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Post by masonite on Mar 27, 2018 8:43:20 GMT -8
I honestly can't think of a single thing about Metro that's improved since Phil Washington became CEO. Might be time for new leadership. I'm not a big fan of Phil Washington, although I think it is still a little early to fully evaluate him. However, not sure you can pin the Blue Line on him. I think the line was built on the cheap and not maintained properly over the last 25 years. It sounds like there will be some noticeable improvements once it is completed in 2019, so at least this is not just a pure maintenance thing. If the Washington interchange is ever brought underground, we are probably looking at a multiyear shutdown during that construction.
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Post by metrocenter on Mar 27, 2018 15:15:29 GMT -8
Not sure why they can't just shut the whole Blue Line down for four months. Shutting it down in halves effectively doubles the time I will not be taking the Blue Line.
As for me, I will be driving while the Blue Line is offline. I can't imagine a bus in traffic could possibly be as fast as me in my car. Even still, I will have to shift my hours to minimize my time in traffic. Unfortunately, many people don't have the flexibility that I have.
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Post by bluelineshawn on Mar 28, 2018 18:35:28 GMT -8
I honestly can't think of a single thing about Metro that's improved since Phil Washington became CEO. Might be time for new leadership. I thought that he was very flippant when he made that āmanna from heavenā comment about the extension into the arts district. Ever since Iāve wondered if he were the right person to lead. Heās probably a competent administrator but so far I donāt see actual leadership. I donāt see the vision that I expect. And I donāt know whose idea these long term shut downs are, but the situations that require rail lines to be shut down for months at a time should be extreme. Tieing Crenshaw into the green line is not extreme. Itās a routine expansion. Is this the new normal? Yes, it saves money but you donāt run public transportation or build highways to make money. They are a public good.
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Post by masonite on Mar 28, 2018 19:50:59 GMT -8
I honestly can't think of a single thing about Metro that's improved since Phil Washington became CEO. Might be time for new leadership. I thought that he was very flippant when he made that āmanna from heavenā comment about the extension into the arts district. Ever since Iāve wondered if he were the right person to lead. Heās probably a competent administrator but so far I donāt see actual leadership. I donāt see the vision that I expect. And I donāt know whose idea these long term shut downs are, but the situations that require rail lines to be shut down for months at a time should be extreme. Tieing Crenshaw into the green line is not extreme. Itās a routine expansion. Is this the new normal? Yes, it saves money but you donāt run public transportation or build highways to make money. They are a public good. I'm probably more upset by Washington for moving to the 20 minute headways after 8:00. That hurts ridership because people don't mind waiting 10 min or so at night for rail for their return voyage, but 20 especially with a transfer is brutal. Def. hurt ridership. Agree on the Arts District. People often complain about these billion dollar projects not built, but the Arts District is just adding an above ground station to existing rail. There is a little complication getting a station in there, but it can't be a huge amount of money for Metro to just blow off forever.
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Post by bluelineshawn on Mar 30, 2018 15:54:50 GMT -8
I thought that he was very flippant when he made that āmanna from heavenā comment about the extension into the arts district. Ever since Iāve wondered if he were the right person to lead. Heās probably a competent administrator but so far I donāt see actual leadership. I donāt see the vision that I expect. And I donāt know whose idea these long term shut downs are, but the situations that require rail lines to be shut down for months at a time should be extreme. Tieing Crenshaw into the green line is not extreme. Itās a routine expansion. Is this the new normal? Yes, it saves money but you donāt run public transportation or build highways to make money. They are a public good. I'm probably more upset by Washington for moving to the 20 minute headways after 8:00. That hurts ridership because people don't mind waiting 10 min or so at night for rail for their return voyage, but 20 especially with a transfer is brutal. Def. hurt ridership. Agree on the Arts District. People often complain about these billion dollar projects not built, but the Arts District is just adding an above ground station to existing rail. There is a little complication getting a station in there, but it can't be a huge amount of money for Metro to just blow off forever. I guess that we all judge through our own lens and mostly consider what affects us. Personally Iām enjoying the new 6 min headways on the green line. Thatās two more trains per hour. It only started right before the station closure but I suspect that will help bring ridership back. I donāt think that metroās designed loading/standing criteria work for LA. People,just donāt want to stand on a crowded train for 20-30 min. If they use that criterion to dictate headways theyāll eventually cut back to very infrequent service as more and more riders leave. Just like the 20 minute headways. Only the transit dependent would accept that. Anyone that can afford other options will use them.
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Post by metrocenter on Jul 19, 2018 8:42:38 GMT -8
A lot has been said about grade separating rail on Flower and Washington. I still want this to happen.
But, if they want don't want to spend any money at all, they could at least close down Washington between Flower and Grand. After all, that's where the rail junction is.
Both rail lines would benefit (no more interaction with cars), and Flower Street drivers would benefit (fewer red lights). And LATTC would gain an expanded footprint, with a direct pedestrian connection to the Blue Line.
Yes, east-west traffic on Washington Blvd would have to be rerouted somehow. I can live with that.
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Post by metrocenter on Jul 19, 2018 9:55:13 GMT -8
I just read some specific information about the 2019 Blue Line upgrades.
The project will do the following:
- Replace aging switching, signaling, train detection and power equipment, upgrading them to modern technologies (in line with other Metro lines incl. Expo)
- Upgrade obsolete signal system at the Blue Line yard in Long Beach.
- Add four new rail interlockings between Washington and Willow.
- Replace aging overhead lines in Downtown LA and Downtown Long Beach.
A few notes. For item 1: switching on the Blue Line (Metro's oldest line) is still done using physical relays. It has over 3500 signaling relays in its bungalows, and these are wearing out. The project will replace these with solid state relays.
For item 3: there are six existing interlockings between Washington and Willow. But there are huge gaps: for instance, there is one south of Washington, and then heading south, the next one is past Florence. So an accident at Florence Avenue requires single tracking between Washington and Firestone stations. The four new interlockings would mean trains could crossover between nearly every pair of stations along the central part of the line.
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Post by metrocenter on Sept 5, 2018 13:48:02 GMT -8
At a bare minimum, they need to underground the train south of Pico Blvd. Eliminate the idiotic grade-crossings at 12th Street and Pico. And build a real station, underground, with greater passenger capacity, enough to handle big transfer and event crowds.
The current Pico station is an embarrassment to the entire system. It's a trolley stop surrounded by skyscrapers. What is this, San Diego?
I'm not saying that this is enough. I'm only saying that if nothing else can be done in the next 20+ years, they should at least do this.
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Post by metrocenter on Dec 6, 2018 8:52:56 GMT -8
Today the Blue Line was once again delayed, due to "signal issues". (Coincidentally, we had some moderate rain today.)
I really hope that with the "New Blue Line", Metro finds a way to keep the rain out of the signal system.
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Post by metrocenter on Jan 10, 2019 16:57:33 GMT -8
I've been witnessing lots of prep work happening on and around the Blue Line, in preparation for the upgrade project. These include small things like replacement of some platform structures with plywood, and bigger things like piles of rails staged next to the right-of-way south of the Blue Line yard.
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Post by metrocenter on Jan 24, 2019 14:40:13 GMT -8
The Blue Line shutdown starts this weekend. Trains have been uncrowded this week. Either people decided to implement their alternative plans (e.g., driving) early, or they were confused and thought the shutdown started last weekend. The three shuttle options are: - Express: Long Beach to Los Angeles, with no stops between Wardlow to LATTC/Ortho (on the Expo Line).
- Select: Long Beach to Watts, with no stops between Wardlow and Willowbrook (Rosa Parks).
- Local: Long Beach to Watts, with stops at every station.
Metro has chosen not to say in advance which streets and freeways the buses will be taking between stations. I'd guess that this is on purpose, to give themselves some flexibility in case their initial plans don't work out. I'm going to try the "Select" shuttle, and see how it goes. It's supposed to add 10-15 minutes to my commute. I will report back what I see.
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Post by metrocenter on Jan 28, 2019 9:07:47 GMT -8
The short version: taking the Select bus nearly doubled my commute time, from 45 minutes to 85 minutes. I won't be doing that again. OK, here is the longer version. The Select bus from Wardlow to Watts took 40 minutes, as follows: - 8 minutes - 710 freeway to Rosecrans Avenue
- 12 minutes - Rosecrans Avenue to Wilmington Avenue
- 8 minutes - Wilmington Avenue to Willowbrook (Rosa Parks) station
- 12 minutes - Willowbrook (Rosa Parks) station to Watts (103rd Street) station
This was followed by a 3-minute walk from the bus to the station, and then a 12-minute wait. Why would it take 40 minutes to drive from Wardlow to Watts? Mainly because the route they are using is very round-about. For instance, the trip from Rosa Parks station to Watts station took 12 minutes. I could have walked there faster. The bus so long because it took the long way, all the way over to Compton Avenue, past a hospital and multiple schools. Why would they do that? Because buses only like to make right turns. Last thing: at Watts station (103rd Street), I passed at least 25 police and security personnel walking from the bus to the train. It was ridiculous! They're probably thinking that passengers are going to be freaked out being in Watts, LOL.
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Post by numble on Jan 28, 2019 9:18:55 GMT -8
This Twitter account reports the Express took 61 minutes end-to-end, starting at 5:32 am.
Another account took 74 minutes.
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Post by metrocenter on Jan 28, 2019 11:53:00 GMT -8
This Twitter account reports the Express took 61 minutes end-to-end, starting at 5:32 am. Another account took 74 minutes. The Select and Local shuttles are subject to lots of street traffic, plus an unpredictable amount of time transferring at Watts. So it makes sense that the Express would be much faster. Still, the Express is subject to freeway congestion, which gets worse by the minute throughout rush hour. Metro reports that the Express took 61 minutes leaving at 5:30 AM. I suspect it will take much longer when I leave at 7:00 AM. Having ruled out the Select and Local shuttles, my options are: - Take the Express bus (860).
- Drive to Watts and find parking.
- Drive to Harbor Gateway Transit Center and take the Silver Line.
- Drive downtown and pay for parking.
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expo
Junior Member
Posts: 71
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Post by expo on Jan 28, 2019 13:21:15 GMT -8
I'm still unclear on what, if anything, will be done to decrease end-to-end travel time (rather than just reducing delays due to track/power/trainset issues) on the Blue line as part of this shutdown. Anyone know the answer?
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Post by metrocenter on Jan 28, 2019 16:17:39 GMT -8
I'm still unclear on what, if anything, will be done to decrease end-to-end travel time (rather than just reducing delays due to track/power/trainset issues) on the Blue line as part of this shutdown. Anyone know the answer? I don't believe this project attempts to reduce travel time, at all. This project is focused on improving reliability and interoperability with the rest of the system, via upgrades (signal/relay/track/power). Oh, and also an overhaul of Willowbrook/Rosa Parks station.
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expo
Junior Member
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Post by expo on Jan 29, 2019 9:27:57 GMT -8
Got it. That was my impression, but I kept reading in places like Curbed that Metro aimed to cut 10 mins off the travel time as part of this project. I think they were just confusing this project with the longer term grade separation, flower junction upgrade, and Downtown Long Beach signal timing projects.
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Post by metrocenter on Jan 29, 2019 9:54:38 GMT -8
^ There was talk a year or two ago, about signal timing improvements in Long Beach. If you scroll back a page or two, there are posts about it. But that's not part of the New Blue project.
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Post by metrocenter on Jan 29, 2019 9:57:51 GMT -8
Today, I found that driving to Watts was much faster than taking the shuttle. Driving took me 25 minutes (via Alameda), vs. 40 minutes for the shuttle bus.
I realize this is not an option for everyone. Just putting it out there.
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Post by jahanes on Jan 29, 2019 17:31:40 GMT -8
Got it. That was my impression, but I kept reading in places like Curbed that Metro aimed to cut 10 mins off the travel time as part of this project. I think they were just confusing this project with the longer term grade separation, flower junction upgrade, and Downtown Long Beach signal timing projects. That's a job for the next year-long shutdown š
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Post by numble on Feb 7, 2019 17:15:24 GMT -8
I'm still unclear on what, if anything, will be done to decrease end-to-end travel time (rather than just reducing delays due to track/power/trainset issues) on the Blue line as part of this shutdown. Anyone know the answer? Others have mentioned a traffic signal prioritization project. It isnāt part of Metroās New Blue project since cities control their traffic signals, but it looks like Long Beach will finish their signal prioritization project at or before the New Blue project finishes, so there will supposedly be a speed increase when it opens back up. From the January Gateway Service Council meeting: media.metro.net/board/Items/2019/02_february/20190214gatitem3.pdf
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Post by metrocenter on Feb 7, 2019 19:10:30 GMT -8
Whooee! Anybody who wants to get depressed about the state of Metro Rail (and buses) should read through those minutes. They discuss the homeless, ROW trash, falling ridership, lack of traction power on the Crenshaw/Green Lines, the terrible state of Metro's customer service, and the inability of law enforcement to enforce laws and policies. It finishes with a quick mention of the Gold Line stabbing.
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Post by masonite on Feb 8, 2019 10:17:44 GMT -8
Whooee! Anybody who wants to get depressed about the state of Metro Rail (and buses) should read through those minutes. They discuss the homeless, ROW trash, falling ridership, lack of traction power on the Crenshaw/Green Lines, the terrible state of Metro's customer service, and the inability of law enforcement to enforce laws and policies. It finishes with a quick mention of the Gold Line stabbing. After reading that, it is easy to see why Beverly Hills asked for what they did. What a mess.
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Post by bluelineshawn on Feb 11, 2019 5:32:18 GMT -8
Regarding Long Beach signal prioritization...the blue line runs both N/S and E/W through Long Beach. Itāll be interesting to see how they prioritize signals to speed up one segment without slowing down others and keep cars moving.
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Post by numble on Feb 11, 2019 11:45:40 GMT -8
Regarding Long Beach signal prioritization...the blue line runs both N/S and E/W through Long Beach. Itāll be interesting to see how they prioritize signals to speed up one segment without slowing down others and keep cars moving. Here was a presentation provided to Metroās Technical Advisory Committee. In the slide with the map, it seems they are installing new signals with āRail Preemptionā. media.metro.net/about_us/committees/images/presentation-tac-blsplb.pdf
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expo
Junior Member
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Post by expo on Feb 11, 2019 12:37:01 GMT -8
Regarding Long Beach signal prioritization...the blue line runs both N/S and E/W through Long Beach. Itāll be interesting to see how they prioritize signals to speed up one segment without slowing down others and keep cars moving. Here was a presentation provided to Metroās Technical Advisory Committee. In the slide with the map, it seems they are installing new signals with āRail Preemptionā. media.metro.net/about_us/committees/images/presentation-tac-blsplb.pdfThanks for posting this numble. If this is actually preemption, that's huge. The expo and gold lines (eastside portion) would be soooo much quicker and more reliable if they implemented preemption. I know Metro and LADOT were looking at it for the Expo line a few years back, but I haven't heard anything since. Especially on the portion from Crenshaw to Vermont, it's just such a no brainer.
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Post by metrocenter on Feb 11, 2019 13:54:50 GMT -8
That's great news, thanks for the info!
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Post by numble on Feb 11, 2019 17:31:35 GMT -8
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Post by metrocenter on Mar 13, 2019 6:57:33 GMT -8
<rant>
Metro needs to put an end to the homeless takeover of the Blue Line before they finish this project. Otherwise the whole thingās a waste.
Today on my Blue Line train, each car had at one or more homeless people. It stunk bad but I told myself I could deal with it.
One guy had his diseased foot across the aisle. While we we still at Watts station, he got off the train and started taking a leak right on the platform. I got out and yelled at him because heās pissing where we all have to stand. As I yelled, the security and cops just stood and watched. So I got back on the train.
Once we started moving, a homeless woman taking up an entire end of a car (four seats) started spraying something from a can and telling is weāre all satan. At that point Iād had enough. I told her she was taking all the seats and was stinking up the whole car. Then i got off. Late for work, of course.
Metro is building a multibillion-dollar system of rolling homeless shelters. Iāve been advocating for rail transit for 20 years but Iām pretty close to giving up.
</rant>
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Post by Philip on Mar 13, 2019 15:22:20 GMT -8
Sorry to hear about that.
It's long overdue for Metro to implement a program to help the homeless on the trains, without kicking them to the curb or involving the police.
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