The 1996/2002 plan had Class I Bike Lanes on a lot of arterials – which have all been removed and turned into “potential” bike routes/”planned but infeasible”.

Stephen Box was able to acquire a copy of a subcontractor’s survey of all the streets Alta Planning was asked to consider for the plan. The subcontractors survey showed, for example, that a Class 2 Major Highway (North Figueroa Street) is anywhere from 2,000 to 10,000 ADT below its MINIMUM ADT. The minimum for this class of street is 30 to 50,000 ADT – the coontractors numbers in the most crowded stretch of Fig we 28,000 ADT, down to 20,000 in less crowded sections.

On N. Figueroa, with such a wide right-of-way, and the 110 freeway so close, and a traditional, walkable neighborhood and commercial district – some traffic calming is definitely in order. This is precisely what the subcontractor called for in their survey.

The LADOT took that recommendation and filed it in the trash can – they removed the Class 1 Bike Lane from the plans and keep claiming that “EIR”, “EIR”, “EIR” (some insurmountable obstacle) will prevent any car lanes from every being affected or removed, ever.

Lots of Major Highways and Scondary Highways in LA, that were considered in this plan, are below their minimum ADT, and are allowed to have a peak-hour Level of Service all the way down to “D” – which they are at, or are near already. Removing car capacity and putting bike facilities will reduce the number of cars on the road (if done properly) – yet the LADOT won’t consider this.

The Gold Line extension right of way has wide shoulders and extra roadway space – but it has been designed for car throughput as fast as the engineers who designed it could make it.

I cannot imagine these folks looking back on their decisions with anything but embarrassment and shame in 20 year’s time.

This type of planning kills a disproportionate amount of people in LA County each year.

http://ubrayj02.blogspot.com/2009/03/pedestrian-rights-protest-in-boyle.html

Yes, the nasty budget problems are a likely reason we didn’t get what was supposed to happen but that some stations have infrequent weekday service and noen of weekends boggles my mind.

Forgive me. This post tripped over a pet peeve of mind.

Besides the electeds concerns like this one might be worth airing at the next meeting of the Review Advisory Committee for the Eastside extension. Hopefully Metro will post the date/time/place of the next meeting soon (I think it is to be on the 19th).

http://beta.metro.net/projects/eastside/goldline_rac/