Our View: Two tracks for Gold Line East (Source: Pasadena Star-News)

Link: Our View: Two tracks for Gold Line East - Pasadena Star-News

Our View: Two tracks for Gold Line East
Posted: 01/16/2010 06:14:07 AM PST

Early battle lines are already being drawn, pitting Pico Rivera, Montebello, Santa Fe Springs and Whittier against a coalition of 60-Freeway cities for a future leg of the Metro Gold Line light-rail train.

It's a healthy competition. Cities recognizing a regional problem - freeway gridlock - rolling up their sleeves to advocate for a local mass transit option.

But the fighting ultimately is unnecessary.

We say, why choose between the two proposed routes of the Gold Line East? Metro should build both.

Arguments are strong for both routes, which are the two remaining alternatives being studied.

The Washington Boulevard route would send the line south on Garfield Avenue to Washington Boulevard through Montebello, Pico Rivera and Santa Fe Springs, ending at the edge of Whittier's Uptown adjacent to Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital, which has some 3,500 employees.

It would link a freeway-less Whittier to the outside world for the first time and open up possible expansion into Orange County.

It would serve the needs of low- and middle-income residents, connecting them to East Los Angeles and jobs in downtown L.A. and through other train connections, to points west. And this route would also provide a boost to Whittier job sites and retail clusters.

Of course the southeast county region, the "Gateway Cities" region, should be connected to the rest of L.A. County.

Likewise, a train extending farther east along the right-of-way of the Pomona (60) Freeway (not in the middle of the freeway but on the shoulder) would connect commuters in Montebello, South El Monte and even El Monte (through a shuttle link) to Los Angeles jobs. Also, by the time funding is awarded and the project is completed in 2037, it could pick up weekend riders at Whittier Narrows (the site of increasingly well attended celebrations for Mexican Independence Day, Cinco De Mayo, Asian festivals) as well as the soon-to-be-built Discovery Center.

But the biggest potential for a weekend trip generator would be the possible extension to Ed Roski's Industry NFL stadium in the hills near the junction of the 57 and 60 freeways. What a plus to have a local train actually go to a destination! That would be a first for Los Angeles County.

Both scenarios - both city coalitions - make strong arguments. To choose between the two rail routes would wrongly leave out one of these scenarios. We believe both areas would have the population and boardings to support rail line extensions by the completion date for one, which is 27 years from now.

What are the other transportation alternatives? There are no new freeways being planned to handle population growth in the region. Carpooling and bicycles can only make a small impact. And Star Trek-like transporting probably will still have a few years to go. Rail lines are the most cost-effective alternative to single-occupancy commuting.

So let the competition continue - for now. It's healthy to have cities working one side or the other. And when new data is released on the feasibility of these routes in 2011, perhaps one route will emerge as the first to be built, and the other as the next.

But until then, we are envisioning both legs of a growing Gold Line East serving these two sub-regions. It's a vision for the future we can get behind.

Whittier officials to lobby for Gold Line expansion (Source: KPCC)

Link: Whittier officials to lobby for Gold Line expansion | 89.3 KPCC

Whittier officials to lobby for Gold Line expansion
Praytino/Flickr
Jan. 10, 2010 | KPCC Wire Services | KPCC

Officials in Whittier hope to use grass-root pressure and an existing Metro ridership study to campaign for the Gold Line to be extended there, instead of along the Pomona (60) Freeway, it was reported today.

The Whittier Daily News quotes Whittier city council members as saying they are confidant mass rail transit will be extended from East Los Angeles through Whittier, instead of a more-northly alignment to the El Monte area.

Last week, five small cities along the 60 Freeway banded together to lobby for the light rail train to parallel the 60 into Montebello, Rosemead and South El Monte. Those municipalities plan to hire an outside planner to campaign for the northern route at a cost of about $65,000.

To the south, Whittier officials point out they do not have a direct freeway connection to Los Angeles, and the light rail service will provide a connection to L.A. that the five cities already enjoy. Whittier also points to a Metro study that favors the southern alternative, which would lay rails down Washington Boulevard from East Los Angeles to Whittier's Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital.

The two possible alignments are being considered for the U-shaped Gold Line, which already runs from Sierra Madre east to Pasadena, southwest to Los Angeles Union Station, then southwest through Boyle Heights to the East Los Angeles community center. That route is already approved to be extended from Sierra Madre to Pomona and eventually Ontario.

Both Gold Line prongs will likely be connected to the Expo Line to Culver City and the Blue Line to Long Beach, via a regional connector set of tracks across the Los Angeles Civic Center, now under design.

Complicating the matter is the California High Speed Rail project, which plans to build new bullet train tracks from Union Station to Pomona in the next 10 years, possibly along the routes now under consideration for light rail trains.

Advisory Committee for Gold Line Eastside Extension Meets Next Thursdayj (Source: Streetsblog Los Angeles)

Link: Streetsblog Los Angeles » Advisory Committee for Gold Line Eastside Extension Meets Next Thursday

Advisory Committee for Gold Line Eastside Extension Meets Next Thursday

by Dana Gabbard on January 6, 2010


There have been a fair number of folks making comments on this site and elsewhere on the internet about the recently opened Gold Line Eastside Extension and safety. This coming week the advisory committee that provides input to Metro on such issues is holding a meeting near the Indiana Street station (Alma is the next street east of Indiana, and the School is midway between 1st and 3rd Streets) in the evening. Certainly worth checking out if you want to share such comments directly .

Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension Review Advisory Committee
Thursday
Jan. 14, 2010
6 p.m.-8 p.m.
Ramona Opportunity High School
231 S. Alma Ave.
Los Angeles CA

Cities collaborate for Gold Line extension along 60 Freeway (Whittier Daily News)

Link: Cities collaborate for Gold Line extension along 60 Freeway - Whittier Daily News

Cities collaborate for Gold Line extension along 60 Freeway
By Rebecca Kimitch, Staff Writer
Posted: 01/02/2010 06:23:22 PM PST

A group of San Gabriel Valley cities is hedging its transportation bets.

Another extension of the Gold Line East is not likely to happen for decades. However, South El Monte, Rosemead, Montebello, Monterey Park and El Monte are collaborating on preliminary work to try to show transportation officials that the line should run through their cities rather than a route that goes south to Whittier.

"Right away we realized this was something that could really transform South El Monte, and the whole corridor ... and we knew to do this we would have to get all the cities affected by the route on board," said South El Monte City Councilman Joseph Gonzales. He is the chair of the SR-60 Coalition of Cities.

The El Monte City Council voted last month to pitch in $10,000 to fund a design and engineering feasibility plan. And the other cities also are pitching in for a consultant to walk the coalition through the environmental and political process, according to South El Monte City Manager Tony Ybarra.

Transit officials are considering two very different routes for a future extension of the Gold Line East. One would take the light rail up the 60 Freeway through Monterey Park, Rosemead and South El Monte to the edge of Industry. The other would take the line through Montebello and Whittier.

"We have many people in the area who don't have quality transportation alternatives," said Ybarra, making the case for the 60 Freeway route. "There are a number of housing developments along the route and if we can get this transportation, we can really reduce the number of cars on the road. We can also get students to Rio Hondo College, East Los Angeles College."

Metro has released contradictory information regarding the potential ridership and cost of the 60 route, Gonzales said, so the coalition is attempting to determine potential ridership. Gonzales added that the route could attract weekend riders visiting Whittier Narrows.

And each city in the coalition is working with the Southern California Association of Governments to determine potential residential and mixed-use development along the corridor, Gonzales said.

Though the route would not pass directly through El Monte, officials say their city also stands to benefit.

"It will benefit our residents to have it nearby. It won't benefit us at all if it is in Whittier," El Monte Mayor Andre Quintero said.

"This is an extraordinary extension and we need to have it nearby," Councilwoman Patricia Wallach said.

El Monte officials hope to build a connection between the light rail line and the El Monte bus station. Officials have placed high hopes on expansion of that bus station into a mixed-use development, the El Monte Transit Center.

"It's all part of a bigger puzzle that is 10, 20, 30 years out, but we have got to start thinking now," Councilman Juventino "J" Gomez said. "We really need to be more aggressive than we have been."

The east side of the Gold Line was recently extended from Union Station through Boyle Heights to Monterey Park, just south of the 60 Freeway.

There is funding for another extension through Measure R, the half-cent sales tax approved by voters last year. However, it is not scheduled to be completed until 2037.

Staff Writer Dan Abendschein contributed to this story.

rebecca.kimitch@sgvn.com

626-962-8811, ext. 2105

Metro Gold Line may extend more to East L.A.

Link: Metro Gold Line may extend more to East L.A. - 1/03/10 - Los Angeles-Southern California-LA Breaking News, Weather, Traffic, Sports - abc7.com

Metro Gold Line may extend more to East L.A.
Sunday, January 03, 2010

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The newest extension of the Metro Gold Line has been open for just a few weeks, and already officials are considering how to extend it further.

The cities of El Monte, Montebello, Monterey Park, Rosemead and South El Monte are collaborating on a plan to extend the rail line east from East L.A., parallel to the 60 Freeway.

A competing plan would have the trains veer into Whittier, to serve a number of dense housing developments.

Cities in the northern San Gabriel Valley have already won an extension from Pasadena east through Montclair, eventually connecting to Ontario International Airport.
(Copyright ©2010 KABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

Tuesday's Round of Articles on the Goldline Eastside Extension

Article 1

Link: Metro's new Gold Line now in business - 11/16/09 - Los Angeles-Southern California-LA Breaking News, Weather, Traffic, Sports - abc7.com

Metro's new Gold Line now in business
Monday, November 16, 2009

By Melissa MacBride

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The commute gets easier for thousands of people in L.A. County, as Metro's new Gold Line extension is now in business.

The new six-mile route is expected to carry some 13,000 commuters every day. The extension runs from Atlantic boulevard in East Los Angeles to Union Station in downtown L.A., where it now connects to the rest of the line all the way to Pasadena.

"This is the most transit-dependent community in L.A. County. It will give them access to jobs, schools, medical care and other opportunities. There's going to be development here, there's going to be housing and business opportunities," said MTA spokesperson Marc Littman.

For $1.25, the train will take you from East L.A. to downtown L.A. in about 17 minutes. The eastside extension of the Gold Line will run every 8 minutes during the morning commute, then every 12 minutes during the day.

Article 2

Link: Los Angeles Gold Line Eastside Extension off to impressive start and to be part of something bigger

Los Angeles Gold Line Eastside Extension off to impressive start and to be part of something bigger
November 16, 11:06 AMFresno Green Transportation ExaminerAlan Kandel
n., Nov. 15th, 50,000-plus people enjoyed a free ride on the Los Angeles Gold Line Eastside Extension light rail transit system, as reported in the Los Angeles Wave in the story “50,000 take a free ride on the Gold Line, no major problems reported,” first published Nov. 15th and updated today. And on top of this, no major glitches were reported either. The line is expected to transport 13,000 people daily.

Construction of the Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension began in 2004. Six miles in length and costing $898 million, “the extension runs between Union Station and East Los Angeles, with stops at eight new stations, two of them underground,” information in the article revealed, bringing the total track mileage to 79; all since 1989. Stations holding community celebrations were: “East L.A. Civic Center, Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights, Little Tokyo/Arts District and Union Station.” Connection to the original Gold Line is at L.A. Union Station. The 1.7 subsurface miles are through Boyle Heights. The remaining 4.3 miles are at or above ground.

“Officials are selecting a possible route for a light rail link from the Gold Line on downtown's east side to the Blue Line stub on Figueroa Street on downtown's west side,” information in the article stressed. “This would allow through Blue Line trains from Long Beach to Pasadena, or from East L.A. to Culver City via the new Expo Line, which is scheduled for completion in two years.” However, a funding source or construction timetable for this link has not yet been established.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was quoted in the article saying that “‘…this not the end of the ride … Thanks to the passage of Measure R, there will be local funding for half a dozen new rail projects in the next decade, which will give Angelenos even greater transit access to jobs and other opportunities throughout the county.’”

Article 3

Low ridership tarnishes Gold Line extension's luster - latimes.com

latimes.com
Low ridership tarnishes Gold Line extension's luster
Only 13,000 riders daily are expected to use the new extension, which began its normal operations Monday, by the end of its first year.

By Ari B. Bloomekatz

November 17, 2009

Behind the hoopla and celebration of the Gold Line Eastside extension opening this week, there are some sobering numbers.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority projects that the extension between Union Station and East L.A. will serve 13,000 riders each day by the end of the first year -- a paltry number compared to other sections of L.A. County's rail system.

The Eastside link expands a Gold Line that has struggled to attract riders since it opened in 2003.

The original section of the Gold Line, from Union Station to Pasadena, serves an average of 21,322 riders each weekday, far below original estimates of 38,000 daily boardings.

Even when the new Eastside riders are added, MTA projections suggest that the Gold Line will remain at the bottom of the ridership rankings.

Moving the Gold Line farther east will clearly draw new riders. But some of the problems that have long hampered the Gold Line remain: The trains are slow, and there are limits on where passengers can go when transferring to another rail line or a bus.

"The biggest problem with the Pasadena Gold Line, which will be shared by the Eastside line, is that it really doesn't go anywhere that people want to go," said transit consultant Tom Rubin. "It serves Union Station, but it doesn't serve downtown; as a result it's just not a very fast way of getting people to their ultimate destinations."

The Gold Line covers territory once served by a bustling streetcar network in Los Angeles through the early 1960s.

But today, only a fraction of those lines used by the Pacific Electric Red Cars and L.A. Railway Yellow Cars remain.

As a result, getting around on rail remains a big challenge.

For example, the new Eastside extension goes through the heart of Boyle Heights.

But instead of pushing west into the heart of downtown L.A., the line veers sharply to the north just outside downtown, going through Little Tokyo to Union Station. Riders who want to get into downtown then need to transfer onto the Red Line subway and go west and then south again -- or take a bus.

Bart Reed, executive director of the regional nonprofit group the Transit Coalition, said it's important to see L.A.'s rail system as a work in progress. Further improvements could significantly improve ridership.

The MTA is seeking federal funding for the so-called "regional connector," a rail line that would run directly through downtown L.A.

This line would allow riders on the Eastside Gold Line to switch trains as the Gold Line turns north, making for a much more convenient trip into downtown.

Reed also believes that the Gold Line could pick up more riders simply because people would favor rail over bus service.

Today, the MTA has two star lines that rise well above the rest: The Red Line, which runs underground from Union Station to North Hollywood, and the Blue Line, which runs above ground from downtown L.A. to Long Beach.

The Red Line (combined with the much smaller parallel Purple Line) has an average of 141,302 riders each weekday, according to MTA's statistics for October.

The Blue Line averages 74,311 riders.

The Norwalk-to-Redondo Beach Green Line averages 36,453 commuters. The Green Line was supposed to connect to Los Angeles International Airport, but the MTA stopped it just outside the airport, a decision that many blame for the relatively low ridership numbers on that line. There is now a plan to extend the line into LAX.

It is much too early to tell how the Gold Line Eastside extension will fare.

Its public opening Sunday drew about 75,000 riders, many of whom waited in hourlong lines to try the new rail line for free.

The lines were much shorter Monday as paying customers boarded.

Marc Littman, an MTA spokesman, said Gold Line ridership would probably increase significantly in the coming years if development occurs around some of the line's stations and if the pattern of the Eastside opening follows that of the Blue Line's opening nearly two decades ago.

"The Metro Blue Line ridership has quadrupled since 1990 to become one of the busiest light rail lines in the country," Littman said. "We will continue marketing the new extension so the ridership will steadily build."

Reed agreed that the Gold Line's ridership could improve, noting that the Eastside has many residents who can't afford cars and who rely on mass transit to get around.

"There's new habits to be built, but quite frankly that particular route, it was the old corridor for one of the heaviest used streetcars in the system," Reed said. "It'll maybe take a year or two."

ari.bloomekatz@latimes.com

Roundup of Articles on the Gold Line Eastside Extension.

ARTICLE 1

Link: After decades of waiting, their trains have arrived -- latimes.com

After decades of waiting, their trains have arrived
A sense of kinship and progress in East Los Angeles as riders and residents celebrate the opening of the Gold Line extension. The area had long been among the most transit-dependent yet underserved.

Gold Line opens

A passenger catches a Gold Line train at Pico/Aliso station. The $898-million extension that opened Sunday is the first commuter train in nearly 50 years to serve East L.A. Several development projects are planned near stations. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times / November 15, 2009)


The sun had not yet risen when the first commuter train in nearly half a century set off from downtown to East Los Angeles, extending a new line of public transportation to some of the city's most underserved neighborhoods.

At 3:40 a.m. Sunday the first passengers were train enthusiasts, students and workers for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which built the six-mile Gold Line extension. A few hours later, the neighborhood showed up.

More than 50,000 people were estimated to have taken part in a festive day of celebration and free rides. Starting today, riding the entire 20-mile Gold Line route from Pasadena to East L.A.'s Atlantic station will cost a nominal $1.25.

"I feel like East L.A. matters a little bit more," said longtime resident Joe Zenteno, 40, just minutes after rolling his bike into a sleek Metro train at the Mariachi Plaza stop in Boyle Heights. "I love East L.A., bro. This is a good neighborhood. And I think this is going to make people care a little bit more about their community."

One question in the minds of local officials and business owners is whether others across Los Angeles County will be drawn to the area as well.

For years, Boyle Heights and East L.A. have been among the most public transportation-dependent neighborhoods in Southern California.

For even longer, they have lacked the kind of regional draw -- a multiplex, a gleaming shipping district, a major entertainment center -- that can enhance civic pride. While the Gold Line's northern link from Pasadena passes such landmarks as Old Town, the Southwest Museum and Chinatown, the route through East L.A. finds places prized more by locals: revered burrito joints and Mexican restaurants, a well-trodden 19th century cemetery surrounded by a jogging track, and a plaza where you can hire a band of mariachis on the fly.

To many outsiders, the area is seen as a collection of poor and dangerous neighborhoods, despite historic drops in violent crime. That's one reason Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar, who is also an MTA board member, said the Gold Line's opening is so meaningful.

When John Peckham, a visitor from faraway Torrance, told him Sunday that he was pleasantly surprised by the neighborhood, Huizar smiled and raised his arms: "I've been saying that all day!"

A major impetus for the $898-million rail line was to make it easier and cheaper for residents to reach jobs in downtown and beyond. But the Gold Line extension is also important because of the promise it portends, Huizar said. He believes it could spark a renaissance, ushering in businesses and an arts district and leading to the discovery of neighborhoods that have "been neglected" for decades.

"People are going to come to explore," he said.

Irma Lozano, 38, sure hopes so. On Sunday, she peeked through an open door at Mi Ranchito restaurant near the Soto Street Station in Boyle Heights.

Like many small businesses along the route, the eatery paid a heavy toll during the roughly five years of construction when the street out front was torn up.

For two years its kitchen was all but closed, essentially turning the place into a bar with only a few dishes, mostly soups.

"With the recession and construction, business just stopped," Lozano said. "It's been terrible with the customers. But I think the train is going to help us now."

"That's what you hope," said Ruben Garcia, 40, one of only three customers in the place.

Charles Sammis, a USC professor of Earth sciences who lives in South Pasadena, said he plans to come back. The 65-year-old Sammis and his 63-year-old wife, Judy, a high school physics and math teacher, said they were excited to see the rail extension.

"We're looking forward to trying new places to eat," he said.

Roger Moliere, chief of real property management and development for the MTA, said several development projects are planned near stations, though he added that the recession was gumming up the process.

"My hope and expectation is that it will be an extraordinary economic boon to the area," he said.

Eric Avila, a professor of history and Chicano studies at UCLA, said the Gold Line extension is a victory for social justice, and signals a shift in transportation planning. The freeways built around Boyle Heights "cordoned off the area from the rest of the city," he said.

But development of the rail line hasn't come without safety concerns. The Eastside extension dips underground in only a few spots. Most of it travels like a stitched-in zipper through narrow streets, at surface level and usually just feet away from cars.

While praising the rail line, Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina has argued that the route needs crossing arms at some intersections.

During the first 90 days of operation, the MTA will have "safety ambassadors" to help riders and pedestrians get acclimated to the line.

Sunday morning began with relatively few riders, but by early afternoon the platforms were overcrowded, there were lines to get on the trains, and passengers squeezed together in standing-room-only cars.

There were a few snags, including a door that wouldn't fully close when a train stopped at Mariachi Plaza and an elevator that didn't work there -- forcing some to carry strollers up three flights of stairs.

But the mood was decidedly cheerful.

Accordion player Roberto Olmos, 62, said he boarded the train in Boyle Heights to deliver a small bag of tamales to his wife in East L.A.

"It's a lot faster than the bus," he said. "Sometimes you're waiting for almost an hour for a bus."

Victor Orozco, 57, rode the train with his 9-year-old grandson, Jacob Astorga. Orozco, a Caltrans worker from La Habra, said his father used to take him on a rail car that rolled down First Street when he was a boy. Los Angeles' streetcar system began disappearing in the early 1960s.

"I wanted my grandson to be part of this," Orozco said.

As he hopped on the train with his wife and 8-month-old son, machinist Victor Vasquez, 38, said he wouldn't use the train to go to work because his job is so close to their home.

His wife, Alejandra Jeronimo, 27, works at a bakery within walking distance. But Vasquez said they would use the Gold Line for other trips.

As Vasquez spoke, his son, Jose Armando, jumped excitedly on his mother's lap and peered out the window.

"We love to go out," Vasquez said. "I'm already seeing places we'd like to visit using the train."

ari.bloomekatz@latimes.com

hector.becerra@latimes.com

Times staff writer Jessica Garrison contributed to this report.

ARTICLE 2

Come On, Ride the Train: Gold Line Eastside Extension Opens Today - LAist

Gold Line Eastside Extension Opens Today
No more testing like this train in March...now trains on the Gold Line will come & go from the Little Tokyo station for real! (Photo by STERLINGDAVISPHOTO via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)

Today is the long-awaited launch of the Gold Line's Eastside Extension, which links Downtown's historic Union Station via light rail to Little Tokyo, Mariachi Plaza, and heart of East Los Angeles, ending at Atlantic. To celebrate, rides from one end of the Gold Line to the other are free today, and there are four events that include food and music from the communities scheduled to happen at or near stations along the line:

Most notably, the Mariachi Plaza Station will be where riders can visit the First Annual Boyle Heights Block Party and Mariachi Festival. At the Little Tokyo/Arts District Station, Metro says there will be a live karaoke stage and "delicious cuisine from dozens of nearby restaurants." At the East L.A. Civic Center Station, a farmers market and live Chicano rock music can be found.

ARTICLE 3

Link: Los Angeles Downtown News and Information - LA Downtown News Online > Opinion > Gold Line Payoff

Gold Line Payoff


Published: Friday, November 13, 2009 4:00 PM PST
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - The new Gold Line Eastside Extension is an excellent project. The connection between Downtown and East Los Angeles is something both communities, as well as the greater region, have needed for a long time.

The Nov. 15 debut of the $898 million light rail line (scheduled for after Los Angeles Downtown News went to press) has both practical applications and symbolic resonance. It is difficult to assess which one is of greater importance. It may be the former in the present and the latter in the future.

On the practical, tangible front, the Gold Line establishes a six-mile link between Union Station and Atlantic Boulevard in East L.A. The eight stations provide thousands of people the opportunity to give up the automobile, an obvious payoff in environmental and traffic terms. The results could be felt quickly, as Metro officials estimate the line will carry about 13,000 riders a day by the end of the year. When added to the previous spur of the Gold Line that extends to Pasadena, the results and potential impact are huge — this is also felt in the transfer point of Union Station, where Gold Line riders from the Eastside will be able to transfer to other rail and bus routes.

The light rail has other benefits for Downtown, among them a new station serving Little Tokyo and the Arts District. Not only is the stop at First and Alameda streets a point of connectivity, something that can bring visitors into the heart of the community to patronize area restaurants, businesses and cultural establishments (it is across the street from the Japanese American National Museum and MOCA’s Geffen Contemporary), but the station itself is attractively designed. Metro officials were wise to incorporate architectural elements that fit with the surrounding neighborhood, and the canopies and benches reflect the area. It is preferable to a potentially less expensive, cookie cutter type design.

The most significant impact of the new line may be something people sense rather than see. Yet in the long term, the idea of cultural connectivity the Gold Line establishes may prove to be its most enduring impact.

Downtown and East Los Angeles are often seen as two distinct worlds. Although the physical gap between the areas is only a river, the psychological divide is huge. Downtown, with its modern office towers and concentration of white-collar businesses, is seen by many as a predominantly Anglo realm. East L.A., by contrast, has its historic ties to a Latino populace and culture.

The Gold Line could be a key in bridging the divide. Downtown workers in search of new places for lunch may find the idea of hopping on a train easier than climbing into their car, crossing the river and searching for parking. The new, young population of Downtown residents may be game for using the Gold Line to explore after-dark activities in East L.A. Residents from east of the river can now more easily access Downtown’s shopping and entertainment options, or come here for their jobs.

This is not to pretend that the rail line is a golden Band-Aid, that suddenly Downtown and Boyle Heights or other East L.A. neighborhoods will come together like East and West Germany did when the Berlin Wall fell 20 years ago. Rather, any change will be incremental.

Still, this marks the beginning of what could prove to be much greater connectivity. We’re glad that Metro had the ability to bring the rail line to fruition. We’ll happily start with the physical back and forth of thousands of humans a day. Hopefully the bonds will strengthen and the divide between the communities will diminish as time goes on.

ARTICLE 4

50,000 take a free ride on the Gold Line; no major problems reported | Los Angeles Wave - Community News, Sports & Entertainment | News

50,000 take a free ride on the Gold Line; no major problems reported
More than 50,000 people took a free ride Sunday on the new Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension, and no major glitches were reported, a Metro spokesman said.
Related Content

* L.A. Times: Eating along the Gold Line Eastside Extension
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The six-mile, $898 million extension runs between Union Station and East Los Angeles, with stops at eight new stations, two of them underground.

When tickets for the light rail train go on sale Monday, the cost of a ride between Union Station and the end of the line in Pasadena will be $1.25, said Dave Sotero of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

In addition to Sunday's free rides, the grand opening included community celebrations at four stations -- the East L.A. Civic Center, Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights, Little Tokyo/Arts District and Union Station.

A group that believes the new above-ground rail line has made some intersections more dangerous demonstrated at the Mariachi Plaza event.

Metro officials said experts determined the route is safe, but "safety ambassadors'' will be stationed at several intersections along the line for about three months to help motorists and pedestrians get used to the trains.

The line is expected to carry 13,000 people a day, so the 50,000-plus that boarded the train Sunday was "the ultimate stress test,'' Sotero said, adding that "and this one passed.''

He said there were "no operational glitches -- everything is running very smoothly.''

Lines were as long as an hour for some of the trains, and a few overcrowded and stuck station elevators were the only mishaps, as crowds thronged nine stations, Sotero said.

The celebrations were winding down, but the free rides will continue until the last train at 12:45 a.m. Monday, he said.

About 1.7-miles of underground track runs under Boyle Heights. The rest of the line runs above ground along East Third Street, ending near Atlantic Boulevard in East Los Angeles.

Several bus routes have been rerouted to serve the stations, and the Atlantic Station will serve as a bus hub for the area.

Because of the crowds, passengers on the existing branch of the Gold Line from Pasadena had to disembark at Union Station if they wished to continue on the train. But starting Monday, through service will allow passengers to ride from Pasadena southwest to downtown, then southeast along the new tracks.

Officials are selecting a possible route for a light rail link from the Gold Line on downtown's east side to the Blue Line stub on Figueroa Street on downtown's west side. This would allow through Blue Line trains from Long Beach to Pasadena, or from East L.A. to Culver City via the new Expo Line, which is scheduled for completion in two years.

No funding source or construction timetable has been set for that cross- downtown link, however.

The trains -- each car is 90 feet long and light-rail is powered by overhead lines -- will reach up to 55 mph when underground, but not exceed 35 mph on city streets. It will slow to just 10 mph on a bridge across that crosses the 101 Freeway just east of downtown.

Security cameras are installed at 14 grade crossings, and fines for driving around crossing arms will be stiff -- about $450 for starters. A 30-day grace period will apply, starting Nov. 15.

Saturday, officials at a dedication of the new line at the new Metro East L.A. Civic Center said it will be a boost to the Eastside.

"For the first time in nearly half a century -- since the last trolley ran down First Street -- rail will again carry passengers from downtown L.A. to East Los Angeles,'' said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. "This caps a 20-year battle to bring rail back to East L.A. -- one of the most transportation dependent communities in Los Angeles.''

Trains are to run about every eight minutes in the mornings, about every 12 minutes during the middle of the day and every 20 minutes at night.

"The long-awaited Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension is going to greatly benefit the community by linking it with schools, hospitals, shopping and business opportunities throughout the county,'' said Ara Najarian, board chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Construction was begun in 2004, and the MTA and its prime contractor, Eastside LRT Constructors, finished the job without any serious accidents or mishaps in about 4 million working hours.

The official name of the line will be the Edward R. Roybal Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension, after the late Los Angeles city councilman and congressman. Roybal, a champion for Eastside causes, was a councilman for 13 years and a congressman for 30.

"With the opening of La Linea de Oro -- the Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension -- Eastside residents now have access to jobs, schools, medical centers, shopping, entertainment and cultural opportunities throughout our county,'' said county Supervisor Gloria Molina. "In turn, the region will get the benefit of Eastside talent, our rich cultural heritage, our dedicated work ethic and our welcoming business climate. It's a winning combination for the whole country.''

With the addition of the Gold Line's Eastside Extension, Metro system will have 79 miles of rail -- all built in the last 20 years.

"But this not the end of the ride,'' Villaraigosa said. "Thanks to the passage of Measure R, there will be local funding for half a dozen new rail projects in the next decade, which will give Angelenos even greater transit access to jobs and other opportunities throughout the county.''

Gold Line Extension Ready for Service in East Los Angeles (Source: The Transport Politic)

Link: The Transport Politic

Gold Line Extension Ready for Service in East Los Angeles


Though originally planned as an extension of the heavy rail Red Line, light rail will be good for East L.A. when it begins operations Sunday.

In most cities, the construction of a $900 million light rail line between downtown and a heavily transit-dependent neighborhood would be seen as a great step forward in the process of expanding the region’s transportation options.

For East Los Angeles, however, the Gold Line East Side Extension’s opening is bittersweet. While it is true that this new six-mile line, an extension of the Gold Line from Pasadena to downtown with eight beautiful stations, will be a boon for people who live in one of the city’s poorest and least-connected neighborhoods, an alternative originally planned more than twenty years ago would have been even more beneficial to the community.

In 1987, Los Angeles transit planners mapped out the city’s future transit system, highlighting a line running east-west from Westwood to East L.A. as the central spine. This heavy rail project, whose first phase opened as the Red Line between MacArthur Park and Union Station in 1994, lost its appeal as costs rose exponentially and after an explosion raised fears about the system’s safety. Los Angeles County Supervisor Zeb Yaroslavsky campaigned to kill more spending on subways in the city, eventually winning a referendum to do just that, despite the fact that the federal government had already committed hundreds of millions of dollars to an East L.A. extension from Union Station. Congressman Henry Waxman put a stake in the project’s heart when he successfully convinced Congress to eliminate future funding for underground trains in the city to please his wealthy Westside constituents who did not want a line under Wilshire Boulevard.

So the plans for an east side subway died, replaced by Metro with a partially federal-sponsored light rail project that runs just 1.7 miles under Boyle Heights, with the rest along the street; construction began in 2004. Now that the city’s citizenry has approved a new funding source and Mr. Waxman has removed his block on subway funding, it looks like the Westside will get its subway after all — but not East L.A.

This comes to the major detriment of transit users in the affected neighborhoods. While the Gold Line light rail trains will require 22 minutes to traverse the six-mile route between Atlantic Boulevard and Union Station (from where it will continue on the existing Gold Line route to Pasadena), Purple Line heavy rail trains can travel from Union Station to Wilshire and Western — about five miles — in just thirteen minutes. It seems reasonable to suggest that heavy rail, operating entirely in a subway, would have saved thousands of commuters ten or more minutes a day over what they’re getting with light rail. This may seem inconsequential, but if the Westside subway and extensions of the East L.A. line to El Monte or Whittier are ever built, those ten minutes could have meant significantly shorter daily work trips for hundreds of thousands of people.

For the moment, planners expect only 13,000 daily users on the line in 2010 — a number that would have been likely higher had the travel time been shorter. Ridership is also limited by the lack of a direct connection between the light rail Blue Line and Union Station, a deficiency that will be solved with the eventual construction of the Regional Connector downtown. That project will also allow through-running from West L.A.’s Expo corridor, all the way to the East L.A. Atlantic Station terminus.

If light rail is not ideal, however, the huge cost savings of running the route principally overground may have been worth it, especially since East L.A., though dense, is certainly no high-rise neighborhood. A heavy rail line through the community may not have ever attracted a sufficient number of users to make it a good idea. On the other hand, experience in cities like Washington, D.C. suggests that heavy rail stations even in less dense areas can attract significant surrounding development and very high ridership. One wonders if it’s fair that the rich Westside gets the best standards of transit, while East L.A. gets something significantly less performing.

The Gold Line will be a successful element of the Los Angeles cityscape, but the project probably could have made a far more serious dent in the region’s car culture had it been designed differently. Yet Los Angeles will be able to build more projects overall because of the savings here. And Metro has a cornucopia of proposals on its plate.

And the Gold Line Eastside Extension, named after America’s first Mexican-American congressman, Edward R. Roybal, is a handsome addition to this neighborhood. Each of the stations was designed by an artist and is distinctive, making each a jewel in a somewhat blighted neighborhood that was partially demolished to make way for the construction of the Pomona and Santa Ana freeways. Those roads remain huge obstacles whose close adjacency to the light rail line’s route may actually reduce ridership, but there’s not much to be done on that account. In addition, current County Supervisor Gloria Molina, who was a major supporter of the project, is upset about the fact that the line is above ground — she fears that trains will run over pedestrians — but her concerns are overstated considering the success of similar projects in other countries and even in Los Angeles itself. There’s nothing to fear from the Gold Line, but it could have been better.

Q & A The Gold Line opens Sunday (Source: latimes.com)

Link: The Gold Line opens Sunday -- latimes.com

Q & A

The Gold Line opens Sunday

The six-mile light-rail extension, which cost $898 million, will open Sunday with free rides and entertainment.
Gold Line

George Raya is at the controls of a light-rail train as it travels through the underground portion of the new Gold Line Eastside Extension. (Al Seib, Los Angeles Times / November 11, 2009)

By Ari B. Bloomekatz

November 13, 2009

What is the Gold Line Eastside extension?

It's the latest light-rail line in Los Angeles County, running six miles from downtown L.A. through Boyle Heights and into East Los Angeles. When it opens to the public on Sunday, the Gold Line will run from Pasadena to East L.A. The Eastside extension cost $898 million to build. Construction began in 2004.

How many stations are there?

There are eight stations along the extension's route: Atlantic, East L.A. Civic Center, Maravilla, Indiana, Soto, Mariachi Plaza, Pico/Aliso and Little Tokyo/Arts District. The extension terminates at Union Station, where riders can connect to the Red Line subway or the Purple Line or stay on the Gold Line to Pasadena.

Why is the Gold Line not a subway?

From the beginning, residents and politicians on the Eastside pushed for the Gold Line extension to be built completely underground. In the end, transportation planners decided to make a roughly 1.7-mile portion of the Gold Line a subway -- the part that runs underneath Boyle Heights. The majority of the route runs above ground.

What is planned for the grand opening?

Everyone can ride the Gold Line from one end to the other at no cost on Sunday. At the East L.A. Civic Center station, there will be live music, a farmers market and activities for children. There will also be live mariachi and contemporary music -- including the group Quinto Sol -- at the Mariachi Plaza station. The Little Tokyo/Arts District station will host karaoke and food from nearby restaurants. And Santa Claus will visit Union Station more than a month early.

What are the ridership projections?

By the end of the first year it is open, officials expect 13,000 people to ride the extension each day.

What are the safety concerns about the Gold Line?

Some people, including Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina, have expressed concern about pedestrians near the light-rail line, which runs through heavily populated areas. Molina has said the line would have been much safer underground.

But MTA officials said the line is safe. They noted that the agency set aside an additional $4.5 million for safety enhancements, including about two miles of pedestrian fencing. Two dozen "safety ambassadors" will help residents navigate tricky spots on the line. Los Angeles police, the California Highway Patrol and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials will be on the lookout for people jaywalking over the tracks.

What are some basic safety tips when driving in the area?

Here are tips from the MTA: (1) Exercise caution at all times. Watch for the "Train" signal. (2) Always wait for a "walk" signal before entering the crosswalk. (3) Always use the crosswalk. Never jaywalk across the tracks. (4) Never make a left turn on a red arrow. This will be enforced by cameras at each intersection. (5) Right turns are allowed while a Gold Line train is passing through but may be restricted at certain intersections.

Didn't workers digging the subway tunnel find artifacts?

Yes. In 2005, workers found markers of Chinese workers buried near the Evergreen Cemetery more than a century ago. Chinese headstones and burial bricks were found between 2 and 6 feet underground. They were scattered among the remains of the 128 bodies. Chinese American historians said the find shed light on the earliest Chinese immigrants who came to California to help build the railroads and perform other jobs.

What's next for the Gold Line?

Officials are hoping for two new extensions in the coming years. One would go from Pasadena east as far as Ontario International Airport. The other would go east from East L.A. to either Whittier or South El Monte.

ari.bloomekatz@latimes.com

Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times

Gold Line Developments Still a Glimmer in Metro's Eye (Source: Curbed LA)

link: Curbed LA: Gold Line Developments Still a Glimmer in Metro's Eye

Gold Line Developments Still a Glimmer in Metro's Eye

Tuesday, November 10, 2009, by Neal Broverman

The wave of press regarding this Sunday's opening of the Gold Line extension is beginning to crest. The Los Angeles Business Journal looks at the planned developments around the line, and according to the paper, Metro had hoped to have six Gold Line-adjacent projects and 275 units of affordable housing under construction at this point. None of these projects have broken ground, with financing the major stumbling block (there are at least a dozen projects, many mixed-use and affordable housing, seeking funding). Not that growth has stopped--a handful of new shopping centers have opened up in the last couple of years to serve the area's 150,000 residents. [Pictured: the killer view at the Mariachi Plaza stop by Francisco Cendejas via Flickr]

Developments planned near the Mariachi Plaza subway stop in Boyle Heights:

-Developer McCormack Baron Salazar wants to build a mixed-use structure on 3.5 acres. There would be 100 affordable housing units and 6,000 square feet of retail.
- JSM Construction is working with another 3.5 acre site, in hopes of bringing 160,000 square feet of retail and office space.
-The Boyle Hotel will undergo a $21 million renovation if the nonprofit East Los Angeles Community Corp. has its way. The redo would turn the hotel into 51 affordable apartments. Financing isn't there yet, but the hope is to have this done by early 2012.

Near the East LA Civic Center stop:

-A former Red Cross building could become 60 housing units fronted by ground-floor retail if developer National Core Community Renaissance can find financing. The project would cost $17 million.

Though it's several blocks south of the Gold Line's terminus at Altantic and Pomona, the LABJ also mentions the attempt by the Charles Co. to turn the 82-year-old Golden Gate Theatre building (on the National Register of Historic Places) into a CVS. Preservationists are fighting this one.

Not everyone is looking for a big redevelopment of this part of town. At the Gold Line media event a week and a half ago, City Councilman Jose Huizar told us he's not interested in large-scale development along the route.

Gold Line to East Los Angeles to open this weekend (Source: Pasadena Star-News)

Link: Gold Line to East Los Angeles to open this weekend - Pasadena Star-News

Gold Line to East Los Angeles to open this weekend
Posted: 11/10/2009 02:05:24 PM PST

LOS ANGELES - The Gold Line Eastside Extension, which will connect the end of the Gold Line at Union Station to within one miles of the city border of Monterey Park, will be opening this Sunday.

Riders will be able to use the line for free on Sunday, though it will begin charging normal Metro fares on Monday.

It will take about 53 minutes to ride the line from the Sierra Madre Villa Station in Pasadena to the end of the line at the intersection of Atlantic and Pomona boulevards, just south of the Pomona (60) Freeway, according to Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials.

That time will vary will traffic, said Jose Ubaldo, spokesman for the MTA. The new line will go through city streets and will tend to run slower with traffic, he said.

Ubaldo has been riding the line during its test phase from end to end every day, and said he has made the trip in under 20 minutes during low-traffic times, but has clocked it at up to 23 minutes during peak traffic times. MTA has not yet released an official time estimate for traveling on the line.

Local and federal officials will be celebrating the opening of the line with a ceremony on Saturday.

Visiting the Gold Line Extension, Nearly Getting Hit by a Train (Source: Curbed LA)

Curbed LA: Visiting the Gold Line Extension, Nearly Getting Hit by a Train

Visiting the Gold Line Extension, Nearly Getting Hit by a Train

Thursday, October 8, 2009, by Dakota

As reported earlier this week, trains are now doing test runs along the new Gold Line Extension, which runs from 1st Street in Little Tokyo to Atlantic Avenue in Boyle Heights. On Sunday, we drove along the line, driving parallel with the trains as they rumbled down 1st Street, turned down 3rd street and then looped back after reaching Atlantic Avenue. But then something funny and nearly tragic happened on the way back to downtown. The two sets of lights near the Indiana stop--one set is before the tracks and the second set of lights is at the intersection--tripped us up. Rather than stop at the first set of lights, we stopped at the light (just a few yards away) at the intersection of Indiana Street, getting ready to make a right on red. But at that point our car was on the tracks. And a train was coming.

First off, as soon as we went through the first light near the Indiana stop, we realized we'd made a mistake (at this point, we can't remember whether 1. We didn't realize we'd gone through a red light. 2. It was a green light.)

Anyway, in times of confusion, one freezes. Once we crossed the first light, we froze, unsure whether to back up or keep going.

And when the train came around the corner, the front of our car was on the tracks. The train stopped. And we got the very slow, very annoyed head shake from the conductor. "Freakin' idiot" was the look we got.

Given our pompous attitude on the blog--ie who doesn't know how to drive or walk near train tracks is the mantra--we probably deserved to be hit.

But if we can make this mistake, can others? Maybe not. Maybe we're the only idiots in the whole city. But to illustrate the two sets of lights, see below. This is actually another set of two lights, just around the corner from where we were. This is facing 1st, on Indiana. The green light allows you to go forward, but then you're sitting on the tracks as you wait at the red light. So obviously, the first set of lights is timed to the train? Regardless, Metro representative Jose Ubaldo agreed to meet with us next week and talk more about the stop and what exactly we did wrong. He may beat us with an idiot stick, which we probably deserve.

But other than nearly getting hitting by a train, a very enjoyable ride along the Gold Line Extension.

okqdasd.jpg

Almost got hit here:

2009.10.indiana.jpg
Filed under East LA/ Boyle Heights, Gold Line

Gold Line Testing Begins Sunday (Source: Eastern Group Publications)

Link: Gold Line Testing Begins Sunday : Eastern Group Publications

Gold Line Testing Begins Sunday

By EGP News Service

Metro will begin the pre-revenue testing phase before the opening of the six-mile extension of the Metro Gold Line to East Los Angeles, which is expected this fall.

The pre-revenue light rail train testing is designed to simulate revenue service operations on the new segment, synchronizing it with the service already provided between Union Station and Sierra Madre Villa Station in East Pasadena.

The purpose of pre-revenue testing, which could last more than a month, is to familiarize Metro train operators and train control staff with simulated service. Since there will be many more test trains on the new alignment, stretching from Union Station through Little Tokyo and the downtown Arts District, Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles, Metro officials are urging the public to be alert and obey all safety warning devices and signage.

New Timetables Released for Gold Line, Includes Eastside Extension (Source: LAist)

New Timetables Released for Gold Line, Includes Eastside Extension - LAist

New Timetables Released for Gold Line, Includes Eastside Extension



But don't get too excited as it's just one step in a long process that's almost completed. Although the timetable (.pdf) for the Gold Line now include eastside extension stations, they've been left blank. What a tease!

Yesterday, Metro officials announced that regular testing of the Gold Line's extension would commence on Sunday. An opening could come as soon as early November.
user-pic
By Zach Behrens in News on September 30, 2009 9:29 AM

Testing of light rail trains on Metro Gold Line starts Sunday (Source: LA Daily News)

Testing of light rail trains on Metro Gold Line starts Sunday - LA Daily News

Testing of light rail trains on Metro Gold Line starts Sunday

Daily News Wire Services

Updated: 09/30/2009 10:10:24 AM PDT

Testing of light rail trains along the Metro Gold Line extension from Union Station to East Los Angeles will kick into high gear Sunday, and Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials warned the public to beware of the increased number of trains that will be using the tracks.

The testing is designed to familiarize train operators and staff with the service, and synchronize the trains with the existing service on the Gold Line, which now provides service between Union Station and east Pasadena.

During the stepped-up testing phase, which could last for more than a month, passengers will disembark southbound trains from Pasadena at Union Station, but the train will continue south to East Los Angeles, then return northbound.

During peak hours, the trains will run every seven to eight minutes, and every 12 minutes during midday hours. At night, the trains will run every 20 minutes. On weekends and holidays, the trains will run every 15 to 20 minutes in the mornings, every 12 minutes during the day and every 20 minutes at night.

Gold Line Eastside Extension to Begin Regular Testing on Sunday (Source: LAist)

Link: Gold Line Eastside Extension to Begin Regular Testing on Sunday - LAist

Gold Line Eastside Extension to Begin Regular Testing on Sunday

A Gold Line train pulls out of the Little Tokyo/Arts Distrct station during a test run | Photo by STERLINGDAVISPHOTO (website) via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr

If you see the Gold Line running through the Eastside and East L.A. on a regular basis next week, don't think you can hop on board at the nearest station. Metro officials announced today that pre-revenue light rail train testing will begin Sunday, lasting at least a month before opening to the public.

The testing phase will allow operators and control staff to experience service in real-time. Trains from Pasadena will begin to head eastbound (without passengers) instead of turning around at Union Station. Trains heading to Pasadena will arrive after traveling the new Eastside route.

Commuters will now get used to new weekday traffic patterns as trains will run during peak hours every 7 minutes to 8 minutes in the morning and afternoon; midday service will be every 12 minutes, and night service will be every 20 minutes. On Weekends, service will run every 12 to 20 minutes, depending on the time of day.

The eight new stations of the Metro Gold Line to East Los Angeles include Little Tokyo/Arts District, Pico/Aliso, Mariachi Plaza (underground), Soto (underground), Indiana, Maravilla, East L.A. Civic Center and Atlantic.

L.A. waits for its opening(s) (Source: MetroRiderLA)

Link: L.A. waits for its opening(s) | MetroRiderLA

L.A. waits for its opening(s)
Contributed by Wad on September 16th, 2009 at 2:50 am

Portland opens new Green Line

Portland’s TriMet added its new Green Line to its light rail network. It opened Saturday.
Photo by Adron B. Hall / Transit Sleuth

It was never easier being green that this weekend. Two cities opened two new light rail lines — both of them happen to be their respective systems’ Green Lines — on the same day. Portland and Dallas both opened extensions this past weekend. And earlier in the summer, Seattle opened the first leg of its Link light rail line.

So when does L.A. get to join in on the party? For the Gold Line extension to East L.A., we don’t know. The construction is complete, but the line south of Union Station must first go through “stress tests,” then six weeks of simulated revenue service without passengers. We are already in September, and the chances are dwindling that the Gold Line extension may still open by the end of the year.

That’s not even the bad news. The bad news is for Expo Line riders. The line, already 50 weeks behind schedule, now will not open until 2011, the Los Angeles Times reports. Only part of it was because of the grade-crossing controversy near Foshay Middle School and Dorsey High. The other problems stem from sewer repair at La Brea Avenue and bridge work near National Boulevard and Ballona Creek.

It’ll be a long while before we could report on light rail parties like the ones in Portland and Dallas. Here’s selected blog coverage from Portland’s Green Line opening festivities:

Firms get look at Gold Line possibilities (Source: Pasadena Star-News)

Link: Firms get look at Gold Line possibilities - Pasadena Star-News

Firms get look at Gold Line possibilities
By Ryan Carter, Staff Writer
Posted: 09/15/2009 08:36:39 PM PDT

MONROVIA - About 150 small business owners filled a room at the Doubletree Hotel Monrovia Tuesday to learn about how they could get a piece of a possible $735 million pie.

The pie is the Foothill Gold Line Extension project - a proposed rail line that would extend the light rail system from Pasadena to Montclair.

In January, the Metro Gold Line Construction Authority Board will issue a request for proposals from local companies vying for a contract to design and build a bridge over the Foothill (210) Freeway as part of the 24-mile project. And in June of next year, the agency will begin accepting bids for a builder of the rest of the project - aligning rail tracks along the system to Azusa, crossings, stations and maintenance facilities.

Tuesday's event was the first of its kind to bring together smaller firms interested in subcontracting with whatever large business gets the main design/build contract. Those contracts will be awarded in May and November of next year.

Transit officials wanted feedback - and they got it - from a host of small construction and engineering firms. One business representative, who declined to give her name, was concerned about the time it takes for transit agencies to pay for services contracted for.

"How do you ensure (as a small business) that you really get paid?" she asked officials, including Habib F. Balian, CEO of the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Authority, the agency tasked with
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overseeing the design and construction.

Long delays with transit agencies in the past have jeopardized her business, she said.

"This is really hard for us small businesses," she said. "We can't take the hit that a multi-billion dollar business can."

Authority officials assured her that in this case, payment would come much sooner, given obligations of the design/builder to pay subcontractors.

That pay would ultimately come from voter-approved Measure R funds, which targeted 35 percent of the new half-cent sales tax to planning for L.A. County rail lines.

Bouncing off of the success of the 13.7-mile line from Los Angeles to east Pasadena, which was completed in 2003, construction authority officials are pushing for Metro's go-ahead of two more phases - from Pasadena to Azusa, and from Azusa to Montclair.

Among the selling points is the potential for $40 billion in economic benefits from jobs to transit-oriented developments, according to authority officials.

But funding - or the lack of it - has held up the project, which officials say is shovel-ready to begin in June.

Metro could approve a long-range transportation plan, which could include allocating at least $735 million to build the 24-mile line by 2017.

But even as Balian pushes for money now, officials told small business on Tuesday that the authority is creating a public-private partnership with hopes of speeding up construction ahead of funding.

While the project got no federal stimulus funding, it's go-ahead could end up being a huge stimulus for the area, Balian said. And that's what firms are waiting to tap into, he said.

"There's about 150 or so businesses who want Measure R transportation dollars being spent for transportation....This project is ready," he said.

Another workshop will begin at 8 a.m. Sept. 29 at Doubletree Hotel Monrovia, 924 W. Huntington Drive. For more information, go to www.foothillextension.org or call (626) 471-9050.

ryan.carter@sgvn.com

(626) 962-8811, ext. 2720

Meet Mariachi Station, LA's Newest Subway Stop (Source: Curbed LA)

Link: Curbed LA: Meet Mariachi Station, LA's Newest Subway Stop

Meet Mariachi Station, LA's Newest Subway Stop

Tuesday, September 8, 2009, by Neal Broverman

See article for photo gallery.

Via Transittalk
Courtesy of Metroman on the comment board of The Transit Coalition: Photos of the Mariachi Station of the Gold Line extension, opening possibly in July, August, September, October or November. Looks like a sharp station. The Mariachi Station at 1st and Boyle in Boyle Heights is one of two underground stations on the Eastside extension of the light-rail (the Soto station is the other). When the line opens, one will be able to travel without transfers from East LA all the way to Pasadena and vice versa—authentic guacamole and H&M in one seamless ride.

Gold Line Lake Ave. Station Upgrade Continues (Source: brighamyen.wordpress.com)

Link; Gold Line Lake Ave. Station Upgrade Continues « Pasadena Real Estate with Brigham Yen

Gold Line Lake Ave. Station Upgrade Continues

September 5, 2009
I quickly snapped a shot of the construction going on at the Gold Line Lake Ave. Station earlier this week. Work was being done several months ago on the west side of the station on Lake Avenue where canopies were being added as well as new bike racks. However, it seemed like work came to a halt for a bit, and now it’s back online across the street on the east side of the street and station. At this pace, I just hope that this station will be done when the Gold Line Eastside Extension is officially open in, hopefully, November 2009.
Upgrades to the Gold Line Lake Ave. Station continues with construction on the east side of the station

Upgrades to the Gold Line Lake Ave. Station continues with construction on the east side of the station