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Post by jdrcrasher on Apr 10, 2010 20:55:00 GMT -8
Basically, a link connecting the Little Tokyo and Washington stations. The huge benefit for this is that it would lessen the strain on the first Regional Connector by letting the Blue Line bypass South Park and the Financial District, and head straight to Union Station. Ultimately, this opens the opportunity for yet another LRT line through Downtown. This is basically what I'm thinking of: maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=115659391565603628794.000483ee5021cfb506ca0&ll=34.027139,-118.238849&spn=0.001507,0.002781&t=k&z=19 NOTE: Look at the 10 freeway between Long Beach and Alameda; I believe this could be an old ROW. Even better, go to street view and go on 15 st under the Alameda on and off ramps. It appears this line would have enough room to move under the freeway. |
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Post by erict on Apr 11, 2010 9:51:59 GMT -8
This RC-II is a solution that has have mentioned before, and it is a great idea. Would you envision the RC-II running in the street with traffic, or underground? In Little Tokyo the RC-II will need to travel underground and seamlessly connect with DTC-I, or else there will be a transfer. Everyone hates a transfer. I wonder if Metro is considering this as they plan for the current Regional Connector?
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Post by LAofAnaheim on Apr 11, 2010 10:47:55 GMT -8
What stops would you envision between Little Tokyo and Washington station for RC II?
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Post by jeisenbe on Apr 11, 2010 13:49:55 GMT -8
Erict, you could theoretically have this line head straight up Alameda at grade or above-grade. The current Gold Line will continue to operate while the Regional Connector is built under all three alternatives, and the tracks may remain in place at grade. However, Little Tokyo may not be any more enthusiastic about an elevated or at-grade rail line crossing 2nd street in the future. It would be difficult to connect to the subway portion of the Regional Connector (I) after it is built. An alternative would be to tunnel straight north under Union Station, below the Red Line tunnel, or to tunnel until 1st street and transition to an elevated bridge over the freeway, to meet up with the current Gold Line / Metrolink level of Union Station. Both of these would be expensive and somewhat difficult to construct, with the deep subway station being particularly challenging.
Both Metrolink and CHSRA are planning to build elevated run-thru tracks from Union Station, south-east toward the tracks along the LA river west bank, as we have discussed here previously. But there would not be room enough for light rail on either of those pairs of tracks.
Downtown's representative has also suggested using the Red Line maintenance yard tracks to provide a cheap "subway" extension potentially as far south as 6th and Santa Fe, although this would not be as centrally located as a station on Alameda. In the short term it may encourage more residential and commercial development in the Arts District, which might someday increase demand for a Regional Connector Part II
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Post by jdrcrasher on Apr 11, 2010 21:03:24 GMT -8
This RC-II is a solution that has have mentioned before, and it is a great idea. Would you envision the RC-II running in the street with traffic, or underground? Yeah, I wouldn't expect it to be at-grade the whole way; it would probably be underground before the first station. I would think so, because the Blue Line ROW will be pretty crowded once Aqua's (Expo) up and running. What stops would you envision between Little Tokyo and Washington station for RC II? Maybe 3 stations: Alameda/Olympic, Alameda/7th (what i prefer) OR Alameda/6th, and Alameda/4th. |
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