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Who lost out in the freeway bond money derby? Starts with the San Bernardino County, then go to the San Gabriel Valley and rural areas of Northern and Central California. The Times Jeff Rabin and Dan Weikel offer this assessment of the losers: Commissioners approved funding for 55 projects out of 149 considered during the evaluation process. In Southern California, improvements to the obsolete 10-605 interchange were rejected as well as three interchange widenings on Interstate 10 through the Fontana area in San Bernardino County. The widenings are needed to accommodate carpool lanes.
Commissioners also sacrificed several key projects in rural areas to provide more funding for projects in major cities. Over the vehement objections of officials from the state’s north coast, the commission voted to divert $177 million from Mendocino County to other projects in Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area. It was a raw display of the political clout of the state’s highly populated urban areas.
As the day unfolded, other less populated counties would suffer a similar fate: San Luis Obispo County watched in vain as $58 million to widen a bridge on Highway 101 across the Santa Maria River evaporated. A recommendation that Imperial County get $29 million to build a freeway bypass in Brawley was rejected.
 (Image from Variety.com)
Is this bus poster too racy? The folks at the Santa Monica bus line apparently think so and have ordered them removed. According to Variety: That's the lesson the folks in the CW marketing department have learned the hard way. After spending a big chunk of change to plaster "Top Model" posters all over the sides of Santa Monica's Big Blue Buses, the company that runs the city-owned busline has decided to rip out all of the posters. Turns out that a number of people complained about the ads, and because the Big Blue Bus is a public entity, the company felt it had no choice but to pull them down.
The Frankin Avenue website comments: "When did the prudes take over Santa Monica?."
What do you think? Voice your opinion below by hitting the COMMENT button
The Times' Jeff Rabin reports that the California Transportation Commission has finally signed off on road projects it will fund with bond money:
The California Transportation Commission today approved $4.5 billion in bond funds for highway projects after stripping rural areas of long-sought road improvements in favor of the state’s highly congested urban areas. After weeks of extraordinarily intense lobbying, the commission voted unanimously to approve the first round of spending for congestion relief projects. The infusion of funds - the largest in decades - came from a massive $19.9 billion transportation bond approved by the state’s voters last November. Before a standing-room only crowd at the Irvine City Hall, the commission quickly voted to divert $177 million from a project in Mendocino County to Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area and $29 million from Imperial County to other Southern California projects. It was a raw display of the political clout of the state’s highly populated urban areas. The final package includes $1.2 billion for Los Angeles County, including construction of a carpool lane on the northbound San Diego Freeway from the Westside to the San Fernando Valley. The $730 million carpool lane alone devoured almost one-sixth of all the money allocated statewide.
The globalized economy is being felt acutely in the Inland Empire suburb of Colton, which is a rail crossroads for goods coming from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. "Colton Crossing" was established in 1882 but now is an unweildy junction for freight, Amtrak and Metrolink trains. Planners are now in the early stages of an expensive plan to reduce the rail bottleneck with a huge grade sepration. According to the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority: "Virtually all trains leaving or entering Southern California use this crossing."
But now there is news that the rail traffic is getting worse. The number of freight trains coming through the city is expected to skyrocket in the next decade, but officials think they have a plan to deal with the cargo explosion. Railroad and government officials are in the early stages of a $150 million to $200 million plan to eliminate the train bottleneck by putting one set of tracks above another. Currently, the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and the BNSF Railway lines cross each other at a grade south of Interstate 10 about a quarter-mile east of Rancho Avenue.
The traffic-related woes of a certain celebrity keep piling up. According to CNS: Paris Hilton will have to get around today without the $190,000 Bentley she bought herself for Christmas. The socialite was caught speeding on Sunset Boulevard with no headlights on about 11 last night and, when sheriff’s deputies found out her license was suspended, they impounded the blue 2007 Bentley Continental GTC, said Sgt. Duane Allen of the Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau. The 12-cylinder, 550-horsepower car, which retails for nearly $190,000, could be held for up to 30 days, he said.
When Hilton was arrested last year on suspicion of DUI, she was driving a $450,000 Mercedes McLaren.
Interstate 5 through the Grapevine was closed at around 5:45 a.m. because of icy road conditions.
 
They are calling it the "Sand-to-Disneyland," an idea for a transit line -- perhaps using rail -- that would connect the Happiest Place of Earth with Surf City. These are two huge Orange County tourist draws, and officials tell the Register that visitors are spending increasing amounts of time in traffic getting around: Officials from five cities in north and west Orange County are hoping to score up to $250,000 in grant money from the Orange County Transportation Authority to study the possibility of a transit service connecting the tourist destinations, possibly along an existing railroad corridor. "It's a difficult, long commute going from Huntington Beach to Anaheim, weaving through the cities," said David Webb, Surf City's deputy public works director. "The need for this is really strong. There's obviously a strong commuter connection, and the route connects two major tourism destinations."
Been on Harbor or Beach boulevards during rush hour lately? Some residents, however, worry that using existing rail lines would reduce their property values.
More proof (well, that might be stretching it) that there is such a thing as Awards Season gridlock. Jessica Coen, writing at vanityfair.com, blogs about the high and lows of being in L.A. for the Oscars. Here are two of the lows: • Hours of my life lost to stagnant traffic.
• Seeing valets' shoulders visibly sag when they saw that it was two nobodies in the Benz.
Another take on Oscar traffic comes from a Times opinion piece by Dani Klein Modisett.
When talking to reporters and editors at the Times, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters had a noncommittal response to the question of building the subway to the Westside. But according to Times reporter Duke Helfand: Peters struck a more optimistic tone about the extension in an appearance with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa outside a subway stop in Mid-Wilshire area. She told reporters that "this project is highly likely to be eligible for funding in the future." When reporters pressed Peters for details, Villaraigosa jumped in and declared: "That’s good enough for me."
How much support is there in Washington for the Subway to the Sea? With the $5 billion price tag, that's a key question. And despite a high-profile visit to L.A. today by the Secretary of Transportation, we still don't know the answer. Times Transportation Writer Jean Guccione reports: U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters rode the Los Angeles subway Tuesday morning to promote public transit but later would not commit federal funding to extend the line to the Westside.
"We don't know yet," she told editors and reporters at the Los Angeles Times. "What we want to look at is: What are the costs? What are the ridership projections? What is the cost-benefit of this project: How? When? Where? We have a lot of questions."
She said, "It would be wrong for me to prejudice a decision on this based on what we know today."
But she offered subway riders a glimmer of hope, noting the region's commitment to public transit: "If things line up appropriately, we probably would - but we don't know yet."
As for freeway commuters, Peters said local officials must decide what's best for their region. But she suggested that some day truckers might pay for new lanes dedicated to hauling goods from ports to warehouses throughout the U.S.
Peters, who talked about various ways to reduce traffic congestion, arrived for lunch at the Times in an Escalade SUV surrounded by marked CHP vehicles. She was on her way to Long Beach for a speech.
What do you think? Share your opinions by clicking the COMMENT button below
Amtrak's signature California runs can't exactly boast of perfect on-time service. In fact, according to the AP, the Coast Starlight and California Zephyr are almost never on time: Coast Starlight, which runs between Seattle and Los Angeles, had an on-time performance of 4 percent in the fiscal year ended Sept. 30. For the California Zephyr, connecting Chicago and San Francisco, the figure was 7 percent. In the current fiscal year, the California Zephyr has not once arrived on time. "The resulting damage to Amtrak's brand, reputation and repeat business is potentially devastating," Amtrak's former acting president, David Hughes, wrote in a letter last summer to the federal Surface Transportation Board.
Amtrak blames the booming freight business (they share the rails) for the delays. Freight train traffic has also be an issue in expanding Metrolink commuter rail service in Southern California.
A few years ago, Kurt Streeter and Mitchell Landsberg of The Times wrote a fascinating piece on how rail works in L.A. They noted: "Altogether, more than 35,000 trains, many of them longer than a mile, course through the region every year, carrying considerably more than $100 billion worth of goods and 60 million passengers."
What do you think? Post your opinion below (hit COMMENT button).
A cynic would say this sort of thing should happen in L.A. But it happened in San Diego. According to AP: A human head and a hand found Tuesday along the shoulders of two busy San Diego freeways may belong to an unidentified body discovered floating in a river, police said. A tow truck driver spotted a black plastic bag containing the head on southbound Interstate 5 around 6:30 a.m., San Diego police Lt. Kevin Rooney said. The left hand was found by a freeway maintenance worker less than two hours later about 10 miles north on southbound Route 163. Investigators believe the hand may have been thrown from a car before the head was dumped, Rooney said.
There's been a lot of talk about a Bay Area assemblyman's proposal to tax gas guzzling SUVs and use the money to subsidize the cleaner-burning cars. While his bill's prospects are, well, uncertain, it's sparked a Bottleneck Blog debate.
Dana writes: "SUV's not only use more gas and cause more pollution, they take up more space on the road and parking spaces. So they should pay big time for making it hard to park and drive, I know I have to go out of my way because of all the space they take up."
But Kelly disagrees: "Let people choose what kind of car they want to drive. I wish big brother would stop trying to dictate to people what cars they should drive or how many miles per gallon they should get. That's not what I elected these people to do."
By the way, the Palo Alto Weekly notes: The bill's authors estimate that 40 to 45 percent of new vehicles could be eligible for a rebate, and 20 to 25 percent would be unaffected, leaving 30 to 40 percent that would be assessed a surcharge, which they claim would ensure that consumers still retain the ability to choose while moving the industry as a whole toward greener pastures.
Keep those thoughts coming. Hit COMMENT key below
Expect some angry San Gabriel Valley lawmakers at Wednesday's California Transportation Commission meeting, where freeway funding from the bond measure will be finalized. The Westside's gain (405 widening) turned out to be the SGV's loss: "The bottom line is, the San Gabriel Valley got totally screwed," said state Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles. "What did we do to lose every single dollar?" The updated list again leaves out $70.5 million in upgrades to the long-congested San Gabriel River (605) and San Bernardino (10) freeway junction. Commission staffers also cut $97.3 million for a first-phase car-pool lane extension on the 10 between Puente and Citrus avenues.
The Times Nancy Wride last week wrote about situation on the 10-605 interchange, noting that the accident rate there was "27% higher than the statewide average for the last three years." The Whittier Daily News says there might be a last-minute push. Photo from here.
L.A. County officials are crowing about their lobbying to get funding recommendations for a widening of the 405 north through the Sepulveda Pass.
Here's the Bottleneck Blog's scorecard:
Winner: The Westside, which has some of the worst traffic anywhere, fought and got the 405 widening. How much good it will do remains a questions -- but a moral victory.
Loser: San Gabriel Valley. Not only did the region lose funding for a carpool lane project on the 10, its bid for costly improvements to the aging 10-605 interchange in Baldwin Park were rejected.
Winner: Orange County. It made out well during the first round of recommendations, notably a major reworking of the 22-405-605 interchange in Seal Beach to add carpool flyovers. But it didn't lose anything this time.
Loser: The Bay Area. Officials there are not happy because several major projects on the 101, 580, 880 and 280 were not funded.
Winner: Riverside County. It gets carpool lanes on the 91 Freeway through a portion of Riverside.
Mixed: San Bernardino County. It gets money to widen the 215, but loses money for bridge work.
Here's a bill that if nothing else should keep the auto industry lobby busy (and billing). Assemblyman Ira Ruskin, D-Redwood City, has proposed a surcharge of between $100 and $2,500 on gas guzzlers: He wants to use that money to cut the prices of new hybrids and other cars that go farther on a gallon of fuel and pump fewer carbon emissions into the atmosphere. The proposed "clean-car discount" — which would be the first law of its kind in the nation — would enlist car buyers in the fight against global warming by offering them a one-time bonus on cars the state identifies as environmentally friendly.
The Times Marc Lifsher notes there are many skeptics: In Sacramento, Renee Cochran, a Ford Mustang-owning state worker, said she was not eager "to give my money to someone else if I want to buy a big car to go camping or to drag a boat."
What do you think? Post your thoughts below by hitting the COMMENT button.
The Bottleneck Blog has told you about efforts to ban text message while driving. Or listening to your i-Pod when crossing the street. But do we really need to ban the use of laptop computers while driving? Here's what happened today in Yuba City, according to AP: A man who authorities say appeared to be driving while using his laptop computer died Monday when his vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic and collided with a Hummer. After the crash, California Highway Patrol officers found the victim’s computer still running and plugged into the cigarette lighter of his 1991 Honda Accord. The 28-year-old victim was a computer tutor in Chico.... "The screen itself shattered from the impact, so we can’t be sure if he was working on it or not, but we think from the way it was found that he might have been working," CHP spokesman Sgt. John Pettigrew said.
Lincoln Boulevard in Marina del Rey is a painful commute under normal conditions. But it will get worse over the next few months as Caltrans make a series of improvements to the road (including temporarily taking away one lane in some places). According to the Argonaut: The work includes creating an additional lane in various locations, widening at the intersection of Lincoln Boulevard and Mindanao Way as well as the Sepulveda Boulevard intersection, and signal and lighting improvements.
LAist notes a public meeting is set for Wednesday on the project.
Photo from sevensixfive
Score one for the Westside. The Times' Dan Weikel and Jeff Rabin have confirmed that the widening of the 405 north through the Sepulveda Pass is now on the recommendation list from the California Transportation Commission staff. The panel will vote Wednesday. Dan and Jeff will have a full story up soon...
UPDATE: Here's their first swipe at a breaking news story.
Word is that the California Transportation Commission staff has taken a second look at the proposed widening for the northbound 405 through the Sepulveda Pass. Apparently, some press conferences are planned for later in the day to announce additional funding for L.A. County as well as several others including San Bernardino and San Diego.
This came after much lobbying from L.A. elected officials, who called it an outrage given the Westside traffic situation.
Stay tuned: The Times Jeff Rabin and Dan Weikel will have updates soon...
Some blind people say hyrbid cars are hazardous to their health because the vehicles are so quiet they have trouble hearing them. According to the WSJ, one group representing blind pedestrians wants is lobbying for improvements: For blind people, crossing the street is becoming even more of a challenge. Michael Osborn, a blind marketing consultant from Laguna Beach, Calif., and his guide dog, Hastings, were in the middle of an intersection one morning last April when the yellow Lab stopped short. Mr. Osborn took the cue and halted -- just in time to feel the breeze from a car passing right in front of them. "Half an inch and it would have hit us ... it wasn't making any noise," says Mr. Osborn, 50, who has been blind for 12 years. Witnesses say the car was a Toyota Prius, a hybrid vehicle.
The National Federation for the Blind would like hybrids to emit a "sound cue" that would help alert blind pedestrians.
Here's a potentially bold attack on Westside congestion. Or just more mass transit dreaming? Councilman Bill Rosendahl is seeking a study that would examine a "rail network" for the area -- including some north-south lines that would (hopefully) connect the Expo Line and Purple (Wilshire) Line extension. He tells Lookout News: The study -- funded with $200,000 in traffic fees paid by Westside development projects -- would look at where and how to connect the eventual Purple Line subway to the sea, the Exposition Light Rail line and the eventual Green Line extension into LAX. Among the possibilities that will be studied would be adding a north-south rail line or merging the routes of two of the east-west lines, Rosendahl said.
So maybe a Brown Line down La Cienega? Or a Yellow Line up Lincoln? Or a Silver Line on La Brea? We can dream. Last year, someone created their dream map for an L.A. rail system.
And by the way, don't expect average workers to live in all these new Marina del Rey hi-rise condos and apartments. No, they will be driving in from the east. The Times' Jack Leonard reports: Unlike most waterfront developments, the marina is owned by Los Angeles County, which leases it to developers, so county supervisors are in a position to demand more affordable apartments. Advocates for affordable housing contend the county is allowing developers to build too many market-rate apartments on publicly owned land. The city of Los Angeles, they note, requires coastal developers to build at least twice as many units for the poorest renters.
Movie producer T. Alex Blum went to Superior Court in Santa Monica to fight a traffic ticket. He left with "the temptation to sneak back into the court in the dead of night and spray-paint a big kangaroo on the doors:" That entire morning, the judge never questioned or challenged a word uttered by a police officer. Several times during the proceedings, I observed officers looking over at their brothers in blue and smirking as they gave evidence. It was plain to me that the judge would accept the police officers' words without question or challenge.
What do you think about traffic court? Post your comments below
A deal that allowing Mexican trucks freer access on American highways has some auto safety advocates -- not to mention labor unions -- unhappy. Teamsters President Jim Hoffa tells AP: "They are playing a game of Russian roulette on America's highways." More: The news that Mexican trucks will be allowed to haul freight deeper into the United States drew an angry reaction Friday from labor leaders, safety advocates and members of Congress. They said Mexico has substandard trucks and low-paid drivers that will threaten national security, cost thousands of jobs and endanger motorists on the northern side of the Mexican border. The Bush administration on Thursday announced its plan to have U.S. inspectors oversee Mexican trucking companies that carry cargo across the border.
In Southern California, some lawmakers are concerns about more traffic congestions and pollution: But one study predicted Mexican trucks could add 50 tons per day of smog-forming emissions - more than pollution generated by the region's 350 biggest industrial sources combined. "This could have a major impact in terms of traffic, air quality and the border. We're going to have to take a close look at it," said Scott Gerber, spokesman for California Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
The fact that the MTA's Green Line light rail comes close but doesn't actually make it to LAX is something people have been shaking their heads about for years. Now, a South Bay lawmaker wants to establish a special committee to finally make the link reality. If money can be found (it would compete with the Subway to the Sea). According to the Breeze: The agency would compete for grants and other funding to extend the Metro Green Line into LAX, giving travelers a shortcut through the traffic that often jams airport approaches. As it stands now, the light-rail line comes about a mile short of making the connection. The idea of laying tracks to the terminals is nothing new, but local, state and federal politicians have taken it up again with some urgency in recent months. They have cast the Green Line as a key part of the answer to the region's congestion and air pollution.
Two years ago, The Times' Jia-Rui Chong assessed the Green Line, dubbed the "the train that goes from nowhere to nowhere." She found that the Norwalk-to-Redondo Beach run, while not ideal, was seeing a steady rise in ridership.
 No, not this Hummer! As Bottleneck Blog readers know, Steve Lopez set off a pretty passionate debate last month when he wrote about how Jaime de la Vega, L.A.'s deputy mayor for transportation, drives this massive Hummer. You posters went crazy with comments about whether de la Vega's car choice was sound. Today, Steve decides to roam around town in a massive SUV to see how it feels. Steve writes:
One advantage to a Hummer, I must admit, is the elevation. It's a rolling bunker with slits for windows and a step to get you up into the cab, so I got a good look at miles of bumper-to-bumper traffic heading east on the 101 Freeway. It was a good perch from which to scope out traffic patterns and contemplate a congestion-relief theory I've been investigating. The only problem was that I couldn't focus. I was behind the wheel of a Hummer, after all. Even though the H3 isn't the biggest beast in the Hummer family, Jeep Grand Cherokees looked like rodents and Mini Coopers like mosquitoes. I felt manlier than usual and had a craving for some hot wings at Hooters. I was tempted to drop by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's house to see if he wanted to roll one of his Hummers out of the garage and go off-roading.
--Read the entire column here (it's inspired).
--Then click COMMENT below and tell us what you think!
Major portions of downtown Long Beach closed for parts of Sunday because of the big bike race (including Pine Avenue). Details here.
The Times' David Colker recently wrote about Hollywood's love of environmental friendly red-carpet rides. Expect more "green limos" along with all the gas guzzlers at this Sunday's Oscars in Hollywood. According to Reuters: From a plug-in hybrid car to the sexy electric Tesla Roadster, celebrities wanting to make a green statement on the way to the red carpet of the Oscars will have plenty of environment-friendly rides this Sunday. Global Green USA has lined up 30 cars to shuttle the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Davis Guggenheim, director of the Oscar-nominated documentary on global warming "An Inconvenient Truth", to the star-studded ceremony in Hollywood. The environmental group began the green limousine campaign five years ago at the Oscars to raise awareness among the tens of millions of viewers worldwide about alternative fuel cars, energy independence and solutions to global warming.
Be careful in the Disneyland parking lot. According to the Register: Two women were hurt Friday night when they fell off a tram in a parking lot at Disneyland, officials said. Anaheim firefighters were called to the "Timon" parking lot at 10:22 p.m., Anaheim fire spokeswoman Maria Sabol said. Anaheim firefighters were called to the "Timon" parking lot at 10:22 p.m., Anaheim fire spokeswoman Maria Sabol said. One woman stood up and fell off the tram, and the other fell while attempting to look for her.
Here's an updated story from Sunday's Times by Ashley Powers.
The Bottleneck Blog thought it was an urban myth. But apparently, there are guys roaming the streets of L.A. ready to fire paintball guns at pedestrians. According to CNS:
An 18-year-old Canoga Park man accused of firing a paint-ball gun at a 12-year-old boy walking home from school was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and two other counts, prosecutors said today. Along with the assault charge, Wilson Delcastillo is accused of one count each of child endangerment and brandishing a weapon, according to the City Attorney’s Office. All of the charges are misdemeanors. Delcastillo, who pleaded not guilty yesterday, is set to go on trial March 15 in Van Nuys Superior Court. The 12-year-old, who is a student at Sutter Middle School in Canoga Park, was walking home from school Tuesday when he saw two teens in the back seat of a car who were pointing guns at him, prosecutors said.
That weekend in Santa Barbara sounds so good -- until you get stuck in 101 traffic. Now, there is word that local officials are trying to help. One involves a request from the state for $150 million to "help alleviate the traffic bottleneck that’s made life a living hell for anyone trying to get to or from Carpinteria during rush hour," according to the Santa Barbara Independent. Ventura and Santa Barbara lawmakers this week have been pushing the California Transportation Commission for funding for widening the 101: The 101 project calls for an additional lane to be constructed along a six-mile stretch of the southbound freeway. The area is bisected by the Ventura-Santa Barbara county line. The lane would be reserved for carpools during rush hours, and would become the first such High Occupancy Vehicle lane in the [Ventura] county.
Not sure you could ever prove it. But Megan Rellahan, writing at Bayou Buzz in Louisiana, insists that traffic increases during Hollywood's Awards Season. Here's here tale: This is a big party weekend in Hollywood as Oscar night approaches and let me tell you -- the traffic is bumper to bumper EVERYWHERE! Last night I drove to Beverly Hills to see a screening of The Hoax, a film based on a true story starring Richard Gere, who plays Clifford Irving, a washed up author who saves his career by writing a bio of Howard Hughes. .... Now, normally, Beverly Hills is a mere 20 minutes from my home in Santa Monica but with all the traffic, it took me close to 3 hours to get there. Although Los Angeles is known for it's terrible traffic problem, with the Oscars on Sunday, it's oh, sooo MUCH WORSE! The red carpets are being rolled out in Hollywood, streets are getting blocked off and everyone is packing into an already over-populated city for the weekend fun.
Have you experienced Awards Season gridlock? (those on Hollywood Boulevard have!). COMMENT below!
Big problems brewing around the jammed 5-710 junction. According to CNS: About 80 gallons of gasoline have spilled from a ruptured tanker truck, forcing the closure of the Washington Boulevard off-ramp from the northbound Long Beach (710) Freeway and jamming traffic on the freeway, says Inspector Sam Padilla of the county fire department. The spill occurred at 2:49 p.m. and Caltrans has just ordered sand to clean up the mess. Padilla says the problem is likely to continue well into rush hour
Freeway noise is apparently bothering cities along the 210 Freeway. Pasadena is seeking money to fix the problem (and it doesn't involve closing the freeway): The city is looking for $13.5 million in federal funds for soundwalls along the 210 Freeway. Construction of soundwalls is usually a state and regional issue, but the state program has fallen well behind because of budget constraints. A number of communities along the 210 are increasing efforts for sound attenuation because of increased traffic, especially trucks, on the freeway. A priority area for Pasadena is the 4.1 mile segment around North Arroyo Boulevard.
Work is finally beginning on improvements to Ortega Highway. But as the rural route becomes a key commute highway between Riverside and Orange counties, The Times David Reyes says more relief is likely needed: The highway's popularity has surged over the last decade with inland growth in the Lake Elsinore-Temecula-Murrieta areas, making the road "our 91 Freeway," said one commuter. About 10,000 cars travel it daily. Commuters waiting in line said they wished Caltrans would give them relief, either by tunneling through the Santa Ana Mountains or widening the Ortega. "We need a new route," said Bill Miller, 61, of Temecula. Caltrans officials estimated that a new road would cost $3 billion, which wouldn't include extensive environmental protections required for the wilderness areas, Cleveland National Forest and the San Juan Creek watershed.
Meanwhile, motorists can expect traffic headaches. And that tunnel under the Santa Ana Mountains -- well don't expect it anytime soon.
Koreatown is definitely one of L.A.'s hot spots. And some believe one reason is the easy access to the Red Line subway along Wilshire Boulevard. Solair Wilshire (above) is a 22-story condo/retail development rising near the Wilshire/Western Red Line station. It's one of several new high-rise residential developments in the area. Now, there is word that a Beverly Hills real estate company paid $120 million for the City Heights complex on 3rd Street. Reports The Times: But the area is rebounding, helped by expansion of the Metro Red Line, which has made Koreatown more accessible and spurred developments above subway stations on Wilshire Boulevard. Meanwhile, young L.A. residents priced out of areas such as the Westside and Hollywood are looking for hip alternatives.
The question, of course, is how many of these new residents actually get out of their cars and take the Red Line. Meanwhile, here is a look at another mix-used development at the Wilshire/Vermont Red Line station. It's turning some heads.
No, it was not your imagination. Thursday was a miserable commute day, according to CNS: About twice as many accidents were reported on Los Angeles County freeways during the recent rain as on a dry day a week earlier, the California Highway Patrol reported today. In the 12-hour period starting at noon yesterday, there were 245 accidents reported on the freeways, compared with 125 accidents for the same 12- hour period on Feb. 15, said CHP Officer Francisco Villalobos.
How much wiggle room do you have in parking in a white zone during off hours? Not much, according to L.A. City Nerd, who notes the after-hour distinctions between green, yellow and white zones.
The DMV offers this guide:
White: Stop only long enough to pick up or drop off passengers or mail.
Green: Park for a limited time. Look for a sign next to the green zone or for the time painted on the curb.
Yellow: Stop no longer than the time posted to load or unload passengers or freight. Drivers of noncommercial vehicles are usually required to stay with the vehicle.
Red: No stopping, standing, or parking. (Buses may stop at a red zone marked for buses.)
Blue: Parking is permitted only for a disabled person who displays a placard or disabled person or disabled veteran license plates. Disabled people with a placard or special plates may park in special areas for unlimited periods of time, regardless of time restrictions. No one else may park there. Qualified persons may apply at any DMV office for a parking placard or special plates.
405 South closed at the Sepulveda Pass as CHP investigates a fatal accident.
The long-discussed, long-delayed high-speed train for California might be reaching a do-or-die moment. Maybe. Here's the latest analysis of the 700-mile, $40 billion project: Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill said in her annual review of the governor's proposed budget that it's "time to bite the bullet for the bullet train." Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has recommended postponing indefinitely a vote on a $10 billion bond to begin construction of the nearly $40 billion project and only recommended $1.2 million for High Speed Rail Authority next year. "This would essentially end the project unless another source of funding is provided," Hill wrote in her report.
Bullet train backers, however, tell the Advance-Star they aren't worried.
Rain driving tips for evening (and perhaps morning commute). Yes, drive slower and be more careful. But here are a few more (less expected) technical tips from Edmunds.com: -Brake earlier and with less force than you would normally. Not only does this increase the stopping distance between you and the car in front of you, it also lets the driver behind you know that you're slowing down. Also, be more meticulous about using turn signals, so that other drivers know your intentions, and take turns and curves with less speed than you would in dry conditions.
-Don't use cruise control. If you hydroplane, there's the chance your car could actually accelerate. Cruise control also allows drivers to be less vigilant and to take their foot away from the pedals — not a great idea when reaction time is so important.
-After you cross a puddle, tap on your brake pedal lightly to dry off some of the water on your rotors.
The Bottleneck Blog heard from one commuter who said the drive from Ventura County to downtown L.A. was extra-bad this morning because of rain. But sounds like the afternoon commute will be worse because there will be heavier rain.
-See our links to the right side for numerous freeway and surface street traffic maps
There's been a lot of press attention (and Antonio attention) on the effort to get funding for the 405 widening through the Sepulveda Pass. But some San Gabriel Valley officials are holding a press conference today to focus attention on another project they think needs urgent funding. It's a $70 million upgrade of the 10-605 interchange in Baldwin Park, which officials said needs safety improvements.
Meanwhile, The Times' crack Sacramento columnist George Skelton takes a closer look at the transportation funding question. He's interested in how the money was divided: But the commission comment that got my attention was from Executive Director John Barna, who told reporters last week that "we've avoided falling into the trap of fair share based on population." The goals were "geographic balance," he said, along with construction readiness, "demonstrable congestion relief and connectivity benefits." I don't profess to know what most of that means. But I do know he fell right into a political pressure cooker juiced by population.
Steve Lopez has reported several examples of questionable ticketing practices by authorities. But what do we thinking of these large-scale ticketing stings (via CNS). Consider (dateline Palmdale): Authorities today issued 124 citations to motorists who failed to obey traffic laws at railroad crossings in the Antelope Valley and seven people were arrested. The operation began in Palmdale this morning as 82 citations were issued to drivers stopping on train tracks or ignoring warning lights, bells and crossing gates and driving under the gates as they were closing, said Deputy Jon White of the sheriff’s Lancaster Station. Three arrests were also made in the Palmdale area for suspicion of trespassing on railroad property and one person was arrested for being a felony armed and dangerous suspect.
Consider 2 (dateline Rancho Mirage): Even though a two-week law-enforcement crackdown on pedestrians illegally crossing roads around The River at Rancho Mirage shopping center is over, police warned they’ll continue to show "zero tolerance" toward scofflaws. Rancho Mirage police revealed they issued 129 citations to pedestrians illegally crossing roads around The River during the program.
A good use of law enforcement time? Comment below!
Sound like this wasn't the good stuff. But the Register is reporting a "Sideways" moment on the 405 in Irvine this morning: Rivers of pink Gallo wine streamed across the southbound San Diego (I-405) Freeway near Jeffrey Road this morning after a big-rig hauling a cargo of wine bottles overturned, blocking three lanes of traffic. Crews scrambled to clean up the broken bottles and sop up the mess, which snarled traffic all the way back to the Costa Mesa (55) Freeway, said California Highway Patrol officer Denise Quesada. It is unclear why the semi toppled over about 1:22 a.m., Quesada said, but the rig's driver, Albie Enrique, 41, of Rosemead, managed to avoid hitting any other cars on the road as his rig sprawled across the three right lanes of the freeway.
The death in January of a pedestrian on Hyperion Avenue in Silver Lake prompted calls for a new traffic signal. Now, there is word a new signal will actually be installed later this year. Activists launched an e-petition in support of improved traffic safety on the street and got some impressive results. They received more than 500 "signatures" -- included many people who offered their horror stories of trying to cross the street (home to a Gelsons, Trader Joe's and other shops). One poster summed up the feelings of many: I am a resident of the Los Feliz/Silverlake area and a long time shopper of the Trader Joe's on Hyperion. Over the years I have witnessed the increase in traffic, congestion, and reckless driving by shoppers trying to get in and out of TJs and Gelsons Parking lots – not to mention the frustrated motorists attempting to avoid the cars and people moving back and forth between the two markets. Frankly I'm surprised there have not been more accidents, it has been a disaster in waiting for years. It is truly unfortunate that it has to take the death of a pedestrian to address the situation – not much of a legacy for someone as talented and gifted as Bill Wingard.
Dial "511" on your cellphone and get instant traffic information? That's the plan in San Diego beginning Wednesday. A similar system should soon be in place in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties, according to AP: San Diego commuters will have a new solution to help them dodge through traffic, day or night. The '511' telephone system and companion Web site will debut next Wednesday, according to the San Diego Association of Governments. The new system will provide automated drive-time estimates and suggest alternate routes during times of heavy traffic, according to spokeswoman Anne Steinberger. The same information will be available on a companion Web site, which will also feature a drive-time calculator. Officials say callers will be able to access public bus schedules and connect with potential car or van pool partners.
The Bottleneck Blog has spotted him driving down Beverly in his Prius. Now, you might see Tom Hanks cruising up Sunset in a strange-looking truck. According to Truck Trends, the actor recently received the first completely electric "eBox" vehicle: The eBox, which made its public debut in December, is a pure electric car, not a hybrid. With no gasoline engine, the eBox transports its occupants serenely and efficiently, at speed or in traffic, with powerful acceleration and amazing regenerative braking. Recharging is as close as the nearest electric outlet because the eBox can plug in anywhere. It seats five and has one of the roomiest rear seat in the business. Fold the rear seat and the eBox can take a huge haul.
Here's a photo of Hanks in the truck via maker AC Propulsion.
Highway 76 between Oceanside and Interstate 15 is mostly two lanes -- even though it has become a very busy commuter route for the exurbs both in San Diego and Riverside counties. The dangers of the road have been well documented (there were 14 deaths on the highway in 2004 alone). Now, there is word a long-delayed widening to four lanes could be fast-tracked. But that still means waiting another six years, according to the NC Times: The long-anticipated widening of Highway 76 to four lanes from eastern Oceanside to Interstate 15 should be complete by 2013, a California Department of Transportation official told the city transportation commission Tuesday. But the state agency has no estimate of when it will begin to widen Interstate 5 in Carlsbad, Encinitas and Oceanside, said Mark Phelan, a project manager with Caltrans .... "This is a pretty significant milestone because (the Highway 76) project has been in the making for probably eight to 10 years," Phelan said. "I don't see a lot of opposition to the project, and I hear from a lot of people, 'Please get it done as soon as you can.' "
Steve Lopez on Tuesday wrote about the case of a couple who received tickets both for not wearing a seatbelt and littering. It's an interesting yarn. What do you think? Was the CHP officer right? Comment below
This will be either very helpful or very annoying to bus riders. The MTA, which started installing flat-screen TVs on buses last year, now plans to pipe-in programming from KNBC, KVEA and KWHY. According to CNS: Passengers on Metro buses can now watch three NBC- operated television stations, via Transit TV. The televisions on the 2,200 Metro buses feature news, weather and sports provided by KNBC, KVEA and KWHY. "Transit TV’s network offers us a unique way to expose our stations’ brands and promote our programming to as many people as possible," said Ginger Zumaeta, vice president of advertising and promotion for the three stations. Transit TV screens were installed on Metro buses last year and provide riders with 48 minutes of content ever hour. Under the new agreement, which took effect this month, the Los Angeles-area NBC stations will provide five minutes of content every hour in English and Spanish.
John & Ken over at KFI are talking a lot about the push to widen the 405. You know L.A. is onto something when even the San Francisco Chronicle editorial board says so: LOS ANGELES is getting a raw deal in the first round of proposed grants from the state's $19.9 billion transportation bond approved by voters last November. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has every right to scream about the omission of funding for widening the perpetually clogged 405 Freeway over the Sepulveda Pass. Now that we've established that we're not looking at this issue from a purely provincial perspective, let us add: The San Francisco Bay Area is also getting shortchanged in the first wave of funding recommendations issued by the California Transportation Commission's staff.
The San Diego Union-Tribune is upset about San Diego's freeway money, too -- and also has kind words from L.A.
While the mayor, speaker and other Los Angeles officials are making headway in getting the 405 widening adding to the list of freeway projects receiving funding, officials elsewhere are worried that their projects might now be cut. The Times Duke Helfand reports from Sacramento: Some lawmakers from other areas — even places such as Orange County that were prominent on the initial project list — took note of the veritable lobbying assault in the capital.
"It's completely unfair to come in and say worthy projects … should somehow now be taken off the table because they're competing with a Los Angeles project," said Assemblyman Todd Spitzer (R-Orange). "The worst thing you could do is to quibble and squabble over dollars when rebar is ready to be laid down and concrete is ready to be poured."
It looks like the bigger winner in the CTC's reccomendations was Orange County, which is pretty happy these days. Here's what OC got: •Add northbound auxiliary lane on the Orange (57) Freeway from Lambert Road to the Los Angeles County line; $111.7 million.•Add lane on westbound Riverside (91) Freeway by connecting auxiliary lanes through interchanges at the 57 and the Santa Ana (I-5) Freeway; $36 million. •Add westbound auxiliary lane on the 91 from the Costa Mesa (55) Freeway connector through the Tustin Avenue interchange; $47.5 million. •Add one lane on eastbound 91 between Lakeview Avenue and the Weir Canyon Road interchange, and one lane on westbound 91 between Weir Canyon and the Imperial Highway interchange; $48 million.
A reader asks Kenny "Mr. Traffic" Morse whether she can get out of what she considers an unfair red-light ticket she got in Beverly Hills. Mr. Traffic is not encouraging: You can drag in a stack of bibles and take sodium in front of the judge on Burton Way but it will help you not. The camera is powered by the red light, so the only way a picture of you running the light gets taken is because your car wasn’t even in the intersection when the light was already red.
Here's an interesting look at how red-light cameras work. Here's another assessment.
Things might be looking up for the long-delayed widening of the 405 Freeway through the Sepulveda Pass. The Times' Duke Helfand followed the mayor Tuesday for a lobbying trip to Sacramento and reports:
After an intense day of lobbying in the state capital Tuesday, Los Angeles’ top leaders appeared to be winning their fight to secure more than $700 million in bond money to widen one of the nation’s most congested freeways, with one powerful legislator even threatening to hold up funds for transportation projects statewide if the city and its neighbors don’t get their way. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles), several Los Angeles City Council members and County Supervisor Gloria Molina voiced their unhappiness with an initial recommendation from the California Transportation Commission to leave the jam-packed 405 freeway and other local projects off an initial funding list. ..
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