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The Ventura County Star gives a big thumbs up to the widening of the 23 Freeway, calling it a Caltrans success story: Not only is the $65 million road-widening work, which is all but complete, nearly 14 months ahead of schedule and on budget, but the new lanes on this well-traveled pavement have also delivered the promised relief from bumper-to-bumper traffic during rush hour. For the most part, it is now smooth sailing for the steady stream of cars and trucks — estimated at more than 99,000 daily — flowing along the busy 7-mile stretch of the east county highway. As a bonus, the added road space has now lured back hundreds of motorists who had been clogging surface streets, such as Erbes, Lynn and Moorpark roads, in an effort to avoid the once-jammed highway.
The Alameda Corridor -- the super rail line system designed to move cargo from the ports inland and reduce truck traffic on local freeways-- reached a milestone recently, according to Progressive Railroading.com: Earlier this month, the six-year-old Alameda Corridor marked a six-digit milestone. The Los Angeles-area intermodal corridor logged the 100,000th train to use the high-speed freight-rail expressway since it opened in April 2002. The 20-mile corridor connects the ports of L.A. and Long Beach with downtown L.A. rail yards and the national rail system. The Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority owns and governs the corridor, which includes a 10-mile, below-ground and triple-tracked mid-corridor trench shared by BNSF Railway Co. and Union Pacific Railroad via trackage rights.
 The Santa Monica proposal to limit commercial development in an effort to ease growing gridlock has some strong opponents, according to the Lookout News:
The [Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce] has last month voted to oppose the measure, saying it could stymie much-needed projects and is based on a premise that has not been proven and may in fact be faulty -- that curbing commercial development relieves traffic congestion. “The definition of commercial development is extremely broad,” said Chamber President Tom Larmore. “This goes far beyond office development. The commercial development definition includes a whole raft of things.” Among the developments capped by the proposed initiative are hotels, which generate little or no additional traffic; medical facilities that complement the two major hospitals, and movie theaters to replace the outdated venues Downtown, Larmore said. In addition to curbing potentially beneficial projects, the initiative could discourage building the workforce housing its sponsors support, said Larmore, who is a real estate attorney. Because such housing cannot be deed restricted, it will most likely have to be subsidized by commercial development on site.
The vote could out to be a turning point in the years-old growth battles of the Westside. Santa Monica has rejected several big developments -- such as replacing the Santa Monica Place Mall with residential towers. But traffic there and across the Westside is a big problem. As Martha Groves wrote back in 2006: Customers calling in for their pizza deliveries from the Domino's in Westwood typically live within a mile or two of the parlor. But these days, Domino's drivers say they often endure wicked traffic from the moment they leave the store, turning what once was a quick delivery into a 30-minute, and sometimes a 45-minute, ordeal. "They usually want to carry two to three more orders because it takes so long," said Domino's manager Arnulfo Fernandez, adding that the eatery won't let them for fear of robberies.
The LADOT has a cool new website with more real-time traffic maps and more. LAist give it a good review, but suggest a few improvements including: A blog. Transportation is in the top three of hottest issues in the city. Why is there not constant communication with the citizens? For one, the current LADOT Public Information Officer works his ass off, but needs more resources and flexibility. A blog with its simple and instant push button press technology moves beyond controlling bureaucracies and gets information to the people in a timely manner. It will not only create a positive dialogue between residents and one of the most hated departments in the city (disliked both by residents, city staff and city council), but will improve the way the department thinks and works.
On LA Now, The Times Steve Hymon reports on 10,000 signatures vs. "out of control" traffic: This just in from the Republic of Santa Monica: A group calling themselves the Residents' Initiative to Fight Traffic said today that they turned in 10,295 signatures to the city to qualify a November ballot measure that would limit commercial development in the city for the next 15 years. "Out of control" is how one member of the group described development in the city-by-the-sea. Signatures still have to be counted -- and verified. The magic number: about 5,800.
More from Steve:
The effects of Earth Day keep trickling down. Our traffic guru, Steve Hymon, took time out from stop-and-go traffic to watch city officials squirt fizzy wine (Barefoot Bubbly, bought by Metrolink honcho Keith Millhouse) at a train. He explains why: Metrolink, the Southland's commuter rail service, celebrated the first of its new 'green' locomotives at its Taylor Yard facilities. Although this $1.9-million, 3,600-horsepower bad boy (or girl) only gets one half-mile to the gallon, its emissions of various ingredients that contribute to smog are 40% to 70% less than current engines, Metrolink officials said. They who challenged freight haulers to clean up their notoriously dirty choo-choos.
Still no money for the "subway to the sea." But the new austere L.A. city budget does offer minor bright spots for commuters, according to The Times' city-county team: "The transportation budget would receive 7% more money, some of which would be used to install left-turn signals. And the Bureau of Street Services would see its budget go up 3%, allowing it to repair 60 additional miles of streets."
According to the Associated Press, Modesto beats Las Vegas as the car-theft capital of the United States: A new ranking of vehicle thefts drops Las Vegas from the top spot it held in 2006, to second in 2007. The National Insurance Crime Bureau report still puts Las Vegas with four California cities on the list of the top five auto thefts per capita. But Modesto now tops the list, with the San Diego area third, followed by Stockton and the San Francisco-Oakland area.
A new Metropolitan Transportation Authority report suggests that there may be some hardships if the agency makes cuts to 29 bus lines. This has been a major debate: Of the 29 bus lines being targeted for partial or total elimination around Los Angeles, 17 are in high-crime areas, 24 are in transit-dependent communities and 20 run close to hospitals, according to a report that will be presented tomorrow to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board. Metro board members ordered the report last month in the wake of public outcry that the cuts -- many of which involve the elimination of night service hours in crime-ridden neighborhoods -- could put patrons at risk. Board members also called for a list of alternatives that would reduce the same number of service hours without cutting service to high-crime and transit-dependent areas. None of those alternatives are included in the report, with Metro officials saying no alternatives could be found. The proposed cuts, which would eliminate some 215,000 annual bus service hours, would mostly take effect in June. The cuts are just the first round in proposed reductions in Metro bus service. About 200,000 more service hours are scheduled for elimination by December. (CNS)
Just in time for Earth Day, Metrolink this week is unveiling a green train -- and is presenting it in a very green way. According to the commuter rail line agency's news release: Metrolink will unveil its newest locomotive -- the cleanest diesel-electric option available -- and stress that riding Metrolink even one day a week makes a difference to the environment. Metrolink also will debut its new paperless press kit.
Huntington Drive can be a nice shortcut from Pasadena/San Marino/South Pasadena into downtown L.A. Well, maybe a little less so for the next few weeks: Traffic on westbound Huntington Drive will be down to one lane during the morning rush hour for about a month starting today, San Marino police reported. Heavy traffic is expected on Huntington Drive between St. Albans and Old Mill roads during repairs to an underground sewer line, said Sgt. Robert Cervantes of the San Marino Police Department. The construction is slated to last until the end of May, according to Cervantes, who urged motorists to seek alternative routes. (CNS)
Officials are getting around to honoring a slain California Highway Patrol officer: A ceremony will be held this morning to dedicate a section of the Pomona (60) Freeway in Pomona in honor of a California Highway Patrol officer who was fatally shot four years ago on this day. CHP Officer Thomas J. Steiner, 35, was ambushed and killed April 21, 2004, outside the Pomona Courthouse, said CHP Officer Joe Zizi. CHP Commissioner Joseph Farrow will preside over this morning’s ceremony to dedicate a section of the freeway as the “CHP Officer Thomas J. Steiner Memorial Freeway.” (CNS)
The improvements for the interchange of the 60, 91 and 215 freeways in Riverside have experienced more than their share of troubles (delays and questions about efficiency among them). But a small step has been taken, according to the Riverside Press-Enterprise: A bypass separating trucks from the rest of traffic at the 60/215 interchange opened [last week], part of the state's largest freeway interchange project -- the 60/91/215 overhaul, now in its fourth year of construction. Caltrans District 8 Director Michael Perovich said at a morning ribbon-cutting ceremony that the growing Inland population has increased the number of large commercial trucks on the freeways. The bypass, which has been under construction for about a year and a half, will help alleviate traffic at the interchange, where trucks slow because of the incline, Perovich said. "It takes traffic off the freeway and speeds traffic on the freeway up," he said. Completion of the interchange project is already a year overdue. Caltrans expects the entire $368-million project, more than $50 million over budget, to be finished in October.
Inching my car through Chinatown this morning, I was lucky enough to be stuck behind one of those yellow-orange city trucks kitted out with ladders, road signs, traffic cones and the like. It helped pass the time. There were eight colorful stickers on the back, including one that admonished me to "Watch the Road." Plus a homemade, cardboard-and-Sharpie-pen sign on a side window that asked: "Got Hooters?"
And there was a bucket attached to the back, labeled "PERVO PLUS."
Not being a DIY type, I ask: What's "PERVO PLUS"? And what bright bulb came up with the name?
-- Rosie Mestel
There seem to be no perfect options for reducing the traffic bottleneck where the 55 Freeway ends in Newport Beach. But the Daily Pilot reports that at a recent Orange County Transportation Authority public forum, the expensive idea of taking the expressway underground got some support. Other ideas went nowhere: While OCTA says 100,000 vehicles use Newport Boulevard every day, residents at the meeting cited Caltrans as saying 180,000 vehicles use the thoroughfare. OCTA estimates its number could increase by 15% as early as 2030. The city has taken some short-term plans to alleviate the problem, including the addition of new lanes on the north- and southbound portions of Newport Boulevard, though a long-term solution has yet to be seriously articulated, said Director of Public Services Peter Naghavi. Tony Petros [of LSA Associates, the firm contracted to develop plans to ease the congestion,] repeatedly said the plans put forth by his firm were simply preliminary, and that the meeting was intended to elicit community input about which proposals should be further examined. He cited one such plan, the widening of Newport Boulevard to a 10- to 12-lane road, as one that his staff assumed would be quickly rejected by residents.
Remember the failed effort last year to get the Green Line rail system extended to LAX? Well, some of those same backers are trying again, according to the Argonaut. The MTA is now talking of a new rail line that would attempt to connect the Green Line to downtown via Crenshaw Boulevard. Here's details on the new rail-to-LAX push: Three influential Westside legislators are seeking to reconfigure a plan for light rail to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) that failed last year in its original form. Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, Assemblyman Ted Lieu of Torrance and State Senator Jenny Oropeza of Redondo Beach have put their support behind an extension to the airport of the Metro Green Line, which currently travels from Norwalk to El Segundo and Redondo Beach. Last year, Lieu sponsored Assembly Bill 889 that would have established a joint powers authority for the Green Line that would function as the lead agency in charge of hiring contractors and overseeing the construction of the proposed extension. The bill passed several legislative committees before it was tabled in the Appropriations Committee of the Assembly.
An Assembly committee today approved a bill sponsored by a Southland legislator who wants to make it easier to revoke the drivers’ licenses of people with long histories of excessive speeding. Assembly Bill 2669 would double the number of points added to a motorist’s record if the person is caught driving at least 26 mph over the posted speed limit. The Assembly Transportation Committee unanimously approved the bill today. Assemblyman Paul Krekorian, D-Burbank, said the death of a woman who was struck and killed by a driver going 65 mph in a 30-mph zone was one of the major reasons he proposed the legislation. “That driver had a long history of traffic violations, but still had his license,” Krekorian said. “We need to make it easier to take away the driving privilege from those who repeatedly flaunt the speed laws and endanger the lives of our citizens.” (CNS)
Good news for Ventura County commuters. The widening of the 23 Freeway is done, and the grand opening is Thursday. According to the Acorn: The $65-million project on State Route 23 between Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Los Angeles Avenue in the cities of Thousand Oaks and Moorpark was completed 14 months ahead of schedule. These improvements will help to relieve congestion, improve mobility and enhance safety.
Meanwhile, Ventura County's transportation chief is talking about a possible tax hike to pay for more traffic improvements in the county. The Acorn reports: [Darren] Kettle said he'd like to see a half-cent sales tax on the ballot by 2010. New to Ventura County, Kettle agreed to head the county transportation agency in October after having directed legislative affairs and freeway construction for the San Bernardino Associated Governments, a sister agency to the Ventura County Transportation Commission. The agencies set the policies, funding and priority for county transportation projects and services. Commissioners represent each county supervisor and cities within the county. Kettle is optimistic a sales tax measure to improve traffic in Ventura County can win voters' approval despite a failed attempt in 2004. Measure B, which would have provided funds for widening the 101, 118, 126 and 23 freeways, expanding commuter rail services and more, won only 42% of the vote, far short of the required 67% needed to pass. Kettle attributed the loss in part to proponents unveiling the measure five months before voters went to the polls.
The Times' Martha Groves reports that the corner of Wilshire and Santa Monica in Beverly Hills -- already a Westside traffic bottleneck (and that's saying something) could get worse with new development approved: If you hate to sit in traffic at the intersection of Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards, prepare to discover your inner reserves of patience. To the dismay of residents wary of overdevelopment, the Beverly Hills City Council has approved a high-rise condo and retail project for the eight-acre site of the defunct Robinsons-May department store. What's more, the council is expected Tuesday to approve an ambitious $500-million proposal by the Beverly Hilton to add condos and the West Coast's first Waldorf-Astoria Hotel to the mid-century Hilton's fabled site. The two projects would be next-door neighbors at Wilshire and Santa Monica, one of the busiest intersections in the region.
State officials have good news for the Harbor area. Two aging, sagging bridges would finally be replaced under the current plan. There has been talk of replacing the span between Long Beach and Terminal Island with a modern architectural gem found in a European city. The Times' Patrick McGreevy rounds up action from the California Transportation Commission: Projects to be funded include:
* The replacement of the Gerald Desmond and Schuyler Heim (pictured) bridges in the Los Angeles-Long Beach ports area.
* Building a 2-mile trench for rail lines under several streets in the cities of Alhambra, San Gabriel and Rosemead so cars no longer have to stop for passing trains.
* Providing 29 other grade-separation projects including lowering State College Boulevard, Placentia Avenue, Kraemer Boulevard and Valley View Avenue so cars can pass under the railroad tracks.
* Widening parts of California 91and Interstate 15.The commission also endorsed a controversial plan pushed by the administration of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to spend $97 million of the bond funds to build a 1.4-mile railroad bridge that would address a bottleneck in Colton.
It would eliminate a crossing for Union Pacific and Burlington Northern trains.
The Mercury News reports that there hasn't exactly been a run on hands-free cellphone in the wake of the new state law requiring it: Less than three months before a new state law goes into effect requiring drivers 18 and over to use hands-free cell phone devices when behind the wheel, not many motorists are beating a path to the nearest phone store. "Our customers appear to be unaware of the details of the new law," said Phil Malaspina of Wireless World in Morgan Hill, echoing comments made by employees of other wireless stores. "Most are surprised to find out that there is a hands-free law taking effect on July 1." It's time to get prepared. California will join nearly a dozen other states in trying to rein in distracted motorists who love to gab while driving.
Marina del Rey appears to have been successful in saving the only MTA bus line into the community, according to the Argonaut: A month after it was reported to be on a Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro or MTA) list of cutbacks in bus service, Line 108 to Marina del Rey has been saved. Earlier this year, officials at the transit agency named the 108, which is the only bus line that serves Marina del Rey, as one of several routes that would face cutbacks in service this summer. Line 108 runs from Paramount to Marina del Rey. "Service to Marina del Rey will continue," Dana Coffey, Metro's sector general manager for the South Bay confirmed. "After listening to our customers, whether they came in the form of e-mails, phone calls or letters, we will continue to provide bus service to our customers in Marina del Rey." Eighteen service cuts were originally proposed, and Line 108 was one of only five that were withdrawn. Metro's board of directors rescinded the service cut March 21st.
The Eastside extension of the Gold Line could be just the beginning. The MTA is considering more routes further east, perhaps to El Monte and Whittier, according to the Whittier Daily News: Rapid transit in the form of light-rail could be coming to El Monte, Rosemead or Whittier - but probably not anytime soon. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is holding a second series of meetings beginning Wednesday in Whittier to get reactions to 17 alternatives for a line that would go east from East Los Angeles. Still, MTA officials concede they have no money to build a line. In addition, this 80-square-mile area that includes 13 cities, is in competition with three other sectors of Los Angeles County for a light-rail project. And a number of the 17 alternatives, especially the ones that would travel on congested arterials like Whittier and Beverly boulevards and Garvey Avenue, already are getting opposition from local officials.
Here are some proposed routes from the MTA.
There's a new twist in the decade-long drama of finishing the "missing link" of the 710 Freeway through South Pasadena. The Star-News says a private firm is now interested in building it: A radical proposal to build an underground highway funded entirely by the private sector has revived the perennially delayed 710 Freeway extension project. Metro officials have confirmed they have been approached by a financial broker representing major international corporations interested in investing in the plan, which would use giant tunnel-boring machines to build a completely subterranean 6-mile, multi- lane roadway. The route would link the current terminus of the northbound 710 in Alhambra with a short northern segment of the freeway in Pasadena, extending south from the 210 Freeway. "They told us there is potential in the private sector to make a deal, and we were happy to talk to them," said Metro spokesman Marc Littman, adding that the discussions were very preliminary and more details about the plan would need to be hashed out before a private-partnership could even be considered.
The Times Sharon Bernstein does the math on L.A. taxis and finds that because of local laws, they spend a lot of time waiting around: Taxi driver George Stepanian was stuck idling again, inching toward the front of the stand at 7th and Figueroa streets in downtown Los Angeles. In other cities, cabbies prowl the streets for customers trying to hail a ride. But not in L.A., where some of the toughest regulations in the country make the practice very difficult in many of the busiest neighborhoods. Stepanian admits he occasionally picks up a passenger hailing a cab on a quiet street when no one is around but never during rush hour, when no-stopping zones are strictly enforced along many of downtown's busy streets. "I don't risk it," Stepanian said. "I cannot afford another ticket." As a result, many L.A. cabbies spend more time idling than driving. Bill Rouse, general manager of Yellow Cab of Los Angeles, said his cabbies spend up to 60% of their time waiting around at taxi stands for customers. But as L.A. becomes increasingly dense, there's growing interest in creating a taxicab culture here, particularly downtown and in Hollywood, where more and more people are moving about on foot and where it's so congested much of the time that it's unpleasant to drive.
Ventura Boulevard used to be a battleground for high-rise offices. Now, the battle is over dense residential development -- and the traffic it might cause. The Times' Amanda Covarrubias reports: Ventura Boulevard has long been a place where you went for sushi, doctor's appointments and meetings with your lawyer. Now it could become a place where you live. The storied thoroughfare of shopping centers and office towers that snakes along the San Fernando Valley's southern flank will get its first large-scale apartments and condominiums this spring, perhaps sparking a trend that could significantly transform the 18-mile commercial corridor. Starting in Universal City and winding through Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Tarzana and Woodland Hills, the boulevard is home to restaurants, boutiques, car washes and supermarkets. Often used by drivers as an alternative to the 101 Freeway, the boulevard's traffic jams are notorious.
Bus service connecting the Palmdale Airport to Amtrak/Metrolink stations in the Santa Clarita Valley and Van Nuys will begin Wednesday. Dubbed the Palmdale Flyer, the bus line is modeled after the popular FlyAway service that takes travelers to Los Angeles International Airport from Van Nuys, Westwood and Union Station downtown. The Palmdale service will operate twice daily, departing from Santa Clarita’s Via Princessa station (19201 Via Princessa) and the Van Nuys station (7724 Van Nuys Blvd.) 90 minutes before United Airlines flights to San Francisco International Airport. L.A. County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, who collaborated with the county Department of Public Works, the Antelope Valley Transit Authority, the city of Palmdale, Los Angeles World Airports and United Airlines to launch the project, will accompany local officials on the Palmdale Flyer’s inaugural run.
We all know the 15 Freeway can be a slow route to Las Vegas. But the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin reports some radical ideas are being talked about to unclog the bottleneck. Tolls coming?: During its meeting Tuesday, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors will make recommendations on two state bills that could alleviate traffic on the 15 Freeway. The first, Assembly Bill 1954, would give the Riverside County Transportation Commission the authority to develop high-occupancy toll lanes on the 15 Freeway. "We need to explore all the options. That is, new lanes rather than changing existing lanes into the high-occupancy toll lanes," said county spokesman Ray Smith. The proposed project would create an additional two high-occupancy lanes in the median of the 15 Freeway from the San Bernardino County line to California Highway 74 in Lake Elsinore. The bill also includes a proposal to directly connect the new high-occupancy lanes to the 91 Freeway and the extension of the 91 Express Lane. According to a report to the board, only one lane, each way, could have been built simply using sales-tax revenues.
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