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Mixed Reviews on Crenshaw Corridor LRT Plan from Community Leaders

Damien Newton — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:44:35 +0000

Community turnout was strong at public meetings on what to do for the Crenshaw Corridor. Photo: Wad/Flickr

In what can only be considered a win for County Supervisor and Metro Board Member Mark Ridley-Thomas the Metro staff is now recommending that light rail, not Bus Rapid Transit, be brought to the Crenshaw Corridor. Ridley-Thomas has been active behind the scenes and in front of the microphone pushing for adequate funding for light rail for his district.

However, just because a politician supports an idea doesn't mean it necessarily has the support of the communities he represents. For example, remember the vitriolic exchanges between Damien Goodmon and City Councilman, and former Ridley-Thomas opponent, Bernard Parks. So will Crenshaw run into similar opposition as Phase I of Expo? It depends who you ask. While some activists are thrilled to be getting light rail instead of "more buses," others question the proposed alignment.

At the Times' LA_Now blog, the Los Angeles Urban League gives the project a thumbs up:

"We do consider it a victory," said Trevor Ware, chief operating officer of the Los Angeles Urban League.

"Look at the transportation options that we have now. We have buses on Crenshaw and we see other neighborhoods that are developing other types of transportation options," Ware added.

"To have a decision made that we will have light rail - that's so much faster and will have so much more of an economic impact - we need that too," he said.

This morning, I exchanged emails with Goodmon, who seemed supportive of the numerous below-grade crossings and stations for the project but also vowed to push on for further below-grade construction:

We applaud the inclusion of options into the Base LRT design, specifically the below grade Hyde Park portion, and the continued study of the remaining options. Our current focus is on getting the EIR to study the remaining portion between 48th and 60th that is not currently being studied for below grade, so as to avoid future delay from a supplemental environmental process.

For a list of all the grade crossings, visit the agenda for next week's Planning Committee meeting and head to page 5.

Goodmon also noted that there are other areas that might concern the community. Namely that the staff's recommended contractor is not from South L.A., undercutting Ridley-Thomas' boast of 8,700 new jobs and that any at-grade alignment is against the stated position of the City of Los Angeles and the Crenshaw Corridor Specific Plan. The resolution was sponsored by local City Councilmembers Parks and Wesson. A full copy of Goodmon's statement is available after the jump.

STATEMENT ON THE MTA STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE CRENSHAW LINE MODE AND CONTRACT

On behalf of the Citizens' Campaign to Fix the Expo Rail Line, and

South Los Angeles Neighborhood Council's Joint Committee on Rail Transit

Delivered by Damien Goodmon

We agree with MTA staff's recommendation of light rail over bus rapid transit, the inclusion of the below grade (underground) sections along some parts of Crenshaw, and the recommendation to continue study of underground options and stations elsewhere along the route.

However, the portion on Crenshaw Blvd between 48th and 60th St, in Park Mesa Heights, will be a rallying point for our community. Staff is recommending the section, which abuts View Park Prep School and is just a block away from Crenshaw High School only be studied as street-level with no option for underground. We disagree, and want to avoid the problems articulated by Supervisor Gloria Molina regarding Eastside Extension safety issues, and the tragic record of MTA's Blue Line, America's deadliest light rail line.

Staff's recommendation for street level crossings in the Park Mesa Heights community will increase safety hazards to school aged children and the public at large, result in the removal of hundreds of parking spaces important to the area's commerce, the removal tall median trees that are crucial to Crenshaw Blvd's scenic highway status, increase congestion at heavily traveled cross streets, such as of Slauson and 54th, slow down the overall speed of the line, and impair an otherwise good economic development opportunities. From traffic, parking, safety, economic development and procedural standpoints, it is a mistake. As requested by the community, the neighborhood councils and the Los Angeles City Council, an underground option from 48th to 60th Street must be included among the other options under study, so when funding becomes available it can seamlessly integrated into the Crenshaw Line project without delay. MTA should avoid the mistakes of Expo while building Crenshaw.

Additionally, we disagree with staff's recommendation for the design and preliminary engineering contract. It appears Metro staff wants the board to throw aside a perfectly capable and eminently qualified team that included businesses owned by people who live in the Crenshaw Corridor, in favor a team led out of Orange County. The largest public works project in the history of South L.A. should not be designed from Orange County.

Staff is recommending the Hatch Mott McDonnell's team, over the PB Americas team, which included among others Terry Hayes of Terry Hayes Associates and Roland Wiley of RAW International. These local African-American business leaders have done all the preliminary work to date for this project going back to the early '90s, have deep roots in the Crenshaw area, have volunteered their expertise on numerous community projects, and most importantly have a strong understanding of the pulse of the Crenshaw community, because they live here.

I don't yet know why the PB Americas team was not selected, but the MTA board should overrule the staff recommendation to ensure that the promises made by elected officials to generate more jobs and a leadership role for the community are kept.

We will be working in the coming weeks to persuade the MTA Board to address these issues promptly so our region and the Crenshaw corridor communities can receive what is necessary and what we are due: a fast, safe and reliable alternative to the traffic that is clogging our streets and polluting our air.

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Ride Report: The Crenshaw Crush

Stephen Box — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:01:56 +0000

Sunday's Crenshaw Crush drew cyclists from all over the city to Leimert Park, home of the Drum Circle, for a bike ride that introduced riders to the history, the culture, the politics and the people of the Crenshaw District.

Aubrey Provost, the 8th Council District representative on the City's Bicycle Advisory Committee, has spent years sitting in policy meetings discussing plans and proposals and finally he decided that the best thing he could do to improve cycling in Los Angeles was to simply get people on their bikes. He enlisted the support of the LA Greensters and the Crenshaw Crush was on.

A Crush is a great big hug and that's what 75 cyclists gave the Crenshaw Community as Ron "the Sherpa" Durgin of the LA Greensters led a 20+ mile tour that started with the Florence and Normandie epicenter of the LA Riots where Aubrey gave his first hand account of one of the lowest points in LA's history. It was a sobering moment that set up the highlights of hope and success that followed.

The cyclists included the East Side Bike Club, LA Grange, Real Ryda's, Major Motion and Cynergy Cycles along with the LA Greensters and a load of unaffiliated but new best friends, some from far away and others from down the street. They ranged in age from 7 to 70 and in skill level from beginner to core.

Jeremy Grant of the LA Greensters led a poker ride and at every fork in the road where Ron took the flat route, Jeremy would lead the poker riders on a mad hill climb, five in all, adding miles and hills and the Baldwin Dam to their journey. Somehow they caught the flatlanders at the pit stops every time.

Along the way, the Crenshaw Crush got some miles in before stopping at USC's Exposition Park and the Rose Garden. Aubrey regaled us with tales of days gone by when the Rose Garden was a race track and the uptown/downtown social center as well as the days when it almost became a parking lot. We took off and the Poker Riders disappeared while we took the long slow route to Crenshaw.

The Crush at rest. Photo: Stephen Box/Facebook

We pulled off a side street onto the sidewalk of Crenshaw and Aubrey gave a shout out to Marilyn of Marilyn's Soul Food and as she described her restaurants and her history in the neighborhood, she was joined by staff carrying huge trays of the largest and plumpest chicken wings, enough to feed an army. The aroma of fried chicken attracted a few pedestrians who couldn't resist joining the crowd. It was hard to leave Marilyn's.

The two groups rode together for a spell, exploring the Expo Line route and taking a pit stop at Dorsey High. The Expo Line has been quite a hot topic and there is a great deal of unresolved tension surrounding current plans for the pedestrian access in the area. For those who have been following the debates, the arguments and the hearings, all of the information pales in comparison to the understanding that comes from simply riding a bike down the quiet streets that surround Dorsey High or the Foshay Learning Center and then trying to navigate the busy streets that surround the community. It should be required that all planning debates are settled with a bike ride.

We stopped at the the new Fire Station 94 but the station was empty, all trucks were out on a traffic "incident" which is an all too common experience for this arterial-locked community surrounded by uncrossable streets and traffic that moves at freeway speeds alongside schools, rec centers, parks and residential neighborhoods.

In stark contrast to the intense traffic and midday heat, we rode to the Village Green, formerly the Baldwin Hills Village now a National Historical Monument. Built in 1942, the design theories that gave birth to the Village were known as the Greenbelt Movement and were a direct response to the need to provide moderately priced housing for a rapidly growing urban population while addressing the problems created by the automobile.

If only we knew now what we knew then!

Parking was invisible, we didn't see any cars once we pulled of Rodeo, and as we walked through the Village we could feel the air cool, such was the effect of the tree canopy. Almost 70 acres, two-thirds dedicated to green space, resulting in 80 buildings with over seven hundred units, all softened by the Urban Forest and open green space.

All community planning meetings should include a field trip to Village Green. Architectural students and artists continue to make the trip as if to remind themselves that it is indeed possible to build a community that separates pedestrians and automobiles, putting a people first focus on the community.

On the far side of Village Green, we looked up at the hill to where the Baldwin Hills Dam once stood, until it collapsed in 1963 and swept the community below, destroying the homes and killing five people. Aubrey was telling us a story of the Dam and how he came to live in the area but before he could finish the story, somebody yelled "Bike Race" and he took off to the top of the hill with others in pursuit. Meanwhile, some of us looked at the Village Green and contemplated a nap while we waited on the Poker Riders.

Once regrouped we headed out and passed a couple of Fire Trucks who invited us back to Fire Station 94 for some ice cream, finally! We fueled up and headed out for a tour of the Leimert Park Homes, in search of former Mayor Tom Bradley's home. This was perhaps the most surreal part of the Crenshaw Crush, streets so quiet that we could hear the conversations of cyclists in the distance, peaceful in a way that is rare in Los Angeles. The neighborhood was designed by Olmstead & Olmstead, the architect and master planner of New York City's Central Park. Each street had a different tree theme. One street had all Magnolia Trees, another had all Jacaranda, the next was all Palm Trees. Absolutely inspiring!

The Leimert Park Homes were restricted to white residents until 1948. Notable residents include John Singleton, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald as well as former Mayor Tom Bradley who lived ther until his death in 1998. His home, like all of the others, was modest in size but the tree in front was definitely the largest on the block!

We returned to Leimert Park where the Real Ryda's Lowrider Bike Club hosted a bike show featuring their full complement of lowriders and hoppers. Bikes and trikes and sound systems and chrome forever. Absolutely stunning bikes!

Along the way, kids on fixies tested themselves against the roadies on the poker ride, the lowriders cruised in style while the eastsiders corked the intersections and riders volunteered their stories of where they worked, were they lived and the history of their community.

Aubrey and his wife Melba were such great hosts, they inspired others to follow suit. Carlos Morales of the East Side Bike Club says plans are already under way for the "East Side Abrazar!"

What Should Be Done with the Crenshaw Corridor

Damien Newton — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:34:11 +0000

Photo: Practical Visionary/Webshots

I'm going to be honest with you for a moment. I haven't been paying attention to the Crenshaw Corridor Transit Study in South L.A. Maybe it's that a preferred mode hasn't been selected yet. Maybe it's that more controversial projects have grabbed my attention. Maybe it's that it's mysterious. Regardless all of that is going to change soon.

A press release from the office of Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas announced that the Metro Board will vote in October on whether or not to go forward with a Bus Rapid Transit project for the corridor or an "underground light-rail." The Crenshaw Corridor extends approximately 10 miles from Wilshire Boulevard on the north to El Segundo Boulevard on the south on Crenshaw Boulevard. Measure R allocates $1.7 billion for whatever project the Board chooses. A history of the numerous studies done on the area can be found at Metro's website.

Ridley-Thomas' office hasn't announced their preferred alternative, but instead is pushing for a process that allows the effected communities to choose. However, when discussing the alternatives for the Corridor they don't mention the "no-build" or "Transportation Demand Management" options. Ridley-Thomas is kicking off the outreach, which will include public hearings in September and October, with a media availability later today.

Since I admitedly don't have a lot of expertise in the area, I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on what is the best transit option for the area. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section.

BRU: How About a Stimulus for Bus Riders?

Damien Newton — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:20:05 +0000

Tae Soon Jeon Speaks at Today's Rally. Photo via Bus Rider's Union

This morning, the Bus Rider's Union, including members from South and East L.A., and civic leaders from Koreatown gathered to ask the MTA to support the BRU's Clean Air and Economic Justice Plan. Their plan calls for increased funding and expansion of Metro's bus fleet and a rollback fo the 2007 fare hike by using Measure R and federal stimulus dollars over time. They also pointed out that while Metro staff had released a report earlier in the week that called for some short-term improvements, there was also language in the report that called for fare hikes in the next couple of years and long-term cuts in bus service as different rail projects come online.

The BRU's Jude Redman explains the need for expanded bus service and how it can stimulate the economy:

In these tough economic times it is even more crucial that we have an expansion of the bus system to get people to and from desperately needed jobs, and allowing for those seeking employment to be able to accept jobs that aren’t traditionally 9-to-5: hospital workers, food preparers, security guards, refinery workers, custodians and airport personnel who work late nights and weekends. I have had to turn down many a job because there was no service after a certain hour, or it would mean I had to stand on a corner, for up to an hour, at night. Expanding 500 buses will not only create more frequent service and less wait time for us but it will also create 2,875 more unionized green jobs in LA alone.

After the jump you can see what the Bus Riders Union Clear Air and Economic Justice Plan would have for K-Town.

500 New Expansion Buses –Buy and operate 500 new buses for LA County. In K-town reducing overcrowding is a high priority where some of the most overcrowded bus lines run like Wilshire, Vermont, Western, and Olympic. For many Korean elders frequenting local businesses in Koreatown improving mid-day and weekend service on local lines means reducing waiting times, often at shelter less bus stops. In an era of high unemployment, expanding mobility to jobs, schools, clinics and recreation centers for bus riders also creates over 2, 875 new green jobs in L.A. alone.

Reverse the 2007 Fare Increase – What bus riders really need is a $20 monthly bus pass! We believe that the MTA Board can begin this by reversing the 2007 fare increase, including restoration of the $52 monthly bus pass. It could save a bus rider at least $120 a year, and hundreds more in a family with multiple bus riders. Measure R guarantees a one-year fare freeze for regular fares and ongoing freeze for seniors and disabled riders. But in these hard times, when families are forced to make hard choices to keep afloat, reducing fares is the only sensible thing to do. Furthermore many families in Koreatown are starting to take advantage of the buses because of the economic downturn and lowering fares is the most effectiveway to attract new ridership and maintain the ones who are using it. In fact, as the LA Times reported earlier this week, MTA ridership peaked two-years ago prior to the July 2007 fare increase.

$150 Million Bus Only Lane Program – Bus-Only Lanes are the present and the future and we should have them on major street corridors and freeways throughout the county. They speed up bus service. They prioritize public transportation, pedestrians and bikes over single passenger automobiles and of course reduce greenhouse gases and improve public health.With limited space for cars (already 2/3 of LA is dedicated to them!), traffic, and global warming, cars can no longer be the primary mode of transportation in Koreatown.

No Service Cuts – Expansion, Not Reductions! – Given that L.A. residents will be paying close to 10-cents per taxable dollar (including three separate transit sale taxes), L.A. residents and bus riders need service expansions, not reductions. New bus lines and improved service in South LA, Southeast LA, and the San Fernando Valley (historically with least service and targetted for MTA service cuts) would allow more access for elders visiting their families living outside of Koreatown and central LA.

Bike Summit Panel: Safety in the Inner City

Damien Newton — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:46:04 +0000

Thanks Again Josef Bray Ali and DJ Chicken Leather

(editor's note: I'm told to expect more of these videos from the Bike Summit and as they are finnished, I'll post them here at Streetsblog.)

My favorite panel from last week's Bike Summit, "Bike Safety in the Inner City," featured a group I'd never heard of, City Lites, sponsoring and event so large it rivals the Bike Coalition's River Ride. After the panel, I was mystified, how could a group be doing something so large in my coverage area and I was completely clueless about them?

For those of you that aren't going to make the time to watch the entire 52 minute video, although if nothing else you should watch the introduction, allow me to sum it up for you. Citi Lites is an organization in South Los Angeles that, amongst other things, is trying to get children and young adults on their bikes by holding a twenty one and five mile community bike ride on the weekend after Memorial Day. The purpose of the ride is to have people ride in their communities, so the twenty one mile ride begins and ends in South L.A.'s Jesse Owens Park. Sixteen miles into the ride, they meet up with the smaller children for the five mile ride to the finish at Magic Johnson Park.

This year's ride is May 30th. For more information on the ride or to sign up to either participate or volunteer, click over to their website.

Before Next Week’s CPUC Hearings, a New Player Enters Expo Debate

Damien Newton — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:55:42 +0000

The Expo Construction Authority must really be feeling the heat these days.

KPFK's Francisco Martinez reports that Dakota Communications, the same firm hired to promote the proposed Home Depot in Sunland-Tujunga and found itself in a spot of controversy when one of their strategy memos leaked to the press, has been hired to collect signatures outside of shopping areas in support of Phase 1 of the Expo Project. Ironically, Martinez broke the story after being approached by a signature gatherer outside of a Home Depot.

The news of Dakota's hiring was met with anger by opponents of the light rail line. Fix Expo's Damien Goodmon charges in the Bottleneck Blog that Dakota Communications' "...specialty is to create false community support when the community is 100% opposed to something that is not safe." For their part, the PR Firm claims their just trying to set the record straight on the benefits Light Rail would bring to the community.

Predictably, one's views of whether or not the hiring of Dakota Communications is a big deal depends on what side of the Expo Line debate you find yourself. Over at MetroRider, "Aaron" responds to Goodmon's response by brushing off the news of Expo's newest ally and focuses on attacking Goodmon and other Expo critics. "Who needs the BRU, when we have someone willing to act as a voluntary spokesman for Cheviot Hills NIMBYs?"

This newest Expo mini-controversy arrives just before hearings are held by the Public Utilities Commission on whether or not to allow the Expo Line to be built with at-grade, aka street level, grade crossings by two South LA schools. The re-scheduled hearings are a clear sign that the court ordered mediation efforts between opponents and the construction authority were not successful. For a full listing of the new hearing schedule, read on after the jump.

From the California Public Utilities' Commission:

Evidentiary Hearing - September 2 at 1:oo P.M. (through September 9 if necesary)
Commission Hearing Room
320 West 4th Street, Suite 500
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Concurrent Opening Briefs September 22