Hollywood Sign Expected to Read 'Save the Peak' on Thursday
Hugo's Introduces Vegan Mac & Cheese
![_Bye, Bye Hollywood Sign... at Least Temporarily [Updated]](http://laist.com/assets_c/2009/12/view_behind_hwdsign-thumb-110x110-464762.jpg)
Bye, Bye Hollywood Sign... at Least Temporarily [Updated]
Photos: Laundry Day in L.A.
One Way to Take Care of Business
When it happens, it will be a one seat ride from Long Beach to Pasadena and Culver City (or perhaps Santa Monica) to East LA without an extra fare or timely transfer (officials say you can save up to 21 minutes on an end-to-end commute). Count eight years into the future and this could be the reality for Los Angeles, thanks to Metro's Regional Connector, a light rail link to connect the Gold, Blue and Expo Lines. Currently, the routes terminate just over a mile from each other, either at Union Station or the 7th/Metro Center Station.
As of yesterday afternoon, Metro began holding public meetings about the project to solicit input for the next step--the estimated $709 to $910 million project is about to enter an 18-month phase to jettison a few options, mainly whether the 1.2 mile track be put mostly at street level or underground, the most popular option among the public. They will also consider a no build option, something the agency must study by law. At peak hours, the regional connector will host trains passing through every two and a half minutes and bring a couple new stations to downtown.
If you can't make the meetings, Metro will soon post the Powerpoint Presentation online and you'll be able to comment via phone, e-mail or snail mail. Meeting info is below.
- March 30 at 4:30 p.m. at the University of Southern California's Davidson Conference Center, 3415 S. Figueroa St., Alumni Room;
- March 31 at 6:30 p.m. at Lake Avenue Church, 393 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena;
- April 1 at 6:30 p.m. at the Japanese American National Museum, 369 E. First St., Los Angeles; and
- April 2 at noon at the Los Angeles Central Library, 630 W. Fifth St., Board Room.
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At 2.5 minute headways you really need full grade separation to avoid completely screwing up traffic.
Maybe those blocks can be turned into pedestrian only thoroughfares :)
So, have they reduced the choices down to those two?
If so, then the choice is obvious. There's no way you're going to convince anyone who lives, works or shops downtown that at-grade is going to work on any of those streets.
And I absolutely hate how the at-grade route seems to curve around to avoid Little Tokyo.
Of course, construction of an underground rail line will have its downside (tearing up Second Street, potentially disrupting business in Little Tokyo), but ultimately the construction would be well worth it. I'm not sure I can say the same thing for an at-grade line downtown.
They still need to figure out a way to completely grade-separate the Underground Alternative. The Underground Alternative still involves an at-grade crossing with 1st St. at 1st/Alameda (Alameda will be sunk below both 1st and the tracks).
The current Underground Alternative is the same as the AA Alternative 5, but they should revert to the complete grade-separation that AA Alternatives 6 and 8 provided.
The regional connector needs to be at the top of the list of any new projects including the subway to the sea and it does need to be subway. I can understand why the MTA picked the worst alternative for the surface routes since a surface route would be to slow and delay auto and bus traffic even if a better alternative was selected.
The overall plan looks good with the exception of the Alameda and First St intersection. Here they spent all of this money to widen the first street bridge for traffic capacity with most of that traffic on First wants to turn on to Alameda not continue west on First Street. Their plan is a disaster and will make traveling through or trying to turn from First on to Alameda very difficult at best.
The new LRT lines need to be below grade, not Alameda and First streets. The connection and the Little Tokyo station need to below grade with Alameda and First Street to be at grade and the intersection should be as it is today. The Gold Line can return to the surface between the Little Tokyo Station and the Temple crossing and in the center of First Street after the connection with the other lines. A temporary “shoe fly” for the Gold Line could be built on the now vacant property just east of the current line during the construction of the new station. The new below ground station could also be incorporated into any new development planed for the North East corner of First and Alameda.