Greater L.A. Transit Projects

[LosAngelesMetroBoy]

or he thinks its a good idea. either way MOAR RAIL

[pesto]

So far (as far as I know) he has only thought it was a good idea when it DIRECTLY served one of his developments (the Grove, Americana). And he must have some thoughts about building DT (or becoming mayor). So I'm expecting something more.

[LosAngelesMetroBoy]

pesto you and everyone here seems to hate this guy. This guy is lookin to either pour money into downtown or support something that will help people get around downtown. Either way this can only be good for everyone.

[pesto]

I not only do not hate Caruso, I am a huge supporter. I am hopeful that he will be putting some money DT or getting others to do so. There are plenty of parking lots east of St. Vib or east of Hill and Olympic that he could help out.

But I don't associate him with rail (the Glendale "trolley" is really a cute bus and the Grove and American tracks are about 200 yds. long and don't leave his property).

Admitedly, his style is more contrived than I prefer; but with tourism in mind, you may have to have some flexibility. LA Live is contrived, as is the proposed Bway trolley and for sure Grand Ave. But integration of the contrived with the organic is not unusual for cities from SD to Paris.

[LosAngelesMetroBoy]

i think if it went down grand then looped to broadway then back up to grand running in a circle. it would be contrived but other lines can fly off it much like miami metromover.

[pesto]

All the proposals basically go along Grand, along Bway and across South Park to LA Live. A real question for the future: where to extend it. I wouldn't do it yet since we need to see if anyone rides and where the real demand for housing and connection to DT is: out Sunset to Echo Park? Westlake? east of Alameda? south of South Park? North of DT toward Eagle Rock/Glendale? Any of these areas could become feeders for a DT shopping and entertainment area.

Until then DASH and buses good enough.

[LosAngelesMetroBoy]

i think they are also trying to bring back the idea of the red cars, old trollys riding around on downtown streets. Maybe try and get some kind of streetscape character into downtown. Who knows, but i think a good extention would be into chinatown. this is a trolly connecting downtown NOT light rail. kept small and fast and reliable. Kinda like the cable car system in SF if done right (of course without the tourist draw, just the limited system)

[pesto]

I like the Union Station/Chinatown idea as well, with an extension toward Dodger Stadium. As long as I'm running on, a short Angel's Flight kind of traction rail could bridge the last half mile up the hill and across the lots (or you could walk, especially if something pleasant is put across the parking lot in that area (housing, landscaping, restaurants).

But talk is cheap. Let's hope Caruso and pals bring some money too.

[LosAngelesMetroBoy]

i know its a childish dream, but that last part of the hill up to dodger i think should be a chair lift kinda like Disneyland had back when i was but a pup. That would be awsome. But in terms of realism a funicular would be a good option.

[saiholmes]

Originally Posted by THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Updated: Sept. 29, 2010 9:23 a.m.
$184 million rail, bus hub approved
By ERIC CARPENTER
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Published: Sept. 28, 2010

ANAHEIM – Plans for a large transportation hub just east of Angel Stadium that will serve the region's rail, bus and taxi passengers won unanimous approval from the City Council on Tuesday night.

The Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center – commonly called ARTIC – will be built on 16 acres southeast of the 57 freeway and Katella Avenue.

The $184 million-plus center will initially serve Metrolink and Amtrak rail passengers and OCTA bus riders and could eventually be a destination point for high-speed rail that runs between Anaheim and San Francisco and a mag-lev track from Anaheim to Las Vegas.

The 800-mile high-speed rail line is in the design stages and is estimated to cost $43 billion – only a fraction of that money has been secured so far.

ARTIC's futuristic design includes a large, covered archway that will rise above the passenger platforms 189 feet high. The design recalls the look of the aviation hangars at Tustin Marine Corp Air Station but will be constructed of a modern membrane similar to the "Water Cube" made famous at the 2008 Summer Olympics in China.

"ARTIC has been a focus of this council for years and it is profound that we got to this point – especially during these tough economic times," Councilwoman Lorri Galloway said after the meeting.

"It will improve people's lives to have a central transportation hub in Anaheim and we feel that it is something that will grow and grow over time," she added.

The ARTIC site is co-owned by Anaheim and the Orange County Transportation Authority. Anaheim's contribution to the project is the land, estimated at $5 million.

The first phase is expected to cost $183.8 million. That funding will come from a combination of federal, state and local Measure M funds.

Measure M, the county's half-cent sales tax which was renewed in 2006, will provide the bulk of funding at $144 million.

Back in June, an Orange County grand jury released a report critical of how OCTA was allotting some of its funds, including spending so much on ARTIC at the same time that bus routes were being cut.

Will Kempton, OCTA's chief executive officer, defended the project at the time, saying that it will benefit the entire county by providing a hub for nearly every mode of transportation.

And, he said, the allocation formula for Measure M is set so that funds must be spent on such improvement projects.

ARTIC also is expected to connect tourists to Disneyland and other Anaheim Resort destinations by way of fixed guideway or monorail. That project, called Anaheim Rapid Connection, is still being designed.

On Tuesday, the council reviewed the environmental impact report that analyzes how building ARTIC could affect air quality, noise and traffic.

Three speakers addressed the council during the public hearing, all in favor. The city received 29 letters of support, authored by, among others, Disneyland Resort, the Honda Center and the Orange County Bicycle Coalition.

Supporters also said it will help create jobs during troubled economic times.

"If it's approved tonight," said Jim Adams, of the Building Trades Council, "can we start work tomorrow?"

Read More: http://www.ocregister.com/news/anahe...ic-county.html

[manrush]

Would trolleybuses work as well in Long Beach as streetcars?

[saiholmes]

Originally Posted by Long Beach Post

Gerald Desmond Bridge Readies For Replacement Project
by Daniel DeBoom, Long Beach Post
Monday, November 22, 2010

State Senator Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) and Mayor Bob Foster chat in the shadow of the Gerald Desmond Bridge earlier today.

3:40pm | Officials from the Port of Long Beach and local government held a ceremony today to celebrate the future Gerald Desmond Bridge replacement that has been approved and green-lighted.

The state California Transportation Commission approved final funding and building plans for the bridge earlier this month. Construction on the five-year project is expected to begin in 2012. It is expected to generate about 4,000 jobs per year.

“It’s a proud day for the City of Long Beach, the County and the State,” said Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster. “We acted — in time — to replace this aging bridge, and in so doing, we will build a landmark structure that will create jobs now and guarantee a stronger Port and smoother transportation network for the future.”

Port officials estimate that the bridge carries about 15% of the nation's container goods as they enter the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles and are shipped out across the country. The bridge replacement will create wider lanes for normal traffic and an additional emergency lane. In recent years, concerns had grown as concrete pieces had deteriorated and a netting "diaper" had to be installed beneath the bridge.

“The new Gerald Desmond Bridge will reduce congestion, enhance safety and improve traffic flow,” said Caltrans Director Cindy McKim. “By undertaking bold projects like this one, we’re improving mobility and encouraging commerce across California.”

The bridge replacement is a $950 million project, funded by $500 million in state highway transportation funds and $300 million in Federal sources. The Port of Long Beach is pledging $114 million and Los Angeles County Metro is committing $28 million.

Read More: http://www.lbpost.com/news/deboom/10702

[saiholmes]

Originally Posted by Los Angeles Times

Villaraigosa, Boxer press for federal funds for 6th St. Bridge
Los Angeles Times
October 27, 2011 | 1:47 pm

The 6th Street Viaduct, built in 1932, is not likely to collapse in a major earthquake, officials say.

The 6th Street Bridge -– which crosses over the 101 Freeway and the Los Angeles River near downtown -– is not likely to immediately collapse, but officials offered a grim portrait of its structural integrity Thursday morning, saying it has an incurable “cancer” eating away at supports and that it likely could not survive an earthquake.

“It has fallen into major disrepair over the years,” Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said at a news conference near the bridge. “We know that this bridge is at risk if we have a major earthquake,” she said.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa stressed that the bridge is still safe for traffic and that “engineers would have closed it down if it wasn’t safe enough.”

He and Boxer used the news conference to urge leaders there to act quickly to pass measures increasing spending for transportation infrastructure.
“We know where the common ground is,” Villaraigosa said about squabbles between Democrats and Republicans, “and that’s putting people to work.”

Built in 1932, the bridge stretches approximately 3,300 feet and shows clear signs of disrepair. Its walls are peeling paint and cracks can be seen on the supports and deck.

Los Angeles City Engineer Gary Lee Moore said the reason the bridge has become structurally deficient is that rocks originally used to build the structure were imported from Santa Barbara and contained silica, which mixed poorly with alkali in the concrete. That mix forms a gel, Moore said, allowing water to seep in and expand, causing the concrete to crumble.

Crews have used a special grout to fill some of the cracks over the years, but Moore said “there’s no way to ever stop this” and that the bridge needed to eventually be replaced.

Officials plan to replace the bridge at a cost of $401 million, made up mostly of money committed from the Federal Highway Bridge Program. Those plans are still in initial phases but current timelines show new bridge construction will begin sometime in 2015.

But funding for the bridge could be at risk depending on what type of transportation infrastructure spending is approved -– or not approved –- in the near future in Washington.

-- Ari Bloomekatz

Read More: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lano...ion-money.html

[saiholmes]

Originally Posted by San Gabriel Valley Tribune

$336.6 million allocated for San Gabriel rail project
By Brian Day, Staff Writer
San Gabriel Valley Tribune
Posted: 10/27/2011 02:11:40 PM PDT

SAN GABRIEL - The California Transportation Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to allocate more than $336 million to build a 1.4-mile railroad trench and roadway bridges here as part of the Alameda Corridor-East rail project.

The San Gabriel project is the largest single highway-railroad grade endeavor in the ACE plan, ACE officials said in a written statement. Other local officials said the project will create thousands of jobs - good news for a county in which the unemployment rate is 12.4 percent.

The project will drop railroad tracks into a trench below street level, and build bridges allowing traffic to move freely above the tracks at four streets.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, who is also vice chair of Metro, applauded the vote.

"Constructing the San Gabriel trench will create thousands of new jobs, relieve congestion, reduce air pollution caused by idling cars blocked by trains at grade crossings and improve the quality of life for our San Gabriel Valley residents," he said.

"Naturally, we're pleased and excited and looking forward to getting going," said ACE CEO Rick Richmond.

While the agency was confident the funds would be allocated, Richmond said the time frame was unclear until Wednesday's vote.

ACE can now begin the process of soliciting bids for the work, he said.

"We'll be starting a (contractor) pre-qualification process by the end of the week," Richmond said.

ACE hopes to award a bid to a contractor by next spring, kicking off three and a half years of construction, officials said.

"We've had strong support with our local officials, and our our state and federal delegations," Richmond said. "We're so glad it's translated into real progress."

As part of the project, bridges over the trench will be built at Ramona Street, Mission Road, Del Mar Avenue and San Gabriel Boulevard, officials said.

"The streets carry an average daily traffic total of 89,740 vehicles, intermittently blocked by the passage of 14 daily Union Pacific Railroad freight trains and six weekly Amtrak passenger trains," the statement said.

In addition to speeding up traffic, "The project will reduce emissions, including greenhouse gases, by eliminating vehicle idling when train gates are down," according to the ACE statement.

"I'm so excited that this has taken place," said San Gabriel Mayor David Gutierrez, who also sits on the ACE Board of Directors. "The stumbling block has always been the funding."

The funds were raised through the sale of state bonds, authorized by Proposition 1B of 2006, officials said.

"I was, to say the least, very excited that the bond sale went so well a couple weeks ago, and that the California CTC released all those funds," Gutierrez said.

ACE had been considering taking out loans to get the early stages of the project moving forward, Gutierrez said, but with Wednesday's allocation, that won't be necessary.

"In the city of San Gabriel, this is much needed, both from a safety standpoint and a circulation standpoint," he said.

While Gutierrez said there may be some short-term inconveniences during the construction, the project will benefit San Gabriel in the long run.

Like Antonovich, ACE Board of Directors Chairman and Industry City Councilman Tim Spohn said the project will create thousands of jobs.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, said he is "delighted" by the allocation.

"This vital effort will boost economic activity by bringing jobs to our region, while increasing mobility, enhancing safety and reducing noise impacts on homes in our communities," he said.

Twenty grade separation projects are planned through ACE, though more may be added. The price tag of the entire project, affecting 70 miles of railways in eastern Los Angeles County, is expected to surpass $1.5 billion.

Read More: http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_19207817

[pesto]

Originally Posted by saiholmes

Read More: http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_19207817

This is good news, but I never thought of it as seriously in doubt. The trenching is the most important part of the Alameda projects both for the carriers and the local cities. This really is a project that creates add-on jobs at the port and all along the line; adds efficiency and value to the national infrastructure; and speeds traffic in LA.

[mikehussy]

its trolly information is true.

[slipperydog]

LA has sent out an RFP for a city-wide car-sharing program

http://la.curbed.com/archives/2012/0...ng_program.php

[pesto]

Glendale is probably close enough to DT, Pasadena, Universal and Burbank that light-rail would work (all within 5 miles). Conversely, it's hard to picture metrolink connecting these cities.

I'm not sure what you mean by metrolink "connections". I suppose Metrolink should focus on a few stops and adequate bus or LRT connections from them, but not more stations.

[klamedia]

The dream line Yellow line would connect Downtown with Glendale and Burbank.
http://transittalk.proboards.com/ind...lay&thread=787

[pesto]

Originally Posted by klamedia

The dream line Yellow line would connect Downtown with Glendale and Burbank.
http://transittalk.proboards.com/ind...lay&thread=787

Yes, but not the others. And the Glendale station is miles from anywhere. A LRT station would presumably have several stops along Brand and Colorado.