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| April 29, 2007 - May 5, 2007 »
 The MTA's proposed fare hike doesn't sit well with some transportation experts, who worry it could reduce ridership on bus and rail at a time when L.A. is dealing with rising gridlock. The Times' Rong-Gong Lin II said that while the working class are most impacted, some worry it could others who can afford to walk away:
"It really puts all the burden on the poorest, who are really relying on the bus," Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, chairwoman of the UCLA  Department of Urban Planning, said of the fare hike. But others worry the higher fares are most likely to drive away more affluent riders who take the Gold Line, Orange Line and Red Line into downtown from the suburbs. A rider who has a car may react to a fare hike by saying, "Oh, forget it. I got the car. I've paid the insurance," said Brian Taylor, director of UCLA's Institute of Transportation Studies.
The MTA argues it's an impossible choice: Either raise fares or significantly cut service to close a huge budget shortfall.
What do you think? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
 Blogger Calwatch notes that last year's May 1 protests actually ease congestion somewhat. And you know, Calwatch is right. The Times' Bob Pool and Rong-Gong Lin II wrote back then that while there were some terrible moments downtown and elsewhere, overall the nightmare predictions didn't come to pass:
Visions of mass gridlock turned into versions of mobile grandeur Monday as commuters found themselves coping just fine with immigrant protests that closed major streets in Los Angeles. It had been billed as the motorists' day from hell. But automobile flow through most of the city turned into a traffic triumph, the likes of which Los Angeles hasn't seen since it managed to keep freeways and streets flowing during the 1984 Olympics. Surface streets around downtown were holiday-light for the morning commute. Many workers decided to stay home, work from other locations or take public transportation. Those who left home early to drive to work found themselves settling in at their desks in record time. (see full story below; photo: LAT)
What do you think? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
Continue reading "Protest traffic: How bad?" »
 Santa Monica's efforts to bring red-light cameras to town earns an impassioned critique from David Quick. Writing in the SM Mirror, Quick suggests other traffic safety measures the city can try that do not -- in his view -- invade privacy:
Santa Monica distinguished itself as a national innovator in traffic safety with creative improvements such as blinking crosswalks (my favorite), speed humps, traffic islands, medians, roundabouts and other ways to save lives. In New York City, 147 intersections are being tested with “walk signals” that go green eight seconds before the traffic light turns green to create a traffic pause and give pedestrians better position in the intersection. Maybe we should try that? Or how about an enlightened education campaign addressing all types of intersection users – mailed with city utility bills? Nine states have made red light camera surveillance illegal. Lives can and should be saved without compromising our civil liberties.
What do you think of red-light cameras. Hit COMMENT and speak out!
 Metrolink fares are already pretty expensive (monthly passes nearing $300). But they could rise even more under a plan under discussion:
Metrolink staff is recommending that fares be increased 3.5 percent on July 1, and another 3.5 percent in July 2008 and again in July 2009. The proposed increases are part of a 10-year fare restructuring plan approved by Metrolink officials in 2004. The Metrolink Board of Directors had been expected to vote on the plan today, but extended the public comment period until May 11. Under the plan, Metrolink could generate an additional $2.17 million in revenue in fiscal year 2007-2008. Metrolink offers 50,000 different fares based on a rider’s age and destination. Passengers who want to see how their fare would change under the proposal can log onto www.metrolinktrains.com and use the online proposed fare calculator. (From CNS)
What do you think? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
 Driving in and around downtown is going to get harder to do in the next few days. The Times' Jesus Sanchez reports on closure related to Fiesta Broadway. Also: Westwood will endure traffic related to the Times' Festival of Books. And on Tuesday, the May 1 protests could cause even more gridlock around the city:
The California Highway Patrol could also shut freeway onramps and offramps to control congestion. "It is impossible to predict either the actual participation level or the locations where participants will choose to join the protest or demonstration," the department said in a statement. "Since detour routes may be complex and congestion may be severe, motorists are encouraged to avoid this entire area if possible."
Here is a map showing possible boycott-related traffic issues.
What do you think? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
Continue reading "A weekend (and beyond) of traffic" »
 Westsiders are celebrating and big victory today after the federal government decided to drop its massive proposed expansion of the FBI headquarters in Westwood. The Times' Martha Groves reports that residents worried about more traffic on already clogged roads like Wilshire and the 405. But now, could the new FBI building be coming downtown?
Councilman Jack Weiss, who represents the area, agreed. "There's no question that when the FBI gets a new headquarters in Los Angeles, that will also be a great victory for L.A.," he said. "We'll locate that building, I hope, in a more central location that makes more sense in terms of law enforcement, access to the rest of government and traffic." Downtown Los Angeles, Weiss added, best meets that description, but he said he would be open to other suggestions.
What do you think? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
 Well, here's one way to deal with the high price of gas: Turn your car into a moving advertisement (maybe those prices aren't so bad afterall):
In an era where drivers are feeling accelerating pain at the pump, Irvine, Calif.-based FreeGasHelp.com promises free gasoline for motorists willing to turn their cars or trucks into rolling billboards for local businesses if they drive over 1,000 miles a month. An advertiser gets plenty of on-the-road exposure; drivers get gasoline. In exchange for slapping a magnetized advertisement on his white truck, Fetty gets a monthly prepaid gasoline card, typically worth about $33.
What do you think? Aren't drivers already bombarded with enough ads? Hit COMMENT and SPEAK OUT!
 A growing number of cities (including L.A.) are turning to sophisticated license plate readers that can scan 1,000 plates an hour. The Times' Ron Lin reported last month that an LAPD system has resulted in an increase in stolen car recoveries in the Valley (the cameras speed up the work of checking plates, which up to now officers had to manually check by radio). Now West Covina and Baldwin Park are joining in:
The camera can scan license plates and compare them to a database that contains the plates of stolen and wanted vehicles as well as those listed in Amber Alerts, said West Covina officials said.
What do you think about this system? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
 Just as officials began their study of a plan finally connect the 710 and the 210 with a tunnel, there is word from the Tribune that another 710 project is in the works. The $20 million project would create a connector from the freeway deadend around Valley Boulevard to Mission Road:
Alhambra residents and officials thought the proposal for a connector road from the current end of the Long Beach (710) Freeway to Mission Road was dead, but this week they were alarmed to learn Los Angeles will soon release a draft Environmental Impact Report on the project. Though the the 710 Freeway terminus on Valley Boulevard already creates a traffic headache for Alhambra, the connector road would carry traffic another 1,400 feet onto Mission Road, possibly sending 40,000 cars daily winding through residential streets like Westminster and Meridian Avenue. The road would alleviate traffic problems through some El Sereno neighborhoods, Los Angeles officials said. Mission, a collector street, is not as wide as Valley, an arterial street, said Public Works Director Mary Swink.
 Bottleneck Blog reader Richard points us to a cool map on the The Times' Daily Mirror blog. It's one of the best we've seen showing the grand plans for L.A.'s freeway system. The Industrial Freeway? The Manhattan Freeway? The Seaside Freeway? It comes from a 1950s article in The Times noting work on the Harbor Freeway.
What do you think? Would we be better off with all these freeways? Hit Comment and speak out!
 Expect delays on the 22 Freeway and the Orange Crush (the 5-22-57 junction) beginning Friday night because of work on "The New 22." The $550 million project is widening the 22 -- the freeway's first major improvement since it opened in the 1960s.
Speaking of the 22, SCVResources.com has a nice history of the freeway, noting that it was supposed to push further west into Long Beach and connect with the never-build Pacific Coast Freeway.
 The "Tiger Teams" towing away cars that parking in rush-hour no-stopping zones started on Wilshire Boulevard and are now moving into the Valley along Ventura Boulevard. But city officials say a new city law could mean a further expansion of the system soon:
The City Council approved heftier fines for motorists who park in 23 so-called "Anti-Gridlock Zones" during rush hour. The fines for parking in a red zone typically is $65, but the ordinance - -approved last July -- hikes the fine to $140 for motorists who illegally park in red zones during peak commuting times. A second offense costs scofflaws $290. "The Tiger Team does work, and it has been very effective," [Mayor Antonio] Villaraigosa said. "We plan to build on that success right here in the San Fernando Valley and throughout the city." (from CNS; photo from City of L.A.)
What do you think? Do we need more Tiger Teams? Hit COMMENT and speak out?
 The Santa Clarita Valley is celebrating completion of the first phase of a major road project aimed at reducing congestion. A million cubic feet of dirt was removed for the first link of the 8 1/2-mile Cross-Valley Connector, which cost $31 million. The Signal says the entire route will cost $245 million:
Local commuters coming from the Valencia area can now have a straight path toward the Interstate 5/Highway 126 interchange, as the city opened to the public a portion of the cross-valley connector that connects the interchange to the intersection of Newhall Ranch and Copper Hill roads. It was opened five months ahead of schedule at a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by local dignitaries and community members. City traffic engineer Andrew Yi said the extended portion of Newhall Ranch Road could alleviate congestion on McBean Parkway and Bouquet Canyon Road. "This roadway is going to take 50,000, 60,000 cars a day," Yi said.
 Mexico is once again bullish on toll roads, despite disasterous tries in the 1980s. The Times' Marla Dickerson reports, however, that things aren't going so well this time either:
This was supposed to be Mexico's toll road to the future, a four-lane, privately built ribbon of asphalt connecting Cuernavaca with the Pacific resort city of Acapulco. But now, just 14 years after opening, the Autopista del Sol, or Sun Highway, is a 163-mile mess. Motorists complain of blown tires and ruined suspensions. A national newspaper last year called the thoroughfare, on which a round trip costs $70, "a calvary of cracks, potholes and risks." The government has been forced to spend more than $60 million to shore up the crumbling motorway linking Morelos and Guerrero states after its operator walked away. Overall, Mexico assumed $14 billion of debt after bailing out nearly two dozen other such projects in the 1990s.
 It looks like the concerns about the one-way Pico/Olympic plan extend beyond Pico-Union and Beverly Hills. The Times' Jean Guccione reports city officials got a earful from merchants in Koreatown:
On Wednesday, about 40 business owners and residents of Koreatown urged council members to reject Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky's one-way street proposal. "People are afraid and concerned about quality of life," said Grace Yoo, executive director of the Korean American Coalition. She predicted that motorists would speed through the corridor, endangering children and elderly pedestrians. "It has never worked," said resident Julia Son, referring to previous attempts to change the direction of major thoroughfares in the city. She demanded that officials try other measures for reducing traffic congestion. (LAT photo)
What do you think? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
 Times Staff Writer Jean Guccione answers questions about Southern California traffic issues.
Q: How would the proposed bus lanes on Wilshire Boulevard work, and what would be the benefit?
A: Transit officials hope the lanes will shave an average of 12 minutes from a bus ride along Wilshire, which they believe will in turn encourage more commuters to use public transit. Lanes would be restricted to buses and vehicles turning right on weekdays from 7 to 9 a.m. and from 4 to 7 p.m. Converting the existing lanes to bus lanes within the city of Los Angeles would cost as much as $14.million and take 18 months to complete, according to the city report. Widening Wilshire to add an eastbound bus lane between Federal and Barrington avenues would cost an additional $2.million and take three to five years to complete.
What do you think of the Wilshire bus lanes? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
 A bus strike in Orange County? It's possible, and the OCTA is asking the governor to get involved:
Orange County transit officials reacted today to a lopsided vote authorizing a bus drivers’ strike by asking Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to intervene and call for a cooling-off period. A letter signed by Carolyn Cavecche, chair of the Orange County Transportation Authority, cites a section of the California Labor Code that allows the governor to appoint a board to investigate issues involved in a dispute, and receive a written report within seven days. The code authorizes the governor to take such action if he believes that a threatened strike will, if permitted to occur, significantly disrupt public transportation services and endanger the public’s health, safety or welfare, according to the letter. (CNS)
What do you think? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
 The plan to make Olympic and Pico boulevards one-way took a tiny step forward today, despite continued skepticism about whether the idea will flood smaller streets with traffic:
A city-sponsored study should be completed to determine whether Olympic and Pico boulevards should be converted to one-way streets from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica, a City Council committee agreed today. Members of the council’s Transportation Committee said they would have to discuss specific terms of what the study should entail before forwarding the recommendation to the full City Council for consideration. Councilman Herb Wesson said the study should examine the impact on surrounding streets, local businesses and schools. Directing traffic east on Olympic Boulevard and west on Pico Boulevard could increase capacity on both roads by 20 percent, according to the Olympic/Pico One-Way Pair Initial Feasibility Report. (from CNS)
What do you think? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
 Hollywood's nightlife scene causes major gridlock during Friday and Saturday nights (trying driving down the boulevard around midnight). The LADOT's Holly Trolley line was supposed to help reduce the gridlock by transporting clubhoppers around. Not sure how many people are using it (traffic is still bad). But now, officials are offering a new free ride deal:
The Holly Trolley will make it even easier for Hollywood-area commuters to get around in May when it will allow its users to ride for free. The orange trolley bus offers an all night long (6:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m), stress-free shuttle service with stops at twelve minute intervals at numerous parking lots and clubs through downtown Hollywood, Thursday through Saturday. Trolley drivers will accept movie theater stubs and receipts from bars, restaurants and nightclubs as fares, or just show them your parking garage ticket from the Hollywood & Highland or the Arclight garages.
The Times' David Pierson last year wrote about the surreal world of the Holly Trolley and Hollywood nightlife (see story after the jump).
What do you think about the Holly Trolley? Does it work? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
Continue reading "Help for Holly Trolley" »
 A controversial plan to create dedicated bus lanes along Wilshire Boulevard might take a major step forward Wednesday despite findings they would increase traffic and air pollution on the already gridlocked Westside. The city of Los Angeles’ transportation committee could direct its staff to further study the impact of closing the curb lanes to most rush-hour traffic so that buses can speed by. Transit officials hope shaving an average of 12 minutes from a bus ride along Wilshire will encourage more commuters to get out of their cars and onto public transit. -Jean Guccione
 Can technology help us out of traffic problems? USA Today examines the questions find some interesting new programs out there -- particularly with toll roads. Say goodbye to the bottleneck-inducing toll booth:
On a new elevated, three-lane toll road where lanes reverse direction during rush hours in and out of downtown Tampa, every car must have a toll tag. Drivers who don't have tags get 24 hours to pay online. If they don't, they'll receive a violation notice by mail based on photos taken by highway cameras. Traffic keeps moving because no car has to stop to pay. Transportation agencies are using websites to post live camera feeds of traffic. Traffic alerts sent by e-mail can be picked up on cellphones and BlackBerrys in about a dozen cities, including Arlington, Va.; Jersey City; Toledo, Ohio; Tulsa; and St. Louis.
 This is an innovation that requires watching. Arizona is going to expand a pilot program that uses ground sensors and cameras to catch speeders on freeways. The novel system is credited with improving safety on one freeway -- and backers say it could be used nationally:
While other states and many local governments in Arizona and elsewhere have long used photo equipment to enforce speed limits on streets and highways in selected areas _ such as construction zones _ safety experts say no U.S. state has implemented the automated equipment on a broad scope to enforce speed limits on freeways or open stretches of highways. While some automated systems use radar, the system in Scottsdale uses time-and-distance data from sensors embedded in pavement to make near-instantaneous computerized calculations to trigger cameras that take pictures of speeding vehicles. Motor vehicle records provide the names and addresses of vehicle owners.
What do you think? Are these cameras a good idea? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
 In the Miracle Mile, a protest involving Armenian genocide has jammed traffic. Now this from CNS: Traffic on Wilshire Boulevard is snarled near Beverly Glen Boulevard because of an Israeli Independence Day celebration at nearby Sinai Temple, according to Officer Karen Smith of the LAPD’s Media Relations Section.
 Brooklyn Avenue? Macy Street? Marine Avenue? Santa Barbara Avenue? Hermon Avenue?  11th Street? All are streets that have been renamed over the years. (The latest being Ventura Place in Studio City) Hit READ MORE below and look at a list The Times' Cynthia Cho wrote highlighting the history of street name changes (our favorite: "Via Marisol: In 1978, then-Councilman Art Snyder renamed Hermon Avenue -- for the biblical Mt. Hermon -- after his 3-year-old daughter, Erin-Marisol.")
What do you think? Are street names sacred? Should they change with the times? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
Continue reading "Street names: Are they sacred?" »
The southbound San Diego (405) Freeway has been closed at Victory Boulevard in Van Nuys, where three dozen red bags containing medical "biohazard materials," including syringes, were found strewn on the roadway, according to the California Highway Patrol. The origin of the bags is unclear, and no traffic accident was reported, says CHP Officer Patrick Kimball. (From CNS)
 Ventura Place in Studio City has a new name -- sort of:
The Los Angeles City Council agreed today to designate a Studio City street as "Dr. Betty Berzon Place" to honor the late psychotherapist and author who championed gay rights. The one-block stretch of Ventura Place -- between Laurel Canyon and Ventura boulevards -- will be named for Berzon, who organized the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center. Berzon was also known for providing therapy to gays and lesbians during the 1970s, a time when few in the psychiatric community were willing to openly discuss homosexuality. (from CNS; Image from Studio City Chamber of Commerce)
Should L.A. be changing street names? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
  Officials in San Bernardino County hope to have a major traffic light synchronization program completed by the fall. The effort, the PE says, is meant to improve the now-difficult traffic flow situation on boulevard that run along with often-jammed 10 and 60 freeways:
Lights on thoroughfares paralleling the freeways from Montclair to Redlands, routes like Base Line and Foothill Boulevard, and major cross streets will be computer-timed to turn green in succession for morning and evening commutes. If you obey the speed limit while driving on streets like Valley Boulevard, Mission Boulevard, Redlands Boulevard and Barton Road, you should be able to zip along during rush hours without hitting a red light, once the project is done this fall.
What do you think? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
 The annual "Hot Spots" report by the National Insurance Crime Bureau has some good news: California saw a 5.4% drop in stolen cars between 2005 and 2006. Here some details:
-- Los Angeles: 6,800 fewer thefts for a 7.9 percent decrease;
-- San Diego: 2,099 fewer thefts for a 7.3 percent decline;
-- Riverside/San Bernardino: 2,206 fewer thefts for a 6.5 percent reduction;
-- Sacramento: 699 fewer thefts for a 3.4 percent decrease; and
-- San Francisco: 604 fewer thefts for a 1.5 percent decline.
California cities usually win the honor of "stolen car capitol" of the United States. But this year, Las Vegas gets the title: The Las Vegas area has stolen the top spot on the list of auto thefts around the nation. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, 22,441 vehicles were stolen in Clark County in 2006, a rate of 1,311 stolen for every 100,000 residents that year. That rate was actually lower than 2005’s, when thieves took 22,465 vehicles - 1,360 vehicle thefts for every 100,000 Clark County residents. (From AP)
 Motorists can't wear headphones or earplugs while driving, according to state law, because it could pose a danger (not hearing sirens etc...). But a driver asks Tony Bizjak whether it's OK to wear a single earphone in one ear to listen to that book on tape. Tony's response is surprising:
You're not eccentric in our book, J., and your scholarly inclinations are completely road legal, says CHP Sgt. Todd Jennings. He points to state Vehicle Code section 27400, which prohibits using earplugs or phones over both ears, not one ear. That goes for cyclists, too.
 OCR photographer Bruce Chambers gets stuck in traffic a lot on the 57 Freeway. So he decided to do a photo essay showing the the things people do when stuck (reading the paper, making breakfast, applying makeup). An alternative look at our morning commute:
In my car, I have some great camera gear, including a really big lens for those times when I can't get close to the action. I thought it would be interesting to put that lens to use and chronicle commuters stuck in traffic during the morning rush. Most of the time I stood on the Orange (57) Freeway overpass on Yorba Linda Boulevard in Fullerton and watched drivers traveling from the direction of Los Angeles County. Friendly people waved or honked as they passed beneath me. The paranoid few shared their limited sign language with me.
 Road Warrior is an occassional dispatch from the streets, freeways, rail lines and sidewalks of Southern California, as reported by Times staffers and other Bottleneck Blog contributors.
Over at the Los Angeles Police Department's Valley Traffic division, it was just "a regular traffic collision." No one dead or dying. Not a hit and run. Not even a DUI, the officer explained.
It looked anything but regular to me. As I was driving south on Tampa Avenue in Reseda at 7:30 this morning, I saw a terrifying crash in which a car hit a lightpole and flipped on its side. The car was smoking, windshield and windows smashed, wheels spinning. But it was what happened next that really struck me. A young man who saw the crash, ran over, reached into the broken driver's side window and gingerly pulled the driver out out of the car. He carried him in his arms, like a baby, and walked around the car before gently placing the driver on the ground, leaning on a pole. He stayed with the driver and appeared to be speaking to him.
Maybe it was just a regular traffic collision. And maybe this just a regular Good Samaritan.
-Beth Shuster, Times Education Editor
What do you think? Some Bottleneck Blog posters worry that our Good Sam might be himself in legal jeopardy. Hit COMMENT and join the discussion!
 Gas prices in California continues to rise -- even though nationwide prices declined slightly, according to The Times' Jesus Sanchez:
The decline was hardly noticeable: only 0.007 cents a gallon from the previous week to $2.869 a gallon for self-service regular, according to the department's weekly price survey. But it was the first time the U.S. average gas price fell after rising for 11 consecutive weeks. The nationwide average price was also 4.5 cents lower than it was a year ago. California motorists, however, did not see any relief at the pump, with the average price rising 1.1 cents to $3.316 a gallon. The statewide average is 24.8 cents higher than it was a year ago.
 We knew this was coming in L.A. -- the bicycle valet. There's one in Santa Monica -- and other places, too. With thousand-dollar bikes, it's about security as well as comfort:
Now, cyclists in search of heirloom tomatoes and organic cilantro can enjoy valet parking of the sort offered to BMW-driving diners at Ivy at the Shore or Chinois on Main, handing over their wheels to polite attendants who park them at a nearby bicycle stand. In California bicycle circles, this kind of service is the coming thing. Long Beach residents can check their bikes at the downtown Bikestation, where they can get free air for their tires and on-site repair service. A Santa Barbara self-service bike center opening May 1 will feature hot showers and a locker room for changing from sweaty nylon-spandex jerseys to suits, ties and heels. Valet bike parking would seem a quintessentially Californian response to clogged freeways and overflowing parking lots. By encouraging more cyclists, cities are promoting environmental consciousness and outdoor cardio workouts. Most important, for some cyclists, is knowing that someone is watching over their bike.
What do you think? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
 The mayor's team of parking enforcement officers and tow truck operators -- already at work on Wilshire Boulevard -- are coming to Ventura Boulevard:
The city’s second "gridlock tiger team" was unleashed in the San Fernando Valley this morning, ticketing and towing vehicles along an 8 1/2-mile stretch of Ventura Boulevard. Tiger Team II, comprised of five Department of Transportation traffic control officers and three tow trucks, will prowl Ventura Boulevard from the San Diego (405) Freeway to Topanga Canyon Boulevard to enforce existing parking laws in an effort to keep traffic moving during rush-hour periods. Villaraigosa unleashed the first tiger team along a 14-mile stretch of Wilshire Boulevard last June, resulting in citations for more than 17,000 motorists and about 5,100 towed vehicles, according to the mayor’s office. (From CNS)
 Amid all the complaints about the Dodgers' parking situation, The Times' Steve Hymon notes that other cities do a much better job than L.A. at offering mass transit to baseball stadiums:
Baseball fans in Oakland, San Diego, San Francisco, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago (Cubs and White Sox), Cleveland, Denver, Houston, Minneapolis, New York (Mets and Yankees), Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Toronto and Washington can all take a subway or light rail to the game. Metrolink and Amtrak trains have a station next to Angel Stadium in Anaheim, although the train schedules are a bit spotty for baseball fans. Even Phoenix and Seattle are building light-rail lines that will stop near their ballparks. It should be noted that Phoenix is a sprawling mess, and Seattle's traffic is five degrees beyond bad. As for the Dodgers, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and its predecessor agencies offered bus service to the games from 1962 — when Dodger Stadium opened — until 1994, when it was halted for budget reasons. In 2004, the Dodgers tried running a Friday night shuttle service from Union Station to the games, but that was stopped after one season because of low ridership. On average, the MTA reported, only 400 fans each game used the service.
What should we do about making it easier to get to Dodger games? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
 Dear Abby take on distracted, multi-tasking drivers after receiving this letter from "Cindy in Minneapolis" complaining about a woman speeding while eating a hamburger:
This afternoon, I was behind a woman who was driving erratically. She rolled through stop signs, sped up and slowed down for no apparent reason, and switched from lane to lane. When I was finally able to safely pass her, I saw that she wasn't drunk as I had suspected -- but was driving her van down the crowded freeway with her elbows on the wheel because she was using both hands to hold the hamburger she was eating. Abby, the woman was doing 70 miles an hour. All she needed to do was sneeze once to lose control of her vehicle.
What do you think about eating while driving? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
  Several proposal for hi-rise condos in traditionally flat Ventura County have raised concerns about traffic. Last week, the Port Hueneme City Council rejected plans for a 46-story condo tower. But the Star says Oxnard is push forward with several hi-rise proposals:
"Density is appropriate near the infrastructure that supports it, like freeways and Metrolink (rail) stations," said Chris Williamson, an Oxnard senior planner.
The Times' Gary Polakovic recently examined the hi-rise boom in Oxnard and found traffic was a leading issue cited by critics: The high-rises would be built at one of the busiest junctions in the region, where the Ventura Freeway and California 1 merge at a bridge crossing the Santa Clara River. The neighboring Esplanade, a popular shopping center, already generates considerable traffic at the interchange. RiverPark, a 2,800-unit housing project under construction at the junction is expected to add nearly 80,000 vehicles daily to the snarl. Bottlenecks back up freeway traffic for miles in either direction during rush hour, and it can take an hour to clear the junction at peak times on a weekend. Oxnard city officials rate the traffic along Oxnard Boulevard and Vineyard and
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 Do fare hikes reduce ridership on buses and rail? The Times' Rong-Gong Lin II explored that question. Looking at MTA ridership data, he found at least some evidence that this is true -- at least temporarily. He found fare increases in the late 1980s and mid 1990s were followed by drops in ridership. The pattern seems to have continued in the decade that a federal judge monitored the MTA as part of a consent decree:
The only fare increase the judge allowed during the decade-long decree was a modest increase in weekly, monthly and semi-monthly passes. Ridership dropped, from 430 million riders in 2003 to 394 million in 2004.
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 All those old freeway maps show the 55 Freeway flowing down throught Costa Mesa and Newport Beach before connecting with the Pacific Coast Freeway. Well, the Pacific Coast Freeway was never build, and the 55 abruptly ends in the middle of Costa Mesa, creating what has long been one of OC's wrost bottlenecks. Now, the OCTA is beginning to talk about potential solutions (including a tunnel), according to The Times' Dave Reyes:
For more than three decades, Costa Mesa has sought help from the county and state to solve its No. 1 traffic dilemma: The uncompleted 55 Freeway that dumps 100,000 vehicles daily onto 19th Street. Finally, those years of lobbying may have paid off. On Monday, the Orange County Transportation Authority Board is poised to approve a $275,000 study to examine alternatives — including tunneling beneath Newport Boulevard — to help relieve congestion.
What can be done to improve flow on 55, and get people to Newport Beach? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
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The MTA's proposed fare hike doesn't sit well with some transportation experts, who worry it could reduce ridership on bus and rail at a time when L.A. is dealing with rising gridlock. The Times' Rong-Gong Lin II said that while the working class are most impacted, some worry it could others who can afford to walk away:
