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Post by masonite on Oct 18, 2009 9:33:24 GMT -8
What is the speed limit for the elevated track above the 101? I've seen trains run across it, but go at about 10-15 mph. Is the curve too sharp? A snippet I found in the Peer Panel Review report: "The Gold Line Eastside Extension is approximately 5.8 miles in length with a mixed operating environment. The line is predominately street running, with a top operating speed of 35 mph. At no time is the operating speed greater than the posted speed limit for vehicular traffic. The grade crossings are wide offering for the most part excellent sightlines. As mentioned earlier, this type of alignment, combined with the operating characteristics, does not justify or require the installation of crossing gates. Other segments of line include a 1.7-mile tunnel with a maximum operating speed of 55 mph, and a short aerial structure with an operating speed of 10 mph. The low operating speed on the aerial structure is due to the curvature of the bridge and steep grade." Can anyone tell me what limits our light rail from going just 55 mph in tunnel sections like the Eastside Gold Line and grade seperated sections like the Green Line when the subway can go 70 mph. Is it the cars, the power supply or is light rail just not able to really be designed to go more than 55 mph. The difference between 55 mph and 70 mph may not seem like much, but that is over 20% difference. The Gold line has a long section in the tunnel between stations and it could make up a lot of time where it has to go so slow in the street and curves. If light rail can't ever go higher than 55 mph, this is another reason to be careful in tunneling for light rail where heavy rail can serve a nearby corridor that is more dense, especially when light rail already has the problem of limited capacity (3 car trains vs. 6 or more for heavy rail).
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Post by spokker on Oct 18, 2009 17:14:19 GMT -8
Green Line does 65.
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Post by masonite on Oct 18, 2009 20:39:21 GMT -8
You sure? I have seen where the Breda cars can go up to 65, but all I have ever seen on the Green Line is that the top speed is 55, but this doesn't necessarily mean that is correct any longer so if you have more updated info. www.redondo.org/depts/hbt/transit/the_green_line.asp
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Post by darrell on Oct 18, 2009 21:30:51 GMT -8
The Green Line originally was limited to 55 mph, but more recently does 65 mph. I've watched the speedometer.
This speed difference matters for the longer distances between some Green Line stations, but not for the one mile distance from the 1st and Soto subway station to the 1st and Lorena intersection.
Red Line subway trains and Blue Line light rail trains are both scheduled for 2 minutes between stations 1 mile apart.
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Post by Justin Walker on Oct 19, 2009 8:45:15 GMT -8
The Green Line originally was limited to 55 mph, but more recently does 65 mph. I've watched the speedometer. Elson's Metro Rail site agrees: "Speed: 55 mph max allowable; to be increased to 65 mph in 2000. "
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Post by metroman on Oct 19, 2009 17:31:30 GMT -8
And only some portions of the tunnel are 55 mph. Some sections are 45 and less.
The highest speed code indicator on the P2000 is 55. So if they wanted 65 they would have to make a sw & hw mod.
And if it did run at 65, the duration would be short.
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Post by wakko11 on Oct 20, 2009 13:33:07 GMT -8
I think all of the testing has paid some dividends as I noticed that the construction crews were out there on 1st Street again doing work on the tracks.
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Post by rubbertoe on Oct 26, 2009 6:41:14 GMT -8
Well, I happened to be in Little Tokyo checking out a friends art installation last night. We were waiting at the corner of Alameda and Temple. They were running 3 car trains at a pretty short headway, probably because of the U2 concert up in Pasadena. I found a couple things interesting while watching for about 10-15 minutes. There are no crossing gates on Temple, where the trains cross just North of the LT station. I found this interesting because in Pasadena, all 3 streets (Glenarm, California, Del Mar) that the Gold Line crosses all have quad gates. Not sure why the Temple crossing would be any different. It's pretty wide, maybe gates in that situation aren't practical? None at the corner of 1st either where the train turns East. That only crosses half of the street, the Westbound side of 1st. The other funny thing was, I watched a 3 car train pull into the LT station. It was just sitting there waiting, for what seemed several minutes. I thought this was kind of odd, since during normal operation of the Gold Line there is never any long duration station dwelling before heading out. When the train finally pulled out, I saw that it crossed Temple at the exact same time that an Eastbound train crossed the street. This had me wondering whether they plan on this synchronized operation during regular service, and if so, why? My friends art work is a public installation just one block East on Temple by the new fire station. She just finished it up, and the unveiling was yesterday. I told her that it needed to be next to the LT station where it would be seen by probably 100x the number of people who would see it where it is now. Its a modern work, black granite and two lit up portions, which might not go well with the LT motif. But then when we walked down to 2nd for some sushi, I was checking out the LT station and noticed that it had 6 circular sitting areas, that also appeared to be black granite. Concentric circles on top, so that may already be a part of the art installation at LT. Heres the sculpture... Mystery Solved: " The station canopies are in the shape of Japanese archery bows while the platform paving design is patterned after a Japanese tatami mat. In archery a perfect shot requires the release of an arrow in the instant between one’s heartbeats: a moment in time and space with no intervening thoughts. This moment inspired the design for the platform bench artworks. The artist created six smooth granite benches with concentric circles of black and white, simulating a Zen archery target."
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Post by rubbertoe on Oct 26, 2009 9:26:36 GMT -8
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Post by metrocenter on Oct 26, 2009 11:36:57 GMT -8
Hooray!
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Post by darrell on Oct 26, 2009 12:58:19 GMT -8
Metro's October 6, 2009 press release is informative (emphasis added): Independent Safety Panel Finds New Metro Gold Line Extension Designed/Built to Operate Safely
Eastside safety report online: Panel Review of the Gold Line Eastside Extension (PDF)
An independent panel of rail transit safety experts has concluded that the new Metro Gold Line to East Los Angeles has been designed and built to operate safely.
The report comes as Metro continues testing trains and training operators for service which is expected to begin this fall on an extension of the Metro Gold Line, which now connects downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena. The six mile extension will feature eight new stations (two underground) between Union Station in downtown Los Angeles and Atlantic/Pomona boulevards in East Los Angeles via Little Tokyo, the Arts District and Boyle Heights. A third of the Eastside alignment is underground.
New Metro CEO Art Leahy asked three renowned rail safety and operations experts from across the country, who have a combined total of more than 100 years of experience, to do a critical review of the Eastside Extension and advise if its safety features were sufficient. In late June and early July of this year the panel spent a week studying every aspect of the new Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension including rides on test trains.
The panel included Cameron Beach, a member of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors, who also spent two decades with the Sacramento Regional Transit District and Rail Technology, Inc.; Peter Tereschuck, a senior operations engineer and transportation manager who oversaw the startup of the San Diego Trolley and worked on rail lines in South New Jersey, Philadelphia and New York as well Miami, Florida; and Harry Saporta, a safety consultant who served as the director of the Federal Transit Administration’s Office of Safety and Security and who also was a former manager of System Safety Programs for the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District in Portland, Oregon, and a senior engineering manager specializing in safety and security for Parsons Brinckerhoff.
“The operational characteristics of the Eastside Extension are not unlike many other light rail operating environments in the United States,” according to the panel report.
“It has been designed to be a safe, efficient and effective extension of the Pasadena Gold Line. The at-grade crossings have incorporated design features to promote the safe movement of trains and motor vehicles through these intersections.”
The rail safety panel also noted the street running segment of the Metro Gold Line extension, where trains operate in the middle of the street at no more than 35 miles-per-hour within the posted speed limit for vehicular traffic, is typical of many light rail lines in North America that operate without any crossing gates.
Safety experts also praised Metro’s safety outreach program as “outstanding and a model for the rail transit industry.”
However, the panel suggested additional safety enhancements such as installing fencing in areas where frequent jaywalking is observed, installing raised buttons or rumble strips and reflective pavement markers so motor vehicles don’t accidentally intrude on the trainway, reduce warning sign clutter, and work closely with law enforcement to strongly enforce the “Stop Here” and “Keep Clear” requirements.
Metro is heeding the panel’s recommendations. It also has deployed safety ambassadors to help educate the public and is putting in traffic enforcement cameras at 14 intersections. For weeks Sheriff’s and LAPD officers also have been patrolling the light rail alignment.
For months Metro has been conducting a series of tests of multiple safety and communications systems and has now started pre-revenue operations that will familiarize operators with the station stops and procedures. A date for the start of revenue operations will soon be announced.
Link to Safety report: www.metro.net/news_info/press/images/mglelaPanelReview.pdf These are real rail transit safety experts, unlike the freight railroad expert-for-hire who under cross-examination admitted he had little experience with rail transit.
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Post by metrocenter on Oct 26, 2009 14:19:25 GMT -8
"reduce warning sign clutter"
Sign clutter is potentially a problem at certain locations, especially near Indiana, because too many signs can cause confusion, and possibly paralysis, in drivers and pedestrians. It also contributes to visual blight.
East of King Taco (Maravilla) Station, there is a long stretch of 3rd Street where the track area is densely lined with vertical reflective rubber warning sticks. (Sorry for the vague description, I have no photograph.) In my humble opinion, I think these are not only ugly but provide no more safety than a metal barrier would provide. Were these chosen because they are cheaper?
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Post by metroman on Oct 26, 2009 17:14:07 GMT -8
An operator told me that metro is asking for 450 volunteers (employees) for the opening. Gee, that's a lot of volunteers! They must be expecting very large crowds.
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Post by Jason Saunders on Oct 27, 2009 6:54:32 GMT -8
Anyone want a low pay temporary job? You must be bilingual. ______________ The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority will open service on the Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension light rail line between Pasadena and Montclair in November 2009. Temporary employees are needed for support of marketing activities during the first two weeks of this new service. Duties will include distribution of marketing materials, directing/assisting customers before and/or after boarding and adhering to Metro safety policies. We are currently screening applicants for the following positions: * Ambassadors (22 positions) * Supervisor (1 position) * Assistant Supervisor (1 position) Useful Info About this Job: * We will be interviewing candidates starting mid next week. * The work has a potential start date of Nov 16th This date is subject to change. * All associates must be bilingual English/Spanish (We will conduct an evaluation) * This will be a two week project - 14 days start to finish To apply, please call the office so that we may add your name to the list. We will then contact you to schedule the interview. When calling, please provide us with the following information: a. Name b. Preferred schedule/availability c. Availability to interview in our office Job Description The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority will open service on the Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension light rail line between Downtown Union Station and East Los Angeles in November 2009. Temporary employees are needed for support of marketing activities during the first two weeks of this new service. Duties will include distribution of marketing materials, directing/assisting customers before and/or after boarding and adhering to Metro safety policies. Express Employment Professionals, Culver City office is currently screening applicants for these temporary positions: Supervisor (1), Assistant Supervisor (1), and Ambassadors (22). Job descriptions are listed below. Benefits include: Metro pass for the duration of the assignment and paid training. How to apply Step 1: Complete the online application at www.culvercityca.expresspros.com and distribute your application to the Culver City, CA office. Step 2: Email your resume to our office at jobs.culvercityca@expresspros.com Step 3: Call the office at (310) 482-3777 to schedule an in person interview. If you are already registered with our office, call the office to schedule an appointment to complete an English/Spanish bilingual evaluation. Verify that we have a current profile for you in our database. Job Requirements SUPERVISOR: (1 Position) Job Duties: * Direct Liaison with Metro Project Manager. * Direct Liaison with Express Employment Professionals Staff * Supervises work of temporary employees ("Ambassadors") * Monitors work schedule based upon Metro's requirements. * Ensures the following: * Attendance and time keeping of associates * Conformance to dress code * Dissemination of accurate transit information * Compliance with all safety requirements Experience: * 3-4 years work experience in marketing and/or public relations and supervising and coordinating staff at major events/promotions * Must be neat, appropriately dressed and able to present their selves in a professional manner; * Possess excellent people and communication skills. * Bilingual skills in Spanish/English are required. ASSISTANT SUPERVISOR: (1 Position) Job Duties: * Direct Liaison with Metro Project Manager. * Direct Liaison with Express Employment Professionals Staff * Supervises work of temporary employees ("Ambassadors") * Monitors work schedule based upon Metro's requirements. * Ensures the following: * Attendance and time keeping of associates * Conformance to dress code * Dissemination of accurate transit information * Compliance with all safety requirements Experience: * 2 years work experience in marketing and/or public relations and supervising and coordinating staff at major events/promotions * Must be neat, appropriately dressed and able to present their selves in a professional manner; * Possess excellent people and communication skills. * Bilingual skills in Spanish/English are required. AMBASSADOR: (22 Positions) Job Duties: Disseminate Metro literature/information, verbalize certain information to customers on the platforms, assists public with their questions pertaining to this new service and adhere to all Metro safety policies. Experience: * Must possess excellent people and oral communications skills * Prior customer service experience * Comfortable speaking to individuals or groups of customers in crowd type environment. * Bilingual skills in Spanish/English are required. ******************************************************************************************* Dress Code: * Dress neat and display a professional appearance * Tattoos must be covered * No jeans or slouchy clothing Business Casual Attire Support Hours: Two (2) week work assignment up to 40 hours per week (no overtime) Monday to Friday 5:00 am to 10:00am (5 hours) Monday to Friday 3:30 pm to 7:30 pm (4 hours) Saturday 9:30am to 7:00 pm (8 hours) Sunday 9:30am to 7:00 pm (8 hours) *Supervisor and Assistant Supervisor must work split shift M-F **Part time positions available for AM or PM shifts for Ambassadors Location: Daily assignment starts at Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles at the beginning of the Metro Gold Line route. Salary: $15.00/hr Supervisor, $12.00/hr Assistant Supervisor, $9.00/hr Ambassadors
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Post by Jason Saunders on Oct 27, 2009 7:12:31 GMT -8
Today's LaTimes, Molina takes credit for while at the same time is critical of the Eastside Extension. www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-eastside27-2009oct27,0,5845354.story (site has pictures, map and related articles) Los Angeles Times By Ari B. Bloomekatz October 27, 2009 Molina is critical of MTA Eastside extension's rollout The L.A. County supervisor, a key backer of the line from Union Station to East L.A., says the above-ground sections could pose a risk to schoolchildren. Agency officials say testing has minimized ris Gold Line Pedestrians use a designated crosswalk at La Verne and 3rd streets in East Los Angeles. The Gold Line extension runs from Union Station to Atlantic Boulevard. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) With a new rail line set to open on the Eastside next month, one of the project's most vocal and enthusiastic backers has few good things to say about it. L.A. County Supervisor Gloria Molina calls the Eastside Gold Line extension "substandard" and potentially dangerous and says she worries that children leaving school are in danger of being hit by oncoming trains. "I don't know that it's safe. They're telling me that it's safe. . . . Everything has been an excuse. Everything," Molina said. "I should be happy; I worked so hard to get it, and I was so satisfied that even though it wasn't a subway I could live with this, but now I don't know what to think," she said. Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials announced Monday that the Gold Line extension -- a six-mile route running from Union Station in downtown L.A. to Atlantic Boulevard in East L.A. -- will open Nov. 15. Molina, who has represented the Eastside for almost two decades, played a major role in bringing rail service to the area, where she said East L.A. and Boyle Heights' largely working-class immigrant population relies heavily on mass transit. But now, Molina says she is disappointed about how the Gold Line's opening is being handled. She said that what was supposed to be a happy day, when the train picks up its first commuters in November, is increasingly feeling bittersweet. One of her complaints is the agency's decision several years ago to make only a portion of the line a subway, meaning that the majority of the route runs above ground, mostly on 1st and 3rd streets. Only about 1.7 miles runs underground, through twin tunnels underneath Boyle Heights. Molina said she considers the Gold Line "substandard" because the area deserved a subway line and ended up getting a less-expensive light-rail route. In an interview with The Times on Monday, the supervisor said she doesn't think there is enough fencing to prevent people from crossing the tracks, particularly children at nearby schools. She also said there has not been enough community outreach on safety to prepare residents for the new line. "We all struggled so hard to get this into our community," Molina said. "Now, at the end of the day, I feel like I'm being shortchanged on the issues of integrity, safety and confidence." The Gold Line is being anticipated with excitement on the Eastside, where residents and merchants have endured years of torn-up streets, detours and noise. MTA officials expect ridership to be about 13,000 boardings per day on the line by the end of the first year. MTA Chief Executive Art Leahy said he believes the line will be safe when it opens and that his agency is going to lengths to ensure safety. "In October, the board approved an additional $4.5 million for the line, exclusively for safety enhancements. That will include about two miles of pedestrian fencing," among other enhancements, Leahy said. He also said there were now 24 safety ambassadors who will help residents navigate tricky spots on the line, and that law enforcement has been working to discourage pedestrians from jaywalking. "We've scoured the line, we've had outside experts scour the line, I'm not aware of anything out there that we haven't addressed," Leahy said. "We will do what we need to do to make sure this line is safe, but we also need the public's cooperation," he said. City Councilman Jose Huizar, who represents some of the areas the line will go through, hopes the Gold Line will spur further development and private investment in Boyle Heights. He agreed with Molina that more safety measures are needed but said he believes the MTA is working to make those improvements. "I'm excited that it's going to finally open up, and I know we can do a lot more to improve safety. We haven't done enough, but I know we have some plans on the way to make it better," Huizar said. Molina's criticism of the Gold Line comes amid a big push to get federal money to build a subway from Koreatown to Westwood. Molina has been pushing for the second phase of the Gold Line extension, which would run from East L.A. to either South El Monte or Whittier.
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Post by metrocenter on Oct 27, 2009 8:48:14 GMT -8
Gloria Molina should arrange a conference call with herself, to decide exactly what her opinion is, before she opens her mouth again.
What a wet blanket.
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Post by masonite on Oct 27, 2009 10:55:37 GMT -8
Metro's October 6, 2009 press release is informative (emphasis added): Independent Safety Panel Finds New Metro Gold Line Extension Designed/Built to Operate Safely
Eastside safety report online: Panel Review of the Gold Line Eastside Extension (PDF)
An independent panel of rail transit safety experts has concluded that the new Metro Gold Line to East Los Angeles has been designed and built to operate safely.
The report comes as Metro continues testing trains and training operators for service which is expected to begin this fall on an extension of the Metro Gold Line, which now connects downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena. The six mile extension will feature eight new stations (two underground) between Union Station in downtown Los Angeles and Atlantic/Pomona boulevards in East Los Angeles via Little Tokyo, the Arts District and Boyle Heights. A third of the Eastside alignment is underground.
New Metro CEO Art Leahy asked three renowned rail safety and operations experts from across the country, who have a combined total of more than 100 years of experience, to do a critical review of the Eastside Extension and advise if its safety features were sufficient. In late June and early July of this year the panel spent a week studying every aspect of the new Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension including rides on test trains.
The panel included Cameron Beach, a member of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors, who also spent two decades with the Sacramento Regional Transit District and Rail Technology, Inc.; Peter Tereschuck, a senior operations engineer and transportation manager who oversaw the startup of the San Diego Trolley and worked on rail lines in South New Jersey, Philadelphia and New York as well Miami, Florida; and Harry Saporta, a safety consultant who served as the director of the Federal Transit Administration’s Office of Safety and Security and who also was a former manager of System Safety Programs for the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District in Portland, Oregon, and a senior engineering manager specializing in safety and security for Parsons Brinckerhoff.
“The operational characteristics of the Eastside Extension are not unlike many other light rail operating environments in the United States,” according to the panel report.
“It has been designed to be a safe, efficient and effective extension of the Pasadena Gold Line. The at-grade crossings have incorporated design features to promote the safe movement of trains and motor vehicles through these intersections.”
The rail safety panel also noted the street running segment of the Metro Gold Line extension, where trains operate in the middle of the street at no more than 35 miles-per-hour within the posted speed limit for vehicular traffic, is typical of many light rail lines in North America that operate without any crossing gates.
Safety experts also praised Metro’s safety outreach program as “outstanding and a model for the rail transit industry.”
However, the panel suggested additional safety enhancements such as installing fencing in areas where frequent jaywalking is observed, installing raised buttons or rumble strips and reflective pavement markers so motor vehicles don’t accidentally intrude on the trainway, reduce warning sign clutter, and work closely with law enforcement to strongly enforce the “Stop Here” and “Keep Clear” requirements.
Metro is heeding the panel’s recommendations. It also has deployed safety ambassadors to help educate the public and is putting in traffic enforcement cameras at 14 intersections. For weeks Sheriff’s and LAPD officers also have been patrolling the light rail alignment.
For months Metro has been conducting a series of tests of multiple safety and communications systems and has now started pre-revenue operations that will familiarize operators with the station stops and procedures. A date for the start of revenue operations will soon be announced.
Link to Safety report: www.metro.net/news_info/press/images/mglelaPanelReview.pdf These are real rail transit safety experts, unlike the freight railroad expert-for-hire who under cross-examination admitted he had little experience with rail transit. Lets hope they are right. A lot is riding on it as the future of Expo Phase II and other future at grade light rail in the county really needs this to be a safe line like the rest of the Gold Line. Another Blue Line would be devastating to the MTA in so many ways, but I am getting more confident that this certainly won't be anywhere near the case. Does anyone know what exactly the $4.5M approved last week will really buy. All I have seen is fencing to block jaywalkers, but hopefully $4.5M buys a lot more than that. Also, I wonder how long it will take to deploy that $4.5M. I'm sure it won't be by the opening. I think I'll skip the opening day as those are really too much of a madhouse, although I did enjoy the last one on the Red Line. I'll probably try it out a few weeks later.
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Post by metrocenter on Oct 27, 2009 12:08:36 GMT -8
I had a really good time on the Blue Line's opening day, so I don't want to miss the opening of the Eastside Line.
Does anybody know whether or not there will be through-service to Pasadena on opening day? I'll bet everybody is going to want to get on at Union Station or Atlantic Station. So it might be easier to ride from some existing station, like South Pasadena or Highland Park.
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Post by erict on Oct 27, 2009 12:17:02 GMT -8
The Gold Line will be it's new full route, but probably PACKED like sardines since it will be free.
From the website:
"Free rides on the entire Metro Gold Line from Pasadena to East Los Angeles will be offered on opening day Sunday, Nov. 15. Community celebrations also are planned around some of the stations. Details will be announced shortly. Local, state and federal officials will take an inaugural ride following an official ceremony the day before on Saturday, Nov. 14."
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Post by spokker on Oct 27, 2009 13:14:33 GMT -8
Does anybody know whether or not there will be through-service to Pasadena on opening day? I'll bet everybody is going to want to get on at Union Station or Atlantic Station. So it might be easier to ride from some existing station, like South Pasadena or Highland Park. Everybody else might have the same idea and trains toward Pasadena may be packed too! It's going to be my first opening day cluster-f***. I can't wait.
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Post by LAofAnaheim on Oct 27, 2009 14:32:12 GMT -8
Does anybody know whether or not there will be through-service to Pasadena on opening day? I'll bet everybody is going to want to get on at Union Station or Atlantic Station. So it might be easier to ride from some existing station, like South Pasadena or Highland Park. Everybody else might have the same idea and trains toward Pasadena may be packed too! It's going to be my first opening day cluster-f***. I can't wait. Per Streetsblog, the MTA will operate the Gold Line eastside extension as a seperate line. All passengers will depart at Union Station and have to take another train to the eastside for the 15th only. Thereafter, it's expected to operate as one continuous line. I guess they don't want people boarding at Sierra Madre and riding the whole way to Atlantic station. Per Streetsblog: "For the sake of crowd control on the 15th the extension will be operated as a separate shuttle, traveling between Union Station to Atlantic/3rd with 7 minute headways. Folks coming in on the Gold Line from its Pasadena through downtown L.A. segment will need to get off at Union Station and get in line to board the trains running on the extension. And those riding to the terminus of the extension at Atlantic/3rd will have to get off and get in line to re-board. I anticipate the trains will be sent out from both ends perhaps half full to leave space free to handle boardings at the other stations along the route." Source: la.streetsblog.org/2009/10/27/gold-line-eastside-extension-set-to-open-1115-but-is-metro-ready-to-party/
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Post by spokker on Oct 27, 2009 16:23:32 GMT -8
Haha, there goes my genius plan.
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Post by darrell on Oct 29, 2009 10:47:36 GMT -8
Nice quote from Fred Dennstedt in The Source's " Eastside Gold Line impressions": 2. I have to confess, as a transit rider, my preference is at-grade light rail. I’m sure some will say I’m crazy or stupid for feeling that way, but I have my reasons. First and foremost, I think at-grade light rail creates the most seamless transportation experience possible. It’s visible from the street level, easily accessible from the street, and creates a place on the street. Inside the rail cars you get to bask in L.A.’s ample sunlight, view the passing neighborhoods and scenery through the large windows, and because of this you get a better sense of where you are. Two of my favorite transit cities, San Francisco and Bordeaux, France, integrate at-grade light rail seamlessly into the fabric of the city. I get that same vibe on the Eastside Extension of the Gold Line. Which is reinforced in Rick Thorpe's resignation letter to Metro: Light rail by definition operates primarily at-grade, and while there are inherent risk with any transportation system operation at-grade, be it cars, buses, trains, etc., the Eastside project as designed is safe. If it was not, the California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates light rail safety in the state, would not have approved our design, nor would they allow the system to open. With the Eastside Gold Line's completion Metro won't be building anything for a few years; Expo is a big job by itself; and it makes sense to for him get out of at least one line of fire.
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Post by metrocenter on Oct 29, 2009 12:04:51 GMT -8
Haha, there goes my genius plan. You're genius plan! It was *my* genius plan! ;D So it might be easier to ride from some existing station, like South Pasadena or Highland Park.
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Post by metrocenter on Oct 30, 2009 7:17:13 GMT -8
I drove the length of the line again yesterday, during rush hour. The area around Indiana Street was very congested, due to the timing of the lights.
Heading west, First Street traffic was backed up from the light at Indiana, past Lorena and back to the East Portal. It took 4.5 minutes to get from Lorena to Indiana . Then on Indiana, there was a long wait at 3rd Street. The light remained green for way too long for 3rd Street, even though there was no traffic in that direction. The final delay was at 3rd/Hicks, where traffic waited again for no apparent reason. It took over ten minutes to get from 1st/Lorena to past 3rd/Hicks.
The good news is that, because there was no apparent reason for the traffic light issues, I would think this would be an easy problem to solve. They just need to do a better job of synchronizing the lights to accommodate traffic conditions.
What concerns me is the effect on the local community. They now have not just a giant train rolling through their neighborhood, but also they can't even drive on their streets due to traffic. Hopefully the MTA and the city will be able to resolve these issues sooner rather than later.
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Post by Gokhan on Oct 30, 2009 11:56:34 GMT -8
This is obviously because of Molina, whom we know to be of the same caliber as the Fix Expo folks. (She singled out Rick Thorpe for building an in-her-opinion unsafe Gold Line Eastside Extension.) It's bad news for Expo Phase 2 as well as the Foothill Extension and all other light-rail projects. Rick Thorpe is a strong proponent of light-rail and now this may delay the construction of all light-rail projects. Metro official overseeing projects resignsPosted by Steve Hymon on October 28, 2009 - 5:36 pmAn interesting development today: Rick Thorpe, Metro’s chief capital management officer, resigned from his position at Metro. Thorpe, however, is staying on as the CEO of the Expo Line Construction Authority. In his Metro job, Thorpe was in charge of overseeing (among other things) the rail projects that Metro is building. Although he declined comment about the exact reason he was leaving, in his resignation letter to Metro CEO Art Leahy, Thorpe wrote “Recent events have made it clear that I’m no longer effective in that role, and as such, I am tendering my resignation from those duties.” At Thursday’s Board meeting, Board member and County Supervisor Gloria Molina publicly raised concerns that she did not believe the new Eastside Gold Line Extension was as safe as it should be and she singled out Thorpe as someone that she clearly had issues with. Thorpe declined comment to me about the exact reasons he was leaving his Metro position. Thorpe, however, also sent the Metro Board of Directors a letter Wednesday addressing Molina’s concerns. Excerpt: “Light rail by definition operates primarily at-grade, and while there are inherent risk with any transportation system operation at-grade, be it cars, buses, trains, etc., the Eastside project as designed is safe. If it was not, the California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates light rail safety in the state, would not have approved our design, nor would they allow the system to open.” Molina’s office has not issued a comment on Thorpe’s resignation. The L.A. Times also published a story Tuesday on Molina’s comments about the Eastside Gold Line. -- Steve Hymon
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Post by metroman on Nov 4, 2009 18:14:04 GMT -8
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Post by metroman on Nov 4, 2009 18:17:01 GMT -8
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Post by darrell on Nov 8, 2009 0:35:33 GMT -8
Here it is: the view through operator's window during a preview ride in a Breda train on Los Angeles Eastside Gold Line, last Friday, 11/6/09.
Part 1 of 2 is Union Station to 1st & Lorena. Part 2 of 2 is the rest of the way to 3rd & Atlantic. The video skips time stopped in stations; total travel time was about 22 minutes.
Click full screen and HD!
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Post by darrell on Nov 8, 2009 10:58:43 GMT -8
And here's a timetable based on that Eastside Gold Line run (from my video timestamps, rounded to whole minutes). Remember, I omitted station dwell time in the video, generally 20-30 seconds at each. Signal priority / synchronization was working well, with little or no train delay at most intersections. The most significant was waiting about 35 seconds to turn onto 3rd from the Indiana station. Union Station | 12:10 | Little Tokyo Arts District | 12:13 | Pico/Aliso | 12:16 | Mariachi Plaza | 12:18 | Soto | 12:20 | Indiana | 12:23 | Maravilla | 12:28 | East L.A./Civic Center | 12:30 | Atlantic | 12:32 |
Here's the Final EIS/EIR map for reference (station names have changed):
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