10 Days to Get Your Pink Line Support to the MTA

There is ten days left in which the MTA is taking public comment and feedback for the draft Long Range Transportation Plan.

Alternative #9 is the one I support, pictured here:















It contains both the one seat ride from the Valley to the Westside and a one seat ride from West Hollywood to Hollywood. It also includes the incredibly necessary Purple Line extension down Wilshire to the Santa Monica via Century City. This would likely be a "heavy-rail" alternative similar to the Red Line.

Here's Alternative #16, which is also interesting:














The Pink Line goes to the the Beverly Center/Cedar Sinai here instead of the back end of Beverly Hills. In this model, the Pink Line would likely be a "light-rail" line similar to the Blue, Gold and Green lines. If this model is chosen, the Pink Line could probably head down La Cienega to the Expo Line, even possibly be a zig zag crosstown line as a northern extension of the Crenshaw Line -- think the "G Train" in Brooklyn/Queens. It could also be easily extended east of La Brea on Santa Monica to Sunset Junction, then down Sunset to Silver Lake, Echo Park and the Downtown Regional Connector.

It's the one seat ride from the Valley to the Westside that really makes the Alternative #9 the preferred choice for me to start with, offering a valuable alternative to countless people snaking through passes and canyons every day. This is an argument for using Alterative #9, but instead of going straight through the back end of Beverly Hills, heading from San Vincente/Santa Monica to the Beverly Center, then joining the Purple Line at La Cienega/Wilshire on the way to Century City. That may add a few minutes to the total ride, but its certainly better than parking on Laurel, Coldwater Canyon, or the Sepulveda Pass, isn't it? Still, with the right-of-way still owned by the MTA, I think Alternative #9, is the right way to go to start the Pink Line. (Note: The MTA believe the Purple Line is the higher priority as do most transit advocates, so don't harbor any illusions it will be picked instead of Wilshire. At this point, our best bet is to get the MTA to commit to BOTH the Wilshire and Santa Monica Blvd. lines.)

Send e-mail supporting one or the other of these alignments or both to the following:
metroplan@mta.net
WestsideExtension@mta.net

You'll be glad you did. You can find out more about the other alternatives for the Westside Transit Extenion Corridor Project and the Long Range Transportation Plan at www.mta.net

Just keep imagining riding that subway from Universal City to the Beverly Center and Century City or from The Abbey in West Hollywood to The Eagle in Silverlake.

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SAVE THE DATE

Westside Extension Transit Corridor Update Meetings - May 5th, 6th, 8th, and 12th

Please join Metro for the next round of community meetings to learn about progress on the Westside Extension Transit Corridor Alternatives Analysis Study. These meetings will update you about the refined set of alternatives that will continue for further study and the schedule for future steps.

Wilshire/Fairfax area: Monday, May 5th, 6 – 8pm
Los Angeles County Museum of Art: West - Terrace Room, 5th Floor
5905 Wilshire Bl, Los Angeles

Westwood area: Tuesday, May 6th, 6 – 8pm
Westwood Presbyterian Church
10822 Wilshire Bl, Los Angeles

City of Santa Monica: Thursday, May 8th, 6 – 8pm
Santa Monica Public Library – Multipurpose Room, 2nd Floor
601 Santa Monica Bl, Santa Monica

City of West Hollywood: Monday, May 12th, 6 – 8pm
Plummer Park
7377 Santa Monica Bl (at Plummer Pl), West Hollywood

Content presented at these meetings will be identical, so make sure to attend at the time and location most convenient for you.

For additional information or questions, please visit the Westside Extension Transit Corridor Study website at metro. net/westside or contact the project information line at 213.922.6934.


LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN – Comments due April 25

Metro’s Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), which identifies and prioritizes projects for future funding, is currently being updated. Even if you have already commented directly to Metro about the Westside Extension study, Metro’s LRTP planners also need to hear from you about potential transit improvements on the Westside if they are to be included in future regional transportations plans.

For more information about the LRTP, including how to comment, go to metro. net/longrangeplan.

What We Had, What We Lost, What Will Return

Here's a map from 1928 Los Angeles.

Dont' let ANYONE tell you that mass transit isn't for Los Angeles. Mass transit BUILT Los Angeles. Furthermore, with three million more people projected in Los Angeles County over the next three years, meaning major densification and re-centralization along transit corridors, it will be what we need again.

Look at the beautiful Santa Monica Blvd. rail line on this map and imagine hoping on the train from West Hollywood to Silverlake, or from Universal City to Century City. It's a beautiful thought, isn't it?

Regency Fairfax Cinemas - A Transit Friendly Business

On Saturday night, my boyfriend Michael and I went to go see the new movie "Shelter" at the Regency Fairfax -- a second run art house cinema at 7907 Beverly Blvd. I spoke with the manager Ben and expressed my admiration for their public transit display see in this pic.

Because Regency Fairfax has no parking, they are active seeking transit-riding customers. In the new Los Angeles, businesses will provide both driving and transit directions to their location. This would be considered normal in any other city. The dying "car culture" assumes that everyone will drive. Fewer people are willing to sit in ever-worsening congestion, and higher gasoline prices leave less discretionary income for fun things like movies. For the price of 1-1/2 gallons of gas, you can go see a film!

I once saw an Audrey Hepburn double feature at this cinema, so I am happy to go back repeatedly to this place. This transit display in the lobby only enhances that loyalty.

So, please patronize the Regency Fairfax. The tickets are $6, the staff is nice and the bathrooms are clean. P.S. I really enjoyed the movie, "Shelter", but that's for another blog.

Another case in point: My church is near Vermont/Wilshire and has been including its accessibility to the Red and Purple Lines in its directions.

For me, to see any business actively seeking transit riding patrons, and not just seeing transit riders as unwanted low lives or undesirable poor persons and unlikely customers, is a good thing. Besides, with that discretionary income that comes from not paying for $4/gallon gasoline, I might be able to actually patronize their business.

Living and Working in the Triangle

Everyone should read John Von Kerczek's superb blog "Ditch the Car, Take the Metro".

http://takethemetro.blogspot.com/

In particular, he refers to this particular map above showing the Red Line, the Purple Line and the Pink Line, a transit triangle between Downtown, Hollywood and Westwood. I completely agree that this is where Southern California is heading and needs to head that way.

Someday, we will be talking about living and working "Within the Triangle".

A northern extension of the Crenshaw Line up La Brea or Fairfax might even be built.

But let's get the transit discussion thinking in terms of "the triangle" and the need for planned density and centralization along these corridors.

Save the Date - Let the MTA Know You Want the Pink Line!

SAVE THE DATE

Westside Extension Transit Corridor Update Meetings - May 5th, 6th, 8th, and 12th

Please join Metro for the next round of community meetings to learn about progress on the Westside Extension Transit Corridor Alternatives Analysis Study. These meetings will update you about the refined set of alternatives that will continue for further study and the schedule for future steps.


Wilshire/Fairfax area: Monday, May 5th, 6 – 8pm
Los Angeles County Museum of Art: West - Terrace Room, 5th Floor
5905 Wilshire Bl, Los Angeles

Westwood area: Tuesday, May 6th, 6 – 8pm
Westwood Presbyterian Church
10822 Wilshire Bl, Los Angeles

City of Santa Monica: Thursday, May 8th, 6 – 8pm
Santa Monica Public Library – Multipurpose Room, 2nd Floor
601 Santa Monica Bl, Santa Monica

City of West Hollywood: Monday, May 12th, 6 – 8pm
Plummer Park
7377 Santa Monica Bl (at Plummer Pl), West Hollywood

Content presented at these meetings will be identical, so make sure to attend at the time and location most convenient for you.


For additional information or questions, please visit the Westside Extension Transit Corridor Study website at metro. net/westside or contact the project information line at 213.922.6934.



LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN – Comments due April 25

Metro’s Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), which identifies and prioritizes projects for future funding, is currently being updated. Even if you have already commented directly to Metro about the Westside Extension study, Metro’s LRTP planners also need to hear from you about potential transit improvements on the Westside if they are to be included in future regional transportations plans.


For more information about the LRTP, including how to comment, go to metro. net/longrangeplan.

The public comment period for the LRTP closes on April 25, 2008 so be sure to weigh in by then!

Let the Los Angeles MTA know you want the Pink Line!

The Los Angeles MTA is currently gathering feedback for its Long Range Transportation Plan and its Westside Transit Corridor Extension Project.

If you want a Santa Monica Blvd. transit line in addition to the vital Purple Line extension down Wilshire (a.k.a. "the subway to the sea"), then let them know as soon as possible.

Send an e-mail to both these addresses:

metroplan@mta.net
WestsideExtension@mta.net

You'll be glad you did.

I've also started a Facebook group and a MySpace group for the Friends of the Pink Line.

groups.myspace.com/thepinkline

www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=11096618173

Come join us!