Post by bennyp81 on Jul 7, 2005 19:00:19 GMT -8
For purpose of orientation, the following is a map of Downtown L.A., which features rail lines that are built or set-in-stone. (For sake of differentiation, the Pasadena Gold Line is given the color rose, while the Eastside Gold Line keeps the yellow color). Expo is the light blue line on the bottom left.
The next map features the much-discussed Downtown Connector, featured here as a thick black line. It would run north on Flower and east on First Street, most surely as a subway. Its intent would be to link the Expo and Blue Lines with the Gold Line, so that seamless inland-to-the-sea transportation can be offered, instead of having to transfer to the Red Line to catch one or the other.
But, personally, I never liked this particular Downtown Connector because it's too simple and shortsighted. It ignores the possibility that many more rail lines may be built through downtown. It would not let current lines take more logical paths through the area and continue towards entirely new realms of transit.
Bear in mind that a good deal of our freeway system (but not all) had interchanges built even when one of the freeways was not. We should take such a vision when it comes to building rail lines and, with this opportunity, seeing all of Downtown L.A. as a major rail hub.
Suppose, for example, that the Downtown Connector is built, but with a stub Y-ing out from NW from Flower/1st or some other provision. Then the Downtown Connector may serve, in addition to Blue, Gold and Expo, new lines to Glendale and the Silver Lake area.
Another possibility is to forget the Downtown Connector entirely and instead build a bypass for the Gold Line, which would connect it to Expo via the eastern Expo ROW and San Pedro Street. You could save quite a few minutes easily if you desire an inland-to-the-sea route. It would also offer new TOD opportunities in other parts of downtown, as well as offer access to the very pedestrian Santee Alley and environs.
Of course, put those two ideas together and you get the following configuration. Note that a transfer station separating the two lines would have to be built at Little Tokyo (where the two Black and Gold lines meet). Thus, the Eastside Gold Line would more appropriately continue NW to either Silver Lake (via Glendale and Sunset) or Santa Monica (via 1st, Flower and Expo) and the Blue Line would continue north to Glendale.
Another idea would be to simply forget a pretense of the Downtown Connector having to turn from Flower onto 1st and instead have two lines cross, with a transfer station at the Music Center. This way, it offers another inland-to-the-sea route, but this time with a speedier shortcut from Flower/1st to just north of Chinatown. The Eastside Gold Line would then continue NW and branch off to either Silver Lake or Glendale. At this point, two distinct lines would cross Downtown L.A.
Add to that the much-discussed Silver Line, which would skirt Downtown to the north. Now you have three distinct lines.
Add the San Pedro Street bypass to that, and you have yourself a complete and comprehensive rail hub. This way, you could reach from one of the intended endpoints (Pasadena/Montclair, El Monte, East L.A., Long Beach, Santa Monica, Wilshire, North Hollywood, Silver Lake, Glendale) to the other in only one transfer, with quite a few new destinations accessible with no transfer at all.
The next map features the much-discussed Downtown Connector, featured here as a thick black line. It would run north on Flower and east on First Street, most surely as a subway. Its intent would be to link the Expo and Blue Lines with the Gold Line, so that seamless inland-to-the-sea transportation can be offered, instead of having to transfer to the Red Line to catch one or the other.
But, personally, I never liked this particular Downtown Connector because it's too simple and shortsighted. It ignores the possibility that many more rail lines may be built through downtown. It would not let current lines take more logical paths through the area and continue towards entirely new realms of transit.
Bear in mind that a good deal of our freeway system (but not all) had interchanges built even when one of the freeways was not. We should take such a vision when it comes to building rail lines and, with this opportunity, seeing all of Downtown L.A. as a major rail hub.
Suppose, for example, that the Downtown Connector is built, but with a stub Y-ing out from NW from Flower/1st or some other provision. Then the Downtown Connector may serve, in addition to Blue, Gold and Expo, new lines to Glendale and the Silver Lake area.
Another possibility is to forget the Downtown Connector entirely and instead build a bypass for the Gold Line, which would connect it to Expo via the eastern Expo ROW and San Pedro Street. You could save quite a few minutes easily if you desire an inland-to-the-sea route. It would also offer new TOD opportunities in other parts of downtown, as well as offer access to the very pedestrian Santee Alley and environs.
Of course, put those two ideas together and you get the following configuration. Note that a transfer station separating the two lines would have to be built at Little Tokyo (where the two Black and Gold lines meet). Thus, the Eastside Gold Line would more appropriately continue NW to either Silver Lake (via Glendale and Sunset) or Santa Monica (via 1st, Flower and Expo) and the Blue Line would continue north to Glendale.
Another idea would be to simply forget a pretense of the Downtown Connector having to turn from Flower onto 1st and instead have two lines cross, with a transfer station at the Music Center. This way, it offers another inland-to-the-sea route, but this time with a speedier shortcut from Flower/1st to just north of Chinatown. The Eastside Gold Line would then continue NW and branch off to either Silver Lake or Glendale. At this point, two distinct lines would cross Downtown L.A.
Add to that the much-discussed Silver Line, which would skirt Downtown to the north. Now you have three distinct lines.
Add the San Pedro Street bypass to that, and you have yourself a complete and comprehensive rail hub. This way, you could reach from one of the intended endpoints (Pasadena/Montclair, El Monte, East L.A., Long Beach, Santa Monica, Wilshire, North Hollywood, Silver Lake, Glendale) to the other in only one transfer, with quite a few new destinations accessible with no transfer at all.
