Ramping up, July 21
More speed cameras coming to Arizona
The state last week selected a vendor, Redflex, to provide 100 more cameras that will be used on Arizona roads. The state has been the most aggressive user of the cameras in the United States and a stretch of freeway that passes through Scottsdale even has six stationary cameras that take photos of those going 76 mph or faster. A state bill, SB 1325, that would allow the city of Beverly Hills to begin using cameras on residential streets failed to garner enough support in the Senate's transportation committee in April, but a subsequent vote allows the bill to be reconsidered.
Here's a link to a story I wrote about speed cameras earlier this year.
Big week ahead for sales tax proposal
The Metro board meets Thursday and is scheduled to vote on an ordinance to put a half-cent sales tax on the November ballot to pay for new mass transit and rail projects. A new spending plan was released last week and both local and state officials will be scouring it the next three days. If the Metro board approves the ordinance on Thursday, the state legislature subsequently has to approve a state bill, AB 2321, that matches the language of that ordinance and allows the sales tax increase to go to voters.
At a forum on Friday about the proposed subway extension, Assemblyman Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles) spoke to a forum on Friday and said "there is no certainty in either place right now" -- that is, he's not taking a yes vote from either the Metro board of the State Legislature for granted. A lot more on the proposal this week on the blog.
Fourth Street bike ride
L.A. Councilman Tom LaBonge is holding a community bike road along Fourth Street in his district on Wednesday evening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Cyclists should meet at the Shatto Park parking lot, 3255 W. 4th Street. Feel free, of course, to pepper the councilman with questions about the city's long-awaited bike master plan and his now seven-day old effort to get extra bike racks installed outside the NoHo subway station.
Cyclists and motorists
Good story by my colleague Martha Groves this morning about sharing the road in Los Angeles -- or, too, often not being able to share. I'm planning to follow Martha's story up with a bit about cycling later today.
Correction
I wrote last week that a five-mile taxi ride in Los Angeles costs about $20. In fact, such a ride would be about $14 to $15 depending on traffic. That makes the price comparable to a New York cab ride.
Bat-pod is cool, but ...
Batman may have some great toys and a splendid villain, but what the "Dark Knight" really needed was a screenwriter and editor.
Links to previous Bottleneck Blog items
Californians says they're ready for more nuclear power
A man in a wheelchair stops the Blue Line
Picking the mind of a French transit reporter
Should Batman move to L.A.?
