MTA's map of dreams

The Times' Rong-Gong Lin II compiled a list of some elements of the MTA's "dream rail" map. These are rail lines with lots of promise but no money. (Lin also has this web link to the map):

-Crenshaw Boulevard light rail: Running south from Wilshire Boulevard through the bustling Crenshaw and Leimert Park districts, eventually going to LAX via Florence Avenue and terminating at the Green Line station at Aviation Boulevard.

-Vermont Avenue subway: Running from the Red Line subway in mid-Wilshire down Vermont to the Green Line.

-Downtown light rail: A short line connecting the Blue Line to the Gold Line, running through downtown. Would allow commuters a one-train option from Pasadena to Long Beach.

-Bob Hope Airport extension: Running the Red Line from its terminus in North Hollywood to the Metrolink station near Bob Hope Airport in Burbank.

-Burbank-Glendale light rail: Running from Union Station roughly following the 5 Freeway through Glendale to the Burbank Metrolink station.

-Silver Line: Running from Hollywood through downtown and Alhambra into the San Gabriel Valley, ending at La Puente.

-Whittier light rail: Extending the Gold Line from East L.A. (a station now being built) to Whittier.

-South Bay light rail: Expanding the Green Line both north and south, creating a route that would run from Santa Monica through the South Bay Galleria to Wilmington.

-Yellow Line: Light rail connecting North Hollywood to downtown L.A., roughly along the 5 Freeway, then through Silver Lake and Echo Park.

Comments

[abdulla]

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abdulla

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[iheartpubtransit]

When I sit in my car for 45 minutes to do a 12-mile commute, or almost get hit by careless drivers when I attempt to ride my bike, or need to make three different transfers for a simple commute because LA's public transit system is so fragmented, and then later I hear that the $1.3 billion approved are being used to balance a budget, at the expense of doing real planning for the future, I wonder my people aren't more riled up and forcing their elected officials to be accountable for the poor decisions that have so drastically affected our quality of life?

I just read that a successful $55 million homeless program has been eliminated to allow for yacht owners to avoid paying sales tax that would bring in $45 million to the state budget. I am so sick of not having real transportation options, that include rail, buses, safe bike lanes, and to know that I dont have a safety net all around: no health care, nor mental health/job/housing services for those in my community who need it the most. When are we going to stop letting these politicians siphon off our tax dollars to subsidize the lifestyles of the most well-off and multi-million dollar corporations?

[Dan W]

"The purple line to the sea, and possibly something along the 5 into Orange County are the important ideas. "

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The Purple Line is the most pressing, urgent and needed public transit improvement right now.

But, Orange County rejected the idea of a line there. The name "Orange Line" had been held for the OC, but when they didn't want it, it was given to the SFV, which I guess is appropriate because it used to be orange groves too. The most likely transit option for Orange County is an expansion of Metrolink service on the Orange County and 91 lines. My friend John takes the OC Metrolink line from Los Angeles to Orange County every day.

[Lawrence Ross]

The Crenshaw line should have been built from the start, but it shouldn't have stopped at Florence. Why not have it go all the way to the South Bay Center or to Del Amo? It would make much more sense.

[mike]

When people mention the dangers of having a subway and earthquakes I can only laugh. I guess those Japanese people with all of their subways are stupid since they live in the most earthquake region in the world. You would think that people would think about what they say before they type it...guess not. Especially when we have the San Francisco example!

[Paul]

These "dream" subway lines sound like a bunch of selfish ideas from people who just want the subway to go to the places they like. The purple line to the sea, and possibly something along the 5 into Orange County are the important ideas. Those are the two most traffic-heavy areas.

[Thomas]

One reason that I support Metro's attempt to build rail lines is that they are far more consistent than buses.

Just this morning I had to drive in to work because the bus I was planning to take just didn't show up. I've had bus drivers refuse to pick me up at stops and watched as other drivers laughed and shook their heads. I'm venting...Anyway, this almost never happens with rail service.

If consistency improves, so will ridership. My employer sponsors the purchase of my Metro monthly pass, but if I keep getting blown off by bus drivers at Lake Ave and Altadena, I may decide the pass isn't even worth it at half price.

[Jeremy R]

"More subway! Right, I can imagine all the people's faces riding the subways when the next 4.2 quake with an epicenter three miles off shore from Malibu hits. Beyond the Valley of Huntington, Utah."

Are you a structural engineer? My guess is know! If you have ever taken a physics class or did a little bit of research you would find out that what you said is absurd.

you would be lucky to be in a subway during an earthquake. You have more chances dying in the typical LA condo than in a subway.

to your credit, earthquakes shake the ground and subways are underground, so at least that the connection makes some sense.

[Dan W.]

Thanks for the link.

But, so what?

Even if the MTA never built another rail line and dismanted the few it has, the MTA would still need a headquarters and still have worker's compensation issues.

I was very grateful for the Consent Decree, but they have been eradicated by BRU's continued anti-rail tirades and cries of "transit racism".

We need to continue to improve bus service AND rail service, but for what good they accomplished in the 1990's, the BRU is no longer a constructive player for L.A..'s future and should be stood up to and will be stood up to whenever they go on their anti-rail tirades.

[Richard H]

Somebody wrote:
"The bus service has improved dramatically over the last decade."

Yeah, from being the worst in the country. In the mid1990's LACMTA buses were the most overcrowded of any of the largest twenty public bus systems in the Nation. A consent decree brought about by a lawsuit by the BRU forced the LACMTA to improve bus service. I guess you're thanking the BRU for forcing the LACMTA to do what they were supposed to be doing already. Maybe that award LACMTA got last year should be going to the BRU.

Don't bother searching through the LACMTA Annual report on the item about Farebox revenue paying for the LACMTA Building.

Here's a direct link: ( http://www.metro.net/about_us/finance/debt.htm )

"General Revenue Bonds were issued to finance the cost of the 27-story headquarters building for Metro and to finance Metro’s workers’ compensation obligations. The bonds are primarily repaid from farebox revenues."

[Citizens For a Harbor Line]

Hello:

Once again, the Harbor Area is left with no passenger rail options. San Pedro deserves light-rail now!

Citizens for a Harbor Line
citizens4harborline@hotmail.com
http://harborline.blogspot.com/

[Dan W]

I can't believe they didn't show the two most logical Red Line (heavy rail) extensions.

1. Ventura Blvd. subway from Universal City to Warner Center

2. Downtown to Ontario Airport via El Monte Busway, I-10 and railroad ROW (mostly at grade with separations).
This should be substituted for the "Silver Line"

Another obvious ommission is a Blue Line (LRT) extension from Slauson to Huntington Park/Bell/Maywood/Bell Gardens/Commerce via the old Pacific Electric Randolph Street line.

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Interesting ideas there.

This is where advocacy comes in. Part of why the Exposition Line moved to the front of the pack was the large grassroots support for it.

The Gateway Cities could lobby for one. The neighborhood councils in the Valley could lobby for the other.

There is a Friends of the Silver Line. Could the Ontario Airport be reached by Metrolink?

Building rail and bus improvements requires money. We should not only just write on blogs but also write our Federal, State and Local officials and ask that they support transit funding and stop playing games with it.

[Dan W]

"Found an interesting little item buried in one of the back pages that the debt on the MTA building was being paid for out of the fare boxes of public buses. Amazing."

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Ah, yes. The cry of the BRU and it's sympathizers. Poor working-class bus riders are subsidizing spoiled rich rail riders. Imagine the Southern California utopia if all rail were eliminated and slow, plodding buses were the sole mass transit option. Wouldn't that keep Los Angeles environmentally and economically sustainable? NOT.

Please quote the page and section of the Annual Report you are using. I am looking at financial information here and I see nothing of the kind that you are asserting.

Here is a link to the 2006 Annual Report for everyone to use:
http://www.mta.net/about_us/finance/pdf/cafr_2006.pdf

The 2007 Annual Report will come out soon I assume.

Rail improvements and bus service are financed differently.

The bus service has improved dramatically over the last decade. Yes, it needs to improve much more, but not at the expense of desperately needed rail.

[Cg]

I think this map is terrific. Ridership is low because of the current limited accessibility; who wants to go from nowhere to nowhere? It is not as extensive as Damien's map but it is a realistic starting point, which is what we need. Unless Bill Gates throws billions into the infrastructure, all we can hope for is a start in the right direction not an overnight fix. We have sat around and done nothing and sadly we will continue to do the same.

[Dan W]

"More subway! Right, I can imagine all the people's faces riding the subways when the next 4.2 quake with an epicenter three miles off shore from Malibu hits. Beyond the Valley of Huntington, Utah."

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During the 1989 San Francisco quake BART was totally safe under ground and the Bay Bridge collapsed. Bay Area residents depended on reliable BART trains to get them from one side of the Bay to the other.

It is absolutety doable to create earthquake-safe subways.

[russell]

I am excited already. It seems like a thrill, especially compared to sitting in traffic. There is no way they can build enough freeway lanes to meet the current need, never mind the future. Just watch the 405 improvements, which are costing much more than the auqa line to culver city. It will be jammed on day one. Happy mortoring!

[Nathan]

Just looked at the www.getlamoving.com map posted by Damien. Holy moly. That is a much better plan. I am on that bandwagon NOW.

The GLAM map makes much more sense because it focuses on building a dense network within the city instead of wasting money sprawling rail lines all over LA Co. Metrolink already exists and people would be much more willing to use it if they knew they could get somewhere after they showed up at Union Station. There's no need to extend rail lines to the four corners of the county.

[Nathan]

That is just bloody incredible. And EXCELLENT suggestions from Dan W on the proper changes.

I would love to take public transportation but it doesn't go anywhere. Bus is NOT an option - takes WAY too long and the service is very unreliable.

But if there were a viable network of rail lines, I would live by it. Absolutely. I have done this in every other good public transportation city I have been to. DC, NY, Hong Kong. You can go where you want to go on rail in those cities, not get dumped off at Wilshire and Western and have to hop onto a bus.

Ridership? If you build it, they will come.

[Transit Planner]

I can't believe they didn't show the two most logical Red Line (heavy rail) extensions.

1. Ventura Blvd. subway from Universal City to Warner Center

2. Downtown to Ontario Airport via El Monte Busway, I-10 and railroad ROW (mostly at grade with separations).
This should be substituted for the "Silver Line"

Another obvious ommission is a Blue Line (LRT) extension from Slauson to Huntington Park/Bell/Maywood/Bell Gardens/Commerce via the old Pacific Electric Randolph Street line.

[yours truly, johnny dollar]

More subway! Right, I can imagine all the people's faces riding the subways when the next 4.2 quake with an epicenter three miles off shore from Malibu hits. Beyond the Valley of Huntington, Utah.

[Richard H]

Another LACMTA rail map. As usual, totally unrealistic escapist transportation planning. Did they use crayolas or colored pencils this time? How much did this little map cost? Another one of those million dollar studies?

Four million daily commuters in Los Angeles County, of which THREE million drive ALONE in cars and only 7% use public transit (2005 US Census) and the LACMTA concentrates its financial resources on a rail system that carries less than 1.5% of all daily commuters (if that much) and even with it's "dream" rail system isn't going to carry much more than that.

Look at the LACMTA Annual Reports. Looks like the annual report of a mortgage lender. $$$$$$$$ Little to nothing about LACMTA's "transportation mission" and whether it is succeeding in it or not. Just how the taxpayer's money got squandered. Found an interesting little item buried in one of the back pages that the debt on the MTA building was being paid for out of the fare boxes of public buses. Amazing.

An interesting item on the 2005 US Census for Los Angeles County; nearly twice as many daily commuters carpooled than used public transit.

[LAofAnaheim]

I'd be willing to part $100/year in taxes so we can get LA Moving!

[LRT 4 SC SUBURBS]

it would be nice, all this would be very nice. but why not build it where people NEED it first. where people already have to take buses. areas with high density. did we really need the pasadena line before the east LA line? i always wonder why no light rail snakes thru the south east cities ("south central suburbs" as some demographers call them) such as HP, Maywood. these areas have historically been blue collar for generations and very high density. i have seen many maps from the 20's up until the 80's and most of these maps have had rails(actual or imagined) running thru these parts of town, tho the closest we got now is the blue line. planners have never seriously looked at these areas. its always been and afterthought to los angeles proper. the funniest part is that plenty of tracks already cut thru here. it would probably require less money to bring light rail to the south east than anywhere else, but that is what it really comes down to. money. pasadena had it and ELA didnt. the west side has it and the eastside dont. as nice as a subway to the beach would be. i am more interested in getting to work in downtown. or to the airport. thes maps are great, but i always remind myself that they aint nothing but paper dreams. i love LA none the less. GO DOYERSSSSSS!!!!!!

[Donald Stanwood]

Is it really major news that there isn't enough money available to construct every transit project that everyone in L.A. might like to build? The "glass half-empty" mindset is typical of the "Times" and has a long history. Relentlessly negative coverage going back to the days of the Hollywood Sinkhole and before did much to generate a climate of defeatism, not to mention Yaroslavski's MTA "Reform" Act that has so thoroughly bollixed up future funding options.

[P J Eans]

Their population density is way out of date, so how can they do meaningful planning? (FWIW, it's really obvious when you look at the San Feranado Valley - no way does the valley have that much area in 0-10 people/acre!)