How to prevent people from taking mass transit, Part 1

I took the subway to Hollywood & Highland last week and then walked the last half-mile to the Hollywood Bowl for the R.E.M. show. It was the first time I didn't drive to the Bowl.

Two observations:

1. The sidewalk on Highland should be twice as wide as it is and needs to be much better maintained. Last week, there were areas blocked off where the city was doing streetlight work. If it was a road, would they do that on the night of a big concert? I kept expecting a big sign saying, "Get Lost, Pedestrians!"

2. After the show, the subway was on its nighttime schedule and running at 20-minute intervals despite a crowd of several hundred concert-goers waiting for a train. The MTA says it doesn't have the money to add trains. So much for encouraging non-trafficky behavior.

By the way, the very nice couple next to me in section F3 said it took them two hours to drive to the Bowl from Topanga Canyon -- and, not surprising, they left before the encore to get a head start, missing "Supernatural Superstition," "The One I Love" and "Man on the Moon."

I also saw a few people leave the Springsteen show before it was done at the Pond in April. That's beyond pathetic -- that's criminal. Yes, I wasn't able to move my car for 32 minutes in the parking lot afterward, but still -- the man played "Meeting Across the River" and "Jungleland" to open his encore. Sigh.

-- Steve Hymon, "Road Sage"

Photo: Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Jamie Evans]

The stoplight at the entrance to the hollywood bowl is improperly timed causing THOUSANDS of drivers to sit in gridlock wasting thousands of dollars in gas every 20 min!

The light allows for busses and VIP ticket-holders to turn left into the bowl entrance. It gives 2 minutes of green to the cars coming from cahuenga and exiting off the 101. Yet it turns red for 6mins to let about 5 mercedes or empty buses into the bowl entrance.

It appears the city tried to solve this issue by placing 4 traffic officers at the intersection, however they do not do any directing of traffic. 5,000 cars stop at the red light, 5 cars go through and the rest of the 5:45 minutes all the cars just sit idle, burning gas. On bowl nights, even when there is a low turnout or the show is already started, it takes a minimum of 15-20 minutes to get from the the 101S Highland Exit to odin street approx. 2000 feet.

A simple solution would be to contact the supervisor of the traffic officers and tell them that once the five cars have made it through to not wait for the light to turn green and direct traffic through the intersection.

A better solution would be to equip a traffic officer with a remote control that controls the stoplight and the officer can change the light at his/her discretion.

[Jip]

The wait becomes a burden when the trains become full and you have to wait for the next one. I had a similar problem when I used to take the Blue Line to work. Even though the trains ran every 5 minutes, they were so full, the wait to board was actually closer to 30 minutes to an hour (barring any technical problems or accidents).

[ubrayj02]

Man, you could make a living just doing stories on messed up sidewalks in L.A.

This town has some of the worst I have ever experienced in my life.

[Jeremy R]

"how long till MTA becomes a bit more user friendly and also before people start thinking "outside their car." "

Well, the MTA will hop on board once people start thinking "outside the car"

The MTA can't fund rail lines sufficiently because people are against it and don't want to fund it. Bus Riders and Car Drivers are BOTH against rail. THat is 98% of LA commuters.

Anti-gridlock zoning killed our walkable streets, and Angelenos want MORE of it.

LA densification and mixed used zoning is getting car-drivers pissed about congestion in intersections.

LA MUST force developers to include parking before they build retail, even IF it is intended for the pedestrian.

The MTA are not miracle workers. As long as Angelenos tie their hands, there is nothing they can do, but chip away at the problem little by little and hope for a change in the future.

[Jeremy R]

There is usually a shuttle from H&H to the bowl during the summer.

Anyhow, you are right. Sidewalks are not meant to be used. Even in downtown, they completely block off sidewalks insatead of closing traffic and building temporary ones.

I really think it is a chicken and egg problem. As more people take transit, the pedestrian needs to take precedence. Right now, the car gets first consideration because not enough people walk. Not enough people walk because there isnt enough rail coverage to make mass transit efficient.

As for taking the subway for special events. In most cities around the world, concerts and other events do not warrant changing the transit system. The headways and number of trains used is based off of average participation. Because average participation is poor in LA, trains will not be as convenient as they should be to use for special events, etc.

I also think that trains should run all night. Every 20 minutes until 2:15 AM, then at 3:00, 4:00, 5:00, and then resume the normal schedule.

[KateNonymous]

Paul, do you know that all of the "several hundred" people waiting for the train were able to get on the first one that showed up? I suspect that a fair number of people were waiting multiples of 20 minutes. that's not user-friendly.

[Paul]

Baby says "Wah". If you think waiting 20 minutes for a subway is a deal breaker, then you're a bit spoiled.

[m]

I agree with n -- at that point it is only 45 min to get from one end of the orange line to the other and another 10 to get from North Hollywood to Hollywood/Highland. Even if it takes the same amount of time, they don't have to be pissed off and anxious in traffic. The only thing is that the train may have stopped running before the end of the show, possibly causing them to leave even earlier.

The sidewalks in Pasadena for the last 1.5 years around the Del Mar station are pretty horrid. I find it amusing when the City of Pasadena asks why people are not walking and taking the trains. Maybe it is because they have no place to walk without a high probability of being run over or having to take extreme detours? Also, I have realized that pedestrians frequently spend more time waiting at an intersections with traffic signals than any of the cars at the same intersections. Meanwhile, you get to breath in car exhaust and sometimes get blasts of dirt and dust in your face as the cars move through the intersection. Sounds like fun, right? Pedestrians may have right of way, but in the end it doesn't amount to much and there isn't much a person can do when a car is barreling towards them even though they have the "walking man" sign, except get out of the way. Pasadena also ripped down a bunch of plants and replaced them with palm trees. Unfortunately these palm trees provide as much shade for pedestrians as a light pole.

[Joe]

It seems to me that waiting 20 minutes for the train is not such a burden. Especially when you admit to waiting 32 minutes in your car (without moving) after the Springsteen show.

I am a regular user of the Orange Line busway and the Red Line. I take public transportation even though it generally takes longer for me to get to work this way. I don't usually think about it saving time, but I take it because it saves me money on gas, parking, and wear and tear on my car.

I would have gladly waited 20 minutes for a train in order to avoid the crowded streets and traffic at the Bowl. I also would have considered taking the Amtrak to the Honda for Bruce.

[n in studio city]

how long till MTA becomes a bit more user friendly and also before people start thinking "outside their car." topanga canyon is near to warner's center which ie orange line - red line - walk to hollywood bowl. or drive to the universal studio red line stop and bus it...