Dana Gabbard

I'm well aware this year we can look forward to all sorts of pedestrian and bike events like Ciclavia. One way to keep tabs on these is to regularly check this blog's calendar.

As a long-time observer of the California high speed rail project who advocated in favor of the 2008 bond, to me one interesting recent trend is that the original hotbed of support (the Central Valley) of late has become much more skeptical and critical. Some of that is due to the dynamics of large projects -- early on excitement holds sway whereas when construction begins to approach folks begin to confront the downside impacts of such ventures, causing a backlash. And frankly, until recently, I think it can be fairly said the Authority's outreach and handling of politically sensitive aspects has been less than stellar.

Earlier this week I shared the latest on the Wilshire BRT and Gateway Plaza busway station projects.

As far as I can tell two recent agency reports with updated information on the status of important transit-related improvements went straight under the radar with nary a word in the blogsphere or mass media (much like the poorly publicized TAP cards sold by bus operator pilot project I wrote about previously). Belatedly let me share you the latest on the Wilshire Bus lane project and the Patsaouras Gateway Plaza busway station:

Recall the language in the 1st amendment to the U.S. Constitution about "the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances?" Keep it in mind as you read this overview of the recent interaction of Metro, a group of disgruntled riders, and a local politico. If nothing else it illustrates what American Democracy in action looks like.

Earlier this week, we posted the responses of Measure R Oversight Committee Advisory Panel member Gary Painter to some questions including several suggested by readers of this blog.  Today, it is Panel member Allison Yoh's turn.  Yoh is Associate Director of the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies and also a past member of the Metro Board of Directors. The latter experience resulted in my asking Yoh one extra question I didn't ask Painter.

All things come to those who wait. In May I solicited input from readers of this blog for questions to ask Measure R Oversight Committee Advisory Panel transit system user members Gary Painter and Allison Yoh. The final set of questions I subsequently e-mailed Painter and Yoh included several that blog readers had suggested. Painter and Yoh sent their responses shortly thereafter. But in the meantime life happened and I had to put the task of doing the final writeup aside until now. My apologies to one and all for the delay.

One of the glaring gaffes of the original design of the TAP (Transit Access Pass) program is it didn't take into account the need to allow day passes to be issued on board buses without patrons already possessing TAP cards. Bus operators were provided TAP cards to issue to patrons needing to buy day passes only during the initial campaign for TAP day pass conversion March 15, 2009-April 11, 2009. Somehow the TAPucrats thought giving out TAP cards for a single month would suffice to address the need for bus users to possess cards when they wanted to buy a day pass. This of course ignored occasional users, tourists and others who no one would reasonably expect to have a TAP card with them prior to boarding.

My bus fan contacts have tipped me off that Friday some Metro buses that have been retired will be on display for inspection at Metro's Division 6 in Venice from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  This is a rare chance to enter a Metro bus yard and take a look-see, albeit ostensibly to inspect buses that are up for sale.