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Post by Philip on Dec 22, 2011 12:20:56 GMT -8
I really like the idea of the Orange Line becoming the key east-west line that links the San Gabriel Valley with the San Fernando Valley.
The problem I see is: where do you put the Orange Line to get it to the Burbank Metrolink?
The obvious choice would be on Chandler. Metro owns the bike path there, so tearing it up wouldn’t be a problem. Plus, there is a single track that still exists near Victory Blvd. that hooks up to the Metrolink tracks. It would also mean the demolition of a few nearby buildings to accommodate a second track.
However, it would also probably face fierce neighborhood opposition, perhaps also from the cycling community as well (Chandler is wide enough that bike lanes would still be possible, but this is still a downgrade from a Class I bikepath).
The next best option looks to be Burbank Blvd., which could certainly accommodate a rail line without it feeling like it’s in people’s backyards. However, this would make connecting to the Metrolink station more difficult (would probably require an underground trench of some sort, or perhaps an elevated bridge).
The only other place would be Magnolia Blvd. (with arguably the best destinations of the three), but Magnolia is too narrow and would probably require going underground.
Thoughts?
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Post by erict on Dec 22, 2011 13:50:59 GMT -8
Chandler is best IMHO. Tear out the bike path and re-build a smaller one. Yes, everyone will be mad, but it makes the most sense to me.
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Post by Philip on Dec 22, 2011 15:48:14 GMT -8
The other great thing about Chandler is how wide it is; even with a rapid transit line running, you could still fit a car lane in each direction, as well as a protected bike lane in each direction.
However, I do feel for the neighborhoods along that stretch of Chandler. I know the Orange Line does this already, but walling off those houses and communities with a train will probably not go over very well (even though the train was there long before any of them).
The bike people can at least be assuaged by the fact that they will still have basically what they always did, just in a different form.
I could totally see the neighbors arguing for Burbank Blvd., a la the way NSFR and others argued for the Venice/Sepulveda route of the Expo Line.
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Post by jamesinclair on Dec 22, 2011 21:40:01 GMT -8
Chandler is best IMHO. Tear out the car path and re-build a smaller one. Yes, everyone will be mad, but it makes the most sense to me.
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Post by jeisenbe on Dec 26, 2011 20:34:12 GMT -8
Whoa, calm down everyone. The right-of-way (between buildings) along Chandler is over 100 feet wide in the narrowest section, just east of the North Hollywood station. That's plenty wide for a 12 foot bike path, two car lanes, and a two-track right of way, with sidewalks, and even room for stations or parking.
Add it up: 10 foot sidewalk, 8 foot parking lane, roadway 12*2 feet, 12 foot bike path, 30 foot wide transitway, 12 foot wide station platform = 94 feet. There's still room for some landscaping, say between the bike path and the road, and between the path and station.
Further west, the roadway and transit right-of-way are no less than 125 feet wide, sidewalk to sidewalk, and the median alone is 44 feet wide, plenty for a bike path and transit without even messing with the roadway. At stations we would have to take out some parking or narrow the lanes of the roads, but the is plenty of room for everyone. Heck, you could put a 60 foot wide, 4-track right-of-way thru the entire route and still have room for sidewalks, a bike path, and a 2-lane access road in the narrowest section, and two-lane access roads on each side in the wider part.
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Post by bzcat on Dec 27, 2011 15:18:56 GMT -8
Chandler clearly makes sense as probably the cheapest solution but Magnolia will probably have higher ridership.
To me, the more interesting question is how do you get the line to Glendale and on to Pasadena. San Fernando Road to Colorado?
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Post by jdrcrasher on Dec 27, 2011 19:51:11 GMT -8
Chandler clearly makes sense as probably the cheapest solution but Magnolia will probably have higher ridership. To me, the more interesting question is how do you get the line to Glendale and on to Pasadena. San Fernando Road to Colorado? I can't imagine a Burbank-Pasadena extension not going through Eagle Rock. I would say 5 and 134 (some segments could actually be ALONGSIDE the freeway) to around Sinclair. Then jump on Colorado to the Gold Line and turn north into the Memorial Park station, and head east. Less stations than bzcat's route, but MUCH quicker commute. Some of you might remember me coming up with the idea of Light Rail down Rosemead/Lakewood and west on Willow to intersect with the Blue Line, as well as the future 405 & Crenshaw lines. I recall someone mentioning possibly linking the northern segment with the Gold Line as a possible solution to any trains coming from Burbank to Pasadena (as an Orange Line extension) so they can turn south on Rosemead, rather than having them head to Azusa and beyond. |
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Post by bzcat on Dec 28, 2011 13:20:38 GMT -8
Chandler clearly makes sense as probably the cheapest solution but Magnolia will probably have higher ridership. To me, the more interesting question is how do you get the line to Glendale and on to Pasadena. San Fernando Road to Colorado? I can't imagine a Burbank-Pasadena extension not going through Eagle Rock. I would say 5 and 134 (some segments could actually be ALONGSIDE the freeway) to around Sinclair. Then jump on Colorado to the Gold Line and turn north into the Memorial Park station, and head east. Less stations than bzcat's route, but MUCH quicker commute. I think the benefit of having the line go to Glendale (via Colorado) far out weights the time savings of having it go around it (via 134 freeway). You can pick up speed on San Fernando Road and Colorado Blvd in an exclusive BRT lane. There wouldn't be any point of doing this unless we maintain the BRT exclusive lane through the entire segment from Warner Center to Pasadena. |
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Post by Philip on Jan 8, 2012 14:32:06 GMT -8
Though I think Glendale and Pasadena will be far from happening anytime soon (which is why I made the thread about Burbank specifically, which could have a shot at happening in our lifetimes), here's my ideal routing through Glendale (I'm also going to assume that by the time this would happen, the Orange Line would be rail) -
Continue the line down the Metrolink ROW until Broadway, continue on Broadway until past the Galleria, where the line would be at Colorado, then on Colorado/the shoulder of the 134 Freeway until Pasadena.
This is basically the route Damien Goodmon outlined in his Get L.A. Moving Plan. It hits all the major locations.
Burbank and Glendale are the easy parts. It's just Eagle Rock and Pasadena that are more complicated (and costly).
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