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Post by darrell on May 30, 2010 14:43:57 GMT -8
The meeting has been moved to the cafeteria, and shuttle service will be provided from parking at next-door Rancho Cienega Sports Center. Here's Expo's map of the shuttle service for the June 1 CPUC hearing at Dorsey. Get there early (like 5:00)!
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Post by jamesinclair on May 30, 2010 22:17:03 GMT -8
A shuttle for half a block? What has this country turned into?
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Post by darrell on Jun 1, 2010 7:26:02 GMT -8
Here's Expo's reminder - COME TONIGHT! Expo Line Hearing on June 1st at Dorsey High! The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will take public comment regarding the Farmdale Avenue crossing and station on Tuesday, June 1st at 6:00 PM at Dorsey High School. Please come out and show your support! The hearing will be held in the Dorsey High School Cafeteria. Parking and Shuttle Service will be available at Rancho Cienega Sports Complex. FIVE REASONS TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT ON TUESDAY JUNE 1ST!1. The train will come to a COMPLETE STOP at Farmdale to pick up and drop off passengers. The train will only proceed across the intersection once the operator has verified that the crossing is clear of pedestrians and vehicles. A train signaling system will be installed that will limit the speed between the two pedestrian crossings to no more than 15 mph. 2. Construction on the Expo Line is almost complete! It is URGENT that the CPUC hears from you because the Expo Line is currently under construction and almost complete. The CPUC has to approve this crossing for construction to be completed and for the Expo Line to open next year. 3. The Expo Line is Safe! The train will have state-of-the-art safety improvements such as quad gates, pedestrian gates, traffic signals and additional street lighting. The Farmdale Station would also include security cameras. 4. Increased Mobility for the Neighborhood! The Farmdale Station will allow for increased mobility of local residents and Dorsey High School staff and students. The station will also provide convenient access to employment, school, health care and shopping options along the Expo corridor. 5. Local Jobs & Contracting Opportunities! Construction of the Farmdale Station will create additional good paying construction jobs for the community. The Station will also provide further opportunity to meet our project goal of awarding over $100 million in contracts to small and minority owned businesses. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will hold a Public Hearing regarding the Farmdale Avenue Grade Crossing and Station on: Tuesday, June 1, 2010 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Dorsey High School - Cafeteria 3537 Farmdale Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90016 Parking and Shuttle Service available at Rancho Cienega Sports Complex 5001 Rodeo Road, Los Angeles, CA 90016 Get on board with the Expo Line and show your support for the Proposed Farmdale Station on June 1st!
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Post by jeisenbe on Jun 1, 2010 20:35:38 GMT -8
So, how did it go?
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Post by Alexis Kasperavičius on Jun 1, 2010 21:15:18 GMT -8
Just got back from the meeting. I had to leave after two hours as I had another engagement, but basically here's what happened: The CPUC set up a hearing room in the school cafeteria - and set up another room adjacent to that with a video and audio feed. There were, perhaps, 500 people in all. A couple police officers were also there as well as a cameraman from NBC (4). The room was full, but the second room had a few stragglers. The PUC went out of their way to ensure it was an impartial hearing where Metro was given a chance to present and then Damon Goodmon made a presentation. The Metro presentation was given by the senior project engineer (I believe) and was a bullet point overview of the changes that had been made along with a mock up of the changes Damon Goodmon (looking sharp in a suit and tie) then presented another powerpoint, in essence saying that: - "We" never asked for a station, we want it underground.
- The holding pen for students will endanger them because:
- If a train hits a car, even at 15 mph, the car could flip and kill children in the holding pen who could not escape.
- If a student were a gang member and happened to be in the crowd of students within the pen, a drive by shooting could kill innocent kids.
- Kids at Dorsey are rambunctious and don't respect authority - what makes you think they will pay attention to a gate and not dare each other to cross it?
- More money per mile is being spent on the Phase two project - by an order of magnitude - "proving" that MTA has the money, but is merely deciding that kids lives in this area are not worth it whereas kids lives in (white) Culver City are because they have grade crossing.
He blatantly pulled the race card several times - in fact that seemed to be the jist of his presentation: this community is poor and black and is thus getting short shrift from everyone. Also, conveniently during his presentation there was a mis-communication of some sort with his computer operator and a big picture of Malcom X stared out at us for about 30 seconds. Damon yelled something like "Oops, I'm guilty - ha ha" and then proceeded to show his video of several dozen kids crossing the street after school. There was a vocal crowd, but all in all relatively polite. No one was shouted down, but there was a vocal old woman in the back who kept commenting out loud ("it's gonna kill kids!") and staring at pro people as they left the microphone. Most of the initial commentators were anti, and it took some nerve to get up there and speak against the tide. But several did, including Darrell and a few others. I got up there and pointed out that doing what they were proposing would would increase the sales tax again - and someone shouted that it would be worth it. Anyway, more and more supporters did come up later. It still makes me sad to see this tempest in a teapot. They are worked up - although some I spoke with later said it was much tamer than the first one.
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Post by darrell on Jun 1, 2010 22:18:13 GMT -8
Thanks, Alex, for the recap. I counted 85 speakers, of whom 33 supported the at-grade station, 48 wanted grade-separation, 3 didn't really have an opinion, and NFSR's Colleen Heller was declared ineligible as a party after she spoke. KNBC just played their clip, between 11:05 and 11:10 p.m. Expo supporters covered the arguments well. I think the process will continue along the schedule set out in the ALJ's 5/7/10 ruling (PDF): Settling Parties file and serve Settlement Agreement with motion for Commission approval -- May 12, 2010
Public Participation Hearing -- June 1, 2010
Comments -- June 4, 2010
Reply Comments -- June 11, 2010 I don't see the CPUC wanting to discard all of this time and process (including lengthy new environmental study) to start over, which is the implication of everyone who called for grade separation at Farmdale instead of the settlement.
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Post by metrocenter on Jun 2, 2010 8:16:16 GMT -8
Reply comments=CPUC reply? When is the CPUC expected to sign off on the settlement and approve the crossing?
EDIT: Answering my own question, the commission is expected decide whether or not to approve the crossing within a couple of weeks after the "reply comments" date of 11 June. So IOW, sometime this month.
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Post by darrell on Jun 2, 2010 16:51:56 GMT -8
Reply comments=CPUC reply? When is the CPUC expected to sign off on the settlement and approve the crossing? EDIT: Answering my own question, the commission is expected decide whether or not to approve the crossing within a couple of weeks after the "reply comments" date of 11 June. So IOW, sometime this month. I take the "Comments" and "Reply Comments" as being from the official parties to the case. Since Expo and LAUSD are the authors of the proposed settlement they obviously favor it. UCA and NFSR presumably will file Comments in opposition, that Expo and LAUSD will then Reply to. I presume the ALJ will then write and release a proposed decision based on the proposed settlement and comments by the parties and public. Following a review period the CPUC will finally vote on the decision. The end of July seems the earliest, although Commissioner Simon on KNBC said something about by the fall.
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Post by darrell on Jun 4, 2010 16:57:27 GMT -8
Most of the students crossing Exposition at Farmdale then go on to cross the signalized intersection with Jefferson Boulevard one short block north. Despite contentions about foolhardy youth, there is no evidence that students do not safely cross this busy four-lane boulevard. They seem to know how to wait for a green light (above) - without even any crossing gates! - then how to walk across in the crosswalk (below).
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Post by darrell on Jun 4, 2010 20:22:02 GMT -8
Here's the KNBC night news clip (11:05 p.m., 6/1/10) of the Dorsey meeting:
Not great reporting: "hundreds of parents"? CPUC Commissioner "Thomas Alan Simon"?
(I'm using Adobe Premiere Elements for the first time, and at least so far its upload of a 1920x1080 original ended up like this.)
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Post by metrocenter on Jun 4, 2010 22:30:51 GMT -8
Opponents of Expo bring up every grim scenario for how the train might theoretically kill kids. This sick point of view is purely irrational: it ignores the fact that similar alleged dangers exist on thousands of boulevards and hundreds of other train lines, with no mass killing of kids taking place.
It is hard to imagine that the CPUC cannot see this and will deny this settlement. Frankly I think it is a done deal. However, my fear is that all this talk may give a few disturbed young folks some bad ideas.
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Post by LAofAnaheim on Jun 5, 2010 7:24:02 GMT -8
I'm still very upset at this "holding pen" arguement that FixExpo uses. If by his definition that students have to wait for a train crossing, then nearly every at-grade station in the whole Metro station has "holding pens". I may as well call racism to the Little Tokyo, Pico, etc.... stations because they have a fenced off area where people have to gather and wait for trains to pass.
That's bs. At this point, let's just close the darn street and put a pedestrian bridge above the train. Giving a station to an unappreciative crowd is not worth it. Let them see what transportation benefits they'll miss.
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Post by rajacobs on Jun 5, 2010 9:24:27 GMT -8
...But a transporation project isn't for the immediate "crowd," whether they be appreciative or unappreciative, or even ourselves.
We are trying to complete them, informed by a vision of what future generations will require, realizing that Dorsey area residents will responsibly wait for trains (as people do everywhere!), despite the claims of a muck-raking, rabble rouser. ...And Cheviot Hills will not always remain an enclave and settle for snobby and self-centered leaders.
The integration of the Westside will happen and serve a responsible community ...because this is the direction change takes all of us in. There's no resisting it.
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Post by Alexis Kasperavičius on Jun 5, 2010 10:46:40 GMT -8
Can someone please refresh my memory? After thinking about it, I'm realizing that all of Goodmon's concerns (above) would be addressed by either putting a ped crossing bridge over the tracks and closing Farmdale (cheapest) or making Farmdale an underpass (more expensive).
As I recall, the initial proposal was to close Farmdale and put in a ped crossing bridge. Since that would create grade separation for pedestrians - why isn't that an acceptable solution? It would eliminate the expensive extra station and allow trains to travel at speed. What happened/what gives?
AK
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Post by darrell on Jun 5, 2010 15:08:10 GMT -8
Alex,
Apparently LAUSD objected to closing the Farmdale street crossing, which would be necessary to prevent pedestrians from crossing in the street instead of climbing the stairs to use a ped bridge.
A ped underpass also raises security issues (the one at Foshay Learning Center is only open a short time morning and afternoon, with supervision), plus would conflict with the large box storm drain under Exposition Blvd.
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Post by kenalpern on Jun 6, 2010 15:05:17 GMT -8
No--the money for the Venice/Robertson and other grade separations was part and parcel of the Prop. 1B package. The $4 million from Culver City is probably a lot less than what is ideal, but is the final result from a long battle that took years to get Culver City on board with this.
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Post by jeisenbe on Jun 8, 2010 7:53:03 GMT -8
LA Times Article today, 6/8/2010: "Small intersection is the big concern for Expo light-rail system"www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-expo-line-20100603,0,1632688,full.story If regulators OK a grade crossing and station at Farmdale Avenue and Exposition Boulevard, it will clear the way for completion of the first modern rail link between downtown L.A. and the Westside. By Dan Weikel, Los Angeles Times June 8, 2010 The last battle line in the effort to build the Expo light-rail system has been drawn at Farmdale Avenue and Exposition Boulevard — a small intersection about 20 yards from Susan Miller Dorsey High School in central Los Angeles. If state regulators sign off on a grade crossing and station there, it will clear the way for completion of the first modern rail link between downtown Los Angeles and the bustling Westside. But the plan to lay track at street level by Dorsey has run into intense opposition from neighborhood associations, students, teachers, Dorsey alumni and community activists who have fought for almost four years to change the project's design. » Don't miss a thing. Get breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox. Unless the rails are elevated or put below ground like other sections of the project, they say the line will create an unacceptable risk for pedestrians and motorists, especially when students head to class in the morning and leave campus in the afternoon. The school has about 1,600 pupils. At a recent public hearing at Dorsey, some activists and residents from the predominantly black neighborhood also bristled when whites from the Westside turned out to voice their support for the line and its safety features. "I've noticed lots of whites coming into the community to tell us how to live," testified Clint Simmons, one of 300 to 400 people who crowded into the school's cafeteria and an annex reserved for the hearing. Critics of the project are concerned because at certain times of the day, hundreds of Dorsey students cross Exposition at Farmdale as parents drive past on their way to pick up or drop off their children. Plans call for light-rail trains to pass through the intersection every few minutes. "All it would take is one car making a wrong turn at the wrong time and it would go right into a group of 100 students," said Damien Goodmon, a community activist who chairs The Fix Expo Campaign, a coalition of community organizations, Dorsey alumni and civil rights groups. If done today, the estimated cost to put the line underground at Farmdale would be at least $100 million, and an elevated section would cost at least $30 million. The amount does not include $1 million for every month of delay completing the project. Trying to ease neighborhood concerns, the Expo Construction Authority revised its original plan for the Farmdale grade crossing and submitted it for approval to the California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates certain rail issues. The commission, which held the hearing Tuesday night, rejected for safety reasons the authority's first design for the grade crossing in February 2009 but allowed project officials to amend their plan. The initial proposal called for a pedestrian area and vehicle gates to control the intersection where trains would pass. The revision includes traffic signals, warning signs, the latest vehicle and pedestrian gates, a pedestrian holding area and two station platforms, which will require trains traveling in both directions to stop before reaching the intersection. The station, which can be used by students and residents, was not in the original plans. In addition, Expo officials say trains will not enter the intersection unless it is clear and the line will have an automated system to prevent trains from going faster than 15 mph across Farmdale. The intersection is the last of 38 Expo grade crossings that still needs commission approval. Authority officials hope to receive a ruling by July. "This is the missing piece so we can finish the alignment," said Eric Olson, who oversees the line's design and construction. "We think we have done what we need to do to come up with alternatives that add safety measures." Estimated to cost almost $900 million, the Expo line will run 8.6 miles from downtown Los Angeles to Culver City via Figueroa Street and Exposition Boulevard — a 30-minute trip one way. Construction is scheduled to be completed next year. Just before USC, the tracks descend into a 1,000-foot-long trench to avoid the heavy traffic at Figueroa and Flower Street. The line resurfaces at Exposition and Trousdale Parkway and proceeds at ground level to La Brea Avenue, where the tracks and a station are elevated. The line and stations also are elevated over La Cienega Boulevard and at Venice and Robertson boulevards in Culver City, the line's terminus. Expo officials said the four areas meet the criteria set by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority for grade separations, such as trenches, tunnels or elevated sections of track. Farmdale did not, they added, partly because of moderate traffic conditions. Despite the crossing's revised plan, critics are not convinced the intersection will be safe. They cite light-rail accidents in Los Angeles County and the earlier testimony of Russell G. Quimby, the former head of rail accident investigations at the National Transportation Safety Board. Addressing the initial Expo plan, Quimby told the commission that a street-level crossing at Farmdale would present "an unreasonably high safety risk" to Dorsey students, even at speeds as low as 10 mph. A catastrophic accident could occur, he said, if a train derailed and went into a crowded pedestrian holding area or a train pushed a vehicle into the same place. A serious explosion, he said, could occur if a train collided with a truck or bus. Quimby further testified that MTA's grade separation criteria appeared to be more concerned with operational convenience than safety. Critics also say that students, adults and motorists can get around crossing gates and there are no assurances that train speeds through the intersection won't increase later. They note that serious accidents have occurred on the county's Gold Line and Blue Line light-rail systems at speeds of 15 mph or less. "The entire community is put at risk by this train. It's jeopardizing everyone," testified Jevante Davis, a Dorsey student and captain of the varsity wrestling team. This issue "isn't going to be over until it [the train] is under." Expo's supporters told the commission Tuesday night that light-rail lines have operated safely near schools for years and Expo's revised plan is a substantial improvement over earlier proposals, including one that called for the closure of the intersection and a pedestrian bridge. "This will benefit students and the community," said Darrell Clarke of Friends 4 Expo Transit, who testified at Tuesday's hearing. "This will be safer than the Gold Line, which has had zero accident deaths." The line's proponents also downplay Quimby's opinions, contending that his primary expertise is in freight and passenger train accidents, though he says he served as an expert witness for MTA in a lawsuit involving a light-rail crash. Samantha Bricker, an Expo spokeswoman, said his remarks are not applicable because light-rail trains go slower, stop quicker and derail less often. "It's time to move forward. We've been dealing with this issue a long time," Bricker said. "We feel we've gone beyond what has been done on other light-rail lines." dan.weikel@latimes.com Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times
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Post by erict on Jun 8, 2010 17:08:37 GMT -8
LA Times Article today, 6/8/2010: "I've noticed lots of whites coming into the community to tell us how to live," testified Clint Simmons, one of 300 to 400 people who crowded into the school's cafeteria and an annex reserved for the hearing. This has to be the most worst article to date about transit in general and the Expo line. I feel bad for the people who live in South Los Angeles reading things like this.
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Post by spokker on Jun 8, 2010 17:46:31 GMT -8
What about the white people who go to Cheviot Hills to tell the other white people how to live? Haha.
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Post by bluelineshawn on Jun 8, 2010 19:09:36 GMT -8
LA Times Article today, 6/8/2010: "I've noticed lots of whites coming into the community to tell us how to live," testified Clint Simmons, one of 300 to 400 people who crowded into the school's cafeteria and an annex reserved for the hearing. This has to be the most worst article to date about transit in general and the Expo line. I feel bad for the people who live in South Los Angeles reading things like this. He should have said "...people that live outside our community that don't represent the interests nor opinions of our community". I think that the station is fine, but many or most of the people from outside his community that are advocating for the station are the same ones that said that doing nothing and proceeding with the original plan was fine. I don't think that many in the area were fine with that, but I could be wrong.
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Post by metrocenter on Jun 8, 2010 19:47:47 GMT -8
LA Times Article today, 6/8/2010: "I've noticed lots of whites coming into the community to tell us how to live," testified Clint Simmons, one of 300 to 400 people who crowded into the school's cafeteria and an annex reserved for the hearing. "Whites" are telling "blacks" how to live? I must have missed that meeting. Well, maybe Mr. Simmons can sit at home in his segregationist fantasy world if he wants, but the rest of us in Los Angeles (of all colors) need a fast, reliable and safe transit system to get to work and school.
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Post by darrell on Jun 10, 2010 21:41:10 GMT -8
It would be good to submit public comment to the CPUC on the proposed settlement with station at Farmdale by close of business TOMORROW (I don’t know a deadline, but that is the deadline for the Parties’ Reply Comments).
Email to public.advisor.la@cpuc.ca.gov , and reference CPUC application No. 07-05-013.
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Post by darrell on Jun 10, 2010 21:56:23 GMT -8
It would be good to submit public comment to the CPUC on the proposed settlement with station at Farmdale by close of business TOMORROW (I don’t know a deadline, but that is the deadline for the Parties’ Reply Comments). Email to public.advisor.la@cpuc.ca.gov , and reference CPUC application No. 07-05-013. I just heard the deadline for public comment is June 15. But do it tomorrow anyway!
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Post by Gokhan on Jun 10, 2010 23:02:34 GMT -8
Blacks in the neighborhood do want the train and station. Just talk to someone at Farmdale next time you go there. It's only those brainwashed and brought to the meetings by Fix Expo who are raising their voices. Therefore, the Blacks in that meeting do not represent the neighborhood and the neighborhood should not be judged by looking at that them. The same thing is true for the NFSR opposition. NFSR does not represent the Westside or the neighborhood. They are just people brainwashed by Terri Tippit, Colleen Mason Heller, et al.
It's also ironic and funny that Clint Simmons goes to all the Westside meetings (Expo, Cheviot Hills, NFSR, etc.) without exception and keeps telling why the train shouldn't be built and how bad the train is and so on.
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Post by metrocenter on Jun 11, 2010 6:15:42 GMT -8
the neighborhood should not be judged by looking at that them. Without a doubt. I just find it funny that one person (Clint Simmons), a gadfly not elected by any group, sees fit to speak for and represent "the community", which is never defined but might mean all black people, or all people in the neighborhood (not all of whom are black).
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Post by kenalpern on Jun 12, 2010 5:50:26 GMT -8
citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3623A Race to Erase Race from the Expo Line ALPERN AT LARGE By Ken Alpern Inasmuch as we like to think that we’re superior, open-minded, modern men and women here in the City and County of the Angels, and that we’re entirely beyond the race thing unlike those other, more primitive areas of the United States, our local obsession with race is both laughable and contemptible. Whole political districts and political movements are often predicated on race in these “civilized” parts, and this regrettable “race-obsession”, arguably a New Racism, has for too long reared its ugly head in a topic that should be race-neutral: transportation. Cases in point: both the Wilshire Subway and the Expo Line were prevented from funding and construction in the early 1990’s because of two color-based issues. Firstly, there was the color of money (i.e., green), which made some sense after Metro ran out of money just creating the Red Line to North Hollywood. Secondly, and most unfortunately, there were those LA riots that made much (most?) of the predominantly white Westside reject access to/from the nonwhite portions of the City. That meant shutting down the efforts to get the Westside Subway and Expo Line down, because (after all), who was going to ride these lines? Gangbangers? Illegal aliens? “Those” people? Fast forward another 20 years, and Westside traffic and overdevelopment have become so bad that now these previously-walled off neighborhoods are trapped within their own self-made walls, and a lack of Mid-City development (with a concurrent rebirth of Downtown development) has made the overall inequity of planning both financially and morally painful to the City and County of Los Angeles. Enter Friends4Expo Transit and The Transit Coalition and a host of new political officials who work together to buck the establishment and pull the white Westside and non-white Mid-City and Downtown areas together via a light rail line parallel to—and potentially a perfect alternative for—the ridiculously gridlocked I-10 freeway. The movement snowballs to help get Antonio Villaraigosa elected as Mayor of LA and a historic Measure R passed to finally get (among other big projects throughout the County) the Wilshire Subway built after 50-100 years of failed attempts. The LA riots fade into memory and communities start focusing on making money, not making war, with their neighbors. Of course, the verbal race-baiting snippets still fly, and although I suppose their bearers deserve credit for candor (and a lot of similar sentiment from their neighbors who say the same thing behind tightly closed doors), the race-obsessed messages (arguably also referred to as “racist” messages) still provoke and enrage our higher callings. For example, former Cheviot Hills Homeowner Association President Benjamin Cate probably didn’t mean to besmirch his community when he was quoted by the Times that only those “from the Hispanic areas nearer downtown” and who now take the bus were going to use the Expo Line. That was over three years ago, but that quip probably actually HELPED the Expo Line be created by making its proponents discount any legitimate local concerns that Cheviot Hills and its neighbors had about the Expo Line’s impacts on the region. And that quip still is quite entrenched in the memories of all grassroots and political leaders who are either pushing for or against the Expo Line. Similarly, this week Mid-City personality-extraordinaire Clint Simmons has also landed himself in the Quotes For The Ages column (perhaps right next to Helen Thomas) when he testified at an Expo Line hearing related to Dorsey High School that he “noticed lots of whites coming into the community to tell us how to live.” As with Mr. Cate, the Times printed it and I imagine that quote won’t (and shouldn’t) be forgotten any time soon. Before I write anything more, I should again emphasize that Mr. Cate and Mr. Simmons (and what the heck, Helen Thomas, too!) deserve credit for candor. I mean, are these folks REALLY that different in their sentiments from their neighbors? But the blowback will likely ram the Expo Line through sooner, and not later, because despite our City and County race-obsession (again, arguably a form of New Racism), ordinary citizens and political leaders just don’t have time or patience for another drawn-out discussion on race when our lives are destroyed by traffic and we need economic and City/County renewal. I still believe that cut-through residential traffic, safety and other issues must be raised whenever an at-grade (ground level) rail crossing occurs. I also believe that those insisting on “a tunnel or nothing” or “build it right or don’t build it at all” might as well be screaming for an at-grade crossing at the top of their lungs. All neighborhoods adjacent to publicly-owned rail rights of way must confront the possibility of a visually-impacting elevated rail bridge alternative, because the hundreds of millions of dollars and the years of delay in building mega-expensive and difficult-to-engineer tunnels won’t (unless there’s no alternative, as with the Expo Line trench near USC and Jefferson) be tolerated anymore. The year is 2010, not 1990, and the city is Los Angeles, not South Pasadena, so screaming for perfection when the voters want these projects done will enjoy little to no tolerance by Downtown, Sacramento or Washington. A quick nod of the head and a broadening of the shoulders, as was done when Westchester insisted on a Crenshaw Line elevation over Manchester Blvd. is a more likely way to quickly fix that problem at a cost of $30 million, not $1-200 million. So it’s best that black and brown teenagers (or teenagers of any other pigment type, speaking as a physician and especially as a dermatologist) all have the ability to accommodate trains that slow down and stop at Dorsey High School, just as much as they can deal with cars, buses, bicycles and anything else that passes by. The students are sharp enough to find ways to capitalize on having a light rail stop at their school…and future students might wonder what the big deal was, after all. It’s also best that Councilmember Parks’ own race-baiting, anti-Westside efforts should be put aside, and that the official color assigned to the Expo Line should be what we’re already seeing on Metro maps, which is AQUA (as in the rail line to the beach), and that both Mid-City and Westside and Downtown residents alike will appreciate a new alternative to get from Point A to Point B. It’s also best that there already ARE more nonwhites living and working on the Westside, and there already ARE more nonblacks (white, Asian, Latino, whatever) living and working in the Mid-City and Downtown regions, and that the City and County of LA would do well to relegate skin color to that of eye color or hair color (in other words, WHO CARES?). On a final note, if the second phase of the Expo Line is ready to break ground by late 2010 or early 2011, the portion between Culver City and Palms should be prioritized first—there are no big issues there that I’m aware of, and I’d really like to get the Expo Line open as far to the beach as possible (i.e., to Palms) when the first phase opens in 2012. And the only “race” any of us should be concerned about here is the race to avoid gridlock on the 10 freeway when this overdue Aqua Line finally is done! (Ken Alpern is a former Boardmember of the Mar Vista Community Council (MVCC), previously co-chaired its Planning and Outreach Committees, and currently cochairs its MVCC Transportation/Infrastructure Committee. He is co-chair of the CD11 Transportation Advisory Committee and chairs the nonprofit Transit Coalition, and can be reached at Alpern@MarVista.org. This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it The views expressed in this article are solely those of Mr. Alpern.) CityWatch Vol 8 Issue 46 Pub: June 11, 2010
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Post by erict on Jun 12, 2010 7:33:32 GMT -8
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Post by kenalpern on Jun 12, 2010 15:11:52 GMT -8
Thanks, erict--I'm sick of racism, race-obsession or anything else that has to do with race in this "liberal" town. Skin color should mean as little as eye or hair color. There are real issues to deal with the Expo Line...and race isn't one of them.
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Post by Alexis Kasperavičius on Jun 12, 2010 16:24:47 GMT -8
You know Ken, I have to say that I really appreciate all the work and time you are putting in on behalf of our city. I notice.
You regularly and consistently take the time to write and publish these thoughtful, well-researched articles that provide a reasoned response to all of the hyperactive folks and groups out there who want to kill public transit for their own selfish reasons.
The fact that your articles are not only well written and logical, but also consistent, means politicians in charge of various projects see them and know a strong, intelligent majority exists. A silent but voting majority who very much want to see these projects come to fruition quickly, and who have little tolerance for the scare tactics and race baiting from fringe groups that seem to crop up every time a new line is proposed.
I really think your articles, along with the support of Bart Reed and this group, have helped usher in this new era of support for public rail transportation in Los Angeles and I just want you to know that I, and I'm sure many others in the city, very much appreciate your work and time.
Remember that the next time you're facing a publishing deadline late at night! Thanks again.
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Post by kenalpern on Jun 12, 2010 19:04:12 GMT -8
Wow, Alex! Those kind words are indeed gratifying and humbling. I will definitely keep them in mind as I stay up those late nights!
Of course, it is a team effort, and inasmuch as I'm not the first wave of transit advocates, there are other waves of advocates who've taken the fight to many new places. Thank you for your own efforts as well.
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