L.A. Metro EXPO Line - Phase 2 Updates

[blue streak 1]

NY Times article

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/18/us/la-metro-expo-line-santa-monica.html?_r=1

[MikeF90]

blue streak 1

NY Times article

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/18/us/la-metro-expo-line-santa-monica.html?_r=1 

IMO the article doesn't add any meaningful insight, typical glossy NYT overview of LA. BTW the ridership stats show that Expo Line ridership is up about 50% over last year (!) and even more on the weekends (not unexpected).

A car shortage has impacted both the Expo and Gold Lines after both have been extended this year.  Most Expo trains seem to be three car consists, which may be why Gold Line riders are complaining more about crowding. Ongoing car deliveries should stabilize the situation about years end.

[spsffan]

Geez. You'd think that the New York Times would know what a subway is! They refer to the Expo line as the long promissed "subway to the sea". First of all, it clearly isn't a subway, being mostly at grade, sometimes elevated light rail. Secondly, the "subway to the sea" promoted by our former mayor Antonio Villaragosa is the extension of the heavy rail Purple Line. 

The Pruple line now terminates at Western Avenue. An extension to La Cienega Blvd. is under construction. The next phase of construction would bring the subway to Westwood. After that, the final phase is supposed to bring it to Santa Monica, aka the sea. But I'd say we are at least 20 years from that being open for service. 

 

While the Expo line is nice for what it is, it remains:

 

1. Slow. It has to contend with traffic lights for a fair amount of its route, and some of the stops are rediculously close together. 

2. Away from the most dense part of the Westside. The Expo line was built where it is because it was a former right of way of the Pacific Electric and later SP, which was relatively easy to acquire and didn't involve tunneling or displacine many homes or businesses. 

3. The "reverse" nature of the cummuters has been know for decades. Back in 1983, when I was in the hospital with a view of the Santa Monica Freeway, I recall noticing that the traffic going towards downtown LA was ligheter in the mornings and worse in the evenings. Back then, nobody lived downtown, thus my conclusion that they were coming from beyond downtown to jobs on the Westside. 

 

Oh well. What do you expect from a newspaper without a comics section?

 

[daveklepper]

I probably should not defend the NY Times, considering the really lousy and distorted job they often do about events near where I live.  But just consider the environment of its writers and editors, where just about anything on steel wheels is subway.

50 yeas ago my many Brooklyn relatives, of all ages, still spoke of taking the train to the City," remnants of the days when the open-air lines, now the B/Q, D, F, and N, were all steam railroads, and Brooklyn was a separate City.  Today, the few New Yorkers that know that PATH actually does exist speak of it as "the subway to New Jersey."

And Hudson and Bergen County Light Rail and its success might as well be in California.   Oh well, maybe the Brooklyn Waterfront light rail lien will change that.

[blue streak 1]

It probably would be difficult but if some of our LA posters could ride and comment on loads and equipment shortages ?

[mvs]

blue streak 1

It probably would be difficult but if some of our LA posters could ride and comment on loads and equipment shortages ?

I might ride for the Thursday night USC game in a few months.  In the meantime, I also lurk/read a message board of LA-area transit advocates (http://transittalk.proboards.com/board/25).  It seems as though these trains are sometimes standing room only.

Imagine how much better the ridership would be, if the Expo Line had signal preemption, i.e. it didn't have to wait for the cars at intersections.

[MikeF90]

I've ridden Expo several times and, in my small sample, trains are usually close to full. No question SRO level is reached during rush hour. As stated above, Expo seems to have priority for new P3010 cars and I've seen mostly three car (maximum length) trains.

mvs

Imagine how much better the ridership would be, if the Expo Line had signal preemption, i.e. it didn't have to wait for the cars at intersections.

The full story about 'preemption' is a little muddled. Metro states that Santa Monica approved it, so trains usually don't have to stop at intersections west of I-405. Some riders notice that westbounds are often stopped at 5th St (DTSM) waiting for a light change.

OTOH the segment from 7th/Flower to USC obviously does not have preemption. I've been on trains that are forced to stop coming out of the tunnel at 12st St - arrgh!  Things are usually stop-and-go until Jefferson Blvd. West of USC trains seem to move right along.

Metro says that LADOT refused preemption for the Blue and Expo lines, and LADOT says that Metro won't fund the extra equipment needed, oh well.

[spsffan]

I rode 4th Street to Bundy last night around 7 PM. Not full, but well populated 3 car train. It did indeed stop at 5th coming into the station prior to my boarding. Leaving eastbound, I think we waited for the light at 5th and then rolled steadily to the station at 17th Street. After that, it's on separate right of way. Incidentally, since I pass under the Bundy station en route to work and can actually see it from my office's elevator lobby, trains can be 1, 2 or 3 cars, and tend to be longer morning and evening and shorter mid-day. After 2 months of service, I see more and more passengers waiting for the trains, and the parking at Bundy seems to finally be getting some takers. It requires a permit, so you can't just show up and park.

[blue streak 1]

An example of  light rail done right. The expo line's extension riders are 70% new riders and not just extensions.  Maybe that's why the  trains are so crowded ? 

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/passenger_rail/news/LA-Metro-70-percent-of-Expo-Line-Extension-riders-are-new--49485