Metro will close several stretches of the Blue and Green lines as it completes $350 million worth of upgrades and opens the new Crenshaw Line. More than 100,000 daily riders may be inconvenienced.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is rushing "to complete 28 rail and roadway projects by 2028, the year the Olympic Summer Games come to Los Angeles," Steve Scauzillo writes. The new Crenshaw Line (set to open in 2020) is one of them, as well as $350 million in upgrades to the Blue Line, L.A.'s first light rail system.
Unfortunately, that means a series of closures along the Blue and Green lines, starting on January 4 and lasting through September. Scauzillo includes specific closure durations in the article.
While shuttle buses are being deployed to help riders complete their trips while trains aren't running, figures like Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia are worried that "many constituents would simply drive instead of hassling the train/shuttle service. That would cause a loss of train ridership, plus add congestion to local streets and additional smog emissions to the air," Scauzillo writes.
Meanwhile, planned upgrades to the north-south Blue Line include "replacing the overhead power system; new tracks in some segments; adding four crossover tracks to reduce service interruptions and upgrading train control signals."
See also:
Busy Section of L.A. Rail Transit Had Quicker Service in 1916
Over a century ago, the Pacific Electric Railway operated a line between downtown Los Angeles and Long Beach that competed its journey ten minutes faster than LA Metro's Blue Line does. What gives?
Planned L.A. Crenshaw Line Rollout Prompts Argument
Already delayed, the Crenshaw Line has now sparked debate between stakeholders who favor opposing visions of how the light rail service should link up with the existing Green Line.
Light Rail Repair Project Falls Short of Promises in Los Angeles
The former Blue Line, now the A Line, with service from Log Beach to Los Angeles, was shut down in segments for ten months (originally scheduled for eight) for repairs. The weeks since the reopening have been marred spotty, slow service.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
This Toronto Suburb Has More Bus Riders Than Columbus, Ohio
Brampton, Ontario used gradual improvements in service to prove that if you build it, they will ride.
Paris Bike Boom Leads to Steep Drop in Air Pollution
The French city’s air quality has improved dramatically in the past 20 years, coinciding with a growth in cycling.
Why Housing Costs More to Build in California Than in Texas
Hard costs like labor and materials combined with ‘soft’ costs such as permitting make building in the San Francisco Bay Area almost three times as costly as in Texas cities.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
City of Santa Clarita
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service