MetroRiderLA

• A route for the Crenshaw Corridor picked: deftly avoids airport, subway, and populated areas
• Like soccer, high speed rail is a global phenomenon that the United States is just too cool for
• L.A. Times art critics thinks fare gates are an architectural travesty for Los Angeles
• West Hollywood attorney realizes West Hollywood subway is a sham

I found this LOL worthy story from the Transit Sleuth blog. The headline reads: “Car drives into MAX tunnel, disrupts service”.

It seems that even grade-separated tunnels can’t keep us safe from law-breaking automobile drivers. Apparently a Portland drunk driver took an early Sunday morning drive into a Portland MAX light rail tunnel. Our drunk friend entered the tunnel from the east entrance and, according to Fox 12 Oregon, drove for over a mile until coming to a stop 75 feet from the Washington Park MAX station. It took hours to get the car out, service was supsended, and the estimated cost of actions of this one negligent driver? $20,000.

Luckily, this was all happening in the wee hours of the morning, so no one got hurt, including the driver who would have surely, as the Transit Sleuth points out, have been a top contender for a Darwin Award had he collided with a MAX train. Of course, in that hypothetical event it’s likely the train would somehow be blamed.

Friends 4 Expo joins us to offer its position on the controversially Expo Line grade crossing safety issue.

Bumper-to-bumper traffic between downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica is a front-page issue. The Expo Line can help significantly, and soon.

Friends 4 Expo Transit is the grassroots group of volunteers who have been supporting the Expo Line, some for over 18 years. Our motto, “Connecting Neighbors” reflects members from Los Angeles, Culver City, Santa Monica, and across the region.

We support the state-of-the-art safety measures proposed by the Expo Authority for an at-grade crossing at Farmdale Avenue by Dorsey High School — which exceed even the Gold Line standard, by including pedestrian gates, crossing guards, and trains slowing during the time that students cross — and urge the Expo Board to move forward with the current California Public Utilities Commission application and resolve the issue as soon as possible.

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The North San Diego County Transit District has set Sunday, March 9, as the inaugural day of service for the Sprinter light rail line.

Sprinter was originally scheduled to open January 13, but station construction was not complete and the California Public Utilities Commission had not given the district the green light.

It is a 22-mile rail line from Oceanside to Escondido, also serving the cities of Vista and San Marcos.

The North San Diego County Transit District has put off the opening of its light rail line, Sprinter, originally scheduled for this Sunday. No start-up date has been announced.

Some of the final touches, such as parking lot striping, are not complete. The California Public Utilities Commission still has not given the OK on the line’s safety measures.

See also:

• San Diego Union-Tribune: Sprinter rail service won’t start on Sunday (brief)
• North County Times: Sprinter start may be pushed back again