MetroRiderLA

[tags]los angeles, gold line, heritage square, lummis day[/tags]

A scene from last year’s Lummis Day festival.
Credit: LummisDay.org

Several northeast Los Angeles organizations are sponsoring Lummis Day, celebrating the history and culture of the area and one of its most important residents, journalist and activist Charles Fletcher Lummis.

The event itself is on Sunday, June 3, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It features musical, artistic and other cultural displays. It is at Sycamore Grove Park, 4900 N. Figueroa St., in Highland Park. A poetry reading and tour of Arroyo Seco begins at 11 a.m. at the Lummis Home, 200 E. Avenue 43, also in Highland Park. Both events are near the Metro Gold Line, but if the walk is too far, take bus lines 81 or 83 to those locations.

A fund-raiser for the June 3 event is also set for 5:45 p.m., Saturday, May 5 at the Heritage Square Museum, 3800 Homer Street, Highland Park. It is also near the Gold Line and lines 81 and 83. The $35 ticket ($40 at the door) includes museum admission and tour, music by Los Californios, poetry by Linda Albertano and a talk with farmer-writer Mark Thompson, as well as food and wine. Payments can be made through PayPal.

Questions about the fund-raiser or event should be directed to Eliot Sekuler, who can be reached at (818) 535-9178 or via e-mail at lummisday@yahoo.com.

[tags]los angeles, metro, mta, transit coalition[/tags]

Bart Reed, The Transit Coalition’s executive director, posted a message regarding the proposed Metro fare increases on the organization’s message board. Part of the steep hikes involve a proposal for no service cuts, but there are other proposals involving fare increases along with service cuts, which can be as much as 25 percent. The message is mirrored here in its entirety:

Here is a little back story on this. Gloria Molina gave internal documents to the BRU folks that weren’t public. At first the Board was going to meet on this on April 23, but after the BRU demonstration in the Board Room, some Board Members decided to hold the hearings and action on another day. Just like all Board Actions, Metro hears the proposals, hears the public and discusses the matter and makes a decision.

Roger Snoble was told in his performance review that he had to solve the Structural Deficit NOW. So, the proposal that has been issued is a “No Service Cut” version. Some of the alternatives that have been floating around include 10% to 25% service cuts.

With a $1 Billion deficit and the lack of ability to run either the East L.A. Gold Line or the Expo Line, some type of action had to be taken.

Will there be some type of political compromise? Maybe. But, with the lack of understanding of basic economics from our elected officials, I am sure something weird may be enacted.

As much as many are used to almost free transit, that $75 works out to $3.40 / workday as compared to the new $5 daypass.

Even the $120 monthly pass works out to $5.45 / workday as compared to the new $8 daypass and the $2 base fare.

Anyway you look at it, you can still pay $3.25 for a gallon of gas. Many easily pay $60 / week or more for gas, so in perspective the increase while steep, isn’t much compared when you look at everything else.

I see it being a choice between cutting of more service and a lot of cutting versus paying $ .40 for every $1 of service, while the subsidy is $ .60 out of every $1 you pay. Right now riders only pay $ .24 out of every $1, so the ride is almost free.

Is this a bad thing? Well, the 25% service reduction scenario is a lot worse and will really kill transit.

[tags]bru, bus riders union, red line, subway, hypocrisy[/tags]

Photo Courtesy of the Bus Riders Union.

Although the BRU thinks spending money on rail transit is racist and wants to freeze all spending on rail transit, they don’t mind using the Red Line to get to their anti-war march in Hollywood on March 17th. Say cheese!

[tags]los angeles, saving la conference, brady westwater[/tags]

 
The historic Los Angeles Theatre downtown hosts a sure-to-be history-making event
Credit: Jimw via Flickr (license)

From what?

Better yet, why?

Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council member and L.A. Cowboy Brady Westwater will tell you:

If you want to save Los Angeles’ history, preserve the historic character of your neighborhood, discover more about your ethnic or cultural roots or find out more about the history of your family – you need to attend the first annual SAVING LOS ANGELES Conference.

It happens Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at the Los Angeles Theatre, 615 S. Broadway, in downtown Los Angeles. 

Westwater started up a separate web site, Saving L.A., for the event. It has a list of city officials scheduled to attend. Los Angeles Transportation Headlines even gives it its own entry apart from other news items, which only emphasizes its importance.

Connecting transit service: Metro Red/Purple Line and a short walk from every local and express bus line serving downtown Los Angeles; LADOT  DASH downtown lines Downtown Discovery, E and F; Foothill Transit Silver Streak (first day of service); Gardena Municipal Bus Line 1; and Montebello Bus Line 40 (east and west).

[tags]transit coalition, los angeles[/tags]

The Transit Coalition, the people who have brought you the Expo Line (seriously), has a new message board.

The new Proboards-powered board now requires a registered user name. Registration is open to all, and a small fee can pay to make the boards ad-free. The Proboard replaces the older board, which is still running for old comments.

[tags]worldchanging, servicio ejecutivo, bus[/tags]

“Paper Lobster Bus” by Ken Tanabe
Credit: Servicio Ejecutivo

This is Network brings an exhibition of artist-inspired buses to its West Los Angeles gallery, at 2130 Sawtelle Blvd., Suite 200A, with an opening reception held 4-7 p.m. Sunday, March 4.

The exhibit, “Blood, Sweat and tires” originally opened in New York City in December. It can be found on Servicio Ejecutivo, and clicking on “Sociales.” Several artists were asked to create interesting, intricate designs on cardboard buses. The site says the designs reflect the stylings of buses found in Latin America, which are colorfully decorated by their drivers.

The exhibit is on display through April 7.

Thanks to Bruce Cheung of WorldChanging Los Angeles for the tip.

Transit access: Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus lines 4, 5 and 7; and Culver CityBus Line 6 (weekday/weekend).