light rail
Streetsblog LA
Quantifying Transit Ridership, Some Lessons from UCLA’s Transit Conference
Earlier this week, SBLA attended UCLA's The Future of Public Transit conference. The one-day event was hosted by UCLA's Lewis Center and Institute of Transportation Studies. Numerous speakers spoke on the evolving landscape for public transit and broader mobility - from Houston to New York to Los Angeles. This article recaps two of the more informative and more academic presentations on trends impacting transit ridership. There are no major surprises gleaned for folks who read Streetsblog and who ride transit in Los Angeles, but it is interesting to see data quantified to back up trends observed.
April 29, 2016
Media Bashes 710 Alternatives…the Transit Ones Anyway
Last week, Caltrans and Metro released the long-awaited draft environmental impact report for options to improve transportation near where the I-710 ends, 4.5 miles south of the I-210. As usual, the discussion around the document depends on whether or not one thinks it's a good idea to dig a five-mile tunnel 150 feet underground to connect one freeway to another freeway.
March 10, 2015
Kinkisharyo Agreement Reached, Metro Rail Cars To Be Built in Palmdale
In October, the L.A. Times declared Kinkisharyo's Palmdale Metro light rail car manufacturing plant "all but dead." KPCC reported that County Supervisor Mike Antonovich spoke at a rally condemning labor's legal challenges as "nonsense." County Supervisor Don Knabe opined that "regulatory red tape" had cost L.A. County jobs.
November 25, 2014
Eyes on the Street, er, Rails: Foothill Gold Line Extension Tracks Complete
Last Saturday, Foothill communities celebrated a Track Completion Ceremony for the initial phase of the Foothill Gold Line extension. Local leaders installed the final "e-clip" which attached the rail tracks to the rail ties. Streetsblog didn't actually make it out to Azusa for the event; find coverage at ABC, CBS, The Source, and Railway Age.
October 20, 2014
California Legislation Watch: Weekly Update
Here is Streetsblog’s weekly highlight of California legislation related to sustainable transportation.
July 11, 2014
Guest Editorial: Don’t Destroy the Orange Line, Improve It
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), a high-quality bus based transit system that delivers fast, comfortable, and cost-effective services at metro-level capacities, has enjoyed rapid growth over the past few decades in major cities internationally, and is gaining momentum in the United States. Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, and Seattle are set to join L.A. and the handful of U.S. cities with true BRT.
July 10, 2014
Gold Line Foothill Extension Photo Tour: Iconic Gold Line Freeway Bridge
In this third installment of our Foothill Gold Line photo tour series, we explore the Gold Line Foothill Extension's iconic bridge over the 210 Freeway, as well as a closer look at the line's other bridges.
July 1, 2014
Metro Round-Up: LAX, Open Streets, New Reps on Technical Committee
At yesterday's Metro Board Meeting, directors approved a handful of initiatives that have great implications for the future livability of the Los Angeles Region. Here is the re-cap:
June 27, 2014
Gold Line Foothill Extension Photo Tour: The Maintenance Yard
In this photo essay, we will explore the Foothill Gold Line's magnificent Maintenance and Operations (M&O) Facility, currently under construction in Monrovia.
June 20, 2014
A Photo Essay of a Tour of the Gold Line Foothill Extension
This Wednesday, Aviv Kleinman and Damien Newton of Streetsblog joined a behind-the-scenes tour of the Gold Line Foothill Extension under construction in the San Gabriel Valley. We joined Albert Ho, head of Media Relations for the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority, and Jeff Rowland, the Community Relations Manager for the Kiewit-Parsons Joint Venture, the constructors of the project.
June 19, 2014