Revitalizing West Hollywood After the Pandemic

I've been doing a lot of walking around West Hollywood to get my 10,000 steps in daily and I am distressed by the number of closed and vacant storefronts I see on my routes.  Not just stores, but bars and other entertainment venues are shutting down.  This is causing great concern among people who love this city.

"And the Band Played On" in the Micky's photo s an ominous reference to the last pandemic which is not over, by the way.  HIV/AIDS is still a thing.  (Please check out Randy Shilt's amazing book and the Emmy-winning TV movie if you have never read or seen either.)

When this new pandemic hit it was unknown if we were going to be able to bounceback rapidly from shutting down as we hoped.  It is now clear that this is not the case.  Much of this has been beyond the City of West Hollywood's control.  We have a incompetent and corrupt President who treated Coronavirus like a "hoax" and failed to take the necessary actions to control the virus, which meant the economy could not recover quickly.  Re-opening a country too soon that did not shut down properly, not only did not spur the economy, it spurred the virus.  We also have a giant chunk of seemingly delusional people who treat COVID-19 as if it were simply overblown media hype or think that mask-wearing and social distancing shouldn't apply to them because they are special or infringes on their "freedumb" to infect other people.

So, lacking the leadership and social solidarity of countries like New Zealand, South Korea, Germany, and Japan, America is in for a long slog where over 200,000 will likely perish from COVID-19 by November and the American economy continues its spiral into its worst downturn since the Great Depression.

Many people who live in or love West Hollywood are asking themselves, 'What kind of city will we come back to when we finally emerge out of this pandemic and the resulting economic catastrophe?"  In particular, there is concern that West Hollywood's two great entertainment zones, the Rainbow District and the Sunset Trip, will lose their unique characters and become generic and no longer representative of their respective histories.  

Some businesses are making the best of this situation.

At Block Party WeHo, it is "Pride All Year Long", and they have begun setting up shop outdoors.

Even Yogurt Stop is getting into the act.  

I am all for this adaptation.  Hopefully, businesses like these will be able to survive and that indoor shopping will return before the rain starts.

Many restaurants who are lucky enough to have outside seating are able to use that to serve customers.  Some which have not had outside seating before have converted parking lots seating.  Hamburger Mary's has recreated its fun atmosphere outside.  It was fun enjoying the music at atmosphere.  Hey, I'm open to drag bingo outdoors at night.

The Sunset Strip has been quiet during the shutdown, but Carney's is still serving a great chili dog.

However, if it is going to be several months or a couple of years before a vaccine, and even longer before the economy bounces back, what is going to happen to the Rainbow District and Sunset Strip, particularly to its empty storefronts and shuttered nightlife?  Will it be generic chains that slap a rainbow flag or guitar sticker on the door that come in and we simply call it a day?  What about the small businesses that made this city great?   What can the City of West Hollywood do about this?

Of course, the Federal government has certain powers, our state governments have certain powers, and local governments are given certain powers by our states in our federal system in America.  The City of West Hollywood cannot control the overall national economy, nor can we tell a private property or business owner what to do with their asset, but we can try to encourage and influence how we want our entertainment districts to revive with how we design our public spaces and approve planning and permits.

I don't have all the answers for revitalizing our entertainment districts, nor should any one person determine how this is to happen.  But here are my suggestions for moving forward and at least getting the process started:

(1) I suggest the City establish an official Rainbow District Task Force and a Sunset Strip Task Force asked to coming up with a series of recommendations and action items on how to economically revitalize while still maintaining the historical character of these two entertainment zones.  These Task Forces are not about creating new administrative layers, but about engaging the community.  The revitalization of the Sunset Strip and Rainbow District after the pandemic should include input from all its stakeholders. Excite the community by involving the community.  An excited community leads to prosperous local businesses too.  

(2) I suggest expanding the mandate of the Arts & Cultural Affairs Commission to the "Arts, Cultural and Entertainment Affairs Commission" so there is a standing body in the City to review fun, creative public nightlife events for the City to help things along.  Perhaps we could allow street buskers on Sunset Strip and drag queens to perform for the public in the Rainbow District, as examples.

(3) I suggest the City establish an Affordable Housing Task Force that will be asked to recommend methods of creating more affordable housing for artistic and creative people who are currently priced out of living in West Hollywood.  For example, there may be non-traditional types of housing such as loft spaces, communal spaces, converted empty commercial spaces, SRO's, that we designate for people in the arts and entertainment industry. 

(4) I suggest establishing a Public Banking Commission.  California passed a new law authorizing municipalities to establish public banks which can use their funds to reinvest in their communities.  West Hollywood should jump on this new opportunity.

(5) I recommend The Pick Up Line entertainment shuttle be rerouted so the western turnaround takes people up to the Sunset Strip as seen below, and perhaps join with the City of Los Angeles for a "Super Entertainment Shuttle" (see previous blog post) that includes Hollywood and Theatre Row.

Proposed new Pickup Line alignment

 

Proposed Entertainment Supershuttle alignment

Revitalizing the Sunset Strip and Rainbow District isn't only about preserving the character and culture of West Hollywood, as important as that is in itself.  It's also about preserving the tax base that pays for our quality services.  At my last glance, the city's hotel tax is its largest revenue source, and if we want people to lodge in our hotels, we need to give them incentive to spend the night in our fun, creative city.

Here is some good news.  There will always be change.  Businesses and people come and go in life.  Here is one that opened in mid-city area.  I can recommend the coffee at gget ("Go Get 'Em Tiger").  Don't lose heart.  Happy Days will someday be here again.

There is an election in November.  I'm not running for anything, but I invite all the candidates who are running to share with us their ideas for revitalizing the Rainbow District and Sunset Strip when we finally emerge from this horrible pandemic and resulting economic devestation.

What do you think?

A Proposal for a New Entertainment Shuttle for Hollywood & West Hollywood

In West Hollywood, pre-pandemic, West Hollywood had two free entertainment shuttles which ran Friday and Saturday nights, the Pick Up Line and the Sunset Trip.  (The Pick Up line also ran on "Sunday fundays" and certain holidays.).

The advantages of a free shuttle service serving nightlife are obvious.  It reduces the amount of traffic in the area, reduces drunk driving, reduces the demands on parking, and provides more customers to businesses in these districts.  These free shuttles ran old trolley cars and played hip music and have a fun atmosphere too them.  You can see their respective routes below:

Eventually, whenever things re-open again at some point in the future, and nightlife returns again, West Hollywood can bring back entertainment shuttle service.  Unfortunately, post-pandemic, there are not funds to operate both shuttles.  The Pick Up Line will return first when things re-open again in the future.  

A proposal I have is to modify the Pick Up route, so the western turn around also serves a part of Sunset Blvd.  This will take people up the hill to part of the western Sunset Strip and provide shuttle service to places like the Roxy, the Whisky-a-Go-Go, the Rainbow Room, and the Viper Room, among others, as seen below;

For future planning, I want to propose something bigger and grander involving both Hollywood and West Hollywood.  A "Super Entertainment Shuttle" if you will.  It would serve the Rainbow District, the Sunset Trip, and currently unserved "Theatre Row", as well as taking people to clubs in Hollywood and the "B Line" ("Red Line") Subway.  I envision both a clockwise and a counterclockwise loop.  Please see below.

Two notes:  (1)  I'm currently envisioning the entertainment shuttle heading north from Sunset to Highland rather than LaBrea, because Hollywood Blvd. is often a standstill between Highland and LaBrea on Friday/Saturday nights;  (2) Also, those numbered blue dots are mileage markers, not proposed stops.  The whole loop is slightly under ten miles.   

Granted, this shuttle would require cooperation between both the Cities of Los Angeles and West Hollywood, and it will be months before all of these types of businesses re-open.  But we plan for the future today.  

Imagine someone taking the Red Line to Hollywood, to then catch the shuttle to see a play on Theatre Row or a set at The Comedy Store; and then heading for a drink at The Rainbow Room, or Mickey's; and then head back to the subway, having left the car at home.

What do you think?

Why I like the "Hybrid" Option for the Crenshaw Northern Extension Project

As we get closer to Metro selecting a "Locally Preferred Alternative" for the Crenshaw Northern Extension Project, a new round of community meetings is about to take place.  On the menu for discussion will be a new "hybrid" option (seen below).

The more I study the "hybrid" alignment (A2 plus A/A1 above) for the Crenshaw Northern Extension Project the more I like it. At first the geometry of the line threw me, but this option hits all the major job/entertainment/retail generators north of Wilshire.

Going to where people actually want to go is what will make this line the tremendous success it is destined to be.  People don't just travel through this area, they travel TO this area and within this area.

Let's just remember why we need this line.  It intersects so many other Metro lines (Green, Expo, Purple, Red) and major bus corridors (Santa Monica, La Cienega, Fairfax,,etc.) that it will increase ridership on the whole system.  Plus, this extension will vastly increase mobility for disadvantaged communities with direct connections to job and entertainment centers like Cedars-Sinai, Beverly Center, The Grove, and West Hollywood.

There is a minority of people out there that prefer La Brea for this alignment. They look at La Brea on the map, see a "straighter" line, and say, "We want speed, speed, speed!  They don't seem to care about direct access to any of the ridership generators between Wilshire Blvd. and Hollywood Blvd. further west (like Cedar Sinai, the Beverly Center, the Grove, West Hollywood, etc.).  This is why I do not agree with them:

As a daily user of the transit system I think to myself, "If the options are: (A) riding a few more minutes underground to go directly to the location I actually want to go (West Hollywood, Cedar Sinai, Beverly Center, The Grove, etc.), or, (B) getting off the train at La Brea and THEN waiting above ground to transfer to a bus and THEN riding through heavy surface traffic to finally get where I actually want to go, well (B) really does not seem like the "speed" option after all, does it?

I'm sure a nurse riding from Leimert Park to her job at Cedar Sinai would rather take a quick one-seat ride underground rather than ride to Beverly/LaBrea, wait for a bus at LaBrea for however long, and then ride stop and go in heavy traffic to finally get to her job.  When you conceive the whole trip, the notion of the "speediest" option changes.

I say build this line and put the alignment directly stopping where people actually want to go.  And make its northern terminus at the Hollywood Bowl to help relieve nighttime Hollywood Bowl traffic there.

I believe the few extra minutes of curves required to make these stops, which no one will notice or care about underground, will still be MUCH quicker than sitting in heavy surface traffic above ground, and will not at all be a deterrent to its success.

I also reject talk of breaking this project up separately into “two-lines” as there is only going to be one line built in this area for decades.  By the time all of the current Measure R and Measure M projects are finished it will be decades for a second line is even proposed.  So don't be fooled or distracted by those people advocating a  so-called "speed" line on La Brea today while leaving second "access" line to be proposed and built at some vague date decades later (or never).

There are also those who will wonder, "what about the people traveling from the San Fernando Valley to LAX?"  Good question! I think most of them will likely use the coming Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project (seen below), but will still find this hybrid underground alignment MUCH quicker than sitting in surface traffic.

The next round of Metro Community Meetings for this project are soon.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019, 6 – 8 p.m.

Plummer Park, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd. West Hollywood, CA 90046.

Accessible via: West Hollywood Cityline and Metro bus lines 2, 4, 212, and 704.

Thursday, October 24, 2019, 6 - 8 p.m.

Wilshire Crest Elementary School, 5241 W. Olympic Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90036.

Accessible via: Metro bus lines 20, 28, 212, 312, 720 and 728.

Saturday, October 26, 2019, 10 a.m.  – 12 p.m.

Virginia Road Elementary School, 2925 Virginia Road, Los Angeles, CA 90016.

Accessible via: DASH, Metro Bus lines 37, 38, 210, 710 and 740.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019, 6 – 8 p.m.

Rosewood Avenue Elementary School, 503 N. Croft Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90048.

Accessible via: DASH, West Hollywood Cityline and Metro bus lines 10, 14, 105 and 705

I will see you there!  You can also submit your feedback about this line to crenshawnorth@metro.net.

Although I very proudly sit on the City of West Hollywood's Transportation Commission, this blog post is my own opinion.  I am not claiming to speak for the Commission, the City Council, or our hardworking city staff.  

West Hollywood Entertainment Shuttle "Party Bus" in the works?

Someone just informed me about a proposed West Hollywood "entertainment shuttle" that would be an effort to reduce traffic congestion and drunk driving.  It would have a party atmosphere.

West Hollywood Patch had the articles:

   City Council Wants More Information Before Approving an Entertainment Shuttle

   West Hollywood 'Entertainment Shuttle' in the Works

Considering how stuffed and crowded Line 4 is at night, I think this is worth exploring.  I'm imagining a double-decker bus with house Music and go-go dancers.

However, if I were designing an evening party shuttle, I'd do something a little different than just a circle around West Hollywood.  

I'd see about partnering with the City of Los Angeles and connect to the Red Line at the Hollywood & Vine Station.  Hollywood & Vine is the historical center of Hollywood and an evening Party Bus that runs there could connect with Theatre Row and the emerging nightclubs east of West Hollywood on Santa Monica Blvd.  

Here is one map with a circulating bus that would run clockwise and counter-clockwise:

Here is the route I prefer.  

It shuttles people back and forth from the Hollywood & Vine station and passes through Theatre Row, goes through the east side of West Hollywood, then up Holloway to the night clubs on the Sunset Strip and then down San Vicente deep into the heart of  "boystown" down to LaCienega/Wilshire.  (Note:  I also think this would make a marvelous streetcar route and northern alignment extension of the Crenshaw/LAX Line.)

Calling for a transit-only lane on Santa Monica Blvd. - Sunset Blvd. between Santa Monica and Union Station

I consider myself the biggest cheerleader of bringing Metrorail to the West Hollywood environs.  And with luck, the northern extension of the Crenshaw/LAX light-rail line will be routed to Hollywood via West Hollywood and its neighboring areas.

However, we shouldn't forget surface transit.  Even with Metrorail, major corridors throughout Southern California are also going to need transit-only lanes allowing for speedy service for buses and modern streetcar trams to connect people to the "first/last mile" of the their journey.  We will need a full network of transit-only lanes all over the county (in addition to bicycle lanes).

Here's a sample pic of what this might look like.

As part of this, in addition to the Purple Line expansion as part of the Westside Subway Extension, there is currently a project to bring bus rapid transit to Wilshire Blvd.

I will be the first to stand up and call for a Santa Monica Blvd. transit-only lane between the ocean and Sunset Junction, further heading downtown to Union Station.

As a transit-only lane, it could potentially run modern streetcars quickly and efficiently.  Just imagine...

Now my willingness to take lanes away from cars to allow for more mobility for transit and bicycles may doom any chances I might ever have to get elected to political office in Southern California or it may not.  (No, I am not a candidate for anything.)  But the golden era of cheap gasoline and the single-occupancy automobile in southern California is LONG behind us.  Even if we "drill, baby, drill", $2/gallon gasoline is gone forever.  It's a global market and China and India are not going to stay in the third world so that we can drive our SUVs cheaply across the streets of  Los Angeles.  Therefore, we need to consider practical ways to expand mass transit mobility affordably like any other world class metropolitan region.

So let's bring a transit-only lane to Santa Monica Blvd. while we continue to advocate for Metrorail.

Metro Staff recommends that Line 704 truncation at Alvarado be removed from the recommended program of service cuts.

Take a look at Metro's Staff recommendation on the proposal to truncate the Eastern end of Line 704 at Alvarado instead of Union Station.

http://www.metro.net/board/Items/2011/03_March/20110324RBMItem20.pdf

Inside the document, scroll down to "Attachment A", and look at the Line 2/Line 704 proposal.

It says "Remove from the Program".  I am hoping this means that the proposal for eastern truncation of Line 704 at Alvarado instead of Union Station has been shelved after public comment.

I recommended that Metro study rerouting Line 704 to go into the heart of downtown as the old Limited 304 bus used to do, perhaps even ending up at LA Live.  When I used to work downtown in the 1990s, I would ride the old Limited 304 from downtown after work and it was always standing room only.

It's a shame that Union Station doesn't have "destination" ridership the way that Grand Central Station and Penn Station in New York, or Victoria Station, Charing Cross Station or Liverpool Street Station in New York.  However, this is good news for riders on this corridor. 

City Council Candidate Scott Schmidt responds to our West Hollywood Public Transit Questionnaire

Here is West Hollywood Council Candidate Scott Schmidt's reply to our Public Transit Questionnaire. (We thank him and all the candidates who take time out of their busy schedules to address these issues):

(1) Do you support continuing efforts to bring Metrorail to West Hollywood, and if so, with what alignment?


I was an early and ardent advocate of the West Hollywood line for the subway to the sea and hope we get a chance to re-evaluate it when the second phase of construction comes back. I believe we can be competitive with a Santa Monica extension, but we have to make our case. West Hollywood gave the highest support of any city to Measure R--which is funding the subway--and yet we are getting little in return since the incumbents on the City Council dropped the ball on the Subway.


(2) Do you support extending the proposed Crenshaw/LAX light rail line up San Vicente and then on Santa Monica Blvd. to the Red Line in Hollywood? (Note: This could potentially be a light-rail subway and would provide West Hollywood with a one-seat ride to LAX.)


About a year ago, I discussed this idea with Barbara Yaroslavsky while waiting for a plane to San Francisco, and to both of us, it was a new idea. I’m glad to see it being discussed, as it would link our City with both the Subway to the Sea and LAX. For any sections along Santa Monica Boulevard, I’d want to see it underground (even if it is just cut-and-cover) so as to minimize the impacts on pedestrians, bicyclists and traffic.

(3) As modern streetcars are coming to downtown Los Angeles by 2015, would you support bringing modern streetcars to West Hollywood on Santa Monica Blvd, Sunset Blvd. and/or San Vicente Blvd?

West Hollywood has made major investments in Santa Monica and Sunset Boulevard over the last decade. Unless any project were grade-separated, I would have reservations about the impacts that would have on pedestrians, bicycles and traffic.

(4) Do you support transit-only lanes on Santa Monica Blvd.?

No. There is not enough capacity for the cars on the street as it is.

(5) What are your proposals for improving bus service in West Hollywood, including Metro, DASH and West Hollywood's City Line?

First, I’d ask the City of LA how much it would cost to bring back the DASH West Hollywood line and find a way to write them a check.

Second, I would work with Metro to improve their iPhone application to incorporate the technology of Seattle’s “One Bus Away” app so people can know when the next bus is coming, using real-time data. Not knowing whether waiting for the bus will take longer than walking is a large impediment for shorter trips.

(6) What is your platform for bicycles in West Hollywood?

As a West Hollywood Transportation Commissioner, I worked to forge a compromise that would allow bicyclists to share the sidewalks in parts of the City where bike lanes were not available, provided the operated in a safe and reasonable manner and yielded to pedestrians. I believe that Abbe Land and Lindsey Horvath’s Bicycle Task Force is a cynical political ploy. When I chaired the Transportation Commission and we had three meetings cancelled in the last year for lack of staff or agenda items. Why create a Task Force when you have a Commission but to send out a press release and make 20 political appointments right before the election? Spend the $15,000 the Task Force will cost us on real improvements to make West Hollywood safer for bicyclists instead.

(7) What is your platform for pedestrians in West Hollywood?

I’m an ardent supporter of a pedestrian lifestyle and support efforts to make West Hollywood a place where people can live, work and play. This means supporting a pedestrian orientation and human scale for new developments, and encouraging workforce housing so people can live in West Hollywood and walk to work. Tantamount to any pedestrian platform is pedestrian safety. We’ve seen too many tragic vehicle versus pedestrian accidents in West Hollywood and we need to look at crosswalk signalization not as a liability for the City but as a necessary enhancement along out major boulevards.

(8) Have you read Donald Shoup's, "The High Cost of Free Parking", and what do you think about it?

I have not read the book but am familiar with the hypothesis. Up to 28% of trips that begin and end in West Hollywood are spent looking for affordable parking. However, I have concerns about putting the cart before the horse. We need viable public transit options and strong workforce housing programs before we can move to act on the theory.

(9) How would you pursue additional funding for public transit in West Hollywood?

I would ask Congressman Waxman to add an amendment to any 30/10 enabling legislation that requires a mass transit option to serve West Hollywood. I’d also consider creative funding solutions--such as exploring a DUI abatement zone with a fee-per-cocktail to fund mass transit expansion into West Hollywood.
(10) What else is in your public transit platform that would you like the voters and everyone else who lives, works and plays in West Hollywood to know?


I believe that it is possible to live in Southern California without a car. I know it is possible because I do it.

-----------------------

Blogger's Note:  I really appreciate this. 

I believe that it is possible to live in Southern California without a car. I know it is possible because I do it.

Thank you, Scott.  :)

City Councilmember Lindsey Horvath responds to our West Hollywood Public Transit Questionnaire

Here is West Hollywood City Councilmember Lindsey Horvath's reply to our Public Transit Questionnaire. (We thank her and all the candidates who take time out of their busy schedules to address these issues):

(1) Do you support continuing efforts to bring Metrorail to West Hollywood,and if so, with what alignment?

Yes, I absolutely support continuing these efforts. I am disappointed that we were not successful in bringing an extension to West Hollywood at this time, but we were successful in ensuring that the MTA will fund a study of various routes through West Hollywood for future projects. I know this is how the Gold Line extension got started, and I am willing to do the work necessary to see this process through. Our residents and visitors deserve nothing less than a steadfast commitment to better public transit. I would like to hear more input from all parties involved--the MTA, residents, our business community, and all others concerned--before advocating for a particular alignment that would best accomplish these objectives. Until we see that extension come to West Hollywood, we need to explore opportunities to connect our City to the line that will be developed. Perhaps a shuttling system, a zip car program, or a shared bicycle operation can connect people who live, work, and play in West Hollywood to the subway.

(2) Do you support extending the proposed Crenshaw/LAX light rail line up San Vicente and then on Santa Monica Blvd. to the Red Line in Hollywood? (Note: This could potentially be a light-rail subway and would provide West Hollywood with a one-seat ride to LAX.)

I am 100% in support of ensuring that LAX gets connected to our existing subway/light rail network, especially if it provides West Hollywood residents with a far easier option to get to the airport than what is currently available.

(3) As modern streetcars are coming to downtown Los Angeles by 2015, would you support bringing modern streetcars to West Hollywood on Santa Monica Blvd, Sunset Blvd. and/or San Vicente Blvd?

This is an intriguing idea, but one whose effectiveness I would like to explore in greater detail before committing to supporting it. I am excited to see how the downtown Los Angeles streetcar network changes the community, and am always in support of effective ways to make our City more pedestrian-friendly and less dependent on the automobile. The example of San Francisco certainly indicates that street cars have the ability to not only improve transportation access and reduce dependence on cars, but also add character to the areas they serve.

(4) Do you support transit-only lanes on Santa Monica Blvd.?

I'm willing to explore all possible solutions to help our traffic issues and increase our use of mass transit. However, I would need to be convinced that transit-only lanes will mitigate the problem of traffic and not make it worse through reducing the number of lanes available to private vehicles. I would further need to see what new construction would need to occur and how it would affect the look and feel of a street that essentially defines the character of our City.

(5) What are your proposals for improving bus service in West Hollywood, including Metro, DASH and West Hollywood's City Line?

The first thing we need to do is prevent our current access from being degraded due to budgetary shortfalls in communities outside our City. This is especially the case with DASH lines, which are dependent on funding from our neighbors in Los Angeles. I worked with LA City Councilmembers to save access to one of the DASH lines that suffered a cutback on account of Los Angeles' budget shortfall and worked to mitigate those effects through a re-routing of our City Line service. In October last year, I also met with the Department of Transportation in Washington DC to discuss the unique issues facing West Hollywood and what potential support and solutions they could offer. New funding is always important to make sure we have the infrastructure available to support successful transit, but I believe we can use our existing resources - City Line, Dial-a-Ride, etc - to provide even better transportation within the City.

(6) What is your platform for bicycles in West Hollywood?

I strongly believe in encouraging cycling as a safe and reliable mode of transportation within the City, especially through the development of bike lanes. This will not only make the roads safer for cyclists, but will also make the sidewalks safer for pedestrians. I am proud to have created the Bicycle Task Force with Councilmember Abbe Land, which will explore the possibilities that not only create the infrastructure but help to shift the community mindset about using bikes as a real form of transportation.

(7) What is your platform for pedestrians in West Hollywood?

We have a beautiful city, and walking is a great way to experience it! A pedestrian-friendly city is a critical component to a sustainable city. West Hollywood is very dense and very walkable, and our urban planning should incorporate ways of making our neighborhoods even more pedestrian-friendly through concepts such as mixed-use development.

(8) Have you read Donald Shoup's, "The High Cost of Free Parking", and what do you think about it?

I have not read this, but am happy to take your suggestion! The bottom line is that reducing our dependence on our cars will improve our overall quality of life, and urban planning ought to make that objective a priority. This is something I am committed to as a City Councilmember.

(9) How would you pursue additional funding for public transit in West Hollywood?

Through the same sound fiscal management that has allowed us to undertake other capital improvement projects, such as our new LibraryPark. The only way to ensure additional funding for public transit during times of economic difficulty is to maintain the discipline that has allowed us to maintain the highest-possible municipal bond rating--a genuine accomplishment, considering the fiscal state of other cities in the area. West Hollywood may not be able to depend on other public agencies to maintain their current commitments to public transit, and I am committed to ensuring that our City will have the resources to pick up the slack. As I said earlier, I personally met with representatives at the federal Department of Transportation to discuss our City's unique transit issues and what funding sources might be available to address them. While it will take time, I believe we have started to develop a relationship that will help us secure much-needed funds to create new modes of public transit.

(10) What else is in your public transit platform that would you like the voters and everyone else who lives, works and plays in West Hollywood to know?

I am dedicated to making West Hollywood more sustainable in all aspects, including by increasing access to and use of public transportation. Our motto here is "The Creative City" and I will consider all possible solutions that could make our City greener, alleviate traffic, and improve our transportation infrastructure. I am grateful that the Sierra Club and the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters have recognized this commitment through their endorsements of my campaign, and I hope that the voters will elect me to a full term in office so I can get to work on turning my vision for a sustainable West Hollywood into a reality. It's time to get West Hollywood moving!

----------------------

Blogger's Note: I was particularly happy to read the following:

"In October last year, I also met with the Department of Transportation in Washington DC to discuss the unique issues facing West Hollywood and what potential support and solutions they could offer."

Metro proposes truncating the Rapid 704 and Local 217 buses. Make your voice heard.

Warninig,

Metro is about to reduce service on the Rapid 704 by terminating the eastern end of the line at Sunset/Alvarado. So you if you were heading downtown on the 704, you would have a forced transfer to the Red Line at Santa Monica/Vermont. Line 2 would be rerouted to go to Union Station instead of the 704, so you'd have to transfer to a local 2 or local 4 to get to Echo Park or further stops downtown.

Here's a thought. Line 304 used to go into the heart of downtown and it used to be packed solid during rush hour. I know this, because I used to ride it. Perhaps the change that needed to be made here was simply switching the 2 and the 704 so that the 704 went into the heart of downtown. (Unfortunately, unlike Penn Station and Grand Central Station in New York and Liverpool Street Station and Charing Cross Station in London, there isn't much "destination" ridership to/from Union Station as it is pretty much used for transfers to/from trains only.

My comment to Metro is that the should simply switch the 2 and 704 routes east of Sunset/Alvarado and try that before truncating the service.

Another bus service truncation you need to know about is Metro's proposal to terminate all northern trips of the 217 at Hollywood/Vine station. This means if you are headed to East Hollywood or Los Feliz, Metro will force you to transfer onto the Local 180/ Rapid 780.

Forced transfers are so discouraging to potential transit riders.

Here are the details of all the proposed service "enhancements". (In bureaucratic language, a service reduction is still called an "enhancement".)

http://www.metro.net/around/service-enhancements/metro-service-enhancements-proposed/

If you have any comment about these proposals, please contact Metro at servicechanges@metro.net

Please send in your comments in and be heard.

What about the Beverly Hills right-of-way on Santa Monica Blvd.?

Anyone traveling on Santa Monica Blvd. through Beverly Hills notices the unused, Metro-owned right-of-way on the southern side of the street.

It seems a bit of a missed opportunity?

It seems any subway alignment that runs via Santa Monica Blvd. through West Hollywood will head south to the Beverly Center instead of through the low density back end of Beverly Hills.

There are two basic ideas of how to use this right-of-way to increase mobility.

(1) Turn the right-of-way into transit-only lanes. This would take buses off of Santa Monica Blvd. and allow them to move quickly through this area, adding to their appeal.

(2) Turn the right-of-way into a modern streetcar or light-rail route between Century City and West Hollywood that could then be extended east on Santa Monica Blvd. to Hollywood and beyond.

(3) Do both. In Seattle's downtown transit tunnel, both buses and the new light rail share the tunnel.

Yes, this would require redesigning parking structures and redesigning part of Beverly Hills Civic Center, but that could be a great opportunity. However, it would be worth it as a light-rail/streetcar stop at Beverly Hills Civic Center would allow even more people to get to/from Beverly Hills.

I don't believe those homeowners on the north side of Santa Monica Blvd. would mind a light-rail/streetcar on the south side, as it would be more attractive than what is there now, which is nothing.

Perhaps West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Century City, Hollywood and the rest of Los Angeles can work together to create something wonderful for the future on this unused right-of-way.

What do you think?

What about a Fly Away bus in West Hollywood?

Upon landing in LAX on the way back from spending Christmas in Seattle, I was waiting for the Super Shuttle. I asked the Super Shuttle gentleman if he had one going to West Hollywood soon. He said to me, "Of course. Everyone is going to Santa Monica or West Hollywood". I found that interesting.

We already have Fly Away buses to/from LAX and Union Station, Irvine, Van Nuys and Westwood. I wonder if one is viable to/from West Hollywood or nearby?

If you support a northern extension of the Crenshaw/LAX light-rail project (a.k.a. "Rose Line") to Hollywood via West Hollywood (San Vicente & Santa Monica Blvds.) as I do, one of the primary benefits to this alignment is a one-seat ride to/from Hollywood, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills and points between to/from LAX.

As the risk of angering Super Shuttle and Prime Time with this suggestion, perhaps Hollywood, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills can investigate creating a Fly Away bus route to/from LAX until that northern extension of the Crenshaw Light Rail is adopted.

Hollywood to West Hollywood to Crenshaw to Long Beach?

I was informed by e-mail that at Metro's Measure R Committee meeting today Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas asked Metro staff to come back next month with some sort of feasibility analysis of a study that begins with the Santa Monica Blvd. transit corridor originating at Hollywood and Highland and continues via Santa Monica Blvd. to San Vicente to the south via Crenshaw with an alignment all the way to Long Beach.

Could this be the start of a coalition to keep alive a Santa Monica Blvd. rail alignment by combining it with a project that would help another underserved area in the south of the county?

If so, this would certainly have my full support. The lines would share tracks on Crenshaw, but that is just fine. In our emerging system, there should be shared tracking in transit corridors that makes transfers and mobility easy and convenient.

I would like to eventually see also an east-west Metrorail alignment that shares tracks on Santa Monica Blvd. between this proposal by Supervisor Ridley-Thomas and one that connects Century to downtown and points east via Santa Monica Blvd., Sunset Junction and Sunset Blvd.

While the ultimate dream for all transit advocates, of course, is a heavy rail subway like the Red and Purple Lines in their preferred transit corridor, most of the future construction of Metro rail will likely be some form of light rail and some modern streetcar.

In any event, the next step for those of us who want to see any type of Metrorail on the Santa Monica Blvd. corridor, heavy-rail, light-rail, or modern streetcar, is to keep the corridor alive for future feasibility studies.

Please attend Metro's meeting on October 28th and submit your comments that you want Metro to keep the Santa Monica Blvd. transit corridor alive for further feasibility studies.

Regular Metro Board Meeting
Metro Board Room
One Gateway Plaza, 3rd Floor
Los Angeles
Thursday, October 28, 2010 at 9:00 a.m.

If you cannot attend the meeting in person, then please send an e-mail customerRelations@metro.net

Look at how far this transit corridor has come in just a few years. Keep up the great work and stay optimistic and motivated. We can and we will ride Metrorail in some form on this corridor within (God willing) all of our lifetimes.

My Westside Mass Transit Dream

Isn't this beautiful?

This is my Westside Mass Transit Dream.

I was inspired by the Westside Transit Corridor Extension Project public briefing meetings held last week. There are still two more for you to attend:

• Tuesday, August 11, Beverly Hills Public Library, 444 N. Rexford Drive, Beverly Hills
• Wednesday, August 12, Westwood Presbyterian Church, 10822 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles

What we see here is existing Metro Rail on the Red and Purple Lines plus the completion of the Exposition Line.

In addition, we see completion of the Westside Subway Extension Project extended all five phases:

1) Extend Purple Line from Wilshire/Western to Wilshire/Fairfax;

2) Extend Purple Line to Century City;

3) Extend Purple Line to West L.A.;

4) Connect Hollywood/Highland and Purple Line through Santa Monica Blvd. (The "Pink" Line);

5) Extend Purple/"Pink" Lines to Santa Monica

The new map of Alternative 11 of the Westside Subway Extension presented at last week's public briefing contained two "new" fingers added to a possible northern extension of the proposed Crenshaw Light Rail Line. The previous maps only contained a possible light-rail leg to LaBrea & Wilshire. The new "fingers" at Fairfax/Wilshire and SanVicente/Wilshire seem to indicate that Metro wants a northern extension of the Crenshaw Line to head west of LaBrea. Most Southern California transit advocates see the Hollywood/Highland station as the ultimate northern terminus of the Crenshaw Line.

In thinking about this as to what I would select, I ruled out the SanVicente "finger" because there is no Purple Line stop there and I am sure Metro will want Crenshaw Line riders to be able to transfer to the Purple Line. I ruled out LaBrea because even though it would be cheapest and more direct for the Crenshaw Line to head straight up LaBrea, it would leave out numerous ridership opportunities such as the Grove and a stop on the Sunset strip. Since I see the Pink Line already serving the Beverly Center, therefore I opted for Fairfax/Wilshire for a transfer station with the Crenshaw Line. This would allow service at the Grove, West Hollywood, and it includes a Sunset Strip stop around Sunset/Gardener. I think the added ridership of the Fairfax alignment justifies it over the less expensive cost of the LaBrea alignment of the northern extension of the Crenshaw Line. If Metro heartbreakingly decides it cannot go forward with Santa Monica Blvd. subway alignment (Phase 4) because of funding, then heading to Fairfax/Wilshire instead of LaBrea/Wilshire becomes even more imperative.

What is so delicious about a Fairfax alignment is that Fairfax was originally the planned northern route of the Red Line from Wilshire towards Hollywood before NIMBYs and anti-rail idiots sabotaged the building of the Red Line. (Just think. If it wasn't for the NIMBYs and misguided organizations like the so-called Bus Riders "Union" we might already be riding a completed Purple Line.) It would be beautiful karma to see a Fairfax alignment rise from the ashes.

In Measure R, there is a Sepulveda Pass transit project connecting the Valley from the Westside. I envision for the health of a region an alternative to the parking lot that is the 405 Freeway with a Sepulveda based line moving north from LAX and the Green Line up to the Exposition Line, the Purple/"Pink" Lines, and into the Valley connecting with Ventura Blvd, the Orange Line, Van Nuys Metrolink Station and ultimately Sylmar Metrolink station.

What an amazing system this would be if this were all constructed and operating.

Now that I've showed you my dream for the Westside, and I am sure you all have your own transit dream, let me admit to some stone cold reality.

There is no funding identified for most of this -- and funding is what will determine whether a transit line gets built, and that is assuming you[ve gotten past the inumerable NIMBYs and competing interest gauntlets pulling at Metro to come to a heavy or light rail line preferred alignment proposal that Metro and the Community is strongly enough supporting.

What transportation capital funding there is will go towards constructing the transit lines and segments with the highest ridership. As passionate as I am about Phase 4 of the Westside Subway Extension Project, the Santa Monica Blvd. subway, I fully realize that Phases 1, 2 and 3 of the Westside Subway Extension (Wilshire plus Century City) and the super crucial downtown Regional Connector, come first, and then there are all the worthy competing Los Angeles County projects out there (i.e. finishing the Expo Line, extending the Green Line to LAX, upgrading the Orange Line to light rail, TWO Gold Line extensions, Crewnshaw Line, a Sepulveda Line, etc.)

Also, don't forget the need to maintain a comprehensive and robust bus system and the desire of automotive diehards to expand roads.

In fact, there is no shortage of need and desire, but not an abundance of transportation money for public transit.

The good news is that there has been a sea change of opinion within Southern California. Only the willfully delusional still believe that Los Angeles can preserve a car-only transportation system forever. In fact, the 67% vote in favor of Measure R demonstrates that the overwhelming majority of Los Angeles County knows better. $4.00/gallon gasoline and ever-worsening congestion beat a lot of people into reasonableness. We need alternatives. However, Measure R won't pay for all of my dream or your dream or anyone's dream. The State Budget is a basket case for the forseable future and if the State ever gets out of financial crisis, it really needs to put its transportation focus on transit operation (not capital) funds and seeing the needed High Speed Rail project into manifestation.

So, if you like my transit dream or have a dream of your own for the Westside or anywhere else in Los Angeles County and Southern California, you will need Federal dollars. Please join a transit advocacy organization such as Southern California Transit Association or The Transit Coalition (but not the misguided Bus Riders "Union"). Please write your member of the House of Representatives and our state's two U.S. Senators. Please write your County Supervisor and your city mayors and councillors and ask them all to support mass transit not just in words, but financially too.

Any transit dream without adequate funding is just a fantasy. So let's start advocating for transit dollars to start turning some of these dreams (many of which are absolute necessities for our economic and environmental future) into reality.