Sales tax advances, Obama and McCain miss key vote and elephants cope with climate change: Ramping up, August 14

Americans still driving less

U.S. motorists drove 12.2 billion fewer miles in June than in the same month a year earlier, a drop of 4.7%, reports my colleague Martin Zimmerman at The Times' Up to Speed blog. It was the eighth consecutive monthly drop and the biggest June decline ever, the agency said. With about 202 million licensed drivers in the U.S., that comes out to each motorist on average driving 60 miles less.

But don't think for a second that politicians aren't try to do something about it -- such scenes as the light inbound traffic into Chicago must be eliminated! My colleague Richard Simon has a nice story this morning about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi possibly softening her stance against allowing more offshore drilling.

Sales tax moves forward

The state bill that would allow a half-cent sales tax proposal to be placed on the November ballot in Los Angeles County cleared the state Senate's Appropriations Committee on Wednesday. Things weren't looking so rosy for the bill until recently, but Senators Jenny Oropeza and Gil Cedillo were able to insert amendments that they say protects key projects in their districts.

The fate of the bill is now intertwined with the state budget mess. If the bill gets to the desk of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, he must sign it — and he has said he's not signing anything until a budget is delivered. And, if his proposal to increase the sales tax statewide happens (given, it's unlikely), that probably tanks any effort to increase it further in L.A. County.

The bill goes to the full Senate next. The vote hasn't been scheduled yet.

Elephants' memory may help with climate change

Senior elephants who have memories of long-ago food sources may help their species when habitat is altered by climate change, reports a British scientific study, picked up by the environmental website Mongabay.

And what is causing the climate to change? The transportation sector contributes about one-third of greenhouse gases in the U.S. The photo shows elephants in front of Mt. Kiliminjaro's shrinking icecap in 2006 in Kenya.

Disneyland is not in Long Beach

Bottleneck Blog contributor Lauren Williams says that the two most common questions she gets at the Blue Line Anaheim Street station she uses are: “How do I get to Disneyland?” and “Does this take me to Orange County?”

She writes:

"The people usually asking are small families speaking limited English, (presumably tourists) who have come in search of the Happiest Place on Earth and instead arrive another transfer and a two-hour bus ride short of their intended destination.

"Their logic in taking the Blue Line to the Anaheim station is completely rational. If the Blue Line map says there is a stop at “Anaheim” and you know Disneyland is in Anaheim, wouldn’t it make sense to take the train to the Anaheim station? That’s the logic most public transportation operates by."

We both agreed there's an easy solution. The next time that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority updates its Metro Line maps, it needs to put a "NOT THAT ANAHEIM" on there.

McCain, Obama miss key renewable energy vote -- whoops!

On the subject of greenhouse gases, a good column by NYT's Thomas Friedman on how both Senators John McCain and Barack Obama just missed a key vote on an energy credit program that would have helped generate more solar and wind power. If you dream of an America filled with electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, this matters.

Friedman writes:

"Senator McCain did not show up for the crucial vote on July 30, and the renewable energy bill was defeated for the eighth time. In fact, John McCain has a perfect record on this renewable energy legislation. He has missed all eight votes over the last year — which effectively counts as a no vote each time. Once, he was even in the Senate and wouldn’t leave his office to vote."

Obama missed the vote, but did vote on three prior occasions for the program. Friedman says that some Republicans are voting the program down because they don't want to give Democrats a victory on renewable energy in an election year — or they simply don't believe in renewable energy.

As for the photos, that's McCain and his wife Cindy checking out an oil rig near Bakersfield in July. Obama is working on a snowcone in Hawaii on Wednesday -- a snowcone that perhaps resembles a certain melting planet, don't you think?

Parking for Abbot Kinney

Two new lots with 115 spaces are coming to a stretch of popular Abbot Kinney in Venice. But it's going to take a year to build them, reports LAist.

In the news this A.M.

A woman yielding scissors wounded five people in a scuffle at the Universal City subway station last night about 10:30 p.m. The woman may have been in an altercation when others got involved -- and got scraped up. And, a big rig carrying electronic goods was hijacked early this morning on a 710 freeway onramp in Long Beach.

Still looking for links from local blogs

If you know of or run a local blog that deals with traffic or urban planning issues, always feel free to send me a link. The same invite goes out to the neighborhood councils in the city of L.A. and, of course, homeowner groups around the Southland. My e-mail is below.

Later on Bottleneck Blog

I had almost finished my transportation-in-Portland opus when the Senate's Appropriations Committee decided to finally get together to vote on the sales tax bill. But I'll have it done today and you can decide if it was worth the wait.

Corrections

In yesterday's post on the Public Utilities Commission hearings on the disputed Expo Line crossings, I wrongly wrote that the Harvard crossing was in mediation. It was the crossing at Farmdale, next to Dorsey High, that was in mediation.

--Steve Hymon

Elephant photo: Karel Prinsloo / AP

McCain photo: Mary Altaffer / AP

Obama photo: Alex Brandon / AP

 

Comments

[Spokker]

I had an easier time navigating the labyrinth Tokyo Station for the first time than Union Station for the first time.

While I didn't get lost at either, I was much more apprehensive about where I was going at Union or if I was on the right platform (are those electronic signs ever going to be used for anything?), while I was confident that I was always going in the right direction in Tokyo.

The two biggest factors was signage and employees. In Tokyo employees were always happy to help and service was prompt.

At Union many employees have a chip on their shoulder and are more interesting in telling people to shut off their cameras than getting them to where they need to go.

As a seasoned pro it doesn't really matter anymore. I can navigate Union and get to the right track number with my eyes closed. But I have helped many people at Union, even escorted them to the correct platform.

One man commented that he received no help from an employee that was more interested in her personal phone conversation than giving him directions.

[Will Weingarten]

Your characterization of Thomas Friedman's column was misinformed. The article was clearly more focused on McCain's failings. His shot at Obama was a quick one to give the semblance of appearing balanced.

There's no question which candidate has truly supported renewable energy. Take a look at the one who voted for them three times, and who would have voted for it every time if he had thought his vote would put democrats over the top.

[BOB2]

James N.

Sorry, but I came through Uniion Station less than an hour ago, and every platform has a sign saying Gold Line, Red Line, and buses, except tracks 1 and 2 which is indeed well marked. These signs were clearly intended to show the direction from the platforms to those locations, in ithe usual attention to detail, they just forgot to put an arrow actually showing this was what they intended. And, you can go and see it right this minute if you want to? It always helps to check the truth before you proclaim it?

[James N.]

BOB2: what are you talking about? It certainly is not true that "Gold Line, Red Line, Buses" are painted at every track entrance. Union Station's signage may not be the best, but those who end up on an Amtrak platform when there is only ONE platform clearly marked Gold Line have only themselves to blame.

[Dan W.]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/14/us/14streetcar.html?_r=1&ref=us&oref=slogin

Here is a link to a great article in the New York Times today about the revival of interest in many cities in using streetcars to revitalize areas.

I imagine the Purple Line going to Santa Monica and the Pink Line connecting Hollywood and Century City via Santa Monica Blvd and La Cienega Blvd. However, there are lots of areas where streetcars might be the way to go. Broadway downtown has been mentioned as a possibility.

How about a streetcar from Union Station on Sunset all the way to the strip?

How about a streetcar for Ventura Blvd?

[BOB2]

The Blue Line is not the only line confusing to local tourists, with regard to connections and destinations. Major confusion reigns at Union Station, where some dim bulb decided to paint Gold Line, Red Line, Buses at every track entrance, without an arrow directing to where these actually are? If you walk up to any track is says you are at the Godl Line or Red Line, but, of course, you're not!

Result, foreign tourists see the sign saying Red Line or Gold Line, walk up on the platform and mistakenly get on Metrolink or Amtrak trains. This is so dumb that while waiting on the platform for my son to come in on Amtrak, I was asked 3 times by foreign tourists, if that track was for the Gold Line????

I have traveled around the world and never seen worse tourist or general transit user informationand signage than we have in Los Angeles.......

[Peter]

Well McCain has an Excuse to miss the issue on tax, He is Old, and then-there is the McCain family Curse http://www.mccanes.com