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Post by wad on Aug 11, 2010 4:56:04 GMT -8
A bottle of Expo Lite pleeze... Is that anything like the Belfast Springs apple soda for the Gold Line opening?
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Post by darrell on Aug 12, 2010 16:52:57 GMT -8
This drilling rig was operating this morning on Delaware Ave., one block south of the Verizon maintenance site. The company name on the truck cab is "GREGG". Testing soil or groundwater contamination for Expo phase 2?
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Post by Gokhan on Aug 12, 2010 20:38:58 GMT -8
This drilling rig was operating this morning on Delaware Ave., one block south of the Verizon maintenance site. The company name on the truck cab is "GREGG". Testing soil or groundwater contamination for Expo phase 2? Hmm, surprising given that the environmental study has long been completed. Perhaps this is some utility work unrelated to Expo. I know Expo is doing soil sampling at the sites of the Phase 2 bridge foundations (through Leighton Consulting, Inc.) but this is not one of those.
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Post by Gokhan on Aug 13, 2010 20:09:34 GMT -8
I saw this evening that the station area between Colorado, 4th, I-10 off ramp, and 5th is now completely graded. Santa Monica is more than ready for Phase 2.
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Post by Alexis Kasperavičius on Aug 14, 2010 22:55:27 GMT -8
I was poking around looking for video on Expo and found the full frame simulation of the Expo line through Palms/Rancho Park. I think this is what was used at various presentations by Expo, but I had never seen it this clearly or linked anywhere. Good for reference and it's fun because it covers some of the same ground as the time lapse film made a few weeks ago. vimeo.com/7149263
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Post by Gokhan on Aug 15, 2010 0:48:35 GMT -8
This is great, Alex, thanks. I'm guessing it's from the preliminary engineering currently being carried out. It's showing the Overland, Westwood, and Military crossings, including the Exposition/Westwood Station just east of Westwood Boulevard. Note that both the parking and no-parking options for the station are shown. Also note the sound walls and bike and pedestrian paths and crossings, design of the crossing gates, turning lanes, etc.
Since the performance of the video on this side was so poor, I've now uploaded it on YouTube. Enjoy!
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Post by rajacobs on Aug 15, 2010 7:53:47 GMT -8
I was really hoping that such high sound walls could be avoided. They substantiate the accusation that track comletion splits the neighborhood in half. I was hoping that earthen berms and some see-through plastic might be the order of the day to provide sound insulation.
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Post by jeisenbe on Aug 15, 2010 12:09:04 GMT -8
I don't see why sound walls are necessary along the Expo phase 2 right of way. The 405 freeway is nearby and even with sound walls will be much noisier than electric trains going at most 55 mph. There are no sound walls along Venice Blvd or Sepulveda to shield the sidewalks and apartments from traffic noise, even though cars on those routes are often speeding at 55 mph in the evening and early morning. There are no sound walls next to the Blue Line, or most of the Gold line. Why not spend the money on sound walls for Green Line stations in the middle of the freeway? Those would be much appreciated!
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Post by darrell on Aug 15, 2010 12:49:29 GMT -8
You're right about the high ambient noise from two freeways and major boulevards in this neighborhood!
One reason for soundwalls between Westwood and Military is that a track crossover is planned there, to mitigate additional sound from train wheels crossing rail gaps at its switch points and frogs.
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Post by jeisenbe on Aug 15, 2010 13:40:55 GMT -8
One reason for soundwalls between Westwood and Military is that a track crossover is planned there, to mitigate additional sound from train wheels crossing rail gaps at its switch points and frogs. Okay, that's more justifiable.
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Post by tobias087 on Aug 15, 2010 23:01:18 GMT -8
Won't it only make extra noise when the crossover is being used? And shouldn't that be not very often?
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Post by rajacobs on Aug 15, 2010 23:18:47 GMT -8
Let's imagine living somewhere on the ROW between Overland and Military. More than anything, I'd want a neighborhood! No, I don't want high levels of train noise, though some "lower" level would probably be OK (assuming I haven't been overly swayed by NFSR thinking).
Let's start with earthen berms so at least I can see the trains that will become part and parcel of my neghborhood and so I can see the other side of my neighborhood!
Sound mitigation is a wonderful thing but it's value has to be placed alongside other values and the possible ill effects it can have. Heck, if I lived alongside the ROW west of Overland, if Expo insisted on building sound walls as depicted in the animated piece, I wouldn't be very happy because the sound wall would be removing the open space visual that feels so good there. This is a sure to rile the community there even further. Somebody's got to do some rethinking here ...and some redesign.
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Post by jamesinclair on Aug 16, 2010 14:18:13 GMT -8
I agree, there shouldnt be sound walls, but if there MUST be, they should be plexiglass.
A green sound wall.....like a row of pines, would be best.
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Post by LAofAnaheim on Aug 16, 2010 14:31:36 GMT -8
Will Farmdale station be the only Metro rail station without any bus connections?
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Post by Gokhan on Aug 16, 2010 15:21:10 GMT -8
Will Farmdale station be the only Metro rail station without any bus connections? 38 bus stops at Farmdale in addition to La Brea. But Farmdale is much easier to access than the 30-ft-high La Brea Station because it has no stairs. This will primarily be a walk station. I'm guessing it will have a decent ridership because in this area there are many people without cars who walk to get around. Expo Park/USC Station will also primarily be a walk station.
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Post by Gokhan on Aug 16, 2010 15:23:50 GMT -8
Regarding sound walls, they are somewhat unnecessary here given the large width of the right-of-way, hence the long distance from the trains, but I think 6-ft-high sound walls are OK.
They should also build the Overland School visual-block walls next to the school but not next to the train.
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Post by metrocenter on Aug 16, 2010 16:42:21 GMT -8
I also think Metro shouldn't default to giant ugly soundwalls. If there's a more aesthetically-pleasing alternative, I hope Metro will strongly consider it. Even walls that are only six-foot tall could have a very negative impact on the look-and-feel of the neighborhood.
At the same time, look at the position Metro is in. The anti-Expo people have made potential noise one of their key arguments against the line. At the same time, these people are pursuing an all-or-nothing stance, and thus are not working with Metro on design issues. So Metro is kind of in a corner where if anything it is going to err on the side of sound mitigation, even if it may turn out to be excessive.
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Post by erict on Aug 16, 2010 16:53:26 GMT -8
I think that the sound walls on the train lines we have are necessary and not terribly ugly compared to other sound walls I have seen. It would be better without them, but then there would be more sound. There will be landscaping and a bike path in addition on most of the Expo line.
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Post by bobdavis on Aug 16, 2010 22:58:37 GMT -8
When I was a wee lad, we had a Pacific Electric line on the other side of a rather rickety fence going by our house. This had heavy steel interurban cars on worn-out jointed rail. Add a daily freight train with what my mother called the "square-wheeled caboose" and you have a situation that makes modern light rail line seem like a rustic meadow (with horns sounding instead of cows mooing). To sum it up: Kwityerbellyaching!
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Post by Gokhan on Sept 20, 2010 11:01:38 GMT -8
The special Expo board meeting was a big party today. There were a hundred or more public speakers (unions, construction workers) talking about the Phase 2 jobs policy. Some of them were supporting and some were asking for changes.
At the end the Phase 2 job policy passed after one hour of public comments and two hours of discussion. Applauses are still taking place in the room. There will be 30% local hirings and 10% hirings of underprivileged workers.
There were several amendments to the original staff motion. In particular Mark Ridley-Thomas asked for quite a bit more extra bureaucracy as usual but I believe it was only partly implemented, not compromising the efficiency of the project.
This was an important milestone for Phase 2 construction. Given the employment policy, we're now approaching to the pricing of the project by the two teams of contractors.
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Post by metrocenter on Sept 22, 2010 7:47:24 GMT -8
Back in March, the bidders for this contract were narrowed down to Skanska/Rados and URS/Shimmick. I seem to remember bids for the Phase 2 design-build contract were due in September, and Expo was planning to choose a contractor in October.
Is this correct? Gokhan or Darrell, you probably know the answer to this.
Hopefully selection of the bid isn't going to wait for the legal proceedings in December.
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Post by Gokhan on Sept 22, 2010 9:10:21 GMT -8
Back in March, the bidders for this contract were narrowed down to Skanska/Rados and URS/Shimmick. I seem to remember bids for the Phase 2 design-build contract were due in September, and Expo was planning to choose a contractor in October. Is this correct? Gokhan or Darrell, you probably know the answer to this. Hopefully selection of the bid isn't going to wait for the legal proceedings in December. CEO Rick Thorpe made it clear in the Greg Mantell video posted here a few posts ago in this thread that they are going ahead full speed with Phase 2 and the NFSR lawsuit will not affect the way it's going it. Regarding the date I believe currently they are aiming for a November bid. (September was an earlier date -- I don't remember why it got extended for another couple of months.) The selection will therefore happen in December or so. Note that the recent Phase 2 jobs policy was an important step in coming up with a bid. The next thing is the PLA (project labor agreement) I think but this might also take place after the bid. Regarding the lawsuit again, the trial is on December 14 and it's expected to be dismissed after the trial by the end of the year or in January. Therefore, there won't be a lawsuit by the time the construction starts.
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Post by Gokhan on Sept 22, 2010 19:31:35 GMT -8
Expo Phase 2 meeting organized by Neighbors for Smart Rail and the Westside Neighborhood Council
There will be an Expo Phase 2 progress meeting tomorrow (Thursday, September 23) at 6 PM in the Westside Pavilion Community Meeting Room A by the food-court restrooms (on the top floor). Monica Born, Expo Phase 2 Project Manager, will give a presentation and receive questions.
Try to attend this meeting as there will be a lot of NFSR opposition people. Also, arrive early, as the capacity of the room is small. The Westside Pavilion, located on Pico Boulevard between Overland Avenue and Westwood Boulevard, is served well by public transportation; therefore, it should be easy to get there.
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Post by metrocenter on Sept 23, 2010 13:59:33 GMT -8
For those not in the know: tonight's meeting (which I will try to get to from Monrovia) is being presented by the Westside Neighborhood Council ( website). WNC has a committee called the " Aqua Line Ad Hoc Committee" ( website), which has officially taken a neutral stance on the Expo/Aqua Line: Few projects will have a more significant impact on the WNC area than proposed light rail routes. The WNC Ad-Hoc Expo Committee, chaired by Mike Eveloff, will independently gather data on traffic, ridership/ demographics, noise vibration, parking, and economics related to the Light Rail Expo extension. The committee will consolidate the data and report to the Governing Board. The committee will not make a recommendation on a proposed route, but will instead be focused on providing information on the impacts on the WNC area to the full WNC board and others so that they can make an informed decision. The WNC board has worked with Expo, and has also communicated concerns to Expo on behalf of its constituents (including Terri Tippit and NFSR). Info about tonight's meeting is here. NFSR has pulled out of the second meeting, citing advice from counsel due to the pending litigation. The purpose of tonight's meeting is for the WNC to talk about impacts and possible mitigations. As Gokhan says, it is likely that individual members of NFSR will be there to try and stir things up.
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Post by bzcat on Sept 23, 2010 15:13:34 GMT -8
Drive by the ROW on Olympic Blvd in Santa Monica today... keep visualizing what it would look like with train tracks and station at 26th St. Can't wait for Expo to reach Santa Monica!
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Post by Gokhan on Sept 23, 2010 22:09:49 GMT -8
For those not in the know: tonight's meeting (which I will try to get to from Monrovia) is being presented by the Westside Neighborhood Council ( website). WNC has a committee called the " Aqua Line Ad Hoc Committee" ( website), which has officially taken a neutral stance on the Expo/Aqua Line: Few projects will have a more significant impact on the WNC area than proposed light rail routes. The WNC Ad-Hoc Expo Committee, chaired by Mike Eveloff, will independently gather data on traffic, ridership/ demographics, noise vibration, parking, and economics related to the Light Rail Expo extension. The committee will consolidate the data and report to the Governing Board. The committee will not make a recommendation on a proposed route, but will instead be focused on providing information on the impacts on the WNC area to the full WNC board and others so that they can make an informed decision. The WNC board has worked with Expo, and has also communicated concerns to Expo on behalf of its constituents (including Terri Tippit and NFSR). Info about tonight's meeting is here. NFSR has pulled out of the second meeting, citing advice from counsel due to the pending litigation. The purpose of tonight's meeting is for the WNC to talk about impacts and possible mitigations. As Gokhan says, it is likely that individual members of NFSR will be there to try and stir things up. Mike Eveloff preferred the name Aqua Line because he wanted the line to be on Venice Boulevard and the name Expo implies the Exposition right-of-way. So, that was a strategic move by him to call the line Aqua Line instead of the Expo Line. He is still one of the leaders of the NFSR (and he is still the president of Tract 7260 [north of Pico]) but I believe what you quoted is from the past, from the days the route was being selected. I didn't see you at the meeting. I will mention a few points I found interesting at the next post.
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Post by Gokhan on Sept 23, 2010 22:37:23 GMT -8
Expo Phase 2 official revenue start date now set in early 2015!
Yes, guys, you heard it right. There was a lot of discussion of this on this board, mentioning of memos by Metro pointing to opening dates in 2016 or even 2017. But tonight, at the WNC meeting, Expo officially announced that they are aiming for an early-2015 revenue-operations start.
The bids by the two competing teams will be announced at the December Expo board meeting. The winning team will be announced at the February 2011 board meeting. Notice to proceed will be issued in March and that's when the final design and utility relocation will start.
It was said that the main risk for delay for the project would be third parties, such as the City or utility companies, not timely assigning permits or doing the necessary work.
Venice bridge will be a separate contract, not part of the contract that will be made with one of the two competing teams. It's a possibility that Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc, who are building the bridge east of Venice, will also build the bridge west of Venice. The construction of this bridge could start in a few months.
The bike and pedestrian path will also be a separate contract as well but it will be jointly coordinated with the LRT contract.
There was a lot of detailed discussion of the grade crossings, how much delay there will be, how the lights will be synchronized, how the queue cutters will work, etc. (The queue cutter at Overland is electromagnetic loops in the ground detecting cars and connected to a traffic signal at the pedestrian crossing north of the tracks, cutting the queue so that the cars don't back up to the tracks).
Under the no-parking option, the tracks will be shifted to the south side of the 200-ft-wide right-of-way between Overland and Westwood and the 100-ft-wide area north of the tracks will be left as vacant land for whoever wants to build a park there in the future.
Because of the new relocation of the tracks (such as in the no-parking option), the contractor will restudy the sound impacts when they're doing the final design.
Partial opening of Phase 2 (such as to Palms) is not a possibility. Testing was said to be very expensive and not worth for a mile-long segment. In addition the EIR didn't study phased openings. Last but not least, there are concerns that partial openings will delay the final opening to Santa Monica.
Virtually no one showed up from NFSR, certainly none of their leaders. Apparently their lawyers advised them not to interact with the Expo Authority.
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Post by metrocenter on Sept 24, 2010 8:04:58 GMT -8
Thanks for the report Gokhan, that's all excellent news. (No, I didn't make it. Unfortunately, between work and traffic, I wouldn't have been there until 7:30.) This is exciting: Expo Phase 2 and Gold Foothill Phase 2A will both have contractors selected this winter (February and January, respectively) and will both begin construction later in the year. Plus Expo Phase 1 will be wrapping up. Metro Rail is really moving forward now! But tonight, at the WNC meeting, Expo officially announced that they are aiming for an early-2015 revenue-operations start. I want to believe this. So I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that nobody (utilities, contractors, NIMBYs) causes any delays. Venice bridge will be a separate contract, not part of the contract that will be made with one of the two competing teams. It's a possibility that Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc, who are building the bridge east of Venice, will also build the bridge west of Venice. The construction of this bridge could start in a few months. Has Expo issued an RFP for this contract? The bike and pedestrian path will also be a separate contract as well but it will be jointly coordinated with the LRT contract. The bike path is very important, and I hope the various obstacles (narrow freeway underpass, Agensys development in Santa Monica, narrow trench in Rancho Park) can be overcome to make this happen. Under the no-parking option, the tracks will be shifted to the south side of the 200-ft-wide right-of-way between Overland and Westwood and the 100-ft-wide area north of the tracks will be left as vacant land for whoever wants to build a park there in the future. Because of the new relocation of the tracks (such as in the no-parking option), the contractor will restudy the sound impacts when they're doing the final design. Will this require a Supplemental EIR? Or are the impacts considered de minimis? Virtually no one showed up from NFSR, certainly none of their leaders. Apparently their lawyers advised them not to interact with the Expo Authority. Ha ha. I'm sure one of them was there to record the whole event for the rest of them.
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Post by Gokhan on Sept 24, 2010 9:03:51 GMT -8
No, not yet. My understanding is that there may not be an RFP and Balfour Beatty Infrastructure could be given an option to extend the Venice/Robertson aerial structure across Venice Blvd.
Being only 25.0-ft-wide, there is no space inside the Palms Overhead box structure for the bike path. In comparison the USC trench is 29.9-ft-wide and there is no bike path. The USC trench has walkways on the sides and a generous clearance in the middle. The Palms Overhead box structure will only have a walkway in the middle and minimal clearances on the sides.
It's true that the Northvale trench is narrow too. There will be some height of retaining walls and the bike path would be sitting above the tracks on the northeast side on a platform inside the trench.
There will not be a supplemental EIR. I don't believe there will be any major impacts. One side would get a little bit less sound as the tracks will move further away. (It would be great if they reduced the height of or eliminated the sound wall on that side.) The other side will get a little bit more sound, but the planned 6-ft-high sound walls are sufficient to suppress sounds much higher than already documented in the EIR; so, a slight increase in dBA will not be a problem. It's only a way of verifying that they are complying with the EIR during the final design and construction.
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Post by metrocenter on Sept 30, 2010 14:17:28 GMT -8
Cross-posted in: Expo Phase 1, Expo Phase 2, Foothill Gold, Regional Connector, Purple Line/Westside SubwayKey transit project meetings in October
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