Topic: Light Rail / Streetcar News Outside of Ohio

[CincyGuy45202]

^ Are you serious?  You weren't the only person to say it was a bus... and others didn't seem to be joking. That was my polite way of correcting someone who also thought it was a bus.   Also... that was almost 2 weeks ago- bizarre that you're just noticing this now.

[Living in Gin]

I'm going to be visiting LA the first week of July so I definily plan to see this line. 

Give me a call when you're in town, and I'll show you around.

[KJP]

^ Are you serious?  You weren't the only person to say it was a bus... and others didn't seem to be joking. That was my polite way of correcting someone who also thought it was a bus.   Also... that was almost 2 weeks ago- bizarre that you're just noticing this now.

Seven days is almost two weeks? Can we move on?

[BuckeyeB]

^ Are you serious?  You weren't the only person to say it was a bus... and others didn't seem to be joking. That was my polite way of correcting someone who also thought it was a bus.   Also... that was almost 2 weeks ago- bizarre that you're just noticing this now.

Seven days is almost two weeks? Can we move on?

Tee hee...now kids...

[CincyGuy45202]

^ haha seriously.  the most random "argument" in the history of Urban Ohio.

In REAL news...

Pittsburgh is cutting 13 stops from the T.  And while the article starts dramatically, it sounds like it's no big deal to cut these small stops.

Longer walk to T frustrates some as 13 stops are cut



Nick Salmen and his family rented an apartment in Beechview because it was close to the Traymore stop on Port Authority's Red Line. Having no car, they use the T to get around, sometimes riding up the line to the Hampshire stop in the neighborhood's business district.
Mr. Salmen reacted in disbelief this week upon learning that both stops are among 13 on the Light Rail Transit system that are being eliminated June 25.

"I can't believe they're shutting it down. That's crazy. That's going to make fun times for travel," he said as he wheeled a basket full of groceries along Broadway Avenue.


http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/transportation/longer-walk-to-t-frustrates-some-as-13-stops-are-cut-639764/

[biker16]

Posted by: jmecklenborg
« on: March 11, 2009, 10:26:27 PM

Read more: http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?action=post;quote=376517;topic=18657.0#ixzz1xYJIjkQ8

These are photos from the downtown fareless section of Portland's famous streetcar.  This is the original section which began operation in 2001.  Although this section of the line has attracted significant new residential growth, it was fairly packed to begin with, so there were not as many sites for potential development as the South Waterfront or Pearl District.


Map:


Ticket machine:


The cars have two articulated joints.  The motors sit under the high floor sections at either end of each streetcar.  These areas have seats:


The center section of each streetcar, between the articulated joints, is low-boarding and has few seats to allow for wheelchairs and a forest of standing passengers:


There is a cab at each end -- the driver switches from one end to other other to change directions, although this is only necessary when backing into the shop facilities.  In Seattle, the line has stub ends instead of operating as a loop.  There is also another set of doors at each end, but they're only usable for curb stations, not island stations:


Pulling up to a station:




A packed streetcar:












The overhead wire is at times borderline elegant:












Original 2001 turnaround -- South Waterfront extension starts here:


Island station heading toward South Waterfront:


Paying customers:


ADA ramp:


Streetcar driver manually shoving the ramp back after it jammed:


Streetcar in traffic:


Streetcar in traffic:


Center low-floor section:


In traffic:








Here we can see another streetcar running in the opposite direction a block away:








Streetcar crosses new under-construction light rail:

[biker16]

Sacramento light rail now extends to River District

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/06/16/4566149/sacramento-light-rail-now-extends.html#storylink=cpy

Published: Saturday, Jun. 16, 2012 - 12:00 am | Page 1B

As fireworks rang out and more than 100 spectators cheered Friday morning, the inaugural light- rail train on Sacramento's $44 million Green Line rolled into a new station at Seventh Street and Richards Boulevard north of downtown.

For now, the area directly surrounding the station isn't much to look at.

The Township 9 development site, bordering the station, is a 65-acre field of dirt awaiting construction. A pristine new Greyhound bus station is two blocks away, but warehouses line much of Richards Boulevard, including a building across the street from the light-rail station where a business is offering to purchase broken television monitors.

Officials are counting on that environment improving – and for the presence of light rail to act as a catalyst.

"I am confident that the Green Line will lead us to a renaissance in the River District," said Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, referr

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/06/16/4566149/sacramento-light-rail-now-extends.html#storylink=cpy

[KJP]

And the Railyard Development Area in the middle of that map above just got a $15 million shot in the arm....

http://www.news10.net/news/article/197571/2/Sacramento-to-receive-millions-for-Railyard-Project-

BTW, Amtrak has 40 trains each weekday and 24 on weekends from that station to the Bay Area, San Joaquin valley, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, Reno, Salt Lake City, Denver, Omaha and Chicago. Sigh.

[jmecklenborg]

Does anyone even know anybody who has been to Sacramento? 

[biker16]

Does anyone even know anybody who has been to Sacramento?

I have been a few times.

traffic is a nightmare, never seen so much traffic congestion on Saturday afternoon.

never rode the LRT though

[Living in Gin]

The Culver City and Farmdale stations on LA's Expo Line are now open, officially completing Phase I of the Expo Line (and in so doing, bringing light rail about a mile closer to where I live). I was hoping to swing by after work for the festivities, but a last-minute deadline had me working late.

[KJP]

Fascinating history and photos of the railroad and transit services which preceded the Expo Line....

http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/history/la-as-subject/rail-to-the-westside-the-expo-lines-historical-precursors.html

[Living in Gin]

Here are some photos I took today of the new Culver City station. (Forgive the photo quality, as I took these with my iPhone.)

Daytime:


Right now the Culver City station is surrounded by a huge surface parking lot, but the site is slated to be developed into a large mixed-use project that will include garage parking for Expo Line commuters.



At dusk:







Today was my first time seeing any of the new Expo Line stations at night, and I was very impressed with the lighting design. In the last photo above, LED strip lights do  a great job of highlighting the massive concrete box girder structure.

A few more transit-related shots from around town:




The Red Line subway at North Hollywood. LA's subway is clean and modern, and much faster than any light rail line. If funding were no object, I'd still say a fully grade-separated subway is vastly superior to light rail.


The Blue Line at Pico Boulevard


The Angels Flight, a real live incline in downtown Los Angeles. Suck on that, Cincinnati.


LA's historic Union Station


Inside Union Station


Newer light rail rolling stock on the Gold Line. When the Regional Connector project is complete, these trains will be through-routed onto what is now the Expo Line, which will become part of the Gold Line.

[KJP]

For some reason I thought the Blue Line and now the Expo traveled through downtown to near Union Station. I knew the Red Line did, but I thought the light-rail lines did too on their own subway alignment (like the one now recommended for construction). This is a huge project....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_Connector_Transit_Corridor

[Living in Gin]

No, the Blue Line and Expo Line currently terminate at 7th / Metro Center, where a transfer is available to the Red Line / Purple Line subway downstairs, which goes to Union Station. The Regional Connector will extend the Blue Line / Expo Line tracks to Union Station and connect them with the Gold Line, which will allow Gold Line trains to be through-routed onto the Blue Line / Expo Line and vice-versa. As I understand it, what is now the Gold Line segment to Pasadena will become part of the Blue Line, and the Expo Line will become part of the Gold Line between Santa Monica and East LA.

It seems like the Regional Connector project hasn't gotten as much attention as the Expo Line and the Westside Subway Extension projects, but when completed, it will be a game-changer for the entire region and for parts of downtown in particular.

Speaking of game-changers, one of my biggest transit fantisies for LA would be to introduce modern streetcar service along the major boulevards, forming a network of routes that would roughly replace what is now the Metro Rapid limited-stop bus service. Most of the boulevards are easily wide enough, and already have a critical mass of ridership while still offering nearly unlimited opportunities for higher-density infill development. Combined with further expansion of the existing subway and light rail system, Los Angeles could surpass cities like Chicago and Boston in terms of the reach of its rail transit system and shed its (increasingly outdated) image as being hopelessly automobile-dependent.

[CincyGuy45202]

Pretty crazy how much great stuff LA is doing in the last 10 years while Cincy debates one lousy streetcar.

[KJP]

Pretty crazy how much great stuff LA is doing in the last 10 years while Cincy debates one lousy streetcar.

Oh you should have been watching the fights over whether to build rail in LA in the 1980s! It was a major battleground like what you see now in Cincy. LA's traffic and air pollution demanded that something be done, but most of the initial transit efforts were focused on HOV lanes and busways. In fact, I believe LA's first "fixed guideway" transit project in the early 1980s was the bus lanes in I-110.

Part of the battle was won by the region's regret over allowing National City Lines (the company funded by GM, Firestone, Standard Oil, et al) to buy up and dismantle its extensive electric rail transit system, Pacific Electric, and its famous Red Car fleet. There was much publicity about this in the 1980s, including a 60 Minutes segment. I vividly recall this, as well as the mileage that LA transit advocates got out of it afterwards. It really gained momentum after the theme of Pacific Electric's takeover was immortalized in the movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Few may realize that plot line was based in reality, and the movie yielded some great quotes that have been echoed by rail/transit advocates ever since! Like this.....

Judge Doom's Plot to Destroy Public Transit

[Living in Gin]

"Who needs a car in LA? We have the best public transit system in the world!"

(The "Subway Terminal" on the destination sign refers to an actual subway and terminal -- now abandoned -- that carried the Red Cars into downtown LA. As with Cincinnati's subway, periodic tours are offered to the public. Note the subtle homage to the Red Car's art deco livery on the Gold Line light rail vehicle shown in my earlier post.)

[Living in Gin]

Pretty crazy how much great stuff LA is doing in the last 10 years while Cincy debates one lousy streetcar.

Less than 25 years ago, Los Angeles had zero miles of rail transit. Now it has almost a hundred, plus the Metrolink commuter rail system and frequent Amtrak service on the Pacific Surfliner route. Metrolink in particular got a big boost by the 1994 Northridge earthquake, which destroyed a number of crucial freeway interchanges. Expanded Metrolink service was rushed into action while the freeways were being rebuilt (using rolling stock leased from Toronto's GO Transit), and the expanded rail service became permanent.

[Living in Gin]

Big Breakthroughs on Plan to Speed Up LA County Transit Programs

In less than 24 hours Mayor Villaraigosa’s “30-10 Plan” for the Measure R transit program finds big success both locally and in Washington, DC.

Wednesday night the Senate-House Conference Committee on the Federal Transportation Bill reauthorization gave their agreement to a 2 year bill that keeps federal transportation spending at their current levels and includes a dramatically expanded TIFIA loan program which is a lynchpin to LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s plan for accelerating the development of Los Angeles County’s rail transit program, approved by voters in Measure R in 2008. [...]

On Thursday, the LA Metro Board of Directors voted 10-3 to place a proposed 30-year extension of Measure R ˝ cent sales tax on the November, 2012 ballot. 

If approved by more than 2/3 of Los Angeles County voters, and polling suggests it would be, this extended revenue stream, together with the federal TIFIA program enhancement, could enable Metro to borrow funds at historically low interest rates and build the full Measure R 12-project transit program in 10 years rather than 30 years.

Click for a larger version


(The map above is slightly outdated. The Foothill extension of the Gold Line is already under construction, Phase I of the Expo Line is complete, and the Orange Line extension to Chatsworth opened this weekend.)

[KJP]

If approved by more than 2/3 of Los Angeles County voters, and polling suggests it would be, this extended revenue stream, together with the federal TIFIA program enhancement, could enable Metro to borrow funds at historically low interest rates and build the full Measure R 12-project transit program in 10 years rather than 30 years.

Amazing and awesome.

[biker16]

If approved by more than 2/3 of Los Angeles County voters, and polling suggests it would be, this extended revenue stream, together with the federal TIFIA program enhancement, could enable Metro to borrow funds at historically low interest rates and build the full Measure R 12-project transit program in 10 years rather than 30 years.

Amazing and awesome.

could say the state of ohio or the county of Cuyahoga do the same thing?

[natininja]

^ Doubtful with Kasich around.

[StrapHanger]

^Even aside from that, not sure voters in any of the three C counties would approve the sales tax increase to fund transit projects.

[natininja]

Yeah, I agree. HamCo voted one down in 2002.

[Living in Gin]

Sad part is, if Metro Moves had passed in 2002, Hamilton County would now be able to use America Fast Forward funding to dramatically accelerate the construction of the light rail lines that hadn't already been built by now.

Hamilton County residents will be paying for the shortsightedness of that decision for decades.

[natininja]

It wouldn't be too late to do now, but it wouldn't happen. Sure wish it passed ten years ago, though! I know I voted for it.

[KJP]

If approved by more than 2/3 of Los Angeles County voters, and polling suggests it would be, this extended revenue stream, together with the federal TIFIA program enhancement, could enable Metro to borrow funds at historically low interest rates and build the full Measure R 12-project transit program in 10 years rather than 30 years.

Amazing and awesome.

could say the state of ohio or the county of Cuyahoga do the same thing?

Actually, Cuyahoga County/GCRTA could. That's a conversation worth having at:
http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,2768.msg629147.html#msg629147

[natininja]

Oh noes! Ohio is invading "Outside of Ohio"!

[Living in Gin]

FTA Grants Record of Decision to Regional Connector Project

FTA granted the Metro a Record of Decision (ROD) for the $1.37 billion project, officially certifying that the project has now satisfied all federal environmental guidelines.

The action is an important prerequisite for Metro to begin final design of the nearly two-mile underground light rail line in Downtown L.A. and for the agency to seek federal funding to help build it.

Regional Connector, partially funded with $160 million in Measure R sales tax money approved by voters in 2008, is considered one of the region’s most significant transit projects because it will connect the Metro Gold Line, Blue Line and Expo Line through downtown L.A., enabling passengers to take a “one seat ride” from Montclair to Long Beach, and from East Los Angeles to Santa Monica.

The line will include three new light rail stations in Downtown Los Angeles at 1st/Central, 2nd/Broadway, and 2nd/Hope.  The new stations are estimated to provide access to 88,200 passengers, including approximately 17,700 new transit riders.

More information about the Regional Connector, including a map

[jmecklenborg]

Aha, it makes sense now.  The way that the Gold Line is reached from Union Station currently is pretty awkward, and I couldn't figure out why the line takes such a weird turn toward downtown just south of Union Station.  So that curve it makes is actually where it will link with this tunnel. 

I rode the full length of LA's light rail system yesterday, which took about 6 hours. 

The north Gold Line branch is the most interesting, with a character that would most closely resemble something in Ohio.  The south Gold Line branch is pretty boring...it has a subway section with 2 stations but otherwise runs in the street through a mostly nondescript area.   

The Expo Line has good points but is frustratingly slow in the area between its downtown link with the blue line and the east side of USC.  My thought is that this area will eventually be rebuilt underground or elevated. 

The Blue Line is extremely long and is fast in some sections but again suffers from the slow section near downtown LA that it shares with the Expo Line.  Again, I would hope that this section is eventually rebuilt.

The Green Line is the real anomaly, since it is completely grade separated and extremely fast...but it connects nowhere to nowhere.  It is mostly in the interstate median, but the elevated section east of LAX is interesting for so much money being spent on a line in an obscure area.  It's a stretch to say that the Green Line has motivated any investment whatsoever, although it is certainly useful for those who happen to live or work along it 


 

[Living in Gin]

The Expo Line has good points but is frustratingly slow in the area between its downtown link with the blue line and the east side of USC.  My thought is that this area will eventually be rebuilt underground or elevated. 

The Blue Line is extremely long and is fast in some sections but again suffers from the slow section near downtown LA that it shares with the Expo Line.  Again, I would hope that this section is eventually rebuilt.

This is my big frustration with the Expo Line and Blue Line as well. Seems like they could at least do a better job of pre-empting the traffic signals along that stretch. The segment between USC and Pico Boulevard feels like it takes almost as long as the much longer segment between USC and Culver City. I agree that in the long run, replacing it with a tunnel or elevated structure would be ideal.

The Green Line was originally intended to serve LAX, but opposition from parking lot operators near the airport helped keep it away. Also, at the time the line was planned, the western end was an area that was hub to many aerospace jobs until the 1990's. After the Cold War ended, those jobs vanished and the surrounding neighborhoods began to decline. Also, the eastern end of the Green Line unfortunately stops two miles short of a busy Metrolink commuter rail station.

Plans are in the works to finally bring the Green Line to LAX, as well as extend it southward beyond its present terminus. Apparently there is already a junction built in to the Green Line structure for an LAX branch. Here is a schematic of the LAX connection, along with the proposed Crenshaw Line (which will be a branch of the Expo Line):



Another possibility for making the Green Line more useful (in addition to extending it to LAX in the west and to Metrolink in the east) would be to build some sort of junction with the Blue Line so that Green Line trains can directly serve downtown LA via the Blue Line right-of-way. As it stands now, the Green Line is completely isolated from the rest of the system, and the transfer to the Blue Line is somewhat combersome.

The Blue Line itself could also use a major capacity expansion, as it's one of the busiest light rail lines in the country and apparently has major overcrowding issues during rush hours. One option would be to convert it to full-on heavy rail similar to the Red Line, but that would involve expensive subway construction in downtown LA and in Long Beach, in addition to the elimination of some grade crossings in between. Another option -- since most of the Blue Line right-of-way is a former four-track Pacific Electric ROW -- would be to build two additional tracks and institute express service on the line.

Glad you had fun in LA, and I'm glad I was able to show you around a bit... I look forward to seeing your photos.

[jmecklenborg]

Yeah I saw the turnout to LAX.  I also saw a TSA agent in uniform riding the green line to work.  LAX is huge and no doubt has many employees who would ride rail to work if it reached the airport directly. 

For any mid-sized cities, these light rail lines would work okay but in LA the distances are so vast that speed needs to be a priority.  Imagine the Blue Line with a center express track with only 3 or 4 stops between Long Beach and downtown LA.  This is how LA could really start making the place more livable, by connecting major points by very fast rail lines.

[Living in Gin]

In today's Los Angeles Times:

L.A. -- transit's promised land

Which major U.S. city is at the cutting edge of forward-thinking transportation planning? Surprise: It's Los Angeles.

Many Angelenos are surprised to learn that their city's reputation is at an all-time high among international transit scholars. This is the place, after all, that consistently ranks first in measures of commuter stress, as well as in hours wasted in traffic. (According to the Texas Transportation Institute's latest urban mobility report, traffic delays in Los Angeles now amount to half a billion hours a year.) Of the nation's 10 most congested commuter corridors, seven can be found in Los Angeles.

But it's important to remember that freeways, though they have become the city's de facto conduits for commuters, came relatively late. Los Angeles was originally a railway city, its early form set by the Southern Pacific Railroad and Santa Fe Railway. Its dispersed industrial suburbs were laced together by the inter-urban Red Cars of the Pacific Electric Railway and the local Yellow Cars of the Los Angeles Railway, a public transit system that, before World War II, was considered by many to be the best in the world.

Outsiders may see freeway-driven sprawl, but metropolitan Los Angeles is actually more densely settled, over its entire urban area, than the New York-Newark metro area. That makes the area ideally suited for the transit revival its leaders are trying to foster.

[KJP]

Nice article. And now you will have a vastly improved rail link to the San Joaquin Valley, Bay Area and Sacramento with these features:

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,6079.msg629896.html#msg629896