After approving the Westside Subway Extension, the Metro Board of Directors this afternoon also voted in favor of another major public transit project: a fully underground regional connector in downtown Los Angeles. The 1.9 mile light rail line would fill a gap missing in Metro's transit network. more ›

Metro has four fascinating maps in the appendices of its Regional Connector's draft environmental impact documents and posted them on their blog. "I posted them because they're kind of interesting and it's a chance to see both population and job density around some of Metro's current and future transit lines in the years 2005 and 2035," wrote Steve Hymon. more ›

There's still a long way to go on these projects, but they took a big step this week. The Federal Transit Administration last week signed off on Metro's draft environmental documents for the Westside Subway Extension and downtown's Regional Connector. more ›

After complaints and concerns about plans to run place above ground in downtown, the option to put the regional connector underground was approved for study by a Metro committee yesterday, reports blogdowntown. The connector is a critical missing link for public transit commuters and would combine the Blue and Gold lines and the Expo and Gold Line Extension lines. To stay within budget, however, the underground option may mean one less station. The study must next be approved by the full Metro board. more ›

When the Obama Administration yesterday released the list of transit projects set for federal funding, Los Angeles was missing. Hartford Connecticut and Oakland received funds for bus rapid transit. San Francisco got some dough for a subway. Other rail funding went to Hawaii, Minnesota and Colorado. Even San Bernardino and Riverside were funded for projects (see the full list here). more ›

While not originally under consideration this late in the game, a completely subterranean alternative is being added to the downtown regional connector project, which fills in a gap in light rail track, connecting the Blue, Gold and Expo lines. "Two plans currently under consideration both involve at-grade links to the existing Gold Line tracks, an option that the community has been consistently against since the project outreach first started in late 2007," explains Eric Richardson at blogdowntown. "The new alternative could add up to $200 million onto the project's price tag, which would then total roughly $1 billion." more ›

$77.6 million from the federal government is sought by Metro and two members of congress to fund preliminary engineering for the westside subway and the regional connector. Both Rep. Diane Watson and Rep. Henry Waxman have written letters in support of Metro obtaining the money, despite a coalition of 14 others who rather see the money go elsewhere. $77.6 million is a drop in the bucket compared to the total costs of these projects, but Metro sees it as a "crucial test," as Metro puts it: "Do the projects meet the [Federal Transit Administration's] requirements for funding? And does the FTA want to find a way to get L.A. County — the nation’s most populous county — into the New Starts program?" their blog asks. more ›

If Metro's regional connector project is built, passengers will be able to commute between Pasadena and Long Beach without transferring from the Gold Line to the Red Line, then the Blue Line. Likewise, those traveling between East LA and Culver City (and maybe someday Santa Monica) will be able to skip a similar transfer process. That means faster travel times and more accessibility car-free. more ›

The Metro board yesterday directed staff to apply for federal grants in hopes of capturing start-up money for the a subway to UCLA and a the regional connector in downtown. more ›

An option for Metro's Regional Connector in downtown won't be officially chosen until sometime next year (probably summer or fall), but Little Tokyo community members are severely concerned over one of the proposals that would bring some major changes to the neighborhood. The regional connector would connect the Blue, Gold and Expo lines into a more seamless system. Trains would travel from Culver City to East LA and from Long Beach to Pasadena making Metro's rail system more efficient. Currently, the Blue Line and future Expo Line end at the 7th Metro Station and the Gold Line circumvents the eastside of downtown through Little Tokyo. more ›

On July 1st, our taxes in LA County increased a half penny on the dollar to fund a mix of transportation projects, whether they be rail, highway or something else, thanks to Measure R, which was voted in by the public last November. This Thursday morning, Metro will hold a Measure R committee meeting (.pdf) to discuss aspects of that and part of that discussion will be the possibility of moving up the timelines of three projects. more ›

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. more ›

Another set of meetings for the Regional Connector, a project that could make a ride from Pasadena to Long Beach, or East LA to Culver City (and eventually Santa Monica) a reality without transferring, has been announced. "By providing continuous through service between these (light rail) lines, the regional connector will improve regional mobility, minimize transfers, reduce station crowding and improve access to both local and regional destinations,'' reads a Metro statement. more ›

Although expected to pass, it's still extremely close to call. Measure R, which will raise LA County's sales tax a half-cent on the dollar for transportation, is winning by 27,630 votes. It needs two-thirds to pass and it's currently less than a percent higher than that at 67.65%. "At this point, the majority of absentee and provisional ballots have been counted," Bottleneck blogger Steve Hymon notes. more ›

The first of Metro's regional connector meeting for a proposed line that would let the Gold, Blue and future Expo light rail lines to combine for longer trips (think Pasadena to Long Beach without transfer) was held this afternoon. Blogdowntown reports the majority of attendees at the packed meeting voiced support for the underground option, the most logical option considering one auto vs. train accident on the above ground plan could halt a regional transit system. One more public meeting regarding the project will be held next week. more ›

Metro has been looking into connecting the Blue, Gold and future Expo Lines for some time now. Currently, if you want to go to Long Beach from Pasadena, you take the Gold to the Red to the Blue. With the regional connector, imagine taking just one train from start to finish. While Metro has not posted the next group of meetings yet, Little Tokyo UnBlogged has the info for two meetings later this month. Plans for a downtown streetcar are also in the works. more ›