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ChineseMetro Purple Line: Busy Season
So the LA Times is now reporting (whether by skillful reporting or by error is beyond me - can someone who has the time to attend these meetings tell me?) that instead of the “Purple Line,” LA is considering building the “Pink Line” first. (Pink line being shorthand for our prior discussions about a route that branched at H&H, went down to Santa Monica Boulevard by some fashion, and continued straight to Santa Monica).
Again, this is just my personal opinion, but I have to say, this is a pretty fantastically bad idea.
I very much like the idea of a “pink line” and think that it will help complete the circuit in the Westside; Expo, Purple, and Pink would, with the possible addition of a Sepulveda LRT, create a comprehensive rail system throughout Downtown and the Westside.
But I’m not at all convinced at the concept of building the “Pink Line” first. it’ll basically create a sideways “S” across the Westside; I’m not at all convinced that someone would want to go from Union Station, to Wilshire/Vermont, up into Los Feliz, over to Hollywood/Highland, only to cut back southwest again to Santa Monica. Anyone smarter than me want to calculate how long that would take? I would have to think over an hour. Starts to make the #920 or the Santa Monica #10 look attractive, and to people who drive now, won’t get many people out of their cars, aside from folks in WeHo, who clearly benefit.
Finally, I’m a little perplexed at the LA Times article referring to “residents of the Miracle Mile.” The only “residents” I can think of are at Park La Brea, a fairly urbanized setting that would probably welcome subway service, but that are fairly isolated from Wilshire Boulevard anyhow. Wilshire between La Brea and Fairfax is by definition a quite commercial area, and the Wilshire/Fairfax area especially would have a lot of organizations that would want service.
If the Hancock Park people are in a tizzy (Are they, at this point? Again, I have doubts) then we simply skip the Crenshaw station for the time being and build in such a fashion that will allow us to add it when they inevitably clamor for rail service about 5 years after its construction. But if we build the Pink Line first, every rail-hating nutjob out there will promptly holler about how long it takes to get from Union Station to Santa Monica. And they’ll be right.
Discussion
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Here’s the article you are referencing:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-rail3nov03,1,3510131.story?coll=la-headlines-california
A couple of things to note:
Jody Litvak stated in a City Beat interview that they received more people commenting support for a westward extension form Hollywood/Highland than they expected.
They are obligated to consider it. At first the MTA ignored West Hollywood and the City of West Hollywood had to ask for a forum to make sure they weren’t left out. It is understandable to believe the people at the MTA (as well as much of L.A.) had already made up their minds unofficially for a Wilshire alignment to the sea. Remember, they’ve had 20 years to think about this.
The article shows that there is popular support for a subway in Hollywood/West Hollywood without the old guard residential opposition. If the MTA is even considering a second alignment seriously, it is because the grass roots is demanding it.
What I saw and read about at the forums were people arguing for a second line in addition to the Purple Line extension. For some people, that meant Santa Monica Blvd from La Brea to Century City. For others, that meant something north/south from Hollywood/Highland, zig zagging, possibly connected with the Crenshaw project.
I didn’t hear anyone arguing for the “Pink” Line INSTEAD of the “Purple” Line to the sea.
The LA Times reporting hasn’t been really stellar. In an earlier article, the Wilshire alignment didn’t even mention the possibility of spurring into Century City. Their online “Bottleneck Blog” hasn’t been refreshed in several days.
What I think is happening is a realization that a Purple Line extension by itself isn’t enough and that many people want a “Pink” or second alignment proposed at the same time as part of the same corridor study.
However, this isn’t just about getting downtown from the Westside. The San Fernando Valley has a stake in this discussion. The man who spoke for the MTA at the Santa Monica forum mentioned that the Santa Monica Blvd. corridor has regional implications. It would allow for a direct ride from the San Fernando Valley to the Westside, which anyone who’s snaked through a canyon to work or ridden the Sepulveda Pass knows is needed as much as the Red Line helps the Valley go southeast to downtown.
I think the L.A. Times reporter, who probably drove to work in a single-occupancy vehicle, is just having a brain awakening to the other possibilities for westside rail for the first time. They embody L.A.’s establishment and they like much of L.A.’s establishment is playing catch up.
I don’t think anyone expects the MTA to commit to building the Pink line first. However, if they built both lines at the same time, that would be a dream come true for me.
I’m glad Jody Litvak also mentioned she heard support for a Sepulveda/405 Line from LAX to the Valley.
I also think there could be Crenshaw project possibilities to head north on Farfax/LaCienega/SanVicente.
But, whatever. I’m just glad the LA Times didn’t run over to Eric Mann and the BRU to ask what they thought and how improved bus service would lead to a socialist bus-only transit riding utopia.
Thanks for the link, Dan, I forgot to add - I’ll put it on the post.
If the Pink Line is built, whether not first or not, it will have implications to improve the 405. The very Red Line tunnel going between Universal City and Hollywood/Highland would be alternatives to both the 101 (currently) and 405. There would be no need to make a parallel rail line for the 405. However, for Valley residents, with the NoHo station parking always full, there would be an enourmous demand for the Orange Line, as if it doesn’t already currently has.
Tony- No need for a parallel line for the 405? I guess you’re right, unless you think saving the 60-90 minutes extra a trip from the orange line and sepulveda through north hollywood, under the pass, and back around to the 405 would take.
Metro over the sepulveda pass please!!!
add ‘is worth it’ after ‘would take’ above and it will make sense
A line running parallel (probably more a similar alignment to Sepulveda vs the 405 itself) would still make a big difference. If you live on the east side of the valley, close to the NoHo/Universal City stations, then it wouldn’t make as big of a difference, but if you live on the west side of the valley, it would make a big difference, especially if it continued and was connected to the green line, providing a clean route from the valley into the business district in El Segundo, and providing an alternative to the horribly crowded 405. It would also provide a clean option for people in the west side to get to the Pink/Purple lines (or whatever ends up being built).
The LA times article mentioned that the mayor is entertaining several funding possibilities. I’m just curious, how much would the residents of LA county be willing to spend/borrow. We did go to the polls last year and voted to borrow some $22B for various state projects. Would we be willing to borrow $6B-$12B to build both the pink and purple lines concurrently? Would we be willing to tax ourselves (again) to get both lines built? I’m just curious, how badly do we want these lines?
Personally, I’m not opposed to higher taxes or more bonds if it means concurrent construction. We don’t have another 20 years to wait. We need relief now.
What I hope for is that the money we borrow or tax ourselves, will not be wasted, managed improperly, etc. or else we’ll end up with a purple line to Fairfax and a pink line to La Cienega or neither.
Just food for thought.
I am definitely for a 405 parallel rail line, but it’s not on Metro’s radar (LRTP) so I don’t have much hope for it yet. We’re only studying Pink/Purple (Westside), Crenshaw, Gold Line Claremont extension, Gold Line Whittier extension, regional connector, Orange Line Chatsworth extension, and Expo phase II. It would be two or three decades before we get all those done before we move to getting rail for the 405 corridor at the current rate. Heck, we’re already having problems getting Expo phase I to be complete.
The Pink Line is better than nothing at the moment and we utilize the existing Red Line corridor.
We need congestion charging to help build projects. Is the City still studying congestion charging at LAX? That’s the absolute best option in LA. If approved, they should priortize the Green Line extension, and then focus on other projects.
That’s true. If it’s not the Pink Line heading southwest in some configuration, it will be at least another 20 years for anything on the Sepulveda Pass.
Right now, the 761 Rapid stops at Wilshire Blvd, whereas it could go down to Pico/Westwood and connect at Santa Monica Blvd. and Olympic Blvds to allow transfers to/from Rapid 704, Local 4, BBB5, CC3, BB7 Super/Rapid 7, and eventual Expo Line. A Rapid 961 could make major stops between LAX and Metro Link (Metrolink, Orange Line, Ventura/Van Nuys, Ventura/Sepulveda, Wilshire, Santa Monica, Pico, Venice, Fox Hills Mall, LAX or whatever.
At the moment there is no serious understanding it seems that people travel to/from the West Valley and the Westside. The long-term vision map printed in the L.A. times last month showed a busway in the Pass. If they think traveling north/south at all, they think of a new carpool lane. Sigh. It seems they are light years from conceiving a rail line over/through the Sepulveda Pass.
What I found encouraging about the MTA spokesman talking about the Santa Monica Blvd. alignment was a realization that people travel to/from the Valley to the Westside.
It seems part of the problem is that bus trips seem the only measurement as to whether rail is desirable. One of the reasons there are not more bus trips on the pass is that the 761 doesn’t allow the connections necessary to be made on the southern end. If one is travelling on the 761 and then has to tranfer to a BBB to then transfer to another BBB or MTA line, that reduces the ability to use it. That’s why the 761 should be extended south in some manner to LAX or split.
Kymberleigh Richards made an interesting proposal at an MTA meeting that would split the northern half of the 761 off to be its own Rapid Line for Van Nuys Blvd. That would be good if the MTA could then have a long distance busline focused on getting people to/from the Valley/Westside. As it is now the 761 barely gets over and own the pass and poops out at Wilshire Blvd. Such a waste.
Connectivity makes ridership possible. Reducing the number of buses from 3 to 2 to get somewhere may make the transit option more attractive for a person.
But, the point is that the only relief possible for Valley and Westside that the MTA has even mentioned is a Santa Monica Blvd. alignment.
Dan, before Metro Rapid 761 started in June 2003, it was Metro Express 561 and it went as far as the Aviation Metro Green Line station. Metro truncated 761 at Wilshire to improve running times (and make the new Rapid more frequent). Now 761 is getting even more truncated at Ventura (like the complementary Local 233) to improve the quality of service as the afternoon headways are hit and miss. Plus, it takes an hour to go from Wilshire to the Orange Line station on Rapid 761.
There is already service that goes farther south from the San Fernando Valley, LADOT Commuter Express 574. It’s saving grace is the southbound 405 carpool lane for the morning commute. As soon as the northbound carpool lane between the 90 and Sunset Boulevard are complete; it will be a fast bus ride (bypassing merging traffic for Santa Monica and Wilshire onto the 405).
Wilshire still has the heaviest traffic and is the busiest bus rotes in LA and one of the busiest in the world and it needs to be built ASAP. Considering that there was not any kind of plans for a connection to the Red Line at Hollywood and Highland the subway connection would be incredibly expensive. The Hancock Park residents only have the Crenshaw and La Brea Station have little to be concerned with.
However a elevated LRT or even a monorail “Pinck Line” from a Hollywood and Highland connection via Highland, La Brea, Fairfax, Sunset and or Santa Monica through West Hollywood and Beverly Hills to Century City connecting with the Purple Line at Wilshire. Santa Monica Blvd would make for good connectivity between The Valley, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Century City with out the heavy cost of a subway. This could be a win win for all.
An example of an elevated LRT line can be seen on the Metro Green Line along Nash St and south toward Redondo Beach as an example of how it can look. If lighter weight cars were used the overall construction could be much lighter with a small structure. A monorail example can be seen at Disneyland or in Las Vegas.
A San Frandando LAX rail line does make good sense however there are other lines that should be built before this line is built
Alan Fishel
Oh my God.
Someone needs to install a script that replaces every instance of the word “monorail” with “I live in a fantasy dreamland.”
You’ll note that the Metro Green Line through Nash Street runs on a comparatively unused strip of land that holds up the elevated structure. I don’t see much in the way of unused strips of land on either side of Santa Monica Boulevard. Santa Monica is a candidate for either a median LRT system (let’s wait for the hollering) or underground service, there’s no credible space to safely support elevated structure through most of Santa Monica Bouelvard.
As Beverly Hills doesn’t want a stop on Santa Monica Blvd. (so far, preferring Wilshire), and as many people commented they wished it would go to Cedar Sinai / Beverly Center, if a “Pink Line”, either as subway or LRT, gets buit, I wouldn’t be surpised to see it head down La Cienga or San Vicente from Santa Monica Blvd towards La Cienga Blvd. Whether it then goes west towards Century City or south towards the Expo Line or even the Crenshaw line remains to be seen.
For all the new hype about this, the Purple Line Wilshire Alignment will likely come first and should be the higher prior. Just to have the mention for SMB in the Long Range Plan, even mentioned as second priority to the Purple Line, would probably still please most Pink Line supporters.
But it is a long road to hoe as we all know. I’m just glad I wasn’t the only one and that other people support some Santa Monica Blvd. alignment.
If by chance the Pink Line ever does get built and is heavy rail. (I don’t need to be reminded what a big if it is, the connections a Highland/Hollywood should be designed to that the trains could either run north to the Valley or east to Hollywood.
Similarly, when the Green Line is extended to LAX, the LRT connection at the Blue/Green line transfer should be constructed so a train can run on the Blue Line track, then Green Line track to the airport without requiring a transfer.
It should be pointed out that in the 1995 restructuring study of San Fernando Valley service, 561 (the predecessor of 761) was proposed to be extended via Westwood Blvd. to National Blvd.
Said proposal was squashed by Santa Monica, who didn’t want the “competition” to their service.
Shortsighted? Yes, but remember that Metro has an obligation to honor such requests from municipal operators (especially when the muni service has been in place for 50+ years).
Sorry, forgot to include the link to where I have posted the maps from the draft study:
http://www.transit-insider.org/sfvp/drafts.htm
Scroll down to the fifth map. (561 was called 560 before the 1995 restructuring.)
I wonder if there is a way we can get Pam O’Connor, with her connections to MTA and BBB, to work on this.
I hope this matter wouldn’t be considered too trivial to be of concern to her.
http://www.westsidecities.org/meetings/20071115_Item9B.pdf
Here’s a link to a letter written by the City Manager of West Hollywood to the MTA.
West Hollywood establish a “West Hollywood Westside Transit Community Task Force” for this issue.
The Beverly Hills task force recommending two stops on Wilshire (but not on Santa Monica), plus the initial scheduling for the first five forums, none of which were in WeHo, must have motivated the city to officially get into gear. This is an area where Los Angeles Neighborhood Councils can get proactive in a positive way, deciding this is where we think the stop(s) should go in our neighborhood, as Tarzana’s neighborhood council is taking a constructive attitude to it’s Orange Line stop.
So glad there are so many fewer NIMBYs than 20 years ago and that the BRU is declining into irrelevancy.