Metro

Eyes on the Street: More Fun with Sherman Oaks Nimby Rail Rendering

According to nimbys, aerial rail apparently has the power to block the visibility of objects located in front of it

By Joe Linton

5:29 PM PDT on July 31, 2019

Eyes on the Street: More Fun with Sherman Oaks Nimby Rail Rendering

According to this SOHA rendering, aerial rail is so intrusive that it blocks views of objects located between it and the viewer.

Yesterday, Streetsblog ran a critique of the Sherman Oaks Homeowner Association push against aerial rail over Sepulveda Boulevard.

The article critiqued SOHA’s ridiculous rendering (below – from this presentation) of an aerial rail structure with a two- to three-story tall train. Actual Metro heavy rail is ~12 feet tall and runs in a ~20-foot tall tunnel. Compare the ~10-foot high van on the left to the 12-foot high rail car on the right (which is 100+ feet further away.) Attack of the giant train!

Another Sherman Oaks scenic vista that would be destroyed by aerial rail. Image via SOHA — SOHA rendering of aerial rail running in the median of Sepulveda Boulevard. Image via SOHA

Looking closer at the image and Google street view, SBLA spotted other issues with the rendering. It portrays median-running rail as somehow closer to the viewer than several objects on the near side of the street.

Perhaps it’s asking too much that SOHA would make a near-accurate rendering. But then rail wouldn’t appear as intrusive as these nimbys want to think it would be.