LOS ANGELES | Transportation News & Discussion

[LAsam]

^ Eso Won is closing? That place is an institution

[Quixote]

Just got back from Vancouver, having ridden the SkyTrain for the first time. My experience riding it underscored what I already believed: automated, high-frequency, grade-separated (elevated) heavy rail is essential to changing the way Angelenos think about public transit, car-freedom, walkability, and density.

A big, spread out city like LA demands nothing less. Anybody have $250 billion?

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by LAsam

^ Eso Won is closing? That place is an institution

Yes, the owners have decided to retire. It's very sad, but it's an understandable decision on their part. They are old and running a bookstore is hard!

[hughfb3]

Originally Posted by Quixote

Just got back from Vancouver, having ridden the SkyTrain for the first time. My experience riding it underscored what I already believed: automated, high-frequency, grade-separated (elevated) heavy rail is essential to changing the way Angelenos think about public transit, car-freedom, walkability, and density.

A big, spread out city like LA demands nothing less. Anybody have $250 billion?

We are close to having it here in LA. Sepulveda Transit Corridor Partners; aka. Bechtel, is proposing Skytrain technology with Linear Induction Motors (I know, I'm obsessed) like Vancouver's Evergreen and Expo lines for the Sepulveda Pass here. Be sure to give your feedback to Metro opens up the next phase of feedback.

I've been obsessed ever since I went there and rode the system.

LA really figured out how to do Elevated Rail in a beautiful way. I see a need to share what they are doing well on elevated because there are people in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood association (and other areas) that want to add billions to the Sepulveda pass train by putting the entire valley section underground. They could have beautifully green structures like West LA... and the views.... oh dont get me started








You can't even tell there are tracks and the hedges are higher than the tracks, calming down the sound even more.



This is amazing. Well done Metro!!! More elevated in Los Angeles.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

No thanks, I'll take the hsr that actually hits destinations and isn't next to a freeway for half it's route. I like elevated as well for the views and character it adds to a city but in this case, option 6 hsr is the way to go

[hughfb3]

Originally Posted by LosAngelesSportsFan

No thanks, I'll take the hsr that actually hits destinations and isn't next to a freeway for half it's route. I like elevated as well for the views and character it adds to a city but in this case, option 6 hsr is the way to go

Based on community feedback that was presented in the report; as of right now, Sepulveda bl will be the route chosen in the Valley as there is overwhelming support for both options along this road (options 4 & 5), which are both Bechtel using Skytrain technology. Even though option 6 (Van Nuys bl) is in the running as a strong 2nd place contender, option 5 is 1st place and the combined attention & requests from community for both 4&5 Sepulveda alignments to the Van Nuys alignment is roughly 2/3 to 1/3... The question is… once every other alignment has been eliminated, the debate is… will Sepulveda be elevated (4) or subterranean (5)? Right now the sub is winning… but this is LA. They could flip from bottom to top at any moment.

In my opinion, LA is spread out enough that subways should only be for densely packed areas like downtown LA, central Los Angeles and beneath mountains. Everywhere else can support elevated rail with our many 100 foot wide boulevard grids throughout the basin and valleys. Beautiful vistas and calm breezes is our hallmark and it’s not just for the rich who can afford to live in a high rise or on the hills… it can be for the public to enjoy while riding/waiting for a train.

https://www.dailynews.com/2007/06/11...f-freeway/amp/



https://thesource.metro.net/2022/06/...ridor-project/

[hughfb3]

The K Line is now shown on Apple Maps and it opens October 7th. Who’s going to the opening? I’ve been to every opening since the 2009 opening of the Gold Line east side to East LA... that also includes Expo phase 1 & 2, and the Gold line to Azusa. With the regional connector coming online soon, this season is just about as exciting as 2016 when both the Expo phase 2 opened and a few months later the Azusa extension of the Gold... although the regional connector won't open within 2 months like in 2016... maybe more like 6 months apart

[LAsam]

Does Westchester/Veterans have any park-and-ride element? Looking at Google Maps and not seeing anything at first glance. On a side note... that station is right next to Three Weavers brewery (which is fantastic)!

[hughfb3]

Went to ride the K line on opening day Friday. The stations are clean which I love... but the line is partially open because of the LAX connection station... and it feels like it too. Why did they do this when they could have waited 6-8 months for a fully functioning line? I feel like with the lack of riders, it will be ripe for vandalism and vagrancy… Oh... I know why... the elections are exactly a month away and they want good headlines before people vote.

Then I noticed, the same thing happened with LAX. 2 weeks ago there are headlines saying that the last pedestrian bridge connecting the terminals to the people mover stations went up... yet... not accurate. The T1 and T7 bridges havent even been installed... I know its because T1/C0 construction begins next year, but still... its a manufacturing of a headline and false.


The incomplete T1 bridge sitting here and not yet crossed over

We've got to create a new system of acknowledging and powerfully completing with our elected officials when their time is up. They've done work for 4/8/12/16 years, but it somewhat goes unnoticed in the furor of moving on to the next person in the cycle... hence all this manufacturing of headlines and rushing of work.



Anyway, onto the K line pictures







Metro is really leaning into the standardization of station design. All the stations use the same LED light strips in the canopies, walls, ceilings. I especially love the clean overhead electrical catenary system in the stations and tunnels where it’s in a rod rather than a free floating wire like at older stations. I also appreciate the use of Medjool Date Palm trees at stations. No other Metro rail line uses these in LA... its a first. I think Medjools are the new Canary Islands. Canary Island Date Palms; although iconic for Southern California, are hella expensive and they have a higher chance of dying here faster. Medjools are more hardy and easier to maintain



On the other front, the Expo line phase 1 stations are looking ragged already... it’s 10 years old and the canopies have maybe 40% of their lights on at the stations, the rest are burnt out. Get on it Metro, these stations were beautifully lit when they opened

Originally Posted by LAsam

Does Westchester/Veterans have any park-and-ride element? Looking at Google Maps and not seeing anything at first glance. On a side note... that station is right next to Three Weavers brewery (which is fantastic)!

I didnt see one when I was down there.

[Illithid Dude]

The new stations are beautiful. I was particularly struck by how the at grade stations now have fair gates. I wonder if there are plans for Metro to add fair gates to the at grade stations on their other light rail lines?

[FromSD]

The fact that the line only goes to Westchester is a shame, but I blame the airport authority for that rather than Metro. LAX waited too long to get started on the people mover. I do blame Metro, however, for the decision to spend $900 million on the interconnect station for the people mover. I cannot understand why this station is costing so much, especially since it’s not even underground. Also, shouldn’t LAX be paying for that station since its only purpose is to serve the airport people mover?

Have they made a decision on the Centinela grade separation yet? If the K line finally opens all the way to the airport, but then then shuts down again for an extended length of time to build the bridge over Centinela, that would go down in the annals of LA Metro screw ups.

Still, it’s always nice to see another light rail line open up.

[craigs]

Wikipedia has a photo from this past August showing the K Line on Crenshaw Blvd. going underground south of Hyde Park:



I know it's controversial, but I could see a lot of new housing along the K Line route in the future.

[LineDrive]

Have a hard time seeing this line as anything meaningful when it’s yet another example of Metro half assing things. The Expo/Crenshaw station should be redone to make a transfer seamless.

[Easy]

Originally Posted by FromSD

The fact that the line only goes to Westchester is a shame, but I blame the airport authority for that rather than Metro. LAX waited too long to get started on the people mover. I do blame Metro, however, for the decision to spend $900 million on the interconnect station for the people mover. I cannot understand why this station is costing so much, especially since it’s not even underground. Also, shouldn’t LAX be paying for that station since its only purpose is to serve the airport people mover?

Have they made a decision on the Centinela grade separation yet? If the K line finally opens all the way to the airport, but then then shuts down again for an extended length of time to build the bridge over Centinela, that would go down in the annals of LA Metro screw ups.

Still, it’s always nice to see another light rail line open up.

I blame metro. The K line opened 2 years late and metro couldn't start construction on the LAX station until the K line was accepted. Had the LAX station construction started even a year earlier, we probably wouldn't be in this situation. They were going to move the K line tracks to allow trains to run during construction but it got too late to happen.

[Easy]

Originally Posted by craigs

I know it's controversial, but I could see a lot of new housing along the K Line route in the future.

It is controversial, but the new law preventing cities from blocking housing near transit and from requiring parking makes it almost a certainty. We're in a period where TOD is happening before lines even open. Lots happening already near the K line and the D line extension and also on the existing E line.

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

It's only controversial because a bunch of morons don't want change and think that any housing or improvements in an area that has a black or brown population is somehow racist and gentrification, as if black and brown people don't also need housing and retail. These are the people holding LA back

[citywatch]

^ the politics in LA...& in urban areas overall....can be mean, harmful, chaotic. Ppl not caring about keeping their cities safe, clean & successful will be the death knell of where they live. Ppl like this, helped by the K line, will be among those who are hurt...

• Video Link

[202_Cyclist]

Whittier, Montebello or Commerce? Metro staff soon to pick how far light-rail route should go from East LA

By Mike Sprague
Whittier Daily News
Nov. 7, 2022


Image courtesy of the Whittier Daily News

"Metro staff on Wednesday, Nov. 9, will announce its position on what should be the locally preferred alternative for a proposed light-rail line from East Los Angeles that could go all the way to Whittier.

But there are alternatives, ranging from no project to a route to Whittier via south on Atlantic Boulevard underground to Commerce, then above ground on Washington Boulevard through Montebello, Pico Rivera and Santa Fe Springs, ending at PIH Health.

Other alternatives include ending at the Citadel in Commerce or at Greenwood Avenue in Montebello..."

https://www.whittierdailynews.com/20...-from-east-la/

[TowerDude]

Wonder if the Sepulveda Train could be extended to Burbank Airport to eventually directly connect it with LAX.

[LAsam]

Originally Posted by TowerDude

Wonder if the Sepulveda Train could be extended to Burbank Airport to eventually directly connect it with LAX.

I doubt it. The subway to NoHo already is much closer to begin with. My guess is that a BRT, or at best a light rail crosses the Valley at some point to connect the subway(s) with BUR.