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Post by Gokhan on Jun 18, 2015 14:57:57 GMT -8
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Post by Gokhan on Jun 22, 2015 10:50:15 GMT -8
It looks like Skanska is getting started on building the Culver City Station western plaza. They were clearing right-of-way and there was a meeting taking place.
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Post by joshuanickel on Aug 26, 2015 11:41:53 GMT -8
Pardon me for being asleep for awhile. Does anyone actually know what is planned for that little triangle of dirt at the Culver City station? I read up on the "Clean Mobility Center", but I find it hard to believe that the NIMBYs will sit still for what they might perceive as an attractive nuisance. Speaking with Culver City councilmember and former mayor Meghan Sahli-Wells, the Culver City Council is intent on pursuing this project and is still in negotiation with Expo Authority (Sahli-Wells sits on the Authority). There were apparently no bids for the attached proposal (XP8901-854) when it was put up a year ago. The maps indicate that the facility will mostly be under the station/bridge, and not occupy the entire triangle. Also it doesn't look like there will be showers--just restrooms and "changing" rooms. Most of the facility is designed to be a bike rental/repair station with an attendant. According to the plans from last year, there will be no showers. Only two restrooms, bike storage, a bike-repair shop, and a Metro office for staff and drivers. It will be a small structure located under the bridge. The triangular area that is currently empty will become car parking and will not be part of it. Good, so, perhaps Phase 1 will be finished before Phase 2 opens. As far as the restroom barracks (Clean Mobility Center) is concerned, they would have to finish everything except for it and provide utility entry points. I am surprised that it's not included now. However, they could bring the prefabricated barracks on a truck and install it when it's fabricated by Metro later, as long as the utility entry points are made beforehand. Metro has a blog post giving a sneak of the first bike hub that will be opening on September 14 at the El Monte Transit Center. It will be operated by a company called BikeHub. On their website, they mention that bike hubs will open at Hollywood and Vine in mid 2016 and at Culver City at the end of 2016. So we are a little over a year away from the clean mobility center being completed. The website also mentions that the Culver City hub will have a capacity of 64 bikes, have 24/7 access and will offer bike repair services. Sneak Peak: Metro getting its very first “Bike Hub” ready for grand opening at El Monte Station September 14LA Metro BikeHub Website
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Post by Gokhan on Aug 26, 2015 14:32:43 GMT -8
Note that the triangle and clean-mobility center are two separate projects. Clean-mobility center is just a small prefabricated structure that will be put under the bridge just west of the Culver City Station. That hasn't been planned yet.
However, they should finish the triangle -- or the eastern station plaza -- by the end of this year or so, as a contract has already been awarded to Skanska.
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Post by Alexis Kasperavičius on Oct 12, 2015 22:29:20 GMT -8
This exercise really makes LA politicians look petty and weird. Really, appending dead politician's names (or in this case, names of their wives) to the end of metro station names does what for whom, exactly? This is the 4th? This is now a thing, I believe. How many years before all of the stations have such embellishments? Expo Line station named in honor of Ethel BradleyLOS ANGELES — The Metro Expo/La Brea rail station was renamed Friday in honor of Ethel Bradley, the city’s longest-reigning first lady credited with inspiring black women to improve their social, educational and economic status. “We honor Mayor Tom Bradley’s legacy of improving transportation in Los Angeles by dedicating the Expo/La Brea Station to the memory of his beloved wife, Ethel Bradley,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said. “With her support, Mayor Bradley laid the foundation for the rail system we enjoy today — and that we continue to build on to expand options for tomorrow. Together, we can connect our communities and live up to the example that the Bradleys set for all of us.” The station will now be known as the Expo/La Brea/Ethel Bradley Station. The station serves the Metro Expo Line that runs between downtown Los Angeles and Culver City, and soon to Santa Monica. Tom Bradley was mayor from 1973 to 1993. Ethel and Tom Bradley were married in 1941. “As Los Angeles’ first African-American first lady, Ethel Bradley was a true inspiration, serving with courage, perseverance and elegance,” county Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said. “I am proud that we are honoring her legacy by dedicating this station in her name.” Ethel Bradley founded a women’s volunteer group known as Las Angelenas and co-founded the Black Women’s Forum, a nonprofit aimed at improving the social status of black women. She died in 2008 at age 89. Tom Bradley died in 1998. link
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Post by masonite on Oct 12, 2015 23:18:43 GMT -8
This exercise really makes LA politicians look petty and weird. Really, appending dead politician's names (or in this case, names of their wives) to the end of metro station names does what for whom, exactly? This is the 4th? This is now a thing, I believe. How many years before all of the stations have such embellishments? Expo Line station named in honor of Ethel BradleyLOS ANGELES — The Metro Expo/La Brea rail station was renamed Friday in honor of Ethel Bradley, the city’s longest-reigning first lady credited with inspiring black women to improve their social, educational and economic status. “We honor Mayor Tom Bradley’s legacy of improving transportation in Los Angeles by dedicating the Expo/La Brea Station to the memory of his beloved wife, Ethel Bradley,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said. “With her support, Mayor Bradley laid the foundation for the rail system we enjoy today — and that we continue to build on to expand options for tomorrow. Together, we can connect our communities and live up to the example that the Bradleys set for all of us.” The station will now be known as the Expo/La Brea/Ethel Bradley Station. The station serves the Metro Expo Line that runs between downtown Los Angeles and Culver City, and soon to Santa Monica. Tom Bradley was mayor from 1973 to 1993. Ethel and Tom Bradley were married in 1941. “As Los Angeles’ first African-American first lady, Ethel Bradley was a true inspiration, serving with courage, perseverance and elegance,” county Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said. “I am proud that we are honoring her legacy by dedicating this station in her name.” Ethel Bradley founded a women’s volunteer group known as Las Angelenas and co-founded the Black Women’s Forum, a nonprofit aimed at improving the social status of black women. She died in 2008 at age 89. Tom Bradley died in 1998. linkAll it is is a plaque somewhere in the station. They don't really name the station after her except on some official list. All sorts of stations have people attached to them now. It is a lot more than 4.
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Post by Gokhan on Dec 3, 2015 15:16:38 GMT -8
They've just started putting land marker sticks in the Culver City Station western plaza -- a good sign that its construction is imminent.
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Post by Alexis Kasperavičius on Dec 7, 2015 5:07:38 GMT -8
The locals seem to be noticing...
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Post by Gokhan on Dec 8, 2015 15:53:17 GMT -8
Long-overdue construction of the Culver City Station western plaza is taking place. They are apparently closing the eastern sidewalk on Robertson Blvd south of Venice Blvd -- I don't know how the Blue Bus and Culver City Bus terminals there will be accessed.
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Post by Gokhan on Dec 16, 2015 15:39:13 GMT -8
The construction of the Culver City Station western plaza is progressing fast. Grading seems to have been completed and they are pouring concrete for the curbs. They appear to be building a cul-de-sac. I expect it to be completed in a few weeks.
It's a pity that such a simple construction project was delayed for so many years. At least, it will be finished before Phase 2 opens.
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Post by Gokhan on Dec 17, 2015 14:18:06 GMT -8
The construction of the Culver City Station western plaza is progressing fast. Grading seems to have been completed and they are pouring concrete for the curbs. They appear to be building a cul-de-sac. I expect it to be completed in a few weeks. It's a pity that such a simple construction project was delayed for so many years. At least, it will be finished before Phase 2 opens. Current status:
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Post by Gokhan on Feb 25, 2016 16:09:26 GMT -8
Expo Line Culver City Station western plaza has made progress. The kiss-and-ride cul-de-sac is now paved with asphalt as you can see in the photo. The main access to the station, which is under and near the bridge (can't be seen in this picture) is cast in concrete. Public restrooms will be put under the bridge just to the east of the last column. Lighting poles and other furniture haven't been installed yet. It's a mystery what will go in the corner of Exposition, Venice, and Robertson Boulevards, still covered with dirt as seen in the photo. A funny side note on the kiss-and-ride cul-de-sac: A while ago I saw a man dropping a woman off at the Culver City Station. She was yelling at him really loud when she was getting out of the car and slammed the door shut very hard. So, kiss-and-ride is occasionally fight-and-ride but please don't do the latter.
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Post by bobdavis on Feb 25, 2016 18:15:03 GMT -8
Expo Line Culver City Station western plaza has made progress. The kiss-and-ride cul-de-sac is now paved with asphalt as you can see in the photo. The main access to the station, which is under and near the bridge (can't be seen in this picture) is cast in concrete. Public restrooms will be put under the bridge just to the east of the last column. Lighting poles and other furniture haven't been installed yet. It's a mystery what will go in the corner of Exposition, Venice, and Robertson Boulevards, still covered with dirt as seen in the photo. A funny side note on the kiss-and-ride cul-de-sac: A while ago I saw a man dropping a woman off at the Culver City Station. She was yelling at him really loud when she was getting out of the car and slammed the door shut very hard. So, kiss-and-ride is occasionally fight-and-ride but please don't do the latter. Ouch! Sounds like you could feel the negative energy from where you were standing. I certainly wouldn't want to be on the same street with that driver for a while. When I'm going out of town on Amtrak, I usually have my wife drop me off at the Gold Line Sierra Madre Villa station, so I can ride the train to Union Station. But we always part on much more cordial terms.
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Post by Gokhan on Feb 29, 2016 14:05:37 GMT -8
Culver City Station kiss-and-ride/fight-and-ride is now marked. It won't open until the construction is finished. I don't know why the curb is painted red. I would think it would be painted white. Perhaps they don't want the people to stand here even for a minute. Or, perhaps, it's for emergency vehicles only. They are now building a storm drain in the dirt area in the corner. Once that's done, they should cast concrete there. There could also be some landscaping. I don't know if they will set the public-restrooms structure under the bridge immediately or in the future.
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Post by jamesinclair on Mar 2, 2016 8:27:21 GMT -8
I am not a fan of that big yellow hatched area. Why not landscape it?
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 2, 2016 14:43:02 GMT -8
I am not a fan of that big yellow hatched area. Why not landscape it? Perhaps fire regulations? It turns out that they need to somehow connect the storm-drain intakes in that dirt area to some existing storm drain. This is what is holding up the construction at the moment.
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 7, 2016 15:45:08 GMT -8
Expo Authority has already built the Expo Greenway after all, with a rustic pond at the Culver City Station. Ducks will be provided later.
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Post by masonite on Mar 7, 2016 16:15:52 GMT -8
Expo Authority has already built the Expo Greenway after all, with a rustic pond at the Culver City Station. Ducks will be provided later. Remember when it first opened the entire Culver City parking lot looked much like that before they repaved it.
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Post by gatewaygent on Mar 7, 2016 17:40:56 GMT -8
Ha-ha, rustic pond! Well, at least the aquifers will get a chance to recharge.
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Post by johanragle on Mar 8, 2016 15:49:27 GMT -8
So... Metro has brought la cienega back to the La Cienega area?
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 10, 2016 15:07:31 GMT -8
Huge Expo Line Phase 1 milestone. Culver City Station Metro grand pylon finally goes in (after graffiti on it, thanks to lying down there without a protective cover for many years, having been cleaned as much as it can be). Hopefully Phase 1 will be completed before Phase 2 opens but I won't bet on it.
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Post by bobdavis on Mar 14, 2016 3:11:52 GMT -8
So... Metro has brought la cienega back to the La Cienega area? For any "gringos" out there who don't know Spanish, "cienega" means "swamp".
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 17, 2016 14:34:01 GMT -8
After yesterday afternoon's power-loss mess, I ended up walking from La Cienega to Culver City, as the bus bridge looked hopeless. And, wow, what a walk it was. The bike path is very pretty and there are a lot of gems along the way. The often-criticized bike path next to the retaining wall of the La Cienega Bridge ramp between the station and Ballona Creek is actually very pretty. I should have taken some pictures. Landscaping is nice and it's actually open on the south side (albeit a fence); so, you don't feel trapped like in the bike path north of Venice Blvd, which is enclosed between two walls. When I arrived at the Ballona Creek, I had to take a photo of the old at-grade bridge that was built in the 1930s when Ballona Creek was turned into a concrete canal. A wild flower right where I took the above photo: Some pictures of the bridge: Water looks pretty clear: This mated pair of ducks are waiting for them to finish the Culver City Station Pond 3/4 of a mile away (see the post above): I was shocked to find out that these sound walls were originally transparent but they later painted them white because of privacy concerns! I thought they had switched to some opaque material because of fire regulations. What a shame. It would be so much more beautiful if they didn't paint them. Look what is under the bridge near Washington Blvd next to the TPSS: Also not pictured, the newly finished and soon-to-be finished TODs along Washington are looking modern and great. This area used to be Laurel - Hardy (Hal Roach) Studios. Of course, they haven't even started the mega TOD in the station parking lot yet. I should say that I was really impressed by what Expo Line has brought to this area. I also get the feeling that Phase 2 has been built on the cheap side in comparison to Phase 1. Phase 1 had a dedicated chief architect (Roland Genick), who oversaw even the smallest details. Phase 2 seems to have been built without attention to aesthetics and detail.
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Post by gatewaygent on Mar 17, 2016 20:02:12 GMT -8
I also get the feeling that Phase 2 has been built on the cheap side in comparison to Phase 1. Phase 1 had a dedicated chief architect (Roland Genick), who oversaw even the smallest details. Phase 2 seems to have been built without attention to aesthetics and detail. That really isn't a bad thing. The locals can now come in and give it their personal touch(es) and make it their own.
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f ron
Full Member
Posts: 222
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Post by f ron on Mar 18, 2016 12:25:34 GMT -8
I also get the feeling that Phase 2 has been built on the cheap side in comparison to Phase 1. Phase 1 had a dedicated chief architect (Roland Genick), who oversaw even the smallest details. Phase 2 seems to have been built without attention to aesthetics and detail. That really isn't a bad thing. The locals can now come in and give it their personal touch(es) and make it their own. Oh, they already have. Plenty have made the bike path beneath the 405 their own slice of heaven --with more adding their personal touches every week it seems.
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 31, 2016 14:28:25 GMT -8
I don't think Phase 1 will be finished before Phase 2 opens. The pond is now dry. I don't know what they plan to do with it. The whole area is still fenced. There hasn't been any construction work in a long while.
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Post by johanragle on Mar 31, 2016 19:02:30 GMT -8
I don't think Phase 1 will be finished before Phase 2 opens. The pond is now dry. I don't know what they plan to do with it. The whole area is still fenced. There hasn't been any construction work in a long while. I'm pretty sure the "pond" isn't one. It looks like a small spreading basin - designed to collect storm runoff and replenish the local water table. As for the halt, your guess is as good as mine. Contractor disputes, plan reviews, who knows?
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Post by thanks4goingmetro on Apr 3, 2016 14:11:39 GMT -8
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Post by Gokhan on Apr 26, 2016 13:47:57 GMT -8
The pond has now become landscaping (or the lack of it). The storm water will drain and soak into it: I doubt they will finish Phase 1 before Phase 2 opens. All they have to do is to put some lighting poles but I don't know what is taking so long. Perhaps they are waiting to have the public restrooms manufactured and brought in.
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Post by Gokhan on Apr 26, 2016 15:02:30 GMT -8
Expo Authority says Skanska/Rados is waiting for the lighting hardware.
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