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 The Times' Amanda Covarrubias tells us a little more about Gregory Bradley, the MTA driver killed when he was ejected from his bus during a crash late Thursday. He apparently was not wearing a seatbelt:
Bus operator Baronda Johnson, who works in the same South Los Angeles district as Bradley, described him as a "mellow, relaxed, laid-back type of guy."Johnson said Bradley's death was the topic of discussion among many MTA operators Friday. "It was sad when I came in this morning, knowing that he had passed away," she said. "Everyone's kind of hurting." Nevertheless, she said, it didn't make her fear for her own safety. "So much happens out there every day," she said. "You just have to be cautious."
 We all know L.A. is the capital of police chases. But an AP examination of such pursuits finds that many law enforcement agencies are questioning whether high-speed chases are worth the risk. And L.A. has actually become a leader in chase restraint:
Los Angeles County was at the center of the debate over police chases. The county now requires that a sheriff's commander — rather than the officers about to start a chase — decide whether it's worth the risk. Taking the decision out of the hands of the officer makes sense, said Dennis Hallion, chairman of the National Troopers Coalition, an organization for state police in 35 states, including Illinois. "Let's face it, when a chase initiates, automatically your adrenaline starts pumping, your heart starts beating faster because you don't know what you have just walked into," he said. Regardless of their department's policy, many police complain about the frustration of letting a suspect speed toward the horizon. "It's a little hard to turn yourself off when you're chasing someone," said Sgt. Brian Moriguchi of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. "It's a difficult decision to make."
Continue reading "Car chase culture" »
 Looks like talk radio is getting involved in a controversy over traffic tickets in Orange County being processed in Mexico. Critics express concerns over ID theft:
Traffic ticket data, including driver’s license numbers, birthdates and other personal information, is processed by workers in Mexico under an outsourcing contract with Orange County courts. There was outrage over Thursday’s disclosure that the court has contracted for ticket data entry since March 2006 with Cerritos-based Cal Coast Data Entry Inc. The work is done at a Cal Coast facility in Nogales, Mexico. DMV information "has to be kept as closely guarded as possible, and outsourcing this kind of information outside the country is something this board would never support," Supervisor Chris Norby said during an interview Thursday on KFI radio. (AP)
 A tragic morning for the MTA after a bus driver was ejected from his bus and killed during an accident in Watts:
The driver of a sport utility vehicle ran a red light in Willowbrook and crashed into a Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus, fatally knocking the driver onto the street, where he was pinned under the big vehicle, authorities said. MTA driver Gregory Bradley died at the scene last night, and the driver of the white Ford Expedition was taken to Saint Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, said MTA spokesman Luis Inzunza. California Highway Patrol officers, who are in charge of the investigation, were unable to confirm early today a broadcast report that the SUV driver died at the hospital. The accident at 120th Street at Wilmington Avenue was reported at 8:44 p.m., said CHP Officer Alex Gonzalez. (CNS)
 Gas prices continue to fall -- and some stations are seeing prices below $3 a gallon:
Southland gasoline prices fell this week after rising slightly the week before, the Automobile Club of Southern California reported today. The average price of a gallon of self-serve unleaded regular now stands at $ 3.048 in the Inland Empire -- 4.1 cents less than last week, according to the Auto Club’s Weekend Gas Watch survey of gas stations. Until last week’s slight rise, the average price had declined for nine straight weeks. In Orange County, the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded was $3.020 today, 5 cents less than last week. "We are seeing many more Southland gas stations this week with prices below $3 a gallon," said Auto Club spokeswoman Carol Thorp. (CNS)
 Ever heard of Oros Street? It gained a measure of fame today when it was named L.A.'s first "green" street (and no, that doesn't mean only hybrids can drive on it):
Oros Street in northeast Los Angeles was dedicated today as the city’s first so-called "green" street for its ability to capture storm water runoff and clean it through a series of treatments before it reaches the Los Angeles River. The $972,000 Oros Green Street project collects water runoff from private homes along the Elysian Valley residential street and cleans it through soil filtration and vegetative bio-retention treatments as a way to keep pollutants out of the river and the city’s storm water system. The project was funded by the California Water Control Board and funds from the city’s Proposition O bond act. (CNS)
 The MTA has been debating for years whether installing gates at rail terminals would cut fare violators and improve security. Now the board is studying it:
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority will spend $1 million to study whether the agency should install gates at its light-rail and subway stations, the Board of Directors voted today. The Metro Blue, Gold, Green and Red lines currently do not have any barriers in place to ensure passengers have purchased tickets. Instead, sheriff’s deputies and civilian fare inspectors randomly patrol rail cars. Passengers without tickets can be hit with a $250 citation. The rail lines bring in about $35 million a year. MTA officials estimate that 5% of passengers evade the system, costing the agency about $1.75 million. Board member Richard Katz voted against studying the barrier system, arguing it does not make fiscal sense to spend millions of dollars on a problem that costs the agency less than $2 million a year. (CNS)
Long Beach Airport is closed down by what The Times' Andrew Blankstein's sources say is a suspicious device. Douglas Drive, the road into LBA, is closed, but TV news footage shows Lakewood Boulevard flowing.
 At the MTA Board of Directors meeting today, it looks like we could have an L.A./O.C. clash. The Times' David Reyes reports that a poll by the Orange County Transportation Authority found support for easier in-and-out rules for carpool lanes. Right now, in most places, there are only limited places for folks to enter and exit the lanes. But some L.A. officials are dubious about the idea, citing safety issues. O.C. seems to like it:
The OCTA-commissioned survey also found that, of 1,084 respondents who use the Garden Grove Freeway, 71% believe they should continue being allowed to pull in and out of its carpool lanes at will. The survey is the first on those subjects by the OCTA, which has asked Caltrans to study letting solo drivers into carpool lanes and expanding unfettered access to them countywide.
 Is Sepulveda your secret route to LAX? Well, find another one. At least for now. A major reworking of the boulevard through Westchester is beginning -- widening it to three lanes in each direction. Expect backups during construction:
City officials will break ground today on an $11.6-million project to improve sidewalks and install medians, landscaping and right-turn lanes along Sepulveda Boulevard in the Westchester area. City engineer Gary Lee Moore said the project would stretch along Sepulveda Boulevard from Howard Hughes Parkway on the north to Lincoln Boulevard on the south. (CNS; story continues below)
Continue reading "Growing pains on Sepulveda" »
 As expected, L.A. traffic officials offered a less-than-ringing assessment of the Pico-Olympic one-way idea, saying it probably wouldn't work for much of the proposed route. Details:
A proposal to turn Olympic and Pico boulevards into one-way streets between downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica may not be feasible, a City Council committee was told today. Earlier this year, county Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky proposed making Pico Boulevard westbound and Olympic eastbound in an effort to ease congestion. A report from consultant Allyn Rifkin concluded that traffic capacity would improve 20.5% by creating five one-way lanes and two "contra-flow" lanes on Olympic and Pico. An estimated 100,000 cars travel on Olympic and Pico every day, where the average morning speed is 21 mph and just 19 mph during the evening rush hour. But a study by the city Department of Transportation found the plan is not feasible in the city of Santa Monica, because of a landscaped median along Olympic. It would also not be practicable east of Crenshaw Boulevard, where Pico is too narrow for more than five lanes of traffic. The city also questioned how much traffic would improve with one-way streets. Rifkin’s calculation assumed left turns would be prohibited during rush hour. (CNS) Read more of the story below.
Continue reading "Congestion for one-way plan" »
 The state's plan to take a big cut of future transportation revenues continues to have an impact. In a letter today, MTA chief Roger Snoble told the Board of Directors he wants to postpone until September approving $455 million for dozens of small and large local projects. The idea is to wait and see where the dust settles on the budget. Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials say the proposed cut threatens several long-term projects, including Phase 2 of the Expo Line from Culver City to Santa Monica.
 Here's a bizarre one in South Pasadena. It started as a possible beating homicide and is now classified as a hit-and-run:
A 76-year-old South Pasadena man who detectives first thought was fatally beaten was the victim of a hit-and-run involving a Southern California Edison employee driving a company vehicle, officials said today. Sammy Wong died at Huntington Memorial Hospital a short time after being run down about 1:50 p.m. Monday in the 600 block of Prospect Avenue, said Deputy Johnie Jones of the Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau. Detectives, believing Wong had been beaten to death, began conducting a homicide investigation, which led them to the motorist, Jones said. “Detectives have learned that an employee of Southern California Edison, while on duty and driving a company vehicle, struck the victim, who was a pedestrian,” Jones said. “Initially, the driver failed to admit ... involvement, but after further investigation, the driver admitted to accidentally striking the victim,” Jones said. “At this point, no arrests have been made.” (CNS)
 Well, we guess you can never plan far enough ahead. We've been telling you that plans for a Subway to the Sea have taken some hits in recent months (mainly because of the money). But that hasn't stopped a debate from beginning about whether the Wilshire-only route makes sense. LAist has been having a discussion about whether the Purple Line should actually detour through West Hollywood via Santa Monica Boulevard to capture more potential riders. There's even a poll.
Of course, we can only assume that adding the West Hollywood extension would add several billion more dollars to the $6-billion price tag. Do you like this new route?
 Despite bipartisan support here, the two big-ticket transit items in the San Gabriel Valley's wish list -- the extension of the Gold Line light rail from Pasadena to Ontario International Airport and the Alameda Corridor East freight rail project -- got shut out of federal funding this year in Congress. Officials aren't happy, the Tribune reports. As you recall, the SGV also got shut out of some freeway improvements from Caltrans ealier this year:
House Democrats gutted funding for two key San Gabriel Valley transportation projects even as they voted Tuesday to approve $104.4 billion for rail, bus and highway improvements in other parts of the country. Both the Alameda Corridor East railroad crossing improvement project, as well as the extension of the Gold Line to Claremont, were shut out of the 2008 transportation bill, sparking criticism from Glendora Republican Rep. David Dreier, who voted against it. "I cannot and will not support a bill that spends so much money and ignores the problem of traffic congestion in Southern California," Dreier said.
 Riverside/San Bernardino was No. 1 and Los Angeles was No. 3 in the Forbes.com list of the most unhealthy commutes in America. We are talking accidents, bad air, stress etc. Here's the, uh, methodology to the Forbes assessment:
To figure out which region is faring worst, we looked at three issues facing the country's 25 largest metropolitan areas. First, we examined year-round particle pollution levels based on rankings by the American Lung Assn., which used air-monitoring data that states submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 2003-05. To estimate the time people spend in rush-hour traffic, we used the Texas Transportation Institute's 2005 Urban Mobility Report, which calculated annual delays per traveler during peak hours in urban areas nationwide. Finally, to get a sense of how dangerous the roads are, we compiled the number of per-capita fatal car accidents each region had in 2005 using the U.S. Department of Transportation's Fatality Analysis Reporting System.
 We haven't heard much about the proposal to make Pico and Olympic boulevards one-way in recent weeks. As you recall, Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky proposed the idea with much fanfare earlier this year, and a preliminary study he commissioned found it could work. But there have also been concerns from residents about cut-through traffic on small streets -- from Koreatown to Rancho Park. L.A. city leaders discuss the issue today. And a new report from the L.A. Department of Transportation (never a big fan of the one-way idea) continues to raise doubts. A major one: Pico and Olympic (left) are simply too far apart for one-way to work.
Continue reading "Pico-Olympic one-way is back!" »
Some interesting notes around the Web on the 210 opening:
-- Marta Brown, wife of the late Congressman George Brown, was the first motorist to ease onto the new section fo the 210 Freeway at 10:14 a.m. San Bernardino Mayor Pat Morris was third to drive onto the freeway. (SB Sun)
-- Many residential communities in the San Gabriel Valley say that the traffic is already heavy going into the Los Angeles area and that having more vehicles on the freeway will have an impact. "Unfortunately, I am not looking forward to it because I know it's already congested and I think it's going to just add to that congestion.... Not really looking forward to additional traffic," said commuter Wes Tang. (ABC 7)
Some parting thoughts about driving on a brand-new freeway:
-- The road is clean, the color a light gray. How long will it stay that way?
-- At least some drivers seemed to be there for history's stake. They honked as they drove.
-- Some people watched from above on overpasses cheering the passing cars.
-- Tiffany Hsu
The 210 Freeway -- welcome to California! The opening of the freeway ended with gridlock, in true L.A. fashion. The eastbound traffic moved fine. But the westbound traffic jammed at the 15 Freeway. Commuters faced about 15 minutes of standstill traffic before the ride smoothed out.
-- Tiffany Hsu
Continue reading "210 Freeway: Gridlock!" »
Heading west, traffic came to a standstill at the junction of the 15 Freeway. But motorists in the eastbound lanes continued at a steady clip.
"This will drive people crazy, but at least it opens up the 10 Freeway," motorist Frank Ritter of Rialto said of the snarl. "It'll be convenient for people there."
-- Tiffany Hsu
There were some small onramp lines to get on the 210. But the freeway itself looks like smooth sailing. At least the new portion. But the question is whether there is more traffic farther west. We'll find out soon.
-- Tiffany Hsu
At 10:45 a.m., it was smooth driving on the eastbound lanes of the freeway, with only a handful of motorists in sight. The westbound lanes were practically empty.
--Tiffany Hsu
The freeway just opened!
-- Tiffany Hsu
Some wondered whether the 210 Freeway would open to gridlock. (That's what happened during the last big freeway opening, the 105 in the 1990s.) Not sure about that. But things are behind schedule, in true SoCal freeway fashion. The planned 10 a.m. opening was delayed so officials could get into place. Unclear when cars will merge on.
-- Tiffany Hsu
Residents of Rialto, the San Bernardino County city that has seen a revitalization in recent years, said they couldn't wait for the opening.
"It's going to expand business and stop freeway backage, especially on the 215," said Tiger Lee, 43. "I've been looking forward to it. I hear a lot of people say it's going to congest Riverside Avenue, but I disagree."
She said most of the construction work was done at night."They did construction at reasonable hours. During the day you didn't see construction at all," Lee said. "It hasn't been bothersome."
Leo Cooper, 34, said he'd be going for a drive on the freeway as soon as it opened to see what it's like. "It's going to be so convenient. I'm loving it," Cooper said. "It's going to keep the 210 flowing, especially to L.A."
-- Tiffany Hsu
Standing on a freeway overpass overlooking the Ayala Drive onramp, Basem Muallem, deputy director of maintenance for Caltrans, said the six-lane freeway can easily be expanded in the future.
"The nice thing about this feeway is that we added a wide enough median so we could add another lane on either side at any point," Muallem said. "We could even end up with five lanes on either side, a 10-lane freeway."
He said the freeway was built with "long life" pavement that can last up to 40 years."It's thicker and easier to maintain, so we don't have to expose our maintenance guys to traffic," Muallem said. "So it's a safety issue." Chrisy Conners, a San Bernardino employee who oversaw the freeway design, said there were a lot of different opinions on various aspects of the project, including whether the freeway should be above or below ground level. Much of the freeway is below. "Collaboration was the greatest challenge," she said. "We had to work with five different cities.... We had to bring all these agencies together to compromise on aesthetics, future landscaping and other issues."
-- Tiffany Hsu
CHP officials said they don't expect any problems when the freeway opens at 10 a.m.
"As far as enforcement today, as the freeway opens we'll have a little more patrol," said Officer Steven Robinson, who regularly patrols in the San Bernardino area. "It will alleviate congestion on the 10 and even out traffic on the 215, so we're looking forward to it."
-- Tiffany Hsu
  The 210 is unique in several ways. Part of it is an interstate -- the portion from its beginning at the tip of the San Fernando Valley down to near the Los Angeles-San Bernardino county line. At that point it becomes a state highway. The main difference: Each section gets distinct signage.
The freeway is mostly empty. All of the onramps and offramps have been blocked off and are being staffed by Caltrans employees.
Manny Yogarajah, an oversight engineer for Caltrans, said crews from various departments had been on the scene since 5:30 a.m.
"It's very hectic, but we're prepared," Yogarajah said. "There's a lot of last-minute work, minor safety, fencing, etc. But the main line is completely done."
Zale Harris, another Caltrans inspector, said officials expected motorists to be lining up at different onramps to be among the first drivers on the freeway.
-- Tiffany Hsu
Continue reading "210 Freeway: Final preparations" »
At a Thrifty gas station at Highland Avenue and Macy Street in San Bernardino early Tuesday, employee Susana Barrientos, 20, said she was excited about the opening of the 210 Freeway, which the station borders.
"We think it will improve business," said Barrientos, a San Bernardino resident. "More people will be coming by because they go to the cheapest gas stations, and we're one of them right now."
Barrientos said she also looked forward to using the freeway. "I have to commute to L.A. once in a while. And now I don't have to deal with the traffic down Highland and use all the little side streets, which are always so crowded."
-- Tiffany Hsu
This could have been the beginning of something scary on the Red Line subway -- or part of a Universal Studio ride. Turned out to me a minor thing: Smoke in the Universal City Metro Red Line subway station late today was briefly cause for concern, but turned out to be the result of an overheated elevator motor, according to the Fire Department. The smoke alarm was reported at 5:37 p.m. at 3901 Lankershim Blvd., said Brian Humphrey of the department. Responding personnel quickly diagnosed the problem, he said. (CNS)
 We've been tracking for a while the rising congestion in the fast-growing Palm Springs area -- and how governments have struggled to keep up. Now there's word of a new push involving left-turn traffic lights:
Six additional protected/permissive left-turn traffic signals will be installed as part of an aggressive campaign to alleviate gridlock in Palm Springs, officials said today. Over the last three years, such signals were installed at 16 intersections in the city, which has experienced a 6.8% growth rate since 2000, city officials said. The signals provide the usual green left-turn arrow, followed by the amber arrow. After that, the signal displays a solid green circle, during which time left turns may be made when safe to do so. This type of left-turn signal is designed to minimize delay by eliminating the need for the red arrow and allowing vehicles to turn on the green circle after opposing traffic has cleared. The signal still provides a green left arrow when left-turning traffic is heavy, according to city officials. (CNS)
 Caltrans has a new draft EIR for the 405 widening through the Bel-Air/Sherman Oaks area. This one includes a concept for a widening that "would avoid full property acquisitions." This might help reduce some of the opposition in those communities over lost homes and a church. From the Caltrans press release:
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has released a modified version of the draft environmental impact report/statement (EIR/EIS) for the San Diego Freeway (I-405) Sepulveda Pass widening project for public review and comment. The project is an HOV (high-occupancy vehicle, or carpool) lane on northbound I-405 between National Boulevard, south of the Santa Monica Freeway (I-10) and Greenleaf Street, south of the Ventura Freeway (U.S. 101). Portions of the draft EIR/EIS have been modified for clarification purposes. Additionally, a design variation of Alternative 3 that would avoid full property acquisitions in the community of Brentwood Glen has been developed.
The Times' Rong-Gong Lin reported recently about how the 405 widening was seen as a key test as Caltrans started numerous other projects like it around the state.
Continue reading "405 widening: a solution?" »
 Green LA Girl has a post on LAist about how to get around L.A. without a car ("Drinking and driving isn't cool -- Which is why I made the logical decision to ditch the car a few months ago. Now, not only can I drink all I want most nights, I also have a few hundred extra bucks for my drink budget each month.") There's the bus, the bike, the Flexcar, etc. She also suggests living in a neighborhood that is ped-friendly (like Santa Monica, she says):
Easiest way to de-car is to move to a place where de-car-ing's easy. If nothing's really tying you to your Hollywood apartment, consider moving to a more transit friendly 'hood -- or at least moving near a big transit hub. I moved to Santa Monica specifically cuz I was tired of paying parking tickets and fighting traffic -- and I've been much happier -- and richer -- since.
 The opening of the final link of the 210 is good news for the Inland Empire -- but will likely cause more traffic headaches for the San Gabriel Valley. That's the assessment after The Times' Rong-Gong Lin II and David Pierson looked at the numbers:
Drivers will be able to merge onto the final 7.25-mile stretch of the 210 Freeway between Rialto and San Bernardino, completing a 59-year-old campaign by transportation officials to create a continuous thoroughfare along the region's northern foothills. But as the 210 has pushed east toward fast-growing suburbs in San Bernardino County, traffic on the freeway's Los Angeles County section has significantly worsened. In 2001, the average daily traffic in both directions on the 210 at San Dimas Avenue was 67,000 vehicles. That number jumped to 177,000, with Caltrans expecting it to rise further when the final leg opens. The 210 is now among the Southland's busiest freeways. Officials in some San Gabriel Valley communities have complained about spillover traffic on surface streets. San Marino officials said traffic on Huntington Drive jumped 20% after the last section of the 210 opened in 2002. "They get frustrated with congestion and decide to take surface streets," said Ben Salvaty, chairman of San Marino's traffic commission. "In some places, it's been near-gridlock [on Huntington Drive]." Part of the problem is commuters driving west from the new suburbs of western San Bernardino County to jobs in the San Gabriel Valley and the L.A. area. Another major factor is truck traffic, said Doug Failing, director of the California Department of Transportation in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
 It's become very trendy for elected officials to roam around in hybrids and other "green" cars. But it looks like some electeds still seem fine with those bigger cars:
Some supervisors cling to gas-guzzling vehicles 18 months after the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors decided on hybrid vehicles for the county fleet to protect the environment. The county has replaced 170 vehicles in its fleet with gas-sipping hybrids, primarily Toyota Priuses. But supervisors still prefer large cars. Only one of the five supervisors drives a hybrid. Supervisor Gloria Molina drives a Buick Lucerne, bought by the county for $32,409; Yvonne Brathwaite Burke has a $37,854 Chrysler 300; Mike Antonovich has a $31,663 Cadillac DTS; and Zev Yaroslavsky drives a $27,600 Buick Park Avenue. Yaroslavsky’s Buick is the same car he had when he and Antonovich authored the November 2005 motion calling for cars to be replaced with hybrids only "where practical and economically feasible." Supervisor Don Knabe drives a $39,795 hybrid Toyota Highlander SUV, although he notes that it's smaller than what he’s used to. (AP/SGVTribune)
 Those $140 tickets and a tow come to Crenshaw Boulevard today, as the mayor and his Tiger Team are out in force. Crenshaw has become incredibly congested north of the 10 Freeway, though it's unclear whether this will make a dent. Covering the story for KTLA, reporter Bill Smith wondered where residents would park. CNS reported:
The city’s third "Gridlock Tiger Team" is scheduled to be unleashed today, ticketing and towing vehicles along a 3.2-mile stretch of Crenshaw Boulevard. Tiger Team III, comprised of five Transportation Department traffic control officers and five tow trucks, will prowl Crenshaw Boulevard between Vernon Avenue and Pico Boulevard from 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. weekdays to enforce existing parking laws and keep traffic moving during rush-hour periods. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is scheduled to announce the latest traffic enforcement program during a news conference at S&J Wilshire Tow. The first Tiger Team began patrolling Wilshire Boulevard in June 2006 and has cited more than 19,000 motorists and towed more than 6,100 vehicles, according to figures provided by Villaraigosa’s office. A second team was introduced in April along an 8 1/2-mile stretch of Ventura Boulevard, where speeds have improved by 5%, according to an aide to Villaraigosa. Last year, 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 is typically $65, but the ordinance hiked the fine to $140 for motorists who illegally park in one of the designated anti-gridlock zones. A second offense carries a $290 fine. (CNS)
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The Times' Amanda Covarrubias tells us a little more about Gregory Bradley, the MTA driver killed when he was ejected from his bus during a crash late Thursday. He apparently was not wearing a seatbelt:
