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  #401  
Old Posted Nov 17, 2009, 3:41 AM
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Signal priority farther east on the line would do a heck of a lot more than a minute over the freeway.
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  #402  
Old Posted Nov 17, 2009, 3:41 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WonderlandPark View Post
I didn't know that they made you go downstairs to wait in line. that sucks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by seamus View Post
Ouch! Yeah I had to do the same coming from Pasadena, but they made sure to clear everyone off the train once it had reached Union Station. I think the rationale was, since every train was packed by the time it reached there, those who were trying to start out from Union Station to check out the new part of the line were always going to be unable to fit on the trains, so it was an attempt by MTA to 'level the playing field' or something (everyone gets in line at the same place). But so much chaos, loudspeakers, and yelling officials did impart a certain Third World atmosphere to the place...
Yeah, it totally sucked. It wasn't even announced that the train was going to head back to Pasadena. My clues were that at first I was wondering why the train was just sitting there with the doors open; then I saw the electronic sign above the window that said "Sierra Madre Villa" and it made me think that the train was indeed going to Pasadena, so I went out and asked a Metro worker, and he told me that to continue on to East LA I'd have to go downstairs and line up. Pissed me off.

I will definitely ride the Gold Line this coming weekend, but I don't know if I'll ride the whole new extension just yet. From South Pasadena, I'll definitely ride it to Little Tokyo, and later on to the Indiana Station since there were some restaurants in that area I wanted to check out.

I realize that the Gold Line is now 20 miles in length, just 2 miles shorter than the Blue Line, and LA's overall Metro rail lines now total 79.1 miles. In most cities that would cover a lot of ground, but obviously in spread out LA, we still have a ways to go. But I'm optimistic that our rail lines will continue to grow.
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  #403  
Old Posted Nov 17, 2009, 4:46 AM
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This is interesting

Quote:
Software Upgrade Should Speed Gold Line's Freeway Crossing

By Eric Richardson
Published: Monday, November 16, 2009, at 03:57PM


From Flickr by Eric Richardson
A P2000 rounds the elevated curve to Alameda at it travels to the Gold Line Eastside Extension's Little Tokyo / Arts District station.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — The Gold Line Eastside Extension opened to much fanfare and big crowds on Sunday, but those looking to use the line for day-to-day commuting may have been a bit puzzled at why it takes so long for trains to travel the elevated track between Little Tokyo / Arts District and Union Station.


Currently, trains operate between the two stations at just 10mph, taking approximately four minutes to travel the half-mile span.

That speed is determined by signals running through the tracks, and operators are unable to exceed what the car picks up.

That same stretch has a second signal telling the cars that they can go 15mph, but it is being ignored right now because only half the cars operating on the line can see it.

On Thursday, Metro's Operations committee is expected to approve a $400,000 contract with GE to update software on 26 cars that were brought over from the Green Line in 2003.

The new code will allow the P2000 cars to pick up the faster signal and should reduce travel time between the two stations to a little under three minutes.

While a minute saved might not sound like much, when it comes to transit every little bit counts.
Source:http://www.blogdowntown.com/2009/11/...eed-gold-lines
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  #404  
Old Posted Nov 17, 2009, 5:49 AM
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Rode it the first day and today for work. Loved it, and it seems to have brisk ridership (lets see) yesterday it was stuffed.

Only a mile or two from my house!
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  #405  
Old Posted Nov 17, 2009, 7:28 AM
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..went ahead and blogged about my experiences yesterday and my impressions on the new gold line:

http://devanwells.blogspot.com/2009/...e-opening.html

(lots of good pics in there, too, of course)
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  #406  
Old Posted Nov 17, 2009, 4:47 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KVNBKLYN View Post
It seems that the slow segment between Union Station and Little Tokyo might be getting a bit faster.

From blogdowntown (http://blogdowntown.com/2009/11/4858...eed-gold-lines):
What morons. They've been testing for how many months and they couldn't get the software fixed before service started? If it's something extra that needs to be built, pass a government review, etc., I can understand, but a software upgrade? come on. That committee should have gotten together earlier to approve this. That said, 15mph still seems excessively slow for an elevated portion of the line, is there a reason for the limited speed? WonderlandPark mentioned a sharp curve, but is there a good reason that they built the curve so sharply?
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  #407  
Old Posted Nov 17, 2009, 5:34 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mwadswor View Post
What morons. They've been testing for how many months and they couldn't get the software fixed before service started? If it's something extra that needs to be built, pass a government review, etc., I can understand, but a software upgrade? come on. That committee should have gotten together earlier to approve this. That said, 15mph still seems excessively slow for an elevated portion of the line, is there a reason for the limited speed? WonderlandPark mentioned a sharp curve, but is there a good reason that they built the curve so sharply?
Morons, yes. I've never had a completely positive opinion of the Los Angeles MTA (or Metro, whatever they like to call themselves now; I remember it took me years in the 90s before I stopped saying RTD). I remember back in the 90s when they were using ethanol-powered buses that were often breaking down. Now, I often see signs in the subway stations that elevators aren't working; it's also not uncommon for escalators not to be working. When the original leg of the Gold Line first opened, the following winter when we got some rains, there was a mudslide from a hill that runs along a portion of the line and service was interrupted for a while; it's like, they didn't think to stabilize the hill?

However, that overpass over the 101 freeway is indeed a sharp curve for a train. I guess it was the only way (or cheapest way) to continue the Gold Line from its point at Union Station down to its route along Alameda Street.
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  #408  
Old Posted Nov 17, 2009, 7:29 PM
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Originally Posted by sopas ej View Post
Morons, yes.
However, that overpass over the 101 freeway is indeed a sharp curve for a train. I guess it was the only way (or cheapest way) to continue the Gold Line from its point at Union Station down to its route along Alameda Street.
The most painful thing about the S shaped el is that Metro owns the mepty lot that the el would run down if it went straight towards 1st rather than curving. the next lot is a city yard, and then the empty lot that will one day be that mixed use at 1st/alameda. The train couldve ran straight, been competely away from alameda in an area that is dead, and would have been farthe away from teh 1st/ala intersection. Plus if the LT station had bein a couple dozen yards away from alameda, it couldve made a much easier way to underground the train for the regional connector.
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  #409  
Old Posted Nov 17, 2009, 7:58 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by suga View Post
Rode it the first day and today for work. Loved it, and it seems to have brisk ridership (lets see) yesterday it was stuffed.

Only a mile or two from my house!
Only a mile or two? I take it you drive to take it or do you walk?
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  #410  
Old Posted Nov 19, 2009, 2:38 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sopas ej View Post
However, that overpass over the 101 freeway is indeed a sharp curve for a train. I guess it was the only way (or cheapest way) to continue the Gold Line from its point at Union Station down to its route along Alameda Street.
That curve reminds me of the old Chicago 'L' Balbo curve to access Tower 12 at Wabash/Van Buren. That was a 5mph curve and main it screeched all the way until. In 2002-3 they straightened that old Balbo Curve so that it now moves faster but that wasn't going over a busy freeway.
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  #411  
Old Posted Nov 19, 2009, 2:41 AM
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Originally Posted by Yankee View Post
Only a mile or two? I take it you drive to take it or do you walk?
Big ass hill between the station and my home, so either bike, bus or drive.
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  #412  
Old Posted Nov 19, 2009, 3:23 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mwadswor View Post
What morons. They've been testing for how many months and they couldn't get the software fixed before service started? If it's something extra that needs to be built, pass a government review, etc., I can understand, but a software upgrade? come on. That committee should have gotten together earlier to approve this. That said, 15mph still seems excessively slow for an elevated portion of the line, is there a reason for the limited speed? WonderlandPark mentioned a sharp curve, but is there a good reason that they built the curve so sharply?
There are two curves, a right and a left while leaving Union Station. As I understand it, a modest curve was considered; however, meant a longer span across 101. That in-turn meant a stronger bridge with a wider columns and thickness. There must have been implications I am missing... impacts to the freeway?
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Last edited by bmfarley; Nov 19, 2009 at 4:43 AM.
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  #413  
Old Posted Nov 19, 2009, 3:25 AM
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NOVEMBER 18, 2009 | Expo Line

We haven't had a photo update on the construction progress of the Expo Line in a while. Here's a lengthy update from The Transit Coalition:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gokhan
It's been quite a while since the last time we visited the Expo Line, and we were at dark regarding the progress as a result. But the nice thing about the break was that it was so shocking to see all the progress at once. It is exhilarating to see the Expo Line come back to life after so many years. Our hard efforts are now paying off. This will be a great line, bringing back and important part of LA history.

We start at the Venice/Robertson Station. A lot of steel cages and cranes are in this area. The foundations and supports will be done soon here but the falsework and bridge construction won't start until next summer because the new contractor (not FFP) won't be hired until April:



Next is a funky looking support at Wesley St by National Blvd (south of Washington):



Two more supports are lined there:



Just east of Ballona Creek are two supports. On the west side of Ballona Creek, they had to remove one of the supports because they realized that they drilled through the tie-back of the existing bridge. The tie-back and support will be redesigned and rebuilt in the future. So, the Ballona Creek LRT bridge will be delayed for a few months now:



This is the arched La Brea bridge, looking north:



La Brea bridge and ramp looking west:



Crenshaw Blvd rail crossing:



And this is what we all have been waiting for. Rail tracks have now been installed on the ballast. The railroad right-of-way is finally looking like a railroad again. It's amazing how fast the track installation is. They have laid 0.6 miles of track in only one week. No wonder it took only a few years for Henry E. Huntington to build railroads everywhere in LA. If you don't have utility relocation, environmental work, and grade separation, track installation is a breeze. This is at 11th Ave looking west to Crenshaw Blvd:



You can see the concrete ties on the eastbound tracks and the wooden ties for the crossovers on the westbound track:



Crossover with wooden ties looking east at 11th Ave:



Close-up:



Looking west at Crenshaw. Rail is not straight yet. I guess it's the job of the big yellow machine (a rail grinder?) to align the rail perfectly straight:



115 (pounds per yard) and 2008 is stamped on the rails:





Another shot looking west near 11th Ave:



7th Ave looking west:



7th Ave looking west close-up:



They are laying black landscape cloth on the subballast to retard weed growth. Then they lay ballast (coarse gravel) and put the ties and tracks on top of that, before they cover the ties with ballast. This is near Normandie:



A traction-power substation just west of Vermont Ave:



We are looking forward to riding this line to as far as La Cienega Blvd in November 2010.
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  #414  
Old Posted Nov 19, 2009, 3:26 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sopas ej View Post
... Now, I often see signs in the subway stations that elevators aren't working; it's also not uncommon for escalators not to be working. ....

As I understand this one, kids jump up and down on the escalators to purposely make them stop suddenly... and have their classmates lose their balance and possible fall.

Stupid kids.
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  #415  
Old Posted Nov 19, 2009, 3:32 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by suga View Post
The most painful thing about the S shaped el is that Metro owns the mepty lot that the el would run down if it went straight towards 1st rather than curving. the next lot is a city yard, and then the empty lot that will one day be that mixed use at 1st/alameda. The train couldve ran straight, been competely away from alameda in an area that is dead, and would have been farthe away from teh 1st/ala intersection. Plus if the LT station had bein a couple dozen yards away from alameda, it couldve made a much easier way to underground the train for the regional connector.
Metro and the City are different agencies.
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  #416  
Old Posted Nov 19, 2009, 3:32 AM
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Nice pictures. Why are some of the ties concrete and others wooden? Shouldn't they all be concrete?
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  #417  
Old Posted Nov 19, 2009, 12:08 PM
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Sopas ej-

Quote:
Now, I often see signs in the subway stations that elevators aren't working; it's also not uncommon for escalators not to be working.
There are escalator malfunctions at the various stations here in DC on a daily basis. The escalator at the north side of the DuPont Circle station has been out for weeks. Lack of money and an aging system are the most likely causes here.
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  #418  
Old Posted Nov 19, 2009, 12:27 PM
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Okay, so here are the presentations from the latest rounds of meetings (I already posted the Harbor Subdivision presentations -- they can be found on page 17)...

Crenshaw Corridor
http://www.metro.net/projects_studie...aw/default.htm
http://www.metro.net/projects_studie...aw/default.htm (LPA recommendation)

Gold Line Eastside Extension II
http://metro.net/projects_studies/ea...open-house.pdf

Westside Subway Extension
http://www.metro.net/projects_studie...esentation.pdf

Regional Connector
http://www.metro.net/projects_studie...or/default.htm
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  #419  
Old Posted Nov 19, 2009, 3:27 PM
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Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist View Post
Sopas ej-



There are escalator malfunctions at the various stations here in DC on a daily basis. The escalator at the north side of the DuPont Circle station has been out for weeks. Lack of money and an aging system are the most likely causes here.
O man isn't Dupont Circle the deepest escalator in the system?
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  #420  
Old Posted Nov 19, 2009, 4:03 PM
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O man isn't Dupont Circle the deepest escalator in the system?
No, but it is still not fun to walk down. Wheaton on the Green line has the longest escalator in the Western Hemisphere. Bethesda and Rosslyn are also 'stations of a thousand steps.'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheaton_(Washington_Metro)
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