Comments on: We Now Return to Our Regular Programming, Already in Progress

By: bzcat

bzcat — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:47:44 +0000

Since I’m Twit-tard, can someone tell me what exactly is the Chamber’s objection of the alignment? Do they prefer a different street? Underground?

By: Spokker

Spokker — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:13:38 +0000

Why don’t you become a politician and change the whole dynamic?

By: Randall BusTard

Randall BusTard — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:41:36 +0000

Kim implicitly enquired, “Following the drama on twitter, it’s fascinating, and since I’m new to the whole “scene” here, I’m quickly learning why everything takes so long when local government is involved.”

That is because there are two bidding processes: one to fulfill the legal obligations to appear legal, and the REAL bidding process, whereby city council members dance on the figurative pole in the closed-door VIP room and wait to see who stuffs the most money in their g-string.

By: Space Kimchi

Space Kimchi — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:23:25 +0000

Following the drama on twitter, it’s fascinating, and since I’m new to the whole “scene” here, I’m quickly learning why everything takes so long when local government is involved. :)

By: Damien Newton

Damien Newton — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:45:00 +0000

Yes. No problem with rail. No problem with pedestrians and commuters. Don’t like the current alignment.

By: Dan Wentzel

Dan Wentzel — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:44:02 +0000

Thank you, Damien.

For clarity, the Little Tokyo Chamber of Commerce are not objecting to more transit riders (and pedestrians) in their neighborhood, but but the at-grade rail alternative?

I appreciate your tweets. Thanks!

By: Damien Newton

Damien Newton — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:36:13 +0000

Dan,

Yes and yes. They don’t like the way it’s currently designed and being pushed.

By: Dan Wentzel

Dan Wentzel — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:35:52 +0000

In full disclosure, I just did a piece on the Regional Connector on my own blog which I will shamelessly link to ridethepinkline.blogspot.com

By: Dan Wentzel

Dan Wentzel — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:33:32 +0000

“Little Tokyo Chamber of Commerce also opposed to connector. Worried about number of trains in the heart of Little Tokyo.”

——————-

Gee, NIMBYs are everywhere.

I guess the Little Tokyo Chamber of Commerce doesn’t realize that Regional Connector will enable more people to actually get to their businesses in Little Tokyo. They might have more pedestrian traffic at their shops and restaurants. (I guess they wouldn’t want that.)

So the whole of Southern California is supposed to suffer for a few Little Tokyo NIMBYs?

Damien,

Did the objections of those who spoke have anything to do with the two different alignments proposed?

Would having the underground alignment alleviate most of their concerns?

Too bad Gold Line eastside extension advocates didn’t speak in favor the Regional Connector because it will make it easier for them to get into the heart of Downtown.

Too bad that Long Beach, Pasadena, Expo Line and Foothill Gold Line supporters didn’t speak in favor of the Regional Connector because it’s not just downtown which will benefit. The WHOLE region will benefit.

By: Damien Newton

Damien Newton — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:07:06 +0000

Oh, the rain comment was just a poke at my friends in the Apple. Longtime readers hopefully got a laugh out of this since I came to L.A. from there.

By: Space Kimchi

Space Kimchi — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:49:05 +0000

I would love to see blog updates sent over twitter! I use twitter as my RSS reader, and I’d love to see new blog posts show up on the twitter feed i.e. the headline and a link to the article.

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:29:59 +0000

Said like a true west coaster. NYC actually gets a lot of rain fall in the summer months. Its other parts of the country like the west coast that has their precipitation amounts skewed to the winter months.