Archive for the 'Opinion' Category

Meeting John Scott

Added on Tuesday, October 3rd, 2006

John Scott is a familiar name throughout Los Angeles. Stickers promoting his web site have been affixed to Metro equipment, street furniture, telephones and newsracks.

Scott, it turns out, is a real person and not some post-modern hipster inside joke like Obey the Giant.

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What A Rush - September 2006

Added on Tuesday, October 3rd, 2006

fh481a.jpg fh498a.jpg

Welcome back to another installment of L.A.’s first, best and only examination of commuter bus options in the metropolis … What A Rush.

There are three reports for this month, two of which are available for reading. The third was an attempted exploration of Metro Line 489 on September 26, but the bus never showed up. Readers were screwed out of a good read as much as What A Rush was screwed out of a good ride. Give Customer Relations some hell and tell them that the 3:32 p.m. trip never arrived.

Take a ride after the jump.

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Stop ‘hub-and-spoke’

Added on Tuesday, September 26th, 2006

The Daily News wrote another article on the anticipation of Metro Connections, completely overhauling MTA’s current route structure in favor of routes that look more like a “hub-and-spoke” system used by airlines.

Generally, I try to avoid soapboxy rants as my entries on MetroRider LA, instead focusing on personal rider essays such as What A Rush or articles of an informational nature. But as a transit rider, I am alarmed by what the bus system might look like once MTA “improves” the routes.

The same way William Tecumseh Sherman “improved” Atlanta.

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Subway Vs. Monorail Redux

Added on Friday, September 22nd, 2006

Over at Curbed LA, there was a post about the anniversary of the methane explosion at the Ross store on Third Street near Fairfax in 1985. This led to the federal legislation against subway tunneling under Wilshire Boulevard by Hnery Waxman, which is scheduled to be repealed today. This item led to a rather spirited debate in the comments section regarding new subways vs. monorails. Check it out here.

Go Undercover With The Metro Mole

Added on Friday, September 22nd, 2006

LA Metro Mole

Note my play on the MTA’s “Go Metro” marketing campaign. Now multiply that sort of wit by a thousand and you get the idea of what you are dealing with when you read the insights of the Metro Mole. I’ve had a link to the Metro Mole’s blog over in the Transit Links section since this site’s inception, and I’m sure many of you have checked it out, but for those who haven’t, this is the time.

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What A Rush - August 2006

Added on Wednesday, September 6th, 2006

LADOT 438-A MTA 450X-A

So many routes, so little time. Only two rides are profiled for August, one from LADOT and one from Metro.

Read all about it after the jump.

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