Rail
Streetsblog California
Will L.A. Times’ Irresponsible Coverage of High Speed Rail Doom the Project?
On Monday, the Los Angeles Times published a bombshell article, outlining the details of a "confidential Federal Railroad Administration risk analysis," in an attack on the competence and ethics of the California High Speed Rail Authority. Reporter Ralph Vartabedian claims the report shows cost overruns and delays, although the Times does not provide readers a chance to read the report for themselves.
January 19, 2017
High Speed Rail Update: Animations of Potential Palmdale-Burbank Routes
The California High Speed Rail Authority released three simple animations showing possible routes for the Palmdale to Burbank section. The animations appear on separate maps, so it's hard to compare them side-by-side, but they give a pretty good idea of how very, very long the proposed tunnels are.
September 21, 2016
CA Awards $390 Million in Cap-and-Trade Funding for Transit Capital
This week, the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) announced the recipients of its Transit and Intercity Capital Program (TIRCP) grants. TIRCP distributes state cap-and-trade funding to local transit agencies for projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The TIRCP awards total $390 million statewide.
August 19, 2016
Rail Resilience Highlights Need for Skepticism About New Transit Tech
Yesterday's evening commute turned into a nightmare for passengers on the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) train, when--according to the latest reports--a mudslide sent a tree onto the tracks and caused a major derailment.
March 9, 2016
BoE Vice Chair George Runner Wants to Kill Public Transportation
George Runner, former California Senator, husband of current California Senator Sharon Runner, and current elected member of the California Board of Equalization, is doing his best to kill public transportation in the state.
February 16, 2016
Is Rail That Important for Transit-Oriented Development?
It may be that TOD—transit-oriented development, which puts high density housing near transit to encourage people to travel by means other than by car—may be putting too much emphasis on the T. That is, the fact that people have a train station near at hand may not necessarily be what encourages them to use it. Other things—like whether they have access to free parking—seem to have more influence on car ownership and driving.
December 3, 2015
Do Gas Prices Impact Transit Ridership? Sure. But There’s More…
A group of USC students under the tutelage of Professor Lisa Schweitzer produced the above chart, which seems to show a direct correlation between gas prices and ridership in Southern California. Simply put, when gas prices fall, so does transit ridership. When gas prices rise, so does transit ridership. The equation is not that simple; correlation does not mean causation. But is there a causal thread between gas prices and transit ridership?
October 28, 2015
High Speed Rail Authority Steams Ahead with Environmental Planning for LA to Anaheim
Tonight and Wednesday, the California High Speed Rail Authority will hold a pair of public meetings along a proposed route for the rail project between Los Angeles and Anaheim. Information on the hearings can be held at the end of the article. Tonight's meeting will ALSO be broadcast live at US Stream beginning at 5:30 p.m.
October 26, 2015
Dreaming of the Night Train: Sleeping from LA to the Bay Area
Like many Californians, I travel regularly between Los Angeles and San Francisco, often taking an early morning flight. The crack-of-dawn wake up, the airport traffic, and the security pat-downs and delays are exhausting. Wouldn't it be nicer just to crawl into bed in L.A. the night before and wake up in the Bay Area?
October 14, 2015