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Post by bobdavis on Oct 26, 2012 19:26:39 GMT -8
Some people seem to think that all USC students get a new BMW when the graduate from high school. Trains are grudgingly accepted, but "buses are for poor people." (my older daughter was a USC student 30 years ago, but her car was a 1971 Plymouth)
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Post by Alexis Kasperavičius on Nov 4, 2012 15:24:25 GMT -8
Man found dead on Expo Line tracks in Culver CityLos Angeles County officials were investigating the death of a man found on the Expo Line tracks in Culver City early Sunday. Firefighters were called to the line's Culver City station just before 1:30 a.m. and pronounced the man dead at the scene, said Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Andrew Bedogne. The sheriff's Transit Services Bureau was also called to the station to begin an investigation. Bedogne said the incident was initially being treated as an accidental death and investigators were waiting for more information from the coroner's department. The coroner's department declined to release the man's name, pending notification of next of kin. Train service was not interrupted, Bedogne said. (Link)
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Post by timquinn on Nov 4, 2012 18:35:50 GMT -8
better point out that the man was not struck by a train or electrocuted. It appears he fell from the platform. Official word pending.
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Post by Gokhan on Nov 5, 2012 9:39:27 GMT -8
My guess is that the poor guy was drunk and walked off the platform and hit his head when he fell down. The platform is 3-1/4-ft-high from the top of the rail and the top of the rail is more than a-foot-high from the bridge surface. Therefore, you're looking at about a 5-ft fall onto concrete, more than enough to cause death by head trauma if you are elderly, drunk, or unconscious.
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Post by Alexis Kasperavičius on Nov 5, 2012 23:56:11 GMT -8
Plans are Underway to Repave Culver City's Expo Line Parking LotThanks to Culver City Times member Steven Ng for pointing out that the Exposition Construction Authority has originated an 'Invitation for Bids' for a contractor to repave the parking lot for the Culver City Station. The bid due date is November 28, and the estimated date when the selected contractor receive a notice to proceed is January 10. Maybe not in time for the first good rain of the season, but at least relief is on its way!
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Post by Gokhan on Nov 15, 2012 16:42:52 GMT -8
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andop2
Junior Member
Posts: 70
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Post by andop2 on Dec 19, 2012 9:30:21 GMT -8
It's nice to see some support from the Automobile Club....
L.A. by Light Rail Park the car for a walking exploration of the city’s surprising—and sometimes hidden—cultural riches By Rachel B. Levin Westways January/February 2013
It’s been 60 years since the last Red Car ran from downtown Los Angeles to the Westside. But with the opening of the Expo Line in April 2012, municipal rail travel between the two areas is possible once again. By 2015, the line is scheduled to extend all the way to Santa Monica, but in the meantime, there’s plenty to explore on the way to its current terminus in Culver City.
Seventh Street/Metro Center Seventh Street has emerged as downtown’s “Restaurant Row,” with stylish eateries like Bottega Louie 1. Start the day with a hearty breakfast or grab one of the gorgeous pastries to go. 700 S. Grand Avenue. 1-213-802-1470.
Pico With Staples Center and L.A. Live nearby, this stop is a sports and entertainment hub. The Grammy Museum2 and its interactive exhibits will thrill music lovers. 800 W. Olympic Boulevard. 1-213-765-6800. Sports fans can gear up with an encyclopedic collection of caps from teams across the country at Colors 3. 606 W. Pico Boulevard. 1-213-663-1480.
23rd Street Three 1920s historic-cultural buildings—the St. Vincent de Paul Church 4, St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral 5, and the Automobile Club of Southern California headquarters 6, distinctive for its Spanish Colonial architecture—are near the intersection of Figueroa Street and West Adams Boulevard.
Expo Park/USC Take a nature break or picnic stop in the Exposition Park Rose Garden 7, which features more than 200 varieties of fragrant blooms. 701 State Drive. 1-213-763-0114.
La Cienega/Jefferson See’s Candies 8 has been headquartered on La Cienega Boulevard since 1946. Pop in to the on-site chocolate shop for a sweet pick-me-up. 3431 S. La Cienega Boulevard. 1-310- 559-4919.
Culver City In the Helms Bakery District 9, browse distinctive design and home furnishing stores. 8800 Venice Boulevard. Wrap up the day with dinner at Father’s Office 10, famous for its decadent burger. 3229 Helms Avenue. 1-310-736-2224.
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Post by Alexis Kasperavičius on Dec 31, 2012 18:11:32 GMT -8
LA Metro's Expo Line draws partiers downtown for growing social sceneSharon McNary | December 31st, 2012, 7:10amFor the first time, the New Year's Eve crowd at L.A. Live will include partiers who rode in on the Metro Expo Line. Since the light rail line opened in April, it's pumped crowds into entertainment spots in downtown Los Angeles. Many get off at the street-level platform of the Expo Line Pico Station, just a block from the restaurants, theaters and shops of L.A. Live. Every few minutes families, couples, groups of buddies step off the train, cross Figueroa Street and head in the direction of Staples Center. A few days after Christmas, the crowd included Vanessa Pineda, who brought seven friends from El Monte. Their combined bus and train fare was about $30. "We're gonna go ice skating," she said. "We took the Silver Line 910 from the El Monte Station all the way to the Expo Line from the train and we got off on Pico." They went to celebrate Carlos Venegas' 18th birthday. His friends carried bunches of blue and white balloons. Pineda said they don't have a car, and taking buses all the way would have required too many transfers. She said the Expo Line made their outing possible. "Because it's really fast and just one train and it takes you exactly where you want to go," she said. Pineda often rides the $1.50 Expo Line to see her boyfriend in Culver City. She's one of many converts to rail's Westside expansion. Ridership on the Expo Line averages about 22,000 people a day. Slightly more than half that number also use the Expo Line on weekends. About 10 percent of USC football ticketholders arrived for home games on the Expo Line this season, said L.A. County Metro spokesman Marc Littman. Exposition Park and the Endeavor space shuttle are a major draw on the Expo line, he said. "You have the history museum, the science museums and the other museums there," Littman said. "People are going to L.A. Live and the Staples Center and the Convention Center. And to Culver City which is a major venue." If you prefer to party in a big city, this is the year when critical factors converged to make L.A. that kind of place. Downtown's restaurant, arts and entertainment scene is building just as the unemployment rate is dropping and people seem to have a bit more money to spend on fun. Warren Bowman of Venice and his friends used to drive downtown each year to see the Beatles tribute band the "Fab Faux" at the Orpheum Theater on Broadway. This time, they took the Expo Line from Culver City. "The great thing was that we didn't have to drive, we didn't have to worry about parking, and we didn't have to worry about drinking and driving," he said. "It was a really nice relaxing ride." They got a scenic bonus at the end of their ride home. "The Expo Line station at Venice and Robertson is elevated and you get a great view of the city that you pretty much can't get from anywhere else," Bowman said. Economist Lauren Schlau, who studies downtown for business groups and government agencies, said the hard numbers and demographic surveys don't yet prove the Expo Line's direct economic effect, but she's seeing anecdotal evidence that the new line is feeding the nightlife. "Even I, who am downtown every day, can't keep up with the number of new restaurants and retail businesses that are opening along 7th and other parts of downtown that are affected by the volume on the Metro," Schlau said. The Expo Line plays a critical part in downtown's growing role as an entertainment destination. Its eastern most stop is at the 7th and Metro station, just an escalator ride from a restaurant and retail row planned for 7th Street. "Mobility is a form of economic development," Schlau said. "It allows people to go and do, in an efficient manner, the things that they need to do." Metro plans to extend the Expo Line six more miles to Santa Monica in a few years, making it possible – if all stays on schedule, to spend New Year's Eve 2017 downtown with the crowds, then take a direct ride to the coast for a sunrise walk on the beach. From 9 p.m. Monday until 2 a.m. Tuesday, Metro provides free rides on the Expo Line and its other trains and buses. All Metro light rail lines will operate overnight to take spectators to the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl game. (Link)
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Post by Gokhan on Apr 5, 2013 10:05:25 GMT -8
An idiot somehow managed to hit his/her SUV head-on to an OCS pole last night. From The Source:
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Post by jamesinclair on Apr 10, 2013 22:49:48 GMT -8
Those poles are a menace to society
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Post by Gokhan on Apr 20, 2013 15:33:30 GMT -8
Expo Line train banditsFrom anonymous -- April 7, 2013I was listening to the scanner this morning while I was out in the workshop when I heard the operator of train 105 on the L.A. Metro Expo line call the dispatcher to report there was a male passenger trying to rob a female passenger in the first car of the train. According to her account of the attempted robbery there was quite a scuffle when the female passenger started defending herself against her assailant. To keep her safe, the operator pulled the victim into the cab and locked it then stopped at the 23rd Street station, kept the doors closed trapping the assailant in the otherwise empty first car, and called the dispatcher. The DS told her to keep the doors closed, highball the passengers at the 23rd Street station, and proceed to Jefferson station where she would meet the police. Along the way the DS had her slow down to give the police a chance to get there and be in place. When she arrived the Sheriffs got into position and she opened the doors and they nabbed the guy. After a brief discussion with the Sheriff and releasing the victim to the Sheriffs, the operator was allowed to proceed and that was that. Only in L.A. Sounds like smart coordination with all involved, hope the victim was not injured. I wonder why this was not reported through normal news channels? OP report here: www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,3042847 Two more significant incidents last week that didn't make it to the news: * Problem at 7th/Metro was caused by an operator slamming her train into the wall. * Stabbing on the train near 23rd St Station. Regarding the second incident, I think to a large part, such incidents are being caused by lack of turnstiles at the stations. Hoodlums without tap cards are seeing the trains as a wide-open field of opportunity. Too bad that Expo Authority built Phase 1 so cheaply and didn't even install turnstiles. They will be in place at Phase 2 stations for sure.
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Post by LAofAnaheim on Apr 20, 2013 17:30:21 GMT -8
Metro will decide the turnstile installation, not the Construction Authority. At the time Phase I was approved for construction, there was no talk about turnstiles with Metro. Obviously, that has changed since 2010, but you can't blame the Expo Authority. The same can be said to the Gold Line Authority and during construction of the Blue and Green Lines.
As for crimes on Metro, this is not unusual compared to other Metro systems in the world. Actually, LA's is more safer than other cities with larger systems (due to sheer population and size of system). Crimes happen, but it's not uncommon.
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Post by jamesinclair on Apr 21, 2013 10:45:26 GMT -8
Yes, because criminals are deterred by a turnstile that an old lady could jump.
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Post by Alexis Kasperavičius on May 16, 2013 14:05:24 GMT -8
A recent editorial on the Expo Line ( link) Expo Line provides new opportunities for South L.A. Posted: Thursday, May 16, 2013 10:31 am By Victoria Moore It’s been a year now since the Expo Line opened and, despite all the doom and gloom predictions from some community advocates, the light rail system has not meant ruin for South L.A. To the contrary, the Expo Line is ushering in a new era for the community, and for all of Los Angeles, because it is bringing the city closer together than it has ever been. I know because I take the Expo Line all the time. I use it to go to Exposition Park, downtown, Culver City and connections beyond. It is my preferred mode of transportation because it is an inexpensive, easy and convenient way to get around. But most important of all, it is a relaxing way to get around as opposed to the bus, which I am all too familiar with from pre-Expo Line days. When I took the bus to get to doctor’s appointments and run other errands, I always found it to be a crowded, uncomfortable experience physically and an exhausting experience emotionally because of unpredictable wait times and schedules. The Expo Line, by contrast, brings my stress level down. And as my stress level has gone down, my enjoyment of the city has gone up and I love rediscovering the city’s charms and treasures. I’m not the only one. The data from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority bears that out. Ridership on the Expo Line has gone up during every single month since the trains first started rolling. The agency reports that on average just over 10,000 people used the Expo Line each weekday in May of last year. This March, that number was more than 25,000 people a day. When I take the train, I see all kinds and all ages of people out for what can only be described as a joy ride, going to the Natural History Museum for the first time in decades with their kids or grandchildren or enjoying a chili dog at Earlez Grill. And you haven’t lived until you’ve had the experience of taking the Expo Line on a Saturday afternoon when there’s a USC football game at the Coliseum. The trains are awash with fans in cardinal and gold. Clearly the word about the Expo Line has gotten out to the USC football fan base because they overran the trains last fall and should continue to do so in the future, based on the fun I saw them having. With phase two of the Expo Line now under construction and on track to open in a couple of years, even more of the city is about to become accessible. Some of those destinations are obvious, like the beach, the Third Street Promenade and Santa Monica College. But others are less obvious and, in fact, haven’t been built yet but will be soon because real estate developers are catching on to the allure of the Expo Line and are planning transit-oriented developments that will be attractions in and of themselves at stops along phase two. For example, there is the mixed-use project proposed by the Casden Property Group adjacent to the Sepulveda Station. In addition to a large number of apartments that will be an attractive off-campus alternative for USC students, the development is due to have a City Target that I can take the Expo Line to shop at and my neighbors can commute to work there. Los Angeles has always been a city of great possibilities. That, along with the weather, is what has been drawing people here from all over the world for decades and decades. Now, with its growing mass transit system, the opportunities are increasing for the millions of people who already call Los Angeles home and want to expand their worlds without getting in their cars. The Expo Line is as an excellent opportunity for people who live in East Los Angeles, South LA, and other parts of the city to become acquainted with the Westside and be exposed to cultural, shopping, employment and educational opportunities they might not have otherwise. Victoria Moore is a fashion and feature writer living in South Los Angeles.
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Post by Gokhan on Jun 6, 2013 12:44:34 GMT -8
President Obama is apparently coming to visit Expo Line Phase 2 tomorrow (Friday) and will likely give a speech at either Cloverfield/Olympic Boulevards or the line terminus in Santa Monica in order to promote America Fast Forward. News
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Post by rajacobs on Jun 6, 2013 13:03:15 GMT -8
...And tomorrow (so to speak) imagine the CA Supreme Court putting a hold on the line due to the NFSR suit. ...That would be quite a slap at fast forwarding America.
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Post by Gokhan on Jun 6, 2013 15:18:38 GMT -8
I think President Obama's visit of the Expo Line tomorrow (if it actually takes place) will strengthen Expo's case. Imagine how bad the judges would look if they said no to the Expo Line after the President praised it for America's future.
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Post by rubbertoe on Jun 7, 2013 6:05:17 GMT -8
I think President Obama's visit of the Expo Line tomorrow (if it actually takes place) will strengthen Expo's case. Imagine how bad the judges would look if they said no to the Expo Line after the President praised it for America's future. Interesting to see what will happen, hopefully at Olympic and Cloverfield. I'm guessing that the Prez is also a big fan of Expolinefan's construction photostream, and will be posing with him for a photo op RT
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Post by bzcat on Jun 7, 2013 10:01:42 GMT -8
I think President Obama's visit of the Expo Line tomorrow (if it actually takes place) will strengthen Expo's case. Imagine how bad the judges would look if they said no to the Expo Line after the President praised it for America's future. Interesting to see what will happen, hopefully at Olympic and Cloverfield. I'm guessing that the Prez is also a big fan of Expolinefan's construction photostream, and will be posing with him for a photo op RT Expolinefan will demand an apology from Obama for using his photos on the White House blog.
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Post by Gokhan on Jun 7, 2013 14:18:50 GMT -8
It looks like thanks to the shootings near the Santa Monica College, an Expo Line visit -- if it ever had to happen -- couldn't happen. It's more likely that it was never scheduled though.
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Post by rajacobs on Aug 19, 2013 15:02:17 GMT -8
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Post by Gokhan on Aug 26, 2013 15:01:39 GMT -8
It looks like this is the first accident on the Expo Line since it opened:
"Expo Line up to 15 min delays due to train contact w/ auto near Expo/Vermont. Trains share 1 track in area. Follow announcements. ^ST"
Perhaps it has to do with it being the first day of the academic year at USC?
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Post by Gokhan on Aug 26, 2013 15:59:10 GMT -8
It looks like this is the first accident on the Expo Line since it opened: "Expo Line up to 15 min delays due to train contact w/ auto near Expo/Vermont. Trains share 1 track in area. Follow announcements. ^ST" Perhaps it has to do with it being the first day of the academic year at USC? The collision was at Raymond Ave, a block east of Normandie Ave, involving a car making an illegal left turn. Despite the train having braked very slowly, many people faked injuries afterwards according to a witness on the train, sitting at the very front. Also, the firefighters didn't know how to respond. They were trying to walk through the end of the car to the next car, which you can't do on a light-rail train.
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Post by Gokhan on Aug 26, 2013 16:21:07 GMT -8
This video is from inside the front car. The lady who is talking is praising Fix Expo, saying "... very fine person fighting to get them underground ..." After the driver announced that some people in the middle car were claiming injuries, she also started claiming injury.
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Post by Gokhan on Aug 26, 2013 16:59:12 GMT -8
It was a felony hit-and-run. The car with the broken taillight drove away. Perhaps this is still not significant to be considered the first-ever Expo accident.
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Post by transitfan on Aug 27, 2013 10:12:52 GMT -8
It looks like this is the first accident on the Expo Line since it opened: "Expo Line up to 15 min delays due to train contact w/ auto near Expo/Vermont. Trains share 1 track in area. Follow announcements. ^ST" Perhaps it has to do with it being the first day of the academic year at USC? The collision was at Raymond Ave, a block east of Normandie Ave, involving a car making an illegal left turn. Despite the train having braked very slowly, many people faked injuries afterwards according to a witness on the train, sitting at the very front. Also, the firefighters didn't know how to respond. They were trying to walk through the end of the car to the next car, which you can't do on a light-rail train. Maybe the firefighters saw the movie "Collateral" where Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx and Jada Pinkett-Smith were able to walk between cars of a Blue Line train (obviously specially modified for the film. And we won't even get into how the train (cars 155/142) got from the portal north of Pico to the Green Line in the median of the 105 freeway instantly LOL)
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Post by Gokhan on Aug 27, 2013 10:31:05 GMT -8
It's unfortunate that such minor accidents result in hours of service delays and many injury claims. (It was only a [felony] hit-and-run involving a broken taillight and the driver of the train didn't even apply the emergency brake, let alone the sander.)
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Post by Gokhan on Oct 17, 2013 14:35:48 GMT -8
Police: Woman Groped on Culver City Sidewalk; Man SoughtPolice asked the public for help Thursday in identifying a man suspected of groping a woman on a sidewalk in Culver City. Surveillance video shows a man wanted in a Culver City sex assault investigation.The 31-year-old victim was attacked a short time after exiting a Metro Rail train at the La Cienega/Jefferson station in Los Angeles on Oct. 9, according to police. The alleged attacker, who was also on the train, exited and walked behind the victim into Culver City before sexually assaulting her at National Boulevard and Eastham Drive, according to Culver City Police. Details about the attack were not given, but the woman was not raped, Lt. Jason Sims of the Culver City Police Department said. The attacker was described by authorities as a Hispanic man in his mid to late teens, about 5 feet 9 inches tall with a slim build. He was last seen wearing a brown hooded sweatshirt and tan shorts. Anyone with information was asked t contact the Culver City Police Department at 310-253-6202.
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Post by Gokhan on Oct 19, 2013 14:53:11 GMT -8
BREAKING NEWS - Sexual Assault Suspect ArrestedOctober 17, 2013Photos of Sexual Assault Suspect Wanted By CCPDOn October 17, 2013 at 7:00 pm, Culver City Detectives received information regarding the identity of the sexual assault suspect whose photograph was released to the public. Based upon the information, Detectives were able to locate and take into custody a male juvenile that resides in the City of Los Angeles. The suspect was later transported to Central Juvenile Hall. The sexual assault occurred in Culver City. On October 9, a 31 year-old female victim rode a Metro Rail Train from Downtown Los Angeles to the Jefferson / La Cienega Station in Los Angeles, where she exited. The suspect, who was also on the train, exited and closely followed the victim from behind, the suspect and victim walked into the boundaries of the City of Culver City where the suspect committed the sexual assault, while on the sidewalk at National Blvd and Eastham Drive.
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Post by Gokhan on Nov 11, 2013 15:09:36 GMT -8
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