Expo Line transit neighborhood plans

[Gokhan]

This is really big and it has never been done before in Los Angeles. They are making big redevelopment plans in the neighborhoods surrounding the Expo Line (along with the Crenshaw Line), and once the plans are finalized, there will be an environmental-impact report (EIR). It's a bottom-up approach, in which they are starting with public opinion and then they will finalize the plans.

Yesterday there was a very well-attended first meeting in Palms, in which I shared my opinions with others. The format is round-table discussions. The next meeting will be at Exposition/Sepulveda on December 3.

They have a nice Web site on this, where you can find a lot of information. The EIR will be ready in 2014, about a year before Expo Phase 2 opens. Hopefully it will give them some time to do some of the essential construction work before the line opens, such as sidewalk construction.

Expo Line and Crenshaw/LAX LIne transit neighborhood plans

[fissure]

I went tonight, though I missed the beginning of the presentation. I wasn't the only one in favor of upzoning around the stations, but I wasn't in the majority. There seemed to be less resistance to new developments around Bundy than around Sepulveda, probably because the former already has plenty of mid-rise buildings.

I managed to refrain from launching into a Shoup lecture whenever someone said there's not enough parking in the area. Others said that adding this infrastructure was really just playing catch-up to the level of development we currently have, and that new development isn't necessary.

I hopefully managed to convey that they really need to make crossing under the 405 substantially less terrible and try to continue the retail hub at Sawtelle/Olympic down to Pico. Abandoned buildings and a Best Buy (which is, as Kunstler says, designed like the back of a DVD player---power cord goes here, video out goes here) do not make for a great pedestrian experience. This would also let them capture workers in the numerous office buildings on Olympic.

[Gokhan]

Sepulveda Station is in the NFSR territory, in fact very close to where NFSR President Ms. Terri Tippit lives, and they are against any kind of development.

[rajacobs]

Impact on Culver Station of Proposed Robertson Bl. Reconfiguration


The "Draft Concept Improvements on the I-10/Robertson/National Area Circulation Improvement Project" is a representation of initial traffic circulation improvement ideas from the working group.

These ideas materially impact pedestrian movement and bike movement to and from the Culver Station by either improving or impairing movement from North of the I-10 & West of Robertson.

The intention of the project is to "help alleviate existing and anticipated severe traffic conditions that affect the I-10 Freeway, LA Council Districts 5 and 10, and the City of Culver City." The intention is to "rationalize traffic movement and create a functional road system for the area."

On the drawing, note the intention to extend Robertson Bl., from the North, through the existing Robertson Place, under the I-10 and Expo Line and through the OfficeMax and current parking lot, then connect to Culver Bl.

At the same time the existing Robertson between Robertson Place and Venice would be removed!

With regard to the Expo Line, it would be desirable to create some means, other than a walk light to cross Venice from the North, to enable pedestrian access to the Culver Station, otherwise I fear that the wait time to cross Venice may be extreme without Robertson Bl. existing to help.

Additionally, by connecting Culver and Robertson, this new traffic conduit potentially creates a second impediment to pedestrian and bike movement along the Expo "bikeway," in addition to Venice, namely, another high-traffic crossing point.

...A pedestrian and bike underpass (under Robertson) where the new Robertson extension crosses the Expo ROW would sure be nice here.

"The project area falls into both Culver City and Los Angeles' transit-oriented plans that envision the area to be pedestrian and bike-friendly." The cities seek to make improvements to minimize "conflicting movements between all modes of travel in the area." ...But this isn't going to happen without adequate thought given to the pedestrian movement, both along the Expo Line (across Venice and then across the new Robertson).

Currently the working group comprises Caltrans, Metro, LADOT, and Culver City staff. Culver City has a federal grant of $2 million for the planning, design, and preliminary engineering of a re-design of the I-10/Robertson on/off ramps.

Additionally, $500K in local matching funds has been identified for the federal grant.

The active representives to this effort are: Ken Husting, Sr. Transportation Engineer, City of LA, [e-mail], and Diana Chang, Sr. Mgmt Analyst, City of Culver City, [e-mail].

The next steps are to release a request for proposal and then to hire a consultant and begin project studies.

[Gokhan]

How can they extend Robertson Place through the Expo Line? I think there will be MSE walls there.

Also, they are saying widen, not remove, Robertson north of Venice.

It sounds like there is still too much emphasis on cars but too little on transit, peds, and bikes.

Tear down the shopping center? Perhaps they should tear down and flatten the entire city and turn it into a one big 1,000-lane road. lol

[TransportationZ]

Dec 25, 2012 17:33:11 GMT -8 Gokhan said:

Tear down the shopping center? Perhaps they should tear down and flatten the entire city and turn it into a one big 1,000-lane road. lol

People literally expect there to always be road widenings. People aren't in reality, and they think they can rely on widenings forever. Soon or later, the streets are going to clogged 24/7, with zero room for road widenings. Lets see if constantly taking houses near freeways just to move a few extra thousands cars per hour will continue to fly.

[rajacobs]

Gokhan wrote:

Also, they are saying widen, not remove, Robertson north of Venice.

I stand corrected. In this corrected reading, sounds like that corner of Robertson and Robertson Place could be a new problem with those wishing to turn southbound on the old expanded Robertson met by oncoming northbound traffic from Culver.

...Regarding the shopping center, actually it wouldn't be tearing down the shopping center, just splitting it in two, ...with all the ramifications of increased traffic.

The ideas were shared a few weeks ago at the two neighborhood meetings. I attended the second one at Sepulveda & Exposition. Few residents of Palms or Cheviot Hills were there, so when I went to the Culver Station "discussion" ...I was the only attendee and had 2 or 3 planners to myself.

After I talked about the problems with linking the Culver station with downtown Culver City and the potential of Hoke and Willat and tearing down or changed the strip mall on the southside of Venice west of Robertson (they had never discussed that topic before), one of the planners got to mentioning the "Circulation Improvement Project," that I had never heard of.

It sort of went over my head until a couple of nights ago when I read in detail the 2 page synopsis one of the planners left with me--his only print out, since I was the only one there.

Seems like a lot of attention is being paid to this topic; but has anyone seen it mentioned before this? The date on the two pager is Oct 2012.

I sent Ken and Diana a request to consider an Robertson underpass for cyclists and pedestrians.

[darrell]

Dec 25, 2012 19:12:36 GMT -8 rajacobs said:

Gokhan wrote:

Also, they are saying widen, not remove, Robertson north of Venice.

I stand corrected. In this corrected reading, sounds like that corner of Robertson and Robertson Place could be a new problem with those wishing to turn southbound on the old expanded Robertson met by oncoming northbound traffic from Culver.

...Regarding the shopping center, actually it wouldn't be tearing down the shopping center, just splitting it in two, ...with all the ramifications of increased traffic.

The ideas were shared a few weeks ago at the two neighborhood meetings. I attended the second one at Sepulveda & Exposition. Few residents of Palms or Cheviot Hills were there, so when I went to the Culver Station "discussion" ...I was the only attendee and had 2 or 3 planners to myself.

After I talked about the problems with linking the Culver station with downtown Culver City and the potential of Hoke and Willat and tearing down or changed the strip mall on the southside of Venice west of Robertson (they had never discussed that topic before), one of the planners got to mentioning the "Circulation Improvement Project," that I had never heard of.

It sort of went over my head until a couple of nights ago when I read in detail the 2 page synopsis one of the planners left with me--his only print out, since I was the only one there.

Seems like a lot of attention is being paid to this topic; but has anyone seen it mentioned before this? The date on the two pager is Oct 2012.

I sent Ken and Diana a request to consider an Robertson underpass for cyclists and pedestrians.

Bill Barnett, Culver City resident and Inglewood city planning staff member, was envisioning this extension of Robertson Blvd. back around 1990, when it was still the Globe A-1 noodle factory before it became the shopping center.

But you raise a very important point, Gokhan, about compatibility with what Expo is building at that location!

[bzcat]

I think the circulation plan is actually more pedestrian friendly than it appears (and what you guys give it credit ). The current Robertson Blvd looks like it will be turned into a continuation of East Bound I-10 off ramp (and one-way street). This eliminates the "wrong direction" slant of Robertson and should simplify the crosswalk signal for pedestrians - no more left turns allowed from Venice Blvd.

Robertson Place will become the new Robertson Blvd and connect with Culver. This will give pedestrians and bike riders a more direct route to Downtown Culver City and the Expo station - assuming the actual road design take into such consideration as wide sidewalks and bike lanes. But of course, this new alignment for Robertson Blvd will have to have an underpass below Expo line... not sure it is feasible. I'm not too worried about losing the shopping center... it is a badly designed car-centric hell hole that is difficult to get in and out... mobility around the area will improve significantly if Robertson is connected to Culver; and someone can redevelop this shopping center to be more transit oriented.

The moving of west bound on ramps to the north of freeway will divert significant amount of car traffic away from the Expo station area.