« May 2008 |
Main
| July 2008 »
 In a radio interview today with my colleague Patt Morrison on KPCC, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said that a subway extension to the Westside could break ground as early as 2012 or '13.
Where does that number come from?
It's based on five big 'ifs,' namely:
Late summer 2008: MTA staff releases an alternative study recommending a subway extension and a route. Likelihood of happening: Very good.
Fall 2008: The MTA board, under its new chairman (that is, Villaraigosa), commences environmental studies. Likelihood of happening: Good.
November 2008: Voters in Los Angeles County approve a half-penny sales tax increase to fund more road and transit projects, including a subway extension. It should be noted that the Legislature and the MTA board still must vote to go forward with the sales tax. Likelihood of happening: So-so.
Late 2010: Environmental study work wraps up, design work begins. Likelihood of happening: not bad, if you believe government runs on time more than MTA buses.
2012 or 2013: construction begins. Likelihood of happening: Depends on the above.
There's likely a sixth 'if' involving the federal government kicking in some money for the project. It should be said that none of that is implausible -- particularly if the will of the people and political will is there.
But it's also fair to label the mayor's projection as optimistic. What happens if community groups along the way start filing lawsuits? Of if a den of live mastodons is discovered under the La Brea tarpits.
Of course, as Chris Berman likes to say on ESPN, "That's why they play the game."
--Steve Hymon
Photo: City of Los Angeles
Unless you have been living in a cave, you are probably aware that California's hands-free cellphone laws go into effect at midnight. It appears that different agencies may enforce the law differently, according to my colleagues David Pierson and Hector Becerra in a story at The Times' website.
First, the gist of the laws: you cannot hold a phone and have a conversation when driving, although you can touch the phone to dial. If you are 16 or 17, you can't use a phone period. And, the law fails to address text messaging. Here's a link to a Q&A I wrote recently on the laws.
Second, I wanted to address the most important point of such a law: will it make the roads safer? My former colleague Myron Levin, whose story in March in The Times has this juicy detail:
Indeed, federal highway safety officials drafted a letter from then-Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta to the nation’s governors in 2003 to warn against laws like California’s that allow hands-free calling. For reasons never fully explained, the letter was neither signed by Mineta nor sent. According to the bluntly worded letter, obtained by The Times, “overwhelmingly, research worldwide indicates that both hand-held and hands-free phones increase the risk of a crash.”
There has been a lot of research on the subject, with mixed findings. Here's a summary of some of the best-publicized research. If I'm leaving a study out, please note it on the comment board:
University of Utah: Studies released in 2006 and 2008, respectively, concluded that drivers on cellphones -- hands-free or not -- drove as badly as those under the influence of alcohol and also were prone to clog traffic because they weren't paying sufficient attention. Here's a link to an earlier post on U of U's research.
Carnegie Mellon University: In a study released earlier this year, researchers found that people talking on a cellphone while driving -- again, hands-free or not -- were devoting 37% less of their brain to driving.
California Public Policy Institute: The May report concluded that the hands-free law will result in a drop of about 300 driving fatalities each year -- mostly from crashes in adverse conditions.
New England Journal of Medicine: The 1997 report, based on studying crash data and cellphone bills, showed that motorists were four times more likely to be involved in an accident when using a cellphone versus when not. However, the report also found "Thirty-nine percent of the drivers called emergency services after the collision, suggesting that having a cellular telephone may have had advantages in the aftermath of an event."
Harvard Center for Risk Analysis: A 2003 study projected that, across the U.S., 2,600 people die each year and more than 330,000 are injured as a result of cellphone-related crashes -- a number that got a lot of media attention with little mention how it was calculated. Overlooked, perhaps, was that the numbers were not based on figures from each state but on a complex calculation involving several factors -- i.e., how much time people talk on the phone and how much they drive.
Statistics from the states: New York state was the first to institute its hands-free law in 2001. The state also keeps statistics on contributing factors to accidents. From 2001 through 2006, hand-held phones were a factor in 1,170 crashes versus 214 crashes involving hands-free phones, according to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. There are some important caveats here: accident factors were reported in 82% of all crashes, and in many instances the police must count on getting data from those involved in accidents -- who may or may not have seen what happened or may or may not be honest about it.
--Steve Hymon
 I just got back from lunch with Los Angeles Councilwoman Wendy Greuel, who chairs the council's transportation committee. Greuel is running for city controller next March and said she plans to spend what could be her last year on the council trying to eliminate barriers that keep people from taking mass transit.
"My theme is going to be that we have this mass transit system that can work for people but there are obstacles built in that disincentive people from taking it," Greuel said. She gave three examples of things she's trying to prod Metro (the agency formerly known as the MTA) into doing:
1. Use stacked or valet parking at the crowded subway stations in the San Fernando Valley. There are parking lots at Universal City and North Hollywood, but they fill early. "If I have a breakfast in the Valley and then want to take the subway to downtown, I can't," said Greuel, who lives in Studio City.
2. Get the subway to run later on Friday and Saturday nights, when people are out and may not want to go home early. Service to most stations ends between midnight and 1 a.m.
3. Allow buses to actually drop off riders inside Burbank airport.
All seemingly good ideas and Greuel said she's hoping to prod Metro into fixing all three. Afterward, she went to a news conference in the Civic Center to remind motorists that California's hands-free cell phone laws go into effect at midnight.
--Steve Hymon
Photo: City of Los Angeles
Trains have been very crowded as ridership has surged. But some extra seats may be coming. Metrolink spokesperson Denise Tyrrell just emailed:
"The Metrolink Board of Directors authorized Metrolink CEO David Solow to
lease additional equipment from both New Jersey Transit and Utah
transit. Staff members will travel to New Jersey on July 11 to pick out
lease cars and finalize lease agreements with New Jersey. I do not have
a timeline on Utah.
"New Jersey cars that are for lease were manufactured in the 70s. (New
Jersey is replacing its fleet - hence surplus cars.) These cars will
have to be brought across country by freight train. We will be using
them to relieve crowding until our new rail cars are available. It's a
stop-gap measure that we hope will make our passengers more comfortable."
The Metrolink board took the action at Friday's meeting. Here's a link to its website, where you can find the meeting agenda.
It looks like the agency is about to lose some other rail cars it has leased from the commuter rail service in the Seattle area, which will cost it 1,752 passenger seats if not replaced, according to the board report. The leased cars from N.J. and Utah would prevent that and may add some seats.
--Steve Hymon
No change at the Chevron station we're obsessed with at the corner of Colorado and Hill in Pasadena. It will be interesting to see when Friday's big run-up in the cost of a barrel of oil will hit here.
But the national average for a gallon of regular hit a new high of $4.086, according to AAA. California's average is $4.583 -- below the record of $4.61 set on June 19.
And what if gas hits $7 a gallon? The price of numerous products may be out of reach to many Americans and thousands of cars may have to be taken off the road in California, reported Martin Zimmerman in the L.A. Times over the weekend. That's what happens when you build your economy around the private auto.
The New York Times' week in review section had a pile of stories about gas prices, including a neat chart showing all the countries that pay more -- including many where a gallon already costs over $7. The list includes Spain, Greece, Ireland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands. One writer said the great American road trip will disappear. I'm not so sure -- I think people will use their cars for road trips, but be more judicious using them for errands and commuting. That's my plan.
Bottleneck blog guest blogger Arie Verheul posted about how the Netherlands copes with gas that costs about $10 a gallon here a couple of weeks ago. Among their solutions: they invest in mass transit and ride their bikes a lot.
--Steve Hymon
photo: Steve Hymon / LAT
 Several bottleneckers have responded to the news that L.A. City Council President Eric Garcetti has called for bikes to be allowed on Metro trains during rush hour.
The gist of their response: The rush-hour ban on bikes is rarely enforced and people are bringing bikes on trains all the time anyway.
I've seen some of that -- but the problem is still that there's little room for bikes on trains, regardless of whether they're supposed to be there or not. I was on a Gold Line train to Pasadena at 9 p.m. on Thursday and the early part of the ride was standing room only.
Metro spokesman Dave Sotero, however, said he has a solution: Get a folding bike. He uses his Brompton model as part of his commute from the north San Fernando Valley, which involves riding to a Rapid bus that he takes to the Metrolink.
Sotero also points out that folding bikes are permitted all the time on trains, take 15 seconds to fold and are lightweight. "I can lift mine with four fingers," he says.
A little internet research shows that many fold-up models are in the 25-pound range -- light, but not lighter than many road bikes. The rap on such bikes has always had to do with performance. Fold-ups typically don't have as many gears as regular bikes and the wheels are smaller. On the other hand, one big advantage is that fold-ups can also be carried into the workplace -- so you don't have to lock them up outside -- and they are also easy to toss into the backseat or trunk of a car.
I'm inclined to be skeptical that a bike folds up as easily as, say, a napkin. So I walked over to the local bike shop on Sunday and checked out a Dahon model called the Speed d7. Going from ride mode to fold-up was a three-step operation involving lowering the seat, collapsing the handlebars and then folding the frame (see the photos after the jump). I can see how someone can learn to do it fast; on the other hand, I'm not convinced I would want this to be my everyday bike.
There's a ton of information on such bikes on the Internet and the fold-ups start at $200, although many are much more. Some popular manufacturers are Dahon, Strida, Montague, Go Bike and Brompton. I'm sure I'm leaving out others -- please provide links on the comment board below. I'm going to try to find a shop that will let me take one for a test ride for a week.
Finally, I'll throw out an idea that I wrote about in the paper a few weeks ago and someone commented on this morning: What about adding an extra car to a few local trains? Rip out the seats and designate it the bike car and mark it as such on the schedule. I'm not aware of any other transit agency that does it and I think that if properly promoted, it would be a big hit. Since Mr. Sotero happens to be an MTA flack, I will be tasking him with researching this possibility -- as well as perhaps an MTA discount program for fold-up bikes for their clients.
You asked for it, Dave!
--Steve Hymon
Photo: Dave Sotero
Continue reading "Are folding bikes the answer?" »
 Joseph Riser, a resident of Hermon -- a Los Angeles community he also represents on the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council -- offers this tasty guest blog. A regular train, subway and bus rider from Hermon to Westwood, he's been amused with all those new transit riders trying to escape high gas prices:
Hit it, Joe:
Were you born in a car?
Even before the rising statistics were posted on sites like The Times' "Bottleneck Blog" we knew you were finally here, among us, and we figured lots more were coming. The "new" riders, the printed-schedule clutchers, the car-lubbers who haven't quite figured out how their "buslegs" work while it's in motion.
Seats were getting harder to come by and sometimes we even had to share the metal pole we clutched with one of you.
And if that wasn't enough of a giveaway, the glassy-eyed, occasionally fearful looks as you climbed aboard told us many had never shared space with more than a couple of their fellow humans on the road, at least not without the benefit of a good half-inch of fiberglass on each side, and windshield's worth of separation.
And so to help out a bit and perhaps keep the Steve Hymons of the world from having to report a new epidemic of "track rage" on the Metro, here are some seemingly little things that will help us all get along better -- whether you label it as courtesy or self-preservation.
Some of the ins and outs:
*Let the people getting off the bus or train exit first before surging on. And, while you're at it, why not leave them enough room to actually make that exit instead of locking arms with other incoming riders to force them back in. This isn't just courtesy; it'll help you stay on schedule, too. The bus doesn't leave until they get off. And, even if you did manage to squeeze by and claim the last free seat, you'll still be delayed. The same goes for elevators at the stations.
*But, when it’s your turn to exit, better not assume anyone will follow the previous advice and let you off easily. Clutch your belongings, lower your head, cover any soft and vulnerable parts, and barrel out. They'll get the message.
*Escalator etiquette in train and subway stations remains pretty much unchanged since they were first invented some 120 years ago (apparently at Coney Island, as a ride): stand to the right, walk to the left. That's your right and your left -- regardless of which way the escalator is facing. And, to help make that possible for others, keep baggage, baby carriages, bicycles and hefty bags full of recyclable cans in front of you (or take the elevator).
To keep reading click below....
Continue reading "Guest blogger to new transit riders: Don't forget the hand sanitizer" »
The national freak-out over gas prices continues....
Fish like high gas prices
In the Great Lakes, "the increase in fuel prices to above the $4 a gallon mark has resulted in fewer boats on the lakes, fewer lines in the water and a decrease in the number of fish being reeled in," reports the News Advocate, via an AP story in the Detroit News.
But prostitutes don't
Business at Nevada brothels along trucking routes is down and brothel owners say it's the fault of gas prices. One offers a two-for-one promotion if you spend your economic, uh, stimulus check at his business. From the folks at CNN, where the most emailed story as I write this is about a cat being swallowed by a giant snake.
Local governments squeezed by gas costs
"The El Paso County Sheriff's Department in southeastern Colorado has ended car patrols of its 2,000-square-mile jurisdiction. One Ohio sheriff is putting his deputies into golf carts. Stillwater, Okla., has stopped mowing the grass on nearly half of its parkland." From today's L.A. Times.
Downtown news to local mass transit operators: Don't blow it
Killer gas prices give transit a chance to permanently capture passengers -- but that means service has to competent, timely and not overly crowded, opines the Downtown News. "They" -- transit operators -- "especially need to be certain that public spaces are odor free. While this should go without saying, there have been too many complaints about unpleasant smells. A stench can drive away customers forever."
On that very subject of smell....
Am I the only one whose nose often senses a urine-tinged smell on the Blue Line? Please debate this on the comment board, bottleneckers.
The death of long-range commuting?
More job candidates are rejecting jobs that come with long commutes because of rising gas prices, says the San Francisco Chronicle. "It's happening daily," says one employer. The paper also observes that many jobs in the Bay Area remain far from public transit, a real deal killer for those with jobs that pay $15 to $20 an hour.
Hybrids premiere in second-most populous country on Earth
Honda says it will sell Civic hybrids in India -- with a population over 1.1 billion -- but probably not too many because of the high tariffs the country imposes on imports, reports the Economic Times. Of course, the average India resident produces about 1/20th the amount of CO2 annually as the average American, says the UN.
High-speed rail critical to reducing Golden State's CO2
In its greenhouse gas reduction plan released last week, the California Air Resources Board said that high-speed rail should be built and could reduce C02 emissions by 1 million metric tons. "On the environmental basis alone this project is something California cannot afford to reject," writes Robert Cruickshank on his California High Speed Rail blog. A nearly $10-billion bond measure is on the November ballot.
Highway deaths down in some states
Fatalities had dropped from January through May in 35 of 37 states in which USA Today collected preliminary data when compared with the same time-frame in 2007. California was one of the 13 states that didn't have data to offer. A dozen of the states had seen fatalities drop 20% or more. Some police say it's a sign that people are driving less.
Politicians ridiculed over lack of mass transit
Unlike other large cities, no regional mass transit system has been built in the Milwaukee area, and opinion writer Marc V. Levine in the Journal Sentinel says that may doom the local economy. "In this new era, the economic winners will be cities and regions that have invested in state-of-the-art mass transit. Unfortunately, few metropolitan areas are less prepared for these changes than Milwaukee."
--Steve Hymon
 The price of a gallon of regular gasoline has been the same all week at the Chevron station I've been watching at Colorado and Hill in Pasadena.
Just a hunch, but I bet that's going to change. The price of a barrel of oil reached a new record high Friday, climbing above $142.
Which reminds me: It's no longer possible to buy a monthly MTA pass at The Times building because such purchases were outsourced to a private firm. So I ordered a July pass a month ago from the firm. I still haven't seen it. Dilbert!!!!
-- Steve Hymon
Photo: Steve Hymon / Los Angeles Times
 A follow-up to today's pothole of the week winner, a stretch of bicycle-eating pavement on northbound Western Avenue near Lexington in Hollywood.
The offending street is in the district represented by Los Angeles Council President Eric Garcetti. Today, his communications deputy, Julie Wong, quickly alerted the city's Bureau of Street Services of the problem, and the agency says it will send someone to investigate early next week.
Wong said this may be more than a mere pothole -- it appears that it's a failed street. She is going to let us know what Street Services plans to do about it.
In the meantime, don't forget to e-mail me your nomination for next week's pothole of the week. If you're an elected official and want to see your photo on The Times' website, this is a great way to go about it -- report a pothole in your district you want to fix!
--Steve Hymon
photo: Stephen Box
|
|
In a radio interview today with my colleague Patt Morrison on KPCC, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said that a subway extension to the Westside could break ground as early as 2012 or '13. 
