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Post by Gokhan on Apr 4, 2014 10:36:02 GMT -8
Circa 15 months before the opening. Venice Blvd Ramp as of yesterday evening, with walls being cast and the walkway foundation being prepared: Palms Station as of this morning:
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Post by thanks4goingmetro on Apr 4, 2014 18:20:08 GMT -8
It appeared this morning that Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc, was clearing the staging area at the Culver City Station. The area is now virtually clear and the construction of the "Clean Mobility Center", which no one knows what it is, should soon start. "The scope is to provide an approximately 1300-1400 square foot building at the Metro Exposition line Culver City Station. The building will be used for housing bike racks, a bike service station, an operator area, and restrooms." Source: Build Expo (2014)"The station will initially feature 10 bike racks and eight bike lockers, but a "Clean Mobility Center" (likely a facility featuring more bike space and possibly valet and showers) is in the works. It was delayed because "its location conflicted with the construction staging area for the Venice Boulevard Bridge, which is being built as part of Phase 2," Collins said. "However, the necessary provisions were made at the station site for the addition of the CMC in the future." After some work is done on the light rail bridge over Venice and Robertson Boulevards, work on the CMC can begin." Source: Curbed LA (2011)
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Post by Gokhan on Apr 4, 2014 22:36:13 GMT -8
The area is now virtually clear and the construction of the "Clean Mobility Center", which no one knows what it is, should soon start. "The station will initially feature 10 bike racks and eight bike lockers, but a "Clean Mobility Center" (likely a facility featuring more bike space and possibly valet and showers) is in the works. So, the "Clean" in the Clean Mobility Center is nothing but a pun -- a bike facility where bicyclists can take showers? Oh my, oh my...
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Post by Alexis Kasperavičius on Apr 4, 2014 23:22:39 GMT -8
They'll have to be careful it doesn't become a transient cleansing station—the legal hurdles may soon overwhelm them.
As soon as the first obviously itinerant person is rejected, a starry-eyed attorney will take on the operator with the argument that it's not up to the city to determine who can or cannot use a public facility. They'll win and it will become the go-to place for anyone needing a hot shower—the original purpose of washing sweaty bicyclists will no longer be fulfilled because it will be too busy and/or gross.
Unless this will be run by a private operator with a lease who can opt to reject customers for any reason? Something tells me no...
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Post by Gokhan on Apr 4, 2014 23:31:03 GMT -8
As a regular train rider, I'd like to see the homeless who also ride the train use the shower facility much more so than the bicyclists.
As Dale Gribble said in one of the King of the Hill episodes, "Here at Port-a-Gribble (referring to his portable-toilet service), we reserve the right to refuse service to no one. No shoes, no shirt, yes service!"
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Post by Gokhan on Apr 8, 2014 16:07:08 GMT -8
Venice Blvd Bridge has been finished and Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc, has cleared and left the area. As a result, Skanska/Rados JV has started rail-track installation on the bridge: As seen in the photo above, the first step is to drill holes along the drawn lines for concrete slabs for the direct-fixation rail.
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Post by jamesinclair on Apr 9, 2014 17:55:08 GMT -8
As a regular train rider, I'd like to see the homeless who also ride the train use the shower facility much more so than the bicyclists. Agreed. A major reason people choose not to use transit is due to the smell of the homeless. An effective way to address the problem would be by providing the homeless with free showers. Theres a cost, yes, but maybe the revenue of additional choice riders would more than cover it.
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Post by joshuanickel on Apr 9, 2014 18:07:00 GMT -8
The area is now virtually clear and the construction of the "Clean Mobility Center", which no one knows what it is, should soon start. "The scope is to provide an approximately 1300-1400 square foot building at the Metro Exposition line Culver City Station. The building will be used for housing bike racks, a bike service station, an operator area, and restrooms." Source: Build Expo (2014)"The station will initially feature 10 bike racks and eight bike lockers, but a "Clean Mobility Center" (likely a facility featuring more bike space and possibly valet and showers) is in the works. It was delayed because "its location conflicted with the construction staging area for the Venice Boulevard Bridge, which is being built as part of Phase 2," Collins said. "However, the necessary provisions were made at the station site for the addition of the CMC in the future." After some work is done on the light rail bridge over Venice and Robertson Boulevards, work on the CMC can begin." Source: Curbed LA (2011)No one submitted a bid to build the facility, so expo and metro have to figure out what to do next. From April 3 Board Presentation:
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Post by bobdavis on Apr 9, 2014 18:31:08 GMT -8
Regarding the "homeless" (or as my daughter called them when she worked for a northern California county, "residentially challenged") My mental jukebox cued up a song from the 1980s, when rail transit in LA County was something for historians, not passengers: Weird Al Yankovic's "Another One Rides the Bus"--"There's a smelly old bum standing next to me, hasn't showered in a year....."
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Post by Gokhan on Apr 10, 2014 9:47:29 GMT -8
From April 3 Board Presentation: Clean Mobility Center (CMC) • The Authority released a bid package to preselected bidders for construction of the CMC facility. Bids were scheduled to be opened on March 18, 2014, but no bids were received. Staff is meeting with Metro to determine next steps. ?? There are so many construction projects in LA that you can't even get a contractor anymore?
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Post by Gokhan on Apr 10, 2014 9:57:05 GMT -8
Another Expo milestone: This morning they were preparing to install the first Expo TPSS at Clarington Ave and National Blvd. Installation should start any time. If you are in the area, stop by and take some pictures.
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Post by Gokhan on Apr 12, 2014 2:03:57 GMT -8
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Post by Gokhan on Apr 14, 2014 14:14:32 GMT -8
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Post by tramfan on Apr 16, 2014 18:26:20 GMT -8
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Post by bzcat on Apr 21, 2014 11:43:51 GMT -8
The really BIG grade-crossing construction closure was just announced by Expo (PDF) - Lincoln at Colorado from April 21 to April 28. Hopefully no one will follow the Northbound Detour. Because if you do, you will run into a head-on collision when you turn right on Olympic from Lincoln Blvd. north of the 10. Does ANYONE with adequate knowledge proof read these notices? Looks like the graphic was fixed... at least the one on Metro's website. Not sure about Build Expo's website. Although I would definitely not follow the recommended detour if I was driving in that area. If going north bound, you should turn right on Pico and left on 11th. If going south bound... go ahead and shoot yourself Just kidding... Use 4th St and turn left on Pico.
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Post by darrell on Apr 21, 2014 12:31:02 GMT -8
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Post by rajacobs on Apr 22, 2014 12:53:21 GMT -8
...so last night we walked across the Bagley crossing.
Thought it interesting that now it's paved over with asphalt! No tracks, just asphalt. Would have thought metal plates or a lumpy ride would have continued for some time, or possibly rails ahead of schedule. ...For whatever reason, asphalt --without tracks-- was deemed a better bet for now. Guess the rail crossing won't be for awhile.
But it is nice to see that Exposition is being widened!
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Post by Alexis Kasperavičius on Apr 22, 2014 13:33:04 GMT -8
This is a time lapse video of construction of the expo shops:
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Post by darrell on Apr 22, 2014 22:36:55 GMT -8
This is a time lapse video of construction of the expo shops: Love it, Alexis! What's the ratio of real time to video time - or should I ask, how many still frames per actual minute / hour?
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Post by darrell on Apr 23, 2014 23:08:37 GMT -8
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Post by Gokhan on Apr 24, 2014 10:14:37 GMT -8
Slow but steady construction continues, hopefully all to be finished in just about a year. Then the question will be if they will open it with 12-minute headways and overcrowded trains in Fall 2015 or shorter headways in Spring 2016:
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Post by davebowman on Apr 25, 2014 9:45:32 GMT -8
There have been a lot of people working on the Olympic-Cloverfield bridge this week. Are they laying rail?
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Post by joshuanickel on Apr 25, 2014 15:14:16 GMT -8
There have been a lot of people working on the Olympic-Cloverfield bridge this week. Are they laying rail? They are working on installing the power and communication ductbank/fire sprinkler system and building the emergency walkway between the two tracks. You can see some of the early work from late last month in these photos: linklinklink
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Post by darrell on Apr 25, 2014 21:37:01 GMT -8
They now have photos posted of finishing the concrete on the embedded track and then pouring the adjacent concrete pavement; it'll be a couple of days before I can post them here.
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Post by darrell on Apr 29, 2014 13:29:56 GMT -8
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Post by joshuanickel on Apr 29, 2014 18:26:20 GMT -8
There are more crazy panoramas on the Facebook page. Anyone drive over it yet? I drove over it today. It is nice and smooth now that they repaved the whole thing. Before, it was horrible due to all of the trenches they dug to move utilities. They have closed off the left turns lanes going north and south as they have done on the other cross streets until construction is complete. On Colorado, the k-rails come right up to the intersection on either side of Lincoln now. The k-rails are now continuous between 17th street and 4th street except across the intersection of 9th street, though it is blocked off with cones and baracades and will most likely add k-rails there shortly.
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Post by Gokhan on Apr 29, 2014 21:23:48 GMT -8
I was at the Expo meeting in Palms / Cheviot Hills tonight. Most construction will be finished by the end of 2014. The line will be completed and handed over to Metro for prerevenue operations in April 2015.
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Post by Alexis Kasperavičius on Apr 29, 2014 23:34:32 GMT -8
This is a time lapse video of construction of the expo shops: Love it, Alexis! What's the ratio of real time to video time - or should I ask, how many still frames per actual minute / hour? Darrell, I don't know much about this video, I just found it on YouTube. This guy lives in this location so hopefully more videos will be coming soon especially once operations start. It should be ideal. Living in Berlin, Germany now, I have to find creative ways to get my Expo news fix!
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Post by LAofAnaheim on Apr 30, 2014 10:42:57 GMT -8
I was at the Expo meeting in Palms / Cheviot Hills tonight. Most construction will be finished by the end of 2014. The line will be completed and handed over to Metro for prerevenue operations in April 2015. What was the attitude like at the meeting? I know it has been hostile in the past in Cheviot Hills. Was it acceptance at this point?
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Post by RMoses on Apr 30, 2014 12:11:57 GMT -8
I was at the Expo meeting in Palms / Cheviot Hills tonight. Most construction will be finished by the end of 2014. The line will be completed and handed over to Metro for prerevenue operations in April 2015. ----------------------------------------- Space Reserved for April 2015 -----------------------------------------
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