Events

The San Joaquin Rail Corridor (defined by the State Rail Plan as the railroad infrastructure connecting Bay Area/Sacramento – Fresno – Bakersfield – Los Angeles) is a major transportation resource between Southern and Northern California. Caltrans, in cooperation with multiple local agencies located within 11 California counties, proposes to fund expansion of the existing rail system within the BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) and Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) rights-of-way along three segments of passenger rail corridor in the San Joaquin Valley and portions of the San Francisco Bay area. If federal funding becomes available in the future, a separate document for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) will be prepared at that time. The map in Figure 1-1 shows Amtrak’s existing San Joaquin Corridor intercity rail passenger route. Some of the proposed Project alternatives would utilize rights-ofway along the San Joaquin Valley Railroad (SJVR) and the Southern California Regional RailSan Joaquin Rail Corridor – 2035 Vision Project – Notice of Preparation — Page 2 Authority (SCRRA), also known as Metrolink. The expansion of this system would serve to accommodate existing and future passenger rail demand and projected increases in ridership through 2035. The proposed Project infrastructure would generally be installed within the existing Corridor track rights-of-way. The land use setting for the Project area includes a variety of rural and urban uses and the existing BNSF, UPRR, SJVR and/or Metrolink rail transportation corridors. The track and siding upgrades would generally occur within the rail corridor rights-of-way, with limited rights-of-way acquisition if any, and would not change the existing land use of the rail corridor or the surrounding parcels. The proposed Project traverses approximately 357 miles of existing track that is located mainly throughout California’s San Joaquin Valley, reaching into portions of the San Francisco Bay area, and includes three main rail line segments:  Bakersfield to Port Chicago (BNSF) – Milepost 887.7 to Milepost 1164.0 (276.6 track miles);  Port Chicago to Oakland (UPRR) – Milepost 41.3 to Milepost 3.2 (38.1 track miles); and  Stockton to Sacramento (UPRR) –Two separate line segment alternatives are proposed that would extend from Stockton to Sacramento. The first proposed alternative (UPRR’s Fresno Subdivision track) for this segment would extend generally to the east of Highway 99 from Stockton to Sacramento from MP 82.96 to MP 39.35 (43.61 miles). The second proposed alternative (UPRR’s Sacramento Subdivision track) would generally extend just east of Interstate 5 from Stockton to Sacramento from MP 95.1 to MP 136.85 (41.75 miles). Only one alternative alignment for this segment would be selected as part of the final preferred Project. Some of the Project alternatives include secondary passenger train segments that extend beyond the existing areas presently served by the three main San Joaquin Corridor track segments. These secondary passenger train segments include:  Fresno to Porterville (SJVR);  Bakersfield to Lancaster (UPRR tracks) and Lancaster to Los Angeles (SCRRA/Metrolink – Antelope Valley Line); and  Port Chicago to Richmond on the existing BNSF main line.

Making the Most of MAP-­21: Putting the Federal Transportation Law to Work in Los Angeles Join Transportation for America, Move LA, the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE), the Rails to Trails Conservancy, and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership: A discussion of the new two-­year $105 billion federal transportation law, MAP-­21, and the challenges and opportunities it presents for expanding transit, investing in walkable and bikeable communities, and creating good jobs December 10th, 2012 9:00am – 2:30pm The California Endowment 1000 N Alameda St. 90012 RSVP Online for this Free Event Today! http://makingmap-­21work-­la.eventbrite.com/ MAP-­21: Maximizing Current and Creating Future Opportunities for a Smart Federal Transportation Program that Can Serve Southern California A presentation of Transportation for America’s new MAP-­21 guidebook, “Making the Most of MAP-­ 21”, and a discussion of how we can accomplish much more in the next two years as the federal transportation bill is back before a new Congress. How can LA build momentum for expanding and accelerating transit investments in MAP-­21 and the next federal bill? How can California and its regions maintain and increase funding for bicycle and pedestrian investments as Congress takes a fresh look? What tools does MAP-­21 provide for workforce development and promote good jobs, and how can we build on this for the next round? Speakers Include: Transportation for America National Director, James Corless Move LA Executive Director, Denny Zane Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE) Project Director, Jackie Cornejo Rails to Trails Conservancy Western Region Director, Laura Cohen Safe Routes to School National Partnership Regional Policy Manager, Rye Baerg Program Details: The program will include a presentation and overview of Transportation for America’s guidebook followed by presentations and moderated discussions from Move LA, the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, and the Rails to Trails Conservancy. The discussion will focus on how to leverage MAP-­21 to achieve local transportation goals and build momentum for expanded transit, bicycle and pedestrian and TOD investments in the next federal bill.

The High Desert Corridor is Moving Along

After purchasing Union Station last year, Metro is making plans to upgrade the station to a world class transit facility. The property surrounding Union Station is permitted to have up to 6 million square feet of development – and the Master Plan will create a careful blueprint for growth that honors the rich history of surrounding communities.

Where: Meet at Metropolis Bikes – 4660 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood Join us for a roughly 3.5-mile ride along Lankershim (proposed bike lanes), Colfax (existing bike lanes) and the Chandler Bikeway (bike path). We are also doing outreach to promote the proposed bike lanes on Lankershim and Cahuenga. See Ride Lankershim page and Facebook event for more details.

LACBC's Tour de Taste returns to Culver City this holiday seaon, and we are excited for some bicycling, eating, ice skating, and Culver City exploration! Take a guided bike tour of Ballona Creek with us in the morning, then enjoy local cuisine and ice skating afterwards.

Volunteer for the Santa Monica Family Bike Fest on December 8th!

The Los Angeles Department of City Planning would like to invite you to attend one of our upcoming Community Workshops for the Expo Line Transit Neighborhood Plans project. The project, which kicked off in June, is focused on adopting new development regulations around existing and future Expo Line stations that will better support vibrant, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods. A primary project goal … Continued

Our next community meeting will be held on Thursday November 15 from 6:30-8:30pm at Kaos Network, located at 4343 Leimert Boulevard in Leimert Park. We want your feedback on expanding our current campaigns. Come by and let us know what you think would make walking in Los Angeles—and specifically the Leimert Park area—safer, easier, more convenient, and more fun! http://bit.ly/SCeUaf