LOS ANGELES | Transportation News & Discussion

[Quixote]

"Sepulveda doing more studies," according to numble on Twitter. So the Draft EIR won't be done in September, as was reported in January.

Also, the HTA joint venture (for A6) is between HNTB, Terry A. Hayes, and AECOM.


@numble / Twitter

[SoCalKid]

Originally Posted by Quixote

Also, the HTA joint venture (for A6) is between HNTB, Terry A. Hayes, and AECOM.

I'm glad to see a joint venture looking at Alternative 6. That is easily my favorite route, but I think it's important to do this project with a joint venture to accelerate it. Hopefully this works out!

[craigs]

Biden administration awards $39.6M to grade separate L.A. County rail crossings

Most of that money will go toward the Metrolink and Amtrak ROW between L.A. and Glendale

Steven Sharp
Urbanize Los Angeles
June 7, 2023

On June 5, the Federal Railroad Administration announced more than $64.5 million in funding awards which will go toward seven grade separation projects within the State of California. Of that total, roughly $39.6 million is set to go toward projects in Los Angeles County.

"Every year, commuters, residents, and first responders lose valuable time waiting at blocked railroad crossings – and worse, those crossings are too often the site of collisions that could be prevented,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a news release. “As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we’re improving rail crossings in communities across the country to save lives, time, and resources for American families.”
. . . .

[numble]

Originally Posted by SoCalKid

I'm glad to see a joint venture looking at Alternative 6. That is easily my favorite route, but I think it's important to do this project with a joint venture to accelerate it. Hopefully this works out!

This is just a joint-venture to do the planning work. There is no P3 for Alternative 6 and they aren't doing anything to accelerate it.

[Quixote]

^ But will the “planning” involve recommendations with respect to single/twin-bore, automation (or not), frequency, etc.?

[SoCalKid]

Originally Posted by numble

This is just a joint-venture to do the planning work. There is no P3 for Alternative 6 and they aren't doing anything to accelerate it.

Oh noooooo that sucks. Thanks for the info. Is there any world where they select Alternative 6 then invite private sector companies to do a joint venture on that alternative?

[numble]

Originally Posted by Quixote

^ But will the “planning” involve recommendations with respect to single/twin-bore, automation (or not), frequency, etc.?

It's always possible that they diverge from what they told the public that they are studying (but less possible when another team is studying it). They've always said Alternative 6 is driver-operated trains, 4 minute frequencies, and 450 foot station platforms.
https://ceqanet.opr.ca.gov/2021110432

[numble]

Originally Posted by SoCalKid

Oh noooooo that sucks. Thanks for the info. Is there any world where they select Alternative 6 then invite private sector companies to do a joint venture on that alternative?

It's always possible, but it will always be more costly and more time-consuming than the other alternatives. For Alternative 6, after this firm is done, if they want to proceed with it, they would need to bid it out for a contractor to do preliminary engineering, that maybe takes a year or so (just the time to advertise the bid opportunity, discussion with interested bidders, evaluating bidders). They will also need to bid it out for a contractor to build it (or build and operate it as a P3), which is usually a 1.5-2 year process (just the time to advertise the bid opportunity, discussion with interested bidders, evaluating bidders). Finally, they have a baseline design that probably is more expensive since the assumption was driver-operated trains, 450-foot station platforms and presumably dual-bore tunnels.

Alternatives 1-5 already have the preliminary engineering, construction and operation teams ready, because they won the 2-year PDB bid years ago.

[sopas ej]

Oh mah gah I really can't contain my excitement; just seven more days and the regional connector will be open! This will really change things up traveling to and through downtown LA!

I can totally go museum hopping using one rail line; with the now reconfigured E Line, it's only 7 stops from Little Tokyo to Exposition Park, a distance of about 6 miles---a distance that could take upwards of up to 45 minutes when the regional connector didn't exist, because of 2 train transfers and trying to coordinate 3 train schedules. I can go to the museums of Little Tokyo (Japanese American National Mueseum, Geffen Contemporary) and then to Grand Ave./Bunker Hill (The Broad, MOCA), and then to Exposition Park (Natural History Museum, California African American Museum, California Science Center, the-coming-in-2-years Lucas Museum of Narrative Art).

Woo hoo!

• Video Link

[craigs]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

Oh mah gah I really can't contain my excitement; just seven more days and the regional connector will be open! This will really change things up traveling to and through downtown LA!

I can totally go museum hopping using one rail line; with the now reconfigured E Line, it's only 7 stops from Little Tokyo to Exposition Park, a distance of about 6 miles---a distance that could take upwards of up to 45 minutes when the regional connector didn't exist, because of 2 train transfers and trying to coordinate 3 train schedules. I can go to the museums of Little Tokyo (Japanese American National Mueseum, Geffen Contemporary) and then to Grand Ave./Bunker Hill (The Broad, MOCA), and then to Exposition Park (Natural History Museum, California African American Museum, California Science Center, the-coming-in-2-years Lucas Museum of Narrative Art).

Woo hoo!

Yeah, the Regional Connector is a big deal in that it reduces crosstown travel times significantly, and also in that it drastically simplifies the entire system. For only a 2-mile tunnel, the changes to the regional rail system will be dramatic.

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by numble

It's always possible, but it will always be more costly and more time-consuming than the other alternatives. For Alternative 6, after this firm is done, if they want to proceed with it, they would need to bid it out for a contractor to do preliminary engineering, that maybe takes a year or so (just the time to advertise the bid opportunity, discussion with interested bidders, evaluating bidders). They will also need to bid it out for a contractor to build it (or build and operate it as a P3), which is usually a 1.5-2 year process (just the time to advertise the bid opportunity, discussion with interested bidders, evaluating bidders). Finally, they have a baseline design that probably is more expensive since the assumption was driver-operated trains, 450-foot station platforms and presumably dual-bore tunnels.

Alternatives 1-5 already have the preliminary engineering, construction and operation teams ready, because they won the 2-year PDB bid years ago.

IOW, A6 is not likely to be chosen. And if it’s A3 or A4, there’s a good chance the Expo-LAX alignment will be down Sepulveda, a block away from the 405… a huge waste.

Not to mention the monorail option isn’t dead yet.

The things that make the most sense never win out.

[JDRCRASH]

Originally Posted by craigs

Yeah, the Regional Connector is a big deal in that it reduces crosstown travel times significantly, and also in that it drastically simplifies the entire system. For only a 2-mile tunnel, the changes to the regional rail system will be dramatic.

Another thing I think is important based on my own experience riding the trains daily for a few months late last year for work is that it doesn’t require riders to go downstairs to B/D, where conditions were frankly worse compared to A (and especially E). Just the mere fact that commuters from Arcadia and Glendora don’t have to go down there and endure that experience to get to the westside just seems very enticing. I wonder how ridership on D is going to fare until the extension to La Cienega and beyond is finished.

[SoCalKid]

Originally Posted by Quixote

IOW, A6 is not likely to be chosen. And if it’s A3 or A4, there’s a good chance the Expo-LAX alignment will be down Sepulveda, a block away from the 405… a huge waste.

Not to mention the monorail option isn’t dead yet.

The things that make the most sense never win out.

Why do you think there's a good chance A4 would go with the Sepulveda alignment for phase II? A3 almost certainly would given that it's a monorail option.

[SoCalKid]

Originally Posted by numble

It's always possible, but it will always be more costly and more time-consuming than the other alternatives. For Alternative 6, after this firm is done, if they want to proceed with it, they would need to bid it out for a contractor to do preliminary engineering, that maybe takes a year or so (just the time to advertise the bid opportunity, discussion with interested bidders, evaluating bidders). They will also need to bid it out for a contractor to build it (or build and operate it as a P3), which is usually a 1.5-2 year process (just the time to advertise the bid opportunity, discussion with interested bidders, evaluating bidders). Finally, they have a baseline design that probably is more expensive since the assumption was driver-operated trains, 450-foot station platforms and presumably dual-bore tunnels.

Alternatives 1-5 already have the preliminary engineering, construction and operation teams ready, because they won the 2-year PDB bid years ago.

Thanks as always for your excellent insight!

[Quixote]

I don't doubt that 4-car trains running at 90-second frequencies (this is the maximum capacity; they would start with 3-car trains) is enough to meet demand. I'm concerned that it might be insufficient for, say, the week of Thanksgiving or when there's an event at both SoFi and Intuit. Having to wait for "the next train," even if it is just 90 seconds, is an inconvenience to passengers. That along with standing room only is an effective way to dissuade people from riding again. We're trying to get people out of their cars. And we need to build a line that will last for generations. At least make it 5-car trains, or about 360 feet. That's more in line with over rapid transit systems.

I cannot understand why Metro refuses to entertain the idea of elevating and automating the existing heavy rail technology.

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by SoCalKid

Why do you think there's a good chance A4 would go with the Sepulveda alignment for phase II? A3 almost certainly would given that it's a monorail option.

I meant to say A4 or A5.

Because it's the path of least resistance. Much easier to go straight down Sepulveda instead of veering to the west and continuing down Centinela.

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by SFBruin

Yes.

I'm not sure why anyone would do this, being that the area between Wilshire and Hollywood is so dense and urban, but I do think there should be more of a political push to connect the K line to the Purple Line in the near future, just for the sake of having a connected and useable system.

[SoCalKid]

Originally Posted by Quixote

I meant to say A4 or A5.

Because it's the path of least resistance. Much easier to go straight down Sepulveda instead of veering to the west and continuing down Centinela.

Hopefully transit advocates can organize to stop that from happening when the time comes. Going down Sepulveda would be incredibly stupid.

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by SoCalKid

Hopefully transit advocates can organize to stop that from happening when the time comes. Going down Sepulveda would be incredibly stupid.

Is going down Bundy/Centinela to LAX the preferred route? Having a station at Santa Monica/Sawtelle would be quite nice I think.

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by homebucket

Is going down Bundy/Centinela to LAX the preferred route? Having a station at Santa Monica/Sawtelle would be quite nice I think.

The other two heavy rail options that call for automated trains and different technology have the first phase terminating at Expo/Sepulveda.