LOS ANGELES | Downtown Project Rundown 6.0

[craigs]

Originally Posted by badrunner

Yeah, I love that aerial not because it's the best photo quality, but because it provides such a detailed closeup of downtown.

[citywatch]

Nice to see more ppl out & about...less of a lockdown type place that cities worldwide have gone through since 2020. Around 15:00 there's the kind of graffiti I've never seen before...in japanese. lol. I don't like muralists having their work tagged up...parts of nyc have allowed graffiti to get really out of hand.

I notice a store that was a pinkberry several yrs ago is now a nicely busy restaurant.

When the connector line station at 1st & Central opens, this part of dt will be further linked to areas both to the west & north. dtla may be grittier than certain other cities are....such as compared with parts of Europe or Asia....but it's a more interesting place to me. With the arts dist growing & things like the Grand Ave proj being completed, more pieces of the puzzle are falling into place. DT is a work in progress, which makes the changes even more more welcome & long overdue.


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[craigs]

Originally Posted by citywatch

When the connector line station at 1st & Central opens, this part of dt will be further linked to areas both to the west & north.

Yeah, I think the new Regional Connector stations will make a big impact on downtown over time.

[LAsam]

Originally Posted by craigs

Yeah, I think the new Regional Connector stations will make a big impact on downtown over time.

What makes you believe that? I hope that's true, but not sure if someone going to Disney Hall will take Metro because of the new Grand Ave station if they wouldn't previously take it with the existing Civic Park station.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

Originally Posted by LAsam

What makes you believe that? I hope that's true, but not sure if someone going to Disney Hall will take Metro because of the new Grand Ave station if they wouldn't previously take it with the existing Civic Park station.

I think it makes a big difference. There will now be one seat rides from Pasadena, the rest of the SGV, Santa Monica, Culver City, USC, etc

[citywatch]

Originally Posted by LAsam

I hope that's true, but not sure if someone going to Disney Hall will take Metro because of the new Grand Ave station if they wouldn't previously take it with the existing Civic Park station.

That station next to the broad museum by itself won't have a lot of impact for ppl based on the westside going to a concert in dt. It's the extension of the red line/purple/d line to fairfax, Bev Hills &, more crucially, Westwood that will be important...I realize there's the light rail line from Samo to dtla, but that's slower & runs far south enough that ppl more willing to take the Wilshire subway may be less willing to use the Expo line.


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[citywatch]

Over the past 50 yrs, areas miles west of dtla have increasingly shied away from dt....to the point that in 2022, dtla needs areas around samo or bev hills more than areas like century city or westwood need dtla.

the westside has been doing well all by itself...less so dtla. Office space in hoods like around UCLA or La Cienega has filled up to a higher level for over 40 yrs, whereas dtla office towers during that same time have shown a high vacancy rate....or high enough that owners of land in dt can't make new towers...other than for apts or condos....pencil out.

New transit, like the d line, alone won't solve the imbalance...but it will help make more ppl on the westside not see dtla as too far away & a traffic nuisance to travel to.


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As with the new onni apt tower proj at Hill & Olympic, my only problem with changes that are occurring is....hurry up!

[citywatch]

This was filmed last yr by a guy who has since relocated from NYC to Miami Bch.

I consider this the southern wing of dtla & students who go here will be helped by the d Line...around 29:14 I recall when that was still the old USC village mall, a 1970s era shopping ctr that was not ready for prime time. Around 1:02:29....the rising George Lucas Museum...is another reminder of why the pieces of the puzzle are falling into place....& why the Expo line by itself will need to be complemented by the D Line.


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[craigs]

Originally Posted by LAsam

What makes you believe that? I hope that's true, but not sure if someone going to Disney Hall will take Metro because of the new Grand Ave station if they wouldn't previously take it with the existing Civic Park station.

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

I think it makes a big difference. There will now be one seat rides from Pasadena, the rest of the SGV, Santa Monica, Culver City, USC, etc

I included the qualifier "over time," and I'm specifically thinking about the introduction of one-seat rides as LosAngelesSportsFan noted. I think that as Angelenos eventually get accustomed to the idea that they can take a one-seat ride into or through downtown, ridership will likely increase and the areas around those stations will be more activated and desirable. I don't think it will happen overnight. And I could be completely wrong about all of it.

One-seat rides are appealing to riders for obvious reasons, and that's especially true of novice or infrequent riders. For example, I was thinking of taking transit into downtown this coming Saturday morning, but don't want the two-transfer hassle and will instead be driving. Transfers introduce the opportunity for additional delays. If I had a one-seat ride into downtown right now (that won't be the case even when the Connector opens, btw), it would be a no-brainer.

[dktshb]

Originally Posted by craigs

I included the qualifier "over time," and I'm specifically thinking about the introduction of one-seat rides as LosAngelesSportsFan noted. I think that as Angelenos eventually get accustomed to the idea that they can take a one-seat ride into or through downtown, ridership will likely increase and the areas around those stations will be more activated and desirable. I don't think it will happen overnight. And I could be completely wrong about all of it.

One-seat rides are appealing to riders for obvious reasons, and that's especially true of novice or infrequent riders. For example, I was thinking of taking transit into downtown this coming Saturday morning, but don't want the two-transfer hassle and will instead be driving. Transfers introduce the opportunity for additional delays. If I had a one-seat ride into downtown right now (that won't be the case even when the Connector opens, btw), it would be a no-brainer.

I used to be a frequent rider of the red line between hollywood and downtown until about 2016 when every single ride involved unpleasant experiences because of homeless and crazy people. I moved to SF in 2018 and when I go back I don't take the transit anymore. If it hasn't gotten better and LA is not serious about keeping the crazy off the transit I do not think we are going to get more ridership.

[ChelseaFC]

Originally Posted by dktshb

I used to be a frequent rider of the red line between hollywood and downtown until about 2016 when every single ride involved unpleasant experiences because of homeless and crazy people. I moved to SF in 2018 and when I go back I don't take the transit anymore. If it hasn't gotten better and LA is not serious about keeping the crazy off the transit I do not think we are going to get more ridership.

Sadly this is true and a major turn-off for a lot of people. Just a month or so ago, there was a stabbing at the Sunset/Vermont station. I used to take the Metro to attend LAFC games all the time, but now I mostly sell my tickets because I'm not going to ride at night.

[LAsam]

Originally Posted by ChelseaFC

Sadly this is true and a major turn-off for a lot of people. Just a month or so ago, there was a stabbing at the Sunset/Vermont station. I used to take the Metro to attend LAFC games all the time, but now I mostly sell my tickets because I'm not going to ride at night.

I'm sure some statistic exists out there that you're more at risk driving than taking transit, but there's something about being closed in on the train and feeling helpless about the situation (unless you are a MMA badass which I most definitely am not!) that makes it psychologically tougher to handle the risk on the train vs a car. I agree that unless transit is perceived to be very safe, it's a tough sell unless driving is a considerably less convenient (or more expensive) option.

[ChelseaFC]

Originally Posted by LAsam

I'm sure some statistic exists out there that you're more at risk driving than taking transit, but there's something about being closed in on the train and feeling helpless about the situation (unless you are a MMA badass which I most definitely am not!) that makes it psychologically tougher to handle the risk on the train vs a car. I agree that unless transit is perceived to be very safe, it's a tough sell unless driving is a considerably less convenient (or more expensive) option.

In general, driving a private vehicle or taking Uber will be perceived as more convenient and safer (door to door with less walking, more comfortable, private environment), but considerably more expensive (fuel and parking). Which sadly underlines the contrast between those who are well-off and those economically disadvantaged.

[citywatch]

Everyone's posts above are regrettable...they also go in line with stats that show transit ridership in LA is way down. I think fewer ppl were using transit even before the pandemic hit.

I was in a part of LA a few yrs ago, a lower income area...where car ownership would be more of a burden....but parking was at a premium. Bumper to bumper cars everywhere on the streets. I had to circle around continuously to find an open space. Legal relaxation of drivers licenses & car ownership a few yrs ago has probably affected things.

For governmental reasons, I don't think public safety in the future is going to get any better. So while one hand pushes for more transit & more riders, the other hand is making public transit less appealing for more ppl.

As for events in dtla, such as concerts at Disney hall, I mentioned the Music Ctr organizing group trips on transit like the Wilshire line. Ppl are more comfortable traveling in large numbers with other ppl who share the same goals & interests.

Things like this won't be helped if govt, including its courts & law enforcement, allow a city to become too chaotic....


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[citywatch]

this used to be a huge parking lot in dt. It was one of the more visible & deadening ones too. I think of it when I notice certain ppl continue to complain about new projs in LA not being taller...or not being architecturally sleek enough....instead of complaining about needing to get rid of dtla's gaps, particularly its surface parking lots.


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I've been watching vids of various areas both in the LA area & throughout the world. I just about never see places that I'd describe as weak or unimpressive because their blocks of land aren't full of taller bldgs. That includes vids of prime areas in Paris, London or Buenos Aires. Or areas dozens of miles west or south of dtla.

The need for more tall bldgs,,,,esp super talls....in dt is way down on the list of importance.

Also, ppl who complain about new devlpt containing too much parking...overly large parking podiums....have to figure out how to take care of the points raised above about public safety when using transit in LA.

[caligrad]

So the 6AM project has been scrapped for sound stages

https://la.urbanize.city/post/new-ow...ns-soundstages

I mean. I personally never took this project serious, nor did I like it to be honest.......I know everyone on here was excited and thought it was great........ but two massive towers sitting in front of essentially what looked like a sprawling public housing community that was plopped on top of a massive parking garage never felt right to me.......density or not............ so......yeah..... Another sound stage complex heading to downtown.

[homebucket]

Not a huge loss, IMO. In order for a functioning urban neighborhood you need jobs within walking distance too, and this will create jobs, and still be in line with the concept of an "arts" district. There's still plenty of other opportunity within the Arts District to build high density housing projects.

[caligrad]

^^^ I agree. i actually prefer the switch...... this will make jobs in the area and spur more development. people may cry gentrification but when the area has been neglected since before i was born (88), Something needs to happen.

[craigs]

That proposal for 6th and Alameda never made sense to me. Residential towers like that make sense closer in to the downtown core, but do they really make sense way out there? We have our answer.

[Easy]

Originally Posted by dktshb

If it hasn't gotten better and LA is not serious about keeping the crazy off the transit I do not think we are going to get more ridership.

It's absolutely got worse since then. An order of magnitude worse. But I think that it's bottomed out and slowly been getting better. I haven't been riding as much but noticed just this week that metro has started enforcing some behaviors, checking tickets at stations, and kicking people off trains for bad behavior. It was all around Union Station, so that may be directly related to the recent protests where station staff complained that they feared for their safety every day.

But to add to reasons why more people might take the regional connector, the D line extension will be a huge ridership generator if metro hasn't already chased riders away permanently. I know a few that rode for years that say that they'll never ride again because of safety concerns.