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Post by Gokhan on Mar 15, 2011 9:53:15 GMT -8
Light Rail Track Testing to Begin(Also see the USC homepage)By Eddie North-Hager on March 15, 2011 7:55 AM The Expo Line light rail won’t begin service until the fall, but the track likely will be sporting some vehicles by the end of March. So the message is safety first. Vehicles will be testing the track, clearances and the safety devices from Flower Street at Jefferson Boulevard onto Exposition Boulevard south of the USC University Park campus, according to Jose Ubaldo of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. First, a truck will be riding the rails with a wood frame to simulate the height and width of a rail car. Then an actual train pulled by a truck should take the trip starting in April. Now and in the future, safety is paramount, USC Department of Public Safety chief Carey Drayton said. “It is important to note that when jaywalking or operating a bicycle against traffic, a car can stop when a train cannot,” Drayton emphasized. The Expo Line will travel from downtown Los Angeles and end at either Crenshaw Boulevard or La Cienega Boulevard by fall and continue to Culver City in the first half of 2012, according to Gaby Collins of the Expo Construction Authority. There could be intermittent street closures, but the USC tram and bus schedule should not be affected. USC Transportation director Tony Mazza said the light rail will give faculty, staff and students a second option to reach Union Station in addition to USC bus services. “The light rail gives students an opportunity to get downtown more easily, even if they have a car,” Mazza added. Metro Rail safety tips • Never run after or next to a moving train. • Don’t play near trains or tracks; pushing and shoving can cause accidents. • Never climb railroad vehicles or walk on the tracks. • Don’t skate or ride your bike on the platform, stairs or escalators. • Hold on to children when a train approaches. • Wait for the vehicle to stop before approaching.
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Post by bzcat on Mar 15, 2011 10:10:45 GMT -8
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it appears Phase II has more work involved than Phase I. For example, there are still businesses along the ROW between Pico/Gateway and Olympic/Centinela (Phase I didn't have this). When are they going to move out? Also, there are more bridges to be built with Phase II than Phase I like Sepulveda (probably will happen just like how the design options eventually were built in Phase I), Bundy, Pico/Gateway, Centinela and 26th/Cloverfield. I just cannot see this line opening in 2015. 2016 sounds way more reasonable. I remember when Expo/Metro did the ceremonial groundbreaking in 2006 and the whole talk was a 2009 opening and looking at the site 1 year later in '07 and they were barely getting into the USC trench. I still highly feel that 2015 is too optimistic and will not happen...unless we see some significant dirt movement THIS YEAR and not 2012. Actually, no, on the contrary, Phase 2 is substantially less involved. Also, the originally planned date for Phase 1 was July 1, 2010, not 2009. Here is the breakdown of the two phases: The bridges in Phase 1: I-110, La Brea, La Cienega, Ballona Creek road bridge, Ballona Creek LRT bridge, and Washington/National bridge. Total: 6. Bridges in Phase 2: Venice (already underway), National/Palms, Motor, Pico/Sawtelle, Bundy/Centinela, and Olympic. Total: 5.5 (Venice already underway). The bridges in Phase 2 are also much smaller and easy to design/construct. The National, Motor, Sawtelle structures are tiny compare to the mammoth bridges at La Brea, La Cienega, Ballona Creek, and Venice/Robertson. The only "big" bridge planned in Phase 2 is the Olympic crossing/Bundy station. We can add Sepulveda to the list of "big" bridge if the option is picked up. But otherwise I totally agree... Phase 2 should be much simpler in terms of construction. |
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Post by darrell on Mar 15, 2011 10:44:27 GMT -8
I agree that Phase 2 should be easier than Phase 1 -- and you omitted the Flower bridge rebuild over the Harbor Freeway, Gokhan -- but there will be some substantial work. The aerial structures Sepulveda*-Sawtelle-Pico (with aerial station over Sepulveda*), Bundy-Centinela (station over Bundy, and MSE walls from Bundy to Centinela like La Cienega to Jefferson), and Cloverfield-Olympic will be pretty big. (*Presuming the City of L.A. funds it, which appears the political consensus) And Colorado Street will be a rebuild of a lot of utilities for its one mile length, including major electrical vaults under Lincoln (a fire there blacked out downtown Santa Monica a few years ago). In terms of timing, foundation boring for the Culver City aerial begain in August, 2009 (photo below). That will be less than three years to opening of the line to Culver City about April, 2012. Even faster was that the final footings at La Cienega were installed about July, 2009 -- after DWP finally got the power lines down -- and that station will be ready for opening a little over two years later. It seems quite likely that bridge construction will begin on Phase 2 by early 2012, which should be in time for a 2015 opening.  |
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Post by darrell on Mar 18, 2011 18:42:13 GMT -8
Here are some new photos from today (hmmm, why was I going downtown?)....  Where the Blue and Expo Line trains go underground on Flower north of 12th Street.  Trees are on Flower! Palms are along Trade Tech and clustered north of the Jefferson station, and ginkgos are along the planter strip south of Adams.  Looking back north will be very photogenic!  Ginkgos are along the USC median. Second from left (along with a few others) is starting to leaf for the spring.  The yellow edge tiles are installed at Farmdale, to be ready for train testing.  Here's a new view of the side frames, elevator glass, and parking structure progress at La Cienega.  And the elevator frames are installed at the Culver City station. |
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Post by darrell on Mar 18, 2011 18:46:14 GMT -8
Worth a separate post, I heard today that the first test of a truck with LRV clearance template will be next week. They'll let us know when. To be followed by pushing a real LRV.
Testing under power should begin in April. At long last, we'll see trains running on the Expo Line!
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 19, 2011 9:52:33 GMT -8
Worth a separate post, I heard today that the first test of a truck with LRV clearance template will be next week. They'll let us know when. To be followed by pushing a real LRV. Testing under power should begin in April. At long last, we'll see trains running on the Expo Line! It's unbelievable that we are only two months away from completion of the construction. It reminds me after the first two months of construction -- how it felt that there was so little work completed and so much work still left. If Farmdale Station could be completed, the line could easily open in late August. |
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Post by masonite on Mar 19, 2011 10:06:44 GMT -8
Definately some promising development on Expo this week. Actual train testing in the next month on Phase I.
For Phase II, I don't think we can say it is under construction. There really isn't anything stopping construction at this point, but even Rick Thorpe said nothing would really start until May or June. Looks like for 2011, there won't be much more than ROW clearing and some utility relocation. Hopefully, we start tracking at least some progress soon.
It was somewhat comical on the audio feed when Zev asked Thorpe whether that meant this year. I know he was joking, but it wasn't completely funny if you have followed the slow development of this line.
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Post by bluelineshawn on Mar 19, 2011 10:38:05 GMT -8
Worth a separate post, I heard today that the first test of a truck with LRV clearance template will be next week. They'll let us know when. To be followed by pushing a real LRV. Testing under power should begin in April. At long last, we'll see trains running on the Expo Line!  ;D ;D ;D ;D  |
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 19, 2011 14:16:48 GMT -8
For Phase II, I don't think we can say it is under construction. There really isn't anything stopping construction at this point, but even Rick Thorpe said nothing would really start until May or June. Looks like for 2011, there won't be much more than ROW clearing and some utility relocation. Hopefully, we start tracking at least some progress soon. It was somewhat comical on the audio feed when Zev asked Thorpe whether that meant this year. I know he was joking, but it wasn't completely funny if you have followed the slow development of this line. Actually Phase 2 already started construction a few months ago, with the removal of billboards in Palms.  Technically, I guess, the issuing of LNTP in a few weeks could be considered as the beginning of construction. Even though there won't be much shoveling if any, at least from that day on, the contractors will start walking around the right-of-way to do surveys. Politically, though, authorization to issue the LNTP was already given to the CEO by the board of directors; so, politically, the construction can be considered to have started. Phase 1 indeed took a lot of time to get started. FTA record of decision was issued on February 27, 2006. Nothing then happened until September 29, 2006, when the official groundbreaking ceremony took place. Perhaps, they were trying to secure the funding. Then really nothing happened until May 14, 2007, when utility relocation began. But the heavy construction started shortly after, on July 17, 2007. So, it took them more than a year for the heavy construction to start in Phase 1. For Phase 2 I expect the heavy construction to start in about a year from now, but it could take longer. There will certainly be some utility relocation during the first year, in addition to right-of-way clearing and grading, as explained in the motion. I don't know when they will start on that but it could be shortly after the groundbreaking ceremony in May 2011. |
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Post by rubbertoe on Mar 21, 2011 12:54:00 GMT -8
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 21, 2011 17:43:57 GMT -8
According to Expo they will start at 9 AM tomorrow (Tuesday) at the Expo Park/USC Station. |
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Post by bluelineshawn on Mar 21, 2011 17:46:52 GMT -8
According to Expo they will start at 9 AM tomorrow (Tuesday) at the Expo Park/USC Station. If you or anyone else manages to make it, please post some pictures if it's not too much trouble. |
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 22, 2011 13:13:19 GMT -8
When I went to work, I drove along the Expo right-of-way (except for the closed section between Buckingham Rd and 17th Ave [Crenshaw Blvd reconstruction]) and I didn't see anything. Perhaps Darrell or Justin and Sam went there early and took some pictures. They might be measuring the clearances inside the trench. In any case, this is not a big deal, as it's only a high-rail vehicle. These vehicles are currently everywhere along the right-of-way, although with no dummy attached. Seeing the first train will be more exciting, even if it's pulled as a trailer.
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Post by darrell on Mar 22, 2011 13:29:59 GMT -8
Here was the scene at 9:30 this morning at the Vermont station. Justin and Sam and a Daily Trojan reporter were already there.  Lots of Expo, Metro, FFP, and CPUC people in hard hats standing around the clearance template. You can see the black brushes on its sides and the two longer orange paddles on each side. "The vehicle mock-up will have flexible feelers around the outline protruding three inches beyond the vehicle silhouette. ... Clearance silhouette representing passenger vehicle dynamic envelope passes through entire area being tested without encountering any interferences. Measurements taken between station platform edges and mock-up silhouette do not exceed three inches. "Per PUC General Order 143-B: "Section 9.06 Clearances. ... c. On station platforms, in yards and along shop aisles, and other locations, including emergency walkways, where passengers, employees, or other persons are permitted or required to be while trains are in motion, the minimum clearance shall be thirty (30) inches; "2. at locations and in areas where passengers, employees, and other persons are normally prohibited while trains are in motion, the minimum clearance shall be eighteen (18) inches." Those must be the orange paddles.  There seemed some issue with the CPUC about the location of the entrance gateway pole by the platform edge.  This gives a good view of the template mounted on a handcar as it was pushed - at walking speed - to the USC station.  It made its way down the USC station platform, headed for the underpass, when I left at 10:15. |
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Post by carter on Mar 22, 2011 14:11:39 GMT -8
Thanks for the photos Darrell!
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Post by metrocenter on Mar 22, 2011 14:46:23 GMT -8
The Expo Board increased the Phase 1 budget again at its meeting last week. The previous increase was just this past December, and increased the budget to $927 million. The project budget now totals $930.6 million. According to Metro: There is no financial impact of updating the funding for the Expo LRT Phase 1 project to $930,625,055 because the update is to reflect $3,175,000 previously funded by Culver City, not LACMTA. The updated figure also reflects the addition of $59,610 to be paid by the LACMTA. This amount had been omitted from prior LACMTA actions due to rounding and has no substantive financial impact. Rounding can never account for nearly $60k being omitted. Poor accounting, yes, but not rounding. Also, it's not clear to me what was "previously funded by Culver City" to the tune of $3.175 million. Is this Culver City's contribution to the Venice/Robertson station? How was this not reflected in the income and costs before? I've looked through several public documents but have yet to figure this out. |
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 22, 2011 15:12:42 GMT -8
LOL that was the test dummy? A simple dolly wasn't what I expected. They used these dollies when they were installing the tracks as well. I had a humorous post a long time ago, calling one of these the first train on the Expo Line.
But, despite the equipment being crude and simple, these are crucial tests, not to be taken lightly. By the way I think they used the same gauge apparatus when they were installing the tracks but this is the first time Metro is using it; so, it's a milestone from that perspective.
And, Darrell, thank you for the great pictures and detailed report!
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Post by metrocenter on Mar 22, 2011 16:18:59 GMT -8
BTW, one more thing. The L.A. City Council approved this agenda item on March 7. The city will provide the following funds related to Expo through the city's Measure R Local Return Fund: - $250k - Pico station, second entrance
- $400k - 23rd Street station, second entrance
- $700k - Western station, purchase of adjacent property for transit parking.
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Post by bluelineshawn on Mar 22, 2011 17:17:06 GMT -8
BTW, one more thing. The L.A. City Council approved this agenda item on March 7. The city will provide the following funds related to Expo through the city's Measure R Local Return Fund: - $250k - Pico station, second entrance
- $400k - 23rd Street station, second entrance
- $700k - Western station, purchase of adjacent property for transit parking.
Thanks. Pico already has a second entrance. This must be money to improve it and add safety gates. Maybe that's why they don't appear to have done anything with it for months. They shouldn't have closed it if they weren't ready to work on it. |
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Post by bluelineshawn on Mar 22, 2011 17:25:06 GMT -8
Thanks for the photos Darrell! Seconded! |
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 22, 2011 17:29:03 GMT -8
Impressive photo set on the clearance tests can be found here. Note the guy with the CPUC west. Today I noticed that they have started to build the Culver City bike and pedestrian multiuse path. La Cienega structure is now up to the third level. Mostly landscaping work along with some utility work and street reconstruction is taking place. Of course, Exposition and Crenshaw is closed for the entire week with major intersection reconstruction there. |
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Post by bobdavis on Mar 22, 2011 17:51:19 GMT -8
That clearance test car isn't very impressive (I remember Pacific Electric track workers using a similar car as a trailer with their powered section-gang car) but it certainly makes sense to double check the platforms before letting the expensive light rail cars run the route.
"From little acorns the mighty oak trees grow."
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Post by LAofAnaheim on Mar 22, 2011 18:39:20 GMT -8
BTW, one more thing. The L.A. City Council approved this agenda item on March 7. The city will provide the following funds related to Expo through the city's Measure R Local Return Fund: - $250k - Pico station, second entrance
- $400k - 23rd Street station, second entrance
- $700k - Western station, purchase of adjacent property for transit parking.
How racist. All money for transit servies and nothing for buses (note: my BRU imitation) |
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 22, 2011 20:35:01 GMT -8
Here is the monthly project-status report for you to enjoy. Key Phase 1 points: - Phase 1 substantial completion has been delayed yet another two weeks to June 15.
- La Cienega Station Parking to be completed in October 2011.
- Storage facility to be completed around December 2011.
- Farmdale Station to be completed around December 2011.
- Culver City Station to be completed around December 2011.
- Phase 1 cost went down from $944 to $941 million.
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Post by jeisenbe on Mar 22, 2011 21:52:04 GMT -8
Here is the monthly project-status report for you to enjoy. Key Phase 1 points: - Phase 1 substantial completion has been delayed yet another two weeks to June 15.
- La Cienega Station Parking to be completed in October 2011.
- Storage facility to be completed around December 2011.
- Farmdale Station to be completed around December 2011.
- Culver City Station to be completed around December 2011.
- Phase 1 cost went down from $944 to $941 million.
So they could open to Culver Junction in February 2012, after testing the new station, right? I hope they will not wait for the Farmdale station to open the first section of the line. With substation completion in mid-June, it should be possible to open in September if all goes well, right? |
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Post by rubbertoe on Mar 23, 2011 6:28:05 GMT -8
Impressive photo set on the clearance tests can be found here. Note the guy with the CPUC west. Today I noticed that they have started to build the Culver City bike and pedestrian multiuse path. La Cienega structure is now up to the third level. Mostly landscaping work along with some utility work and street reconstruction is taking place. Of course, Exposition and Crenshaw is closed for the entire week with major intersection reconstruction there. So here is a question, take a look below at I believe picture 21 from the above link:  The contact wire zig-zag's through the station. So, when the train is in that area the wire will move from side to side on the pantogtraph. I know that in HSR systems they design the contact wire to zig-zag like that over the entire line, so that the heat generated by the contact friction wouldn't all be concentrated on one section of the pantograph. Anybody know why the contact wire is zig-zagging through the station specifically, or if it does that on the entire route? I would have thought that I would have noticed it before if I had seen that  |
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 23, 2011 8:21:58 GMT -8
The contact wire zig-zag's through the station. So, when the train is in that area the wire will move from side to side on the pantogtraph. I know that in HSR systems they design the contact wire to zig-zag like that over the entire line, so that the heat generated by the contact friction wouldn't all be concentrated on one section of the pantograph. I didn't realize that before but it seems to be the logical explanation here too. A lot of heat is also generated by arcing as well and you don't want to carbonize a single point on the pantograph, which would result in an insulating contact and the train would eventually come to a halt. |
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 23, 2011 8:26:08 GMT -8
Here is the monthly project-status report for you to enjoy. Key Phase 1 points: - Phase 1 substantial completion has been delayed yet another two weeks to June 15.
- La Cienega Station Parking to be completed in October 2011.
- Storage facility to be completed around December 2011.
- Farmdale Station to be completed around December 2011.
- Culver City Station to be completed around December 2011.
- Phase 1 cost went down from $944 to $941 million.
So they could open to Culver Junction in February 2012, after testing the new station, right? I hope they will not wait for the Farmdale station to open the first section of the line. With substation completion in mid-June, it should be possible to open in September if all goes well, right? I agree with these predictions, too. Opening in September will depend on if the Metro can coordinate the traffic signals with LADOT to optimize the train speed by then. We don't want it to take more than 25 minutes to Culver City. If nothing is done with the signals, it will take in excess of 30 minutes. |
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Post by metrocenter on Mar 23, 2011 9:32:01 GMT -8
The storage facility is still a huge wildcard. In May of last year, Expo authorized a $12.5 million contract to FFP, to complete the first part of the work. This included trackwork, fencing, utility relocations, etc. But it did not include OCS, signaling and communication systems. These are still to come, and this is what is being negotiated now. Even with the inspection and cleaning facilities removed, the storage facility is "required to support the Revenue Operations Date (ROD) and is therefore schedule critical". The March status report describes the storage facility as an "outstanding risk item" to the budget. This is because the contract is still being negotiated. This contract needs to get finalized in the next month or two: otherwise, I don't see Expo opening at all until next year. |
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 23, 2011 9:46:15 GMT -8
The storage facility is still a huge wildcard. In May of last year, Expo authorized a $12.5 million contract to FFP, to complete the first part of the work. This included trackwork, fencing, utility relocations, etc. But it did not include OCS, signaling and communication systems. These are still to come, and this is what is being negotiated now. Even with the inspection and cleaning facilities removed, the storage facility is "required to support the Revenue Operations Date (ROD) and is therefore schedule critical". The March status report describes the storage facility as an "outstanding risk item" to the budget. This is because the contract is still being negotiated. This contract needs to get finalized in the next month or two: otherwise, I don't see Expo opening at all until next year. From what they told Justin, the storage facility is not required for the Phase 1 opening, as the trains would be stored between the La Cienega and Culver City Stations. |
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;D 
