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View Poll Results: Which Mass Transit project should have the MTA's next priority?
Light Rail to Crenshaw Blvd, Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs and Del Amo Mall 7 2.11%
LIght Rail: Downtown Connector 65 19.64%
405 Freeway Corridor from Van Nuys to LAX 45 13.60%
Subway/Heavy Rail to Westwood 157 47.43%
Subway/Heavy Rail via Whitter Blvd 9 2.72%
Subway/Heavy Rail via Vermont Avenue 9 2.72%
Double Track and Electrify Metrolink Lines 22 6.65%
Other 9 2.72%
None 8 2.42%
Voters: 331. You may not vote on this poll

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  #61  
Old Posted Dec 20, 2005, 5:12 AM
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downtown connector
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  #62  
Old Posted Jan 20, 2006, 12:17 AM
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Transit woes prompt call for higher sales tax
By Rick Orlov, Staff Writer
LA Daily News

Saying he believes frustrated Los Angeles motorists are at the breaking point, a city official called Wednesday for a study to add a half-percent to the county sales tax to increase spending on transit programs.
"People are fed up. They are tired of being stuck in their cars going nowhere," Councilman Bill Rosendahl said. "I don't think we can afford to wait any longer to make changes. We need to make improvements now, not 50 years from now."

Rosendahl's proposal is preliminary, and he said he will seek a report from city staff on what would be required to place such a measure before voters, when would be the best time and what could be included in the tax.

The suggestion came as the council gave routine approval to a Metropolitan Transportation Authority report updating the council on a study showing that modern technology would make it safe to tunnel under Wilshire Boulevard for a subway.

The study by specialists for the MTA convinced Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles, to seek legislation lifting his prohibition on such tunneling after an explosion more than 20 years ago in the Fairfax area. Lifting the ban is needed to make federal funds available for any future project.

Rosendahl said initial estimates for completing a subway to the Pacific Ocean along Wilshire Boulevard - as Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has proposed - could run more than $5 billion.

"I think we, as elected leaders, have to find a way to get the funding to make this happen," Rosendahl said. "It isn't only a Wilshire subway. It's the Exposition Boulevard line. It's the Green Line. It's all the programs we're doing so we can get people out of their cars."

Aides to the mayor said he wants to review any information on a sales-tax proposal. In the past, he has said he is concerned about asking voters too often to approve tax increases to pay for programs.

But some said Wednesday they already oppose the move.

Jon Coupal of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association said his group will come out against the measure if it's on the ballot - just as it has opposed previous sales-tax increase proposals.

"Los Angeles County already has the highest sales-tax rate in the state at 8.25 percent, and one cent of that goes for transit programs," Coupal said. "Until the county and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority can prove they can get spending under control, there is no way we can support this."

Coupal said he believes voters also would reject any plan to increase taxes, as they did in 2004 when they turned down Proposition A that would have boosted funds to hire more police officers and sheriff's deputies.

Rosendahl said he believes the region's traffic problems have left little choice.

"I think if we lay out a program that shows how it will help people, they will support it," Rosendahl said.

Rick Orlov, (213) 978-0390
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  #63  
Old Posted Jan 20, 2006, 2:45 AM
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METRO NEWS PRESSROOM

January 19, 2006
CONTACT--
Dave Sotero/Marc Littman
Metro MEDIA RELATIONS
(213) 922-3007/922-2700
www.metro.net/press/pressroom
e-mail-- mediarelations@metro.net
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Metro to Introduce New Limited Stop Service on Metro Gold Line Beginning Feb. 13

Metro Rail’s first limited stop service to shave five minutes off Metro Gold Line commute, a 15 percent savings

Beginning Monday, February 13, Metro will launch limited stop service on the Los Angeles to Pasadena Metro Gold Line that will shorten end-to-end rush-hour travel times from 34 minutes to just 29 minutes, a 15 percent time savings for weekday commuters.

The new service, the first of its kind on the 73-mile Metro Rail System, will stop at five of 13 Metro Gold Line stations: Union Station, Highland Park, Mission, Del Mar and Sierra Madre Villa. Station stops were chosen based on a number of factors including passenger boardings, parking availability and business development.

Weekday-only limited stop service will consist of six trains running every half hour in both directions during the morning and afternoon rush hour periods. Limited stop trains will supplement Metro’s existing non peak-hour train service running every 15 minutes during these times. No additional fares will be required to utilize limited stop service.

“The new trend at Metro is faster service,” said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is also Chairman of the Metro Board. “With the addition of limited stop service providing increased time savings, the Metro Gold Line gives LA commuters another good reason to use public transit.”

Heading Northbound from Union Station to Sierra Madre Villa, trains are currently scheduled to operate every half hour from 5:35 a.m to 8:05 a.m. and 3:50 p.m. to 6:20 p.m. Southbound trains starting at Sierra Madre Villa to Union Station will also run every half hour from 6:05 a.m. to 8:35 a.m. and 3:50 p.m. to 6:20 p.m. Limited stop train schedules are coordinated with the Metro Red Line at Union Station to facilitate interline connections.

Commuters who miss their limited stop trains will still be able to catch a regularly scheduled train within a few minutes during the peak-hour periods of 6 a.m to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Alternately, passengers who board the wrong train can ride to another station and catch a regular train back to their station.

“I anticipate ridership on the Metro Gold Line will be even stronger when commuters discover they can now get between Pasadena and Downtown LA in under half an hour,” said Roger Snoble, Metro CEO. “At Metro, we are pulling out the stops to provide faster commutes for our transit patrons, and limited stop service on the Metro Gold Line is just the most recent example. Metro Express Lines, Metro Rapids and the Metro Orange Line are all achieving substantial transit time reductions across the county.”

Last year, Metro introduced Metro Express Lines 577X and 550X, which utilize freeway high-occupancy vehicle lanes to slash commute times in the South Bay, San Gabriel Valley and Long Beach areas. Five-minute peak-hour service on the Metro Orange Line in the San Fernando Valley now takes commuters between Woodland Hills and North Hollywood in about 41 minutes, a substantial time savings that compares favorably with driving on the 101 freeway during rush hour. Metro Rapids – 25 percent faster than Local Buses – now travel on 15 high-traffic corridors in L.A. County, with four additional lines planned by this summer.

Commuters seeking to utilize the Metro Gold Line Limited trains can park at four of its station stops. Union Station contains 2,000 paid parking spaces. A new parking structure at the Mission Meridian Transit Village in South Pasadena will provide 140 free spaces. Del Mar Station has 600 paid spaces, and Sierra Madre Villa Station has 850 free and 100 reserved parking spaces.

Those seeking to connect by bus to the stations can utilize the following bus lines:

Union Station: Metro Bus Line 33, 333, 40,740, 42, 439, 444, 445, 446, 745, Commuter Express: Metrolink Shuttle, 430, 534, Dash "D", Foothill Transit 699, Santa Monica Municipal 10, Santa Clarita 794, Antelope Valley 785, Orange County Transit 701. Nearby connecting lines are: Metro Bus Line 70, 71, 78, 370, 79, 378, 68, 368, 304, 484, 485, 487, 490, 489, Foothill Transit lines 480, 481,482, 486, 488, 492, 494, 498, 499, 493, 497, Dash route Lincoln Heights China Town.

Highland Park: Metro Bus Line 81, 83, 176, 256, DASH Highland Park/Eagle Rock.

Mission: Metro Bus Line 177, 256, 686, 687, ARTS 20, 51/52.

Del Mar: Metro Bus Line 256, 267, 260/361, ARTS 20, 40, 51/52, Foothill Transit 187. Nearby connecting lines are Metro 180/181, 687, 780, ARTS 10, LADOT 549, Foothill Transit 690.

Sierra Madre Villa: Metro Bus Line 177, 181, 266, ARTS 31/32, 40, 60, Foothill Transit 187, Montebello Transit 20, Sierra Madre Commuter Loop. Nearby connecting lines are Metro 264, 267, 268.

Metro will initiate a number of steps to help patrons identify limited stop trains and station stops. Trains themselves will be designated by “Limited Stop” headsigns on both ends of the trains and on the sides. The inside dash of the train also will contain limited stop placards. On board, limited stop service announcements will be made by train operators. The train’s automated announcement system will also advise patrons of approaching stops.

At stations, banners will be installed to inform patrons of the new limited stop service. As an additional safety precaution, Metro will paint yellow lines on platforms to remind patrons at the by-passed stations to keep away from the platform edge when limited stop trains pass through.

Agency ambassadors also will be stationed at all Metro Gold Line stations for the first week of limited stop service to help the public with questions and hand out pamphlets about the new service.

Metro’s Community Relations Department has developed a comprehensive outreach program for raising awareness for the new limited stop service in communities along the Metro Gold Line alignment. Efforts include briefings with local officials and presentations at Chinatown, South Pasadena and Pasadena City Council meetings and Chambers of Commerce. Informational brochures will be made available in three languages and in Braille, and will be distributed on train seats and at local school districts and community centers.
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"Statistics are used much like a drunk uses a lamp post: for support, not illumination." -Vin Scully
The Opposite of PRO is CON, that fact is clearly seen.
If Progress means moves forward, then what does Congress mean?
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  #64  
Old Posted Jan 20, 2006, 2:49 AM
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^ I wonder how they will designate which trains are Locals and which ones are Express.
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The Opposite of PRO is CON, that fact is clearly seen.
If Progress means moves forward, then what does Congress mean?
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  #65  
Old Posted Jan 27, 2006, 9:03 PM
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The LookOut news
http://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_s...c_Campaign.htm
Westside Officials Mount Public Campaign for Transit Funds
By Olin Ericksen
Staff Writer

January 27 -- Zero is the number of dollars currently earmarked for mass transit systems within California cities -- including the proposed Light Rail line to Santa Monica -- under Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed $222 billion infrastructure bond.

That fact -- and the reality that Westside traffic is still crawling along at speeds rivaling bicycles -- prompted Los Angeles City Council member Bill Rosendahl and Santa Monica officials Tuesday to urge area residents to complain to the Governor and State officials about the lack of transit funding.

"One of the most pressing challenges facing our neighborhoods, our city and our region is the crushing traffic gridlock we deal with every day,” Rosendahl said. “We have a rare opportunity to make major progress on that issue - if you act now."

"I am asking you to join me in writing Governor Schwarzenegger and our state lawmakers,” Rosendahl wrote in a letter to constituents. “Please urge them to correct this error and dramatically increase the amount of money set aside in the bond proposal."

Under the current proposal, more than $80 billion will help shore up state highways and other roads, while $5 billion will be set aside for transit and rail services, such as Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner.

Yet of that $5 billion, no money would be reserved for mass transit within cities including the proposed Exposition Line into Santa Monica, the Red line subway down Wilshire, the Green Line to LAX and a north-south mass transit project along Lincoln Boulevard.

That would leave Mass Transit Authority (MTA) officials turning to the federal and county governments for help, which could delay the proposed projects by several years, according to Rosendahl and others.

“Just like other parts of California need more roads, Los Angeles needs a better mass transit system," said Santa Monica Council member Pam O'Connor, who is the MTA Board’s vice chair. "There is no more room for roads in Los Angeles, we need something else."

O'Connor said she and other MTA officials are pushing to "close the gap" in state funding.

"We're working both as an organization and as individuals on this," she said. "All of us and our cities can and will be working to influence this… to get Los Angeles, the largest county in the state in terms of population, the funding we need."
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"Statistics are used much like a drunk uses a lamp post: for support, not illumination." -Vin Scully
The Opposite of PRO is CON, that fact is clearly seen.
If Progress means moves forward, then what does Congress mean?
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  #66  
Old Posted Jan 27, 2006, 9:45 PM
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i live on the westside and have already emailed my concerns to my local state representatives and the mayor. i encourage all LA residents to do the same. What we should do is put together some kind of letter that we can all sign (or mabye just put our names and addresses/phone numbers on) and it send/email it to the governor and LA area representatives to let them know that its now okay to ignore mass transit anymore, especially when there could be $222 billion to improve the living coniditions in our great state. I'm not the best writer in the world, but would really like to help put something like this together. what do you all think?
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  #67  
Old Posted Jan 27, 2006, 10:32 PM
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^You took the words out of my mouth
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If Progress means moves forward, then what does Congress mean?
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  #68  
Old Posted Jan 27, 2006, 11:52 PM
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I'm in. Can somebody put it on a Web site form that automatically emails? If so, I could send the link to everyone in my building, many of which are pro-transit and would probably "sign" the petition.
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  #69  
Old Posted Jan 28, 2006, 1:05 AM
solongfullerton solongfullerton is offline
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im sure a lot of you heard about savethederby.com i guess they've set up a petition on their website with over 5000 names on it. I think doing something like that would be the most effective way to show the amount of people who support the expansion of public transit in not just LA, but the whole state. maybe we could throw the idea over to the guys at the transit coalition and one of them could put something together. they seem to be a very organized group and probably have the means to put together a website. or maybe someone on these boards knows how to do something like that. ideas????
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  #70  
Old Posted Jan 28, 2006, 1:11 AM
solongfullerton solongfullerton is offline
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i was just checking out that derby website and it looks like they use a host site for the petition and it doesnt look like it costs anything. www.petitionthem.com is the host and petition submission page is http://www.petitionthem.com/?sect=submit so maybe someone who has better writing skills than myself can put together something. throught these boards and SSC and word of mouth im sure we could get thousands of names on the list too.
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  #71  
Old Posted Jan 28, 2006, 3:20 AM
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I'm also concerned about the lack of funds for mass transit. Yeah, the current proposal gives a good chunk of money to the Alameda Corridor-East, but building roads in San Bernardino County is NOT going to help people in LA. It's going to encourage more people to live farther away. Plus, what's going to happen when they get into the "city" anyway? Those LA-area freeways aren't going to be expanded. It's going to be like the 5 at the LA/OC border, but even worse.
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  #72  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2006, 12:52 AM
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http://www.sgvtribune.com/portlet/ar...rticle=3575415

Article Display Date: March 7, 2006


Don't divert Gold Line funds

San Gabriel Valley Tribune

THIS is a crucial time for the Gold Line, under attack not only from subway supporters from the west side of
Los Angeles County but from seemingly all comers who have decided it's a boon-doggle, not worth the cost to extend it 24 miles to Montclair.

Instead, some critics say, why not use the money that would go toward another "fixed" railway to a "fixed" bus route on the freeway. Well, that line already exists and goes from El Monte to downtown Los Angeles along the San Bernardino (10) Freeway.

Others say we need more buses, period, even with the newly completed Orange Line but the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has fought tooth and nail against Foothill Transit, an alternative bus agency. Foothill plans its own "express" bus line to downtown L.A., set to launch next year.

Although the Gold Line is managed by MTA, it was built under a separate construction authority and so will the

eastern extension that will connect the Pasadena leg to western San Bernardino County through the San Gabriel Valley foothill communities.

This is one of the main reasons for the MTA's continuing denigration of the Gold Line.

That the original Gold Line from Pasadena to Los Angeles was brought in on time and under budget, unlike the other light-rail lines built by MTA, rankles some on the Metro board.

But we're guessing current criticism is a run-up to divert funding to the proposed

Red Line subway extension that would connect North Hollywood to Santa Monica. The proposed 13-mile line has been dubbed the "Subway to the Sea." Might as well call it "Pie in the Sky" for all the obstacles strewn along the proposed underground tracks.

First, law must be changed. Because of a methane gas explosion during an earlier attempt at a subway in this area, undergrounding was banned. Nor can one penny from a 1-cent sales tax instituted for transportation be used for a subway under Wilshire Boulevard.

Then there's the astounding $4.8billion price tag, more than it took to build the Blue, Gold, Green and Orange lines

combined, according to an MTA report released last month.

That's today's estimate. Once construction gets under way, the cost undoubtedly will go up.

Can you say money pit?

Let's be honest about rail costs. At $300million permile, this subway will be no bargain. Compared to the $900million it cost to construct the entire 14-mile Pasadena-to-Los Angeles Gold Line route, it's just too

expensive to consider ahead of above-ground lines.

The push behind the

subway extension comes from newly elected Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the current Golden Boy of

Los Angeles-area politics and the chairman of the MTA board.

Our only objection to another subway at this time is that it could take dollars away from the Gold Line extension, ready to begin construction and on the congressional track for federal funding.

This extension is needed. All freeways used by motorists to get to Los Angeles-based employment - from the Pomona (60) to the San Bernardino (10) to the Foothill (210) - are jammed.

New communities are rising in San Bernardino County,

so gridlock is likely to continue without alternatives for commuters who live east but work in cities to the west, including those along the Gold Line, particularly

Pasadena and of course,

downtown Los Angeles.

Leaders in Glendale and Burbank also want the Gold Line to extend into their cities and eventually connect with the Red Line. A fine suggestion and another sensible project that ought to come before a second subway.

Now is the time for the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority, leaders of communities along the Gold Line extension and our representatives on the MTA board to press forward and demand inclusion of the Gold Line in the MTA's Long Range Plan.

Our region has fought too hard and too long for our light-rail line to allow funding to be drained away to the sea on a project for which the initial three miles alone will take a decade to construct.

============================================================

http://www.sgvtribune.com/yourview/ci_3595706

Unite for all lines

Re "Don't divert Gold Line funds" (March 7):

The techniques used for the on-time and on-budget Gold Line to Pasadena are being applied for the future East Los Angeles and Expo Light Rail lines. They can be used to build this Wilshire tunnel and future tunnels such as the one for the Long Beach (710) Freeway or a downtown regional connector that would tie the Blue, Gold, ELA and Expo light rail lines together in a single network stretching from the inland valleys to the beaches, which can improve the ridership on this vital Foothill Extension and build political consensus from all regions to build other rail extensions.

Tunnelling technology has improved significantly.

So far there have been no issues in building the 1.8 mile East L.A. Gold Line tunnel - and in fact it can bring the costs of the project down.

With available railroad right-of- ways decreasing for transit use, elevated trains bringing visual blight and surface land being expensive as it is, building below the street level will be the best real-estate bargain in the long run to solve our transit issues.

As vice president of the Transit Coalition, I say to L.A. County political leaders: Why are you fighting over crumbs between two very necessary projects.

Let's fight to gain more of the funding pie!

Jerard Wright

Los Angeles
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"Statistics are used much like a drunk uses a lamp post: for support, not illumination." -Vin Scully
The Opposite of PRO is CON, that fact is clearly seen.
If Progress means moves forward, then what does Congress mean?
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  #73  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2006, 1:05 AM
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Nice, thanks for the response Jerard. I'm glad to see this YIMBY fighting for transit in his neck of the woods, but his attacks on other badly-needed projects, like the Central Subway, are misguided.

I'd like to see more of our leaders looking to expand the pie. For my money, I think AV's doing a pretty good job on that front.
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  #74  
Old Posted Mar 14, 2006, 1:27 AM
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Sorry, but this rant is just absurd. To have the gall to call the wilshire subway a money pit when the Azusa extension would rival the Harbor Transitway in the degree of 'boondogglery' (or whatever the word is ).

Apparently the projected ridership for it is so low that it doesn't even qualify for federal funding. I love how the writer attributes the low projected ridership to a "glitch."

So does anyone know what the current projected ridership for the line is?

Gold Line faces delay
Funding requires ridership model

By Gary Scott Staff Writer

Pasadena Star-News
Construction of the Gold Line extension from Pasadena to Azusa could be delayed from three months to one year because of a glitch in
calculating potential ridership on the train.
Every transportation project seeking federal funds must submit ridership projections to the Federal Transportation Authority, which then uses
the numbers to rank projects.
The ridership model being used to analyze the Gold Line appears to be excluding certain segments of the population, resulting in artificially low
numbers, officials from the Gold Line Construction Authority said.
"The model does not exist for a light rail rider," said Monrovia Mayor Rob Hammond, a member of the construction authority board. "There is
not a template out there. There isn't one in the nation."
The current model appears to have a mild prejudice against middle-class commuters. According to Habib Balian, CEO of the construction
authority, the current model presumes that bus riders will be the group most likely to ride the Gold Line light rail. But construction authority
officials believe the train will be filled with people who rarely if ever ride a bus in the San Gabriel Valley.
"You have people in the San Gabriel Valley with half-million dollar homes and $100,000-plus incomes who have never taken the bus but would
consider taking light rail," Balian said.
Unless the authority can figure out how to alter the model to capture this population, the Gold Line numbers may be too low to qualify for FTA
funding.

"The FTA has to buy into the model. This is not something we do in a vacuum," Balian said.
The ridership model was not a concern for the first leg of the Gold Line, from Los Angeles to Pasadena, because it did not rely on federal
funding.
The second leg, from Pasadena to Montclair, is projected to cost more than
$1 billion, with at least half coming from the federal government.
Balian said the delays could push the start of construction on the first phase out to Azusa to sometime between fall 2007 and fall 2008. The
second phase of the extension project out to Montclair, scheduled to be completed in 2014, should be unaffected.
gary.scott@sgvn.com
(626) 578-6300, Ext. 4458
Page 1 of 1 Print Article
1/17/2006
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  #75  
Old Posted Mar 17, 2006, 4:10 PM
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From www.mta.net:

Metro Secures $208 Million in State Funding
for the Exposition Light Rail Transit Project

California Transportation Commission approves first of two state funding requests


The California Transportation Commission (CTC) today approved the allocation of $208 million in Traffic Congestion Relief Program (TCRP) funding for the Exposition Light Rail Transit Project that will provide a major source of funding to the project.

“We thank the CTC for recognizing the needs of Los Angeles and for approving our funding request for the Expo Line,” said Los Angeles City Mayor and Metro Board Chairman Antonio Villaraigosa. “This funding helps keep the Expo Line on track. The CTC’s continuing partnership with Los Angeles is vital to our efforts to grow our public transit system and reduce traffic congestion.”

Last week, Metro officials had asked the CTC during their Southern California State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) Public Hearing to fund the 8.5-mile Exposition Light Rail Project indicating it was critical that investment of state monies be allocated to the project.

“This is a critical project for our region,” said County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, a member of Metro’s Board of Directors. “When it’s finished, the Exposition Light Rail Project has the potential to relieve some of the heavy traffic on the Santa Monica Freeway, which makes the CTC’s allocation of these state dollars a win-win situation for all Westside commuters.”

Construction on the line is expected to start this summer. The Exposition Light Rail Transit Project will share two stations (7th Street/Metro Center and Pico/Chick Hearn) with the Metro Blue Line in downtown Los Angeles where the line will then proceed west on the Metro-owned right-of-way on Exposition Boulevard, which parallels the congested I-10 Freeway with a terminus just east of Washington/National in Culver City.

Eight new stations will be constructed by the Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority for a total project cost estimated at $640 million. A second phase would extend the Exposition Line to the City of Santa Monica.

Metro is requesting a total of $523 million from the CTC. This would include $315 million in LA County’s share of the 2006 Sate Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) and $208 million in TCRP funding approved today.

The recent allocation of the $208 million was committed by the state legislature and governor in June 2000, but the CTC has been unable to meet that commitment until now, due to the state’s General Fund deficits. The CTC will take up Metro’s request for the $315 million at its April 27 meeting held in Fresno.

Metro officials expressed appreciation to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Los Angeles legislative delegation for their continued support for transportation improvements throughout the region.

The allocation of these state dollars will free up transportation monies from the previously established Exposition Line budget that could possibly fund projects such as transit projects and/or carpool lanes on the northbound I-405 Freeway over the Sepulveda Pass, I-5 Freeway from Route 170 to the 134 Freeway, and the I-10 Freeway from Puente to Citrus or other transportation improvements.
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Last edited by LongBeachUrbanist; Mar 17, 2006 at 4:16 PM.
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  #76  
Old Posted Mar 17, 2006, 6:54 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bobcat
Sorry, but this rant is just absurd. To have the gall to call the wilshire subway a money pit when the Azusa extension would rival the Harbor Transitway in the degree of 'boondogglery' (or whatever the word is ).

Apparently the projected ridership for it is so low that it doesn't even qualify for federal funding. I love how the writer attributes the low projected ridership to a "glitch."

So does anyone know what the current projected ridership for the line is?

Gold Line faces delay
Funding requires ridership model

By Gary Scott Staff Writer

Pasadena Star-News
Construction of the Gold Line extension from Pasadena to Azusa could be delayed from three months to one year because of a glitch in
calculating potential ridership on the train.
Every transportation project seeking federal funds must submit ridership projections to the Federal Transportation Authority, which then uses
the numbers to rank projects.
The ridership model being used to analyze the Gold Line appears to be excluding certain segments of the population, resulting in artificially low
numbers, officials from the Gold Line Construction Authority said.
"The model does not exist for a light rail rider," said Monrovia Mayor Rob Hammond, a member of the construction authority board. "There is
not a template out there. There isn't one in the nation."
The current model appears to have a mild prejudice against middle-class commuters. According to Habib Balian, CEO of the construction
authority, the current model presumes that bus riders will be the group most likely to ride the Gold Line light rail. But construction authority
officials believe the train will be filled with people who rarely if ever ride a bus in the San Gabriel Valley.
"You have people in the San Gabriel Valley with half-million dollar homes and $100,000-plus incomes who have never taken the bus but would
consider taking light rail," Balian said.
Unless the authority can figure out how to alter the model to capture this population, the Gold Line numbers may be too low to qualify for FTA
funding.

"The FTA has to buy into the model. This is not something we do in a vacuum," Balian said.
The ridership model was not a concern for the first leg of the Gold Line, from Los Angeles to Pasadena, because it did not rely on federal
funding.
The second leg, from Pasadena to Montclair, is projected to cost more than
$1 billion, with at least half coming from the federal government.
Balian said the delays could push the start of construction on the first phase out to Azusa to sometime between fall 2007 and fall 2008. The
second phase of the extension project out to Montclair, scheduled to be completed in 2014, should be unaffected.
gary.scott@sgvn.com
(626) 578-6300, Ext. 4458
Page 1 of 1 Print Article
1/17/2006

Rediculous. This is nothing but bladerdash from someone trying to secure political pork. I don't know what the profile of the average GL rider looks like , but I do know that the profile of the average MTA rail rider is nearly identical to the average bus rider.
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  #77  
Old Posted Mar 17, 2006, 8:03 PM
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From the Los Angeles Times

Bond Defeat Felt at City Hall


Mayor's housing, transit and park plans bank on funds from governor's public works proposal, which foundered in Sacramento this week.

By Duke Helfand
Times Staff Writer

March 17, 2006

The collapse of a public works bond proposal in Sacramento this week could deliver a serious blow to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's plans for building affordable housing, expanding parks and extending a subway line to the Westside — all key elements in his ambitious blueprint for Los Angeles.

And it could spoil an opportunity for the Democratic mayor and Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, two of the state's most dynamic political personalities, to work in concert advancing their separate agendas.

Villaraigosa was counting on tens of millions of dollars from the bonds and had even boasted privately in recent days that Los Angeles would reap a bonanza from the public works package.

Now, several of his pet projects, and his vision for Los Angeles, could face uncertain prospects.

But Villaraigosa said he remained "eternally optimistic," predicting, like others in Los Angeles and Sacramento, that state leaders would agree to place a public works bond on the November ballot. The bond missed its opportunity to make the June ballot when the state Senate refused this week to take action on it after the Assembly approved only portions of Schwarzenegger's proposal.

A November measure could provide crucial backing for Villaraigosa's initiatives, even if the dollars roll in later than originally anticipated.

"I'm deeply disappointed that we weren't able to take advantage of the opportunity to invest in California's infrastructure," Villaraigosa said in an interview. "I believe that we can't allow this opportunity to be denied by partisanship. It is just too important to the future prosperity of our city and our state."

Villaraigosa — who once served as Assembly speaker — had negotiated with lawmakers and Schwarzenegger's office to secure what he called Los Angeles' "fair share" of the anticipated public works money.

He traveled to Sacramento last month with City Council President Eric Garcetti and other officials to lobby for money to build affordable housing. He also spoke publicly in Los Angeles about the need for the bond to include funding for urban parks.

He called state leaders hourly at various points to weigh in on the complicated package.

Without the state dollars, the city would probably struggle to meet the agenda Villaraigosa set out during his first months in office.

The mayor this week announced that the city would spend nearly $51 million from its affordable housing trust fund to build 14 apartment complexes around L.A. for low-income residents. Every dollar spent by the city, he pointed out, would attract an additional $3 in public and private money.

Some of the funds for these projects will come from a 2002 state housing bond. But that revenue stream is expected to dry up next year, leaving the city without one of its key funding sources for new housing unless a new bond is passed.

Housing advocates said they hoped state leaders would provide the crucial funding in a November bond. Otherwise, they said, the effect could be devastating — not only for efforts to help the working poor but also for housing programs aimed at getting the homeless off the streets.

"There is going to be more and more overcrowding, more and more people living in garages," said Lisa Payne of the Southern California Assn. of Non-Profit Housing. "That raises public health issues."

Los Angeles also could face fallout in the areas of public transportation and parks.

Villaraigosa had sought help in paying for several mass transit initiatives intended to ease traffic congestion on city streets. His priorities include a north-south busway in the San Fernando Valley, traffic-light synchronization in the city and an extension of the Red Line subway down Wilshire Boulevard from Western Avenue to Fairfax Avenue, part of his "subway-to-the-sea" plan.

The mayor's vision of more parks greening Los Angeles also would have to wait.

He said a November bond might delay these projects but would not block his dream of the city as an oasis where parks flourish and traffic moves efficiently.

The delay of the bond, he said, "obviously makes all of those things more difficult. I continue to believe that we can work across partisan lines in the best interests of our city and our state."

Villaraigosa appeared with Schwarzenegger in Los Angeles in January to promote proposed transportation projects that would have been funded by the bond.

The unusual pairing of the Democratic mayor and the Republican governor offered them an opportunity to seize the mantle of bipartisanship in the name of the public good.

This week's failed negotiations on the bond will probably forestall any further collaboration, as Schwarzenegger turns his attention to salvaging his proposal and Villaraigosa continues his own lobbying campaign to stake a claim for Los Angeles in any future plan.

But political strategists from both parties said that Villaraigosa and Schwarzenegger's mutual interests will probably trump party affiliations as the November election draws closer.

"It's about getting something done for the state," said Democratic political consultant Parke Skelton. "Both of them have enough savvy to put aside differences when they are pursuing common objectives."
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  #78  
Old Posted Mar 17, 2006, 8:18 PM
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A five-month delay isn't too bad. As long as the bond eventually comes through for the November ballot, with enough help for the needs of our cities.
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Old Posted Mar 28, 2006, 7:07 PM
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Gold Line gains a fast track to federal funding

By Gary Scott Staff Writer
Pasadena Star-News

PASADENA - What is a little financial independence worth?
About $5.4 million to the board overseeing construction of the Gold Line train from Pasadena to Montclair.

Transportation officials notified the Gold Line Construction Authority on Friday that it is now eligible to receive funds directly from the federal government, removing a layer of red tape that nearly cost the agency $2.9 million.

"It just streamlines the whole process," said Habib Balian, chief executive officer for the construction authority. "It is another piece of the puzzle coming together."

The designation gives the authority immediate access to two large grants that had been sitting idle. The first, at $2.9 million, will be used for routine planning and design. The second, at $2.5 million, is slated for a comprehensive study of housing and retail development planned along the line.

Balian said this list of projects will serve to leverage additional federal funds by showing legislators that the Gold Line is a tool for spurring economic investment.

"This is great news for both the project and for the cities along the corridor," said La Verne Mayor Jon Blickenstaff, chairman of the construction authority.

There are 11 cities along the 24-mile extension and many have plans to develop transit-related projects at or near the proposed Gold Line stops.

Extending the Gold Line to Montclair is expected to cost $1.2 billion, with most of that amount coming from federal transportation dollars.

Being able to tap into those funds directly should simplify matters, Balian said, by ensuring the construction authority can set its own timetables.

The Gold Line almost lost the $2.9 million grant because the pass-through agency, the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, failed to take necessary steps in a timely matter, according to Balian.

"Once everybody knew what the problem was and what had not happened between 2004 and 2005, Caltrans jumped in to fix it," Balian said.

The mix-up further strained already tense relations between the two agencies and helped convince construction authority officials that financial independence was needed.

Over the next couple of years, the construction authority will collect another $16 million in federal earmarks to continue planning.

Construction on the Gold Line extension is scheduled to begin in 2008, with the Pasadena-to-Azusa leg scheduled to open in 2010 and the Azusa-to-Montclair leg opening four years later.

gary.scott@sgvn.com
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Last edited by Wright Concept; Mar 29, 2006 at 12:18 AM.
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Old Posted Apr 15, 2006, 4:17 AM
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I've been tinkering with this plan for about a week, in between doing taxes among other things.

And if this is planned right this shouldn't cost too much money.

What I'm thinking now is first extend the platform at 7th St Metro about 100' for longer 4 car trains then run north on Flower to First Street. Station at 4th/5th Streets, "BUNKER HILL" easy to do cause there's nothing but bloody parking structures there anyways so who cares and can be done to a new method where all they would need to build are connections to the other entrances. This can be explained at the Civic Center station.

Turning deep below the Disney Hall from Flower to First with a CIVIC CENTER station between Grand/Olive and Hill Streets with small station portals at the following locations Grand Avenue development, the Park for the demolished County Courthouse and the existing Red Line 1st/Hill portal(creating another transfer to the Red Line) so that the development can still go on as planned in case the politics get in the way and prepare for future construction that is minor in disruption. The way tunnel construction has improved can even allow this tunnel to be mined like the one they did in Dallas Cityplace Station.

They used the TBM's to bore the train tubes then mined along side of it creating a second tube which is then connected together to the other portals so the Mezzanine is essentially a large extension of the platform which can allow for future expansion for longer trains.

Continuining down First the tunnel will turn about 30-45 degrees and shoot Northeast under the eventual demolished Parker Center and parking structures on San Pedro/Temple, the new Little Tokyo/City Hall/Artist District station will be located between these two sites to reduce mitigation needed if the station were built on First Street in Little Tokyo.

This helps add to the charm of the area so that you stroll throught the museums and plazas in Little Tokyo on route to the subway station, it's convinent for City Hall users cause it's only a block away. It's great for Artist District users since they only have to go one more block.

Plus since these sites are right and not on the street, this will allow the tunnel to be built closer to the surface to allow trains to come to grade quicker to their regular routes for ELA routes back to First before Vignes and for SG Valley trains on Alameda before the elevated guideway. A little mitigation is needed for the tracks to allow trains to be re-routed around these new train portals.

I apologize in advance for the blurriness in the image here's a visual:
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Last edited by Wright Concept; Oct 30, 2006 at 8:37 AM.
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