Reason # I’ve-lost-count why we need more subways in L.A.: Improv Everywhere. In NYC, improvers told people MTA hired them to take Subway Yearbook Photos of everyone riding the subway. Fun and surprisingly photogenic photos ensued! When did New Yorkers get so good looking? (via kottke)
Meanwhile in L.A., plans for subways and light rails are slowly chugging on. Now, after what I think has been 4 rounds of meetings, Metro’s officially going to seek federal funding for the Subway to the Sea, which would extend the purple line down Wilshire and / or Santa Monica Blvd. to the beach. Federal funds are also sought for the Regional Connector Transit Corridor project that would link light rail lines together in the downtown area.
And community meetings for the Crenshaw Transit Corridor project, which would create a light rail line running from the Miracle Mile area down to LAX, will begin tonight. LAist has details on the meetings — as well as L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas’ involvement with this project.
And while we wait for that Subway to the Sea to get built out, let’s work on getting some bus-only lanes on Wilshire. We had some community meetings about this — a.k.a. the Wilshire Boulevard Bus Rapid Transit Project — back in November last year. But now, the project requires a full environmental impact review. Thus, public scoping meetings for the bus-only lanes begin next week:
>> Monday, Oct. 5, 6 pm – 8 pm at Felicia Mahood Senior Center, 11338 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles
>> Wednesday, Oct. 7, 6 pm – 8 pm at Wilshire United Methodist Church, 4350 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles
>> Thursday, Oct. 8, 6 pm – 8 pm at Westwood Presbyterian Church 10822 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles
>> Tuesday, Oct. 13, 6 pm – 8 pm at Good Samaritan Hospital, Moseley-Salvatori Conference Center, 637 Lucas Ave., Los Angeles
I’m planning to attend the first one — by taking the Metro 704, unless the BBB 1 comes first. Hope to see you there!
Thanks for the great update. It’s a very busy time indeed for transportation planning, and you didn’t even mention the Expo meetings.
To clarify one thing about the subway, we are studying a Wilshire alignment and a Wilshire/West Hollywood alignment. There is no Santa Monica Boulevard alignment, without Wilshire, under study.
Also, we’re getting ready for our next round of community meetings. These will focus on the various stations and a different set of station will be discussed at each meeting. There will be five meetings between October 22 and November 5. We’ll be getting the notices out soon but I’ve already put the information on our Metro Westside Extension Facebook Group.
Until then, I’ll see you at the BRT meetings.
Jody Litvak
Comment by Jody Litvak — October 1, 2009 @ 11:02 am