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Post by Justin Walker on Sept 9, 2007 19:19:19 GMT -8
Metro now has several pages on their site about the Canoga Transportation Corridor study they are currently conducting. This is the project that most likely lead to the extension of the Orange Line to Chatsworth by around 2012. Several interesting documents included there. |
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Post by Tony Fernandez on Oct 29, 2007 11:42:56 GMT -8
I haven't heard much about this for a while. What's the status?
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Post by Justin Walker on Nov 12, 2007 18:33:58 GMT -8
The project team narrowed down the 9 alternatives down to 2 build alternatives and they're moving ahead with the draft EIR. The two remaining build options are 1) a dedicated bus lane on Canoga and 2) a dedicated busway on the Metro-owned Canoga ROW. The completed Draft EIR will be presented sometime in Spring '08.
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Mac
Full Member
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Post by Mac on Nov 12, 2007 20:58:19 GMT -8
Cool, but the route is kinda weird... especially around the warner center, Canoga area.
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Post by Dan Wentzel on Nov 22, 2007 16:47:52 GMT -8
Oh, please go with the busway, please...
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Mac
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Post by Mac on Nov 22, 2007 18:36:36 GMT -8
Yep, I agree. The Orange line is getting slower, and with a dedicated bus lane, is not gonna go very far without being late.
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Post by Dan Wentzel on Jun 12, 2008 16:12:50 GMT -8
The news is released today. The Locally Preferred Alternative being submitted is the Canoga Busway up to Metrolink.
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Post by blueridge on Jun 16, 2008 13:48:18 GMT -8
Will there be two lines running on the Orange Line? One line dedicated to Chatsworth and one dedicated to Warner Center? Transfers would take place at DeSoto?
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Post by Justin Walker on Jun 16, 2008 20:28:45 GMT -8
The staff-preferred operating plan is outlines three services: 1) Existing Warner Center-North Hollywood "Orange Line" 2) New Chatsworth-North Hollywood service 3) New Chatsworth-Warner Center service All three services would run through the existing Canoga station (with modifications). (Note how all the routes converge at the existing Canoga station in the LPA map.) In my opinion, all of these services are necessary as long as the headways for each of the three services remain reasonably short. I wouldn't be surprised if they end up using some off-peak hour transfer scheme with only 2 services and a necessary transfer at Canoga for the third route (much like BART uses). Hopefully this wouldn't be the peak-hour operating plan.  Current Staff-Recommended LPA Map:  Proposed Modifications to Existing Canoga Station (from Canoga DEIR):  |
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Post by jejozwik on Jan 23, 2009 8:12:58 GMT -8
wow, no ones even broke the news about the extension approval? where are all you guys...? metro |
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Post by Justin Walker on Jan 23, 2009 14:27:50 GMT -8
It's nice to finally have another project ready for design/construction. For years, we've been just hearing about Expo and Eastside Gold being built. All the other projects have just been words on paper.
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Post by whitmanlam on Jan 23, 2009 15:00:52 GMT -8
That's the beauty of Measure R. They have the funds to get started on important projects like the Orange Line, Downtown Connector, maybe even an Orange Line Light Rail conversion.
That would be high on my list.
But, If the economy gets worse, I don't know if Measure R funding will be enough.
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Post by roadtrainer on Jan 23, 2009 18:04:40 GMT -8
Wow this is good news!, but what is bad----225 million for 4 miles!   
I think with the way the economy is running lay the asphalt and build stations with out the perks! 
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Post by tonyw79sfv on Jan 23, 2009 19:18:20 GMT -8
Orange Line light rail now seems like a dream, we're stuck with a busway that just can't go fast enough. In fact, there's two hindrance rather than improvements on the Orange Line within the last half year, the green lights for Balboa Boulevard and Woodman Avenue have been changed to flashing yellow, which means that buses have to "cautiously" cross those streets rather than fly through them with the green light; it may put the bus behind schedule and bunch up with the faster bus running before it.
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Post by Justin Walker on Apr 5, 2009 16:02:04 GMT -8
Here are some updates I've heard about the Orange Line Chatsworth extension: 1) In Metro COO Carolyn Flowers' Friday Live Chat, the following question was answered: Question: I love the Orange Line. Is it going to be extended. Alexander
Answer: It will be extended to Chatsworth by 2012. Groundbreaking for the four-mile extension down the Canoga Avenue right-of-way will be in June. 2) Also, while at the Chatsworth station today, I noticed "Orange Line Extension Construction Notices" warning of fiber-optic utility relocation in the north station parking lot starting this week. All good stuff!  |
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Post by wad on Apr 6, 2009 4:00:13 GMT -8
Orange Line light rail now seems like a dream, we're stuck with a busway that just can't go fast enough. In fact, there's two hindrance rather than improvements on the Orange Line within the last half year, the green lights for Balboa Boulevard and Woodman Avenue have been changed to flashing yellow, which means that buses have to "cautiously" cross those streets rather than fly through them with the green light; it may put the bus behind schedule and bunch up with the faster bus running before it. The bigger problem is that if you want that train, where will the 20,000+ riders go when the Orange Line is shut down for the conversion? |
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Post by jejozwik on Apr 6, 2009 8:56:29 GMT -8
The bigger problem is that if you want that train, where will the 20,000+ riders go when the Orange Line is shut down for the conversion? i would expect it would work the same way the repaving worked last summer. shutting down sections at a time and diverting to street running. |
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Post by losangeles2319 on Apr 8, 2009 20:00:09 GMT -8
Are there numbers on ridership for a rail conversion though?
It will attract more but how many
people complain about Gold Line ridership at ~24,000
aren't orange line numbers like 22,000
*just a note, im totally for rail conversion
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Post by Justin Walker on Apr 8, 2009 20:57:49 GMT -8
Are there numbers on ridership for a rail conversion though? are the minutes from a 2007 Citizens’ Advisory Council meeting. Richard Hunt, general manager of the Metro San Fernando Valley Sector, reported the following: "Future conversion to light rail: Difficult engineering would be where alignment passes underneath 405 freeway; not feasible until daily boardings exceed 50,000" |
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Post by losangeles2319 on Apr 9, 2009 13:18:52 GMT -8
Is it even POSSIBLE to get a 50,000 ridership number at this point in transit service?!?!?!?!?
The buses are already packed full during rush hour
and adding more buses would create traffic problems at intersections across The Valley
what are the chances?
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Post by Transit Coalition on Apr 9, 2009 14:22:23 GMT -8
Is it even POSSIBLE to get a 50,000 ridership number at this point in transit service?!?!?!?!? The buses are already packed full during rush hour and adding more buses would create traffic problems at intersections across The Valley what are the chances? The number quoted is daily ridership, not rush hour ridership. Metro is in the process of getting 65' buses and is looking into getting 80' vehicles. Metro needs to get state legislation passed to allow longer buses. You can look up the Orange Line ridership and see the trends over the past 3 years. During Rush Hour, Metro may have to platoon coaches out of the Red Line Terminal to carry 160 instead of 80 and then perhaps short line one of the buses in Van Nuys. As far as any conversion to rail, you are looking at 15 to 20 years at the earliest, as the rest of the rail construction planned in Measure R has to get built as promised the voters. |
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Post by kenalpern on Apr 10, 2009 5:54:08 GMT -8
Methinks that those 15-20 years (and Bart is right about that timeframe) will be a rather long one for Valley residents as they see rail lines created in the Westside, Eastside and SGv and even South Bay regions.
Those grassroots and political powers that be in the Valley can always start focusing on reversing the ridiculous Robbins Bill that got them into this mess, but for the next 5-10 years there will be a Metro focus on enhancing bus capacity via methods that Bart has described above.
I feel very bad on one level for Valley residents who will have to eat crow as they see rail lines built elsewhere in the county, but on another level it really IS everyone's fault there in that they didn't have the courage and temerity to organize as was done in the liberal Westside/Mid-City region (Expo Line), the conservative SGV (Pasadena/Foothill Gold Line) and the South Bay/Westside alliance that was and will continue to ram forward the long-awaited Green Line/LAX link.
I very much welcome a San Fernando Valley-based effort to envision and implement an effort to establish a light rail line where the current Orange Line Busway is, complete with upgrades and grade crossings where appropriate, in order to accommodate a rail line that allows for 90,000 riders a day. Until then, the strategy can and should be how to make this Busway (like the El Monte Busway) a first-rate operation that allows up to 50,000 riders a day.
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Post by Justin Walker on Apr 15, 2009 16:05:51 GMT -8
FYI, tons of goodies about the Chatsworth Orange Line extension, including maps, schedules, and renderings, are available in this month's Chief Capital Management Officer Report. Of particular interest is the following construction timetable. Metro originally expected opening in 2012 with the passage of Measure R, bumped it back to 2013 for a few months, and have seemingly moved it back up to 2012 again.  |
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Post by Justin Walker on May 20, 2009 16:22:00 GMT -8
More good stuff from Metro: They've finally updated their project page from an EIR/EIS page to a construction-oriented page. Also thrown in is a pretty new map showing exactly what the Valley will be getting out of this (click image for pdf source):  |
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Post by Justin Walker on Oct 7, 2009 17:54:02 GMT -8
Metro now has some formalized proposals for operations plans for the Canoga Extension. They present two options: RECOMMENDED OPTION -Warner Center-North Hollywood service -Chatsworth-North Hollywood service -Chatsworth-Canoga service (peak hours only) ALTERNATE OPTION -Chatsworth-North Hollywood service -Warner Center-Canoga shuttle I personally hope the recommended option is adopted, as cutting Warner Center off from the Orange Line (which the alternate option effectively does) would undermine the usefulness of the Warner Center Transit Center. |
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