For a bit of fun, take this animated ride on the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's new Expo Line extension.
Phase 2 of the Metro Expo Line opens today, and a lot of people are very excited about the prospect of riding a train direct between Downtown Los Angeles and the beachfront locations of Santa Monica. (Nevermind those residents who are still having a hard time imagining anything other than car dependency.)
Count Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuhn among those in Southern California who can imagine the benefit of the new light rail line. She created this animated (in every sense of the word) video comparing the experience of driving with the experience of riding the train from Downtown to the beach and back.
[Editor's note: check out the quick shout-out for the Museum of Jurassic Technology at 0:49, and if you're ever in Los Angeles and riding the Expo Line, don't miss it and don't forget to bring your imagination!]
FULL STORY: To the Beach and Back. So Kuehl!
What L.A.'s New Expo Line Extension Won't Do
The $1.5 billion, 6.6-mile light rail extension from Culver City to Santa Monica is projected to double trips on the line by 2030, giving commuters a viable alternative to driving. Just the same, don't expect the extension to reduce congestion.
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Expo Line Between L.A. and Santa Monica Hits 2030 Ridership Projections
Finally, good news regarding public transit ridership in Los Angeles, where the Expo Line connection to Santa Monica has very quickly outpaced its projections.
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UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
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Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research