seems to be embracing a design that would have the Subway run through West Hollywood and the Wilshire District.

It looks like not just the public, but - the MTA - are all in favor of the combined Wilshire with Santa Monica Blvd lines!

This is great news, as both corridors are promising as far as success and high ridership.

Jody Litvak also provided an in-depth report about Construction of subway, including length of times and - how specifically construction is done. This is encouraging, as - for the first time MTA staff was getting into the details of construction itself! - not just planning....
Practically every single person spoke in favor of the combined option (Alternative 11), i.e. construction of both Wilshire and Santa Monica Blvd lines. Indeed, it does make sense to construct the two, as - both lines will complement each other, drawing crowds from all over the city, and building both lines will provide an imcomparibly better connectivity throughout the city.

In short, August was a big month for three very different rail projects that are going in three different directions. How the projects move forward could very well depend on how Metro is able to work with the community.

Metro Presents Regional Rail Connector to a Wary Little Tokyo Audience (Source: LAist)

Metro Presents Regional Rail Connector to a Wary Little Tokyo Audience - LAist

Metro Presents Regional Rail Connector to a Wary Little Tokyo Audience

Metro Conceptual 1st / Alameda Flyover from blogdowntown on Vimeo.

Here at 1st and Alameda in Little Tokyo, here's a Metro conceptual of how trains, vehicles and pedestrians will come together | Video via blogdowntown on Vimeo.

An option for Metro's Regional Connector in downtown won't be officially chosen until sometime next year (probably summer or fall), but Little Tokyo community members are severely concerned over one of the proposals that would bring some major changes to the neighborhood.

The regional connector would connect the Blue, Gold and Expo lines into a more seamless system. Trains would travel from Culver City to East LA and from Long Beach to Pasadena making Metro's rail system more efficient. Currently, the Blue Line and future Expo Line end at the 7th Metro Station and the Gold Line circumvents the eastside of downtown through Little Tokyo.

Two build ideas are on the table: underground and on the streets. In order for the less impactful-to-street-traffic underground option to work, it will have to transition to the Gold Line above ground in Little Tokyo, therefore changing the neighborhood's infrastructure. Last week's meeting with the Little Tokyo community proved Metro has a long way to go to win their support.

The construction period is of major concern, but also the long term effects of local traffic, the concept of a pedestrian flyover structure, access to local businesses and more. Question and answer periods reportedly "got very intense," according to Little Tokyo unBlogged.

By Zach Behrens in News on August 17, 2009 1:40 PM

Regional Connector Debate Hits Little Tokyo (Source: blogdowntown.com)

Link: Regional Connector Debate Hits Little Tokyo :: blogdowntown

Regional Connector Debate Hits Little Tokyo
By Eric Richardson
Published: Friday, August 14, 2009, at 11:13AM

Conceptual Design for 1st & Alameda Metro

Still looking eastbound on 1st street from a video showing a proposed conceptual design for 1st and Alameda, the intersection where trains, traffic and pedestrians would intersect.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Metro's Regional Connector project has gained significant traction since scoping meetings kicked off in late 2007, but the planning process seems to have run into its first serious community opposition in Little Tokyo.

The project will connect the transit operator's light rail lines by building a link between the Blue Line at 7th / Metro and the Gold Line's Little Tokyo / Arts District station. At a meeting last week, vocal community members expressed their desire for that link to steer clear of their neighborhood.

Metro is currently considering two major options for the line, one that runs primarily above-ground and one that is primarily underground. The surface route would veer north by City Hall, connecting to the Gold Line at Temple street.

The underground option would travel under 2nd street, surfacing on the block that houses Office Depot before crossing the intersection of 1st and Alameda at grade.

Concerns in Little Tokyo focus on construction impacts and the way in which easier accessibility might change the character of the historic neighborhood.

Little Tokyo UnBlogged and Rafu Shimpo provide coverage that includes quotes and opinions from community members at the meeting.
Rafu Shimpo: J-Town Airs Regional Connector Concerns

“It’s quite devastating what could happen over four years (of the construction),” said Akemi Kikumura Yano, CEO of the Japanese American National Museum, which hosted the event.

“Possible massive disruption, in terms of access, not only to the Japanese American National Museum, but to Little Tokyo in general, I think that is a major concern for us… How are we going to survive?” she said, during the Q&A portion of the meeting.

Little Tokyo UnBlogged: Metro Regional DisConnect

And here we are today, being asked to take yet another “one for the team,” so some hypothetical riders in the future can travel from Long Beach to Pasadena and not have to pay a transfer fare of $1.25 or have to transfer from one train to another--something millions of people do in public transit-oriented cities throughout the world every day. Or, as someone at the meeting pointed out, is Little Tokyo being asked to sacrifice in order to “fix” a gap in Metro’s original vision of “seamless travel “ that ineptitude or lack of foresight created?

Little Tokyo UnBlogged: MTA Regional Connector Meeting (8/5)

After the presentation the floor was opened up to for the community to raise their voice for questions, comments and concerns. This part of the meeting got very intense, many community members raised tough questions and serious concerns, about the impact of a regional connector on Little Tokyo. Metro staff took notes and recorded the feedback from the community.

At the meeting, Metro also unveiled a 3D rendering of the way it proposes to handle the intersection of traffic, trains and pedestrians at 1st and Alameda should the underground option be chosen.

Metro Conceptual 1st / Alameda Flyover from blogdowntown on Vimeo.

Big Trouble in Little Tokyo? Transportation Connector Fight Looms

Los Angeles - LA Daily - Big Trouble in Little Tokyo? Transportation Connector Fight Looms

Big Trouble in Little Tokyo? Transportation Connector Fight Looms
By Steven Mikulan in City News
Friday, Aug. 14 2009 @ 4:42PM

Eric Richardson at BlogDowntown outlines the plans -- and now, the opposition -- to a transit connector in Little Tokyo. Says Richardson: "The project will connect the transit operator's light rail lines by building a link between the Blue Line at 7th / Metro and the Gold Line's Little Tokyo / Arts District station. At a meeting last week, vocal community members expressed their desire for that link to steer clear of their neighborhood."

Little Tokyo has weathered numerous storms over the years, from the flight of its Japanese American residents, to crime at its fringes, to the Japanese consulate leaving the neighborhood. Now the concern will be on the effects of the proposed transit connector -- not only the turmoil its construction could impose upon local businesses, but whether such a project could reshape the historic district's character. Perhaps ironically, meanwhile, the neighborhood's Annual Nisei Week Japanese Festival kicks off this weekend.

Turning Little Tokyo Into Futureland (Source: Curbed LA)

Curbed LA: Turning Little Tokyo Into Futureland

Turning Little Tokyo Into Futureland

Thursday, August 13, 2009, by Neal Broverman


Little Tokyo Blogged has images and video of last week's Metro meeting on the Downtown Connector—a short rail line that will link together a bunch of light-rails and provide seamless travel from places like Long Beach to Pasadena and Culver City to East LA. Metro is exploring options on the Connector now, which would connect mainly in Little Tokyo, and looking at above-ground and subway iterations. LTB has images of the models that Metro provided, and one shows a giant green-blue bird that may spread its wings over Alameda Street (see attached image). The bird looks to be the canopy of an above-ground light-rail station that looks even cooler in the video; very Disney-ish. [LTB]

[Caption]

Metro Regional Dis-Connect (Source: Little Tokyo UnBlogged)

Link: Little Tokyo UnBlogged: Metro Regional Dis-Connect

Metro Regional Dis-Connect

A hundred Little Tokyo stakeholders gathered last Wednesday evening (8/5) to once again listen to Metro staffers explain why they shouldn’t be too concerned about the impact of the proposed connector that could run through the community, take out an entire block, jam up streets and land-lock business for four years during construction.

The Metro Regional Connector--that would provide “seamless train travel” from Long Beach to Pasadena; Culver City to East Los Angeles--is chugging its way through the environmental impact process and has stakeholders in the 125-year-old community getting angrier with each new Metro presentation. (the MTA analysis update is here in PDF.)

Diego Cardosa, Metro bigwig, told the group that Little Tokyo needs to be a part of this 21st Century train system that will make Los Angeles a 21st Century City.

OK. So we lose an entire block—one of only seven remaining in one of only three remaining J-Towns left in the U.S. Never mind that you can’t rebuild a 125-year-old community once it is destroyed. Because it takes another 125 years.

The community has been chipped away by the World War 2 evacuation and incarceration; but we came back. Then the expansion of the Civic Center in the 1960s taking an entire block to build the LAPD Parker Center and Central Jail; still we hung tough. Then “redevelopment” in the 1970s that destroyed 1,000 units of affordable low-income housing, displaced many family-owned businesses and replaced it w/fancy businesses aimed at tourists from Japan who eventually quit coming to Little Tokyo; and the businesses who accepted the biggest offer, sold their properties and snuck out of town; but we’re still here.

And here we are today, being asked to take yet another “one for the team,” so some hypothetical riders in the future can travel from Long Beach to Pasadena and not have to pay a transfer fare of $1.25 or have to transfer from one train to another--something millions of people do in public transit-oriented cities throughout the world every day. Or, as someone at the meeting pointed out, is Little Tokyo being asked to sacrifice in order to “fix” a gap in Metro’s original vision of “seamless travel “ that ineptitude or lack of foresight created?

One entire block and maybe 20-30 family-owned businesses, who are already hanging on by a fingernail thanks to the current economy. So people don’t have to transfer trains? Buy a transfer ticket? To fix something that shouldn’t have been broken in the first place?

Please.
Posted by auntie michi

LACMTA Regional Connector (Source: Wikipedia)

LACMTA Regional Connector - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

LACMTA Regional Connector
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Metro rail map of downtown Los Angeles with possible routing of Regional Connector (in dashed blue line)

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority Regional Connector project (also referred to as the Downtown Connector or Downtown Light-Rail Connector) is a proposed mass-transit rail project in Downtown Los Angeles, connecting the Blue and Expo Lines to the Gold Line and Union Station.

[edit] Alignment

This light rail extension would begin at the 7th Street/Metro Center station, which is currently the northern terminus of the Blue Line and future terminus of the Expo Line and connect to the Gold Line Eastside Extension (currently under construction) on Alameda Street at either Aliso, Temple or 1st Streets. The operational intent is to allow through running of service between the four corridors (Blue, Gold, Expo and Eastside Extensions). The project is still at very preliminary stages of planning and thus no alignment has yet been determined, but a number of alignments have been identified for screening by an alternatives analysis.

As of May 2008, LACMTA has narrowed the alignment to two possible alternatives, one being an at-grade option and the other being a subway option [1]

. Both alternatives include either two or three stations between the 7th Street/Metro Center station and the junction with the Gold Line. The preliminary results have been updated at the October 16th and 21st, 2008 community meetings to provide estimates on ridership, cost, cost-effectiveness and trip times to provide further analysis for a future EIR[2]

The advancing this Alternatives Analysis to a future EIR has been approved by the Metro Board at the January meeting.


The at-grade option (Build Option 1)

Flower to 2nd to Los Angeles (northbound track) or Main (southbound track) to Temple to Temple/Alameda junction with Gold Line.

* Stations at Flower between 3rd and 4th (at-grade), Bunker Hill/Disney Hall (underground) and at Main and Los Angeles and 1st (at-grade).

* New Riders: 7,620 to 8,391

* Boardings at new stations: approx. 15,100

* Cost-Effectiveness: $20.36 - $24.75 (Medium-Low to Low)

* Cost: $706 - $790 million

* Route length: 1.79 miles

* Travel Time from Union Station to Pico: 13.6 - 14.4 minutes


The subway option (Build Option 2)

All subterranean route Flower to 2nd to Central surfacing to 1st/Alameda junction with Gold Line.

At 1st/Alameda intersection, Alameda Street will be separated from tracks with a short trench, First Street will stay an at-grade crossing but with train priority signalization. Pedestrians will be separated from train movements by strategically located pedwalks above the tracks. [3]


* Stations at Flower between 4th and 5th (underground), Bunker Hill/Disney Hall (underground) and at Main and 2nd (underground).

* New Riders: 10,195

* Boardings at new stations: 12,457

* Cost-Effectiveness: $18.63 (Medium)

* Cost: $910 million

* Route length: 1.58 miles

* Travel Time from Union Station to Pico: 12.2 minutes

[edit] History

The connector was envisioned as far back as 1984 when planning and building the Long Beach Blue Line and restudied with a through connection in the Pasadena Light Rail Corridor studies in 1990. LACMTA envisioned the Blue Line running through downtown to Union Station and onward to Pasadena with potential future lines (Burbank/Glendale to the northwest and Exposition Park/Santa Monica to the south and west). The connector was not completed due to lack of funds and realignment of the Red Line Eastside Extension which later became an extension of the Pasadena Gold Line.

The connector was formally studied for the first time as a stand alone project in a Major Investment Study in 1992–1993, in preparation of its Long Range Transportation Plan. The project was again revived in 2004, when LACMTA staff initiated a technical feasibility assessment for a potential regional connector. This study focused on conceptual methods to provide a regional connector and to alleviate potential operational constraints[4]

.

The 2004 staff study looked at the potential alignments of the Downtown Connector that could not be done entirely underground due to funding constraints due from the voter approved 1998 Prop A ban on local county subway funding. Most of the alignments contained a partial underground alignment along Flower Street, surfacing somewhere between 5th Street and 3rd Street and then proceeding east to Alameda Street, where it would join the tracks of the Eastside Line, which continue northward to Union Station or eastward to Boyle Heights. There were conceptual stations at the following locations:

* Central Library.
* Bunker Hill.
* Los Angeles City Hall.
* Little Tokyo.

LACMTA staff analyzed a number of at-grade, street running couplets, transit mall, elevated and hybrid subway/at-grade/elevated alignments along various east-west streets such as; Temple Street, First Street, Second Street and Third Street and utilizing available grade-separated infrastructure such as the Second Street Tunnel through Bunker Hill (between Hill and Figueroa Streets) or the Third Street Tunnel (between Hill and Flower Streets) to minimize costs, improve operating times and improve the feasibility of constructing the project.

In July 2006, the LACMTA Board voted to approve funding and staff to initiate a Major Investment Study (MIS) for the Regional Connector in conjunction with approval of a similar study for the extension of the Red Line subway. In June 2007, the LACMTA Board approved the consultants to perform the Alternative Analysis and MIS and in November 2007, preliminary outreach meetings for the Alternative Analysis were held at Central Library and the Japanese American National Museum (JANM). The results from these meetings were presented to the public in February 2008, including the descriptions of the eight route alternatives identified for analysis. These eight alternatives have been narrowed down to two as of May 2008.

Those results were shown to the public on October 16th and 21st 2008. [5]

After these meetings, the results of the Alternatives Analysis will be shown to the full Metro Board for a vote in January 2009 to continue through to the next step in the Environmental process. At the January Metro Board Meeting, the Regional Connector was approved and received funding to continue in the EIR process.

Connector meeting in Little Tokyo The green line is the proposed Regional Connector Transit corridor. (Source: Rafu Shimpo)

Link: Connector meeting in Little Tokyo – Rafu Shimpo

Connector meeting in Little Tokyo
The green line is the proposed Regional Connector Transit corridor. Source: Metro

The green line is the proposed Regional Connector Transit corridor. Source: Metro

On Wednesday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Japanese American National meeting, representatives from the Metro Regional Connector Light Rail Transit team will be speaking about the transit project which could dramatically change Little Tokyo. It’s a chance for the public ask questions and view renderings of the four alternatives for a regional connector.

The purpose of the regional connector is to provide seamless travel for transit riders between the Metro Blue and Gold Lines, as well as the Gold Line Eastside Extension and Expo Line. Among the alternatives being considered is a subway line which would be at First and Alameda streets. Other alternatives include a street car option that would run along Main and Los Angeles streets, a bus and shuttle van system or to not build a connector at all.

The project, particularly the subway option, has raised concerns about noise pollution, pedestrian safety, the impact of construction on Little Tokyo businesses and the loss of parking spaces.

—GWEN MURANAKA

Off the Agenda: Metro Board Not Talking Bikes or Rail Acceleration This Week (Source: Streetsblog Los Angeles)

Link: Streetsblog Los Angeles » Off the Agenda: Metro Board Not Talking Bikes or Rail Acceleration This Week

Off the Agenda: Metro Board Not Talking Bikes or Rail Acceleration This Week

by Damien Newton on July 20, 2009


Streetsblog, Sallam Allah/Flickr

Last week, two proposals by Metro staff dominated a lot of the Livable Streets discussion in Los Angeles.

The first was what seemed to be a proposal to accelerate three rail projects funded by Measure R, the Downtown Connector, Gold Line Eastside Extension 2, and Green Line to LAX. The proposal garnered a lot of interest on the blogs after I Will Ride first noticed the proposal on a committee agenda and began asking how they could get their favored project, the Gold Line Foothill Extension, moved up as well.

It turns out the report in question had nothing to do with picking projects to accelerate, but instead was about illustrating what any sort of acceleration schedule would mean to Metro's finances. As we noted here last week, the "proposed" acceleration didn't really make fiscal sense for an agency that is already projecting lower-than-expected revenue from Measure R. While the Metro Board is scheduled to "receive" this report at Thursday's Board Meeting, there is no serious talk about accelerating any of the time lines for any rail project at this point in time.

Also up for debate were the proposed revisions to Metro's "bikes on trains" policy. Two weeks ago, cyclists were happy to hear that Metro was planning to revise its policy towards bikes to remove any rush-hour restrictions on bicycles. However, when cyclists were invited to a meeting with Metro staff to discuss the proposal, they ended up hearing about a plan to restrict bicycles to a "two-per-car" limit even in cars where there's a lot more space available.

After an outpouring of negative feedback, and a strong turnout by cyclists at the Metro Operations Committee, the proposal has been shelved for, at least, this month's Board Meeting. Instead of Metro staff's original plan, Stephen Box reports that a new motion to "direct staff to investigate further and to involve the cycling community" took its place.

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.

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]