You can make it happen. You’re already taking the first step by seeking more information about traffic congestion and what can be done about it. You now know that Metro has a plan to handle the county’s mobility needs today through the year 2030.
The Draft Long Range Transportation Plan prioritizes dozens of new highway and public transit projects in virtually every corner of Los Angeles County. Freeway gap closures, construction of carpool lanes, interchange improvements and truck lanes would complement new public transit projects including busways, freeway express service, and rail lines to handle the county’s population and job growth through the year 2030.Metro welcomes your input on this plan and any ideas you have for achieving the goal of hassle-free mobility. Community meetings are held frequently and you can even chat on the Internet with Metro Board Chair Pam O’Connor. Look to metro.net/imagine for more information about Pam’s monthly live chats.
Metro wants to know what you imagine. Tell us what you think of LA County’s transportation future by clicking the COMMENTS link below.
205 comments:
1 – 200 of 205 Newer› Newest»I live in Long Beach and imagine NEW trains on the blue line
Good afternoon. I live in the city of Castaic (near Valencia in the Santa Clarita Valley). I've live in northern LA County for 12 years and the city/area has grown at an incredible rate. Unfortunately, the road infrastructure hasn't.
There is only the 5 freeways and the Old Road out of my area south (Magic Mountain and the Pritchess Detention Center obstruct both sides of these roads).
If there were a natural disaster which disabled the freeway (as was the case with an earthquake), this area would be paralyzed.
Why aren't there more north/south freeway or high-capacity roads being built in my community? Trying to drive south through the valley or into Los Angeles is unbearable and one accident often ruins EVERYONE'S commute.
I love Metro but there's no rail to the Westside. I know the Expo Line is being built, but when can we expect to see a subway to the sea.
I also live in Santa Clarita Valley. Contrary to popular view, suburbia isn't the utopia many make it out to be. Unless there's a better system of mobility to reach the greater Los Angeles. Perhaps I've been spoiled by living in the city most of my life.
If we are serious about the future of our city then we have to put aside our own interests and move toward a better planned, better linked system of public transportation system. Even if that means pissing off the rich people.
The future is the network... of public transportation. And better designed homes. (What's with this fake victorian crap!)
I Imagine being able to conveniently take the train to work. Right now they are building the line that would make that possible.
I when I am not in school I live in San Dimas and I really wish the Gold Line reached us so that I could take it to work or just to downtown Pasadena. During the school year I am at UCLA and it would nice if there were light rail systems in the area.
How is metro promoting public involvement besides the imagine website? I think metro should increase their television, billboard, and periodical presence and really hype the "where we could be" scenario. After all residents need to be lured into approving a half cent sales tax. Also continuing to add content to the imagine website will keep our transportation problems and solutions alive in the minds of Los Angeles residents.
i live in pomona i would really want to see the gold line built so i wulnt have to go thru traffic or pay the parking places in downtown los angeles i would also like to see a light rail that goes thru dodger stadium and has a stop dring games or event's
I imagine grade-separated rail to the Ontario airport on the Gold Line Foothill extension, and light rail following the 60 freeway through the San Gabriel Valley from downtown LA, continuing from the Gold Line Eastside Extension. Most of all, I imagine being able to commute from my home in the San Gabriel Valley to West LA using public transit without having to take a 2.5 hour trip.
More train service is both needed and desired.
The "low hanging fruit" is to make more frequent trains on Metrolink, bringing the service up to "rapid transit" frequencies, with trains throughout the day. This is the least inexpensive way to get more service running the fastest. If more money were available, some of the Metrolink lines should be electrified and run off solar and wind power. Probably the most popular line should have the done.
There are some places were subway is required due to urban density. LA is just as dense as New York or Chicago IN CERTAIN AREAS. Those areas include Wilshire Blvd. and parts of the San Fernando Valley. The Subway to the Sea, a subway under Ventura Blvd., and subway under the Van Nuys Blvd. and the 405, through the Sepulveda pass, should be built. That would mean 4 total subway lines in L.A. County.
Light rail could fill in some of the other areas, but grade crossings should be separated as much as can be afforded to keep auto traffic moving.
L.A. has a perfect fit with rail transit, because L.A. was BUILT by rail transit. L.A. is not too spread out for rail transit, L.A. is spread out BECAUSE of rail transit. Rail is a good fit here.
Anyone who does not believe me should look into the history of the Pacific Electric Railway and the Los Angeles Railway.
Purple line extension to Santa Monica.
Downtown Regional Connector.
There are no two ways about it. These are the two most important projects that need to be started right now.
I live in the San Gabriel Valley and commute to work every day. When I first started working, my commute to the westside would take around two hours, now it only takes an hour and a half. I can see the improvements in our transportation problem and hope that there are many more to come.
Why do I commute instead of live in LA? Simple, parking is horrendous and expensive in downtown, so I'd only be willing to live there with a good subway system. LA has a terrific bus system, but is congested with everyone else on the roads, making the subway the only solution. The light rail lines are terrific for pseudo commuter trains, but I'd like to see downtown LA, Hollywood, South LA and the Westside filled subway lines.
As for the immediate future, it seems like with the opening of LA Live at the end of this year an additional station on the blue line at olympic could go a long way to further developing the South Park district, even with the stops at Pico and 7th St. It is already a very active neighborhood with a lot of foot congestion at times and is an area where an extra station would benefit it.
Lastly, if the rail system could run for longer hours. Maybe 24 hours. I could take the rail to old town pasadena, but don't because I'd have to leave at 12:15 to catch a train back. The bars don't close until 2. I feel the same way with the Hollywood stations
I LOVE the Metro Rail system, and use it as often as I can, especially the Red Line. I also tell others to "sample" the Red Line if they're going to Hollywood or Downtown. The more people that use the system, the better.
Aside from the necessary "Subway to the Sea," I would LOVE a light rail line (if not heavy rail) through the Sepulveda Pass. Also, please consider a light rail/transitway connector between the North Hollywood station and one of the Pasadena Gold Line Stations. This would allow for one continuous east-west line across the Valley.
We really need to extend the purple line to santa monica. the worst traffic and congestion is on the west side. I have been known to sit on the 720 in rush hour from sm to downtown la for over 2 hours. It is not fun. A subway to the sea would help this immensely. Is this ever going to materialize??
The green line on the 105 is great because you avoid imminent domain issues. Can someone explain to me why there isn't more light plans along our other freeways?
My name is Myron Chai. I live in the South Bay and I imagine a LAX Express Line from Union Station, 7th St./Metro Center, LAX Terminals and all the way to Santa Monica. I also Imagine a light rail between Long Beach Transit Mall to LAX via Pacific Coast Highway/Sepulveda. I live near Sepulveda and there are lots of traffic during rush hour!
I live in the city of Alhambra and imagine light rails goes along all the major streets. Just like the light rails at the downtown area about 100 years ago.
I can imagine ligh rails runs along the 10 freeways and have good connections / shuttle buses that can take me to anywhere.
I imagine Los Angeles County having the political will and bravery to stop TALKING about a subway to the sea and start BUILDING a subway to the sea. Yes, it will be expensive. Yes, it will be hard to live through construction. But a subway down Wilshire, all the way to Santa Monica, will be the backbone of our rail system. And it will, from day one of being open, take cars off the Santa Monica freeway and relieve the HORRENDOUS traffic that is strangline the westside. Stops in BevHills, Century City will also allow many workers to commute to work on transit and take many many cars off the road.
Stop haggling....it's getting more expensive by the minute and it's time to get the job done.
I imagine...
-A Purple Line extension/Subway to the Sea, ASAP.
-Vermont (Red Line) subway extended south from Wilshire to Expo, included in Phase 2 though it should be moved up to phase 1.
-Crenshaw light rail, extending north to Hollywood or at least Wilshire/La Brea via grade separated tunnel. Built concurrently with Purple Line to reduce cost. Extends southward to an LAX transit center somewhere between Century/Aviation and Century/Sepulveda, with a connection to the Green Line and an LAX "air train".
-Green Line extension north from Aviation to Santa Monica via LAX transit center and Lincoln.
-Green Line extension east from 605 to Norwalk Metrolink.
-Green Line west/south of Aviation redesignated Sepulveda Line, extended north, sharing tracks with Green Line to Sepulveda/LAX hub. Extends north via Sepulveda to Westwood, the Valley, ending at Van Nuys Metrolink.
-Sepulveda line extended south from Redondo beach terminus to PCH transit Center via Hawthorne, Sepulveda and Vermont, then east along PCH to Blue Line station
-Fully underground downtown connector, surfacing at 1st/Alameda to connect with Gold Line.
-"Yellow Line" light rail completed as part of the Blue Line, north from union station (via Downtown Connector) to North Hollywood via Glendale and Burbank.
-Expo Line extended east to Union Station via downtown connector, then east to Alhambra via "Silver Line" right of way.
-"Silver Line", originating at either Downtown financial district or union station, west along Sunset to Santa Monica blvd., west on Santa Monica to Vermont. Then, if mechanically possible, sharing track with existing Red Line subway to Hollywood/Highland. West via La Brea/Sunset to Fairfax, south to Venice, connecting with Expo Line then southwest to Venice Beach.
-As much separation from auto traffic as is feasible.
-The construction of a good system, even if it takes longer to complete.
-Better bus stops.
-Better inter-agency coordination.
I DON'T imagine...
-Red line extensions north of North Hollywood, at least for the time being.
-Excessive freeway widening.
-Santa Ana Maglev (seriously, who comes up with this stuff?)
I imagine a Rapid Line (NOT an express bus that only has two stops) that starts in Long Beach and parallels the 605. Along the way it unites Long Beach City College, Cal State Long Beach, Cerritos College, Norwalk Station, Whittier College, Rio Hondo College, the El Monte transporatation stations, all the way through to Citrus College. I imagine that it's called MTA's Higher Education Line and that it closes two loops with the existing rail lines. Please remember that not everyone who commutes in the L.A. area goes to downtown L.A. Some of us are choking in the traffic and congestion of the 605 and other freeways that don't go to downtown.
I imagine that I'm not the only one who feels this way.
We need metro line extension to UCLA and Santa Monica.
I imagine stations at popular destinations. I can't stand the fact there's not a Hollywood Bowl stop -not one a very long uphill walk away (especially when carrying coolers). Also a station should be right at the base of Nokia Theater- Staples, not blocks away and at Dodger Stadium - sites of aggrevating traffic tieups.
i imagine the silver line serving the central san gabriel valley. alhmbra, san gabriel, temple city, and rosemead. we are 4 miles from a gold line [extension or original] and metro link service is not frequint enough.
our ROW is there, most of our grade separations already exist. and we have miles and miles of dense multi-family, multi-income housing along the ROW.
so i imagine a day when i can hop on the train to downtown or beyond, and not have to wait in a bus traveling for an hour on congested streets, waiting an hour for the bus that takes the congested carpool lane. or driving myself half my commute to a train line in a far off city.
I currently use Metro on weekend trips whenever it's practical. Most often I take the gold line from sierra madre villa station to other stops between pasadena & union station, and occasionally I transfer to the red line for longer trips. I love the convenient service on the existing portions of the Metro Rail system.
I'd like to see LACMTA work on obtaining funding for the gold line foothill expansion. I live in Temple city and work in Claremont, so if/when the phase II (montclair) extension is built, I would probably be riding it every day to work (taking either the bus or a bike to get to either the Sierra Madre Villa station or the future Santa Anita station).
The silver line proposal looks interesting (although less useful to me personally). Given the headstart that the gold line has (on environmental impact studies and right-of-way) I'd finish it first, but the eastern half of the county could certainly use as much light rail as it can get. (We can't keep cramming more cars onto I-10, I-210, and CA-60.)
Given the huge differences in cost between light rail and the subway system, I'd like to see LACMTA focus on completing more of its light rail projects. (The expo line looks like it will be great.)
I imagine a more frequent, fast, and late running rail service connecting Los Angeles to Orange County. Metrolink seems to only cater to the 9 to 5 commuters while Amtrak is usually for the long distance travelers.
What about a service for the people who just want to hang out? Many OC people (including myself) like/want to hang out in LA more (I know this...there's practically nothing to do out there), but the drive and the parking are just not worth it sometimes.
I believe this Imagination would encourage the idea of adopting public transportation for regular, anyday use instead of HAVING to take it for work or a vaca to Norcal. Also, a great way to attract non-Angelenos!
I’ve just looked at the draft Long Rage Transportation Plan and the high-density areas of of West Hollywood, western Hollywood, the Santa Monica Blvd. corridor, the Beverly Center area, La Cienega and Fairfax Blvs. are not mentioned anywhere, and the countless people who snake through passes and canyons between the Valley and the Westside are given no public transit alternative, even in the "unfunded" portion of the plan. I find that astonishing, or maybe the better word is "appalling".
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Here is a letter I sent to the MTA after reviewing the draft plan.
Dear MTA,
Thank you for releasing today the draft of MTA’s Long Range Transportation Plan for comment.
The greatest public transit priority the MTA is facing is completing the Purple Line out to Santa Monica via Century City and I congratulate and celebrate it’s inclusion in the draft plan.
Unfortunately, there are two major things missing from draft plan.
1) The City of West Hollywood and a potential heavy or light rail alignment on Santa Monica Blvd. isn’t mentioned anywhere (or even a rush hour bus-only lane). This is inconceivable to me after their was great support shown in the scoping meetings for a Santa Monica Blvd. alignment or two alignments on the westside (Santa Monica Blvd. and Wilshire Blvd.) Jody Litvak, of the MTA, even expressed in City Beat that the MTA was surprised at how much support was expressed for a Santa Monica Blvd. alignment. This alignment would provide a valuable alternative to getting to/from Hollywood and the Westside, and if Alternative #9 is chosen, to/from the Valley to/from the Westside.
2) Also missing is any mention of a line from LAX north/south to Van Nuys Metrolink in the Valley. Not everyone travels to/from downtown and the countless people who snake through passes/canyons each day desperately need alternatives.
Alternative #9 in the Westside Transit Cooridor extension project would offer an alternative for travel from the East Valley to the Westside, and a Sepulveda based extension of the Green Line from LAX to Metrolink would offer a viable alternative for travel from the West Valley and the Westside.
Please revise your draft plan to include these two projects.
------------------------
But what do I imagine?
I imagine the Downtown Regional Connector built and the Purple Line extended all the way to Santa Monica via Century City and LAX connected to downtown in a one-seat ride. These three things are our highest public transit priorities.
I also imagine the "Pink Line" built between North Hollywood and Century City through West Hollywood and Hollywood via Santa Monica Blvd. (but not via the lesser corridor of Sunset).
I also imagine a Sepulveda LRT line between LAX and Metrolink in the Valley.
I also imagine the Red Line being extended to the Burbank Airport Metrolink Station.
I also imagine a LAX Transit Center as a "Union Station West", connecting a full service bus terminal, a people mover to the LAX terminals, and platforms for the Green Line, Crenshaw LRT, Sepulveda LRT and Lincoln LRT and maybe even Metrolink connector from Union Station.
I also imagine the Orange Line being turned into light-rail and being extended from Metrolink into the northwest valley and through
Burbank/Glendale/Pasadena to the Gold Line.
I also imagine six bus-only lanes -- on Wilshire, Santa Monica, Vermont, Western, Pico and Ventura Blvds.
I also imagine the Pink Line once built extended via Santa Monica Blvd. from Century City to Sunset Junction and then be extended down Sunset to Union Station.
I also imagine a Ventura Blvd. subway between Universal City and Warner Center.
I also imagine ever-increasing rapid and local bus service.
Of the already planned projects, I also imagine and assume that the Expo Line will be completed to Santa Monica through Cheviot Hills, the Crenshaw Line will go to LAX, the Gold Line will be completed to Montclair on the northern leg and Whittier on the southern leg, and the Green Line will be extended to LAX, South
Bay Galleria and Santa Fe Springs Metorlink.
Thank you for imagining with me.
Now please help bring these things roughly in the order in which I've named them.
Thanks!
Dan Wentzel
The top two priorities should be:
* Extension of the purple line to Santa Monica: there isn’t a single project that would have more of an impact on changing transportation in Los Angeles than this. The density and demand for a subway line are there. (Buses do not cut it here. Traffic congestion means that bus service, even so-called bus rapid transit will still be significantly slower than travel by private motor vehicle. Without a time or convenience savings, few drivers will make the switch to public transit. Furthermore, many riders who eschew buses gladly take to the rails. Indeed, this difference, the comparative advantage of rail over bus in attracting riders, is, considering the demographics of the area as well as the number of tourists it receives, likely to be especially pronounced along the path of a future purple line extension.)
* Downtown connector: transfers between lines downtown are unnecessarily roundabout. Simplifying transfers and adding another downtown line would both increase ridership and invigorate the downtown.
Other improvements I imagine:
* A LAX-rail connection: the absence of a rail connection to the airport means that Metro is forgoing thousands, if not millions, of trips annually. First impressions are important, and if visitors to the city do not see a way to depart from airport with public transit, they will not ride it later during their stay. Once a car is rented, Metro has lost that passenger for good.
* Better bus stop signage: bus stop signs are inadequate. They are difficult to see from a distance. They provide little information. At a very minimum, all stops should display a large bus sign and an information sheet listing departure times, all succeeding stops on the route, the estimated number of minutes to each succeeding stop, and transfers at each stop to other Metro lines. Larger bus stops (those with shelters) should additionally provide street maps with Metro lines plotted on them. This suggestion would greatly increase the usability of the system and could be implemented at very low cost. Metro need and should not design these materials itself. Other transit agencies, such as those in Los Angeles’ sister city, Berlin (BVG and VBB), have done a wonderful job in this regard. Rather than reinvent the wheel, Metro should wholesale lift the design used by BVG and VBB and, possibly, consider hiring away personnel from those agencies.
* Better bus design: Metro’s new buses, though low-floor, are still far too inaccessible for handicapped persons, parents with strollers, and travelers with suitcases and bulky items. Modern European buses do not suffer from these design defects. Metro should examine these and stipulate that all new buses are built to permit disabled and encumbered passengers unassisted, speedy ingress and egress.
* Signal priority for public transit vehicles.
* Rationalization of bus routes: the grid plied by the buses in Los Angeles bears little relationship to the actual routes that riders take. The route system should be reexamined top-to-bottom (Fahrplanwechsel), to realign service provision with demand. The result will be a win-win-win: by rationalizing bus routes, Metro will be able to increase ridership, save time, and cut costs.
* More bicycle paths and lanes: the weather and topography are perfect for widespread biking, but traffic and the lack of provisions for cycling make it an unpleasant, dangerous proposition. At the very least, Metro should implement a network of dedicated bicycle paths along routes downtown and the west side. To foster more bicycle use, these need to be attractive and safe, which means grade separation and off-street placement (between sidewalks and parked cars.)
I imagine subway lines under the following streets from downtown to Santa Monica: Pico Blvd, Olympic Blvd, Wilshire Blvd, 3rd St., Beverly Blvd., Melrose Ave., Santa Monica Blvd.
From north to south, subway lines are needed under: Western Ave, Normandie Ave, Vermont Ave, Highland Blvd, La Brea Ave, Fairfax Ave, La Cienega Blvd, Robertson Blvd.
In essence, a criss-crossing subway system is needed in L.A., just as in other cities I've lived in/visited such as Madrid, Mexico City, Santiago de Chile, Paris, London, New York.
No light rails or buses are desired unless they're on their own right-of-way.
Hi Metro folks, here is what I imagine, priority ordered:
(1) More frequent and longer service on Metrolink routes,
(2) A faster gold line light rail train service,
(3) A subway to Santa Monica along Wilshire Blvd,
(4) A real LAX airport train station for the Green line and "Crenshaw" line mentioned in point (7)
(5) A subway from Hollywood to Santa Monica along Santa Monica Blvd into the Wilshire Blvd alignment mentioned in point (3),
(6) A regional connector in downtown LA so that in one train I could go from Pasadena to Long Beach, and in one train from East LA to the Westside via Culver City,
(7) A "Crenshaw" line light rail train which connects LAX and Burbank airport by using an alignment north of the Expo line along La Brea Blvd or Fairfax Blvd,
(8) The political will and persuasiveness to implement all this.
Thanks!
Denis
I imagine the LA of the future with more train stations and less gas stations.
Why not better integrate Metro subway/light rail and Metrolink?
It's nuts that both rail systems use entirely different maps, timetables, and fare structures! This complexity adds barriers to transfers between the Metro and Metrolink. As a result, the network effect of public transit is diminished, and both systems may be passing up large numbers of riders.
At the very least, Metro should add all local Metrolink stations to its subway/rail/busway map. To determine local, simply draw a ring around the terminuses of the existing Metro lines (Warner Center, North Hollywood, Sierra Madre Villa, El Monte, Norwalk, Long Beach, South Bay.) All Metrolink stations that fall within this radius should be added to the Metro rail/busway map. (Arrows could be used for the continuation of the lines at map edges.)
i would like to see a light rail that goes to carson the home depot stadium during games also a stop in dodger stadium would be nice for reduction on traffic during games
I live in Playa Del Rey
Let's imagine a train that actually makes it to the airport rather than just short of it.
Let's imagine a train that travels north/south to relieve traffic on the south bay curve.
Let's imagine high speed trains between major cities from San Diego to LA to SF and Sacramento. At least let's imagine trains between LA's major airports!
Let's imagine more effective bus service that connects major centers on bus only lanes and expressways with knowledgeable and FRIENDLY bus drivers.
Let's iamgine a single integrated fare system that makes sense between municipalities like shared swipe cards that deduct from user accounts which would speed boarding and fare collection.
Let's imagine safer and better bikeways, bike lanes, more secure bike lockers and buses that can carry more than two bikes so that biking is a reasonable alternative rather than recreation.
Let's kill the idea that carpool lanes on the 110, built with tax dollars, should be converted to "congestion pricing" tollways only for those who can afford to pay the tolls.
Let's imagine alternative work schedules with 4-day work weeks to reduce the number of commute trips per week thus reducing pollution while distributing rush hour traffic over more hours in the day to utilize roads and buses more effectively. (Bush would love it if we spent our extra day off spending more money too.) Ok Metro can't do this, but why aren't we talking about this?
I grew up in London where there is an efficient subway system which covers most of the city. Over the thirty five years I have lived in L.A. freeway traffic and surface street traffic have worsened. I recently moved to the Eastern end of Hollywood. My freeway drive to Redondo Beach was a one hour ordeal so I decided to try a combination of the Red Line and the 444 bus. That was preferable to driving but still used the slow traffic-clogged roadways. A combination of the Red,
Blue and Green Lines is the most efficient and proves to me that the solution to L.A. transport problems can be found in rail transport - probably a combination of light rail and subways with a preference for subways.
There should be a North-South and East-West grid.
There are some simple immediate improvements that could be made. Add a few trains to the Red Line so that trains come more frequently than once every ten minutes. Don't implement a turn-style system but either add more inspectors or increase the fines for traveling without a ticket. On the occasions that I have been asked for my ticket, there have been no scoff-laws in the carriage. Everyone had paid!
I would like to see the Green Line extended to LAX ( the Piccadilly line was extended to Heathrow airport in London- it can be done!)
Currently on its Western terminus the Green Line ends in the middle of nowhere. Maybe it could follow the existing rail line at least to the South Bay Galleria and then maybe on to San Pedro.
Money of course is the problem. Perhaps a quarter could be added to the price of a gallon of gas.
Nick Wolf
3/25/08
If I'm REALLY daring myself to dream big, I would love to see a Sepulveda LRT from LAX to Van Nuys Metrolink, and the "Pink Line", a Santa Monica Blvd. alignment from Hollywood/Highland to La Brea/Santa Monica then west on Santa Monica to San Vicente, then heading to Century City on one leg and south on La Cienega all the way to the Airport on the other.
I'd also extend Metrolink for a one-seat ride to LAX, and a create Lincoln LRT.
Now, Imagine this, and this is the BIG part.
"BRADLEY STATION"
A sort of "Union Station West", where Metrolink connects to the Green Line, the Crenshaw LRT, the Sepulveda LRT, the Pink Line La Cienega extension, the Lincoln LRT, a major bus terminal and an Air Train people mover around the LAX terminal.
Now THAT'S imagining big. :)
I think the MTA plan is great and all of the ideas should be funded (somehow?) - but I also think there should be even more. I imagine more grade-separated rail (or BRT in some rare situations) making it possible for most people to live in LA without the need of a car. We had 1000 mils of light rail before (although it was not grade-separated) - we should bring it back! Thanks Metro.
I live in Burbank and bike to the North Hollywood station (2 miles) to go Metro and this is what I imagine.....
*There being a subway system between North Hollywood station to the Westside (possibly ending at LAX? but also connecting with the extension of the purple line)
*Subway to the Sea...this is the most important project of them all. I do live in the Valley and even I would feel the major impact of this long awaited project. We need more subway building in Los Angeles even if it is more expensive. The Red Line is the most used train because people love to take trains. It is pretty exciting and I know people would love to take more trains when and if possible.
*Extending the Green Line to LAX
This is an obvious one. There are over 30 million tourists to LA and someone already mentioned that as soon as you lose a tourist the first time, you will lose them again. This project doesn't seem costly and quite frankly should have been done a long time ago.
*Extending the Red Line from North Hollywood station to Burbank Airport. The distance from these two stations is very little (about 3 miles) and the cost doesn't run into the billions. Just one more stop to Burbank Airport station where there is a Metrolink station and more people would take Metro.
*Building a subway between North
Hollywood that goes through Burbank, Glendale, Eagle Rock, Highland Park, and Pasadena.
My sister currently takes the Red Line to Hollywood/Western to take the 780 that takes her to Pasadena Community College on Colorado. It would take her about the same amount of time taking the red line to the gold line exit at allen. Why does it take her over an hour an a half to go from North Hollywood to
Pasadena? Because she rides Metro. And she still does..But if she had a car, she would gladly drive and it would only take about 15-20 minutes!
* More projects similar to the Orange Line Transitway. On San Fernando Rd. in the valley that goes from Burbank to San Fernando there is PLENTY OF SPACE to building something similar and it would definitely be an immediate success because of the dense neighborhoods it goes through (Burbank, Sun Valley, Pacoima, San Fernando). This project should definitely be a priority as it doesn't cost much or use to many resources. This would greatly increase mobility in the Valley and reduce traffic immensely.
*And last but not least, make the
Red Line 24 hours during THE WEEKEND. Someone else mentioned about having trains run 24 hours.
I'm not too sure about that as I don't think there is enough ridership to merit that although I would never be against such an idea. Strolling around Hollywood Blvd. on a Saturday day (10pm) can be a frightening thing. Not because of the homeless but because there are more cars than people on the streets. Everyone is obviously going to some destination that serves alcohol and then where will they go when it hits 2am? They will have to DRIVE home knowing all too well that they have drank that night. We can make our streets a lot safer if we could just make minor changes such as this one to our system and in the end will increase ridership.
I image Metro being responsible and accountable. Before Metro spends $15 billion adding even more capacity to our freeways and arterials, they should shell out the dough necessary to fix the decaying pavement on the streets we already have. After all, it's their buses that are doing most of the damage and costing the average motorist $778 per year in added maintenance.
I imagine a Metro that doesn't throw good money after bad. We need to manage the capacity we have with intelligent programs like congestion pricing, and turning existing lanes into HOV lanes. Then use the net savings to fund more mass transit and bikeways. Adding highway capacity ad nauseam may be good for encouraging fuel consumption and sprawl, but it has never managed to reduce congestion. Take the $13.7B on page 30 and put it to better use. Tell the Inland Empire developers that we're tired of picking up the tab for their sprawl.
I imagine a county where pedestrians, cyclists, rollerbladers, horse riders, etc...have equal rights on the road as cars. Metro can support this goal by putting more resources into bike/ped projects than the less than 1% currently allocated.
Long range plans are just fine for what they are, but what I really fantasize about is extensive improvement in existing services: Adjusting bus routes and schedules to minimize tardiness and maximize directness would be a major step in the right direction.
I work in Glendale and live in Burbank. Today I finished work at 3:30 and waited for the 92 bus. It arrived a half-hour late (it runs all too frequently behind schedule by at least 15 minutes), as a result of which I missed my connecting bus in downtown Burbank, and was forced to wait for another. I finally arrived home at 5:00 PM - if I drove (which I do not), I could have made it in under 20 minutes!
Something is wrong with this picture - with service like this it's not hard to understand why more commuters don't use public transit.
Finally, consider: LA's fares are significantly lower than transit fares in other major metropolitan areas, and it appears that they are being kept artificially low at the behest of the likes of the Bus Riders Union. I say, ignore the obnoxious advocacy groups who bang their spoons on their highchairs everytime changes are proposed to fares or services, and charge what NEEDS to be charged in order to maintain a high standard of service.
I imagine light rail and rapid buses full of passengers, cruising at 35 mph down the centers of all our gigantic crosstown East West and North South boulevards. I imagine green tree-lined medians and bike paths. I imagine a bus stop every half mile to mile, and vehicles coming every 10 minutes, so we can stop getting in our cars to go shopping, get to work, visit friends. I imagine Red Line subways zipping back and forth from Downtown LA to Santa Monica Pier. I imagine four and five-story mixed-use buildings along the boulevards, condos on the top, shops at ground level, garages underground. I imagine people actually walking along the sidewalks, because they don't have to drive everywhere. I imagine parking lots turned into piazzas with benches and fountains and trees. Am I asking too much? Only if we don't have imagination and we refuse to ever pay higher taxes.
We can't forget about Inglewood...there needs to be some rail system (A) going through Inglewood, perhaps a line branching from the Blue Line utilizing the old rail tracks along Slauson Ave that passes through Hyde Park and then into Inglewood; I can imagine a station at Centinela Park! Also, the Inglewood Civic Center wouldn't be too far from a station at Florence/La Brea, and the line would travel down to LAX at Century/Aviation. At that intersection, there would be a connection to another rail system (B) that travels west on Century Blvd to LAX, and further east makes stops at places like Hollywood Park, for example. To continue on rail system (A), this would branch off on Prairie Avenue and make stops at the Daniel Freemen Hospital, the cemetery, the Forum, and continue further down Prairie and maybe even extend all the way down to the Del Amo Mall.
I imagine more subway and light rail across the city. We need to be focusing on two goals: building in high-density areas (like the Wilshire corridor, the Gateway Cities, and South LA/Inglewood), and to major destinations that attract ludicrous traffic jams (like the beaches, LAX, and Dodger Stadium). Here are my thoughts:
Of immediate importance:
-Purple Line extended all the way down Wilshire Boulevard
-Light rail service (Green and/or Crenshaw) into LAX, not just near it
Also important:
-Making sure the Crenshaw line branches out to both LAX (traffic generator) and along Hawthorne Boulevard (high-density, transit-dependent region)
-Downtown Connector (all underground!)
-Whittier and Foothill extensions of the Gold Line (in stages)
-Silver Line-West along Sunset through Echo Park and Silver Lake
-Santa Monica extension of the Expo Line
-Burbank light rail, with stops that Amtrak/Metrolink miss (like Cypress Park, Glassell Park and various parts of Glendale and Burbank)
-Green Line connection with Metrolink
-Red Line branch going down Vermont
I can't believe Metro didn't include these:
-Light rail to Dodger Stadium (come on, you can see it from the Gold Line elevated rail!)
-A subway or light rail line over the Sepulveda Pass, and possibly further south to hook up with the Green/Crenshaw Lines at LAX
-A subway line through West Hollywood connecting the Red and Purple Lines
-A light rail line (Silver Line-East) in the ROW along Valley Boulevard and Mission Drive through the San Gabriel Valley
-A light rail line running along the Randolph Street ROW from Slauson Station through Huntington Park, Maywood, Bell, and beyond? These are incredibly high-density, transit-dependent areas, and the ROW goes right through there!
For the more distant future:
-A light rail line along the diagonal ROW running from the Green Line southeast through Paramount, Bellflower, Cerritos, and Artesia into Orange County
-Increasing capacity on the busiest light rail lines by creating more grade separations (the Blue Line could use this now!)
-Upgrading the Orange Line and Harbor Transitway to grade-separated light rail
Honestly, this just needs to get done. If I had a hundred billion dollars, it would have been done already.
I imagine being able to get on a high-speed train that goes directly from L.A. Union Station into the terminal area at LAX.... not getting on the Red Line and then changing to the Blue Line and then changing to the Green Line and then getting on a Bus. The Fly-away buses are great, but the future is rail.
The LACMTA should collaborate with municipalities in the area in narrowing low-traffic residential streets. Most of these are two-way streets. Narrowing these to one-way streets would bring a number of benefits:
* Increased green space. Los Angeles is chronically short of parks and other green space. The land reclaimed from the removal of one lane could be added to homeowners' front yards. This would provide space for recreation and relaxation and a wider buffer to the street, which would be especially valuable for families with small children.
* Reduced runoff and flooding problems. Paved surfaces are impervious--they cannot absorb any water. Runoff and flooding result when precipitation is high. Converting paved areas to planted areas will decrease the overall percentage of land area that is impervious, thus providing a necessary buffer for precipitation and decreasing the volume of runoff and frequency of flooding.
* Reduced temperatures and need for cooling. Asphalt elevates ground temperatures, leading to a "heat island" effect. Replacing asphalt with vegetation will mitigate this effect and curtail the need for cooling (e.g., air conditioning.)
* Improved cyclist facilities. Los Angeles is chronically short of bicycle paths and lanes. The land reclaimed from removal of one lane could be, in strategic locations, converted to bicycle lanes or paths. Providing such facilities would foster bicycle use.
* Increased safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. Narrowing the streets will discourage speeding. Reducing low-traffic residential streets to one lane while adding pedestrian/cyclist facilities will lower the likelihood of collisions, especially at turns and intersections, which experience simplified traffic flow with one-way streets. (This holds even more true if bike paths/lanes are also one-way.)
* Increased property values. Enlarging homeowners' lots will increase the value of their properties. This will boost their home equity and provide them with more handsome payouts upon sale.
* Increased tax bases and reduced costs. Streets are a net minus for municipalities: they consume funds (for maintenance) yet do not generate any tax revenue. Returning land to private ownership will simultaneously a) increase municipalities' grand lists and b) lessen the maintenance burden. This will improve cities' bottom line, thus enabling the delivery of expanded services and/or lower tax rates.
Note that any land converted from road surface should be preserved as green space. (This could be fixed with the use of zoning controls, e.g. setbacks.) Also note that street narrowing and conversion to one-way streets need not spell the loss of any on-street parking, as parking could still be provided on both sides.
An idea for funding.
With traffic so bad I believe LA County residents will vote for a half cent increase. But i believe that should be short term.
For long term funding I think Metro should create a website where people can go online and donate money to their favorite project.
For example I would love to donate 1 or 2 dollars to fund the 710 extension from Valley Blvd to Pasadena. Or 1 or 2 dollars toward the extension of the Gold line, or the Red/Purple line to the Sea, the Wilshire and the Santa Monica route. I believe 1 or 2 dollars can start funding for some of these needed projects. We have 10 million people living in LA County. If 5 million people donate 5 dollars it would generate 25 million dollars toward a needed project.
Just a though.
Hey
Is anybody going to do something about the East LA interchange. I believe its need to be tear down and rebuild again. I also believe it one of the leading cause for congestion coming in and out of downtown. Yes I know single passenger cars are to blame but you have four freeways coming in and out of downtown and not enough lanes to put them on.
But going back to tearing down the East LA interchange. We should do something like what Boston did. I mean the East LA interchange is so close to the LA River. Why don't you rebuild the East LA interchange on top of the LA River. Once your done building the interchange, tear down the old one and turn the space into a park.
Imagine a rapid bus that goes through the Sepulveda Pass and farther than Westwood, where the 761 currently ends, making it easier to get to Century City and other parts of West L.A.
I imagine a vermont corridor subway extension to Calstate dominguez hills/homedepot center. then in the future down to the San pedro waterfront.
If not a vermont corridor extension
then convert one lane in the HOV lane on the 110 freeway to a Bus only lane like the orange line and extend it to the homedepot center
If all that isnt possible a blue line spur going down victoria street. Its certainly wide enough
Our colleges and Sports Arenas can be great transit generators.
I imagine a future where people, no matter who they are or where they live, can easily commute from far away places to the inner city. I also see a future where those who have been victims to poor bus service can now commute with ease. The time has come for changes to be made in the public transportation system in LA and it is up to each individual who cares to help make a difference. Let your voices be heard!
I imagine the author of the below post be our next person in charge of transportation. Sums up everything we need!
The top two priorities should be:
* Extension of the purple line to Santa Monica: there isn’t a single project that would have more of an impact on changing transportation in Los Angeles than this. The density and demand for a subway line are there. (Buses do not cut it here. Traffic congestion means that bus service, even so-called bus rapid transit will still be significantly slower than travel by private motor vehicle. Without a time or convenience savings, few drivers will make the switch to public transit. Furthermore, many riders who eschew buses gladly take to the rails. Indeed, this difference, the comparative advantage of rail over bus in attracting riders, is, considering the demographics of the area as well as the number of tourists it receives, likely to be especially pronounced along the path of a future purple line extension.)
* Downtown connector: transfers between lines downtown are unnecessarily roundabout. Simplifying transfers and adding another downtown line would both increase ridership and invigorate the downtown.
Other improvements I imagine:
* A LAX-rail connection: the absence of a rail connection to the airport means that Metro is forgoing thousands, if not millions, of trips annually. First impressions are important, and if visitors to the city do not see a way to depart from airport with public transit, they will not ride it later during their stay. Once a car is rented, Metro has lost that passenger for good.
* Better bus stop signage: bus stop signs are inadequate. They are difficult to see from a distance. They provide little information. At a very minimum, all stops should display a large bus sign and an information sheet listing departure times, all succeeding stops on the route, the estimated number of minutes to each succeeding stop, and transfers at each stop to other Metro lines. Larger bus stops (those with shelters) should additionally provide street maps with Metro lines plotted on them. This suggestion would greatly increase the usability of the system and could be implemented at very low cost. Metro need and should not design these materials itself. Other transit agencies, such as those in Los Angeles’ sister city, Berlin (BVG and VBB), have done a wonderful job in this regard. Rather than reinvent the wheel, Metro should wholesale lift the design used by BVG and VBB and, possibly, consider hiring away personnel from those agencies.
* Better bus design: Metro’s new buses, though low-floor, are still far too inaccessible for handicapped persons, parents with strollers, and travelers with suitcases and bulky items. Modern European buses do not suffer from these design defects. Metro should examine these and stipulate that all new buses are built to permit disabled and encumbered passengers unassisted, speedy ingress and egress.
* Signal priority for public transit vehicles.
* Rationalization of bus routes: the grid plied by the buses in Los Angeles bears little relationship to the actual routes that riders take. The route system should be reexamined top-to-bottom (Fahrplanwechsel), to realign service provision with demand. The result will be a win-win-win: by rationalizing bus routes, Metro will be able to increase ridership, save time, and cut costs.
* More bicycle paths and lanes: the weather and topography are perfect for widespread biking, but traffic and the lack of provisions for cycling make it an unpleasant, dangerous proposition. At the very least, Metro should implement a network of dedicated bicycle paths along routes downtown and the west side. To foster more bicycle use, these need to be attractive and safe, which means grade separation and off-street placement (between sidewalks and parked cars.)
March 21, 2008 12:37 PM
I imagine Metro selling its outrageously expensive italian marble tower; requiring its executives to sell their Hummers and other private motor vehicles and use the very system it states will save mother earth; and stop being insincere about why the fare gates are being built as well as answer why all those resources are not being used to maintain the buses that will not require a decade or more while the static rail lines are being built.
No more money spent on new freeway construction or adding new lanes to freeways & carpool lanes. In 10-15 years we'll have the same congestion given LA's projected population explosion in upcoming years. Money should be spent wisely on public transportation projects mainly contruction of subways. Forget bus lanes because buses get stuck in traffic like all other passenger cars. Wealthy people living on Wilshire and the west side should stop blocking public projects. They never have to get stuck in traffic like we do commuting from the valley. Finally, if need be, no one would object to some tax increase given that the money be spent exclusively on freeing us from the traffic nightmare we live in today.
I imagine the Purple Line extended to Santa Monica. I imagine a subway through the Sepulveda Pass into the Valley. I imagine a Ventura Blvd. subway. Then, forming a circle with the Red Line, Purple Line, Sepulveda Line and Ventura Blvd. Line, a "Circle" line with trains going in both a clockwise and counterclockwise direction, similar to the wonderful "Circle Line" in London.
1. Finish the Purple Line. Give me a jackhammer; I'll do it if you guys are just going to sit around.
2. Build the Green Line into the airport. How could you have built a huge light rail project and stopped a half a mile from LAX? I cannot even fathom the ineptitude necessary for such a travesty.
3. Build the Green Line eastward to the Norwalk Metrolink. This failure is only slightly more aggregious than the one mentioned above.
3. Why doesn't the 2 Freeway connect to the 101? Do the residents of Echo Park prefer to have an endless line of traffic idling on Glendale Boulevard?
4. We also need a way to remove trucks from our streets, as they are the most polluting, damaging to the infrastructure, and dangerous vehicles on the road. There doesn't seem to be much of a discussion about this. How can we move freight around LA county more efficiently?
* I imagine more local bus lines, not less, esp. in the east SFV where essential lines such as the 152, 154, 155 and 156 are being cut back or eliminated. Believe it or not, not everyone lives or works next door to a rail or Rapid bus stop.
* I imagine more fare options. Perhaps a return to some form of transfer system, or a $2 twelve-hour pass as an alternative to the overpriced and impractical $5 day pass.
* Speaking of fare options, I imagine EZ Transit passes being available over the counter throughout the city and not just at the City Hall LADOT counter.
* And while we're on the subject, I imagine someone giving me a straight answer about how much a TAP pass costs and where in Sam Hill I can go to buy one.
* I imagine making the Metro Trip Planner accessible by mobile phone and/or text message. Either that, or 1-800-COMMUTE should be available 24/7 with shorter wait times. It's insane that you can miss your bus while waiting ten minutes on hold to find out when and where your bus is supposed to arrive!
* I imagine wiring the Red Line for cellphone access (and throw in WiFi while you're at it). I think it would pay for itself in increased ridership.
* I imagine more seating on the platforms at Red Line stations, esp. Universal City and Vermont/Sunset. And once that happens, I imagine the rules against sitting on the stairs actually being enforced.
* I imagine more service between Burbank and NH/Studio City/Universal City, including a Rapid bus line connecting the Universal, Warners, NBC, ABC and Disney lots to the Red Line and Amtrak.
* I imagine up-to-date MTA information announced on radio and television along with the traffic reports. Imagine the p.r. possibilities: "The 101 and the 5 are gridlocked in both directions out of downtown, but the Red Line has no delays ... !!!"
-- mailto:maxzook@gmail.com
Imagine a subway down Ventura Boulevard.
Imagine a subway running down Sepulveda Boulevard from roughly LAX to the San Fernando Valley.
Imagine the Purple Line finally going to Santa Monica.
Imagine a La Cienega Subway to give people a connection from the San Fernando Valley to Century City (via the Purple Line).
Imagine a Vermont Avenue subway that will help the tens of thousands that ride in those cramped buses.
Imagine The Harbor Transitway connecting to the El Monte Busway that has HOT lanes.
Imagine the Silver Line running from Santa Monica/Vermont to El Monte.
Imagine the Red Line going to Burbank Airport and continuing north up Lankershim.
Imagine the Orange Line being converted to light rail and running to Burbank and Glendale.
Imagine a subway under Brand Boulevard in Glendale giving those people a direct connection to Hollywood.
Imagine light rail from Burbank to Union Station.
Imagine a downtown connector that will finally connect all of our light rail lines.
Imagine the Blue Line being grade separated in the Washington section to add a ton of capacity to that line.
Imagine the Gold Line going to Azusa and running as Metrolink like service to Ontario Airport.
Imagine the Green Line running from South Bay Galleria to Santa Monica.
Imagine the Expo Line and a Venice Light rail line bringing back to life the Culver Junction.
Imagine streetcars in downtown, Century City, and Beverly Hills.
Imagine the Gold Line going all the way to Whittier. Imagine a light rail line connecting Pasadena to Glendale and Burbank.
Imagine if we had the money for all of the projects that we know are necessary.
i imagine...
new rail service OUTSIDE downtown l.a.
sheesh, not everyone goes there!
I imagine a smoothly operating intersection at Wilshire + Westwood.
I also imagine doing what Paris, France did and promote shared transportation as the only EFFICIENT way to get around the city.
The city must prioritize shared transport above any individal needs, I suggest bus only lanes 24/7 not only at peak hour. It's the ONLY way to make a point and push towards a sustainable existence.
Thank you.
hey i think u schould create half a cent tax on just for light rail and hevy rail projects i imagine the gold line going east from pasadena to pomona for beter conectivity whith the rest of l.a. county also a stop at dodger stadium and the home depot stadium going thru the 110 bus lane and the silver line to west covina would become and option to take in the 10 freeway any time of the day the metrolink service doesent cut it out here
I imagine the Gold Line coming to Monrovia so I can walk to the station instead of driving to Pasadena.
We need a way to alleviate the congestion on the 405 by creating a mass transit system that parallels it.
Has anyone wondered why the 405 is congested all the time? The most busiest sections are the sections that serve Torrance, LAX, Culver City, Westwood, UCLA, Getty Center, Ventura Blvd, CSUN, and the Valley.
Now imagine a subway or a heavy rail connecting these "stations." Slick, don't you think?
Other thoughts:
1. One large bi-directional loop rail similar to the Yamanote Line in Tokyo to serve as major hub points across a circular area along the LA basin
2. The Green Line actually serving its purpose rather than a porkbarrel rolling down the 105
3. A hub station in West LA - as one had said, not everyone goes to downtown LA, but many people do go to West LA, especially on the weekends.
4. How about actually painting the Blue Line with blue, Green Line with green, and Purple Line with Purple? Much easier for non-English speaking people to know what train to look for.
5. A directional sign showing:
(the previous station in gray)-(the current station name large bold text)-(the next station in black)
This way, riders will know the correct platform more easier. These are usually painted on the opposite side of the station (Japan's subways, London's Underground, etc.)
6. Cut through the bureaucratic red-tape of hiring people with urban planning degrees - hire a person who has had travel experience all over the world who can give proper advice on how to make a "real" mass transit work. (i.e.: basically, hire me and I can give you all bunch of ideas that I have seen in New York, Chicago, Tokyo, Seoul, Berlin, Athens, Mexico City, Frankfurt, Prague and London)
How about going for low-floor tram systems? A lot of European cities are efficiently using hop-on-and-off low-floor trams to zip through the busiest parts of the city.
Trammies would look really well in areas that serve the Union Station - Little Tokyo - Civic Center sections of downtown which are currently provided by those DASH buses.
I live in the Park La Brea section of L.A., having recently moved here from Chicago.
I think the number one priority project should be extending the Purple Line subway needs to be along Wilshire all the way to Santa Monica. There is definitely demand for such a project as I often see two or more 720 Rapid Buses bunched together filled to capacity. Hopefully this would reduce the need to have so many of the Rapid Buses as well as encourage people to use public transit and cut down on traffic congestion.
For areas that continue to be serviced by the Rapid Buses, I think the Rapid bus stops are too far apart, and that there should be twice as many Rapid stops. All the Rapid buses covering a certain route would be divided into "A" buses and "B" buses, and would each stop at every other Rapid Bus stop ("A" buses stopping at "A" bus stops and "B" buses stopping at "B" stops.) I often see two or more buses bunched together or one bus coming very shortly after another, and this would be a cost effective way of making the Rapid bus system more efficient.
I also notice that, at least in my neighborhood, waiting for buses going east-west seem to be much more frequent than buses going north-south. I would increase the frequency of routes such as the Fairfax bus or the LaBrea bus. I once had to wait 30 minutes to take the LaBrea bus from Hollywood back to my neighborhood! And it was only 7pm.
I found it odd that at one of the Transit plazas, there were no bike racks to lock my bike up. I think steps like bike lanes and bike racks would be excellent to make L.A. more bike-friendly. I think its odd that in a city where the weather is warm enough to ride 8 months out of the year doesn't have as much infrastructure to accomodate bike riders.
I also think that Metro needs to be more creative about finding revenue to fund itself. I notice on buses and trains, there are hardly any commercial ads on the insides of the buses. I was on a Red Line train the other night and literally all the ad space on the train was dedicated to Metro. I think that's wasteful, as advertising on the Metro is hardly going to encourage new people to use the Metro, since anyone who is seeing such an ad will already be using Metro.
Metro could also generate revenue by awarding contracts to either of the major cola companies giving them exclusive rights to have their vending machines at Metro rail stations (as in the case in Chicago). Also, it might be worth exploring the idea of some kind of corporate sponsorship (naming rights) for one or more of the rail lines.
Also, the Metro bus fares are the cheapest I've seen among other major cities (Chicago is $2 a ride unless you have a magnetic fare card). That said, you get what you pay for. I would not mind paying a little bit extra if that meant that I could count on their being more rail and more buses, and be able to use Metro to get anywhere in L.A. whenever I want.
Other sources of funding might include a congestion tax (i.e. a toll through an automated system like the Illinois I-Pass) on some of the more congested highways. The funds could be split 50-50 between paying for the upkeep of the highway system as well as public transit.
In short, I think these might be a few ways in which funding for the subway to the sea could be found. I think its a shame that the 2nd largest city in the nation does not have a public transportation system to reflect this.
there is a simple solution about the buses being stock on the busway 10 fwy both east and west bound , restripe the carpool lane so the buses would have a special lane togueter with carpools whit 5 people or more, and on the emergency lane they can put the regular carpool lane whit 2,3, or four people, faster commute will be the result in and out of L A. I'm a bus driver, and I believe that would speed up the commute.
I recently used metro for a trip to see Wicked in Hollywood. We took teh 444 to Union Station-it was easy, on time and wonderful. I hear the 444 line will be cancelled. Pleae do not cancel, add more lines, times and availability - and yes I support the 1/2 cent increase on sales tax...and the extra per gallon and the DMV registration...teh only way to get people to use it is to make it convenient and create revenue for ease and efficiency of your programs, which are new exciting. Keep it up (;
I applaud the effort to create a long-term plan, however I implore the committee to be far more ambitious. The current draft plan keeps congestion and pollution near current levels rather than significantly reduce private car usage over time. I understand that the population in Los Angeles will increase: all the more reason to plan and implement innovative programs that will shorten commute times and reduce smog. Thus, more bus-only lanes, more taxing of peak-hour driving, more incentives to take public transit, more bike lanes and education, more public awareness campaigns (especially for the well-heeled) about using public transit and bicycles. Take risks, think big, and make Los Angeles a livable city.
I imagine a rail on the 10 freeway. It is currently being ignored. It has just as bad rush hour traffic as the 210, yet there isn't a rail on the congested 10 freeway.
I imagine more congestion pricing to pay for new roads for the 80% of us that do drive anywhere, to pay for the cost of the roads and transit on those corridors. Stuff like the 710 tunnel, double decking the 101, etc. is going to be necessary in the next twenty years. Even if more people got onto transit, the vehicle growth is not going negative. Metro needs to deal with the fact that people drive for various reasons and make drivers pay for it, in return getting better roads, smoother traffic, and a way to pay out of congestion when they must.
I imagine..the MTA having the political will to push a 1/2 cent sales tax increase, congestion charging, gas tax raise, or car registration fee hike, etc.. to get our projects funded. We should begin to focus on transit funding (i.e. buses and Metro rail) as this will be the only reliable source of transportation into the future. Road building should be no more, or only confined to a bus-only lane network. We also need the land use policies to be changed around transit stations. No longer should we have strip malls next to Metro stations, but a residential or office building with ground floor retail.
The streets should be made for pedestrians as well. No more of this anti-gridlock zoning, which has created highways out of streets. We should have traffic-calming measures (i.e. on-street parking, taxis able to pick-up/drop-off on the curbside without getting ticketed, a bus-only lane during rush hour, widened sidewalks, reduced lanes, etc...).
I imagine L.A. can be the greatest city in the world, if we just start focusing on transit/pedestrian development and the urban sprawl, freeway-building generation is no longer.
I imagine the subway to the sea being built, with two different branches. One branch being under Santa Monica Boulevard and the other branch being under Wilshire Boulevard, with a connection between the two branches/lines at Wilshire/Santa Monica. This would allow for rapid transit not only from Mid-City to the City of Santa Monica, but one would be able to transfer to the other line to access points in West Hollywood, Hollywood and beyond. A subway would be so much faster than using the Metro buses.
We CAN get these and other transit projects done, look at all the other cities in the world with effective mass transit!
I like to use metro rail. But its connection timings are making me mad. Here is my issue: I live in 90029 and work at 90504. I take red line at 5:05 AM from vermont/santamonica and it arrive at 7th st metro station at 5:15 AM. I can see my blue line train is taking off at 5:15 but i couldn't get on. I have to wait 15 minutes to get the next train. Same thing is happening at blue line Artesia station. I can see my Torance Transist line 6 bus pulling away when blue line train arrives. Again 30 minutes waiting for next bus. Its so bad. The bottom line is I am forced to burn 2 gallons gas everyday!
skrishna_raj@hotmail.com
los angeles metro area is the second bigest in the country after new york but in metro milles it is the fith it schould be the second also i imagine the gold line havind a stop at dodgers stadium and reaching the ontario airport terminals and the green line making it to lax terminals also i also imagine a metro rail going throug the 405 from sylmar to long beach it would reduce the traffic on the 405 also the subway to the sea would really help out the wishire bld traffic more effiecient then buses would. also the 110 freeway could use the carpol lane and have a light rail to the home depot stadium ctr and reach san pedro mayby go to avalon in catalina island for tourist and cheaper fare then taking the ferry. also if would reach the amussment parks for turist and people who don't want to deal whith traffic. also the silver line would be good to avoid the traffic in the 10 freeway.
In addition to the great ideas of more rail lines others have posted, I would like to add the need to work with developers and urban planners. We need better concentration of dense development, and not simply along the long stretches of Wilshire/Ventura Blvd's, that is, having 'nodes' of dense development in downtown LA, the west-side, Long Beach, and the Studio City areas. The rail lines others suggest would connect the suburbs and each node to one another, but within each node there could be additional, smaller grade-separated lines that circle the areas that serve only those nodes. With this, more people can live in these nodes and not require a vehicle to move around, and those traveling from the suburbs could take a 'main' line train (e.g. gold/green/blue/red/purple) to a node, and still be able to walk or take a local train to their final destination. Currently, the problem is that even if a train line gets you to a general area, you are still unable to get to your final destination without walking several miles. So, by concentrating development in these nodes, you create sub-cities, each accessible by foot/a local train line.
To fund these projects, I would support public-private partnerships and an increase in toll roads and/or raising the gas tax to discourage driving.
Another idea for helping people arrive at their final destination is a concept developed at MIT: the stackable car. It is essentially a small, stackable car (the concept is similar to a grocery cart) that you would rent at a MTA stop to drive to your final destination.
There needs to be a rail link that starts directly from the ports of LA and connects to the rest of the US.
The way it is now, all the goods that enter the port are unloaded from the ships onto TRUCKS, which then have to traverse the city to a rail station at the north tip of LA. Not only is this bad for traffic, but the pollution from these trucks is horribly unhealthy to those that live and work nearby these roads.
If 40% of all goods entering the US enters LA's ports like the opening video says, then it is no wonder why all of LA's north-to-south highways are congested.
Solution? Either build a new rail station directly on the ports, or create truck-only transportation routes separate from the cars.
i imagine that l.a. would catch up whith light rail and heavy rail to the second most milles it is the second bigest city and schould plan to make some kind of light rail or heavy rail to the proposed nfl stadium in industry and cotinuing it to pomona also finishe the gold line to pomona and the ontario airport and make a stop at dodger stadium and use the 110 freeway and make it light rail to the home depot stadium and on to san pedro.a line on the 405 freeway to make it from long beach or santa ana to six flags and the mall near by. do somthing whith the 5 freeway make a light rail or heavy rail go the same way also so i wuld reduce traffic. the same would be true for the 605 freeway. i dont agree whith the traffic lights being in the freways intersections it's a freeway not a street. chicago hass soda companys paying them a portion of the sales so they could put soda machines in ther stations another money income option for metro rail. make a 1/2 cent tax for metro rail only fund. schoulnt tax gas becouse metro doesent go all the places people want to go to and gas is expensive anyways. that big rigs are sufering to deliver the products to the store's diesel and gas is so expensive here then anywhere else in the u.s. im am a trucker so i know i really on public transportation in my off time if the rail doesent go anywhere near a truck stop like the gold line would if it went to ontario airport it would pass near the ta truck stop. i cant go anywhere so that would be another customer lost. same would be true for people landing in the airports.
We appreciate all that Metro has done to encourage commuters in San Gabriel Valley to participate in its “Imagine” campaign. Now we need Metro to follow through and include the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension in this year’s Draft Long Range Transportation Plan. There is support from the mayors of 11 cities in the San Gabriel Valley, as well as bipartisan support from Reps. Hilda Solis, Adam Schiff, Grace Napolitano and David Dreier.
The Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension is a key transit link through the San Gabriel Valley that could extend to Ontario International Airport. The route will run by 10 colleges/universities, provide a fast and viable transportation alternative for commuters and alleviate congestion along the 210, 60 and 10 freeways. Best of all, the Gold Line Foothill Extension is at the most advanced stage of planning of any rail project in Metro’s jurisdiction and, if funded, will begin serving passengers within four years. We’re so close, our imagination is running wild.
-Commenting on behalf of the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority
I wrote to the MTA and called several times about how what we really need is tryuly reliable public transportation - like what I've heard about being in Chicago or New York.
This means being able to count on getting fram anywhere to anywhere in the whole area - at LEAST anywhere in L.A. County - anytime 24/7 - within a reasonable amount of time.
More rail service, for example, is a great idea for helping get around traffic - but there's something I think is MUCH more important than ANY ideas for what more we can build, which must come first or in the end all the projects will be meaningless - I'm talking about a major shift in ATTITUDE!
THe MTA should look for every way possible to make things more convenient and pleasant for their customers - the passengers. This is what will gain MY interest in funding their projects more than anything. We don't have to wait 'til rail projects are built in order to have reliable service - We just need the resources and effort to be put into MAKING the service reliable for everyone!
If we have, for example, enough buses and drivers on the road at all hours and on all routes, even though the trains will help make the service even much better, the change in the bus service itself would be a HUGE step in the right direction - I for one would immediately feel a lot less need to try to get a car again, or at least to have to drive it very often if I did get one.
Even the rail service we have now isn't 24/7, and it would be much more effective if it WERE - At least in the areas it serves, people could feel more like at least they can get home after they go somewhere late!
I grew up in Chicago. I've lived in L.A. for 10 years and I can't get over the resistance to a "subway". Frankly I wouldn't build an underground here, but for lack of a better word. All L.A. has to do is build the rail system down the center of all the freeways. Like other normal cities! Suddenly you will have a viable rail system that goes everywhere cars can go, using an existing system. No tearing up neighborhoods, or "new" environmental studies needed.
I see those issues as just more stonewalling by the uptight westsiders. Do it. Instead of adding more lanes to freeways, run the rails down the center. Do it now. You won't regret it.
I've paid and voted for taxes for years to improve traffic and will not vote another cent as the money I've already paid has/is obviously going nowhere and/or being used for other purposes.
I imagine a monorail down the center of existing freeways with buses (electric) and hourly rental cars (hybrid/electric) to get to final destinations not within walking distance.
I imagine employers implementing flexible job schedules to reduce congestion.
I imagine NOT encouraging new growth or increased population to the area. Forget about traffic - where are we going to get the water from???
I imagine a rail line directly from the port to distribution centers to relieve the truck traffic.
I imagine children walking to school again instead of the daily parking lot around neighborhood schools.
I just got back from Europe and have such a heightened awareness of the sickening lack of efficient rail transit in LA. We're seriously in the dark ages compared to the rest of the world.
My thoughts -
Subway:
We need a subway to the west side and LAX in such a bad way
Streetcars:
Bringing back dedicated streetcar lines should be a big deal, look at other cities such as SF and Portland and it works.
Surface Bus Lanes:
Every other major city in the country has them, I don't understand LA's resistance, they actually smooth out traffic
Expanded Service Timetables:
Its impossible to get to Irvine from Union Station after normal commuting hours since metrolink shuts down, making the train useless as an option for people who occasionally need to stay late, or casual commuters
We need built better and faster rail similar to the Red line but without using the same tracks for two lines which makes the waiting time even longer. Waiting time should not be longer than 5 minutes specially during rush hour. Monthly and weekly passess should be sold at metro stations not other places which are not eve near the stations. Metro should not wait 15 or 20 years to built new or extent current rail lines when everything will be twice as much to get it built. We need better rail now or within the next 2-5 years. LA is way to big to have this useless metro system without enough lines to move not only within the LA county but also outside the county. Metro should already be working with other counties to start building and putting together new rail lines.
I live in the central Hollywood area and commute to both the San Fernando Valley and the Westside. I would LOVE to see additional lines start to tie the system together. Example: what if the proposed (orange dashed) line traveled up San Vicente, jogged along Melrose, and then connected to the red line at either Santa Monica or a Hollywood station? Then several lines would be accessible without heading Downtown to connect. Just a thought...
I support changing carpool lanes to toll roads, where buses and taxis could travel free. Would generate money for rail projects (SUBWAYS ONLY PLEASE) and road maintenance, and allow mass transit options to move better.
Bus only lanes in the "traffic reduction" lanes is a fantastic idea.
COORDINATING green lights (and bus times), and ADDING TURN SIGNALS would also greatly ease traffic on surface streets. Most backups are at major intersections and freeway onramps where only a few cars can exit the intersection per light.
More left turn signals throughout the county, and green light synchronization. (So you don't have to go 60mph to catch more than 2 in a row!)
Two questions.
#1) If the overwhelming majority prefer light rail/subway projects, why does the long-range plan have so many HOV and freeway projects.
I think we can all agree that the HOV carpool experiment doesn't work. It was a nice idea 30 years ago when people worked one job on similar shifts, and all lived in similar neighborhoods. Not true now.
#2) What about monorail - has to be cheaper than subways if cost (and methane) are prohibitive. Also keeps the rail lines from impacting traffic, which is a *TRUE* alternative. Please consider.
Forget about freeway gap closure and freeway widening to fit more cars. It's all a waste of money. To really ease congestion, I like to see a monorail system. Having something like this is a fraction of the cost of dugging tunnels. In fact, instead of putting more cars on these widen freeway, put a train there. Digging tunnels is a stupid concept after all we live in the earthquake epicenter. I have yet to see any transportation plan to connect Pasadena area to Burbank or any plans to link Van Nuys to West Los Angeles.
I will not vote for half cent tax increase if those funds are going to be used to build more HOV lanes and new freeways. Waste of money. Period! It was the lack of vision of prior administrations that has landed us in this traffic nightmare. Now looks like the commuters and tax payers have the right vision of building subways but again being stonewalled by the transportation officials who still talk about building freeways and HOV lanes or extending disasterous projects such as the Orange line! Is someone listening to us? We want subways. We don't know how else to make this more clear. Tax increase only for subways. Period!
The powers that be should utilize all the old Pacific Electric right of ways to re-build that once great system we had in the past. Yes, the NIMBY's will be upset but we have to move away from that and look at what is best for the overall good of all residents of the counties. With a truly effective transportation system, people will eventually relocate/gravitate to have easier access to utilize the system. Living near a rail line/access point with then begin to INCREASE the property value vs decrease it as the NIMBY's believe. Fuel will not get cheaper even with ethanol. Ethanol and other fuels do not solve the congestion and traffic issue. A system must be built and immediately. Don't want to go there but imagine how much transportation we would have in this COUNTRY if we spent on transportation what we are spending on the wars! Imagine...life so much easier with an effective rail transportation system!
Too many people are doing their best to stop rail throughout the county. I would love to see this change and people demanding more rail and options.
Other cities and countries are able to build huge transportation systems within a few years because everyone is behind it and the leaders don't take no for an answer. We need this in LA, not this 8-10 year plan to increas rail by one or two lines.
We need subway throughout the Mid and West sides of LA, on both Santa Monica and Wilshire and North-South lines. The San Gabriel Valley need more lines, such as a line in the Alhambra trench. The lines need to connect better with the airports, and the buses need to connect better and more frequently with the rail stations, especially if there is no to little parking at the stations. How else with people get out of their cars?
Another idea is to have a circular line around both the Midcity area and the San Gabriel Valley where other lines connect with them so one could travel with less transfers.
To increase revenue there needs to be a better system to make sure everyone is paying to use the rail network, like turnstyles or something.
I feel that congestion pricing for all cars entering freeways into the borders of the City of Los Angeles, perhaps $1 per car, with revenues being directed towards rail expansion throughout the Southern California cityscape is a great way to solve congestion problems and promote mass transit use.
Metro Rail to Santa Monica and other points on the coast.
Metro Rail directly into LAX. Please, does any other major city in the world have a Metro line that stops outside of the airport?
Metro Rail through Claremont and out to Ontario airport! (Yes, I live in Claremont and I'm excited about the Gold Line possibly reaching us.)
Provide audio and visual indications of what train is approaching the station, what is in the station.
Have very timely and detailed information about delays on rail lines available online (web site) and at the stations. Let us subscribe to service alerts that affect our commuting paths - to get alerts to cell phone.
it will be nice if metro wold do their downtown conector and incluiding the dodger stadium stop whith the downtown conector also the gold line schould be done to reduce congestion to the san gabriel valley most people like students would ride it stops in most coledges then any other line in the l.a. area the metrolink does not work out here.
I agree with the previous postings regarding the benefits of rail over buses or HOV lanes. I would take public transportation if it could get me from Whittier to downtown in less than 1 hour. But, I will not take multiple buses only to increase my commute time. I really prefer to never take buses. What I would truly love to see is a fast rail system traveling East to West along Whittier or Beverly Blvds.
I would also love to see REAL bike paths, not "take your life in your own hands" bike lanes on the roads. Even the 20 miles from Whittier to Los Angeles is a reasonable bike trip. The bike paths along the rivers go North and South, but nothing covers East to West.
I imagine a rail network with coordinated bus service that would make everyone in central LA question the need of owning a car. It wouldn't be that hard to create.
We just need a solid rail backbone to the system -- finish the Expo line to Santa Monica & the Gold line to Whittier.
Extend the "purple" line to Wilshire & 4th.
Modify the Crenshaw line plan to start at PCH & finish at Hollywood & Highland (underneath San Vicente & Santa Monica for the northern stretch).
And then let's not forget to tackle the other large elephants in the room -- extend the green line north into LAX & all the way up near the coast to Wilshire.
Extend the red line up to Burbank Airport.
Create a new subway underneath Ventura Blvd. & connect it with the Red line at Universal City & with the Gold line in Pasadena.
Then connect them all with a rail line along the shoulders of th 405 from at least the Orange line to at least the Blue line in Long Beach.
Rail to the two most central airports, Downtown, several beaches, all Westside & Vally employment centers, and a 5 minute bus ride from pretty much any attraction in the 310, 213, and 323. Anyone would ride that.
Imagine having the money to finance the proposed projects and more. Imagine citizens accepting that they live in the nations 2nd largest city and can't cry NIMBY to halt projects that are necessary for the benefit of our entire region. (Yeah, that's a stab to all of those westside homeowners who think they live on an island.) Expo line and Purple line all the way to Santa Monica!
I would like to see more about recycling the vehicles already on the road into more environmentally friendly machines. A government incentive or educational support program would help with this.
Hopefully as the future brings us more knowledge, consumers will bring me more of their gas cars to convert to electric. I really enjoy that kind of work, knowing that I can be part of getting people off the oil grid. Less vehicles using gasoline will clear our air. Many of the larger vans and SUV’s are excellent candidates for converting into electric carpooling vehicles. We now have battery packs and motor systems capable of handling vehicles over 5000lbs. More people carpooling and using less vehicles will help the traffic conditions. It would be nice to see a more advanced system for aligning people interested in ride sharing. Some sort of subscription or contract system that allows for responsibility could expedite that type of travel. If I had a network of people with a common vision, it could help me with my contribution to the solution.
I live near the Reseda Orange Line station and have some of the best mass transit service in L.A. My connections aren't always perfect, but I can get all over the Valley and down to Long Beach very efficiently. I have two ideas for increased selection:
(1) bus service on the 101/134/210 between the San Fernando Valley and Glendale/ Pasadena to augment the LADOT express busses, which run much too infrequently, and
(2) Metro Rapid bus service to the Whittwood Mall to augment Rte 121 and the local transit busses from Norwalk and Montebello. MTA could extend either the 720, which used to run from the ocean on Wilshire to Montebello on Whittier Bl., but now ends in Commerce, or the 711 on Florence Avenue to Whittier Bl.
To get to unincorporated Whittier, I take the Orange and Red Lines to Metro/7th - one hour - and the Montebello 50 to my destination - another 90 minutes. I'd love to go upstairs downtown and transfer onto a 720. Similarly, there is a Metro Rapid bus from Hollywood to Pasadena now, but I used to have to take Orange/Red/Gold to Sierra Madre Villa and then either get a ride from a friend or take the 31 Pasadena ARTS Bus. Thanx, but I'll take the car for those two.
metro schould make the gold line foothill extension to la/ontario airport and the silver line to pomona the metrolink does not work in san gabriel valley or pomona valley we need more frequent service for the price to ride a bus the metrolink is to expensive and gets there when it want's to not when u need to get there also schould make the downtown conector conect whith dodger stadium
First a couple of simple requests.
Lines 94 and 224 are a serious mess. Currently the route changes with each subsequent bus while still using the same line number (94 and 224). Would it be possible to at least post the bus line and destination on the Inside dot matrix displays so that people who mistakenly board the wrong version of lines with the same number or the wrong bus can find out ahead of time instead of having a rude surprise?
Can the outside temperature be displayed on the inside and outside side-mounted dot matrix displays in order to warn people when the weather is too hot or too cold so they can make an informed choice when to change their destination or to inform the poor people on the street so they know in advance to seek shelter?
Other information might be the number of same line/same destination buses running round trip thoughout the remander of the evening so people are not caught short or can modify their travel directions on the go.
Some of this info that might be too much for the dot matrix display might be put on the Metro T.V. screens.
Dot matrix clocks on the subways with a courtesy "next stop" message.
Some means of storing passengers shopping. Maybe soft flush-mount hooks for shopping bags or???
The buses currently do not accomodate personal shopping strollers. I tried using one a couple of times with over 60 lbs. of groceries and both times the drivers refused to allow me to use the accesibility ramp to disembark.
Both times I had no choice but to lift the stroller with 60 lbs. across the gap from the low floor bus to the curb and he did not pull close to the curb while one time it was a high step bus with stairs.
I do imagine extendiong the Red Line at least to San Fernando Rd.
The passenger traffic on the 394/94 is often SRO in the afternoon.
The Blue Line needs fixed for competing with downtown City Hall traffic. It Should Not take 45+ minutes Every Morning just to leave the downtown hub. Bury the Blue Line downtown hub as a subway or give it intersection trestles.
I thought the Red Line N. Hollywood was a good start. Now we need a rail system for the morning commute along the 405 from the Valley through Westwood and LAX.
Make revenue. Offer food and drink vending or food stops and newsstands at the rail hubs. There's always time for a drink and a doughnut (or apple).
LA County DPSS currently offers no bus discount for disabled single adult recipients receiving General Relief. Recipients can receive transportation money to get to the hospitals and clinics, but they have to ask their social worker by phone in advance between the short hours of 1 to 4 P.M. and then go out of their way on a medical necessity to get to the DPSS office and receive the allowance before getting in line at the public hospital/clinic, and this does not take into account sudden medical emergencies.
Make a point of allowing people with the General Relief EBT card a free ride at least along bus routes toward the DPSS offices or public hospitals/clinics such as Olive View/County USC, etc. If you have to limit this favor to daytime hours, then make sure the hospitals/clinics have Day Passes that they can provide as the waiting time to see a doctor at one of L.A.'s public hospitals/clinics can be 6 to 10+ hours and the patient who arrives at 12 Noon might not get the help they need and get back out on the street to catch a bus or subway home until after Midnight.
The Westside has by far the worst traffic in the region, because it has bad traffic, all day; rather than bad traffic during rush hours. What we need is to put a second level on the 405 between the 10 and the 101 that only has exits to the 10 and the 101 freeways, so that we can have express lanes which are not clogged with local traffic and will also relieve the lower level of the commuter traffic between the Valley and Downtown/Mid-Wilshire. We also need rail lines down Lincoln Blvd and Sepulveda Blvd, which will connect the "Subway to the Sea", the Expo Line, and the Green line. We also need to change the bus routes, so that they work on a hub-and-spoke system, rather than a grid system, so that we don't have to change buses 3 times just to get to downtown.
You will never get the majority of Californians out of their cars, but what can be done is to make it so that enough people use mass-transit, so that those people who wont give up their cars, will not sit in traffic, and those who will, will reap the benefits of not paying for gas and parking.
I imagine light rails along/middle of the existing freeways. Just like the 105 Freeway has the Green Line.
#1
Do whatever it takes to extend the Purple Line to Santa Monica.
#2
Extend the Red Line from North Hollywood to the North San Fernando Valley and then continued up to Valencia and/or Santa Clarita area. The line currently ending at North Hollywood makes almost as little sense as the Purple Line ending at Wilshire/Western.
#3
Extend the Gold Line to the East San Gabriel Valley and Ontario Airport.
#4
Build a rail line to the West San Fernando Valley. The sussess of the Orange Line shows even more how popular a rail line to the West Valley would be. I actually think a subway under Ventura Blvd makes sense. if not, maybe an above ground along the 101.
#5
A rail line connecting to the future Red Line in the North San Fernando Valley near the 5/405/210 area and roughly following the 405 down and connecting the the Purple Line to Santa Monica and continuing down to the Green Line/LAX and maybe all the way to Long Beach.
#6
Some sort of light rail line that connects downtown LA with Glendale.
#7
A light rail line to Orange County/Disney area. Yes, there is the Metrolink but I don't think the Metrolink is as efficient or useful as a light rail line.
I DARYL KOONCE HAVE LIVED IN LA COUNTYFOR 33YEARSBETWEEN ALAMEDA AND THE FIRESTONE BLUE LINE STATION AND HAVE SEEN THE LOST OF THE TERRIBLE LOSS OF THE BUS #56 AND THE OTHER TERRIBLLE LOSS AND REROUTE OF THE BUS #254 AND OTHER BUSES IN AND AROUND LA COUNTY WATTS COMPTON AND LYNWOOD AND SOUTH GATE AND ETC AND MY CONCERN IS ABOUT THE NEW PURPOSE RAPID #715 WHY WOULD IT ONLY GO FROM PLAYA DEL REY TO ATLANTIC INSTEAD OF GOING FROM PLAYA DEL REY TO THE NORWALK GREEN LINE STATION AND WHY ISNT THERE A BUS GOING DOWN ALAMEDA THROUGH SOUTH GATE LA COUNTY WATTS AND COMPTON AND LONG BEACH AND ETC AND ALSO WHY DOES ALOT OF THE BLUE LINE AND GREEN LINE STATIONS ELEVATOTRS STINK BADLY AND MY OTHER CONCERN IS WHY DONT YOU EXTEND THE GREEN LINE PAST NORWALK AND EXTEND THE BLUE LINE PAST LONG BEACH AND PAST DOWNTOWN AND ALSO AND PAINT THE BLUE AND GREEN LINES EITHER BETTER THEN WHAT THEY ARE OR A BETTER COLOR TO REPRESENT THE COLOR OF THE LINE AND CLEAN THEM MORE PUT A RAPID LINES BUSES DOWN OTHER STREETS AND OTHER MAIN STREETS AND MAKE MORE BLUE BUSESLIKE THE 577X BUS FOR OTHER ROUTES AND DO LIKE THE MAYOR SAYS EXTEND ALL RAIL FROM OCEAN TO OCEAN AND OR THROUGH ALL CITYS IN SOUTHERN AND NOTHERN CALIFORNIA EAST WEST SOUTH AND NORTH AND ETC AND ALS OSINCE THE LONG BEACH YARD IS CLOSED AND ONLY STORES OLD BROKE BUS AND ETC FIND A WAY TO RECYCLE THOSE BUSES OR FIX THEM AND ETC AND PUT THEM BACK ON THE STREETS AND OR RECYLE THEM AND USE THE MONEY TO FUND OTHER MTA PROGRAMS AND OR RAISE THE FINES OF THE TICKETS AND USE THAT MONEY ALSO TO PAY FOR MTA PROJECTS AND ALSO STOP HAVING SO MANY BUS THA TARE JUST SITTING UP IN THE BUS YARDS IF THEY AINT BROKE USE THEM AND PUT THEM OUT ON THE STREET IN SERVICE TO RELEASE OVER CROWDING ON OTHER LINES AND ETC.AND ALSO EXTEND THE BLUE LINE TO GO THROUGH CARSON LAKEWOOD TORRANCE AND FURTHER ALONG WITH OTHER RAIL LINES
I imagine (in order of priority):
1. The purple line extension to Santa Monica be done immediately. This should be priority number one and BUILT, not haggled through decades of endless talking and meetings.
2. Make the green line useful - extend it to LAX all the way to Metrolink Norwalk station. I would like to meet the genius who thought it would be fabulous idea to end the green line a mile from LAX.
3. Low-floor trams (like those in Europe) zipping through the streets of downtown L.A., Civic Center, and Union Station. I've ridden these in Prague and they were the most efficient way to get around compacted areas - this would be an ideal solution for downtown L.A.
4. Trains connecting to all of our alternate airports. If Ontario is going to be our alternate, we need a way to get there on mass transit.
5. A mass transit system along the 405 and West LA. It would make good "stations" including South Bay, LAX, Culver City, UCLA, Getty Center, Ventura Blvd., CSUN, and SF Valley.
There should be a train or subway running through the 405 pass, down sepulveda and up sepulveda. It is usually pretty jammed up around there, and i think that would really help. There should also be a subway that runs east west in the valley, preferably from Universal Station through Studio City, Sherman Oaks and Encino.
Subways should also be a little more organized, for example running down a specific street, or freeway. This would help clear out many commuters from that route.
Than , Have a Good Day.
I live in London, UK and have been over here on vacation for the past month. I wanted to use the public transport to get around as I am a keen environmentalist and think the traffic in LA is crazy!
The metro (tube) is clean, cheap and easy to use and a very enjoyable way to get around, the only problem is it took me 2.5hours door to door to get from Pasadena to North Hollywood which in the car takes 30mins max. This is why people use their cars in this city. If you put much much more money into building a 100s of more stops and a few more metro lines then people will use them as reliantly as they do in London. Our tube system is old and smelly, but it is accessible to everyone and cheap (ish) and there are so many stops that you only have to walk max of 15mins to get anywhere once you get on or off.
I also tried to use the buses here, but you have to change buses 3 or 4 times to get from one place to another. Try having more buses and longer routes so that users only have to change a max of once. If metro makes public transport easy to use and more accessible, people WILL leave their cars at home.
The more time we spend in traffic the less profitable a place to do business Los Angeles becomes. We should have light rail on every major east-west and north-south street.
My vision (starting small) is that the Expo line makes it to Culver City as scheduled (2010) and that Phase 2 is funded and starts on time. From what I read here, it is clear that most LA residents want more rail service. I'm thrilled that the Expo line is in the works--let's keep this momentum.
My other vision is that there is rail service to LAX. I live 15 minutes by car from LAX and I tried to take the bus back from the airport one day. It was 11:00am and the bus was completely packed. My luggage blocked the entire aisle, and it took me well over an hour to get home. Why should I ride the bus when it is significantly easier (for me) to put another car on the road?
We need more north-south mass transit. It's foolish to assume that most commuters are going to downtown LA for work. There are plenty of people live/work away from downtown LA. The only LA/OC mass transit is heavy rail and it does not serve people between SGV, San Pedro Bay, and north OC area.
I would love to see rail lines Running with all major freeways, and think a couple lines from downtown to the beach and one along the coast would not only relieve tons of traffic but would be a major tourist attraction.
A bullet train to San Diego, Sac or SF, a Red Line with retro Redline Pacific Railroad cars, and cool stations along the routes. Think big. Think about what is great about California and give people a chance to see that while then relax and commute in comfort. WiFi in side and scenics outside. Then back it with a viscious PR campaign and Lawyers (there are tons of them out there who would kill to make a difference!) hire the children of the same people who helped run the BEST metro system in the world into the ground in the 50s. Money talks.
I think the most needed rail service is from San Fernando Valley to San Gabriel Valley, currently the only direct way to get there is via Commuter Express which is not very cost effective compared to Metro and rail. It is so awkward to have to go all the way to Union Station when a direct route would be more efficient.
how long has the red line been running?
and only now you are starting to put commercial advertising on the line.
okay
what if persons with cars had to wait 20 minutes before they could fill their tanks
so having riders wait 20 minutes for a subway is reasonable
okay
in hong kong, the wait is no more than 3 minutes
in london, the wait is no more than 5 minutes
okay
since no one bothers to read the t.v. screens to watch out for strange people
why don't you use them to tell people when the next subway is coming, or when the next bus that comes to that station will be arriving
sorry
i keep using common sense for system managers that probably don't bother to ride the system themselves.
forgive me
I live near Venice Beach and the traffic congestions around here and along Venice Blvd. are as bad as Santa Monica.
I'd like to imagine that the Expo Line that is currently built go straight down Venice Blvd. to Venice Beach before turning north towards Santa Monica.
How about a larger scale Venice & Santa Monica turnabout similar to the terminus of the Blue Line at Long Beach? This could work well with the Phase II plan for Expo Line.
I believe the rail system will never have ridership comparable to NY, Washington or Chicago until there is plenty of parking at the stations we already have. The current model seems to be that the rail system is fed by the bus system. That really limits the possibilities. Today there are only three parking lots along the red line, and they are mostly full. I propose that for every additional parking space built, there would be at least one additional commuter using the rail system each day. Look at the absolutely enormous parking lots in Washington D.C. that are filled every day. They have many lots with more parking capacity than the entire L.A. rail system has.
I imagine a bike path going along the LA River from Canoga Park to Griffith Park.
I imagine subway/rail going from NoHo to Westwood, meeting up with the proposed "Subway to the Sea."
I imagine the MTA putting more effort and finances into our mass transit than our freeways and roads as a way to persuade people to get out of their cars, stop clogging up lanes, and start helping the environment.
I imagine a future where the Angelino lifestyle is not dictated and enslaved by the likes of GM, Chevron and Jiffy Lube.
I imagine a Los Angeles where people can live inland and easily take a subway to the beach on a weekend, instead of bringing their heavy SUV's, pollution and their noise.
I imagine an LA county and OC hooked up to all major public destinations, i.e. airports, train stations,schools, beaches, theaters, malls, business centers. I imagine our teens/preteens being able to get around without a ride from the parents every time they leave the house. I imagine this would improve their quality of life as well as their parents. I imagine taking the metro to work and cutting down on gas expense as well as cutting down on smog. All I can say is "what took so long?" This is an absolute necessity for our future. Lets metro this place up!
Btw.....why is there no speed train to Las Vegas and San Francisco!?
With gas prices skyrocketing and traffic getting more congested, I am considering commuting on Metro. A purple line is definably needed to go to the west side.
Now is the time for people in Greater LA to act. Our region is grinding to a halt. What once took thirty minutes by car now takes an hour. Unfortunately, the situation is only going to get worse. I am completely behind the proposals put forth by Get LA Moving. This plan gives us a regional transportation network that will be able to move large groups of people to where they need (and want) to go. I hate to remind Metro and City of LA officials that not everyone lives, works or goes downtown on a regular basis. We need to not only connect the center to the suburbs, but suburbs (and ex-urbs!) to each other.
I take the Orange Line on a regular basis and love it. I do think the concept can be refined though since it is a lot slower than rail.
My "top 5 critical projects" wish list-
1- Build SOMETHING in the Sepulveda Pass. There is a reason every traffic report starts with the 405. We need more than just carpools lanes!
2- Subway to the Sea with routing to Century City
3- Green Line to LAX
4- Extend Gold Line to LA/Ontario International so it is a true alternate airport.
5- Increased Metrolink service to outlying communities such as Palmdale, Lancaster, Simi Valley, etc.
I am willing to put my money where my mouth is. I fully support paying additional sales tax to support rail (and bus) construction! It's about time we rebuilt what we destroyed year ago.
The Purple Line extension to Santa Monica, the Pink Line through West Hollywood, and the Downtown Connector are the three most important projects, as they run through areas of greater density and would be used by a greater number of LA County residents.
A connection to the Ontario airport via rail would be nice, though I think a connection to Burbank and LAX make more sense. A Gold Line connection all the way to Ontario would be pushing it in light-rail form, though--it would just be too slow and perhaps a Flyaway coach from Union Station could beat it on the freeways. A heavy-rail or connection would best solve that dilemma.
Also, and I can't stress this enough, Metro rail's hours need to be expanded. If Metro wants us to look at mass transit as more than just a commuting solution and more as a lifestyle shift that can play a part in our activities throughout the day, it needs to understand that some people work night-shifts. Moreover, many would jump at the opportunity to have a cheaper option to get home without drinking and driving. I think it'd be a great marketing campaign for Metro to expand its hours till at least 2.30 or 3.00. While the system might not go everywhere now, MANY people would be inclined to use it and go where it goes if it were reliable (i.e. didn't shut down so early or run so seldom). Even if you charged a premium rate for a special late-night pass, I think people would be more willing to pay it as opposed to pay for parking/valet fees (and the inevitable $10,000 DUI). Please, please, PLEASE expand your hours--at least on the weekends.
Make it possible to FINALLY buy a monthly pass at the vending machines at rail stations. Usually you get forced to find dirty check cashing agencies to stand around amongst an unfriendly, uncouth and unkempt crowd, only to find that they've already sold all of the monthly passes. In major cities in third world countries you can buy longer, more expensive passes directly at a vending machine. Why not here?
Also, please think green and equip your escalators at stations with motion detectors. I've seen them in France, Germany and Switzerland and they seem to make a lot of sense. Yours always break down and waste a ton of energy. Perhaps if they didn't run constantly they wouldn't break down all the time.
Please pass a sales tax for transportation! Make it a 1 percent tax, not just a half cent tax! We need drastic action, NOW!
I am a huge fan of the trains, but they don't go far enough. Take weekends. Why don't we have metro going from Union Station to Disneyland and Legoland? Amtrak doesn't properly support these destinations. We need trains that leave in the morning and return later in the afternoon/evening. I think this would take a huge amount of traffic off the highways.
Also, we need more parking lots so that we can take the trains!! I have tried many times to take the Red Line from North Hollywood during the day, but there is no place to park! This is even more of a problem now that the passengers taking the busses to Woodland Hills share this parking as well. During the week, you have to be there first thing in the morning to find a parking spot. I would go to lunch at City Walk or at Hollywood and Highland if I could only leave my car during the day.
Please see what you can do!
Thanks, Lorraine
I imagine building more rail to important places like, I don't know, LAX... Also, the Purple Line has to be a top priority.
I also imagine EVERY Metro Rail station being served by a Rapid Bus line with service every 15 minutes or better to increase access to stations.
Finally, I imagine getting rid of all these ridiculous municipal bus lines and just having Metro focus on service sectors-municipal lines are a TREMENDOUS waste of resources and create HUGE political and ridership barriers to transit use. The saddest thing is, while other metropolitan areas struggle to create new regional transportation authorities to group county systems together, LA County actually collects ALL the money for transit, and then gives it out to localities... thereby shooting itself in the foot.
Start with the basics: Buses that AREN'T FILTHY AND DISGUSTING and drivers that AREN'T RUDE AND ABUSIVE.
After that, rail, rail, rail, anywhere and everywhere it can be laid down.
And after that, where's our bullet trains? Why is it easier for me to fly Southwest than to jump on a train to San Jose, San Francisco, Las Vegas and San Diego? (Bet casino interests would even kick in for a swanky high-speed Vegas liner)
I personally think there should be improvement with the Metro System all around Bus's, Rail's, and Highways evenly...I personally take the bus more than anything and the system is horrible, you all need more buses routing to more places and more frequently. ALSO PLEASE IMPLEMENT TRANSFERS ON THE METRO SYSTEMS, I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO WASTE TWO TOKENS ON TWO INTERSECTING BUSSES, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO DROP A TOKEN PLUS CHANGE FOR A TRANSFER OR PAY THE REGULAR FARE PLUS CHANGE FOR A TRANSFER! ITS RIDICULOUS THAT A TEN PACK OF TOKENS CANT LAST THROUGH A 5 DAY WORK WEEK
Please the Subway to the sea should be top priority. Have you tried driving down Wilshire during rush hour.
We can deal with this problem like The Simpsons' Springfield dealt with a similar transportation issue!
"Monorail! Monorail! Monorail!"
We don't need to buy highway-adjacent land or lose capacity. The trains could just be suspended above traffic.
concrete rivers or ?
Ever look at a map and notice all the old spillways everywhere around LA? Or drive near or next to one and notice how it goes to most places in LA?
I am not one to condone just shutting down what is left of the green spaces that are left in LA, but finding a solution that does not require buying net right-of-way thru LA is the only way to get us to a reasonable mass transit solution.
Put a train above the 100 year flood line? Put a train on elevated tracks to keep it completely away from the bike trails and other green spaces that surround (some) of the spillways. I know that not all spillways are appropriate, but it would be nice to have a cleaner, safer, LA that was not always stuck in traffic spewing everywhere.
Still don't see it? What if there was a way to put all the trucks from the port of LA out in the desert and we only ran freight trains from the port to unload into the train/truck network east of LA? Imagine no more large trucks? hmmm..could they move thru these basically unused spillways? (yes above the 100 year flood mark, no one wants a truck stuck in a flood)
I was startled again today by reading more on the mta.net web seti...I wrote this today, as I saw one of the other creative solutions get knocked down...that was close down lanes on major highways and force mass transit. Hmm...sounds like many places in the world...car ownership low, pollution lower, stress low....I understand the state DOT has regulations on reducing/replacing lanes, but why are we electing these officials if they are not willing to go to the state to fight for us?
So, that leaves me with my strange and creative idea for now...maybe by adding the strange it won't fall into the "too creative" category and someone will do more than shoot it down before we brainstorm around the idea...
http://moremasstransit.blogspot.com/
A lot of people suggest more parking spaces. The only problem is that there is a limit to the number of cars to park due to the size of the automobile.
Why not go healthier and create bicycle parking spots instead? I've seen these in Japan and they are very efficient.
Bikes are smaller so they take up less space, and they are lighter so you can stack them up two or three high.
Bikes are also cheap so you can buy two - one to go from home to station, and the other from station to work. Revenue can be made by renting out "bike rack space" for as little as $5 per month.
Also think about how many bikes one can fit in an average parking lot? One can fit at least 6~7 bikes easily in one car space!
As an added benefit, people will be commuting healthier. And trust me, we Americans need more exercise!!!
I imagine LA building another main hub station, similar to how New York City has Penn Station and Grand Central.
Like many have stressed, not all Angelinos work or live in downtown LA. Quite frankly, I see no reason why the majority of Angelinos having the need to go to Union Station. Instead, we should rather focus on reducing cars along the other overlooked but densely populated region - the West side.
How about building a new Los Angeles Metro Station adjacent to LAX? While at it, let's make call this station as LAX Central and make it a hub for all our transportation needs, including the California High Speed Rail (whenever that's gonna be made)!
1. It'll alleviate the long distance bus service needed to go from LAX to Union Station
2. The LAX Central Station can be used as an efficient high-speed rail hub, drastically reducing the need for connecting commuter flights to San Diego, Santa Barbara, Fresno, San Francisco, and Sacramento.
3. It could be a potential hub for all West side city rails such as the Green Line and the Pink Line.
4. A big bus terminal (Greyhound, Amtrak buses, local and commuter buses) can also be added so we can have all the best of our transportation needs (air, bus, rail) in one spot!
Hi. The trains and buses should really run later at night and into the morning, especially up until 2:30 am. This would cut back on a lot of drunk driving. It would also ensure that people don't get stranded on the street until 5-6 am if they miss the last bus/train. It sucks to sleep in the bushes.
I imagine a rail system in the san fernando valley(between the 118 and the 101.
I Imagine a rail system from the San Fernando valley to westwood and beaches.
I imagine a rail system throughout the beaches of California.
I imagine a rail system throughout california.
I Imagine a highspeed train throughout the united states.
For those of us in the "Valley," I would like to see a few things:
1. I know a lot of money went into the Orange line, But why a bus? Can you eventually make it a subway or light rail that stretches from the Chatsworth Amtrak/Metrolink station under Canoga Ave to the Warner Center and then along the present Orange Line to the terminus of the Red Line in N. Hollywood, but the Orange Line should continue on through to Burbank, Burbank Airport, Glendale, and then into Pasadena where it could meet with the Gold Line somewhere. (also continue the Gold Line out to Montclair like planned so those of us with business in the inland empire can do so without bad traffic).
2. A subway line that follows mostly Sepulveda Blvd that starts close to or north of the I-5/CA-14 interchange all the way down to LAX. With major stops at Van Nuys Airport, the Orange Line, Ventura Blvd, UCLA (somewhere on the north side and the south side) and LAX.
3. A light rail like the green/gold lines that follows the 101 from the Terminus of the Orange Line at the Warner Center all the way out to Westlake Blvd (CA-23) and US-101 (the Ventura/LA County line along the 101) Might have to go underground until the line gets to the Woodland Hills/Calabasas border.
For those of us in the "Valley," I would like to see a few things:
1. I know a lot of money went into the Orange line, But why a bus? Can you eventually make it a subway or light rail that stretches from the Chatsworth Amtrak/Metrolink station under Canoga Ave to the Warner Center and then along the present Orange Line to the terminus of the Red Line in N. Hollywood, but the Orange Line should continue on through to Burbank, Burbank Airport, Glendale, and then into Pasadena where it could meet with the Gold Line somewhere. (also continue the Gold Line out to Montclair like planned so those of us with business in the inland empire can do so without bad traffic).
2. A subway line that follows mostly Sepulveda Blvd that starts close to or north of the I-5/CA-14 interchange all the way down to LAX. With major stops at Van Nuys Airport, the Orange Line, Ventura Blvd, UCLA (somewhere on the north side and the south side) and LAX.
3. A light rail like the green/gold lines that follows the 101 from the Terminus of the Orange Line at the Warner Center all the way out to Westlake Blvd (CA-23) and US-101 (the Ventura/LA County line along the 101) Might have to go underground until the line gets to the Woodland Hills/Calabasas border.
Imagine adding Los Angeles County transit feeds to Google's Transit Planner so we can use Google Maps and the Public Transit option to get directions between points.
Forget about extending the gold line to Monclair or extending the orange line to Chatsworth. The percentage of people taking those stretches will never justify the cost. What we need are lines direct lines that tie the Pasadena region to Glendale or Burbank train stations. We also need a dedicated line that runs thru Wilshire and/or Pico that connects to the red line or around Wilshire stop at downtown. And if you really want a rail to the sea, consider having the end of the line go to LAX from Union Square. And there is no dedicated line that ties San Fernando Valley to Westwood either. In order to go from Van Nuys to Santa Monica, you get stuck on the 405 every single day. How about running a dedicated line on Sepulveda? And how to pay for it? Well first of all, stop this honor system of bus rides. Enforce people to pay when they get on the bus/train by having everyone get in from the front of the bus and everyone has to swipe a speed pass which they prepaid. This is the 21st century. Even Mobil gas station has speed past. This is more profitable than randomly catch them at checkpoints. And raise a 2 cents tax, if it ease congestion anywhere, I am all for it.
Please forget about having anymore subways in LA. Why are we digging tunnels for our mass transit. LA is build on top of active faults. Having any more things underground is digging yourself a mass grave. Please consider having something above ground like a monorail That will cost less.
The purple line is such an obvious place to focus. Ever since that ridiculous legislation was overturned, preventing further building along Wilshire, it should have been put into high gear...but I don't see anything in the news about plans to extend it. Will you please fast track it and get the rest of the Westside connected? It would probably be the busiest line in the whole system if it were to extend to Santa Monica.
Priorities:
- Downtown rail connector to permit single-seat rides
- Complete Expo Phase 2 with continuous bikeway through Cheviot Hills
- Subway-to-the-Sea under Wilshire
- Direct rail into LAX
- Critical traffic improvements including interchange rationalization and completion of the 710-210 connection as a self-financed toll tunnel under Pasadena (traffic-free life will not be possible for many residents for a long time, so we must make the best of it)
I imagine being able to travel from the San Fernando Valley to the San Gabriel Valley on a subway or light rail without having to go to Union Station to make the connection. A direct line connecting the two valleys would be very convenient and would definitely increase ridership, which in turn would decrease traffic on the highways.
I realize the enormous cost of expanding railways, but MTA could pursue advertising opportunities a little more aggressively. I don't see the point of hanging MTA posters that do not create revenue when that space can instead hang movie ads or similar ads seen on buses.
Another problem that needs resolution is parking at the Norwalk station. what's the point of offering a rail system if people can't use it b/c they can't find a parking space?
this is a small suggestion, but one that would be relatively easy to implement, and might encourage more people to bike as well as ride metro. so most metro stations have bike racks, and some have "bike lockers," which are rented annually for a fee. personally, i would ride my bike to my nearest metro station, but would be nervous about leaving it all day on a bike rack. however, i don't have a regular enough commute to really justify renting a locker for an entire year. why not enact some sort of a coin op bike locker system, where people can pay a certain amount to lock up their bike just for the day? i'm thinking the kind of locker where the keys are in the lock until you insert the right amount of coins, and then it releases. the inside of the locker could be a tall vertical space with a wall mounted bike rack on it, to save space.
this sort of a system makes much more sense to me than renting a locker for an entire year, and from the statistics on the metro site, these lockers are being pretty underutilized. and the $25 dollar annual fee from renting a bike for a year is pretty cheap. they could probably make more money by renting them on a daily basis!
In addition to more local rail lines, there need to be more Metrolink-style inter-city rail lines which will, of course, allow easy connections to the local lines.
I could commute from the South Bay to my job in Pasadena by taking the Green line to the Blue line to the Red line to the Gold line, but it would take around three hours (not counting the time it takes to get to and from the train stations at either end) whereas driving takes only about an hour. A Metrolink-like train which does not make local stops, or even express trains with limited stops along the Metro lines, would reduce the transit time considerably for those of us who have 30 -- 60 mile commutes. (Sorry, moving closer to my job is not a realistic option unless the housing market totally tanks.)
I imagine being able to get almost anywhere in LA County within an hour.
How? Build 2 systems.
System 1 takes you from one point to another point at least 12 miles away, maybe as far as 30 miles away. It takes you there fast without any stops. It uses its own tracks, unlike the Metrolink, or elevated lanes without red lights, unlike the Orange line.
System 2 is designed to take you anywhere within a 5 or 6 mile radius within half an hour on Rapid lines or within a whole hour on regular lines.
Basically, System 2 can be our existing and expanding service as we know it.
System 1 would need to be built. Expensive and dramatic, sure, but imagine launching someone in Long Beach to a connection in Santa Monica in a few minutes, then to a connection to the Valley a few minutes later. Or maybe someone in Pomona to Downtown to Westwood. Huge, fast leaps followed by local service... almost like how the Internet works across the globe.
Imagine buses that actually run on time and can be relied upon for the commute to work.
Number one: TRANSFERS KILL. Design your system to reduce the number of transfers.
It seems to me the rail system we have could work a lot better with just a few improvements that should have been in the original plan.
The green line:
1) Should have a stop inside LAX, period. No transferring to a bus to get to the airport. It is embarassing that our transit system went that close to our largest airport and stopped.
2) Should be extended to the MetroLink station in Norwalk. Again this is so people don't have to hop onto a bus. Make it a subway past the 605 if the land is too expensive.
The red line:
1) Should go all the way to the beach. The blue line takes you to walking distance to the shore, so should the red line.
The Blue line:
1) Should have gone all the way to Pasadena without having to swap to the red-line in downtown. Can't change it now without being stupid, so at least run the blue-line tunnels out to Union station to cut down on the number of transfers.
also:
There should be another rail line along the length of the 405. Put park-and-ride all along the 405 and you've got something that will quickly reduce traffic along it's length, and as a bonus it would connect with 3 other rails (the red, the green, and the blue). Yes this is expensive, but if you really want to change Los Angeles, you need projects like this. In fact, I'm of the opinion that if you put a rail along the 405, you should put 4 rails, not 2, and have two of those tracks be "high-speed" or "low stops" so you can get from the valley to the border of Orange county without dealing with 50 stops.
Dare I imagine that the metro people would actually listen to the riders?
If so, it means they would improve the signage so you could easily see which train goes which way. For example, on the red line, you have to look around carefully to be sure of the train's direction.
And couldn't you label the Red Line Wilshire train so it's more obvious that it isn't the North Hollywood train?
In summary, take a close look at how visible your signs are. Thanks.
i Live in Sherman Oaks (25 years) and imagine the Red Line continuing To Woodland Hills Along Ventura Blvd. I also imagine Rail or rapid service from the San Fernano Valley to the San Gabriel Valley taking metro to Pasadena from Sherman Oaks is painful. I have always Imagined a Subway from The San Fernando Valley along Sepulveda all the way to Redondo Beach with a stop at LAX of course. Chicago's Rail goes right into the both O'Hare and Midway Airports.
I live in Long Beach and choose not to own a car. I don't mind riding the trains and buses, but it does often take quite a while to get where I want to go and sometimes there are limited or no transportation options for specific places. Ideally, I'd like to be able to quickly and easily get from Long Beach to anywhere in the county, using light rail as a backbone for the bulk of my travel but if necessary transferring to buses for the last part of the trip.
Specifically:
1) Normalize fare prices in Los Angeles County. This may require incorporating all the community transit systems, such as Long Beach, Santa Monica, Foothills, etc, into the MTA system. Keep fare prices simple - the Zone system right now is clunky and intimidating. Offer all transit options for the county on one Monthly or Yearly pass, rather than having to purchase passes for, say Long Beach ($40+) and MTA (another $60+). I avoid paying for two passes by using my bike to get to and from the Long Beach stations, but this is not always feasible.
2) Work to eliminate "transit shadow" areas. While it is possible to take pub trans from Long Beach to the neighboring community of Torrance, for example, this short distance can take an hour and a half by bus.
3) Outlying communities such as Glendale/Burbank, San Dimas, Santa Monica, etc, should be connected via rail - and there should be multiple transfer points instead of making riders travel to Downtown before heading out in an opposite direction.
4) Provide light rail transit to the Valley. This should be a priority.
5) Make searching for transportation routes easier. Why do we have to specify whether or not we want to include rail transit when we search for route information on the website? If it's a better option than long bus rides, it should be automatically included in your results. Adding Metrolink to this would be ideal. Anything that can be done to make this easier for all people should definitely be done.
6) Follow OCTA's example and put up detailed route maps at bus stops. Nothing is more frustrating than being somewhere with a lot of bus traffic and not being able to tell which bus to take because there is no route map. Especially after your help line has closed.
7) On that note, please provide more 24 hour or late night service to outlying areas. And extend train service to after 2 am. Perhaps allowing drunken riders to ride home after hitting the bars may make Metro unsafe, but more worrisome is allowing these club goers to drive home in that condition. I have several times turned down evening activities because returning would be difficult if not impossible late at night.
8) Since we're imagining here, I imagine some sort of bike transportation system on our light rail system. I bring my bike on the train all the time, and finding room is often difficult and frustrating, even in non-peak hours. This is stressful not only to me as a cyclist, but also for other riders who feel trapped or crowded by my bike. Please find a solution. Many people will not ride if they are highly uncomfortable during the trip.
9) In the short-term, please note that after "rush hour" peak times trains become both *shorter* in number of cars, and *less frequent* By the time the train comes, the crowd waiting at the station is often as large as during peak times. Either provide more frequent trains during these hours, or lengthen trains back to peak time amounts.
10) Don't be afraid to charge more for your services, or to raise taxes to cover budget expenses. People may complain now, but the benefits will be far reaching. Don't let the car-culture that stunted our public transit system in the past cripple our city for the future.
Thank you for asking for and listening to our opinions on this matter. I am looking forward to major improvements in our public transportation system in the coming years.
Oh yes, VERY IMPORTANT - provide light rail connections directly to LAX and other area airports. Not sure why this is such a problem.
Imagine that the Metro buses show up on time? That the bus was actually clean and the drivers kept the air conditioning on. Specifically the 704 route going eastbound. I can sit and imgagine for the over 1 hour I wait while standing on Santa Monica & Barrington, waiting for the 704 to even arrive on time. A bus that shows up on time.....just imagine.
Here's my imagination:
FINISH THE PURPLE LINE! The 720 "sardine bus" that is standing room only at all hours of day and night is crazy. I don't even live or work on the westside and I would still use it regularly.
Connect up ALL the rail lines that go downtown to meet at Union Station. This seems like it should be simple--why couldn't the Blue Line tracks simply merge into the Red Line tracks at 7th Street? Are the two trains really THAT incompatible? It would seem much cheaper to modify the existing tunnels to accept both light and heavy rail than to try to build a new tunnel. Then modify the Civic Center, Pershing Square, and Union stations to accept the extra trains and foot traffic.
After that's done, the trains need to be re-scheduled and re-routed to make more sense. How many people are really going to take a train from Pasadena west into downtown, and THEN east again into Boyle Heights? What would make so much more sense would be to combine the Blue and Gold lines--one seat from Pasadena to Long Beach (maybe finish I-710 so drivers could do the same thing), and then combine the new Eastside Gold Line with the Expo Line to go one seat from Boyle Heights to Culver City. A north-south line, and an east-west line, plus the subways to NoHo AND SANTA MONICA. Then it starts to make some sense instead of all these confusing transfers that have no relation to directions that people would actually GO.
Next most important should be a "405 Line" to connect the Valley, the Westside, the airport, and the South Bay. It could be built in stages: first from Aviation Station north through LAX to Santa Monica, meeting the Expo and Purple Lines, then over, under, through or around the Sepulveda Pass to at least Van Nuys to meet the Orange Line. Finally, a southern Green Line extension from West Nowhere station (I mean Redondo Beach station) down to the South Bay Galleria, Torrance, and Long Beach to meet the Blue Line somewhere around Del Amo or Wardlow Stations, and maybe eventually even to Orange County. Yes it's a big project but has anyone driven on the 405 lately?
After construction, it also could use a re-routing. The Green Line shouldn't go to Redondo Beach--if you've ever ridden it past Aviation Station, it becomes a ghost train very quickly. It should turn north and end at LAX, where it would meet a single, one-seat north-south "Sepulveda Line" or "405 Line" where passengers can choose to go north or south.
On the eastern end of the Green Line, both it and the I-105 freeway should be extended east into Norwalk to meet the Metrolink and the I-5 freeway, respectively. Really, what gives there? Both transit riders and drivers then would have a much more direct link between LAX and Orange County.
Finish the extra couple of miles of the CA-2 freeway to connect it directly to US-101 downtown. This would ease traffic both on the antiquated CA-2/I-5/CA-110 interchange, and free up gridlocked Alvarado Street through Echo Park. THEN spend the money and bring the East L.A. interchange (I-5/I-10/US-101/CA-60) up to modern specs. It's a traffic nightmare and tremendously confusing to navigate, for residents and especially for visitors. Also, perhaps Metro could use their clout with Caltrans to finally get the exit numbers installed on L.A. County freeway signs. That should be cheap, and would drastically cut down driver confusion, especially with tourists and visitors.
Do the San Gabriel Valley a favor and give them their Gold Line already. In the original plan, it was supposed to reach Claremont by 2009. Yes, maybe there are higher priorities, but really. One station at a time. Inch it out there.
Give the Orange Line buses traffic signal priority! Why they built that as a busway is beyond me, but at least make it a sensible, decent busway and speed up travel times by treating those buses like the "trains on rubber wheels" that you want the riders to treat them as. While you're at it, do the same thing for the Blue Line--there is no reason that ride should have to take an hour other than the traffic jams on Long Beach Blvd.
I also envision a Rapid Bus from Sierra Madre Villa to North Hollywood, providing a direct connection between the Valleys. Making people go through Hollywood is crazy. It could follow Colorado Blvd to San Fernando Road, to Burbank Blvd, serving downtown Glendale and downtown Burbank. Perhaps eventually an eastern extension of the Orange Line to Pasadena?, and another rail line or at least dedicated busway from Glendale to Union Station? With a Dodger Stadium stop (AT the stadium, not a mile from it).
I'd like to see more 24-hour service, on both buses and trains. I'd like to see better bus stops, with benches and shelters and readable signs. I'd like to see LA get its butt onto Google Transit. I'd like to see the EZ Pass system implement a Day Pass for ALL transit instead of just Metro. I'd like to see TAP implemented on more municipal lines, and have EZ Passes sold on TAP cards.
Finally, one last small request. I would like to see padded seats on buses. They don't have to be fancy; the style used on the Orange Line Metro Liners are fine, but they should be installed on all buses. Bus rides are harsh enough without rock-hard seats.
Okay, that's my rant. I mean vision. May we live to see it come true.
I imagine that building more rail is essential to the survival of this region. Subway to the sea, service to LAX, something (light rail, subway, monorail, anything) through the Sepulveda pass, services connecting Santa Clarita, Riverside, Orange County, etc. to Los Angeles are essential to our well-being (physical and mental).
I also imagine that the planning and approval process for any major public works process is going to take years from concept to construction (not to mention completion).
I imagine that with the State continually dipping into the transit accounts to balance the budget the funds needed to build and operate these services will never be sufficient.
I imagine that gas will reach $10 a gallon in about a year (look at Europe) and more and more people will consider riding the bus.
I imagine that when that happens Metro and other municipal bus operators will be at a disadvantage because people will want more service, more buses, and shorter travel times and buses will still be sitting in traffic. Even at $10/gallon we need to get a lot of cars off the road to make a difference in traffic.
On the positive side I imagine that if people let their elected officials know that better transit service is needed in the short-term (i.e., sooner than rail can be built) that some brave politician might have the guts to propose, fight for, and see through to completion a simple transit-enhancing, low cost solution: peak-hours (7-9a.m., 4-7 p.m.?) parking restrictions on major thoroughfares to create bus-only lanes enabling buses (and dial-a-ride vehicles only) to travel at faster speeds. Many streets have peak-hour restrictions to allow traffic to use the curb lane so why not try dedicating these lanes to buses?
I imagine this is easier (relatively), faster and cheaper to achieve than any rail line but is only one-step in the evolution of the region's transportation network. Rail is still essential.
I imagine that if we want to stretch existing transit funds we need to remove buses from the traffic that delays them. If a bus can travel faster from beginning to end it can make more trips in the same time -- more service without an operating cost increase. Improved on-time performance, increased reliability, faster travel times, all from a change in how the road is used.
I imagine that if bus riders and potential bus riders let their elected officials at all levels of government know that they want them to stop robbing transit for non-transit related purposes that sufficient money will exist to expand bus service until rail can be built.
I imagine that if we start now maybe something can happen in the next 12-24 months to implement these peak hour lanes to enhance transit.
I imagine that as more people turn to the bus, riders will gain more clout to get the services they need now while we move on a separate track to build rail.
Reading the above, I'm glad to see most of my visions have been covered.
I think the most important thing I can re-hash, then, is that in the end, getting a legitimate transit system in L.A. (rail) is about funding.
Car travel -- impose taxes, tariffs, fees and fines. I don't care. I'm a driver, and I don't care ... as long as you put the money towards rail. Divert funds from all this highway expansion garbage; I don't want a reason to continue tolerating the freeway, I want a reason to get OFF of it.
Raise all the funds you need, but if the money is wasted, I'm leaving for the sweet subways of New York.
The Orange Line is fantastic, except that often the buses are running at timetable speeds or encountering speed restrictions, resulting in moving on an open right-of-way slower than nearby traffic (like 25mph). Orange Line buses are frequently stopping for signals with absolutely zero cross traffic while they wait (such as Ethel Ave, the service road east of Woodley, Corteen Pl, and ped crossings with no one there). Please fix these problems. Those buses should be hauling along that open road at 60mph at least. What's with the old granny speeds on a dedicated right-of-way we paid for? Also, please extend each end to connect to Metrolink at each endpoint of that existing right-of-way.
Imagine a transportation system run by people with Vision. We need visionaries that can build a system that is useful and actually will get people out of their cars. Every major city in the world has a subway system that really helps. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that buses add slower moving traffic to conjested streets. Above ground rail lines get hit by cars and although may be cheaper short term have many deadly consequences. Not to mention they are noisier and ugly. Anyone who has taken the subway vs buses or light rail can confirm it is far superior. They don't get hit by cars, clog streets or get caught up in traffic jams, and they're faster. If there is a traffic jam on Hollywood blvd. the subway keeps on moving. When building a transit system for the second largest city in the country it makes sense to do it right. Has there been a study to see if anyone actually gets out of their car to take that ridiculous orange line? Let's stop wasting money on short term band-aids and do it right. The subway to the sea is long over due. Imagine a city with a transportation system that people actually use, and that goes places people acutally want to go. Yes a subway system. If you've ever been to New York, Washington DC or Philidelphia, you'd know they work! Subways work. If other cities can fund them so can we. Finally: Am I really going to get out of my car if it takes me two or three times as long to get where I'm going? That's what happens when the system is disconnected and disjointed. IE: getting off a bus and then running to catch the next leg of your journey that is far away. Visionaries see ease, connectivity and flow. Imagine public transit officials that actually took a moment to see the BIG picture for the greater good of Los Angeles.
I imagine LA putting more money into rail instead of more highway projects. Why would anyone want to add more lanes when the objective is to REDUCE car ridership?
The 405 carpool lane expansion project is a prime example. Why didn't you guys use that extra money to build a rail through the middle instead of more lanes? Just imagine how many cars you would've reduced by running a rail through it!
What the people at Metro should realize is that "rail isn't for decentralized areas" just don't cut it anymore. They need to realize the problem areas (congested freeways) as a basis for rail projects. The 10, the 5, the 405, the 110, the 605, the 705 - it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that these freeways are always congested during peak hours. Shouldn't this fact give a clue that these are the places where rail lines needs to be built?
Raise taxes, fees, corporate funding, whatever. Just build these ASAP before its too late. In fact, we already are!!
How about encouraging bike use by putting in public bikes?
The idea seems to be gaining popularity in Europe and gradually percolating to the US (see the NY Times article)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/us/27bikes.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=bicycle-sharing&s&oref=slogin
Also, educated the public (especially drivers) to be sympathetic to bikers on the streets, so that the biking experiance is more enjoyable and less hazardous.
I live near USC, and have used METRO busses to go to an internship in Wilshire and an internship in Marina Del Rey.
My experiances, particularly on the bus to Wilshire, were rather unpleasant because the busses seemed to draw a rather rough, malodorous crowd. I can understand why a professional would be unwilling to commute to work via public transportation in L.A.
This statement is meant to be honest, not discriminatory. I sympathize with those who use the bus out of necessity. However, what about offering a seperate, more expensive service that targets individuals who would go metro, but are put off by the ordeal as it is today?
Perhaps its possible to establish a "premier" line, costlier but also more comfortable than the typical bus commute.
I just used public transportation for the very first time here in LA this past weekend, and was shocked to see how inefficient things were. First off, there was absolutely NO REASON for me to buy a ticket at all. No one on the train checked for tickets at any point, and there were no ticket gates at ANY of the stations. I saw numerous people get on and off the train without paying a thing, and I could have just as easily done the same. What's the point of building all these new stations if you're not even going to make sure people are buying tickets?
Second, it's bad enough that the trains have to defer to road traffic in areas like Long Beach, but do riders also need to be subjected to train operator changes as well? Our train operator got off at the LB transit mall so that another operator could take over, and they weren't exactly quick about making the switch. Speed it up already!
Third, after getting out of LB, it turned out that the track was under some sort of repair IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY ON A WEEKEND, and all riders had to disembark to get on a crowded bus which took us to the next operating station where we all had to wait for another train, adding more time and inconvenience to the trip. What is LA Metro thinking? This only creates an "only when absolutely necessary" mindset within first-time riders like myself. That kind of procedure needs to be done outside of main operation hours.
In total, it took us over two hours just to get from Long Beach to Union station. That is unacceptable in this day and age. If LA Metro really is serious about making things better and more convenient, I suggest each and every one of your employees get on a plane to Tokyo or Osaka in Japan so you can all see what public transportation in a major metropolitan area is supposed to be like.
There should be a subway from the Universal City Station down Ventura Blvd. to at least the 405, so that: that important commercial corridor is serve; people can connect to the heavily traveled Van Nuys Blvd. artery; and commuters could reach a possible north-south Rapid line at the 405 station, which in turned would then connect with an expanded red or purple line to the westside.
The Crenshaw Blvd. light rail should connect to the Expo, and it should go through heavy traffic corridors, not across land that Metro just happens to own.
Whatever you do, build it where the system has a chance to work; where people will use it; don't make it difficult or inconvenient to use, because then you're saving money on a money-draining service, not one that can make money and serve the public good.
I have more to add to my previous comment.
The blue line should become a subway after Willow station through downtown Long Beach, or it should have it's own elevated platform through Long Beach, either one or the other.
It should also become a subway at washington station in the north side. Making these lines weave through car traffic turns them into busses, which is silly.
I haven't looked at the expo line construction, but if you're building it at ground level, that is a mistake. I realize building materials are expensive these days, but we're not talking about a small town here. This is Los Angeles, and it is spread out. It *MUST HAVE* efficient public transportation to survive.
It seems everyone is quickly adopting to a conflation of green and class politics at such neck-jerking speed a few details fall through the cracks of our day-to-day commutes. Things like forgetting to pack a lunch, leaving the headlights on at the MTA parking lot, or leaving the
bus pass in the other pants' back pocket.
That indispensable item needed to prove we've paid our fare has become more important to most of us than our drivers license or id. I suspect the Sheriff Department sees more bus passes on a daily basis than the other cards. That is a drag, all around.
I don't know what committee or group planned our MTA subway and rail system but it suffers from the age old Southern California illness responsible for what Mike Davis calls the City of Quartz. The biggest pit, and I'm grateful for the otherwise brave efforts, is showing proof of purchase to the cops. I admittedly do not know the machinations of the MTA, both public and private, but using tax money to criminalize and surveil pedestrians seems wasteful in the least.
I know LA casual comes closer to our civil identity than anything else but playing the honor system and then following with armed force is not good design.
I live in Burbank but I go all the way to school in Pacific Palisdes.It ould be greatly appreciated if you could make a subway coming and going from Pacific Palisades to the Burbank area.
I live fourteen miles from my Summer School teaching assignment in Van Nuys. The daily cash fare is less than the monthly pass because of the date restriction of the monthly pass.
I would like to be able to get to work in thirty minutes or less, preferably by rail.
I would like to see the monthly pass change to limit the pass to 30 calendar days of use from the first time the pass is used. This would make it, perhaps, a viable option for working people who also own cars.
I've been taking the bus for 5 years now and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the light rail system.
I can get anywhere I need to without a lot of stress, but it really needs to be expanded throughout all of downtown LA and the San Gabriel and San Fernando Valleys. It's a fantastic idea to get people out of their cars, but it's not big enough.
I also imagine it to run much later, even 24/7. To do that would help stop DUI arrests and possibly even alcohol-related accidents, since there would be a way for people to get home safely if they have been drinking.
It's a reality in Europe, why not here? Would that ever come to fruition?
I can imagine smaller lighter rail system lke the MUNI in San Francisco, connnecting comminities together and to the Metro system. IE: Something that loops from the Redline and runs under silverlake, hollywood and west hollywood, beverly hills to brentwood (UCLA).
I live near the Long Beach area. I used to commute for one year to UCLA via car...taking me almost 2 hours in rush-hour traffic to get to UCLA. I have always dreamt of a light rail that would easily take me to the west side. I have taken the Green line a few times (once to LAX and other times to work) and i think it's the most effecient form of public transportation....I absolutely love it! I was surprised at how smoothly and easily I got to LAX. Now that I'm going to go back to UCLA, I'm looking into taking light rail...but with much hassle....I'd have to take 3 rail lines and 2 buses. Los Angeles and MTA has to seriously consider rail that goes parallel to the 405 fwy. or that will take us into the west side/Santa Monica. I hope it happens in my lifetime....I'm only 25. Not to sound pessimistic, but I think there are too many regulations and too much bureaucracy do get anything done. I hope officials will realize the true need for this.
The non-Westside county supervisors are not in favor of the "subway to the sea" because they think it will not benefit their constituents. I live in Pasadena and work in Santa Monica so it would benefit this constituent and I would imagine there are many others like me who work on the Westside but live elsewhere.
The jobs are on the Westside but the affordable housing is not. The
traffic is bad enough but now with the high gas prices, it is just
getting to be too expensive to live in LA period. I know five former co-workers who have moved their families to more user-friendly cities like Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, etc.. These are people we want to stay in LA; young, educated, law abiding, civic minded and fun loving. They could not afford to live on the Westside to raise a family but they did not
want to commute like me from Pasadena. They wanted to see their kids grow up. I rarely get to see my 7-month old son. I wake up early and get home late thanks to traffic. And now with the gas prices, I really don't know what to do.
According to experts, the freeway crawl is THE most inefficient fuel
economy mode for a car. The fuel savings, the quality of life
improvements, the reduction of gridlock, the healthier air and the
ability to live in affordable areas and commute to the jobs, far
out-weigh the cost of a subway, not metaphorically, but in real economic dollars. How much money do you think it costs the 10 freeway commuters to pay for gas in a year? How about thirty years? Far more than $5 billion dollar price tag to extend the purple line. A national study estimates that drivers wasted 2.9 billion gallons of fuel while sitting in traffic. Together with the lost time, traffic delays cost the nation $78.2 billion in ONE year at 2004 gas prices - so today we waste over $300 billion a year on gas. And then add in the quality of life benefits, the air quality benefits, and the business benefits thanks to greater productivity.
Money spent on gas benefits no one. That money could be spent within our local economy. So factor in that as well; lost revenue to local
businesses thanks to higher gas prices.
So if you look at it from a real-life perspective, $5 billion is a small price to pay. This is Los Angeles, for goodness sakes, not some po-dunk town with no business building a Metro system. This is one of richest, most powerful cities in the world. We should be leading the way, not
dragging our feet.
If you do not live on the Westside but would like to see the purple line completed, please contact your local supervisor and let them know.
i imagine a metro where the tv monitors in the stations actually display the time of the next arriving train instead of always just saying "train" and being blank.
i imagine a mta where the major (if not most) bus stops display the bus line # and estimated time of arrival of the next buses (like in the city of madrid, spain). or where you could get this information via mobile phone.
i imagine a more expansive metro.
i imagine a better planned and systematic approach to ticketing and checking for tickets. having metro police at major junctions blocking the path when one is running to catch the next train is not a great idea and creates chaos and bottlenecking of traffic. again, look to the metro system in the cities of europe for better ideas.
I take the Metro green line and blue line from the south bay to DowntownLA every weekday and I have noticed some non-expansion, but important issues that need to be addressed.
I think Metro needs to go to the Bay Area and observe BART, AC Transit and Muni, and bring a similar system to LA, but 10 times better (because the Bay Area has its issues also).
The big issue is that transferring from train to train is hard to do in a timely manner.
1. Connections like the Blue line and Green line should transfer smoothly and not with everyone sprinting for the train. This means that instead of speeding up and pulling off 10 seconds later, some blue line and green line trains would be coordinated with each other to wait at least one minute before taking off allowing everyone to transfer in a timely and safe manner. I have almost been run over by other patrons a few time as they jump and sprint to catch the 8:17 northbound blue line at the imperial/wilmington station from the east bound 8:08 green line train.
2. Like the Bay Area there should be an automated system for ticket and fare verification. Paying ticket inspectors and police officers wages to stand and stare at tickets all day is a waste of money. I realize LA is running on some sort of honor system, but it slows down your day if you have to pull your ticket or pass out randomly and its annoying. If an automated system with some sort of barcode reader it would make things a lot faster and you won't have to pull metro cops from the real crimes.
One thing I do like is the fares.
I know LA was not made to be a high capacity system, but the way gas prices are going it needs to become one.
Metro should make its service more efficient by getting automated machines to scan tickets instead of ticket inspectors and trains should wait at least a minute and a half at the stops where train routes intersect so that people can transfer quickly and safely.
Imagine having Metro Rail on the 405 Fwy from Van Nuys to Irvine.
Green line needs to be extended to Norwalk Metro Link Station.
More rail!!!
I commute from South Los Angeles to California State University Long Beach during the school year and am exhausted at the end of the day after being on public transportation for 1.5 to 2 hours -- one-way! There should really be some rail running East/West across Long Beach/South Bay into Orange County. A simpler way to obtain a student bus pass (like at our universities/colleges for example) would make our lives a bit less stressful too. Just a thought.
A line running through the South LA/Huntington Park/Maywood/ Bell areas would help a lot of the working class get around a lot easier.
Rail lines should go 24 hours. I've had a friend sleep on a sidewalk because the rail stopped running on him at an hour where college student are at their prime.
Putting up more bus shelters would be humane or something. Try standing in the hot sun/pouring rain after a long day's manual labor.
Finally, eliminate those annoying bus doors that you must pull to open. I've seen one-too-many of our elderly get pushed to the ground due to their sudden closure, not to mention the countless others who get caught in them.
If you listen to nothing I say, at least take this last point into consideration. Why should anyone get HURT while riding Metro???
Imagine all the cars and pollution we could eliminate from our roads if we have public transportation that meant the needs of our city. A city this size has no excuse. The westside is in desperate need of public transporation. I just started a job in Long Beach (and my lease in Santa Monica is not up for another 7 months so I can not move closer until then). So, I now commute 60 miles a day.
I have looked high and low for a public transportation option that won't take me three hours each way, but can not find anything. As I sit in traffic every afternoon, I wonder how many other people beside me would get off the road if they had that option.
After living in Glendale and commuting to the Westside, I agree with a lot of people stating that there needs to be some sort of line through the Sepulveda pass. It is absolutely ridiculous!!
Also, LA has a reputation for having such a horrible transit system, I think most people don't even bother to look into if its an option for them, since they assume (probably correctly) that it is not.
While I have very grand dreams & can imagine an L.A. with no cars at all -- just bikes, bus, rail, and pedestrians -- here's a small dream to start out with:
I imagine SIGNS next to the escalators in the metro stations asking STANDERS to stay to the right, and allowing WALKERS to ascend on the left (following the example of other subway cities -- D.C., London, etc). I'm a very polite person but I do get a little tired of saying Excuse Me, Excuse Me, Excuse Me all day.
It looks like a majority of people posting are in favor of more rail lines. That's great to see; the big problem with adding more rail is the cost. So here's some proposals to try to get the money needed for these projects.
First, and probably easiest to implement, is to change the fare
structure for the rail lines to distance-based pricing. If you're
driving your car from Santa Monica to Downtown LA, you'd expect to
pay more in gas then if you're just driving to Westwood. So it makes
sense that people would expect to pay more for a rail trip that
travels farther. Also, distance-based pricing is how it's done in other rapid transit systems (BART, Washington's Metro, etc).
Second, increase rates at parking lots throughout the city/county.
Make the rates automatically adjust for inflation. Mandate that the revenue generated from these rate increases could only be used for mass transit projects.
Along with this, increase the rates for parking meters so that they're comparable to the rates in nearby lots. Or better yet, REMOVE parking meters completely from certain areas. So many people
waste time and gas looking for free or cheap street parking. Make it
expensive for people to park at places so that transit actually
becomes a cheaper alternative.
I commute from Orange County to LAX every day, and I not only imagine but dream of a Green Line extension from the Norwalk Station to the Norwalk Metrolink Station. My time spent bridging the gap between these two train stations adds up to more total time than I spend on the Green Line and the Metrolink trains each day—as is the same with very many commuters traveling this corridor. I too believe that the Purple Line extension is a top priority, but I hope that at least this portion of the Green Line extension can also be on top of the Imagine list. Thanks!
I would take the goldline if it went from Pasadena to Monrovia. For 30 years I lived and worked in Pasadena taking a scooter or bike. Public transportation never has been appealing till now with high gas prices.
I imagine:
1. The Blue Line elevated south of 7th Street to Downtown Long Beach, or maybe even PCH (it's sad to see Light Rail wait for stoplights)
2. The Purple Line gets to Mid-City, Beverly Hills, Westwood and UCLA, greatly relieving Wilshire East of UCLA (while awaiting funding further west to the ocean)
3. The 710 connector tunnel to the 210 gets started ASAP; this will help the whole system and, like the Purple Line to UCLA, is way overdue
4. An $$$ grade separation, e.g. via tunnel, of the 5 Freeway exit from the 110 North in Downtown; no one even talks about this, which amazes me given the gridlock there (yes, our own 'Big Dig')
5. Better noise isolation of subway stops in the 210 and 105 medians
6. MagLev trains connecting a) LAX to Union Station, benefiting Downtown, and 2) LGB to LAX with a Blue Line transit point at, say, Wardlow - these would be expensive but we'd pay, at least sometimes, as would, more importantly, business travelers. This of course is about regional technology leadership, too.
I work in Manhattan Beach, live in Pasadena, and used to live in Long Beach. I am an Engineer with Northgrop Grumman, as well as a part-time Realtor with Sotheby's in Los Feliz, and I drive all over LA, frustrated (for example, these days I avoid Santa Monica, which I used to enjoy, due to the unbearable traffic and parking.)
Many people want to get out of their cars. And many people would be happy to put up with heavier traffic NOW if it meant convenient rail travel LATER.
Make building more rail top priority!
well i live in victor ville i imagine the metrolink line from lancaster coming over to victor ville or even apple valley i hate to drive 80 milles just to whatch the dodgers play or lakers play
or other trips to l.a.
With record high gas prices, people ARE turning to public transportation, only to be disappointed. In a city where people need to get around (and quickly), we need public transportation that can match that. To this end, we must (most importantly) increase rail lines. Riding the buses or even "rapid" buses is simply not enough; their service can not compete with light rail or heavy rail.
I hate to list priorities, because I believe that each of them NEED to be built, especially with the proposed sales tax increase. And, although I live in the San Gabriel Valley, I believe that the Westside and Central LA deserve higher priority in rail lines, since the areas are highly developed and have significantly lower car ownership.
1) The Green Line needs to be extended to LAX and to the Metrolink Station
2) The Expo Line needs to be built faster, and the funds secured for it to extend to Santa Monica
3) More than one rail line needs to connect to LAX
4) The Gold Line needs to be connected to the Ontario Airport
5) The Orange Line needs to be converted to a real rail line
6) The Purple Line needs to connect to the sea
7) A rail needs to connect to UCLA
I work in Whittier, which seems to be a very underserved city. I live in Tarzana, well served by Metro Rapid, local busses, and the Orange Line. I can get downtown in an hour, which seems reasonable when you figure you don't have to park a car. The Montebello 50 bus runs right to my work, but takes 90 minutes from downtown because it's a local, and it only runs every 30 minutes. There's the tradeoff: 2.5-3.5 hours on public transport vs. 1.5-2 hours in the car.
The solution? For starters, more Metro Rapid service. There are two busses whose routes could be extended to the Whittwood Mall, which now has a small bus terminal to accommodate them: the 711 along Florence, which currently ends at Garfield, and the 720 Wilshire and Whittier, which ends in Commerce. I would get on the 720 just north of the 7th St. Red Line station, or catch a 711 off the Blue Line, and be at work in an hour and 45 minutes. Could we try that, please?
A subway line along Wilshire from Wilshire & Western to Santa Monica station is an utmost priority. Why the city decided to stop rail construction at Wilshire & Western in the 1990's makes absolutely no sense. I remember there was political nonsense that stopped it. LA has one of the worst political systems/environments in the US -- second-biggest city in the US that allowed two NFL football teams to leave and has failed to acquire one since.
Also, a subway system that runs along the beach areas from Santa Monica to LAX would also be a great idea.
Imagining...coinless travel on all Metro bus lines and Metro travel booths at frequent tourist areas (Getty, Disneyland, etc). I've only been on the Red Line for two months, but the romance has begun..spread the word. Rail system work!
Extend the Gold line to Ontario Airport, lets not make the same mistake twice (Green line to LAX)
I live in Whittier and I still miss the old 470 line. I really would like to see the MTA extend the Metro Rapid 720 to Whittwood Center. Those Montebello buses are okay but it's not frequent and reliable as the MTA. (hoping that the MTA still remembers us whittierians folks)
The one thing that is an eye sore for me is seeing 5 different bus company signs on one pole. It's sick in my opinon! I remember 20 years ago all of those bus companys were RTD lines on 1 sign.
Consolidate all the municipal transit operations into the MTA, use one one pass (unlike the EZ pass) use the additional funds to create more rail and get out of the politics of the LA council.
The politics is the reasons why the RTD then MTA is in the position that it is in today...
i've lived in and traveled to a number of self-styled "global cities", it's clear that los angeles needs to improve its transit system if it wants to step up and be more than a metastasizing grayspace.
imagine expansion of hours to make downtown a viable late-night destination. imagine an intuitive pricing structure that doesn't require buying a new ticket to switch lines. imagine growing lines in the direction people and commerce require, i.e. the airport, the ocean, the near westside, the inner suburbs to the east. then imagine a citizenry that stops kvetching about taxes long enough to realize that if socal is to improve, all of us have got to chip in.
I imagine the Gold Line being expanded out to Claremont with convenient stops in every city between there and Los Angeles. I enjoy using Metro, but I currently have to pick it up in Pasadena. A Gold Line extension would eliminate this need and make my use of Metro services an almost daily occurrence. What's more, I'd even be willing to pay higher rail transit fees in order to fund such an extension. Go Metro!
I think it is also important to increase the hours of operation to keep drunk drivers off of our streets. Many people would use metro trains and buses to go to bars, clubs, and concerts if they could get home, but since the trains end at midnight and the buses take a lot longer to get home, people are driving home drunk. I think that if a few trains ran in the middle of the night (like once every 45 minutes), we'd save a lot of lives. I'd also like to see more express trains running and more subway cars during peak commute times.
I imagine Orange Line busses not stopping every two seconds, waiting at stop lights, not traveling at diffrent speeds and bunching up....I imagine rail for the Orange Line...not busses. Oh, and not having the Red Line trains break down twice in the same week.
How fantastic a line under Santa Monica Blvd all the way to the ocean would be! Wow. Id would never have to drive in LA again! And enjoy the ocean more than once a year like I do now.
half cent tax increase? totally! do it! but lets not increase mta leaders salaries, lets see immediate results with better express/rapid bus lines and new rail lines west to the ocean.
well what i think is that we should be able to have a metro rail line that would be able to take you all the way to the santamonica beach..that way anyone can go with no hesitation.
I'd like to see the green line connect to the Metrolink station. The shuttle connector between the two lines is extremely inefficient. It takes more time to ride 2 miles on the shuttle than to ride 15 miles on either train. That is just ridiculous!
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