LAist: Which Way, LA? Metro Has Some Plans for the Westside

just one time

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 22:20:37 -0800

1/2 mile or 10 minutes walking is easy, I live about 15 minutes from that Target and walk there myself. But I'm fit, healthy, young and I don't have my three young kids screaming and running all around, I'm not over 60, and I'm not schlepping tens of pounds in shopping bags while being any one or combination of the above. Considering how many elderly, single low-income mothers with kids, overweight people, disabled people, etc there are, and who rely on or want to use public transportation, having that stop at Target makes more sense. Plus then its immediate to north/south La Brea transit lines, the current 704 bus stop (pretty easy to fix granted) and the Faith Plating, MovieTown, Richard Loring, Combined Properties, Martin Group, and so on, projects that are planned for one block or less from that corner. I hope even people who don't plan on making comments will go the meetings just to see the process.

dantheman99

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 09:28:06 -0800

We absolutely need these rail lines and it gives me chills to see it. The Wilshire Blvd. alignment with a spur into Century City is the highest priority. We also need the Santa Monica Blvd. alignment. It should run from Hollywood/Highland to Santa Monica/Faifax and then Santa Monica/La Cienega. It could either run (A) directly to Century City, OR, (b) spur down La Cienega and then hook into the Purple Line on Wilshire. I prefer option (B) as I think more people would be served if they can get to the Beverly Center. Beverly Hills seems to prefer having rail stops on Wilshire to Santa Monica. Thank goodness West Hollywood isn't being left out of the system. Build it quickly, safely and soon!

SoapBoxLA

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 23:02:49 -0800

How excellent is it (not!) that validated and free parking is offered for all meetings but no mention is made of bike parking. 1st meeting - "Validated parking is available in the lot on the southeast corner of Wilshire and Spaulding" 2nd meeting - "Free parking available at the location" 3rd meeting - "Free parking available at the location" It may seem like a small thing to those who don't ride but if we are truly serious about transportation solutions that get people out of the car, the low hanging fruit is to provide for those who walk and ride. Simply communicating the bike parking facilities on paper, verbally and with some simple wayfinding goes a long way. I just spent the evening at an LAUSD location meeting in the Eco-Village neighborhood (1st & Vermont) held at a school. No bike parking! At a school? It's up to us to demand that when our leadership holds a meeting, that it is accessible to people using ALL modes of travel. Also, that they promote ped and cycling access with as much if not more enthusiasm as they promote automobile parking information. See you on the Streets!

Zach Behrens

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 22:36:55 -0800

Yes, that stop appears to be Gardner, which is more or less by 50ft a half mile, or 10-minutes walking, from La Brea and Fairfax. Definitely an acceptable radius in terms of general walking habits. And that's according to the recent walkabouts in Pasadena, Hollywood and Glassell Park/Cypress Park. Reference: Pasadena's Going To Walk More, Here's How Anyway, who knows, maybe things will change depending on comments and a stop at La Brea/Santa Monica and Fairfax/Santa Monica could be in store. Speak up at the meetings and you may get your wish:)

just one time

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:43:43 -0800

I really wanna see a subway in West Hollywood. The idea of being able to take the subway to go out at night sends chills up my spine. Oh yeah baby. But back to the world of mature adults... It's best uses will come from all the other trips one would take (work, shopping, duh duh duh). Looking at this map, I CAN'T BELIEVE there is NO STOP AT TARGET on La Brea! It's the only Target in the selected "west side" region, and is obviously the nexus of so many people's trips. But one of those "proposed" SMB stops looks to be at Gardner??? HUH?!

ephemerae

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:01:59 -0800

Why make it just a triangular convergence? :-) A line that goes from LAX to either Santa Monica or maybe westwood (or wherever the convergence appears) would be really useful. It would allow folks in the Valley to get to LAX reasonably efficiently (as well as everyone in hollywood and the westside), wouldn't require doing another tunnel under the mountains, and would be a really useful addition. The green line is just sad.

Zach Behrens

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:26:13 -0800

If only one line is built initially, it will only feel more obvious to complete the triangle giving you that convergence. As the public said, there is a need for both and I agree with them and you.

aldo

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:15:29 -0800

Purple and Red lines should continue and converge somewhere in Beverly Hills.

Zach Behrens

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:55:57 -0800

The map is a consolidation of all possible alignments. Don't worry, they're going to make us walk to the stop :)

Emoney

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:28:44 -0800

All of those black lines look excellent... but do we REALLY need stops that are only 1 block from each other? Seems like a waste of time and money.

AlexT

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:15:25 -0800

It's madness to me that we have to wait 10 years to get a project like this implemented. Yes, if there was already existing network then incremental improvements make sense. LA has nothing when it comes to viable mass transit. The buses are ok, but they don't approach the kind of capacity a subway would have. So, order for LA to be sustainable we have to wait 50 years as we iterate this 10 year process. FRUSTRATION