A.M. Greenlist: Transit plans and reservoir controversies

>> The 17 subway to the sea options have been narrowed down to four, and Damien Newton has the maps on Streetsblog LA. The real issue, however, is where we're going to find the money to pay to build one of these... Public meetings about these options continue this week and next.

>> One-way plan goes nowhere. Villaraigosa's plan to turn Pico and Olympic boulevards into one-way streets gets stalled by a judge, who says an environmental impact study must be completed before moving forward with the plan.

>> Greasoliners: Technically outlaws evading taxes. People who run their cars on veggie oil face a complicated myriad of taxes and fees and insurance requirements. "The regulations are so burdensome that even Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, trying to set an example for Californians by driving a Hummer that burns cooking oil he buys at Costco, had not complied."

>> The economists agree unanimously: The gas tax holiday is a bad, bad idea. Freakonomics' Justin Wolfers challenged his readers: "find any coherent economist willing to support the gas tax holiday." None emerged. Earlier: 'Summer Holiday' from Gas Tax a Bad Idea.

>> Silver Lake residents are split on what they want done with their reservoir, which was recently drained due to contamination:

• Sara Catania, who teaches at USC, opines that the reservoir space would be better used as park space in an L.A. Times op-ed.
• Meanwhile, Donna Barstow's angry the DWP hasn't refilled the reservoir already. Of course, the L.A. DWP has promised to start refilling the reservoir on Wednesday -- but Donna predicts "they will drag out the refilling until it finishes on their all important target date of June 1." She then criticizes the L.A. Times for not covering her "story," while simultaneously critiquing the L.A. DWP for holding a press conference about the refilling -- an event that might, you know, encourage the press to cover the story. Hmmm...

>> Five less toxic major brand nail polishes, reviewed by Sarah Van Schagen at Grist. Part of her conclusion: "The chemical smell from all of these suggests that pursuing your polish habit may not be the best bet for your health."

Photo by Cathy Cole via Flickr

Comments

[Dan Wentzel]

Of the finalists alignments for the Westside Transit Corridor Extension, there is every reason to celebrate. Two of the maps include a Santa Monica Blvd. alignment (which advocates have nicknamed “The Pink Line”.) If one of these is chosen, and is built as rail, it can be extended on the southern end to Expo or even potentially LAX. On the northeast end, it can be extended to Silver Lake and then downtown.

So pick the Wilshire alignment of your choice and let the MTA know you want the Santa Monica Blvd. line included in the final proposal!

The one downside of these finalists is that this means there will not be a one-seat ride from the Valley to the Westside via Santa Monica Blvd. I really hope there has been sufficient support shown for a Sepulveda LRT going to/from LAX to/from Metrolink in the Valley to make it into the Long Range Transportation Plan. Countless people who are snaking through passes and canyons every day deserve a quality public transit alternative.

But ask your friends to show their support for the Santa Monica Blvd./La Cienega proosal along with the Wilshire route by attending one of the MTA forums or sending the MTA a message today to WestisdeExtension@metro.net

[jrb]

Dan, what do you think about them putting something down the middle of the 405?

[Dan W]

Well, I'm just one person, but for this route, the exact alignment doesn't matter as much to me as the stops. If it goes between LAX and Metrolink and stops at the Orange Line, Ventura, Wilshire, Santa Monica, Pico/Expo, Venice, Washington, Jefferson and LAX, I'm down with it.

I'm not a fan generally of the "in the middle of the freeway" approach because people travel to destinations, not freeway exits. But so much about this particular route is getting people over a major hill, "how" is gets over that hill I leave up to the wisdom of the engineers and planners. In the developed portions of the route, I'd stick closer to Sepulveda than the freeway, but let's just celebrate the day Metro decides to take this corridor seriously.

Right now we have a misdesigned "Rapid" 761 that poops out at Wilshire/Westwood, requiring multiple transfers for many, and is slowed down by providing local service in the back end of Brentwood and Westwood. For starters, if we spun out that local service to perhaps a revived bus route 21, or gave it to the Big Blue Bus, that means the Rapid 761 could go down to Pico/Expo and be revenue neutral.

Most people in Southern California see the need for a quality public transit alternative between the Valley and the Westside for the countless people snaking through passes and canyons every day. Let's hope in the final Long Range Transportation Plan that Metro prioritizes giving them one.

If I currently understand the Metro's thinking correctly, it would start as a busway, similar to the Orange Line, both of which could get upgraded to rail later. But even an Orange Line busway between the Green Line and Metrolink would be a tremendous improvement over what they have now.

[jrb]

The wisdom of the freeway approach is that the freeway system was generally designed to follow the lowest passes. These are the same passes that Native Americans cut their trails through, and Spanish padres used to get from mission to mission. The right of ways are already exersized, disruption is minimal, and most major streets anf thoughfares, are accessable.

I was amazed at how fast and easy the Green Line got operational. It's too bad they didn't finish it.

But yea, we need something that goes from the valley to the westside, and we need it bad.