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Post by LAofAnaheim on Nov 30, 2010 13:11:42 GMT -8
I would like to know how the Expo Line will personally benefit you...either Phase I or Phase II. For the purposes of this, Phase I will be defined to Venice/Robertson (this is not the thread to debate Phase I expected station opening). Also, I'm not talking about "traffic reduction" benefit..I mean direct benefit like a station to get you to your destination. Think of it as an interesting conversation to see what benefits we'll see as users of the new line.
For example, I live in downtown LA and work at the Yahoo! Center in Santa Monica. Currently, I take the Big Blue Bus 10 between 9th/Hope to Santa Monica/Cloverfield. When Phase I opens, I'll be riding my bike between the Yahoo! Center and Venice/Robertson and using the Pico station to get home. Eventually, with Phase II, I can walk to work from the 26th/Olympic station and walk home from Pico station.
Any other examples?
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Post by metrocenter on Nov 30, 2010 13:21:28 GMT -8
When Phase I opens, I plan to visit the USC bookstore and the Exposition Park museums more often. (Ah, to be free from having to hunt for expensive parking at USC!) Culver City has to be second on my list for Phase I.
As for Phase II, I am most likely to visit Santa Monica's 3rd Street by train, and possibly the restaurants on Pico near Westwood station.
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Post by metrocenter on Nov 30, 2010 13:26:33 GMT -8
Oh yeah, and visit the wealthy neighborhoods so I can steal people's tvs and carry them away on the train. LOL.
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andop2
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Posts: 70
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Post by andop2 on Nov 30, 2010 17:05:14 GMT -8
I work in Culver City and live in Santa Monica, so Phase 2 will help me out the most. In the meantime I can take Phase 1 to downtown after work for my Thursday LA Phil concerts and avoid the terrible traffic and parking hassles. I will also use it to go to Dodger Stadium, assuming they continue the Union Station shuttle. Both of these destinations will be much easier with the Downtown Connector, and when Phase 2 is finished (and the Connector), I can ride home transfer free from Disney Hall.
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Post by trackman on Nov 30, 2010 17:49:37 GMT -8
For one, it will take me to Nokia Theatre and Staples more frequently than today. Plus, there should be more room available.
Secondly, probably to the Coliseum and Galean Center for USC games.
Admittedly, I will not be an everyday rider like a commuter, but I should be using it a few times a year.
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Post by masonite on Nov 30, 2010 18:18:18 GMT -8
I really won't be able to use it much until Phase II. I live a little over a mile away from the Bundy station and will use it to go to games at the Coliseum, Galen Center and Staples Center. I have really enjoyed watching Downtown revitalize and will likely also use it to go out to restaurants and other events Downtown.
By 2014/2015, who knows, I may be working Downtown again and may be an everyday commuter.
On the fare gates, I really like the Washington model. Yes, they have faregates and distanced based fares, but they also generally have a station attendant to answer questions, reduce mayhem, keep homeless from camping and panhandling customers and of course prevent gate jumpers.
TAP is currently a mess, but the MTA seems to be planning a rollout of machines in rail stations where you can buy TAP cards as well as allow for the cash-value option on TAP cards sometime in Q2. Those two features will go a long way.
Ultimately, we need distanced based fares with the Regional Connector, otherwise someone will be riding from Montclair to Long Beach or nearly 60 miles on a single fare, but someone who needs to go 2 miles but has to switch buses will pay double that.
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Post by tobias087 on Nov 30, 2010 19:29:57 GMT -8
As a USC student from the Valley who works at the Hollywood Bowl, the Expo line will take me to the Red Line significantly faster, saving me commute time for work and hassle when going home for break. And don't forget lunch outings to Culver City or Downtown and trips to the Central Library for research. Sorry you will all have to wait for me and the rest of the band to cross the tracks on gamedays
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adamv
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Post by adamv on Nov 30, 2010 19:34:52 GMT -8
I live very close to Washington and La Brea.
As far as Phase I goes, I'm not sure how often I will use it outside of trips to the Expo Park Museums, or maybe the odd Sports Event. I have two little girls under the age of 4, so perhaps their mom might drop us off at the station, which we might take to Culver City, I guess.
Oddly enough, I have cousins very close to the Soto station, and they don't have reliable car service, so we've joked about how often we'll see eachother once we can take the rail lines to each other.
My dream now, though, is to get a job somewhere around Sony Studios (I work in Entertainment) so I can just take the train a few stops down the line.
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Post by James Fujita on Dec 1, 2010 0:28:04 GMT -8
I have a bad habit of taking the train places I would never go except that the subway goes there. For example, I never went to CityWalk before the Red Line went there ;D
Neither Phase I nor Phase II would be a regular commute for me, unless I get a job out that direction.
However, Phase I would be awesome for Exposition Park. I love the museums there and my mom loves the rose garden.
I'm not a Trojans fan (well, I'll root for them, but I'm not enough of a fan to attend games, sorry...).
Phase II would be good for Santa Monica, of course.
Beyond that.... I'd have to see if the train gets close enough to the Japanese shops and restaurants in Culver City, I suppose. Not as familiar with that area as I should be.
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Post by rajacobs on Dec 1, 2010 7:28:55 GMT -8
Absence of the Venice Robertson Station means that my wife and I get to walk the additional distance to La Cienega before hopping the train, taking it the the Red Line and from there to the Gold Line to Sierra Madre Villa where we walk to Sierra Madre for lunch, and then come back.
Once the Venice Robertson station is in, we're imagining trying to take the Expo Line to the Blue Line to Long Beach, going to the Sky Bar for dinner and dancing, and then grabbing one of the last trains home.
...And then there's the piece de resistance, once Phase II completes, grabbing the train at National and Palms--just down the hill from us--and going into Santa Monica for dinner, walking, doing whatever--no concern about too much wine to drive home, having a great time, grabbing the train and finding our way back. ...Especially hard to have to wait for this last one. Can't believe it's still years away!
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Post by LAofAnaheim on Dec 1, 2010 10:19:49 GMT -8
Sorry you will all have to wait for me and the rest of the band to cross the tracks on gamedays Well then...I seriously hope you can convince your fellow band cohorts to take Pardee Way and not Trousdale for game days, for the greater good of Los Angeles transit.
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Post by bzcat on Dec 1, 2010 10:49:45 GMT -8
I will be using Expo Phase 1 to get to USC games, Convention Center/LA Live, and eat at restaurant row on 7th Street.
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Post by Gokhan on Dec 1, 2010 11:05:18 GMT -8
The line would be of most use to me if the Palms Station opened. Then it would be a five-minute walk to the station and another five-minute walk to my office at USC.
I guess I could take the Big Blue Bus 12 to Venice/National. Hopefully this bus will be rerouted to Venice/Robertson. It wouldn't be as convenient as having the Palms Station and it would probably take fifteen minutes longer but it may still be doable.
La Cienega wouldn't be useful for me as the parking structure would be filled up by the time I drive there.
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Post by rubbertoe on Dec 1, 2010 11:30:44 GMT -8
I will be taking Expo Phase 1 to the end at Venice/Robertson, so that I can then walk over to the Phase 2 construction area and take pictures to post on my favorite LA transit blog RT
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Post by davebowman on Dec 1, 2010 14:41:23 GMT -8
I live in Santa Monica (near 26th St./Olympic)and work at USC, so I'm hoping Phase 2 will be completed before I retire. I'm a sports fan, so in the meantime Expo Line Phase 1 will offer the option of driving to Culver City and then taking the Expo Line to a USC football game (I once spent an hour in my car after a game on the top level of a parking structure, just waiting to move); or going down to Staples Center for a basketball or hockey game after work without paying $$ for parking. In fact, once Phase 2 is completed, I could get from my condo in Santa Monica to a pro football game in San Diego completely by rail: Expo Line/Red Line/Pacific Surfliner/San Diego Trolley. Better yet, a football stadium/multipurpose arena next to Staples Center (with NFL team) would be brilliant. I think people underestimate how much the Expo Line and Downtown Connector will revolutionize the social life and economy of this area.
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Post by James Fujita on Dec 1, 2010 15:32:49 GMT -8
Looking at Google maps, I see now that the Venice/ Robertson station would be walking distance (about a block or so) of Royal-T, Culver City's Akihabara-style "cosplay cafe" ;D
I've never been there before, so there's another reason to try the Expo Line....
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Post by bzcat on Dec 1, 2010 17:01:48 GMT -8
I live in Santa Monica (near 26th St./Olympic)and work at USC, so I'm hoping Phase 2 will be completed before I retire. I'm a sports fan, so in the meantime Expo Line Phase 1 will offer the option of driving to Culver City and then taking the Expo Line to a USC football game (I once spent an hour in my car after a game on the top level of a parking structure, just waiting to move); or going down to Staples Center for a basketball or hockey game after work without paying $$ for parking. In fact, once Phase 2 is completed, I could get from my condo in Santa Monica to a pro football game in San Diego completely by rail: Expo Line/Red Line/Pacific Surfliner/San Diego Trolley. Better yet, a football stadium/multipurpose arena next to Staples Center (with NFL team) would be brilliant. I think people underestimate how much the Expo Line and Downtown Connector will revolutionize the social life and economy of this area. It's going to be a real eye opener for people on the Westside the first time they realize they can take the train to Hollywood and Koreantown from the Westside with a simple transfer at Metro Center. Expo is really going to cement the popular support for more rail.
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Post by LAofAnaheim on Dec 1, 2010 19:15:42 GMT -8
It's going to be a real eye opener for people on the Westside the first time they realize they can take the train to Hollywood and Koreantown from the Westside with a simple transfer at Metro Center. Expo is really going to cement the popular support for more rail. Agreed, just like it turned heads in the San Gabriel Valley with the opening of the Gold Line. Look at the intense support for the Gold Line Foothill extension. NOBLAG...where are you at now?
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Post by bobdavis on Dec 1, 2010 21:53:16 GMT -8
Mr. Jacobs, If you're planning to have lunch in Sierra Madre (at the Corfu Greek restaurant, perhaps), I hope you're wearing walking shoes; it's about a 2.5 mile walk (uphill) to downtown Sierra Madre from the Sierra Madre Villa station. There's probably bus service, but I haven't checked it lately. As far as NOBLAG is concerned, it's a long story, but I helped nailed the lid on the coffin of that group.
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Post by transitfan on Dec 2, 2010 6:51:25 GMT -8
Alas, the Expo line will come 35 years too late for me, as I would've had a one-seat ride from my apartment on Bagley Ave to USC for classes had it existed during the 1976-77 school year. (actually, it is a bit of a hike from Bagley/Regent to Venice/Robertson, so I might have taken the 75 (predecessor to today's 33) to Robertson. Or maybe even the SM12, which back then passed right by my building (only time of all the places I've lived in 4 different states that a bus line traveled on the street I lived on). Might've been interesting to have ridden a 35-foot AM General (and an "A" model at that, only ones I ever rode were RTD's which were "B" models).
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Post by bobdavis on Dec 2, 2010 20:22:46 GMT -8
My older daughter is a USC grad, class of '83 (there were still SP freight trains running on the Santa Monica Air Line then). If they have any special events for a 30-year reunion, she can ride the Gold, Red, and Expo lines to the Land of Troy.
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Post by roadtrainer on Dec 3, 2010 8:51:43 GMT -8
;DTo Venice and national, for Bagels at Noah's, I will take my bike and camera and take pictures of Phase II Construction and hopefully met RAJOCOBS on his daily stroll and meet Gokhan and Darrell at In-N-Out, and out to the Pier in Santa Monica when the Phase II is completed.
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Post by bzcat on Dec 3, 2010 11:54:43 GMT -8
My older daughter is a USC grad, class of '83 (there were still SP freight trains running on the Santa Monica Air Line then). If they have any special events for a 30-year reunion, she can ride the Gold, Red, and Expo lines to the Land of Troy. The tracks were still there when I graduated (1997). They didn't come out until around 2000 when the City reconstructed the medium (curbs and all) on Exposition Blvd and planted some trees. Of course the trees and the curbs were the first things that got ripped up when Expo construction started ;D
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elray
Junior Member
Posts: 84
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Post by elray on Dec 8, 2010 12:13:29 GMT -8
Unless we move closer, doubtful it will take us anywhere. In 1999, I lived within "walking distance" (as defined by her) of a station. With the 2010 design, we are not.
It would have been useful to go to events at Staples / Nokia / LA Live or USC Campus, but with parking at $7-10, the surrounding neighborhood still evolving from its Blade-Runner roots, and the desire to stop at La Barca en route, paying $12+ for day pass fares and waiting for late-night service has no appeal.
Even with intense gridlock, driving wins out - especially when you factor in the return leg - for us, late at night, when we're tired and want to get home - 20 minutes on the freeway versus 90+ minutes waiting for infrequent service more than offsets the potential of saving a few minutes inbound.
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Post by LAofAnaheim on Dec 8, 2010 12:28:27 GMT -8
Unless we move closer, doubtful it will take us anywhere. In 1999, I lived within "walking distance" (as defined by her) of a station. With the 2010 design, we are not. It would have been useful to go to events at Staples / Nokia / LA Live or USC Campus, but with parking at $7-10, the surrounding neighborhood still evolving from its Blade-Runner roots, and the desire to stop at La Barca en route, paying $12+ for day pass fares and waiting for late-night service has no appeal. Even with intense gridlock, driving wins out - especially when you factor in the return leg - for us, late at night, when we're tired and want to get home - 20 minutes on the freeway versus 90+ minutes waiting for infrequent service more than offsets the potential of saving a few minutes inbound. How about paying $1.50 for a one-way ticket each ($3) and then taking a taxi cab home? Taxis are a great source of public transportation too!
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Post by ieko on Dec 8, 2010 13:20:23 GMT -8
A Taxi for $3?? Not so sure about that..
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Post by LAofAnaheim on Dec 8, 2010 13:44:30 GMT -8
A Taxi for $3?? Not so sure about that.. Who said $3 cab ride? Re-read my sentence. elray was talking about buying 2 day passes for $12 total..so I said "$1.50 for a one-way ticket each ($3)...". Maybe I should have added the word "each" after the $3 to prevent further confusion...
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Post by bobdavis on Dec 8, 2010 20:25:18 GMT -8
By the time we get Expo Phase II, Gold Line to Claremont and Whittier, Downtown Connector to tie everything together (and maybe electrified and double tracked Metrolink), many more of us will be joining me in pushing the "Senior" fare button on the ticket machine (right now it's $0.25 one way off peak, and $1.80 all day for those who remember the Red Cars going to Monrovia and Pasadena.
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elray
Junior Member
Posts: 84
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Post by elray on Dec 9, 2010 14:54:55 GMT -8
How about paying $1.50 for a one-way ticket each ($3) and then taking a taxi cab home? Taxis are a great source of public transportation too! Taxis pencil out ($40 from USC, less $10 parking, net $30) if one isn't already paying the fixed overhead for the car. But for that to happen, we'd have to be (again) within "walking distance" of useful public transit and a ZipCar-like location, which we just aren't. I'd consider actually moving to University Park/South Park/West Adams, even with its more colorful elements and issues; some of the older housing near the line is architecturally/ergonomically attractive and marginally affordable. But the existing neighborhood culture negates "walking distance" - I can handle it, but she would refuse. I can't blame her - the street crime, while mildly reduced, is still horrific when it happens, and LA City doesn't seem to give a hoot.
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Post by LAofAnaheim on Dec 9, 2010 16:10:21 GMT -8
Taxis pencil out ($40 from USC, less $10 parking, net $30) if one isn't already paying the fixed overhead for the car. But for that to happen, we'd have to be (again) within "walking distance" of useful public transit and a ZipCar-like location, which we just aren't. I'd consider actually moving to University Park/South Park/West Adams, even with its more colorful elements and issues; some of the older housing near the line is architecturally/ergonomically attractive and marginally affordable. But the existing neighborhood culture negates "walking distance" - I can handle it, but she would refuse. I can't blame her - the street crime, while mildly reduced, is still horrific when it happens, and LA City doesn't seem to give a hoot. Problem is that people in LA would rather see the nice open space next to a train station for parking (asphalt) than a housing complex or office building which would be a destination for people. Then, you'd have more options of living/working next to a rail line, instead of just driving to one and having 1 or 2 stations be REAL DESTINATIONS.
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