Today’s Headlines

  • Little Tokyo Tracks Done, Metro Gold Line Is Back Running End To End (The Source)
  • Let’s Go L.A. Looks At the Difficulties Of Work Windows For Urban Rail Maintenance
  • LAT Editorial Stresses Metro’s State Of Good Repair
  • Urbanize Has Very Good Measure R2 Transit Project Explainer
  • 99+Percent Of Exide Area Homes Testing Positive For Lead (KPCC)
  • West Hollywood Approves Bike Lanes On Fairfax (@WeHoBike Twitter)
  • Brussels Terrorism Means Upped Security On Metro, Metrolink (SGV Tribune)
  • Other Transportation Sales Tax Measures Throughout CA This Year (SBCA)
  • Looks Like Villaraigosa Will Run For Governor in 2018 (KPCC)
  • “Death By Gentrification” In San Francisco (Guardian)
  • Think L.A.’s Transit Is Crowded? See Trains In India (BBC)

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  • The LA Times raises an excellent point about the need to fund rail maintenance. It’s not exciting, but without that funding the entire rail system will slowly crumble over time, just like the rest of America’s infrastructure. If the new ballot measure fails, Metro will have to find a way to dedicate more funding to maintenance (hopefully by raiding the highway construction account!). If the ballot measure passes, Metro’s own staff admits in the expenditure plan report that the proposed 2% is not enough to maintain a state of good repair, which is troubling.

  • calwatch

    Or we could raise fares to an appropriate level commensurate with other cities.

  • We may have to raise fares, and honestly we all know Metro wants to and eventually will do just that. It’s a shame though, since higher fares will reduce ridership, at least in the short run. If we had more transit-supporting land use patterns we could increase the farebox recovery rate without driving down ridership.