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Post by Gokhan on Jul 22, 2011 19:41:50 GMT -8
Note that the panels under the shields aren't installed yet. For a completed shield, see the picture I took of the TVMs at the east Chrenshaw platform. The Pico Station north entrance now has one of these rain/sun canopies too-- that is completed and operational with solid light panels on the underside. Not bad at all, in fact, it beats the majority of the rest of Metro Rail's canopies. Here is how they look like when finished (Crenshaw Station):
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Post by LAofAnaheim on Jul 22, 2011 20:09:25 GMT -8
BTW, how much testing was done after the 405 bridge demolition construction wrapped up last weekend? 3 months? 3 weeks? Oh right. None. Using that example..I would counter with "how much testing was done with the Blue Line after the numerous weekend closures over the last 2 years? Comparing "non-existent testing" on the I-405 weekend closure to the Expo Line is apples and oranges. But comparing "non-existent testing" on the I-405 weekend closure to the Blue Line closure is apples and apples. Pick your example correctly. When the contractor hands over a freeway to a county its not opened the next day. Though it could, there is still some inspection and safety work to do. Think about it bro, you get handed this multi-billion dollar project.....you need to wait a bit to open. You don't rush in. Yes, we've been waiting, patiently and anxiously, but you cannot expect pre-revenue testing on day 1 of the turnover. And that's not because "Metro doesn't care"..that's just being reasonable.
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Post by LAofAnaheim on Jul 22, 2011 20:11:41 GMT -8
Guys, please let's stop comparing railroads to highways. It's like comparing your television set to the television stand. Railroads are a complicated mechanical and electrical system as opposed to a paved surface. jamesinclair started it..not me I was just responding to his "Metro doesn't care.." claim
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Post by thanks4goingmetro on Jul 22, 2011 22:59:09 GMT -8
Guys, please let's stop comparing railroads to highways. It's like comparing your television set to the television stand. Railroads are a complicated mechanical and electrical system as opposed to a paved surface. jamesinclair started it..not me I was just responding to his "Metro doesn't care.." claim Guys, an earlier opening is completely out of reach if you hadn't guess or rode past lately. Despite the requisite rigors of testing and inspecting our fair railroad, few, if any, of the stations are in any shape to receive passengers, and at the present glacial pace dust will be swept and settings will be adjusted up until dare I say November? Might I suggest enjoying the lovely bike lanes in lieu of your complaints?
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Post by jamesinclair on Jul 23, 2011 1:05:02 GMT -8
When the contractor hands over a freeway to a county its not opened the next day. Though it could, there is still some inspection and safety work to do. Think about it bro, you get handed this multi-billion dollar project.....you need to wait a bit to open. You don't rush in. Yes, we've been waiting, patiently and anxiously, but you cannot expect pre-revenue testing on day 1 of the turnover. And that's not because "Metro doesn't care"..that's just being reasonable. Going to the 405 example, wasnt it even opened 10 hours early? Exposition Blvd was completely rebuilt. Most sections were opened as soon as the paint was applied. Didnt even need time to dry. When metro purchases a bus, do they drive it around for 3 months to test it...? But again, the main point is NOT the testing that is done, but the way it's spread out. 24/7 testing is just as effective as 6/5 testing. How much testing will metro be doing Sunday at 3am? Im guessing.....none. Every hour metro is sleeping is an hour later the line opens. And since we're talking about a critical transportation corridor, and not a theme park ride...time is important. Again, instead of testing for 6 hours on weekdays, if metro were to test 18 hours every day, it could be opened just as "safely" in later September as early November. Maybe it's just me, but if my project is well over a year late....I'd sort of want to speed things up a bit. Werent we supposed to be riding this June 2010?
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Post by wad on Jul 23, 2011 3:31:19 GMT -8
When metro purchases a bus, do they drive it around for 3 months to test it...? More like 4-6 weeks.
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Post by Gokhan on Jul 23, 2011 8:25:45 GMT -8
When comparing rubber tires vs. steel wheels, don't forget that a manufacturer needs to test a new car model for a year or more before they can start selling it, much longer than light-rail testing. You can say that they also test the new models of light-rail vehicles for a year or more but think of light-rail vehicles and the track system as a whole, as there are complicated electrical and mechanical systems in the track system, and unlike a car, if something small is wrong in the track system, things would fail.
Blue Line renovations and repairs are a good analogy. When they are repairing or replacing rails in the Blue Line, they only test it for a few hours instead of months. That's because it's only a repair -- not a new system -- things are simply being copied and rebuilt.
Everything to La Cienega is now basically finished but there will be at least two more months from now to clean things up and do minor extras. So, yes, even when the substantial completion takes place, that doesn't mean that the line is ready to ride.
Sometimes testing takes place early in the morning and sometimes late at night. 24/7 tests wouldn't be very practical and would likely be very costly. There are various agencies that are involved in the tests and it would be very difficult to coordinate 24/7 tests, as some of the staff can't be easily duplicated.
They are already doing the best they could with the tests as they are already way behind the schedule with tests. Besides, there is not much point in trying to open the line a month early by rushing and cramping the tests. A better way is to accelerate the construction and make sure that delays don't happen and we know that Phase 1 had 18 months of delays or so. So, one month is really nothing in the grand scheme of things. As long as they can open in November they have been aiming (which is still difficult), things will be just OK.
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Post by roadtrainer on Jul 23, 2011 8:33:48 GMT -8
;D How about some more pictures of those cute little farrow kitties?
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Post by Gokhan on Jul 23, 2011 16:44:57 GMT -8
Welcome to the forum, expolinefan! Great pictures!
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Post by jamesinclair on Jul 23, 2011 23:52:38 GMT -8
Expo Phase 1 construction is coming to completion next week!!! July 30th 2011 The contractor will turn the project over to Expo Authority next week. (Friday) July 22/2011 Metro is starting full train testing. www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFX4D-m3Yf4Excellent video. Thoughts: 1) 25 mph? I really hope the train gets signal priority because I saw a bike beating the train. 2) The sightlines for pedestrians at that intersection where most of the video was shown it terrible. That fence needs to be changed ASAP. 3) The left turn signal for cars seems to come on before the train is done crossing, in either direction.
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Post by jamesinclair on Jul 24, 2011 0:02:11 GMT -8
I just noticed the new poster linked to a great flicker account. As some of you may remember, Ive been very critical of the way expo has designed their stations of the pedestrian (aka, their CUSTOMER). Ive been told that I shouldnt worry, that of course the metro engineers took into account the pedestrian experience. And then I see pictures like this. EXPO LINE 2-TRAINS at 23rd STREET STATION-3 www.flickr.com/photos/expoline-part-2/5891269619/in/photostreamThey take a narrow station, add a narrow entrance...and then put not one, but TWO poles in the middle of the way!?! WTF? Ask yourself this. Would you design a road with two giant metal poles in the middle of it? Of course not. So why do it for pedestrians? How do you think the blind will enjoy navigating this entrance? Theres no guideway, it's essentially an obstacle course.
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Post by jamesinclair on Jul 24, 2011 20:16:46 GMT -8
On the South East Corner with the Blind Spot where some of the recent Videos were taken sounds like gates may be added that is what Safety Ambassadors were saying Even with gates, replacing that solid fence with something like plexiglass will ensure sight lines and make the crossing safer. And not just from trains, but from muggings and such. Blind corners are always a bad idea.
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Post by Gokhan on Jul 26, 2011 14:36:54 GMT -8
Landscaping is taking shape really well and wavy canopies are starting to look much better with landscaping appearing.
I saw crews walking along the line, filling out paperwork -- a sign that the contractor is about to hand over the line to Expo Authority.
There were three test trains but I didn't get to catch any action.
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Post by Alexis Kasperavičius on Jul 28, 2011 13:03:07 GMT -8
Update from the man himself, Expo CEO Rick Thorpe:
One interesting thing he mentioned is that the box under the Santa Monica Freeway may not be wide enough. One option is to shut down the Westbound lanes for 3 MONTHS while they work on it.
He wasn't kidding.
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Post by bobdavis on Jul 28, 2011 17:37:53 GMT -8
Judging from the 1935-36 model cars in the background, and the large number of workers, this might have been a Depression-relief (PWA or WPA) project.
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Post by masonite on Jul 30, 2011 9:52:12 GMT -8
Looks like the 1st phase probably won't open until next year if I were a betting man as substantial completion is still probably over a month away according to Thorpe. Maybe he was being conservative, but it seems like a long shot to open this year. I know metro doesn't want to open it in dec. as they have too many people out on vacation to open it.
At least phase 2 seems to be going well so far, although since they really haven't started much, that probably doesn't mean much. Looks like we will see some real work by the start of the year. End of 2015 seems to be the best case scenario for opening unless the contractor somehow finishes early. Quite a ways away....
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Post by roadtrainer on Jul 30, 2011 10:13:56 GMT -8
Expo Construction Authority CEO Rick Thorpe Talked about the Kenter Canyon Storm Drain Protection under Colorado in Santa Monica this Picture is from the National Archives in Washington, DC. ;D Can you get us a map of the Strom drain and did you forward this to the Authority?
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Post by roadtrainer on Jul 30, 2011 10:22:18 GMT -8
This is a second Picture from the National Archives in Washington, DC. of the Kenter Canyon storm drain under colorado blvd ;D looking at this tunnel i am convinced it will be encased with rebar and fresh concrete. P.S. Did you film the in-cab ride yet?
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Post by darrell on Jul 30, 2011 16:05:46 GMT -8
Catching up on photos ... here are some I took along Flower Street on 7/8/11, showing the landscaping pretty finished and looking very nice. Just south of Pico. Here's an original Expo sketch for comparison. Most of the median didn't end up this wide. Between Venice and the freeway bridge, with a Blue Line train. At Washington. South from Washington. The station at 23rd Street, with rain canopy on the left. The variety of trees and low plantings is very nice, even in such narrow spaces at this. More to come, from Adams to Exposition Blvd.
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Post by darrell on Jul 30, 2011 17:02:43 GMT -8
And from the west end, taken 7/27/11. This has been planted very rapidly, making up for lagging way behind the eastern part. Two kinds of trees and low plantings make the retaining wall west of La Cienega much greener. Same for the wall east of La Brea. Closer to La Brea are taller London plane trees (a variety of sycamore), followed by the more frequent ginkgo billobas. West of Farmdale, with the signature palms at the station. Expo is far and away the best-landscaped rail line in Los Angeles. Of other cities I've visited only San Jose's light rail rivals it. The narrow planting strip between Western and Vermont - here at Denker - is still well-landscaped. Sod has suddenly brought the strips by USC back to something similar to the former landscaped median, only now with two three-car light rail trains - and a very bored guard.
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Post by masonite on Jul 30, 2011 17:23:42 GMT -8
Darrell, thanks for the photos.
I agree the landscaping looks great and this will be a good addition to the line, especially in Los Angeles, as sometimes we are just way too much of a concrete jungle part of which is due to the auto oriented nature of the city (excessive parking lots, no street trees so fast moving cars can see retail signs and stores, etc....). Here is to a new era...
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Post by Alexis Kasperavičius on Jul 30, 2011 19:13:07 GMT -8
Great shots Darrell, I'm sure it's odd after all of this time, to see it finally coming to fruition!
One thing I noticed, on the two retaining walls at La Brea and La Cienega, it looks like climbing vines (ivy) have been planted. You can just see them starting up.
With the geometric shapes of the wall, the ivy should take firm hold and before too long that concrete mass will be covered in green leaves - looking good and making graffiti all but impossible.
Interesting design!
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Post by thanks4goingmetro on Jul 30, 2011 19:47:16 GMT -8
It'll look like this in a few years, which is not a bad thing
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Post by carter on Jul 31, 2011 10:12:19 GMT -8
It'll look like this in a few years, which is not a bad thing Definitely better than a concrete mass that taggers might treat as a canvas.
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Post by darrell on Jul 31, 2011 14:14:40 GMT -8
Here's a pretty comperable comparison between the finished new median landscaping and the old median (1/12/07 photo):
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Post by masonite on Jul 31, 2011 14:17:21 GMT -8
When I was at USC in the mid 90's, there was no landscaping. It was the old tracks and gravel. I believe the grass and median were put in a few years later.
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Post by Alexis Kasperavičius on Jul 31, 2011 14:23:36 GMT -8
When I was at USC in the late 80's I recall the circus train parking in that spot. How things have changed...
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Post by Gokhan on Aug 1, 2011 9:47:05 GMT -8
This would be the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus train coming to Exposition Park. Nowadays they only come to Anaheim and Ontario, as freight lines in most places in west central LA have disappeared. I wish they could keep a third track for Metrolink for the Expo Line but that would be too much wishing. Here is an elephant getting out of the train in Anaheim: Alan K. Weeks has a 1953 picture of the train parked at the 11th Avenue siding: As for the former landscaping, USC tore the tracks on Exposition in 2002 and put the landscaping with the hope that it would discourage building of light-rail.
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Post by bzcat on Aug 1, 2011 9:52:25 GMT -8
When I was at USC in the mid 90's, there was no landscaping. It was the old tracks and gravel. I believe the grass and median were put in a few years later. I graduated in 1997... I remember crossing the tracks the year we finally beat Notre Dame (November 1996).
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Post by bobdavis on Aug 1, 2011 19:08:34 GMT -8
That ivy at the Getty Center reminded me of an old saying: Doctors bury their mistakes. Lawyers visit them at the State Pen. Architects call the plant nursery and ask, "What do you have in the way of REALLY FAST GROWING IVY?"
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