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Post by Gokhan on Feb 19, 2015 13:43:24 GMT -8
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Post by John Ryan on Feb 19, 2015 14:22:02 GMT -8
From Hello Expo Facebook page: "From two Metro Sources with the Expo-2 Start up program, The first testing using a Light Rail Car has been changed from March 2nd to April 6th due to project delays by the contractor."
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Post by Gokhan on Feb 19, 2015 14:59:16 GMT -8
Yup, and they still claim there are no delays...
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Post by Gokhan on Feb 21, 2015 10:30:46 GMT -8
Bagley Ave crossing is almost complete but the signals are still masked: Looking west from Durango Avenue along Exposition Blvd (at the northwestern corner of the Albertsons shopping mall), showing the new curb (that Expo Authority is trying to have the city pay for) and bike & pedestrian multiuse path. You can see that the corner of the street is extended inside (area with gravel) to allow more space for the cars when turning at the curve:
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Post by Gokhan on Feb 24, 2015 11:37:28 GMT -8
MK IV ballast tamper in Palms: Cleanup and and fence tear-down by the freeway in Palms for new fence installation:
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Post by darrell on Feb 26, 2015 13:37:55 GMT -8
New photos from yesterday afternoon ... Passing the Bergamot station on Olympic The maintenance facility from Stewart looking east toward the Centinela bridge And from Exposition Blvd. on the south Finally the latest from the roof of Bed Bath and Beyond toward Bundy and Barrington
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Post by darrell on Feb 27, 2015 14:37:15 GMT -8
A few more recent photos -- on January 27th I came upon this eucalyptus trunk being cut up on Northvale just north of the pedestrian bridge. One of two trees that have appeared dead, from the looks of its roots it must have fallen over. See the gap on the right where the tree was. And looking south, with the vividly green winter grass. For historic contrast, here are similar views from 2/7/08 -- seven years ago.
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Post by darrell on Feb 28, 2015 19:14:47 GMT -8
I finally updated friends4expo.org with my recent photos of the Cheviot, West L.A., and Santa Monica right-of-way sections first posted here. Dwight also uploading this week's Expo progress pictures of the Santa Monica section from the maintenance facility to the terminus station by Edgar Burcksen at www.ipernity.com/doc/expo-line .
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 3, 2015 14:18:53 GMT -8
Tree downed during the storm at Bagley Avenue:
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Post by RMoses on Mar 7, 2015 10:24:38 GMT -8
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Post by joshuanickel on Mar 7, 2015 21:10:29 GMT -8
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 9, 2015 11:59:13 GMT -8
There is no such thing as continuous track. Signal blocks are insulated by gaps and insulating fillings on the tracks.
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 9, 2015 12:02:17 GMT -8
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Post by bzcat on Mar 9, 2015 14:16:56 GMT -8
BMX path... lol
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Post by johanragle on Mar 9, 2015 16:21:21 GMT -8
It needs to be a little higher, so that riders can use the ramp to jump over the overhead catenary and cross the tracks that way.
Look ma! Grade-separated BMX crossing!
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 10, 2015 10:22:21 GMT -8
It appears that they are building a BMX path on the north side of the tracks between Canfield Ave and Durango Ave in Palms: Apart from its obvious possible use as a BMX path, I wonder if this hump is being built to prevent the trees on the slope from falling onto the tracks.
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f ron
Full Member
Posts: 222
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Post by f ron on Mar 10, 2015 12:14:35 GMT -8
It appears that they are building a BMX path on the north side of the tracks between Canfield Ave and Durango Ave in Palms: Apart from its obvious possible use as a BMX path, I wonder if this hump is being built to prevent the trees on the slope from falling onto the tracks. It appears as though the eucalyptus in the foreground has died so they may wish to see to it before that actually happens. A rather tall eucalyptus behind our property died when the trench was widened. Their root systems go far and wide and if disrupted in a major way --say, through heavy machinery excavation-- it will lead to the tree's death. There are more than a couple of these looming husks at track side now. Only a matter of time before they topple.
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 11, 2015 10:50:59 GMT -8
Hoping that my 5000th post won't blow up the board, here is a photo from yesterday showing that the track signals (two vertical red lights in this pic) were turned on yesterday. The signal that can be seen is for Track #3 (southern track). Track #4 signal is hidden in the view:
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 12, 2015 11:57:56 GMT -8
Major street work along Exposition Blvd in Palms:
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Post by davebowman on Mar 13, 2015 9:29:25 GMT -8
Sorry no pictures, but the wavy things are finally being installed at Bergamot Station.
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Post by thanks4goingmetro on Mar 13, 2015 11:44:07 GMT -8
Railway tracks completed to traffic imprisoned West Los Angeles and its done unceremoniously when compared to the hoopla over the 405 freeway expansion or even the so-gracious Foothill communities' party over complete track installation.
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Post by bobdavis on Mar 13, 2015 17:00:32 GMT -8
Railway tracks completed to traffic imprisoned West Los Angeles and its done unceremoniously when compared to the hoopla over the 405 freeway expansion or even the so-gracious Foothill communities' party over complete track installation. Looks like we San Gabriel Valley folks know how to celebrate! Perhaps the Expo crew (Exponents?)can borrow our silver hammer and do a "last track clip" ceremony when they have a chance.
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Post by johanragle on Mar 17, 2015 10:11:59 GMT -8
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 17, 2015 10:42:32 GMT -8
Good info. It looks like Gold Line is ahead of schedule and Expo Line is way behind schedule.
Gold Line system-integration testing: October 2014 - September 2015 Expo Line system-integration testing: April 2015 - March 2016
This means Gold Line can start prerevenue and open as early as in October 2015 (if they wanted to) but Expo Line can't open until April 2016 in earliest! It looks like Expo Line is delayed as much as 8 months.
The document also says that Expo Line may open with 12-minute headways. So, the opening of the Expo Line has been delayed thanks to contractor delays, not the delivery of the new cars.
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Post by culvercitylocke on Mar 17, 2015 11:29:14 GMT -8
Once Skanska got the purple line contract, expo began to fall behind schedule. I'm guessing they moved their best administrative and logistics staff to that project.
Very excited they plan on 12 min head ways for initial service until train delivery can be met. Very sensible of them and avoids the political nightmare of letting a finished line sit idle so it can open at maximum service.
I think they're way of base on projecting weekend demand for expo though, In good weather the line will see very high ridership on the weekends, it's sort of bizarre they're saying 7.5 min head ways for final gold line weekend service, but 12 min head ways for final expo weekend service
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 17, 2015 11:52:15 GMT -8
Once Skanska got the purple line contract, expo began to fall behind schedule. I'm guessing they moved their best administrative and logistics staff to that project. expolinefan has verified that many of his contacts have changed their e-mail addresses from @skanska.com to @rccjv.com. I guess Skanska could easily afford a couple of millions of dollars of delay-responsibility payment, especially given that how much they jacked up the prices on the later contract additions such as the bike path.
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Post by Philip on Mar 17, 2015 12:06:32 GMT -8
The 12-minute headway is no surpise; no way Metro could have attempted 5-minute headways when Expo is still struggling to make its trip in 26 minutes.
In other news, check out this photo I put on Twitter (it's too large to share here) -
Quite a difference in a year and a half!
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Post by culvercitylocke on Mar 17, 2015 14:43:40 GMT -8
Once Skanska got the purple line contract, expo began to fall behind schedule. I'm guessing they moved their best administrative and logistics staff to that project. expolinefan has verified that many of his contacts have changed their e-mail addresses from @skanska.com to @rccjv.com. I guess Skanska could easily afford a couple of millions of dollars of delay-responsibility payment, especially given that how much they jacked up the prices on the later contract additions such as the bike path. Are they actually behind or just reverting to schedule? Perhaps metro promised them the purple line contract in exchange for not finishing ahead of schedule and making metro look bad with having no trains to run on the line?
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Post by masonite on Mar 17, 2015 15:28:06 GMT -8
expolinefan has verified that many of his contacts have changed their e-mail addresses from @skanska.com to @rccjv.com. I guess Skanska could easily afford a couple of millions of dollars of delay-responsibility payment, especially given that how much they jacked up the prices on the later contract additions such as the bike path. Are they actually behind or just reverting to schedule? Perhaps metro promised them the purple line contract in exchange for not finishing ahead of schedule and making metro look bad with having no trains to run on the line? Expo is not being built by Metro. The Expo Line Authority is in charge and will hand over to Metro once the line is substantially completed. These conspiracy theories are nice to talk about but really have nothing factual behind them. The fact is that these projects get pretty complicated when you are talking over $1B in construction and there can be a multitude of reasons why things fall behind. Skanska has won some other business and probably did take some people off and onto other projects, which I am sure hurt the schedule, but they will have to pay penalties for not completing on time per the terms of the contract. Really doubt that anyone wants to put on their resume that their projects were behind schedule whether you work for Skanska or the Expo Authority. The MSE wall in West LA was a pretty major delay too. The car issue has been overblown. There were always a few ways around that. The last 20% of a project is almost always the toughest to finish.
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 17, 2015 15:28:06 GMT -8
We should here Skanska's version of how on-schedule they are or not in the April board meeting, as they are required to give the completion date when they reach 90% completion. Contract date for handover to Metro is July 10, 2015.
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