Art vs movement

 

The Times' Chris Lee take an art tour around MTA facilities, and seems to like what he sees. Chris notes that all the striking installations come from a funding formula the MTA set up:

Since 1989, the Metropolitan Transit Authority has earmarked one-half of 1% of all rail construction costs toward the creation of original, site-specific artwork. So now, from Pasadena to the South Bay, Watts to North Hollywood, the MTA displays a trove of museum-worthy modern art pieces and installations at its Metro Rail stops.

More about the MTA art and some free tours. What is your favorite (BB thinks the suicide man is cool).

But it does raise a question: Would it be better for the MTA to have plainer stations and put the money into better service? Hit the COMMENT button and speak out!

Comments

[Tom A.]

@ Stephen:

Great idea! I can't figure out why Metro buses can have advertisements for movies and other things, but no MTA trains do. If Washington and $acramento won't give MTA the funds for sorely needed rail service expansion, why not do like those other systems and get it from private companies through ads on and around trains?

[Aaron]

New York or Boston can get away with a fairly utilitarian system, but one thing I universally hear about the LA subway is how pretty it is, how "exquisite" it is, I love the speculation about what a BH subway station would look like, or maybe a Westwood [UCLA] stop. This isn't New York, where "if you build it they will come," and while that's certainly true to an extent here, having the stations look so nice is a draw, an attraction.

People check out how amazing the Hollywood/Vine subway station looks and all of a sudden it's a pleasant place to be, rather than just a plain old subway station. It's not the most important part of the picture for attracting people onto transit in LA, but for the comparatively low cost, having the stations look so nice is important.

[Stephen]

Metro should look into implementing in tunnel motion advertising which are already seen on subway systems in Chicago, New York, Washington DC, Boston, Philadelphia and Atlanta. The Chicago Transit Authority generates an additional $100,000 revenue with just one motion ad on the Dearborn St Subway.
Link:
http://www.submediaworld.com/press.htm#

[manuel]

I happend to ride on the Red Line yesterday from NOHO to Downtown and I noticed new 10 foot art piece. The Angus burger from McDonalds.