Do fires signal a freeway need?

The plan to build a freeway from the Antelope Valley to Victorville has long been a dream in the fast-growing high desert. But now, some officials are citing twin disasters -- the I-5 tunnel fire and the wildfires -- as proof the freeway is needed, according to the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin:

Two disasters last month were stark reminders of what a fragile thread our transportation network can be in the face of a natural or man-made disaster, highlighting the need for alternatives. First was the shutdown of Interstate 5 when a tanker truck erupted into an inferno that closed a major tunnel just north of Los Angeles. Closer to home were the tragic firestorms that roared through our local mountains, torching 14,000 acres and incinerating 439 homes. In the early hours of the fires, Interstate 15 through the Cajon Pass was closed, stranding numerous High Desert commuters and triggering gridlock at the top and bottom of the pass. Interstate 15 is one of only two major freeways connecting the Inland Empire and the Los Angeles basin with the rest of the nation to the east. The Cajon Pass has been shut down numerous times over the years for everything from snow to fires to deadly train derailments. Also in the pass, the San Andreas Fault slices right beneath the freeway.

Wrong-way driver on the Santa Monica

A bad crash on the Santa Monica Freeway blamed on a wrong-way driver:

A wrong-way driver caused a fatal collision on the Santa Monica (10) Freeway today. The crash in the westbound lanes near 17th Street in Santa Monica occurred about 3:10 a.m., California Highway Patrol Officer David Porter said.

A vehicle going east on the westbound side of the freeway struck another vehicle head-on, Porter said. (CNS)

New 'Subway to the Sea' route?

Should the "Subway to the Sea" run through West Hollywood rather than the Miracle Mile and Hancock Park? The Times' Rong-Gong Lin examines the issue:

After trying for three decades to build a subway down Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles County transit officials are now considering a radically different route that would send the Westside rail line though Hollywood, West Hollywood and the Beverly Center area. The new proposed alignment for the "Subway to the Sea" would extend west from the Hollywood/Highland Red Line station, roughly following Santa Monica Boulevard through Beverly Hills, a route that backers say should dip south to connect with the Beverly Center mall and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The new concept is still in its preliminary stages, and the Wilshire alignment remains on the table. But even though officials don't have funding for the $6-billion project, the new concept has sparked much debate because of how crucial many officials see the subway to easing the Westside's traffic woes. The new route would bypass the Miracle Mile and Hancock Park, where opposition remains strong to a subway from residents in the upscale residential district. At the same time, officials and residents in Hollywood and West Hollywood are rolling out the welcome mat, saying the younger, apartment-living residents in that area would be more likely to take the subway.